Synthesis of blue light-responsive microspheres for autonomous self-healing coatings

Traditional photo-responsive self-healing coatings derived from UV-response mechanisms may not be ideal strategies, since UV irradiation often causes undesired damage to coating macromolecular matrices. Herein, we first offer a novel strategy to conduct a blue light-responsive microsphere-based system for autonomous self-healing coatings, in which photo-responsive units containing backbones of polymer shell enable to generate free radicals under blue light irradiation. After the resulting free radicals are irreversibly consumed by encapsulated polymerization inhibitor, this system can release healing agent through microsphere collapses under a milder condition, which is universal to different matrices and promotes the development of photo-responsive self-healing coatings towards weak stimulations and autonomous self-healing.