Enhanced corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of β-type Ti–25Nb–25Zr alloy by electrochemical anodization

Abstract The biocompatibility of implants is largely determined by their surface characteristics. This study presents a novel method for performing electrochemical anodization on β-type Ti–25Nb–25Zr alloy with a low elastic modulus (approximately 70 GPa). This method results in a thin hybrid layer capable of enhancing the surface characteristics of the implants. We investigated the surface topography and microstructure of the resulting Ti–25Nb–25Zr alloy. The corrosion resistance was evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization curve measurements in simulated body fluid. The cytotoxicity was evaluated according to International Organization for Standardization 10993–5 specification. Cell adhesion of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on the test specimens was observed using scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy. The anodization produced a thin (approximately 40 nm-thick) hybrid oxide layer with a nanoporous outer sublayer (pore size