title: Vacuum arc plasma deposition of thin titanium dioxide films on silicone elastomer as a functional coating for medical applications.
abstract: Silicone elastomer is a promising material for medical applications and is widely used for implants with blood and tissue contact. However, its strong hydrophobicity limits adhesion of tissue cells to silicone surfaces, which can impair the healing process. To improve the biological properties of silicone, a triggerless pulsed vacuum cathodic arc plasma deposition technique was applied to deposit titanium dioxide (TiO2) films onto the surface. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and contact angle measurements were used for coating characterization. Deposited films were about 150nm thick and exhibited good adhesion to the underlying silicone substrate. Surface wettability and roughness both increased after deposition of the TiO2layer. In addition, cell-biological investigations demonstrated that the in-vitro cytocompatibility of TiO2-coated samples was greatly improved without impacting silicone's nontoxicity. For validation of use in medical devices, further investigations were conducted and demonstrated stability of surface properties in an aqueous environment for a period of 68days and the coating's resistance to several sterilization methods.
authors.affiliation: Technical University of Munich, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boltzmannstraße 15, D-85748 Garching bei München, Germany. Electronic address: cecile.boudot@tum.de.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boudot
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plasma Technology and Mathematics, University of Federal Armed Forces Munich, Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39, D-85577 Neubiberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marvin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kühn
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plasma Technology and Mathematics, University of Federal Armed Forces Munich, Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39, D-85577 Neubiberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kühn-Kauffeldt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plasma Technology and Mathematics, University of Federal Armed Forces Munich, Werner-Heisenberg-Weg 39, D-85577 Neubiberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schein
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D012826:Silicone Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014618:Vacuum; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium
keywords: Coating; Cytocompatibility; Cytotoxicity; Silicone elastomer; Titanium dioxide; Vacuum arc plasma