Agata Knabe

Visiting PhD student (Medical University of Gdańsk (MUG); Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT), Poland)

Surface functionalization of β-type titanium alloy by developing a hybrid, smart coating for biomedical applications

Supervisors (in Gdańsk): Dr. Habil. Anna Ronowska, Assoc. Prof. (MUG).; Michał Bartmański, PhD Eng.(GUT)
Host supervisor (in Erlangen): Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Dr. h.c. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Periprosthetic joint infections are a major clinical complication that can lead to implant loosening, failure of bone fusion, or even sepsis. Although titanium-based implant materials are widely employed due to their favorable mechanical properties and biocompatibility, their inherent bioinertness limits their capacity to simultaneously provide effective antibacterial protection and actively support tissue regeneration [1]. This project focuses on the development of a smart hybrid coating for titanium alloy implants, composed of a porous ceramic inner layer incorporating antibacterial ions, produced via micro-arc oxidation (MAO), and a pH-responsive outer chitosan-based coating containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, applied through electrophoretic deposition (EPD).
The collaboration with the Institute of Biomaterials at FAU involves selected research activities carried out at the Institute of Biomaterials, including assessment of the stability of EPD suspensions by measuring zeta potential, conductivity, and electrophoretic mobility, as well as biological evaluation of MAO-coated surfaces using the MG-63 osteosarcoma cell line.

[1] Manjaiah M., Laubscher, R.F.: A Review of the Surface Modifications of Titanium Alloys for Biomedical Applications. Mater.Tehnol. 2017, 51, 181–193.