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Multifunctional anti-fog coating with antibacterial activity and rapid self-healing
A polyelectrolyte complex-based coating combines anti-fogging, self-cleaning, antibacterial activity and rapid self-healing under 80 °C steam. The layer adheres to glass and plastics without complex pretreatment.
The coating employs a polyelectrolyte complex of polyethyleneimine, tartaric acid and silver ions. Strong hydrophilicity lowers the static water contact angle below 10 ° and sustains anti-fogging after exposure to hot water vapour at 80 °C for 0.5 h. The surface shows self-cleaning in pollutant tests.
Antimicrobial performance reaches 98.4 % reduction of E. coli and 68.5 % for MRSA. Mechanically induced defects heal within 60 s under hot steam via dynamic hydrogen bonds and Ag⁺ coordination. Adhesion is universal on glass, PC, PMMA and PS without complex pretreatment.
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Application outlook
The combination of anti-fogging, self-healing and antibacterial properties targets optical components and protective screens. Stable results in hot/cold vapour tests indicate robust practical performance.
Source: Zhou, J. et al., Polyelectrolyte composite-based multifunctional anti-fog coating with antibacterial, self-cleaning, and self-healing properties. Progress in Organic Coatings 207, 109404 (2025).
