Covalently attached liquids as protective coatings

Covalently attached liquids provide a liquid–liquid surface interaction for contacting contaminants, typically achieved through use of a polydimethylsiloxane linear polymer bound to the surface at one end. The attached dimethylsiloxane polymer chain retains liquid‐like mobility through bending and rotational motions, distinguishing the coatings from those formed by crosslinked polydimethylsiloxane or branched polymer chains. Here, covalently attached liquids are reviewed and their potential for application as topcoat treatments is discussed. This review focuses on a new use scenario: prevention of chemical contamination. When allowed to age in place, chemical contaminants tend to penetrate into painted surfaces. Standard decontamination processes can fail to remove the chemicals within the paint layer, resulting in secondary exposure hazards when environmental conditions change. Covalent liquid coatings provide repellency and shedding behaviors. This review highlights the failure of typical wetting evaluations in predicting performance for the new application as well as the potential of the coatings in enhancing chemical resistance for painted surfaces. Potential methods for further improvements are also discussed. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA Covalently attached liquids provide a liquid–liquid type of surface interaction for contacting contaminants and may offer improved resistance to chemical contamination when used as a topcoat on painted surfaces.