Bioactive and antibacterial polycaprolactone-coated TiO₂/hydroxyapatite nanocomposites doped with silver for bone implant applications

Bioactive and antibacterial polycaprolactone-coated TiO₂/hydroxyapatite nanocomposites doped with silver for bone implant applications | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Bioactive and antibacterial polycaprolactone-coated TiO₂/hydroxyapatite nanocomposites doped with silver for bone implant applications Abbas F. Essa, Mahdi A. Mohammed, Haider A. Al-Maamori, Noor Sabeeh Jouda This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9066259/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 16 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in BioNanoScience → Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Titanium-based implant materials are widely used in clinical practice due to their favorable mechanical properties and biocompatibility; however, their surfaces remain susceptible to bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, which are leading causes of implant failure. To address this limitation, the present study reports the development of a multifunctional antibacterial and bioactive TiO₂/HAp/Ag nanocomposite for bone implant applications. Titanium dioxide was partially substituted with 5 wt% hydroxyapatite (HAp) produced from natural bovine bone and doped with 0.005 M silver nitrate to impart antimicrobial functionality. The composite surface was subsequently coated with polycaprolactone (PCL) to regulate Ag⁺ release and reduce cytotoxicity. Structural property analyses confirmed the formation of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite with a Ca/P molar ratio of 1.64, nearly matching stoichiometric bone apatite. In vitro bioactivity analysis in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 36°C showed quick formation of a calcium-phosphate-rich apatite layer within 10 days, suggesting strong osteointegration potential. Antibacterial assays exhibited notable activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with biofilm inhibition exceeding 94%, while hemolysis analyses verified remarkable blood compatibility. Mechanical characterization of the ceramic substrate showed a Vickers hardness of 2.82 GPa, Brazilian tensile strength of 17.87 MPa, and compressive strength of 89.34 MPa, placing the material within the upper range of cancellous bone and close to the lower bound of cortical bone. Overall, the results demonstrate that the designed TiO₂/HAp/Ag/PCL nanocomposite combines mechanical suitability, bioactivity, antibacterial protection, and hemocompatibility, making it a promising candidate for infection-resistant bone implant applications. Hydroxyapatite Bone implant Bioactivity Antibacterial Efficacy Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 16 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in BioNanoScience → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 23 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 23 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 21 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 20 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 20 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 20 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 08 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9066259","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":607110259,"identity":"23b5710b-731a-4974-be41-2b2eda685988","order_by":0,"name":"Abbas F. 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To address this limitation, the present study reports the development of a multifunctional antibacterial and bioactive TiO₂/HAp/Ag nanocomposite for bone implant applications. Titanium dioxide was partially substituted with 5 wt% hydroxyapatite (HAp) produced from natural bovine bone and doped with 0.005 M silver nitrate to impart antimicrobial functionality. The composite surface was subsequently coated with polycaprolactone (PCL) to regulate Ag⁺ release and reduce cytotoxicity. Structural property analyses confirmed the formation of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite with a Ca/P molar ratio of 1.64, nearly matching stoichiometric bone apatite. In vitro bioactivity analysis in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 36\u0026deg;C showed quick formation of a calcium-phosphate-rich apatite layer within 10 days, suggesting strong osteointegration potential. 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