Tailoring the biological performance of titanium implants via a TaCu nanocoating on MAO-porous layers: the interplay...

Titanium (Ti) is widely used in oral implants but is limited by insufficient osteogenic activity, angiogenic capacity, and antibacterial performance. To address this, pure Ti was modified by micro-arc oxidation (MAO) to form a porous layer, followed by magnetron sputtering of a TaCu nanocoating under different conditions to prepare three composite samples (MAO-Ti/TaCu1, MAO-Ti/TaCu4, and MAO-Ti/TaCu7). The samples were characterized for surface properties and Cu²⁺ release, and their biological performance was evaluated via in vitro experiments. Results showed that MAO-Ti/TaCu coatings maintained the MAO porous structure and achieved cytocompatible, sustained Cu²⁺ release. MAO-Ti/TaCu4 exhibited optimal osteogenic activity, with the highest cell viability, ALP activity, matrix mineralization, and expression of osteogenic-related genes (ALP, Runx2, Col-I, and OPN). MAO-Ti/TaCu7 showed the strongest angiogenic capacity, reflected by superior HUVEC morphology, migration, and angiogenic-related gene (eNOS, VEGF, and FGFR1) expression. All TaCu-modified groups had significant antibacterial activity. The enhanced performance was attributed to the synergistic effect of the porous MAO layer and TaCu nanocoating, with moderate Cu²⁺ release favoring osteogenesis and higher release promoting angiogenesis. This study provides a new strategy for titanium implant surface modification to improve osseointegration.