*The Role of Silane Sol-Gel Coatings on the Corrosion Protection of Magnesium Alloys DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.102085*

integration of Mg implants. In relation to biomedical implants, such as cardiovascular stents, protein adsorption kinetics play a crucial role in the platelet adhesion process. Implanted biomaterials in contact with blood in vivo need to retain a low degree of platelet adhesion to prevent thrombosis, implant failure, and other complications [73]. A rapid adsorption of proteins might cause a higher number of platelet adhesion on the surface, which can trigger thrombus formation by platelet activation and ultimately result in blood coagulation. Considering that the protein adsorption can be roughly controlled through roughness and wettability, Majumder et al. [74] proposed the deposition of a hydrophobic silane-PMMA coating to improve the corrosion resistance and the hemo-compatibility nature of AE42 Mg alloys for cardiovascular stent applications. The results showed that an improvement in hydrophobicity resulted in a significant reduction of protein adsorption and hemolysis ratio, making it a favorable candidate for biodegradable stent application. Surface modification by the addition of Heparin (anticoagulant reagent) has also been considered to increase the thromboresistance of biomedical implants. Liu et al. [73] developed a biofunctionalized anticorrosive coating on Mg AZ31 alloy containing heparin reagent. The modified silane coating system reduced platelet adhesion on the surface, thus increasing its interest in biodegradable implant applications as cardiovascular stents.
