Nowadays, surfaces no longer just serve as a mechanical barrier and design element but must fulfil ever higher demands and have additional functions. Improved functionality and climate-friendly production are becoming increasingly important to increase customer acceptance and competitiveness.

Industrial coatings for furniture surfaces made of wood or wood-based materials currently consist of either solid coating materials (veneers, laminates, foils) or liquid coating systems. Despite their diversity, these surfaces are characterized by layer thicknesses in the micrometer to millimeter range. Additional functions are realized by introducing pigments or additives. The disadvantages here are the high quantities used and the dominance of the color tone.

A thin film in the nano or sub-micrometer range that reduces the amount of material used and preserves the color of the substrate is not known. The aim of the research project is therefore to develop multifunctional thin films on wood-based materials. The research project's approach is based on resource-saving thin-film technologies that have not yet been used in interior applications such as furniture.