Hybrid-Shell Coated TiO₂ Nanowhisker Reinforcer

Strength, toughness, stiffness and osteogenesis

A multifunctional bioactive shell-coated whisker reinforcer that simultaneously enhances stiffness, strength, toughness and osteogenesis of PEEK, potentially resolving loosening and poor bone integration in load-bearing implants.

Yankun, Gong · Yucheng, Zhu · Chen, Juan · Fan, Haijun · Yang, Fan · Zheng, Zitian · Liu, Peng · Ding, Yanfen · Qiu, Dong · Huang, Hongjie · Yang, Mingshu

Composites Part B: Engineering 2026

Advantages

Modulus matches cortical bone

CRT-reinforced PEEK composites exhibit modulus matching that of cortical bone, mitigating stress shielding and associated bone resorption and implant loosening.

Simultaneous stiffness and toughness

The high aspect ratio of CRT endows the composite with enhanced rigidity, strength, and impact toughness, overcoming the typical trade-off between stiffness and toughness.

Promotes osseointegration

Silanol groups and diamino-containing organic moieties synergistically promote osteogenesis, while diamino-containing moieties also induce angiogenesis, coupling osteogenesis and angiogenesis to accelerate osseointegration.

Strong interfacial adhesion

The diamino-containing organic moiety within the hybrid shell enhances compatibility and interfacial adhesion with the PEEK matrix, further improving strength and impact toughness.

Applications

• Load-bearing orthopedic implants：Used to fabricate load-bearing implants that resist loosening and improve bone integration, extending implant lifespan.
• PEEK-based bone repair materials：Serves as reinforcing phase in PEEK-based bone repair materials, providing mechanical strength and osteogenic activity to repair bone defects.
• High-performance medical composites：Used to produce high-performance medical composites that meet simultaneous demands for stiffness, strength, toughness, and bioactivity.
• Osseointegration implant devices：Imparts osteogenic and angiogenic properties to osseointegration implant devices, accelerating bone bonding.
• Artificial bone joints：Used in load-bearing components of artificial bone joints, with modulus matching cortical bone and wear resistance to reduce loosening.