One of the most commonly used materials for biomedical applications e.g., in implantology, is titanium oxide in rutile form, which is considered to be stable, bioactive and at the same time biocompatible. However, still, the main problem of the blood-contacting biomaterials is the induction of thrombogenic phenomena, i.e., the formation of a pathologic clot, which is governed by activation and aggregation of platelets. Their behaviour can be manipulated by pre-adsorption of blood plasma proteins, especially fibrinogen (HPF), and its’ conformational changes, determining the exposure of specific recognition sites for platelets and thus their attachment.

We proposed that the conformation of HPF, and thus platelet adhesion and activation can be guided by controlling the crystallographic orientation of the underlying material surface. This mechanism is driven by the facet-specific surface hydrophilicity and energy. This might be beneficial to the field of antithrombogenic titanium-based biomaterials design and development