Corrosion resistance and cytotoxicity of AZ31 magnesium alloy with N⁺ ion implantation

Abstract

In recent years, magnesium (Mg) alloys, as biodegradable materials, have attracted increasing interest in cardiovascular and orthopedic applications. However, their high corrosion rates hinder the development of Mg alloys in clinical treatment. To improve this condition, the research described here focuses on addressing techniques that are critical to reducing the corrosion rate of Mg alloys. We applied nitrogen (N+) ion implantation into AZ31 Mg alloy to modify their surface properties, and examined the cytotoxicity of the samples through cell culture experiment. The proposed research investigates the following aspects that are important for the design of biomaterials based on Mg alloy: (a) the potential role of N+ ion implantation in reducing corrosion of Mg alloy; (b) non-toxicity for Mg alloy implanted with N+ ion. Our results indicate that AZ31 Mg alloy with N+ ions implantation is a very promising biological material, which has a profound impact on the development of biomedicine.