Construction of antifouling Cu-modified TiO2 coating via micro-arc oxidation: The influence of Cu content

As an effective antimicrobial element, the incorporation of Cu into the surface layer of metallic Ti substrate is regarded as a promising method to enhance its antifouling phenomenon. In this work, a micro-arc oxidation (MAO) process was conducted in an aqueous electrolyte containing Na2Cu-EDTA to produce a Cu-modified TiO2 coating on metallic Ti. The influence of Na2Cu-EDTA concentrations on microstructural feature, corrosion resistance and antifouling capability of the Cu-modified TiO2 coatings were examined. The results indicate that an increased amount of Cu could be incorporated into TiO2 with a higher concentration of Na2Cu-EDTA, which also affects the micro-arc discharge events and, consequently, the morphological features of the coating. The content of incorporated Cu determines the antifouling performance of Cu-modified TiO2 coating, which remains harmless to the corrosion resistance.

Automated summary

Incorporating copper into the surface layer of metallic titanium substrate is an effective method to enhance its antifouling ability. In this study, a Cu-modified TiO2 coating was produced on metallic Ti through micro-arc oxidation (MAO) process using an aqueous electrolyte containing Na2Cu-EDTA. The concentration of Na2Cu-EDTA affects the microstructure, corrosion resistance, and antifouling capability of the Cu-modified TiO2 coatings.