Surface nano-functionalization of biomaterials

After biomaterials are implanted into the human body, there are inevitable interactions between the biological environment and implant surfaces. Therefore, the surface of biomaterials has become one of the hottest research topics. Nanotechnology is a powerful tool in modern materials science and able to incorporate biomimicry on the nanoscale into materials engineering. Therefore, research on nanotechnology/nanostructured biomaterials has attracted much attention. A nano-functionalized surface has promising biological properties and clinical applications of biomaterials can be improved by producing a nanostructured surface. Many surface modification techniques have been adopted to produce nano-functionalized biomaterials surface, and in this paper, the fabrication, characterization, and properties of biomaterials such as ceramics, metals, and polymers with nanostructured surfaces are reviewed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.