Enhancing Porous Alumina Ceramics for Bioapplications Through Targeted Surface Modification Techniques.

Porous bioceramics are commonly used as support structures for bone growth and repair. However, their mechanical properties have been limited by high macroporosity and microporosity. Alumina ceramics (Al2O3) are preferred for bone implants due to their mechanical reliability, chemical stability, and biological compatibility. However, the bioinert nature of aluminum oxide makes it challenging for bone ingrowth and implant anchorage. To address this, ceramic scaffold samples with concentrated porosity have been developed. This study aimed to create porous Al2O3 and explore surface modifications using UV exposure, amino acid treatment (L-lysine), and alkaline treatment (NaOH) for applications in orthopedics and dentistry. The porous alumina samples underwent sintering at 1400°C and drying at 100°C. They were then analyzed for mechanical, morphological, and structural characteristics through various tests and microscopy techniques. The results revealed increased surface roughness after 16 hours of alkaline treatment and one hour of UV treatment, and decreased roughness with amino acid treatment for samples pre-treated with NaOH for 16 hours. Our results showed an increase in porosity with Alkaline and UV treatment and decrease with amino acid treatment, also results shows decrease in mechanical properties for alkali and UV treatments (Hardness and Compressive Strength) as it is in the range of cancellous bone strength. According to the current work, the contact angle between the untreated and treated samples with UV, amino acid, and NaOH was zero, which indicates that these surfaces are hyper hydrophilic. High porosity and surface roughness may be the cause of this behavior. Biological test evaluated by XRD and FESEM exhibited formation of Hydroxyapatite film when immersed in SBF for 7 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]