Improvement of biological and corrosion behavior of 316 L stainless steel using PDMS-Ag doped Willemite nanocomposite coating

This study aimed to improve the biological properties and corrosion resistance of 316 L stainless steel substrate using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)‑silver doped Willemite nanocomposite coating. For this purpose, Ag-doped Willemite nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by the sol-gel method initially. Then, PDMS-Ag-doped Willemite nanocomposite coatings with various nanoparticles content were coated on the substrates using an immersion technique. The antibacterial results showed that Willemite NPs containing 5 wt% Ag possessed the highest antibacterial activity than the other samples. The examination of microstructure, hydrophobicity, adhesion strength, corrosion resistance, and biological characteristics of the coatings revealed that the addition of NPs up to 3 wt% enhances the surface roughness, hydrophobicity and coating adhesion. However, at concentrations greater than 3 wt% NPs, the coating's corrosion resistance is reduced owing to the formation of larger agglomerates and induced cracks in the coating. The presence of NPs in the coating promotes the adhesion and viability of bovine mesenchymal stem cells (bMSCs).