Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ceramics International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ceramint Biocompatible Zirconia‐Coated 316 stainless steel with anticorrosive behavior for biomedical application Gobi Saravanan Kaliaraj, Vinita Vishwakarma ⁎ , A.M. Kamalan Kirubaharan Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 600119, India ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Bioceramics ZrO 2 films Pseudomonas aeruginosa Protein adsorption Hemocompatibility Corrosion ABSTRACT Surface tailoring is an existing technology in biomedical industries to improve the performance of implant materials. Surface tailoring with zirconia (ZrO 2 ) was performed on medical-grade stainless steel (316L SS) by electron beam physical vapor deposition (EBPVD) to enhance their properties. Monoclinic crystal phase and uniform microstructure were found in structural analysis. Superhydrophilicity nature was found on coated and bare 316L SS substrates, in the presence of lactic acid (LA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) liquids. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) bacterial adhesion was drastically decreased on ZrO 2 films even at 4th day of in- cubation. Further, superior protein adhesion as well as hemocompatible behavior were observed on ZrO 2 films. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis revealed higher charge transfer resistance (R ct ) and corrosion protection in the presence of ZrO 2 films in artificial blood plasma (ABP) containing H 2 O 2 and LA compared to bare 316L SS substrate. 1. Introduction Stainless steel (316L SS) has been used to manufacture various biomedical devices such as cardiovascular stents, ankle fracture stabi- lization devices, femoral stems, etc since the 1970s [1]. Today, implant devices are increasingly used for various parts of the body for im- plantation and revision surgery. Due to advanced technology develop- ment, numerous implant materials ranging from metals, metal alloys, ceramics, polymers and composite materials are used in different sur- gical applications depending upon their strength and biocompatibility behavior. Even though, a variety of implant materials exist on the market, the usage of stainless steel by implant industries is frequently preferred due to its ease of manufacturing, cost effectiveness, wear resistance and hardness [2]. However, stainless steel is highly suscep- tible to pitting corrosion by aggressive metal ions such as K + , Cl - , Na + , etc., present in the biological environment which causes allergenicity and immunogenicity [3]. Another important drawback of metal im- plants is bacterial invasion affecting nearly 5% of orthopedic implants especially in prosthetic joint replacement through development of a biofilm. The biofilm formation on implant materials causes extra cel- lular LA synthesis [4] which decreases the pH of the surrounding area and thus, decreases antimicrobial agents [5] and immune response. In addition, H 2 O 2 is produced by leucocytes during inflammatory response which also causes lower pH and attacks the metal surface by surface oxidation as well as hydroxylation [6]. In general, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is a ubiquitously available pathogen which can survive several hours on inanimate objects. Hence, contaminated surfaces will receive high risk of health care acquired infections. In addition, blood platelets play a major role by interacting with the im- plant surface which determines its thrombogenic effect [7]. Since, metallic surfaces possess higher surface free energy, they exhibit higher thrombogenic effect [8]. Furthermore, blood proteins also play a major role in the promotion of cell adhesion amidst connective tissue-implant interfaces which determines the implant healing and its durability. The ideal implant materials should not induce platelet adhesion, activation, allergic and hypersensitive reactions. Hence, hemocompatibility is the prerequisite parameter for longevity of the implant materials and therefore, development of new materials is required with better cor- rosion resistance as well as biocompatibility. Recently, surface tailoring of metallic implants has significantly improved the biocompatibility, corrosion resistance and other aspects of materials performance that enhance their durability [2,9,10]. Metal oxide or ceramics have been used increasingly in biomedicine due to their chemical stability, corrosion resistance, non-allergenic behavior and superior biocompatibility [7]. In the current scenario, zirconia (ZrO 2 ) based ceramics have been ubiquitously used to fabricate coat- ings, artificial teeth, implant abutments as well as anterior and pos- terior oral cavity fillings [11,12]. Owing to their considerable wear resistance as well as good aesthetic color appearance, they have gained popularity among patients and clinicians alike [13]. Zirconia (ZrO 2 ), as https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.02.213 Received 9 November 2017; Received in revised form 25 February 2018; Accepted 26 February 2018 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: vinitavishwakarma@sathyabama.ac.in (V. Vishwakarma). Ceramics International xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx 0272-8842/ © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved. Please cite this article as: Kaliaraj, G.S., Ceramics International (2018), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.02.213