REACT Project: Research and Education in Active Coatings Technologies for the Human Habitat

React for human habitat is a Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the School of engineering and applied science (SEAS) at the University of Pennsylvania, aimed at Research and Education in Active Coatings Technologies (REACT) for human habitat. This PIRE project addresses key fundamental research challenges through an international educational platform to develop Active Coating Technologies (ACTs) that divert, collect and purify water (ACT 1), suppress bacteria adhesion and proliferation (ACT 2), and convert and store solar energy (ACT 3). To enable coatings that will transform the human habitat, the three ACTs take advantage of the versatility provided by polymers, nanoparticles and their mixtures to create coatings with tailored chemistry, surface texture and function.