_{Active Coatings and Interfaces}

Dmitry G. Shchukin

Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZF Liverpool, UK.

E-mail: d.shchkin@liverpool.ac.uk

abstract OF THE PRESENTATION

Development of materials possessing the ability to recover their main function(s) in response to destructive impacts is one of most rapidly growing fields in the material science. In particular, protective organic coatings with the features to heal or restore their protective function autonomously are of great interest in fighting surface deterioration processes like corrosion, biofouling and other affecting metallic structures.

Key element of the new type of protective coatings is nano- or microcontainers whose characteristics such as composition, morphology, size etc. determine essentially the protective efficiency of the coating. Depending on containers morphology and active agent(s) filled, coatings with specifically aimed self-recovering functionalities (anticorrosive, water-repelling, antifouling, thermal energy savings, etc.) or multifunctional coatings can be created.

In the present report, different types of containers for self-recovering functional coatings synthesized by use of mesoporous nano- and microparticles, halloysites or on the emulsion basis are presented. L-b-L polyelectrolyte deposition, interfacial polymerization, surface precipitation, Pickering emulsions and in-situ emulsion polymerization were utilized for the preparation of nano- or microscaled containers. Morphology of containers, efficiency of encapsulation and kinetics of active agents release were investigated using techniques such as T-SEM, Cryo-SEM etc.

Incorporation of containers in the coating matrix was followed by the experimental modeling of external impacts leading to the simultaneous containers damage. Subsequent release of the active agent at the affected site caused the active feedback of the coating and self-recovery of its specific protective function.

Embedding of containers with different active agents (biocides, phase change materials, etc.) can provide not only the active coatings with specific feedback active functionalities but also multifunctional (simultaneous embedding of several containers types) protective coatings.