Bonding of Hydrogel to Biometal Surfaces: Principles, Methods and Applications

Metal surface coating modification is an effective method to solve the problem of corrosion and inflammation in biometal clinical applications. Hydrogel is currently a commonly used biometal surface coating material. Because of its hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and good biomechanical properties, hydrogel is widely used in clinical applications. Functionalized hydrogel coatings on biometal surfaces can effectively ameliorate problems such as corrosion, late thrombosis, inflammation, and other complications of implanted metals. Therefore, realizing a strong bond between biometal and hydrogel is a hot issue. This article centers on the bonding of hydrogel to biometal, focusing on a review of (i) biometal surface pretreatment methods, (ii) biometal-hydrogel bonding methods, and (iii) application of hydrogel coatings on biometal surfaces.