The paper examines the surface functionalization of a new type of Ti-graphite composite, a dental biomaterial prepared by vacuum low-temperature extrusion of hydrogenated-dehydrogenated titanium powder mixed with graphite flakes. Two experimental surfaces were prepared by laser micromachining applying different levels of incident energy of the fiber nanosecond laser working at 1064 nm wavelength. The surface integrity of the machined surfaces was evaluated, including surface roughness parameters measurement by contact profilometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The chemical and phase composition were comprehensively evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. Finally, the in vitro tests using human mesenchymal stem cells were conducted to compare the influence of the laser processing parameters used on the cell's cultivation and osteo-differentiation. The bioactivity results confirmed that the surface profile with positive kurtosis, platykurtic distribution curve and higher value of peaks spacing exhibited better bioactivity compared to the surface profile with negative kurtosis coefficient, leptokurtic distribution curve and lower peaks spacing.

Institute of Materials and Machine Mechanics Slovak Academy of Sciences Dúbravská cesta 9 845 13 Bratislava Slovakia

Institute of Materials Science Faculty of Materials Science and Technology Slovak University of Technology J Bottu 25 917 24 Trnava Slovakia

Institute of Pathological Physiology 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague U Nemocnice 5 Praha 2 128 53 Prague Czech Republic

Institute of Production Technologies Faculty of Materials Science and Technology Slovak University of Technology J Bottu 25 917 24 Trnava Slovakia

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Study on Surface Roughness, Morphology, and Wettability of Laser-Modified Powder Metallurgy-Processed Ti-Graphite Composite Intended for Dental Application