Mg-Cu alloys are promising antibacterial implant materials. However, their clinical applications have been impeded by their high initial biodegradation rate, which can be alleviated using nanotechnology by for example surface nanomodification to obtain a gradient nanostructured surface layer. The present work (i) produced a gradient nanostructured surface layer with a ∼500 µm thickness on a Mg-0.2 Cu alloy by a surface mechanical grinding treatment (SMGT), and (ii) studied the biodegradation behavior in Hank's solution. The initial biodegradation rate of the SMGTed samples was significantly lower than that of the unSMGTed original counterparts, which was attributed to the surface nanocrystallization, and the fragmentation and re-dissolution of Mg₂Cu particles in the surface of the SMGTed Mg-0.2 Cu alloy. Furthermore, the SMGTed Mg-0.2 Cu alloy had good antibacterial efficacy. This work creatively used SMGT technology to produce a high-performance Mg alloy implant material.

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