XPS study of apatite formed from simulated body fluid on a titanium substrate surface nitrided by an atmospheric pressure nitrogen microwave plasma

Abstract

In this study, the surface of a titanium substrate was nitrided by successive exposure to carbon felt atmospheric pressure microwave plasma (CAMP) using a frequency of 2.45 GHz, an output power of 1000 W and an irradiation time of 120 s. The oxynitrided titanium substrate thus obtained was immersed in simulated body fluid at 36.5 °C for 120 hours to assess in vitro bioactivity, following which a crystal-like material was found to have covered the oxynitrided surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction revealed that the material was hydroxyapatite generated from the SBF, indicating that the surface of the oxynitrided titanium substrate was in vitro biocompatible.