Illuminating Surfaces: Emerging Trends in Laser Surface Texturing Applications

Surface functionalization plays a crucial role in advancing material performance across various industries, enabling tailored properties such as enhanced tribological behavior, improved wettability, increased adhesion, better biocompatibility, and superior optical characteristics. As demand grows for precise and efficient surface modification techniques, laser surface texturing (LST) has emerged as a promising technology due to its high precision, repeatability, productivity, and ability to create micro- and even nanoscale surface features with minimal material waste. Unlike conventional methods, LST offers a non-contact, environmentally friendly approach (as chemicals can be avoided) that allows for the localized and controlled modification of the surface topography and even chemistry, thereby optimizing the performance in applications ranging from biomedical implants to energy storage systems.

This communication explores the latest advancements in laser surface texturing, highlighting novel and emerging trends. These key developments include, among others, the production of extreme wetting surfaces (superhydrophilic or superhydrophobic), the production of self-cleaning surfaces, the potential of laser surface texturing to produce superior biomedical surfaces, and the application of laser surface texturing to control the corrosion behavior of biomaterials. By illuminating these evolving trends, this study aims at providing insights into the future potential of laser surface texturing as a transformative tool for next-generation functional surfaces.