A simple method of applying carbon foam coating for carbon/carbon composites to modulate cell compatibility

A simple slurry method was used to prepare carbon foam coatings on biomedical carbon/carbon composites to modulate the cell compatibility. The surface morphology and microstructure of the coatings were characterized and the effect of applying carbon foam coatings on cell morphology and cell proliferation was investigated. The results showed that the carbon foam coatings, consisting of carbon microspheres, resin carbon matrices and pores, covered the carbon/carbon composites entirely and uniformly with amorphous structures. There were large numbers of pores with a size ranging from submicron to tens of micrometers being found for the coatings. The cell culture experiments exhibited that both the cell spreading and the cell proliferation were improved after the preparation of the carbon foam coatings. It could be demonstrated that applying carbon foam coatings by a simple slurry method was an effective way to improve the cell compatibility of carbon/carbon composites.