Controllable biodegradation and enhanced osseointegration of ZrO₂-nanofilm coated Zn-Li alloy: In vitro and in vivo...

Zinc and its alloys have emerged as a new research direction of biodegradable metals (BMs) due to the significant physiological functions of Zn²⁺ ions in human body. However, low inhibitory concentration threshold value to cause cytotoxicity by Zn²⁺ ions during in vitro study and delayed osseointegration in vivo are two key flaws for the bulk Zn-based BMs. To combat these issues, we constructed a barrier layer of ZrO₂ nanofilm on the surface of Zn-0.1(wt.%) Li alloy via atomic layer deposition (ALD). A decreased release of Zn²⁺ ions accompanied with accelerated release of Li⁺ ions was observed on account of galvanic coupling between the coating compositions and Zn-0.1Li alloy substrate. Cytocompatibility assay reflected that ZrO₂ nanofilm coated Zn-0.1Li alloy exhibited improved cell adhesion and viability. Histological analysis also demonstrated better in vivo osseointegration for the ZrO₂ nanofilm coated Zn-0.1Li alloy. Hence, the present study elucidated that the ALD of ZrO₂ nanofilm on Zn-based BMs can effectively promote osseointegration and control their biodegradation behavior. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Zn-Li binary alloy was reported recently to be the promising biodegradable metals with ultimate tensile strength over 500 MPa, yet the low inhibitory concentration threshold value to cause cytotoxicity by Zn²⁺ ions is the obstacle needed to be overcome. As a pilot study, a systematic investigation on the ZrO₂ nanofilm coated Zn-Li alloy, prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique, was conducted in the present study, which involved in the formation process, in vitro and in vivo degradation behavior as well as biocompatibility evaluation. We found a controllable corrosion rate and better in vivo osseointegration can be achieved by ZrO₂ nanofilm coating on Zn-Li alloy, which provides new insight into the surface modification on biodegradable Zn alloys for usage within bone.