Advancing biomedical substrate engineering: An eco-friendly route for synthesizing micro- and nanotextures on 3D printed Ti-6Al-4V

This study investigates the impact of a combined approach involving sandblasting and electrochemical surface treatment using a deep eutectic solvent Ethaline, a eutectic mixture of choline chloride and ethylene glycol, on the surface characteristics of Ti-6Al-4V biomedical substrates fabricated through direct selective laser melting (DSLM). Research has focused on surface morphology, topography, chemical composition, and cell adhesion. The novel approach demonstrated the ability to create a hierarchical surface structure with both micro and nano-patterns. The rough edges resulting from the sandblasting process were effectively smoothed through subsequent electrochemical processing. Additionally, the issue of residual sand particles, which commonly arise in sand-blasting procedures, was successfully addressed with the new method. The results indicated that Ti alloy samples subjected to sandblasting and electrochemical treatment in Ethaline exhibited improved surface hydrophilicity. In-vitro cell adhesion tests confirmed the potential for bio-inspired properties of DSLM-printed Ti-6Al-4V biomedical substrates achieved through the combination of sandblasting and electrochemical processing in Ethaline.