A solvent- and photoinitiator-free strategy for bio-based UV-curable coatings with flame retardancy and UV-triggered self-healability
Wenpei Chen, Ting Huang, Ningning Zhang, Aoqian Xi, Yanning Zeng
Abstract
UV-curable coatings are widely used industrially owing to their eco-friendly nature and efficient curing. However, bio-based versions that simultaneously offer flame retardancy and UV-triggered self-healing capabilities remain scarce. Herein, we develop a solvent- and photoinitiator-free coating derived from renewable 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) and thioctic acid (TA) via UV curing. The resulting coating exhibits excellent flame retardancy, achieving a UL-94 V-0 rating and a limiting oxygen index of 28.2 %. It also shows UV-induced self-healing capability, efficiently healing scratches upon irradiation. Moreover, the coating maintains high mechanical hardness, optical transparency, and corrosion resistance. This work provides a sustainable strategy for designing multifunctional coatings with combined protective and self-healing properties, demonstrating great potential for applications in electronics, automotive finishes, and transparent architectural coatings. • Solvent-free and photoinitiator-free bio-based UV-curable coatings are fabricated. • Obtained coatings exhibit exceptional UV-triggered self-healing. • Obtained UV-curable coatings display remarkable flame retardancy. • Obtained show corrosion resistance and optical transparency.