A comparative study of apatite growth and adhesion on a laser-functionalized titanium surface

The laser processing of titanium has been proven to improve biological responses of the surface. In this paper, the Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) method has been proposed as a single-step functionalization of pre-modified titanium surfaces for biomedical applications. Immersion in Hank’s solution for the deposition of calcium phosphate coatings was applied to evaluate the biomedical potential of modified Ti substrates. The bioactive effect and adhesion force of the Ca-P coating were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scratch tests with subsequent scanning electron microscopy observations and energy dispersive spectroscopy measurements. In general, the results confirmed that laser treatment positively influences bone-like apatite formation and has an impact on the surface wear resistance.