Effect of H- and O-termination of nanocrystalline diamond films on cell adhesion and osteogenic differentiation

In order to control the hydrophobic or hydrophilic character, the NCD film surfaces were grafted by hydrogen atoms (H-termination) or by oxygen atoms (O-termination). Human mesenchymal stem cells and primary human osteoblasts were used for biological studies on H- and O-terminated NCD films. We found that cells cultivated on O-terminated NCD films exhibit better adhesion than H-terminated NCD films. In addition, the expression of osteogenic cell markers collagen and alkaline phosphatase analysed by Realtime PCR and immunostaining was higher on O-terminated films