The researchers studied how well different metals stick to a titanium monoxide surface. They found that copper, iron, cobalt, nickel, and a specific alloy don't stick well, while copper doesn't react with the surface. By adding certain substances, they improved how well copper and the alloy stick. Adding more than 2% of Mo_2C made copper stick better, and adding more than 1.5% of manganese or silicon improved the alloy's stickiness.