PLANES, trains and automobiles could one day last a whole lot longer thanks to a smart coating that stops rust in its tracks. The material reacts to damage by releasing a substance that blocks corrosion then reseals the breach.
Today, metals are protected from rusting either by galvanising them with a thin layer of zinc, or by applying a waterproof polymer film. But these only stop corrosion if their surface remains pristine. The moment it is punctured, moist air or water can get in and do its worst to the naked metal underneath.
Now Helmut Möhwald and colleagues at the…
