Sol‐Gel Technology to Prepare Advanced Coatings

Surface Modifications for Implants Lifetime extension: An Overview of Sol-Gel Coatings

“…The failure of the implants can be caused by several reasons, such as adverse immune system reactions, biofilm formation, or mechanical, chemical, tribological, surgical, manufacturing, and biocompatibility problems [2,3]. Despite the research efforts in the development of new materials with high tolerability and integration capability or in improving performances of existing biomaterials, a good combination of mechanical, chemical, and tribological properties and biocompatibility has not yet been reached [4]. Therefore, the average lifetime of an implant is about twenty years.…”

“…This has an essential role in defining the biomaterial performance [4] since it is more reactive than the core of the material [7]. Therefore, the response of the human body to the material implantation is a function of the reactions that take place at the tissue-implant interface [7].…”

“…Many macroscopic material macroscopic material properties (e.g., resistance to corrosion and chemical agents, hydrophilicity/hydrophobia, bioactivity and biocompatibility, refraction index, reflection, photoluminescence and other optical properties, etc.) are related to the chemical and physic features of the material surface [4]. Hence, surface modification can lead to the enhancement of the implant integration process by the application of functional coatings to biologically implantable materials.…”

“…Hence, surface modification can lead to the enhancement of the implant integration process by the application of functional coatings to biologically implantable materials. This is a promising strategy to give new properties to a material or to modify and enhance some already existent ones [4] (e.g., improvement of wear and corrosion resistance, inhibition of ion release [8], modification of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity features, the introduction of functionality [9], and the improvement of bioactivity and biocompatibility [10][11][12][13]).…”

“…Sol-gel chemistry, indeed, allows the formation of thin layers on substrates of different nature and shape by the instantaneous transition from the sol to the gel (as explained in detail below). Sol-gel coatings are successfully used in a wide area of applications, such as optics, electronics, energy, environment, solar cells, catalysts, sensors, and functional smart coatings [4,14], as well as in biology and medicine where they are used for modifying the surface of the medical devices. Sol-gel coating technology, indeed, allows the production of glasses, glassceramics, and calcium phosphate materials of known biological performance [15][16][17].…”