Pulsed laser deposited bioactive RKKP-Mn glass-ceramic coatings on titanium

Abstract The study is aimed at the design of materials, i.e. glass-ceramics, containing trace elements with a specific role in the biological process of regenerating osteoporotic bones. Among these, manganese has a key function in bone osteogenesis and in the maintenance of bone mass. In this work, a 2 wt% of manganese containing RKKP glass-ceramic material has been prepared by sol-gel synthesis. Pulsed laser deposition technique has been applied to deposit films on titanium from the prepared glass-ceramic target. The films have been deposited at two different substrate temperatures (room (RT) and 500 °C) and investigated by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM-EDX techniques. Both the films are characterized by a compact, crack-free and rough surface. The films deposited at 500 °C are composed of crystalline wollastonite and hydroxyapatite phases. For the assessment of films bioactivity in vitro , the standard Kokubo protocol for simulated body fluid (SBF) preparation has been followed. The films deposited at RT and 500 °C have been soaked in SBF for 3, 7, 14 and 28 days. For the film deposited at RT, apatite phase is registered after 7 days of soaking, whereas for the film deposited at 500 °C the apatite appeared only after 14 days. Moreover, the film deposited at RT induces a faster crystallization of the apatite layer.