Advanced Surface Engineering of Biocompatible Coatings: Innovation and Application

Dear colleagues,

Theoretical and experimental research on the surface engineering of new functional biomaterials represents one of the most advanced and promising research directions in biomaterials science and engineering. As the global population ages and sports injuries become more common, the incidence of orthopedic diseases has significantly increased, which has directly driven the rapid growth of the orthopedic implant market. As an essential means to improve patient quality of life, the performance of orthopedic implants is directly linked to treatment outcomes and patient rehabilitation processes. However, the success of implants depends not only on their primary materials but also on their surface properties, such as biocompatibility, antimicrobial characteristics, and mechanical strength, which are critical determinants of long-term efficacy. Moreover, the clinical advancement of non-implantable devices like oral patches and skin microneedles also hinges on the development of advanced biomaterials and surface engineering. Surface engineering techniques can significantly enhance the overall performance of implants by optimizing their interaction with the biological environment.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for academic exchange on the following research topics:

1. Theoretical and experimental research progress on biomedical coatings in promoting bone integration, inhibiting inflammatory responses, and preventing infections.
2. Development and application of novel bioactive functional materials (such as antibacterial coatings, drug release coatings, tissue patches, and biosignal response coatings).
3. Biomedical functional coatings fabricated using advanced preparation techniques (such as 3D printing, plasma spraying, atomic layer deposition, and electrochemical deposition).
4. High-performance biomedical coatings developed for extreme physiological environments (such as high stress, corrosive body fluids, and dynamic loads).
5. Research on the degradation mechanisms of coatings in complex physiological environments, including biological corrosion, mechanical wear, and fatigue failure.
6. Development of new methods for evaluating the performance of biomedical coatings, with a focus on the interaction of multiple factors, such as biological, chemical, and mechanical aspects, and the ability to predict long-term material performance.
7. Use of computer simulation technology to predict the performance, durability, and reliability of coatings in physiological environments and establish a correlation model between experimental data and clinical performance.

We invite you to submit your contributions promoting the development of the field of biomedical coatings. We look forward to highlighting innovative research that makes significant contributions to improving the performance and safety of medical implants.

Dr. Chenchen Wang
Dr. Jincan Yan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant coatings
• biomimetic coatings
• surface modification of bone implants
• fretting wear at bone interfaces
• biological lubricating materials