Enhancing Titanium Surface Properties with Castor Oil-Based Polyurethane: A Sustainable and Low-Cytotoxicity...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Titanium implants are crucial in medicine and dentistry, but require surface modification for better osseointegration.
• Polymeric coatings are increasingly used to enhance titanium implant surfaces.
• Castor oil-based polyurethane (PU) is a promising biomaterial due to its eco-friendly synthesis and low cytotoxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize castor oil-based PU coatings on titanium substrates.
• To evaluate the physicochemical properties of these PU coatings.
• To assess the biological properties, including cytotoxicity, for potential use in titanium implant surface modification.

Main Methods:

• Polyurethane (PU) synthesis from castor oil.
• Characterization using FTIR, TGA, SEM, and AFM.
• Surface analysis via contact angle tests and XPS.
• In vitro cytotoxicity assays (e.g., MTT assay).

Main Results:

• Successful PU synthesis confirmed by FTIR.
• PU coatings exhibited good thermal stability up to 200 °C.
• SEM and AFM showed increased surface roughness and porosity, enhancing cell adhesion.
• Improved surface hydrophilicity and strong PU adhesion to titanium were observed.
• Cytotoxicity assays indicated cell viability above 70%, demonstrating low cytotoxicity.

Conclusions:

• Castor oil-based PU is a viable, eco-friendly coating for titanium implants.
• The coatings possess favorable physicochemical and biological properties.
• The demonstrated low cytotoxicity supports further in vivo biocompatibility studies.