New Clear Coating for Everyday Objects Repels Practically All Liquids

A new clear coating that is said to repel just about everything—peanut butter included—aims to halt the advance of sticky fingers. Developed by researchers at the University of Michigan, the substance can be applied to a variety of surfaces to keep them smudge- and crud-free, including smartphone and laptop screens, windows, walls, and countertops.

Researchers used algorithms to predict which substances would yield an efficient omniphobic coating, or in other words, something capable of repelling oils, alcohols, and other liquids while remaining durable and smooth. Made from a mix of fluorinated polyurethane and a fluid-repellent molecule called F-POSS, the coating can be “sprayed, brushed, dipped, or spin-coated onto a wide variety of surfaces, where it binds tightly,” according to the University of Michigan’s website.

The team’s findings were published in the March issue of the journal ACS Applied Materials Interfaces. Associate professor Anish Tuteja, who headed up the University of Michigan research team, says it could be a godsend for parents of young tots.

"I have a 2-year-old at home, so for me, this particular project was about more than just the science," Tuteja said in a statement. "We're excited about what this could do to make homes and daycares cleaner places, and we're looking at a variety of possible applications in industry as well."

The team is currently conducting follow-up tests to ensure the coating is nontoxic, but if all checks out, it could find its way into kindergarten classes and daycare centers within the next two years.

Child-proofing everyday objects for the sake of cleanliness isn’t its only potential application, though. The university notes that it could be beneficial to “all industries that depend on the condensation of liquids,” such as refrigeration, power generation, and oil refining.

In recent years, other researchers have set out to create omniphobic coatings, some of which have been successful. However, this undertaking is typically challenging and involves complex synthetic chemistry, according to Chemistry World.