The aim of the research project is to develop bioinspired PU coatings that are characterized by high wear resistance and barrier effect under conditions of use, are easy to renew and do not result in microplastic emissions from their application.

Such PU coatings are realized on the basis of biodegradable PU oligomers, which can form reversible networks via bioinspired crosslinking groups.

Due to the thermally switchable 3-dimensional crosslinking of the bioinspired PU coating, small mechanical damages can be compensated by local tempering (transfer to the liquid state) (thermally induced self-healing).

Furthermore, after major material removal, simple regeneration of the coating is possible by integrating newly applied coating into the network structure of the old coating still present on the floor covering, whereby a homogeneous network of old and new coating is obtained without visible buildup points.

In the case of dirt migration into the bioinspired PU coatings, simple removal of the old coating before application of the new PU coating is possible by application of a dispersion of a nanozyme (synthetic enzyme mimic of photolyase) that is harmless to humans and ecotoxicology, which is excited by irradiation with VIS light (e.g. ceiling illumination) and cancels the reversible covalent crosslinking points in the bioinspired PU coating.

This converts the bioinspired PU coating into short-chain, biodegradable PU oligomers that can be removed from the floor with hot water without the input of high mechanics.Using bioinspired PU coatings, the effort required for cleaning and maintenance of resilient floor coverings can be significantly reduced.