“…Such surface modifications are always associated with the need to adapt the surface properties of metallic substrates to a working environment or conditions without a radical change in the metallic material itself. Surface modifications may be applied by different methods such as for surface protection, e.g., protective sol-gel coatings [ 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 11 , 12 , 13 ], for surface activation, e.g., [ 14 , 15 ] and for surface functionalisation, e.g., hard coatings [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 10 , 11 , 16 ]. With regards to the types of materials used for surface modification, regardless of the modification process utilised, it is possible to use ceramics, composites, glass, metals, polymers, or, in a more advanced manner, materials such as cermet [ 17 ], nanocomposites [ 18 ], bioglass [ 19 ], oxides [ 20 ] or organic-inorganic hybrid materials [ 21 ].…”