Surface Modification Technologies in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

Surface modification technologies have become central to the design of modern biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. By tailoring the physicochemical properties of material interfaces, researchers can direct cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation while mitigating unfavourable host responses. Techniques range from plasma treatments that introduce reactive species to wet-chemical grafting of bioactive ligands and aminolysis reactions that deposit functional groups onto polymeric scaffolds. Such strategies not only enhance biocompatibility and mechanical performance but also enable controlled release of therapeutic molecules and resistance to microbial colonisation. Advances in additive manufacturing and nanofabrication further combine structural design with surface engineering to produce hierarchical constructs that more closely mimic the extracellular matrix of target tissues. Taken together, these developments are driving practical applications from bone and cartilage repair to cardiovascular implants and antimicrobial coatings.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Research from all publishers

Recent advances in modified poly(lactic acid) have addressed its inherent biological inertness by incorporating copolymers and grafting cell-adhesive motifs. These enhanced PLA materials exhibit improved degradation profiles, higher surface roughness and greater affinity for stem‐cell attachment, broadening their use in scaffold fabrication. Concurrently, comparative studies on 3D-printed poly-ɛ-caprolactone scaffolds have demonstrated that wet-chemical amine or carboxyl functionalisation outperforms plasma-assisted modification in promoting osteogenic activity, as evidenced by increased alkaline phosphatase activity and mineral deposition. Finally, systematic aminolysis of electrospun nonwoven fibres derived from PCL, PLCL and PLLA has elucidated reaction parameters that optimise the density of surface amine groups while preserving mechanical integrity. This work underlines the importance of reaction kinetics and polymer morphology for achieving uniform functionalisation and improved cell spreading.

Surface Modification Technologies in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in surface modification technologies in biomaterials and tissue engineering across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biomaterial: A synthetic or natural substance engineered to interact with biological systems for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes.

Surface functionalization: The process of chemically or physically modifying a material’s surface to introduce specific reactive groups or bioactive molecules.

Plasma treatment: The use of ionised gas to clean, activate or deposit thin films on a surface, altering chemistry and topography.

Wet-chemical modification: A liquid-phase reaction method for grafting functional moieties onto a substrate under controlled conditions.

Aminolysis: A reaction that introduces amine groups onto polyester surfaces, enhancing hydrophilicity and cell-binding capacity.

Contact angle: The angle at which a liquid interface meets a solid surface, indicative of wettability and surface energy.

Osteogenic differentiation: The process by which progenitor or stem cells develop into bone-forming osteoblasts under specific biochemical and mechanical cues.

References

1. Controlling Cell Behavior through the Design of Biomaterial Surfaces: A Focus on Surface Modification Techniques. Advanced Materials Interfaces (2019).
2. Oxygen-plasma-modified biomimetic nanofibrous scaffolds for enhanced compatibility of cardiovascular implants. Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology (2015).
3. Surface modification of polyester films with polyfunctional amines: Effect on bacterial biofilm formation. Surfaces and Interfaces (2023).
4. Hydrogel Layers on the Surface of Polyester-Based Materials for Improvement of Their Biointeractions and Controlled Release of Proteins. Polymers (2016).
5. Recent advances in modified poly (lactic acid) as tissue engineering materials. Journal of Biological Engineering (2023).
6. Osteogenic differentiation by MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts is enhanced more on wet-chemically surface-modified 3D-printed poly-e-caprolactone scaffolds than on plasma-assisted modified scaffolds. Applied Surface Science (2024).
7. Aminolysis of Various Aliphatic Polyesters in a Form of Nanofibers and Films. Polymers (2019).