Can a-C:H-Sputtered Coatings Be Extended to Orthodontics?

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) coatings are attractive materials for protecting metallic surfaces in extreme biological environments like the human oral cavity, due to unusual combination of mechanical properties, superior bioinertness, and relative easier cheaper production. In this work, two a-C:H were deposited on AISI 316L substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering with CH4 flows assess if outstanding system could extend its application range orthodontics. A 30-day immersion test Fusayama-Meyer artificial saliva was conducted mimic an acidic intraoral pH. Extracts quantified used perform vitro assays mono- co-cultures macrophages fibroblast cell viability, while structural behaviors studied nanoindentation visible Raman. The empirically estimated H contents ~28 40 at.% matched hard soft coating regimes 18 7 GPa, respectively. After immersion, no important structural/mechanical modifications occurred, regardless content, without corrosion signs, delamination, or detachment. However, adhesion-promoting Cr-based interlayer seems reduce resistance via galvanic coupling. highest biocompatibility found lowest content. This study indicates that sputtered promising surface