Diffusion and transport through nanoscale polymer-based coatings

Transport and diffusion of solutes in polymer coatings is an essential issue as these coatings are often applied to prevent the coated material from contact with the solute. Therefore these processes determine often the lifetime of these products. This chapter reviews the experimental procedure as well as the theoretical background to model diffusion in polymer solutions and thin films and discusses modern experimental and modeling approaches. Furthermore, the experimental analysis and the theoretical models for the transport through porous materials are reviewed. All of these properties are essential to estimate the diffusion and transport of any solute through nanoscale coatings. Several application examples of diffusion and transport through thin films are presented; this spans from electronics and sensors, surface engineering of battery electrodes, CO₂ separation with membranes, medical engineering to pharmaceutics.