Smart coatings

Abstract

Materials that are capable of adapting their properties dynamically to an external stimulus are called responsive, or smart. The term "smart coating" refers to the concept of coatings being able to sense their environment and make an appropriate response to that stimulus. The standard thinking regarding coatings has been as a passive layer unresponsive to the environment. The current trend in coatings technology is to control the coating composition on a molecular level and the morphology at the nanometer scale. The idea of controlling the assembly of sequential macromolecular layers and the development that materials can form defined structures with unique properties is being explored for both pure scientific research and industrial applications. Several smart coating systems have been developed, examined, and are currently under investigation by numerous laboratories and industries throughout the world. Examples of smart coatings include stimuli responsive, antimicrobial, antifouling, conductive, self-healing, and super hydrophobic systems. © 2009 American Chemical Society.