S. Daniel
Materium Technologies Inc., New Jersey, United States
Keywords: polymer, advanced materials, nanotech, nanocomposite, photonics
A breakthrough method to create ultra-thin, flexible, multi-layer coatings in just minutes. Embedded nanoparticles provide special properties, like blocking moisture, managing heat, or insulating against electricity. They are strong, lightweight, transparent, recyclable, and adhere to a range of surfaces, like semiconductors, lenses, sensors, and more. Conventional nanocomposites are difficult to scale due to defect formation during manufacturing. As a result, industries rely on costly vacuum-deposited or multilayer coatings or settle for materials that compromise on weight, durability, and performance. Materium uses entropy-driven self-assembly, enabling spontaneous formation of over 200 precisely aligned nanosheet layers in a single step. This is well beyond the 10-20 layers typically achieved with standard layer-by-layer assembly. These defect-free films outperform commercial films in several key areas. Water vapor transmission is over 50% less than commercial polyester (PET) of comparable thickness. The tested dielectric strength (650 MV/m) exceeds many polymer dielectrics, while achieving discharged energy densities (6.2 J/cm³), comparable to high-end commercial capacitors. The films can be applied using scalable wet-processing techniques (like spray coating, spin coating, or roll-to-roll) and are compatible with a range of surfaces. Recyclable and robust, these coatings offer an environmentally friendly, high-performance alternative to traditional barrier and dielectric films.