Self-Healing Superhydrophobic Coatings

该项目的目的是开发具有超疏水性和/或全疏水性的自修复涂层。总的目标是研究涂层的形成，可以从各种严重类型的损坏自愈。超疏水材料是广泛应用的关键，但由于缺乏自我修复能力，它们的耐久性较差。该项目旨在解决的研究问题是，是否可以为超水材料开发自修复特性，同时保持高耐久性。学生将开发和进行材料的合成，并将研究基于网络的聚合物，可以赋予自修复性能和耐久性。这样的表面可以应用于诸如医院等区域中使用的“易于清洁”的地板和墙壁覆层，从而允许通过更清洁的表面对减少医院获得性感染进行一些控制，因此适合EPSRC的医疗保健技术主题领域。学生将接受培训，使用全方位的材料表征技术分析涂层，并测试所得涂层的功能特性。然后，学生将开发双功能涂层（抗菌/超疏水或全憎）并整合到涂料配方中。这将导致开发用于医院地板/墙壁覆层的新型或改进产品，并与制造技术领域联系起来。进一步的发展也可能导致在运输领域的应用，如汽车轮毂。

This aim of this project is to develop self-healing coatings that also possess superhydrophobic and/or omniphobic properties. The overall objective is to investigate the formation of coatings that can self-heal from various severe types of damage. Superhyrophobic materials are key for a wide range of applications but they suffer from poor durability due to their lack of self-healing ability. The research question that the project aims to address is whether self-healing properties can be developed for superhydrophic materials while also maintaining high durability. The student will develop and carry out the synthesis of the materials and will investigate network based polymers which can impart the self-healing property and durability. Such surfaces could find application in 'easy-to-clean' flooring and wall cladding utilised in areas such as hospitals allowing some control towards reducingI hospital acquired infections via cleaner surfaces and hence fits with the healthcare technologies theme area of the EPSRC. The student will be trained to analyse the coatings using the full range of materials characterisation techniques and also to test the functional properties of the resulting coatings. The student with then progress onto developing dual functionality coatings (antimicrobial / superhydrophobic or omniphobic) and integration into coating formulations. This will lead to the development of novel or improved products for use in hospital flooring / wall cladding and links in with the manufacturing technologies area. Further developments could also result in applications within transport, such as car wheel hubs.