Bioinspired Hierarchical Interface Engineering: Towards High‐Efficiency Flame‐Retardant and Smoke‐Suppressing Epoxy Composites

ABSTRACT The current global development trend increasingly prioritizes green initiatives and environmental protection. The use of epoxy resin (EP) across various fields has been limited due to its flammability and high smoke emission. In light of this, enhancing the flame retardancy of EP through clean and non‐toxic methods is both crucial and urgent. Drawing inspiration from mussels' innate properties, a novel flame retardant (ADCM) was developed by coating aluminum hydroxide with polydopamine, followed by the grafting of a pre‐synthesized Co‐MOF (derived from 2‐methylimidazole and cobalt nitrate hexahydrate) onto the surface. This flame retardant was subsequently added to EP. The study results indicate that the addition of 15 wt% ADCM significantly enhances both the flame retardancy and smoke suppression capabilities of the EP composites. The specific manifestations are as follows: the peak heat release rate (pHRR) has been reduced by 42.5%, the peak smoke production rate (pSPR) has decreased by 40%, the total smoke production (TSP) has been diminished by 34.4%, the LOI value has increased to 32.8%, and the UL‐94 flame retardant classification has achieved a V‐1 level. The preparation of ADCM provides new ideas and effective strategies for the application of surface modification engineering in the development of multifunctional materials.