State-of-the-art surfactant-based coatings for biomaterials: Innovations, applications, and future prospects in...

Surfactants play a vital role in modifying the surface properties of biomaterials, enhancing their functionality in medical applications such as implants, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. This review examines surfactant-based coatings, focusing on their classification, adsorption mechanisms, and impact on biomaterial performance. Various surfactant types (ionic, nonionic, and amphoteric) and coating techniques, including dip-coating, spin-coating, layer-by-layer self-assembly, plasma polymerization, and Langmuir-Blodgett methods, are analysed. Surfactant coatings are critical in four major biomedical areas: preventing biofilm formation on implants with antimicrobial agents (e.g., silver-surfactant composites, quaternary ammonium surfactants); improving biocompatibility and hemocompatibility in devices such as cardiovascular stents; controlled drug delivery by micelle-based delivery systems; and smart, stimulus-responsive surfaces that respond to pH or temperature changes. Although surfactant-assisted coatings demonstrate significant potential in improving biomaterial properties, challenges such as stability, cytotoxicity, and scalability hinder their widespread adoption. Advancements in green surfactants, nanotechnology, and computational modeling offer promising solutions to these limitations. Future research should prioritize biodegradable surfactants, nanoscale modifications, and predictive modeling to optimize surfactant-biomaterial interactions for enhanced biomedical applications.