Effect of povidone–iodine deposition on tribocorrosion and antibacterial properties of titanium alloy

Graphical abstract: OCP and COF result for treated Ti6Al4V sample after tribocorrosion test. - Highlights: • Tribocorrosion resistance and antibacterial effectiveness were improved by PVP–I deposition. • Nano- and mirco-pores were received. • Even after being damaged by tribology contacts, antibacterial properties were still effective. - Abstract: Infection remains one of the most common causes for the early-stage failure of orthopaedic implants. Many methods have been developed to reduce the growth of bacteria. However, devices such as orthopaedic implants involve relative motion in several parts, and suffer wear from tribocorrosion processes. The surface pattern and texture can be damaged and the anti-bacterial efficiency reduced. In this paper, a two-stage method is reported. Povidone–iodine (PVP–I) was deposited on the titanium alloy surfaces and inside the pores to provide a longer release time. The results show that even under tribological tests, the anti-bacterial performance still remains satisfactory.