Surface Science and Engineering Towards Bioactive Bulk Metallic Glasses

该奖项的研究目的是阐明离子束与大块金属玻璃(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。这项研究将(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，特别是与BMG在整形外科的应用有关的研究。这些努力不仅将加深我们对BMG-离子束相互作用的理解，还将推动BMG作为生物医学材料的发展，以解决骨科领域一些尚未解决的挑战，如植入物的骨组织整合。如果成功，这项研究成果将为创造能够通过表面相互作用与细胞形成直接生物结合的新的功能和生物活性材料提供机会。这些成果将被传播，以加强对BMG的科学和技术理解，并将BMG的应用扩大到生物兼容材料，这可能会影响人类健康。这项研究将为私人投资机构提供一个独特的机会，在研究、科学和工程等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，以获得第一手的实验室经验，以及在地区学校和当地科学博物馆展示材料和生物学接口的研究成果。

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.