Abstract
A set of Cu-Mn-O and Ag-Cu-Mn-O films were sputter-deposited onto polished Ti-6Al-4V coupons and the microbiological adherence of Staphylococcus sp. was studied in these biomedical surfaces modified using advanced ternary and quaternary oxides that incorporated micrometric silver islands. The as-deposited ternary and quaternary compounds were amorphous. Upon air annealing the Ag-Cu-Mn-O films, silver-oxygen bonds in the compound destabilize, resulting in the segregation of metallic silver in the form of micrometric layered silver islands with high specific area dispersed at the surface of the remaining oxide. Silver is well known to have a natural biocidal character and its presence in the surface forming large micrometric escalonated islands is, in principle, predicted to enhance the antimicrobial properties of biomedical surfaces. Microbial adhesion tests were performed in triplicates using collection strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Preliminary results indicate that both strains showed decreased adherence to modified materials, S. epidermidis showed higher adherence these materials than S. aureus, however, there was no statistically significant differences between Cu-Mn-O and Ag-Cu-Mn-O containing silver islands.