Tungsten disulfide (WS₂) particles have excellent lubrication properties and low surface energy. These features are exploited for numerous applications in the biomedical field, from the development of low-friction orthodontic wires to urinary encrustation-resisting coatings. Nevertheless, the cytotoxicity of spherical WS₂ particles still remains unclear. We report the biocompatibility of pristine WS₂ particles in human urinary bladder cells after the exposure to a wide range of concentrations (from 0 to 100 μg/mL). Based on the cell viability assessments using trypan blue exclusion assay and the PrestoBlue Cell viability reagent after 24, 48, and 72 h exposure, it can be concluded that these particle aggregates, with a diameter of ~ 500 nm, do not show any evidence of alterations or toxicity in the cells, even with high concentrations there exist a 87% of cell viability. Furthermore, due to the predisposition to agglomerate of this material and the possible use as a coating in urinary devices, we functionalized these particles with carboxylic groups. Aggregates with a diameter of ~ 370 nm were obtained. Zeta potential measurements highlighted that carboxylation correctly occurred, showing a switch from ~ + 4 for pristine particles to ~ − 35 for COOH-functionalized ones. Cytotoxic studies with these functionalized WS₂ particles also showed good biocompatibility on human urinary bladder cells, with an 86% of viability after incubation with 100 μg/mL of particles over 72 h. These results highlight a good potential of WS₂ particles for a future safe application as components of implantable medical devices.

二硫化钨（WS ₂）颗粒具有出色的润滑性能和低表面能。从开发低摩擦正畸丝到抗尿结石涂层，这些功能已在生物医学领域得到了广泛应用。尽管如此，球形WS ₂颗粒的细胞毒性仍然不清楚。我们报道了原始WS ₂的生物相容性暴露于多种浓度（0至100μg/ mL）的人膀胱细胞中的颗粒。根据使用锥虫蓝排除试验和PrestoBlue Cell活力试剂在暴露24、48和72 h后的细胞活力评估，可以得出结论，这些直径约500 nm的颗粒聚集体没有任何证据表明即使在高浓度的情况下，细胞中的改变或毒性也会存在87％的细胞活力。此外，由于这种材料易于团聚，并有可能用作泌尿设备的涂层，因此我们用羧基官能化了这些颗粒。获得了直径约为370 nm的聚集体。Zeta电势测量结果表明羧基正确地发生了，显示原始颗粒的〜+ 4变为COOH-官能化颗粒的〜-35。这些功能化WS的细胞毒性研究_2个颗粒在人的膀胱细胞上也表现出良好的生物相容性，与100μg/ mL颗粒孵育72小时后的活力为86％。这些结果凸显了WS ₂颗粒作为植入式医疗设备组件的未来安全应用的巨大潜力。