Surface modification is the act of modifying the surface of a material by bringing physical, chemical or biological characteristics different from the ones originally found on the surface of a material.[1]
This modification is usually made to solid materials, but it is possible to find examples of the modification to the surface of specific liquids.
The modification can be done by different methods with a view to altering a wide range of characteristics of the surface, such as: roughness,[2] hydrophilicity,[3] surface charge,[4]surface energy, biocompatibility[3][5] and reactivity.[6]
^Bertazzo, S. & Rezwan, K. (2009) Control of α-alumina surface charge with carboxylic acids. Langmuir.
^Bertazzo, S., Zambuzzi, W. F., da Silva, H. A., Ferreira, C. V. & Bertran, C. A. (2009) Bioactivation of alumina by surface modification: A possibility for improving the applicability of alumina in bone and oral repair. Clinical Oral Implants Research 20: 288-293.