Advanced Functional Coatings and Intelligent Surface Engineering for Sustainable Cement-Based Composite Materials

Dear Colleagues,

Driven by advancements in materials science and increasingly stringent environmental imperatives, the cement industry is undergoing a paradigm shift toward sustainable development. Modern cement-based materials are being engineered to transcend conventional applications, targeting high-performance and high-tech fields. While significant progress has been made in reducing costs, environmental load, and energy consumption, critical challenges persist in extreme geological and corrosive environments. In settings such as coastal mining areas, marine structures, and high-salt corrosion zones, infrastructures are subjected to the synergistic attack of chloride ions, sulfates, and other aggressive chemical media, leading to steel corrosion, matrix degradation, and premature functional failure. Conventional protective coatings often exhibit intrinsic bottlenecks under these harsh conditions, including insufficient long-term durability and high life-cycle maintenance costs.

In response, innovative surface engineering strategies and advanced functional anti-corrosion coatings have emerged, delivering breakthrough improvements in barrier performance and interface stability. These advances are realized through key technological innovations, including multi-element powder infiltration, micro-arc oxidation, cold spray solid-state deposition, and two-dimensional nanomaterial composite modification. Consequently, the trajectory of surface engineering is marked by a convergence of intelligence, environmental compatibility, functional integration, extreme-condition serviceability, and manufacturing digitization. These developments provide critical technical support for applications in energy, marine engineering, transportation, and environmental protection, directly addressing major engineering challenges and promoting long-life, low-carbon operation and maintenance of structural systems.

This Special Issue is dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge research on advanced functional coatings and surface engineering for sustainable cement-based materials. Moving beyond traditional passive protection, the scope encompasses the development of advanced functional coatings and the application of intelligent surface engineering. Core topics include multifunctional composite coatings, such as graphene/boron nitride two-dimensional material-based composite barrier coatings, MOF/COF-derived intelligent anti-corrosion coatings, superhydrophobic self-cleaning coatings, photocatalytic functional coatings, and optimization of multi-element powder infiltration processes. Furthermore, this Special Issue highlights mechanistic studies on the enhancement of interfacial bonding performance and life-cycle durability by micro-arc oxidation ceramic surface modification and cold spray solid-state deposition repair technologies. The collective aim is to provide a scientific basis and a technical paradigm for the protection of infrastructure in harsh chemical corrosion environments. Therefore, this Special Issue will cover, but not be limited to, the following topics:

-Low-carbon/sustainable cement-based composite materials.

-Inhibition mechanism of metal anti-corrosive coating.

-Multi-scale surface engineering technology for cement-based materials and steel structures.

-Engineering applications of cement-based materials in complex environments.

-Research and development of new functional anti-corrosive coatings.

Dr. Jihuan Han
Dr. Yankai Wu
Guest Editors

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• cement-based materials
• corrosion inhibition
• surface engineering
• powder infiltration plating
• anti-corrosion coatings