5S Multifunctional Intelligent Coating with Superdurable, Superhydrophobic, Self-Monitoring, Self-Heating, and Self-Healing Properties for Existing Construction Application

Abstract

There is a constant drive to develop ultra-high-performance multifunctional coatings for existing construction used in modern engineering technologies. For these materials to be used in unsound infrastructure protections, they are required to present enhanced robustness while bearing functionalities to meet multiple uses. Single-function coating is not smart enough to provide satisfactory protection, and the preparation process of multifunctional materials is complex, costly, and provides poor durability. Thus, existing coatings are not suitable to generate an intelligent closed-loop protection system. Herein, we report an innovative 5S multifunctional intelligent coating (5SC) for existing construction materials with superdurable, superhydrophobic, self-monitoring, self-heating, and self-healing properties. The 5SC material showed highly durable superhydrophobic properties as revealed by the main failure tests of building materials including physical friction (abrasion, scratching), 100% tensile strain, photoaging (3000 h of ultraviolet (UV) aging), acid corrosion (concentrated hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid), and freeze–thaw aging (salty solution). The coated surface was highly sensitive to pressure, with monitoring thresholds from 1 to 30 000 N per 0.01 m2. It showed an early heating rate as high as 6 °C/min while maintaining very good self-monitoring and ice-melting drainage performance to protect the existing structures. This novel composite material is suitable for constructions in extreme areas where corrosion and freeze–thaw damage can occur. This multifunctional material presents a very broad range of applications and development potential in the construction field.

Self-healing Materials: A Review of Recent Developments

“…In the course of follow-up research, researchers still need to focus on solving the problems mentioned above, in particular, the research should focus on the preparation of materials with superior mechanical properties, fast healing rate and high healing efficiency by selecting cheap monomers, simple synthesis steps and mild reaction conditions, so that it can be widely used in practice. Future self-healing materials will also be used in a wide range of fields, including military equipment, electronics, [125] medical equipment, automobiles, aircraft [126] and building materials, [127] which have bright prospects for use on smartphone and tablet screens, The great significance of which are that it can greatly avoid the waste of resources and funds. At present, once the mobile phone screen is broken, users have to throw it away, which is bound to cause waste, and the application of self-healing materials on the screen will effectively solve this problem.…”

Superhydrophobic Coatings with Photothermal Self-Healing Chemical Composition and Microstructure for Efficient Corrosion Protection of Magnesium Alloy

“…To prolong the lifespan of superhydrophobic surfaces, some novel approaches have been reported, such as enhancing the stability of the microstructures, , constructing self-similar microstructures, , and self-healing. − Among them, self-healing superhydrophobic surfaces are of great interest, for this approach is promising to maintain superhydrophobicity for a long period of time . After being damaged by plasma or scratching, self-healing superhydrophobic surfaces could recover their superhydrophobicity triggered by pH, heating, and coordination bonds, etc. − However, the existing self-healing superhydrophobic surfaces still have some shortcomings, for example, difficulty in repairing microstructure damage, limited self-healing cycles, and more importantly the inability to self-heal while in service.…”

Pickering High Internal Phase Emulsions Templated Super-Hydrophobic–Oleophilic Elastic Foams for Highly Efficient Oil/Water Separation

“…As a common silicon-based organic polymer, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is nontoxic and environmentally friendly, which has been widely used for hydrophobic modification of the material surface. − In addition, PDMS sponges have been reported to show selective oil absorption property as well as high chemical and thermal stability, which can be used for wastewater treatment and plugging oil leakages . Inspired by that, herein, we report a facile method to fabricate highly porous foams with superhydrophobic and superoleophilic properties by templating water-in-oil (w/o) Pickering HIPEs combined with functionalization of pore surface with PDMS polymer.…”