Controllable biodegradation and enhanced osseointegration of ZrO 2 nanofilm coated Zn-Li alloy: in vitro and in vivo studies.

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.