Femtosecond laser surface texturing of titanium as a method to reduce the adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus and biofilm formation

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 360; pp. 485 - 493
• Main Authors: Cunha, Alexandre, Elie, Anne-Marie, Plawinski, Laurent, Serro, Ana Paula, Botelho do Rego, Ana Maria, Almeida, Amélia, Urdaci, Maria C., Durrieu, Marie-Christine, Vilar, Rui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-01-2016
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bacteria adhesion; Biofilm; Biofilms; Dental and orthopedic implants; Femtosecond; Femtosecond lasers; Formations; Laser surface texturing; Lasers; Scanning electron microscopy; Staphylococcus aureus; Texture; Titanium base alloys; Wettability; Dental and orthopedic implants; Biofilm; Femtosecond lasers; Wettability; Laser surface texturing; Bacteria adhesion
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.10.102

⿢The short-term adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus onto femtosecond laser textured surfaces of titanium was investigated.⿢The laser textured surfaces consist of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) and nanopillars.⿢The laser treatment enhances the hydrophilicity and the surface free energy of the material.⿢The laser treatment reduces significantly the adhesion of S. aureus and biofilm formation.⿢Femtosecond laser surface texturing of titanium is a simple and promising method for endowing dental and orthopedic implants with antibacterial properties.
The aim of the present work was to investigate the possibility of using femtosecond laser surface texturing as a method to reduce the colonization of Grade 2 Titanium alloy surfaces by Staphylococcus aureus and the subsequent formation of biofilm. The laser treatments were carried out with a Yb:KYW chirped-pulse-regenerative amplification laser system with a central wavelength of 1030nm and a pulse duration of 500fs. Two types of surface textures, consisting of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) and nanopillars, were produced. The topography, chemical composition and phase constitution of these surfaces were investigated by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Surface wettability was assessed by the sessile drop method using water and diiodomethane as testing liquids. The response of S. aureus put into contact with the laser treated surfaces in controlled conditions was investigated by epifluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy 48h after cell seeding. The results achieved show that the laser treatment reduces significantly the bacterial adhesion to the surface as well as biofilm formation as compared to a reference polished surfaces and suggest that femtosecond laser texturing is a simple and promising method for endowing dental and orthopedic titanium implants with antibacterial properties, reducing the risk of implant-associated infections without requiring immobilized antibacterial substances, nanoparticles or coatings.