Ice friction at the nanoscale.

The origin of ice slipperiness has been a matter of great controversy for more than a century, but an atomistic understanding of ice friction is still lacking. Here, we perform computer simulations of an atomically smooth substrate sliding on ice. In a large temperature range between 230 and 266 K, hydrophobic sliders exhibit a premelting layer similar to that found at the ice/air interface. On the contrary, hydrophilic sliders show larger premelting and a strong increase of the first adsorption layer. The nonequilibrium simulations show that premelting films of barely one-nanometer thickness are sufficient to provide a lubricating quasi-liquid layer with rheological properties similar to bulk undercooled water. Upon shearing, the films display a pattern consistent with lubricating Couette flow, but the boundary conditions at the wall vary strongly with the substrate's interactions. Hydrophobic walls exhibit large slip, while hydrophilic walls obey stick boundary conditions with small negative slip. By compressing ice above atmospheric pressure, the lubricating layer grows continuously, and the rheological properties approach bulk-like behavior. Below 260 K, the equilibrium premelting films decrease significantly. However, a very large slip persists on the hydrophobic walls, while the increased friction on hydrophilic walls is sufficient to melt ice and create a lubrication layer in a few nanoseconds. Our results show that the atomic-scale frictional behavior of ice is a combination of spontaneous premelting, pressure melting, and frictional heating.

Phase-dependent Friction on Exfoliated Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Atomic Layers.

The fundamental aspects of energy dissipation on 2-dimensional (2D) atomic layers are extensively studied. Among various atomic layers, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) exists in several phases based on their lattice structure, which give rise to the different phononic and electronic contributions in energy dissipation. 2H and 1T' (distorted 1T) phase MoS2 and MoTe2 atomic layers exfoliated on mica substrate are obtained and investigated their nanotribological properties with atomic force microscopy (AFM)/ friction force microscopy (FFM). Surprisingly, 1T' phase of both MoS2 and MoTe2 exhibits ≈10 times higher friction compared to 2H phase. With density functional theory analyses, the friction increase is attributed to enhanced electronic excitation, efficient phonon dissipation, and increased potential energy surface barrier at the tip-sample interface. This study suggests the intriguing possibility of tuning the friction of TMDs through phase transition, which can lead to potential application in tunable tribological devices.

Creating Hydrophobic Foils From Biopolymer Blends Using Mechanical Microimprinting.

The surface topography of biodegradable polymer foils is modified by mechanical imprinting on a submillimeter length scale. The created patterns strongly influence the wetting behavior and allow the preparation of hydrophobic surfaces with controlled solid-liquid interaction. A detailed analysis of anisotropic surface patterns reveals that the observed effect arises from a combination of topographical and compositional changes that are introduced to the surface. As a main result it is found that an individual combination of material and structure is required for the production of water-repellent biopolymer foils that are highly attractive for packaging applications.

When Flexoelectricity Drives Triboelectricity.

Triboelectricity has been known since antiquity, but the fundamental science underlying this phenomenon lacks consensus. We present a flexoelectric model for triboelectricity where contact deformation induced band bending at the nanoscale is the driving force for charge transfer. This framework is combined with first-principles and finite element calculations to explore charge transfer implications for different contact geometry and materials combinations. We demonstrate that our ab initio based formulation is compatible with existing empirical models and experimental observations including charge transfer between similar materials and size/pressure dependencies associated with triboelectricity.

At Least 10-fold Higher Lubricity of Molecularly Thin D2O vs H2O Films at Single-Layer Graphene-Mica Interfaces.

Interfacial water is a widespread lubricant down to the nanometer scale. We investigate the lubricities of molecularly thin H2O and D2O films confined between mica and graphene, via the relaxation of initially applied strain in graphene employing Raman spectroscopy. Surprisingly, the D2O films are at least 1 order of magnitude more lubricant than H2O films, despite the similar bulk viscosities of the two liquids. We propose a mechanism based on the known selective permeation of protons vs deuterons through graphene. Permeated protons and left behind hydroxides may form ion pairs clamping across the graphene sheet and thereby hindering the graphene from sliding on the water layer. This explains the lower lubricity but also the hindering diffusivity of the water layer, which yields a high effective viscosity in accordance with findings in dewetting experiments. Our work elucidates an unexpected effect and provides clues to the behavior of graphene on hydrous surfaces.

The Role of Lubricin, Irisin and Exercise in the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative musculoskeletal disease that worsens with age and is defined by pathological alterations in joint components. All clinical treatment recommendations for osteoarthritis promote exercise, although precise molecular pathways are unclear. The purpose of this study was to critically analyze the research on lubricin and irisin and how they relate to healthy and diseased joint tissue. Our research focused specifically on exercise strategies and offered new perspectives for future potential osteoarthritis treatment plans. Although lubricin and irisin have only recently been discovered, there is evidence that they have an impact on cartilage homeostasis. A crucial component of cartilage lubrication and integrity, lubricin is a surface-active mucinous glycoprotein released by the synovial joint. Its expression increases with joint movement. In healthy joints, lubricin molecules cover the cartilage surface to lubricate the boundary of the joint and inhibit protein and cell attachment. Patients with joint trauma, inflammatory arthritis, or genetically mediated lubricin deficiency, who do not produce enough lubricin to protect the articular cartilage, develop arthropathy. Irisin, sometimes known as the "sports hormone", is a myokine secreted primarily by skeletal muscle. It is a physiologically active protein that can enter the circulation as an endocrine factor, and its synthesis and secretion are primarily triggered by exercise-induced muscle contraction. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus using the appropriate keywords to identify the most recent research. The studies considered advance our knowledge of the role that exercise plays in the fight against osteoarthritis, serve as a valuable resource, and support the advancement of osteoarthritis prevention and therapy.

Mouthfeel subqualities in wines: A current insight on sensory descriptors and physical-chemical markers.

Astringency and more generally mouthfeel perception are relevant to the overall quality of the wine. However, their origin and description are still uncertain and are constantly updating. Additionally, the terminology related to mouthfeel properties is expansive and extremely diversified, characterized by common traditional terms as well as novel recently adopted descriptors. In this context, this review evaluated the mention frequency of astringent subqualities and other mouthfeel attributes in the scientific literature of the last decades (2000-August 17, 2022). One hundred and twenty-five scientific publications have been selected and classified based on wine typology, aim, and instrumental-sensorial methods adopted. Dry resulted as the most frequent astringent subquality (10% for red wines, 8.6% for white wines), while body-and related terms-is a common mouthfeel sensation for different wine types, although its concept is still vague. Alongside, promising analytical and instrumental techniques investigating and simulating the in-mouth properties are discussed in detail, such as rheology for the viscosity and tribology for the lubrication loss, as well as the different approaches for the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the interaction between salivary proteins and astringency markers. A focus on the phenolic compounds involved in the tactile perception was conducted, with tannins being the compounds conventionally found responsible for astringency. Nevertheless, other non-tannic polyphenolic classes (i.e., flavonols, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, anthocyanin-derivative pigments) as well as chemical-physical factors and the wine matrix (i.e., polysaccharides, mannoproteins, ethanol, glycerol, and pH) can also contribute to the wine in-mouth sensory profile. An overview of mouthfeel perception, factors involved, and its vocabulary is useful for enologists and consumers.

Wear behaviour of lithography ceramic manufactured dental zirconia.

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to evaluate the wear surface using 3D surface roughness and other material characterization of zirconia fabricated using photopolymerization based Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing (LCM). METHOD: LCM technology was used to fabricate zirconia specimens of size 10 × 10 × 2mm3. Scanning Electron Microscope, 3D-profilometer, X-ray Diffraction, and hardness test characterized the samples before and after wear and Coefficient of friction (COF) was monitored. RESULT: The COF was around 0.7 and did not differ much between the horizontally and vertically printed specimens. However, the surface roughness after wear for horizontally printed specimen was 0.567 ± 0.139 µm, while that for vertically printed specimen was 0.379 ± 0.080 µm. The reduced valley depth and the dale void volume were low for the vertically printed zirconia specimen, indicating lesser voids and low fluid retention. In addition, it was observed that the hardness value of the vertically printed sample was better. The scanning electron microscopic images and 3D surface profiles of the zirconia specimens depicted the surface topography and revealed the wear track. CONCLUSION: The study shows that zirconia fabricated using LCM technology possesses surface roughness of about 0.5 µm with no machining scars that are usually associated with CAD/CAM dentistry and also indicating agreement with clinically acceptable values for minimal surface roughness of dental restorations. Dental restorations using LCM fabricated zirconia redues the requirement of post-processing work flow that is part of CAD/CAM dentistry.

A modified multibond model for nanoscale static friction.

Several key features of nanoscale friction phenomena observed in experiments, including the stick-slip to smooth sliding transition and the velocity and temperature dependence of friction, are often described by reduced-order models. The most notable of these are the thermal Prandtl-Tomlinson model and the multibond model. Here we present a modified multibond (mMB) model whereby a physically-based criterion-a critical bond stretch length-is used to describe interfacial bond breaking. The model explicitly incorporates damping in both the cantilever and the contacting materials. Comparison to the Fokker-Planck formalism supports the results of this new model, confirming its ability to capture the relevant physics. Furthermore, the mMB model replicates the near-logarithmic trend of increasing friction with lateral scanning speed seen in many experiments. The model can also be used to probe both correlated and uncorrelated stick slip. Through greater understanding of the effects of damping and noise in the system and the ability to more accurately simulate a system with multiple interaction sites, this model extends the range of frictional systems and phenomena that can be investigated. This article is part of the theme issue 'Nanocracks in nature and industry'.

Effect of repeated millings on the surface integrity of diamond burs and roughness of different CAD/CAM materials.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the surface integrity of two types of diamond burs and their effect on the roughness of different CAD/CAM materials. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CAD/CAM materials, Vita Mark II (VM), IPS e.max CAD (EM), Celtra Duo (CD), G-Ceram (GC), and Lava Ultimate (LU) blocks were milled with CEREC MCXL. Five pairs of pointed cylinder burs (CB) and step burs (SB) were used repeatedly. The wear rate of burs was analyzed before and after milling with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and weighing the burs. The milling time of the blocks at different milling stages was recorded from 2 (M2) to 8 times (M8) of use. The surface roughness (Ra) of blocks was measured with a profilometer. Data from the differences in surface roughness were analyzed using univariate analyses of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests (alpha = 0.05). RESULTS: For M2, the highest roughness (2.12 ± 0.1 µm) was observed with the VM block. EM blocks presented the highest roughness values (1.82 ± 0.3 µm, 1.85 ± 0.1 µm, and 1.86 ± 0.04 µm) at M4, M6, and M8, respectively. While the highest Ra values were observed for VM (2.12 to 1.43 µm), LU provided the lowest mean Ra (1.62 to 1.33 µm) among the tested materials. After the repeated use of burs up to 8 times, the surface roughness of all the tested materials decreased. Milling of LU resulted in chip deposits on the CB surface in SEM images. The duration of cutting was higher for CD and EM materials than those of other materials, but the milling duration for VM, GC, and LU blocks was similar. SB burs exhibited more wear than CB after repeated milling. CONCLUSIONS: A repeated number of millings more than 4 times decreased the surface integrity of the milling burs, increased the surface roughness of CAD/CAM blocks except for LU, and increased the milling duration. Increased material hardness was more detrimental on bur surface integrity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: During milling CAD/CAM blocks, clinicians should note that the surface integrity of milling burs decreases after 4 times of use as a function of material hardness where step burs wear quicker than pointed cylinder burs.

A method for the tribological assessment of oral pharmaceutical liquids.

OBJECTIVE: Patient acceptance of pediatric formulations is critical to compliance and consequently therapeutic outcomes; thus, having an in vitro method to evaluate sensory perception of pharmaceutical products would be beneficial. The objective of this research is to develop a sensitive and reproducible tribological method to characterize pharmaceutical suspensions at low force and sliding speeds. METHODS: The discriminating potential of the method was examined using tribology profiles (coefficient of friction (COF) vs. sliding speed) for commercially available products and products made for this study with widely varying sweetness, thickness, and grittiness; these formulations were used to judge the sensitivity of the method. Samples were measured using 3M Transpore™ surgical tape to simulate the tongue surface, steel half ring geometry, constant gap setting, target axial force of 2 N in a 600 s exponential ramp for rotation speed. RESULTS: The COF ranged from 0.1 to 0.6. For the speeds studied, the high viscosity commercial suspension ibuprofen drops and acetaminophen suspension show a classic Stribeck curve with an increasing COF at the higher rotation speeds, which indicates these formulations entered the hydrodynamic lubrication phase, while the lower viscosity suspensions only reached the mixed lubrication phase. CONCLUSION: The contribution of particles affects the COF in a dynamic tribologic pattern compared to products that are categorized as either low gritty or high viscosity. These results are important as they provide a potentially rapid in vitro method for screening pediatric medications and help to identify the factors that affect the palatability of pediatric formulations.

The Effect of Corn Dextrin on the Rheological, Tribological, and Aroma Release Properties of a Reduced-Fat Model of Processed Cheese Spread.

Low-calorie and low-fat foods have been introduced to the market to fight the increasing incidence of overweightness and obesity. New approaches and high-quality fat replacers may overcome the poor organoleptic properties of such products. A model of processed cheese spread (PCS) was produced as a full-fat version and with three levels of fat reduction (30%, 50%, and 70%). Fat was replaced by water or by corn dextrin (CD), a dietary fiber. Additionally, in the 50% reduced-fat spreads, fat was replaced by various ratios of CD and lactose (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100). The effect of each formulation was determined by measuring the textural (firmness, stickiness, and spreadability), rheological (flow behavior and oscillating rheology), tribological, and microstructural (cryo-SEM) properties of the samples, as well as the dynamic aroma release of six aroma compounds typically found in cheese. Winter's critical gel theory was a good approach to characterizing PCS with less instrumental effort and costs: the gel strength and interaction factors correlated very well with the spreadability and lubrication properties of the spreads. CD and fat exhibited similar interaction capacities with the aroma compounds, resulting in a similar release pattern. Overall, the properties of the sample with 50% fat replaced by CD were most similar to those of the full-fat sample. Thus, CD is a promising fat replacer in PCS and, most likely, in other dairy-based emulsions.

Insects use lubricants to minimize friction and wear in leg joints.

A protein-based lubricating substance is discovered in the femoro-tibial joint of the darkling beetle Zophobas morio (Insecta). The substance extrudes to the contacting areas within the joint and appears in a form of filiform flows and short cylindrical fragments. The extruded lubricating substance effectively reduces the coefficient of sliding friction to the value of 0.13 in the tribosystem glass/lubricant/glass. This value is significantly lower than 0.35 in the control tribosystem glass/glass and comparable to the value of 0.14 for the tribosystem glass/dry PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon). The study shows for the first time that the friction-reducing mechanism found in Z. morio femoro-tibial joints is based on the lubricant spreading over the contacting surfaces rolling or moving at low loads and deforming at higher loads, preventing direct contact of joint counterparts. Besides Z. morio, the lubricant has been found in the leg joints of the Argentinian wood roach Blaptica dubia.

In situ friction study of Ag Underpotential deposition (UPD) on Au(111) in aqueous electrolyte.

The electrodeposition of silver on Au(111) was investigated using lateral force microscopy (LFM) in Ag+ containing sulfuric acid. Friction force images show that adsorbed sulfate forms 3 × 7 R 19 . 1 ∘ structure ( θ s u l f a t e = 0 . 2 ) on Au(111) prior to Ag underpotential deposition (UPD) and ( 3 × 3 R 30 ∘ ) structure ( θ s u l f a t e = 0 . 33 ) on a complete monolayer or bilayer of Ag. Variation of friction with normal load shows a non-monotonous dependence, which is caused by increasing penetration of the tip into the sulfate adlayer. In addition, the friction force is influenced by the varying coverage and mobility of Ag atoms on the surface. Before Ag coverage reaches the critical value, the deposited silver atoms may be mobile enough to be dragged by the movement of AFM tip. Possible penetration of the tip into the UPD layer at very high loads is discussed as a model for self-healing wear. However, when the coverage of Ag is close to 1, the deposited Ag atoms are tight enough to resist the influence of the AFM tip and the tip penetrates only into the sulfate adlayer.

Variations in strain affect friction and microstructure evolution in copper under a reciprocating tribological load.

The microstructure of the materials constituting a metallic frictional contact strongly influence tribological performance. Being able to tailor friction and wear is challenging due to the complex microstructure evolution associated with tribological loading. Here, we investigate the effect of the strain distribution on these processes. High-purity copper plates were morphologically surface textured with two parallel rectangles - referred to as membranes - over the entire sample length by micro-milling. By keeping the width of these membranes constant and only varying their height, reciprocating tribological loading against sapphire discs resulted in different elastic and plastic strains. Finite element simulations were carried out to evaluate the strain distribution in the membranes. It was found that the maximum elastic strain increases with decreasing membrane stiffness. The coefficient of friction decreases with increasing membrane aspect ratio. By analyzing the microstructure and local crystallographic orientation, we found that both show less change with decreasing membrane stiffness.

Effect of Ligament Properties on Nonlinear Dynamics and Wear Prediction of Knee Prostheses.

Although wear is known as the primary cause of long-time failure of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), it can be vital in short- and midterm TKA failure due to laxity. One of the reasons leading to joint laxity and instability is ligamentous insufficiency. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the effects of insufficient ligaments-related knee laxity on both nonlinear dynamics and wear of TKA. The study hypothesizes (a) ligamentous insufficiency can increase TKA damage; (b) stiffness reduction of each of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and medial-lateral collateral ligaments (MCL-LCL) can differently contribute to TKA damage. A forward dynamics methodology is developed and the ligament behavior is simulated employing an asymmetric nonlinear elastic model. External loads and moment, due to the presence of all soft tissues, e.g., muscles and hip joint reaction forces, applied to the femoral bone are determined using a musculoskeletal approach linked to the developed model. A mesh density analysis is performed and comparing outcomes with that available in the literature allows for the assessment of our approach. From the results acquired, reduced PCL stiffness leads to an increase in linear wear rates and results in the maximum damage in TKAs. However, the maximum linear wear rates on both condyles occur once the stiffness of all ligaments is reduced. Moreover, the worn area of the tibia surface increases with the reduction in MCL-LCL stiffness on the medial condyle. The joint with insufficient PCL also shows a considerable increase in ligament forces right after toe-off.

Surface adsorption and lubrication properties of plant and dairy proteins: A comparative study.

The aim of this work was to compare the surface adsorption and lubrication properties of plant and dairy proteins. Whey protein isolate (WPI) and pea protein isolate (PPI) were chosen as model animal and plant proteins, respectively, and various protein concentrations (0.1-100 mg/mL) were studied with/without heat treatment (90 °C/60 min). Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) experiments were performed on hydrophilic (gold) and hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sensors, with or without a mucin coating, latter was used to mimic the oral surface. Soft tribology using PDMS tribopairs in addition to wettability measurements, physicochemical characterization (size, charge, solubility) and gel electrophoresis were performed. Soluble fractions of PPI adsorbed to significantly larger extent on PDMS surfaces, forming more viscous films as compared to WPI regardless of heat treatment. Introducing a mucin coating on a PDMS surface led to a decrease in binding of the subsequent dietary protein layers, with PPI still adsorbing to a larger extent than WPI. Such large hydrated mass of PPI resulted in superior lubrication performance at lower protein concentration (≤10 mg/mL) as compared to WPI. However, at 100 mg/mL, WPI was a better lubricant than PPI, with the former showing the onset of elastohydrodynamic lubrication. Enhanced lubricity upon heat treatment was attributed to the increase in apparent viscosity. Fundamental insights from this study reveal that pea protein at higher concentrations demonstrates inferior lubricity than whey protein and could result in unpleasant mouthfeel, and thus may inform future replacement strategies when designing sustainable food products.

Lubricating properties of chewing stimulated whole saliva from patients suffering from xerostomia.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to quantify the lubricating properties of chewing stimulated whole saliva from healthy controls (n = 22), from patients suffering from primary Sjögren's syndrome (n = 37) and from patients undergoing head-and-neck radiotherapy (n = 34). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All participants had to complete the Xerostomia Inventory questionnaire to score dry mouth sensation. Lubrication was measured using an ex vivo tongue-enamel friction system in terms of Relief and Relief period. MUC5b and total protein concentrations of the saliva samples were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a bicinchoninic acid assay, respectively. RESULTS: Relief of Sjögren's patients' saliva and post-irradiation patients' saliva was similar compared with healthy controls, but saliva from post-irradiation patients lubricated significantly better than saliva from Sjögren's patients. The Relief period was similar between the three groups. The Relief and Relief period were higher for saliva samples post-irradiation compared to pre-irradiation. MUC5b and total protein concentrations were comparable in all groups. MUC5b and total protein output were significantly lower in patients subjected to radiotherapy compared to saliva from healthy controls and pre-irradiation patients. MUC5b concentrations positively correlated with lubricating properties of post-irradiation patient saliva. CONCLUSIONS: The lubricating properties of patient saliva were not any worse than healthy controls. Lower flow rate leads to lower availability of saliva in the oral cavity and decreases the overall output of protein and MUC5b, which might result in an insufficient replenishing of the mucosal salivary film. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: An insufficient replenishing might underlie the sensation of a dry mouth and loss of oral function.

Surface Texturing of Prosthetic Hip Implant Bearing Surfaces: A Review.

More than 300,000 total hip replacement surgeries are performed in the United States each year to treat degenerative joint diseases that cause pain and disability. The statistical survivorship of these implants declines significantly after 15-25 years of use because wear debris causes inflammation, osteolysis, and mechanical instability of the implant. This limited longevity has unacceptable consequences, such as revision surgery to replace a worn implant, or surgery postponement, which leaves the patient in pain. Innovations such as highly cross-linked polyethylene and new materials and coatings for the femoral head have reduced wear significantly, but longevity remains an imminent problem. Another method to reduce wear is to add a patterned microtexture composed of micro-sized texture features to the smooth bearing surfaces. We critically review the literature on textured orthopedic biomaterial surfaces in the context of prosthetic hip implants. We discuss the different functions of texture features by highlighting experimental and simulated results documented by research groups active in this area. We also discuss and compare different manufacturing techniques to create texture features on orthopedic biomaterial surfaces and emphasize the key difficulties that must be overcome to produce textured prosthetic hip implants.

Key Properties of a Bioactive Ag-SiO2/TiO2 Coating on NiTi Shape Memory Alloy as Necessary at the Development of a New Class of Biomedical Materials.

Recent years have seen the dynamic development of methods for functionalizing the surface of implants using biomaterials that can mimic the physical and mechanical nature of native tissue, prevent the formation of bacterial biofilm, promote osteoconduction, and have the ability to sustain cell proliferation. One of the concepts for achieving this goal, which is presented in this work, is to functionalize the surface of NiTi shape memory alloy by an atypical glass-like nanocomposite that consists of SiO2-TiO2 with silver nanoparticles. However, determining the potential medical uses of bio(nano)coating prepared in this way requires an analysis of its surface roughness, tribology, or wettability, especially in the context of the commonly used reference coat-forming hydroxyapatite (HAp). According to our results, the surface roughness ranged between (112 ± 3) nm (Ag-SiO2)-(141 ± 5) nm (HAp), the water contact angle was in the range (74.8 ± 1.6)° (Ag-SiO2)-(70.6 ± 1.2)° (HAp), while the surface free energy was in the range of 45.4 mJ/m2 (Ag-SiO2)-46.8 mJ/m2 (HAp). The adhesive force and friction coefficient were determined to be 1.04 (Ag-SiO2)-1.14 (HAp) and 0.247 ± 0.012 (Ag-SiO2) and 0.397 ± 0.034 (HAp), respectively. The chemical data showed that the release of the metal, mainly Ni from the covered NiTi substrate or Ag from Ag-SiO2 coating had a negligible effect. It was revealed that the NiTi alloy that was coated with Ag-SiO2 did not favor the formation of E. coli or S. aureus biofilm compared to the HAp-coated alloy. Moreover, both approaches to surface functionalization indicated good viability of the normal human dermal fibroblast and osteoblast cells and confirmed the high osteoconductive features of the biomaterial. The similarities of both types of coat-forming materials indicate an excellent potential of the silver-silica composite as a new material for the functionalization of the surface of a biomaterial and the development of a new type of functionalized implants.