Title:
Bioinspired Fatty Acid–Based Superhydrophobic Coatings: From Sustainable Materials to Agricultural and Biomedical Applications

Description:
This PhD thesis was carried out within the framework of the Horizon Europe EIC Pathfinder project SafeWax (Grant Agreement No. 101099462), coordinated by the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.
The research was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Boaz Pokroy at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

In this work, we have introduced a novel family of superhydrophobic coatings composed of natural fatty acids. These molecules, essential components of our daily diet and derived from renewable sources, provide a safe and sustainable alternative to current state-of-the-art coatings. These crystalline coatings are readily fabricated via single-step deposition routes, thermal deposition, or spray-coating.  The fatty acids autonomously organize into highly hierarchical crystalline structures, resulting in coatings with superhydrophobic properties, self-cleaning ability, and thermal stability. This work studies and discusses fatty acid coatings` properties and limitations. Moreover, these coatings demonstrate remarkable anti-biofouling and antimicrobial defenses against various microorganisms, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and phytopathogenic fungi. Guided by environmental and safety considerations and specific applicative requirements, several coating variations with tunable properties were developed to ensure their broad applicability. These multi-functional coatings demonstrate great potential across a wide range of applications, from ensuring food safety to biomedical uses, offering both sustainability and safety. Furthermore, this group of coatings presents a promising substitute for globally used toxic pesticides. Drawing inspiration from and reintroducing them into plants, these coatings act as passive protection against phytopathogenic fungal infections in crops, effectively reducing significant food losses without the adverse effects associated with conventional pesticides.

Funding acknowledgment:
This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program (EIC Pathfinder project SafeWax, Grant Agreement No. 101099462).
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Access rights:
The thesis will be made publicly available following institutional approval and verification of confidentiality and IP status. If it includes data subject to ongoing intellectual property protection or pending publication, access may be embargoed temporarily in accordance with the Horizon Europe Grant Agreement and the project’s Data Management Plan.

Submitted to the Senate of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
Elul, 5784, Haifa, September 2024