Roughing It: Topography and Surface Chemistry of Hierarchical Diamond Coatings Modulate Protein and Cellular Interactions

Surface topography and chemistry at the biomaterial interface play a decisive role in guiding protein adsorption and influencing cellular interactions. Here, is described a bottom-up approach to synthesize hierarchical diamond topographies with surface features at nano- and microscale with the potential to tailor biomaterial interactions at protein and cellular scales, respectively. This method enables direct control of surface topographical features during the synthesis, without the need for post-deposition modifications. It is shown that hierarchical diamond surfaces can modulate the adsorption of extracellular matrix proteins at nanoscale while altering cellular outcomes, including changes in cell adhesion, spreading, and mechanotransduction. The findings show that diamond surfaces containing nanoscale features with hydrophilic chemistry enhance focal adhesion organization and promote nuclear translocation of yes-associated protein 1 (YAP), a key mechanosensitive transcriptional regulator. This work demonstrates that hierarchical diamond coatings can synergistically tune protein-material interactions and cell behavior, providing a blueprint for next-generation orthopedic implants with improved integration potential.