Surface Modifications of Titanium Alloys

This chapter discusses the paths of surface modification of implants made of titanium alloy, which, by its nature, does not have high bioactivity and antimicrobial properties. It is started by the characterization of materials based on titanium and its alloys in terms of their use in implantology. Next, it presents surface modifications of titanium and titanium alloys to enhance their biological activity. Special attention is given to electrochemical oxidation, chemical oxidation with hydrogen peroxide, and chemical oxidation with an alkaline solution. One way to increase the biological activity of an implant material is to enrich its surface with calcium phosphate (CaP) compounds; fabrication of hydroxyapatite coatings is also presented. Two of the methods of obtaining hydroxyapatite are discussed in more detail: cathodic electrodeposition and atomic layer deposition (ALD). Finally, it presents the optimization of the deposition of silver nanoparticles by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to obtain an antimicrobial coating that is not toxic to eukaryotic cells. The content presented is a literature review and the results of the co-authors&s; research.