Superhydrophobic Coatings Patent Landscape 2026
Superhydrophobic Coatings Patent Landscape in 2026
The superhydrophobic coatings space is dominated by academic-research institutions and a small set of specialty chemical firms, with MIT alone holding the largest share among the hundred largest filers. Annual filing volume peaked around 2018 and has since eased, placing the field in a post-peak phase where incremental formulation work continues but the pace of entirely new disclosures has slowed.
MIT leads a research-heavy field; top five filers hold roughly one-fifth of the largest-filer pool
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranks first with 111 patent families, well ahead of UT Battelle LLC at 69 and Evonik Operations GmbH at 65. Harvard, HRL Laboratories, and the Regents of the University of California round out the upper tier, reflecting the field’s strong roots in academic and government-funded research.
The top five filers together account for approximately 22% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers. That share is moderate rather than extreme, indicating a competitive spread beyond a single dominant player, yet the gap between MIT’s 111 families and the sixth-ranked University of California system at 39 is large enough to mark a meaningful first-tier boundary.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 111 | |
| 2 | UT-Battelle LLC | 69 | |
| 3 | Evonik Operations GmbH | 65 | |
| 4 | HRL Laboratories LLC | 51 | |
| 5 | PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE | 49 | |
| 6 | Regents of the University of California | 39 | |
| 7 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc. | 37 | |
| 8 | PROCTER & GAMBLE CO | 35 | |
| 9 | University of Florida Research Foundation Inc. | 29 | |
| 10 | EI DU PONT DE NEMOURS & CO | 26 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | The Boeing Company | 26 | |
| 12 | The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois | 25 | |
| 13 | Ross Technology Inc. | 24 | |
| 14 | Bluestar Silicones France | 23 | |
| 15 | Degussa AG | 22 | |
| 16 | University of Houston System | 22 | |
| 17 | COUNCIL OF SCI & IND RES | 21 | |
| 18 | Kansai Paint Co., Ltd. | 20 | |
| 19 | Azra SHS Technology Inc. | 20 | |
| 20 | Tesla NanoCoatings Inc. | 20 |
The prominence of research institutions—MIT, Harvard, UT Battelle, UC system, University of Illinois—signals that much foundational IP originates outside purely commercial entities. Industrial players such as Evonik, HRL Laboratories, Kimberly-Clark, and Procter & Gamble represent the commercialization tier, likely licensing or building around academic foundations.
Filings from approximately 2024–2026 are subject to publication lag and are likely under-counted; trend readings for those years should be treated as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing activity peaked in 2017–2018; coating formulation and process chemistry dominate the technology mix
The annual filing trend and IPC branch composition together reveal a maturing field: a sharp output peak, a broad plateau, and then easing activity—alongside a technology mix anchored in coating chemistry with meaningful adjacent threads in polymer science, textiles, and functional applications.
Annual filing trend
Filings reached their highest recorded levels in 2017 and 2018 (192 and 193 respectively) before stepping down. A partial recovery to 172 in 2020 was followed by further softening. Years 2024–2026 reflect publication lag and should not be read as confirmed declines; the multi-year window still shows meaningful cumulative output.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C09D (Coatings, paints & inks) is by far the largest IPC branch, followed by B05D (Coating processes) and then a cluster of polymer-science classes—C08J, C09K, C08K, C08L. The presence of B08B (Cleaning), D06M (Textile chemical treatment), B82Y (Nanotechnology), F28F (Heat-exchanger details), and B64D (Aircraft equipment) illustrates how superhydrophobicity is applied across cleaning, textiles, nano-structuring, thermal management, and aerospace.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Composition for forming an optically transparent, …
A composition for producing an optically clear, well bonded superhydrophobic coating includes a plurality of hydrophobic particles comprising an average particle size of about 200 nm or less, a binder at a binder concentration of from about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.5 wt. %, and a solvent. The hydrophobic particles may be present in the composition at a particle… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slippery surfaces with high pressure stability, op… | 334 |
| 2 | NANO/micro-textured surfaces and methods of making… | 285 |
| 3 | Superhydrophobic and superoleophobic nanosurfaces | 257 |
| 4 | Hierarchical structures for superhydrophobic surfa… | 194 |
| 5 | Stimuli responsive self cleaning coating | 171 |
| 6 | Slippery surfaces with high pressure stability, op… | 157 |
| 7 | Coating compositions for modifying hard surfaces | 147 |
| 8 | Self-cleaning lotus effect surfaces having antimic… | 145 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
What the competitive structure means for R&D strategy
Four structural observations—maturity, concentration, collaboration, and geography—shape where incremental investment is likely to be productive versus where entrenchment raises barriers.
Post-peak field; foundational chemistry is well-staked
The lifecycle assessment places superhydrophobic coatings in decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2018 peak. Core formulation and surface-texturing IP is densely occupied. New entrants will find the most room in application-specific or hybrid-function angles rather than in basic lotus-effect chemistry, which is thoroughly covered by top-cited foundational patents on slippery surfaces, nano-textured surfaces, and hierarchical structures.
Lifecycle: DeclineTwo-tier structure: academic foundations above commercial applications
MIT’s 111 patent families represent nearly twice the output of the next industrial filer. The top five filers hold 22% of the hundred-largest-filer pool, a moderate concentration that leaves room for challengers. However, academic holders—MIT, Harvard, UT Battelle, UC system—control much of the foundational IP, meaning commercial players must navigate licensing or design around constraints before entering core formulation territory.
Concentration: ModerateKimberly-Clark / University of Illinois is the standout co-filing pair
The most active co-filing relationship identified is between Kimberly-Clark Worldwide and the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, with 21 joint filings—a unusually deep industry-academic partnership by the standards of this corpus. MIT and the U.S. Air Force (represented by the Secretary of the Air Force) account for 2 joint filings, reflecting defense-linked aerospace applications. Beyond these two pairs, co-filing activity is sparse, suggesting the ecosystem is not yet heavily networked.
Collaboration: ConcentratedU.S.-centric filing with growing Europe and Asia coverage
The United States is the dominant filing jurisdiction, followed by EPO (Europe), China, WIPO (PCT), Japan, and South Korea. Canada, India, and Germany also appear in the top tier. The PCT route indicates that applicants are preserving broad international options, though the U.S. lead is substantial. China’s position as the third-largest jurisdiction reflects both domestic research activity and foreign applicants seeking Chinese protection.
Geography: U.S.-ledGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc. | The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois | 21 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
MIT leads on volume; Evonik and UC system show recent momentum as new entrants
The leader pool splits between long-established academic filers with deep foundational portfolios and a set of industrial and challenger players—some newly active in the recent window—focusing on process chemistry and application-specific formulations.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT holds 111 patent families, the largest portfolio in scope. Its technology emphasis concentrates in C09D 5 (coating/paint formulations), B08B 17 (self-cleaning surface behavior), and B64D 15 (aircraft ice-protection and de-icing equipment). Recent-window momentum shows a sharp step-down (trend: ▼ –82%), indicating MIT’s foundational output phase has passed and its portfolio is now largely in maintenance or licensing mode rather than active expansion.
families: 111Evonik Operations GmbH
Evonik ranks third overall with 65 patent families and is identified as a new entrant in the recent filing window, signaling fresh commercial investment in the space despite the field’s overall easing. Its technology focus lies in B05D 5 (coating application processes), C09D 5 (coating formulations), and B08B 17 (self-cleaning surfaces)—a process-and-product pairing consistent with a specialty chemical manufacturer seeking to own both the material and the deposition method.
families: 65| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2 | ▼ -82% |
| Regents of the University of California | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Evonik Operations GmbH | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant coating-chemistry core
Several IPC branches appear in the corpus at lower relative shares, sitting adjacent to the dominant C09D/B05D core. These are observations of relative sparsity; they represent plausible technical entry angles rather than validated market gaps.
C08J · Polymer Processing & Solutions
This branch accounts for a smaller share of filings relative to the dominant coating classes, yet polymer-matrix engineering is directly relevant to durable superhydrophobic surfaces—controlling crosslink density, porosity, and encapsulation of hydrophobic nanoparticles. The intersection of C08J with superhydrophobic function is technically logical and could support longer-lasting coatings for industrial and medical-device substrates. An entry path exists through solvent-free or waterborne polymer processing approaches, which face fewer regulatory and sustainability headwinds than solvent-based routes.
Search this in Eureka →C09K · Materials for Miscellaneous Applications
C09K covers functional materials including anti-icing and anti-fouling agents, both of which overlap closely with superhydrophobic surface behavior but appear at a lower filing density than core coating chemistry. The technical value is clear: combining superhydrophobicity with passive anti-icing or anti-biofouling activity addresses high-value markets in wind energy (F03D is present but sparse), marine vessels (B63B), and infrastructure. Entry paths include hybrid formulations that couple the lotus effect with phase-change or biocidal chemistry, areas where the existing corpus shows limited depth.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technology route emphasis
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | C09D 5 · Coatings, paints & inks | B05D 5 · Coating processes | C09D 7 · Coatings, paints & inks | C09D 183 · Coatings, paints & inks | C09K 3 · Materials for misc. applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Strong · 79 | Moderate · 25 | Absent | Emerging · 8 | Absent |
| HRL Laboratories LLC | Strong · 48 | Absent | Strong · 27 | Absent | Moderate · 15 |
| UT-Battelle LLC | Strong · 49 | Absent | Strong · 40 | Absent | Absent |
| Creavis Gesellschaft fuer Technologie und Innovation mbH | Moderate · 22 | Strong · 47 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 10 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College | Strong · 35 | Strong · 41 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc. | Strong · 31 | Absent | Strong · 24 | Absent | Absent |
| Ross Technology Corporation | Strong · 24 | Absent | Strong · 15 | Absent | Strong · 15 |
Frequently asked questions
Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 111 patent families, followed by UT Battelle LLC at 69 and Evonik Operations GmbH at 65. Harvard and HRL Laboratories round out the top five.
The field’s lifecycle is assessed as post-peak decline. Annual filings peaked around 2017–2018 at roughly 192–193 filings per year and have eased since. Recent years (2024–2026) are affected by publication lag and should be treated as provisional rather than confirming continued decline.
The United States is the leading filing jurisdiction, followed by EPO (Europe), China, WIPO (PCT), Japan, and South Korea. Canada, India, and Germany also feature prominently, indicating broad international protection strategies among major filers.
The most-cited works relate to slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) with high-pressure stability, nano- and micro-textured surface fabrication, superhydrophobic and superoleophobic nanosurfaces, hierarchical structures for superhydrophobicity, and stimuli-responsive self-cleaning coatings. These foundational references are heavily concentrated in the academic output of MIT and Harvard.
Evonik Operations GmbH and the Regents of the University of California are both identified as new entrants in the recent filing window, suggesting fresh investment despite the broader easing of the field. MIT’s recent filings show a sharp step-down of approximately -82% versus its prior three-year pace.
Polymer processing and solutions (C08J) and functional specialty materials including anti-icing and anti-fouling applications (C09K) appear at lower relative filing densities compared to the dominant coating-formulation and coating-process branches. These adjacent areas—particularly hybrid anti-icing or anti-biofouling systems—represent technically logical but comparatively less-occupied angles within the corpus.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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