Are Ni-SiC nanoparticle electroplated coatings a safer alternative to hard chromium? A comprehensive aging, toxicity, and in silico study to assess safety by design

Swaroop Chakraborty; Nathan Langford; Yvonne Kohl; Dimitra Danai Varsou; William Stokes; Evangelos Papaioannou; Sascha Wien; Kata Berkesi; Andrew Britton; Bashiru Ibrahim; Antreas Afantitis; Alexandros Zoikis Karathanasis; Andrew Nelson; Eugenia Valsami-Jones

doi:10.1039/d4en00751d

Are Ni-SiC nanoparticle electroplated coatings a safer alternative to hard chromium? A comprehensive aging, toxicity, and in silico study to assess safety by design

Swaroop Chakraborty^*, Nathan Langford, Yvonne Kohl, Dimitra Danai Varsou, William Stokes, Evangelos Papaioannou, Sascha Wien, Kata Berkesi, Andrew Britton, Bashiru Ibrahim, Antreas Afantitis, Alexandros Zoikis Karathanasis, Andrew Nelson, Eugenia Valsami-Jones^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Earth and Environmental Sciences

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Abstract

Considering the increasing interest in utilising nanoparticles (NPs) for advanced, safe, and sustainable coatings, this paper addresses the toxicological concerns associated with nickel-silicon carbide (Ni-SiC) electroplated nanocomposite coatings as an alternative to conventional chromium electrodeposition. We present Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings as potential substitutes and conduct a comprehensive investigation into the impact of impregnated SiC particles on coating properties. Specifically, we examined the aging of Ni-Watts type and Ni Watts-SiC nanocomposite coatings in various environmental and biological media. Our release and transformation data indicate an enhanced release and transformation of Ni in the simulated media (e.g., up to 200 μg mL⁻¹ in cell culture media) and the formation of NiO and Ni(OH)₂ species as confirmed by XPS analysis. Transmission electron microscopy data reveal the release of SiC NPs in the respective simulated aging medium. The Ni ion release from Ni-Watts type and Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings was also investigated in silico to support safe-by-design (SbD) approaches in the development of nanoalloys for electroplating. An in vitro cytotoxicity assay according to ISO shows a significant reduction in cell viability for Ni-SiC nanocomposite coated samples (up to 80% after 72 hours) compared to standalone Ni-Watts type electroplated coatings (up to 20% after 72 hours). Our findings suggest that the co-deposition of Ni with SiC NPs enhances Ni release, which is a major factor in causing toxicity. These results could be pivotal in the adoption of safe and sustainable by design principles within the electroplating industry. This paper contributes to the fields of nanotoxicology and surface coatings, providing a foundation for designing and optimising environmentally friendly, high-performance coatings with broad industrial applications.

Original language	English
Journal	Environmental Science: Nano
Early online date	12 Nov 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00751d
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 12 Nov 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Materials Science (miscellaneous)
General Environmental Science

Access to Document

10.1039/d4en00751dLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

ChakrabortyS2024NiSiCFinal published version, 4.17 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC BY)

1 Active
2 Finished

Unravelling Structural and Biogeochemical Transformation of Nano-Metal Organic Framework: Impact on Ecotoxicity & Environmental Applications
Chakraborty, S. (Principal Investigator)
Natural Environment Research Council
1/03/25 → 28/02/30
Project: Research Councils
MOZART - METAL MATRIX NANO-COMPOSITE COATINGS UTILIZATION AS ALTERNATIVE TO HARD CHROMIUM
Valsami-Jones, E. (Principal Investigator)
UKRI Horizon Europe Underwriting Innovate UK
1/06/22 → 30/11/25
Project: Research
SABYDOMA: Safety BY Design Of nanoMaterials - From Lab Manufacture to Governance and Communication: Progressing Up the TRL Ladder
Valsami-Jones, E. (Principal Investigator)
European Commission
1/04/20 → 31/03/24
Project: EU

Cite this

Chakraborty, S., Langford, N., Kohl, Y., Varsou, D. D., Stokes, W., Papaioannou, E., Wien, S., Berkesi, K., Britton, A., Ibrahim, B., Afantitis, A., Zoikis Karathanasis, A., Nelson, A., & Valsami-Jones, E. (2024). Are Ni-SiC nanoparticle electroplated coatings a safer alternative to hard chromium? A comprehensive aging, toxicity, and in silico study to assess safety by design. Environmental Science: Nano. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00751d

@article{a41f743bb216421ba14714a798938673,

title = "Are Ni-SiC nanoparticle electroplated coatings a safer alternative to hard chromium? A comprehensive aging, toxicity, and in silico study to assess safety by design",

abstract = "Considering the increasing interest in utilising nanoparticles (NPs) for advanced, safe, and sustainable coatings, this paper addresses the toxicological concerns associated with nickel-silicon carbide (Ni-SiC) electroplated nanocomposite coatings as an alternative to conventional chromium electrodeposition. We present Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings as potential substitutes and conduct a comprehensive investigation into the impact of impregnated SiC particles on coating properties. Specifically, we examined the aging of Ni-Watts type and Ni Watts-SiC nanocomposite coatings in various environmental and biological media. Our release and transformation data indicate an enhanced release and transformation of Ni in the simulated media (e.g., up to 200 μg mL−1 in cell culture media) and the formation of NiO and Ni(OH)2 species as confirmed by XPS analysis. Transmission electron microscopy data reveal the release of SiC NPs in the respective simulated aging medium. The Ni ion release from Ni-Watts type and Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings was also investigated in silico to support safe-by-design (SbD) approaches in the development of nanoalloys for electroplating. An in vitro cytotoxicity assay according to ISO shows a significant reduction in cell viability for Ni-SiC nanocomposite coated samples (up to 80\% after 72 hours) compared to standalone Ni-Watts type electroplated coatings (up to 20\% after 72 hours). Our findings suggest that the co-deposition of Ni with SiC NPs enhances Ni release, which is a major factor in causing toxicity. These results could be pivotal in the adoption of safe and sustainable by design principles within the electroplating industry. This paper contributes to the fields of nanotoxicology and surface coatings, providing a foundation for designing and optimising environmentally friendly, high-performance coatings with broad industrial applications.",

author = "Swaroop Chakraborty and Nathan Langford and Yvonne Kohl and Varsou, \{Dimitra Danai\} and William Stokes and Evangelos Papaioannou and Sascha Wien and Kata Berkesi and Andrew Britton and Bashiru Ibrahim and Antreas Afantitis and \{Zoikis Karathanasis\}, Alexandros and Andrew Nelson and Eugenia Valsami-Jones",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Royal Society of Chemistry.",

year = "2024",

month = nov,

day = "12",

doi = "10.1039/d4en00751d",

language = "English",

journal = "Environmental Science: Nano",

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Chakraborty, S, Langford, N, Kohl, Y, Varsou, DD, Stokes, W, Papaioannou, E, Wien, S, Berkesi, K, Britton, A, Ibrahim, B, Afantitis, A, Zoikis Karathanasis, A, Nelson, A & Valsami-Jones, E 2024, 'Are Ni-SiC nanoparticle electroplated coatings a safer alternative to hard chromium? A comprehensive aging, toxicity, and in silico study to assess safety by design', Environmental Science: Nano. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4en00751d

TY - JOUR

T1 - Are Ni-SiC nanoparticle electroplated coatings a safer alternative to hard chromium? A comprehensive aging, toxicity, and in silico study to assess safety by design

AU - Chakraborty, Swaroop

AU - Langford, Nathan

AU - Kohl, Yvonne

AU - Varsou, Dimitra Danai

AU - Stokes, William

AU - Papaioannou, Evangelos

AU - Wien, Sascha

AU - Berkesi, Kata

AU - Britton, Andrew

AU - Ibrahim, Bashiru

AU - Afantitis, Antreas

AU - Zoikis Karathanasis, Alexandros

AU - Nelson, Andrew

AU - Valsami-Jones, Eugenia

PY - 2024/11/12

Y1 - 2024/11/12

N2 - Considering the increasing interest in utilising nanoparticles (NPs) for advanced, safe, and sustainable coatings, this paper addresses the toxicological concerns associated with nickel-silicon carbide (Ni-SiC) electroplated nanocomposite coatings as an alternative to conventional chromium electrodeposition. We present Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings as potential substitutes and conduct a comprehensive investigation into the impact of impregnated SiC particles on coating properties. Specifically, we examined the aging of Ni-Watts type and Ni Watts-SiC nanocomposite coatings in various environmental and biological media. Our release and transformation data indicate an enhanced release and transformation of Ni in the simulated media (e.g., up to 200 μg mL−1 in cell culture media) and the formation of NiO and Ni(OH)2 species as confirmed by XPS analysis. Transmission electron microscopy data reveal the release of SiC NPs in the respective simulated aging medium. The Ni ion release from Ni-Watts type and Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings was also investigated in silico to support safe-by-design (SbD) approaches in the development of nanoalloys for electroplating. An in vitro cytotoxicity assay according to ISO shows a significant reduction in cell viability for Ni-SiC nanocomposite coated samples (up to 80% after 72 hours) compared to standalone Ni-Watts type electroplated coatings (up to 20% after 72 hours). Our findings suggest that the co-deposition of Ni with SiC NPs enhances Ni release, which is a major factor in causing toxicity. These results could be pivotal in the adoption of safe and sustainable by design principles within the electroplating industry. This paper contributes to the fields of nanotoxicology and surface coatings, providing a foundation for designing and optimising environmentally friendly, high-performance coatings with broad industrial applications.

AB - Considering the increasing interest in utilising nanoparticles (NPs) for advanced, safe, and sustainable coatings, this paper addresses the toxicological concerns associated with nickel-silicon carbide (Ni-SiC) electroplated nanocomposite coatings as an alternative to conventional chromium electrodeposition. We present Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings as potential substitutes and conduct a comprehensive investigation into the impact of impregnated SiC particles on coating properties. Specifically, we examined the aging of Ni-Watts type and Ni Watts-SiC nanocomposite coatings in various environmental and biological media. Our release and transformation data indicate an enhanced release and transformation of Ni in the simulated media (e.g., up to 200 μg mL−1 in cell culture media) and the formation of NiO and Ni(OH)2 species as confirmed by XPS analysis. Transmission electron microscopy data reveal the release of SiC NPs in the respective simulated aging medium. The Ni ion release from Ni-Watts type and Ni-SiC nanocomposite coatings was also investigated in silico to support safe-by-design (SbD) approaches in the development of nanoalloys for electroplating. An in vitro cytotoxicity assay according to ISO shows a significant reduction in cell viability for Ni-SiC nanocomposite coated samples (up to 80% after 72 hours) compared to standalone Ni-Watts type electroplated coatings (up to 20% after 72 hours). Our findings suggest that the co-deposition of Ni with SiC NPs enhances Ni release, which is a major factor in causing toxicity. These results could be pivotal in the adoption of safe and sustainable by design principles within the electroplating industry. This paper contributes to the fields of nanotoxicology and surface coatings, providing a foundation for designing and optimising environmentally friendly, high-performance coatings with broad industrial applications.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85209706861

U2 - 10.1039/d4en00751d

DO - 10.1039/d4en00751d

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85209706861

SN - 2051-8153

JO - Environmental Science: Nano

JF - Environmental Science: Nano

ER -

Are Ni-SiC nanoparticle electroplated coatings a safer alternative to hard chromium? A comprehensive aging, toxicity, and in silico study to assess safety by design

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Unravelling Structural and Biogeochemical Transformation of Nano-Metal Organic Framework: Impact on Ecotoxicity & Environmental Applications

MOZART - METAL MATRIX NANO-COMPOSITE COATINGS UTILIZATION AS ALTERNATIVE TO HARD CHROMIUM

SABYDOMA: Safety BY Design Of nanoMaterials - From Lab Manufacture to Governance and Communication: Progressing Up the TRL Ladder

Cite this