Deposition-Based Coating Solutions for Enhanced Surface Properties

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Characterization, Deposition and Modification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 474

Special Issue Editors

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Taizhou University, Linhai 318000, China
Interests: new technology for metal matrix composite coating; surface strengthening and toughening of light metal; design of integrated structural and functional coating for marine conditions

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Guest Editor
National Center for Materials Service Safety, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: electrochemical surface engineering; high-performance abrasion/corrosion-resistant coating technology; surface strengthening technology of metal materials
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Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China
Interests: surface modification; high-performance abrasion/corrosion-resistant coating technology; surface-strengthening technology of metal materials; interfacial bonding

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Unlike in situ modification, the deposition of thin film or coatings is not subject to the diffusion process of the substrate; it is thus associated with highly diverse coating types, thickness thresholds, and multifunction. Typical deposition technology can be divided into PVD, CVD, E-Beam, spray deposition, ALD and solution deposition. In recent years, novel deposition technologies such as MPCVD and plasma surface metallurgy have been developed. For example, MPCVD can be used to prepare large-scale diamond sheets with high purity, exhibiting significant potential in next-generation semiconductors. Plasma surface metallurgy can fabricate coatings (especially refractory metals and alloys) with metallurgical bonding, which is the primary aim of the engineering coatings employed in load-bearing situations. This laser-directed energy deposition technology can also be employed in coating, the production of parts, repair, and additive manufacturing.

This Special Issue, entitled “Deposition-Based Coating Solutions for Enhanced Surface Properties,” welcomes articles that address the design, fabrication, characterization, and potential application of deposited thin films and coatings; this includes, but is not limited to, aerospace, marine shipping, the automobile industry and oil drilling. We invite you to contribute original research or review papers to this Special Issue. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Critical review of the recent progress and future trends in deposition technology;
  • Advanced engineering coatings and preparation;
  • The modeling and design of novel functional coatings;
  • Integrated structural and intelligent coatings for marine environments;
  • Surface interface engineering and failure mechanisms;
  • The application and development of deposited coatings.

Dr. Meng Zhang
Dr. Yanpeng Xue
Dr. Dandan Ma
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • deposition technology
  • surface strengthening
  • wear resistance
  • corrosion resistance
  • hard coatings

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 3453 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Corrosion Resistance and Cytocompatibility of Magnesium Alloys with Mg(OH)2/Polydopamine Composite Coatings for Orthopedic Applications
by Chunlin Li, Boqiong Li and Wenxia Yan
Coatings 2025, 15(6), 729; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15060729 - 18 Jun 2025
Viewed by 329
Abstract
A critical barrier to the clinical translation of biodegradable magnesium (Mg)-based materials lies in their rapid degradation rate in physiological environment, which leads to premature structural failure and compromised cytocompatibility. Micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coatings offer preliminary corrosion mitigation for Mg alloys, while their [...] Read more.
A critical barrier to the clinical translation of biodegradable magnesium (Mg)-based materials lies in their rapid degradation rate in physiological environment, which leads to premature structural failure and compromised cytocompatibility. Micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coatings offer preliminary corrosion mitigation for Mg alloys, while their inherent structural porosity compromises long-term durability in physiological environment. To address this limitation, we developed a hierarchical coating system consisting of a dense Mg(OH)2 interlayer (MAO/HT) superimposed on the MAO-treated substrate, followed by a functional polydopamine (PDA) topcoat to create a MAO/HT/PDA composite architecture. The surface characteristics and crystalline structures of these coatings were systematically characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The corrosion resistance and interfacsial stability in physiological environment were quantitatively assessed through electrochemical analyses and long-term immersion tests in simulated body fluid (SBF). The cytocompatibility of the coatings was assessed by directly culturing osteoblast on the coated samples. The results reveal that the Mg(OH)2 film possesses a bulk-like structure and effectively seals the micro-pores of the MAO coating. The current density of MAO/HT/PDA sample decreases by two orders of magnitude compared to that of MAO sample, indicating excellent corrosion resistance. The PDA layer not only acts as a strong barrier to improve the corrosion performance of the coating but also helps maintain the stability of the coating, thus delaying coating destruction in SBF. Moreover, the osteoblast culture results suggest that the MAO/HT/PDA coating promotes cell spread and proliferation noticeably compared to both the MAO and MAO/HT coatings. This study provides compelling evidence that the Mg(OH)2/PDA composite coating is biodegradable and offers outstanding protection for micro-arc oxidized magnesium. As a result, it holds great promise for significant applications in the field of orthopedic medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Deposition-Based Coating Solutions for Enhanced Surface Properties)
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