Surface Science and Engineering Towards Bioactive Bulk Metallic Glasses

该奖项的研究目标是阐明离子束与块体金属玻璃（BMG）相互作用的机制以及离子注入对BMG表面生物活性的影响。该研究将（i）确定离子注入生物活性BMG的关键过程和变量，（ii）研究离子注入对BMG表面和电化学性质的影响，以及（iii）研究离子注入BMG的生物活性，特别关注BMG的骨科应用。这些努力不仅将进一步加深我们对BMG-离子束相互作用的理解，而且还将推动BMG作为生物医学材料的进步，以解决骨科领域中一些尚未解决的挑战，例如植入物的骨组织整合。如果成功，这项研究的结果将提供一个机会，创造新的功能和生物活性材料，能够形成直接的生物结合与细胞，表面相互作用研究结果将被传播，以提高对BMG的科学和技术理解，并将BMG应用扩展到可能影响人类健康的生物相容性材料。这项研究将为PI提供一个独特的机会，在研究，科学和工程的多学科领域教育和培训研究生和本科生。计划的外展活动包括为教师和预科学生提供暑期研究计划，以获得第一手实验室经验，并在区域学校和当地科学博物馆展示材料和生物学界面的研究成果。

The research objective of this award is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the ion beam interactions with the bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) and the impacts of ion implantation on the surface bioactivity of BMGs. The research will (i) identify the key processes and variables for ion implantation towards bioactive BMGs, (ii) investigate the effects of ion implantation on both surface and electrochemical properties of BMGs, and (iii) study the biological activity of ion implanted BMGs, with a special focus relevant to the orthopedic applications of BMGs. These efforts will not only further our understanding of BMG-ion beam interactions, but also propel the advancement of BMGs as biomedical materials to address some of the unmet challenges in the orthopedic field, such as the bone tissue integration of implants.If successful, the results of this research will provide an opportunity to create new functional and bioactive materials that are capable of forming direct biological bonding with cells through surface interactions. The results will be disseminated to enhance the scientific and technological understanding of BMGs, and to broaden BMG applications into biocompatible materials, which could potentially impact human health. The research will provide a unique opportunity for the PIs to educate and train graduate and undergraduate students in multidisciplinary areas of research, science, and engineering. Planned outreach activities include summer research program for teachers and pre-collegiate students to gain first-hand laboratory experience, and showcase of research endeavors at the interface of materials and biology in regional schools and local science museum.