In this study,
tantalum coatings are deposited by a plasma spraying method aiming at enhancing the biocompatibility of the
titanium implant.
Tantalum oxide coatings are gained through the thermal oxidation of
tantalum coatings at different temperatures for
photothermal therapy. The effect of thermal oxidation on the morphology, composition, and structure of
tantalum coatings has been studied. The UV-VIS-NIR spectra results,
cancer therapy effect in vitro, and photothermal conversion properties among the
tantalum oxide coatings under varied thermal treatment conditions are compared comprehensively. It has been proven that the
tantalum coating treated at 200 °C exhibits the most intense NIR adsorption, the highest photothermal conversion effect, and the most excellent photothermal ablation effect in vitro. The results reveal that incomplete oxidation at a low temperature leads to the formation of
oxygen vacancies, which narrow the band gap; this promotes its photothermal conversion ability.