Bio-Nano Interactions Synthesis, Functionalization and Characterization of Biomaterial Interfaces

Abstract: Current strategies for designing biomaterials involve creating materials and interfaces that interact with biomolecules, cells and tissues.  This thesis aims to investigate several bioactive surfaces, such as nanocrystalline diamond (NCD), hydroxyapatite (HA) and single crystalline titanium dioxide, in terms of material synthesis, surface functionalization and characterization.Although cochlear implants (CIs) have been proven to be clinically successful, the efficiency of these implants still needs to be improved. A CI typically only has 12-20 electrodes while the ear has approximately 3400 inner hair cells. A type of micro-textured NCD surface that consists of micrometre-sized nail-head-shaped pillars was fabricated. Auditory neurons showed a strong affinity for the surface of the NCD pillars, and the technique could be used for neural guidance and to increase the number of stimulation points, leading to CIs with improved performance.Typical transparent ceramics are fabricated using pressure-assisted sintering techniques. However, the development of a simple energy-efficient production method remains a challenge. A simple approach to fabricating translucent nano-ceramics was developed by controlling the morphology of the starting ceramic particles. Translucent nano-ceramics, including HA and strontium substituted HA, could be produced via a simple filtration process followed by pressure-less sintering. Furthermore, the application of such materials as a window material was investigated. The results show that MC3T3 cells could be observed through the translucent HA ceramic for up to 7 days. The living fluorescent staining confirmed that the MC3T3 cells were visible throughout the culture period.Single crystalline rutile possesses in vitro bioactivity, and the crystalline direction affects HA formation. The HA growth on (001), (100) and (110) faces was investigated in a simulated body fluid in the presence of fibronectin (FN) via two different processes. The HA layers on each face were analysed using different characterization techniques, revealing that the interfacial energies could be altered by the pre-adsorbed FN, which influenced HA formation.In summary, micro textured NCD, and translucent HA and FN functionalized single crystalline rutile, and their interactions with cells and biomimetic HA were studied. The results showed that controlled surface properties are important for enhancing a material’s biological performance.