Vibrational Spectroscopies for Surface Characterization of Biomaterials

This chapter describes some of the most important spectroscopic methods to study the materials surface. Special IR and Raman configurations providing information from the surface will be reviewed highlighting the main advantages and/or drawbacks for their applications in the study of biomaterials. Additionally, some examples are presented to demonstrate their usefulness for the surface characterization of materials for biomedical applications as well as to understand the complexity of the chemical interactions between biomaterial surface and biological molecules.

Keywords: Infrared spectroscopy, raman spectroscopy, organic-inorganic interaction, calcium phosphates, surface characterization.