Research summary
What do three things as diverse as medical implants, drinking water quality, and that metallic smell in the subway have in common? They are all influenced by the never-ending interface between metals and biomolecules, where physical, chemical and electrochemical reactions happen constantly and influence each other.
By understanding these materials and their reactions, we can make better use of them in areas like health care. Dr. Yolanda Hedberg, Canada Research Chair in Corrosion Science, aims to increase the safety and use of biomedical materials. She and her research team are doing this by predicting reaction mechanisms and rates at metal-bio interfaces, such as for metallic implant materials and metal nanoparticles used in medicine. In particular, they are trying to understand these metal devices’ corrosion mechanisms, which depend on their composition, design and manufacture as well as on a patient’s infection status.