Engineered Coatings via the Assembly of Amino-Quinone Networks

Engineering coatings with precise physicochemical properties allows for control over the interface of a material and its interactions with the surrounding environment. However, assembling coatings with well-defined properties on different material classes remains a challenge. Herein, we report a co-assembly strategy to precisely control the structure and properties (e.g., thickness, adhesion, wettability, and zeta potential) of coatings on various materials (27 substrates examined) using quinone and polyamine building blocks. By increasing the length of the amine building blocks from small molecule diamines to branched amine polymers, we tune the properties of the films, including the thickness (from ca. 5 to ca. 50 nm), interfacial adhesion (0.05 to 5.54 nN), water contact angle (130 to 40 degrees), and zeta potential (-42 to 28 mV). The films can be post-functionalized through the in situ formation of diverse nanostructures, including nanoparticles, nanorods, and nanocrystals. Our approach provides a platform for the rational design of engineered, substrate-independent coatings for various applications.

Automated summary

By employing a co-assembly strategy with quinone and polyamine building blocks, we have developed a method to precisely control the structure and properties of coatings on various materials, including thickness, adhesion, wettability, and zeta potential. The properties of the films can be tuned by increasing the length of the amine building blocks, and the films can be post-functionalized to form diverse nanostructures for various applications.