Dynamic surfaces have attracted attention. Inspired by the functional principle of coral light-triggered mucus secretion to repel pathogens, we developed a bactericidal, self-healing, light-responsive dynamic coating (SPPU IPN‑x%) that enables on-demand lubricant release under UV irradiation. Unlike conventional systems that suffer from harsh conditions or slow kinetics, this coating uses spiropyran to merocyanine isomerization to induce volume contraction. Molecular simulation on a SP/silicone-oil system reveals that fractional free volume decreases from 88.44% to 72.94% upon ring-opening. This reduction triggers a “silicone oil extrusion” effect, driving lubricant to the surface and increasing contact angle by 15°, the droplet sliding velocity by 101.5%, and the surface silicon content by 58.94%. This dynamic lubrication enhances resistance to micro-algal and protein adsorption. Under dark conditions, the system reversibly returns to its initial state, thereby potentially avoiding unnecessary lubricant consumption. The coating exhibits strong antibacterial activity against both S. aureus and E. coli, with antibacterial rates up to 98.86% and 96.85%, respectively, and also possesses self-healing ability and mechanical durability, maintaining its performance after 7 days in extreme acidic, alkaline, and saline environments. This coral-inspired coating addresses several limitations of conventional systems, offering a feasible strategy for durable and intelligent surface protection in aquatic environments.
{"title":"Coral-inspired dynamic self-healing coatings with controllable release of light-responsive lubricants for antifouling in aquatic environments","authors":"Ziying Yuan, Zhuoyue Tian, Quan Li, Chengsheng Luo, Pihui Pi, Kangquan Yang, Xiufang Wen","doi":"10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.168765","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.168765","url":null,"abstract":"Dynamic surfaces have attracted attention. Inspired by the functional principle of coral light-triggered mucus secretion to repel pathogens, we developed a bactericidal, self-healing, light-responsive dynamic coating (SPPU IPN‑x%) that enables on-demand lubricant release under UV irradiation. Unlike conventional systems that suffer from harsh conditions or slow kinetics, this coating uses spiropyran to merocyanine isomerization to induce volume contraction. Molecular simulation on a SP/silicone-oil system reveals that fractional free volume decreases from 88.44% to 72.94% upon ring-opening. This reduction triggers a “silicone oil extrusion” effect, driving lubricant to the surface and increasing contact angle by 15°, the droplet sliding velocity by 101.5%, and the surface silicon content by 58.94%. This dynamic lubrication enhances resistance to micro-algal and protein adsorption. Under dark conditions, the system reversibly returns to its initial state, thereby potentially avoiding unnecessary lubricant consumption. The coating exhibits strong antibacterial activity against both <ce:italic>S. aureus</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>E. coli</ce:italic>, with antibacterial rates up to 98.86% and 96.85%, respectively, and also possesses self-healing ability and mechanical durability, maintaining its performance after 7 days in extreme acidic, alkaline, and saline environments. This coral-inspired coating addresses several limitations of conventional systems, offering a feasible strategy for durable and intelligent surface protection in aquatic environments.","PeriodicalId":247,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149292145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-10-22DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.168751
T. Ragavi, Akifumi Wada, K. Gunasekaran, P. Praveenkumar, Takahiko Kawaguchi, Naonori Sakamoto, S. Harish, M. Krishna Mohan, Naoki Wakiya
{"title":"Structural relaxation and electronic transport in epitaxial Zn2SnO4 thin films grown on MgIn2O4/YSZ buffered Si substrates","authors":"T. Ragavi, Akifumi Wada, K. Gunasekaran, P. Praveenkumar, Takahiko Kawaguchi, Naonori Sakamoto, S. Harish, M. Krishna Mohan, Naoki Wakiya","doi":"10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.168751","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.168751","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":247,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science","volume":"65 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149231938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Elucidating the SMSI mechanism of the support effect in promoting CO oxidation and sulfur resistance","authors":"Chao Yu, Yaping Zhang, Jian Gao, Yu Zhou, Wenxuan Luo, Jiawei Li, Kai Shen, Jianjun Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.168753","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.168753","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":247,"journal":{"name":"Applied Surface Science","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149231936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}