Carbon plasma immersion ion implantation and DLC deposition on Ni-Ti alloy

Carbon plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII-C) has been performed on Ni−Ti alloy surface using methane as a precursor gas at low temperature and it has been followed by deposition of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. Untreated and coated alloys are characterized with field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and corrosion testing in Hanks’ solution which is simulated body fluid show that corrosion resistance has been enhanced in PIII-C + DLC-coated alloy compared to untreated alloy. The in vitro studies of untreated and PIII-C + DLC-coated alloys have been evaluated using osteoblast-like cells (MG-63). Cellular behavior in terms of cell morphology along with the viability and cell spreading has been evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and in vitro cell culture assay, respectively. In comparison to Ni–Ti alloy, the coated alloy exhibits better cell viability indicating their biocompatibility