A Study on Tailoring Silver Release from Micro-Arc Oxidation Coating Fabricated on Titanium

This study is initiated with the aim of regulating the release of silver (Ag) as an antibacterial agent from the micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating. Herein, an external 5 wt% Tin(II) chloride (SnCl₂) containing biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) layer is formed on the 0.8 wt% Ag-incorporated MAO coating by the dip coating method. 5 wt% SnCl₂ addition into PCL provides a steady release of Ag into concentrated simulated body fluid (1.5X SBF) from the underlying MAO coating at 37 °C. When the Ag release rate is taken into consideration, it is quantified as 0.0089 and 0.0586 ppm day⁻¹ for PCL-covered MAO and PCL-free MAO coatings, respectively. It is finally concluded that the preliminary result of this study can be promising for minimizing the in vivo adverse effects of Ag⁺ ions arising from rapid release as well as maintaining antibacterial efficacy for prolonged periods, which is ideal for preventing the risk of postimplantation infections.