Influence of electrospinning and dip-coating techniques on the degradation and cytocompatibility of Mg-based alloy

The high galvanic corrosion in the physiological environment of Mg-based implant materials is the main constraint hindering wide clinical application. However, a proper coating mechanism is potentially a strategy that may overcome this constraint. In this study, we investigated the influence of coating technique on the biological and corrosive properties of Mg alloy. Electrospinning and dip-coating techniques were employed to coat the Mg substrate with a biodegradable polymer. The results indicated that both techniques strongly enhance the corrosion resistance of the Mg substrate, especially for short immersion times. For longer immersion times, the electrospin nanofiber layer was stable enough to decrease the degradation in comparison to results obtained with porous film produced by dip-coating. The cytocompatibility of the coated and non-coated samples was assessed using in vitro studies with MC3T3-E1 osteoprogenitor cells. The nanofiber layer provided an excellent framework for cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation due to its three dimensional structure. Collectively, the results indicate that Mg-based implant materials with an electrospun layer and coated with biodegradable polymers may hold promise for increasing their use in orthopedic and cardiovascular applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.