BaTiO3 (BTO) layers were deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on TiNb, Pt/TiNb, Si (100), and fused silica substrates using various deposition conditions. Polycrystalline BTO with sizes of crystallites in the range from 90nm to 160nm was obtained at elevated substrate temperatures of (600°C-700°C). With increasing deposition temperature above 700°C the formation of unwanted rutile phase prevented the growth of perovskite ferroelectric BTO. Concurrently, with decreasing substrate temperature below 500°C, amorphous films were formed. Post-deposition annealing of the amorphous deposits allowed obtaining perovskite BTO. Using a very thin Pt interlayer between the BTO films and TiNb substrate enabled high-temperature growth of preferentially oriented BTO. Raman spectroscopy and electrical characterization indicated polar ferroelectric behaviour of the BTO films.

Ti-doped hydrogen free diamond-like carbon (DLC) layers of dopation up to ~25 at.% were prepared by dual beam pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using two excimer lasers. The arrangement allows continuous fine tuning of dopant concentration on a large scale and deposition flexibility. The layers were prepared on Si(1 0 0) and Ti6Al4V substrates at room temperature. The surface morphology, mechanical properties, bonds, composition, morphology of human osteoblast-like Saos-2 cells, their metabolic activity and production of osteocalcin, a marker of osteogenic cells' differentiation were tested. The films' composition changed after x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) surface cleaning by argon clusters. Adhesion moved with Ti dopation from 4 N (DLC film) to 11 N (25 at.% of Ti in DLC). Creation of TiC was observed for higher Ti dopation. The contact angle and surface free energy stayed unchanged for higher Ti dopation. Saos-2 cells had the highest metabolic activity/viability on DLC with 10 at.% of Ti and on control polystyrene dishes on days 1 and 3. The Ti dopation improved the formation of vinculin-containing focal adhesion plaques in Saos-2 cells. Immunofluorescence staining revealed similar production of osteocalcin in cells on all tested samples.

Beta-titanium alloys are promising materials for bone implants due to their advantageous mechanical properties. For enhancing the interaction of bone cells with this perspective material, we developed a ferroelectric barium titanate (BaTiO₃) coating on a Ti39Nb alloy by hydrothermal synthesis. This coating was analyzed by scanning electron and Raman microscopy, X-ray diffraction, piezoresponse force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, nanoindentation, and roughness measurement. Leaching experiments in a saline solution revealed that Ba is released from the coating. A progressive decrease of Ba concentration in the material was also found after 1, 3, and 7 days of cultivation of human osteoblast-like Saos-2 cells. On day 1, the Saos-2 cells adhered on the BaTiO₃ film in higher initial numbers than on the bare alloy, but they were less spread, and their initial proliferation rate was slower. These cells also contained a lower amount of beta₁-integrins and vinculin, i.e., molecules involved in cell adhesion, and produced a lower amount of collagen I. This cell behavior was attributed to a higher surface roughness of BaTiO₃ film rather than to its potential cytotoxicity, because the cell viability on this film was very high, reaching almost 99%. The amount of alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme involved in bone matrix mineralization, was similar in cells on the BaTiO₃-coated and uncoated alloy, and on day 7, the cells on BaTiO₃ film attained a higher final cell population density. These results indicate that after some improvements, particularly in its roughness and stability, the hydrothermal ferroelectric BaTiO₃ film could be promising coating for improved osseointegration of bone implants.