Fabrication of a multiple-self-healing and self-cleaning polymer coating for mechanical-damaged optical glass surface

Abstract

Mobile screens and optical glass devices encounter formidable engineering and technological bottlenecks in achieving irreversible restoration from surface mechanical scratches. Conventional methodologies involving glass surface micromachining and coatings technology have proven inadequate in effectively addressing the multiple recovery of optical transparency. Here, the synergistic integration principle of inorganic rigid cage-like structures and organic flexible chain segments is employed. A bionic “octopus” textured surface pattern, featuring ordered arrays of nano nodes acting as “post stations” and micro-nano wrinkles serving as “channels”, is one-step fabricated by a dipping-curing coating process. The polymer coating exhibits smooth, transparent, and multiple-self-healing function with patterned antifouling. Introducing and matching the coating onto mobile screens, transparency of wiped/scratched glass is significantly restored by the synergistic use of protonic/non-protonic solvent systems in a dipping-assisted healing process. Intriguingly, the coating achieves surface/internal pattern reconstruction along with excellent transparency, antifouling, and interfacial adhesion mechanical properties, characterized by surface micro-nano textures and internal micro-nano spheres organization, after undergoing multiple treatments with the biocompatible disinfectant and cleaning agent ethanol. In the future, it is expected to develop highly versatile engineering materials for mobile screens, optical lenses and automotive glass, enabling multiple self-healing, self-cleaning, and antifouling properties with broad industrial applications.