Fundamentals of Surface Modification

Surface properties hold great importance in the response of biomaterials to the host. For better host response, surface modification can be implemented. This chapter describes various methods for the surface modification applied for improving biomaterials surfaces. The surface properties of biomaterials that are important for acceptance in the host include chemical structure, hyrophilicity/hydrophobicity, the presence of ionic group, surface morphology and topography. Controlling the surface properties of biomaterials is a very important factor for their good performance. Surface properties of biomaterials define the stability and their applicability for their implant applications, for instance, in the case of fibroblast cells; the wettability of the surface should be more. The response of biomaterials to the host can be tailored using surface engineering. This chapter presents how surface films can be engineered using self-assembly (SA) or layer-by-layer deposition in order to achieve the required surface activity.