Ag-substituted hydroxyapatite coatings with both antimicrobial effects and biocompatibility

A newly developed hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings on alumina substrate treated with 20 ppm AgNO3 has the structure of (Ag,Ca)10(PO4)6(OH)2, which exhibit excellent antimicrobial effects against E.coli, Ps. Aeruginosa, S. aureus and S. epidermidis. The morphological development of the cells on Ag-HAp coatings was similar to that of cells on HAp coatings, which shows that the Ag-HAp coatings with limited silver ions on alumina and titanium alloy provide a suitable substrate for culture of skeletal system cells. The coatings are antimicrobial, as well as, biocompatible. The use of Ag-HAp coatings in biomedical applications are presented.