Multifunctional fast-curing polyaspartic ester polyurea/PANI-CsC@TiO2 composite coatings with antistatic and anticorrosion properties

The growing requirement for multifunctional, fast-curing composite coatings has made polyaspartic ester polyurea (PAE-PU) systems more prominent in terms of their fast ambient curing and excellent mechanical and chemical properties. However, the combination of antistatic, antibacterial, and anticorrosion functionalities in PAE-PU coatings remains a significant challenge. In the present research work, a new multifunctional PAE-PU-based composite coating was developed and fabricated by incorporating a PANI-CsC@TiO2 composite. PANI-CsC@TiO2 composite was synthesized through in-situ polymerization of aniline onto glutaraldehyde-crosslinked chitosan-TiO2 (CsC@TiO2) matrix. Polyaspartic ester (PAE) resin prepared via a catalyst-free Michael addition reaction to achieve homogeneous molecular weight distribution (PDI: 1.034). Loading of the PANI-CsC@TiO2 composite into the PAE-PU matrix resulted in synergistic enhancement of antistatic, antibacterial, corrosion-resistant, and mechanical properties. At 2 wt%, surface resistivity dropped to 5.5 × 107 Ω/sq, and at 5 wt%, antibacterial activity rose significantly to 14 mm (S. aureus) and 9 mm (E. coli) inhibition zones. Corrosion current density decreased from 101 to 9 µA/cm2. This one-hour room-temperature-curing multifunctional coating shows promising potential as an alternative to standard epoxy and polyurethane systems under the tested conditions.