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Scalable Synthesis of Multifunctional Epidermis‐Like Smart Coatings
Author(s) -
Qi Xiaodong,
Hou Ying,
Yang Ming
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201903984
Subject(s) - materials science , coating , fabrication , nanotechnology , composite material , self healing , smart material , polymer , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
Bioinspired self‐healing materials provide a sustainable solution for mitigating catastrophic failure and prolonging service time, but such potential may be largely offset by the tedious fabrication process that can hardly be scaled up. It is shown that a scalable doctor blade coating process may be used for the synthesis of multifunctional epidermis‐like smart coatings. The industry‐compatible technique not only preserves the biomimetic bilayer design with largely improved film production efficiency but also allows readily adjusted film compositions and structures for optimizing the synergetic healing performance and mechanical properties. Variable amounts of montmorillonite clay nanosheets can be incorporated in the top hard layer for achieving a high modulus (34.3 ± 1.4 GPa) and hardness (1.65 ± 0.09 GPa), which also affect the number of scratch‐healing cycles by controlling the decay rate of upward polymer diffusion from the soft bottom layer. These high‐performance smart coatings are transparent, bactericidal, and show good adhesions to various substrates including glass, plastics, and fiberboard. When used as a surface protection for fiberboard, excellent flame‐retardant properties are demonstrated thanks to the dominant presence of clay nanosheets. It is believed that this work may provide important guidance for transforming interesting biomimetic design into practical manufacturing.