Dear Colleagues,

The current research about surface treatment using laser-assisted techniques has evolved from the macroscale to the nanoscale. The scope of laser surface modifications broadens to cover more specific purposes, where the spatial and material selectivity of the laser radiation becomes a means to achieve the desired functions, frequently combined with other chemical modification processes. During the last several years, research on laser-assisted surface modification has been essentially directed towards micro- and nanostructuration for wetting control, as well as biomaterial and hard tissue functionalization. Moreover, the multi-pulse texturization of optical surfaces, nanoparticle/nanocomposite laser-induced films, laser polishing, laser-assisted machining, and laser peening have also been common pursued objectives. Meanwhile, the increasing amplitude of the different characteristics of laser radiation (e.g., pulse duration and wavelength) has made possible new achievements in well-established applications of surface modification such as laser cladding, laser nitriding, and laser surface hardening. As a prospective, surface hydrophobic and hydrophilic modification to induce anti-bacterial behavior and the laser sterilization of non-biological surfaces are research topics whose activity is expected to increase in the near future.

The scope of this Special Issue of Coatings entitled “Surface Treatment by Laser-Assisted Techniques II” includes, but is not limited to:

• Laser-assisted processes at nano-, micro-, and macro-scales for the modification of surface properties such as: wettability, hydrophobicity, fouling, roughness, corrosion resistance, adhesion, adsorption, bonding ability, wear, friction, hardness, fracture toughness, fatigue behavior, residual stress, conductivity, emissivity, absorption, topography, reflectivity, and other related properties.
• Short and ultrashort pulsed laser treatments of polymers, ceramics, metals, and composites for general surface applications.
• Established techniques such as laser ablation, laser cladding, laser surface alloying, laser annealing, laser blasting, laser cleaning, laser etching, laser electroplating, laser hardening, laser structuring, laser texturing, hierarchical structuring, laser-induced periodic surface structuring, interference patterning, laser micromachining, laser nitriding, pulsed laser deposition, laser thin-film deposition, laser polishing, laser remelting, laser recrystallization, laser shock peening, laser surface activation.
• Laser-assisted processes for surface modification in biomaterials and medical devices, laser surface functionalization, degradability modification, bioactive coatings, biocompatibility enhancement, cell alignment, anti-bacterial functionalization, and laser surface modification of hard and soft tissues.
• Mathematical modelling, theoretical analysis, thermo-mechanical models, and simulation in laser surface treatments.

Submissions of original research and review articles are welcome.

Dr. Rafael Comesaña
Dr. Jesús del Val
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• Laser surface functionalization
• Laser texturing
• Biomaterial surface modification
• Laser ablation
• Surface engineering
• Ultrashort laser pulse processing
• Laser cladding
• Pulsed laser deposition
• Tribology