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Specialists of the National Research Technological University "MISIS" (NUST MISIS) together with other Russian scientists were able to give an antibacterial effect to titanium alloy, which is becoming one of the key materials of advanced surgery today. According to the authors, implants processed by the new method will noticeably accelerate and facilitate recovery after injuries.

Life expectancy in most countries is growing today, and therefore the number of bone injuries in older generations is increasing. Due to the fact that with age, the mechanical properties of the bone and the ability to recover noticeably decrease, such injuries require careful and long-term treatment. As the specialists of NUST MISIS noted, these factors create a demand for new materials for implants that accelerate and facilitate rehabilitation.

The use of implants made of unmodified metals and alloys, according to scientists, can lead to complications, the most common of which is inflammation due to bacterial infections, after which repeated surgical intervention may be required. Materials capable of suppressing bacterial activity will make internal prosthetics operations safer and more reliable.

NUST MISIS scientists have developed a method of applying an antibacterial coating for one of the most promising titanium alloys Ti-Zr-Nb. Experiments have shown that the treatment using the new method completely suppresses the growth of E. coli bacteria on the implant surface, which acts as a kind of "laboratory mouse" for microbiologists.

"By chemical etching, we make the surface of the alloy more porous to a depth of 100-120 nanometers, which allows the nanoparticles to be evenly distributed, not only on the surface, but also in the depth of the pores. Even at low doses of silver yield, about 0.037 mg/l, which is completely safe for the body, we managed to achieve a pronounced antibacterial effect," said Anton Konopatsky, senior researcher at the Laboratory of Inorganic Nanomaterials at NUST MISIS.

The "blow" to the bacteria, as explained by the authors of the method, is caused by silver ions. The nanoparticles that emit them, scientists synthesized by chemical method in solutions of complex alcohols, which made it possible to achieve a size of only about 10 nanometers. Due to this, as explained by NUST MISIS scientists, silver is deposited in the pores of the material at a depth of up to 60 nanometers, which significantly increases the durability of the coating and the effectiveness of antimicrobial action.

The porosity of the surface, according to the scientists of NUST MISIS, serves as an additional factor in the suppression of bacteria - thanks to it, microorganisms come into contact with silver more tightly and evenly.

Although tests on most types of bacteria are still ahead, the creators are confident that the new coating will be as effective against any microorganisms as against E. coli.

The study was attended by specialists of the Russian National Research University named after N.I. Pirogov and Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. In the future, the research team intends to develop new coatings within the framework of the proposed approach, which will reduce the dose of antibiotics used during surgery and during recovery.

The study is published in the journal Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces.

PHOTO: Anton Konopatsky, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Inorganic Nanomaterials at NUST MISIS.

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