Single step nanosecond laser structuring for cost effective functional titanium surfaces with topography driven preosteoblast adhesion
摘要
Early bone formation around implants depends on both the chemical composition and the micro-, nanoscale architecture of the implant surface. Nanoscale modifications can accelerate osseointegration, and laser processing offers a versatile method of creating such features. In this study, titanium substrates were modified using a single-step nanosecond laser treatment at two energy regimes (1.95 mJ/pulse for P_0.5; 4.00 mJ/pulse for P_0.4). The resulting surfaces were characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, ToF-SIMS, contact angle, and topography measurements, with biological assessment performed using a mouse preosteoblast cell line. Analyses revealed various titanium oxo clusters (TiO3–, TiO2–, TiO–) and moderate oxidation levels (25–31 at% O). Both laser regimes produced rough, hydrophobic surfaces. Cytotoxicity tests confirmed that the materials were non-toxic, and proliferation assays showed increasing preosteoblast numbers over time, indicating that both surfaces supported cell division. Good adhesion of preosteoblasts was observed on P_0.4 and P_0.5. This work demonstrates that nanosecond laser processing alone can generate micro-, nanostructured titanium implant surfaces with favourable biocompatibility, achieving performance comparable to more complex femtosecond methods while offering a cost-effective and scalable surface engineering strategy.