Narrowing and blockage of blood vessels are common clinical problems that are treated by implantation of vascular stents to restore and maintain blood flow. Although modern stents have significantly advanced the treatment of vascular diseases, challenges remain related to interactions between the implant surface and the biological environment, long-term material stability and control of surface functionality.

The CrossCoat project focuses on the development of a new generation of ultra-thin functional coatings for metallic vascular stents. The concept is based on self-assembled fatty acid layers whose structure and stability are controllably modified using ionising radiation. This approach produces stable nanometre-thin coatings that can be further functionalised with bioactive molecules.

The project investigates relationships between the chemical composition and molecular organisation of the initial layers, the conditions used for their radiation-induced modification, and the structure and properties of the resulting coatings. Particular attention is given to their stability and behaviour under conditions relevant to biomedical applications.

The developed coatings are characterised using complementary physicochemical, surface-sensitive and electrochemical methods, while their functionality is also evaluated through biological testing. This enables key relationships between preparation, coating structure and resulting properties to be established.

The project combines fundamental research in radiation chemistry, surface chemistry and materials science with the development of new functional surfaces for biomedical materials. It is carried out at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in collaboration with partner institutions from Croatia, Poland, Austria and Switzerland.

CrossCoat contributes to a better understanding of radiation-induced modification of molecular layers and to the development of new approaches for preparing ultra-thin functional coatings for vascular stents and other biomedical materials.