Nanohardness, corrosion and protein adsorption properties of CuAlO_2 films deposited on 316L stainless steel for biomedical applications

摘要

This study preliminarily assesses the biomedical applications of CuAlO_2 coatings according to nanoinden-tation, electrochemical, and protein adsorption tests. Nanoindentation results revealed that the surface hardness of 316L stainless steel increased markedly after coating with CuAlO_2 films. Electrochemical tests of corrosion potential, breakdown potential, and corrosion current density showed that the corrosion resistance properties of 316L stainless steel are considerably improved by CuAlO_2 coatings. Bicinchoninic acid (BCA) protein assay results revealed that the protein adsorption behavior of 316L stainless steel did not exhibit notable differences with or without CuAlO_2 coatings. A CuAlO_2 coating of 100 nm thickness improved the surface nanohardness and corrosion resistance ability of 316L stainless steel. CuAlO_2 is a potential candidate for biomaterial coating applications, particularly for surface modification of fine, delicate implants.