Ti₃C₂T_x MXene-functionalized Hydroxyapatite/Halloysite nanotube filled poly– (lactic acid) coatings on magnesium: In vitro and antibacterial applications

Magnesium (Mg) stands out in temporary biomaterial applications due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low Young’s modulus. However, controlling its corrosion through next-generation polymer-based functional coatings is crucial due to the rapid degradation behavior of Mg. In this study, the function of 2D lamellar Ti₃C₂T_x (MXene) in Hydroxyapatite (HA) and Halloysite nanotube (HNT) hybrid coatings in biodegradable poly– (lactic acid) (PLA) was investigated. The morphological and structural characterizations of the coatings on Mg were revealed through HRTEM, XPS, SEM-EDX, XRD, FTIR, and contact angle analyses/tests. Electrochemical in vitro corrosion tests (OCP, PDS, and EIS-Nyquist) were conducted for evaluate corrosion resistance under simulated body fluid (SBF) conditions. The bioactivity of the coatings in SBF have been revealed in accordance with the ISO 23,317 standard. Finally, antibacterial disk diffusion tests were conducted to investigate the functional effect of MXene in coatings. It has been determined that the presence of MXene in the coating increased not only surface wettability (131°, 85°, 77°, and 74° for uncoated, pH, PHH, and PHH/MXene coatings, respectively) but also increased corrosion resistance (1857.850, 42.357, 1.593, and 0.085 × 10^–6, A/cm² for uncoated, pH, PHH, and PHH/MXene coatings, respectively). It has been proven that the in vitro bioactivity of PLA-HA coatings is further enhanced by adding HNT and MXene, along with SEM morphologies after SBF. Finally, 2D lamellar MXene-filled coating exhibits antibacterial behavior against both E. coli and S. aureus bacteria.