Fabrication of 3D TiO2 micromesh on silicon surface and its effects on platelet adhesion

The titanium dioxide (TiO2) micromesh surface was obtained by a solution-dipping template strategy. A deposition mask was formed on the silicon substrates by the self-assembly of monolayer polystyrene colloidal particles with a diameter of 1 μm, then the TiO2 film was deposited on the mask using a TiO2 sol, and the micromesh structure was produced by high temperature heat treatment (HTT) and ultrasonic cleaning. The structure was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the wettability was evaluated by water contact angle measurement. The blood platelets adhesion test was also performed to study the hemocompatibility of the micromesh structure. The XRD result showed that the TiO2 film prepared by sol-dipping method was composed of anatase phase. The water contact angle measurement showed that the TiO2 micromesh surface was more hydrophobic than the flat TiO2 surface. The platelets adhesion test showed that the TiO2 micromesh surface could effectively inhibit platelets adhesion. It is highlighted that this TiO2 micromesh surface may have potential application for the blood contact implanted devices.