Electrochemical generation of hydrogen peroxide during cathodic polarization of metallic orthopedic biomaterials

Cathodic electrical stimulation has previously been studied for both the augmentation of bone healing as well as the treatment of implant associated infections. One of the proposed mechanisms of both of these effects is the electrochemical generation of hydrogen peroxide during the oxygen reduction reaction. Titanium and 316L stainless steel are commonly used as implants and surgical hardware in orthopedic applications. The oxygen reduction reaction has been shown to be complex on passivated metal electrodes such as these. Therefore, the exact potential ranges of H₂O₂ generation on these materials in physiologically relevant media are not fully characterized. This study employed Rotating Ring-Disk Electrode techniques as well as Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy methods to characterize the electrochemical generation of H₂O₂ on titanium and 316L stainless steel. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]