Surface analysis of Co-Cr-Mo alloy and Ti substrates silanized with trialkoxysilanes and silane mixtures

Titanium and cobalt–chromium–molybdenum alloy are widely used inert and biocompatible materials in dentistry and biomedicine. Both materials are non-degradable and widely relevant in prosthodontics and orthopaedics. The aim of this study was to study the reactions of allyltrimethoxysilane (ALS) and a mixture of allyltrimethoxysilane and 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) on Ti and Co–Cr–Mo alloy surfaces. The formation of a uniform, smooth siloxane film, a covalently bonded three-dimensional Si and O layer, is a prerequisite for the substrate to be bonded with a composite resin. Two silane mixtures of different concentrations were applied onto titanium and Co–Cr–Mo alloy. The silanes were allowed to react with the substrate surface at room temperature and for 1 h at 110 °C. The hypothesis was that a mixture of MPS and ALS could form a uniform, smooth siloxane film on the substrate surface, although ALS is a structurally different trialkoxysilane. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, XPS and atomic force microscopy characterization and analysis verified the formation of the siloxane layer on metal substrates, especially on titanium, with silane and silane mixture treatments. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.