Zn-based biodegradable metal is a leading candidate material for orthopedic implant applications. Nonetheless, surface modification is of necessity before they can be translated successfully into clinical usage as the bare metals could only provide uncontrolled degradation and unfavorable biocompatibility reactions. The schemes reported so far remain far from satisfactory.  Prof. Guojiang Wan’s group have designed and synthesized a micro/nano-structured metal-organic/inorganic hybrid coating on Zn to resolve the problem attractively. As published recently in academic journal Advanced Materials Interfaces, the hybrid coating provided not only an excellent corrosion control but also remarkable osteogenic and biocompatible performances. Due to its well-mixed structure and highly compactness, the hybrid coating acted as an effective kinetic barrier to slow down the corrosion rate of Zn as well as reduce the Zn²⁺ release. Likewise, the osteogenicity and biocompatibility are accounted for its unique structure as well as the nature of its components. Such hybrid coating bode well for surface modifying biodegradable metals in orthopedic applications and help to expand the spectrum of functional osteo-promotive biomaterials.

For more details, please refer to this article (Junyu Qian et al, and Guojiang Wan*, Advanced Materials Interfaces (2022) 2101852): https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202101852