Antifogging and Frost-Resisting Polyelectrolyte Coatings Capable of Healing Scratches and Restoring Transparency

Polymeric antifogging/frost-resisting coatings are suitable for use on flexible substrates but are vulnerable to accidental scratches and cuts. To solve this problem, we present the fabrication of healable, highly transparent antifogging and frost-resisting polymeric coatings via the layer-by-layer assembly of poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) and a blend of hyaluronic acid and poly(acrylic acid) (HA-PAA). Due to their remarkable water-absorbing capability, the highly transparent and flexible (PEI/HA-PAA)*50 coatings show excellent antifogging and frost-resisting capabilities even under aggressive fogging and frosting conditions. Meanwhile, these coatings can conveniently and repeatedly heal scratches and cuts several tens of micrometers deep and wide in the same region upon exposure to water because of the dynamic nature of the PEI/HA-PAA coatings. The healability of the (PEI/HA-PAA)*50 coatings provides a new way to design transparent antifogging/frost-resisting polymeric coatings with high flexibility, enhanced...