SAFE - Research project

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have interested scientists since the 1960s, thanks to their amorphous structure giving them incredible mechanical and chemical properties. However, their synthesis is complex, which led to the development of thin film metallic glasses (TFMGs).
Deposited by PVD processes, these TFMGs have a much wider compositional range than BMGs, and the control of their microstructure is easier. The potential applications of these surfaces are numerous, and include the field of biology, in particular the bactericidal effects obtained by adding silver in binary Zr-Cu TFMGs. However, the addition of silver tends to decrease its corrosion resistance, which is prohibitive for biological applications.
This project aims at texturing the surface of these TFMGs by femtosecond laser, in order to modify their behaviour towards bacteria and cells. It would be possible to obtain biostatic surfaces, or both antibacterial and biocompatible for applications such as implants. Femtosecond laser irradiation creates Laser Induced Periodic Spatial Structure (LIPSS) on material’s surface, which are submicrometric ripples with a spatial period lower than the laser wavelength. The changes induced by femtosecond laser irradiation on TFMGs are presented, as well as their chemical, physical and biological properties.
The thematic of this work is threefold: material, laser irradiation, and micro-organism, gathering three expert laboratories of the Manutech SLEIGHT Graduate School: MATEIS Laboratory, Hubert Curien Laboratory and SAINBIOSE Laboratory.