The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Inorganic UV filters such as ZnO offer durable photoprotection, yet their narrow absorption and photocatalytic generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) motivate advanced surface engineering. Herein, we introduce a self-templated strategy for the in situ assembly and oxidative browning of metal-phenolic network (MPN) on ZnO surface, which synergistically expands the protective spectrum, suppresses photocatalytic ROS activity, and imparts amphiphilic functionality. Interfacial proton scavenging at the ZnO surface concurrently promotes oxidative coupling and browning of the polyphenol shell, extending attenuation to the blue light region. Furthermore, the MPN layer effectively scavenges photogenerated ROS, while imparting amphiphilic surface characteristics through the coexistence of hydrophobic aromatic rings and hydrophilic catechol/galloyl groups. This research was supported by Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs (TIPA) (grant number: RS-2025-02306912).