Zeyu Wang, Junfeng Zhou, Zichen Ling, Qixin Zhou and Junpeng Wang
{"title":"Harnessing mechanochemical fluorescence toward autonomous damage-reporting coatings†","authors":"Zeyu Wang, Junfeng Zhou, Zichen Ling, Qixin Zhou and Junpeng Wang","doi":"10.1039/D5LP00011D","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p >Protective coatings are essential for shielding engineering materials from environmental and mechanical damage. A significant endeavor in this regard is detecting the damage in coatings and implementing necessary repairs. However, conventional detection methods often require specialized equipment and expertise, rendering them impractical for real-time monitoring. This work introduces an autonomous damage-reporting coating system based on a stress-responsive polymer network containing a Diels–Alder adduct mechanophore. When subjected to mechanical damage, the mechanophore undergoes a retro-Diels–Alder reaction, liberating a fluorescent π-extended anthracene moiety. The mechanically triggered “off-to-on” optical signal allows for highly sensitive detection of material damage preceding failure. A quantitative relationship between the extent of impact damage and the mechanochemically generated fluorescence is established, facilitating the prediction of material failure. Remarkably, the damage-reporting functionality is maintained even after incorporating pigments into the coating formulation, thereby broadening the applicability of this smart coating system in real-world scenarios.</p>","PeriodicalId":101139,"journal":{"name":"RSC Applied Polymers","volume":" 3","pages":" 592-597"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2025/lp/d5lp00011d?page=search","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"RSC Applied Polymers","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2025/lp/d5lp00011d","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Protective coatings are essential for shielding engineering materials from environmental and mechanical damage. A significant endeavor in this regard is detecting the damage in coatings and implementing necessary repairs. However, conventional detection methods often require specialized equipment and expertise, rendering them impractical for real-time monitoring. This work introduces an autonomous damage-reporting coating system based on a stress-responsive polymer network containing a Diels–Alder adduct mechanophore. When subjected to mechanical damage, the mechanophore undergoes a retro-Diels–Alder reaction, liberating a fluorescent π-extended anthracene moiety. The mechanically triggered “off-to-on” optical signal allows for highly sensitive detection of material damage preceding failure. A quantitative relationship between the extent of impact damage and the mechanochemically generated fluorescence is established, facilitating the prediction of material failure. Remarkably, the damage-reporting functionality is maintained even after incorporating pigments into the coating formulation, thereby broadening the applicability of this smart coating system in real-world scenarios.