Nickel nitride-mediated nitric oxide generation for combating implant-associated infections

NiTi alloys are widely used in the fabrication of biomedical implants, and it is essential to endow them with selective antibacterial properties to avoid implant-associated infection. In this study, nickel nitride (Ni3N), as a promising new inorganic nitric oxide (NO) donor, was in situ constructed on the surface of NiTi alloys through a straightforward two-step plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) strategy. Nickel sites were first exposed by physical bombardment with argon or metal plasma, followed by reaction with nitrogen plasma to form Ni3N. Ni3N can disrupt the transmembrane proton electrochemical gradient by capturing protons to produce ammonia species (NHx), resulting in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a result of bacterial metabolic disruption. On the other hand, the generated NHx can further react with ROS to produce NO and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). As a result, the Ni3N films exhibited more than 99 % antibacterial efficiency against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. They also demonstrated effective antibacterial properties in a rat subcutaneous implant model. In addition, the modified NiTi alloys exhibit good corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility. This study provides a green, safe, and inexpensive method for constructing metal nitride films on implant surfaces and offers new ideas for the clinical design and fabrication of novel antibacterial implants.