Probing the formation and degradation of chemical interactions from model molecule/metal oxide to buried polymer/metal oxide interfaces

The mechanisms governing coating/metal oxide delamination are not fully understood, although adhesive interactions at the interface are considered to be an important prerequisite for excellent durability. This review aims to better understand the formation and degradation of these interactions. Developments in adhesion science made it clear that physical and chemical interfacial interactions are key factors in hybrid structure durability. However, it is very challenging to get information directly from the hidden solid/solid interface. This review highlights approaches that allow the (in situ) investigation of the formation and degradation of molecular interactions at the interface under (near-)realistic conditions. Over time, hybrid interfaces tend to degrade when exposed to environmental conditions. The culprits are predominantly water, oxygen, and ion diffusion resulting in bond breakage due to changing acid–base properties or leading to the onset of corrosive de-adhesion processes. Therefore, a thorough understanding on local bond interactions is required, which will lead to a prolonged durability of hybrid systems under realistic environments.