The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Next-generation eco-friendly materials often underperform not due to weak bulk properties, but because interfacial interactions drift under wet, cyclic, and contaminated conditions. We present Interfacial Molecular Engineering (IME), which designs where, how much, and how molecular interactions act at surfaces for field-relevant reliability. IME is a three-axis platform spanning adhesion, adsorption/capture, and therapeutic release: (i) plant-derived polyphenol/polymer coatings forming durable fire-resistant barriers under extreme heat; (ii) boronic-acid–conjugated polyacrylate coatings enabling material-independent, scalable installation of affinity motifs; and (iii) sialic-acid–guided hydrogels improving tumor retention with spatiotemporally controlled drug release. These case studies show that molecular-level interfacial control translates lab performance into reliable function for protective coatings, universal surface functionalization, and targeted therapeutics.