This book provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of advanced composite coatings and materials, emphasizing their design, synthesis, and performance in demanding environments. It addresses critical challenges in modern materials science, including corrosion resistance, antimicrobial functionality, and structural integrity under extreme conditions.

The book begins with an in-depth analysis of microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) and introduces high-entropy alloys (HEAs) as a transformative solution for mitigating MIC in marine, industrial, and biomedical applications. Readers will gain insights into the mechanisms of microbial corrosion, electrochemical diagnostic techniques, and strategies for designing multifunctional materials that combine superior mechanical properties with antimicrobial performance.

Key topics include thin-film deposition, crystal structure modeling using superspace symmetry, stress and strain analysis in nanostructured coatings, and the role of intrinsic stresses during ion irradiation. The text also explores cutting-edge approaches such as nitrogen doping, additive manufacturing of HEAs, and the integration of machine learning for predictive material design. Richly illustrated with diagrams, tables, and case studies, this textbook bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications, making it an essential resource for researchers, engineers, and graduate students in materials science, surface engineering, and corrosion technology.

Prof Alexander Pogrebnjak is a leading scientist and expert in the deposition and characterization of nanocomposite, multilayer, and high-entropy alloy nanostructured coatings, modification of properties of metals and alloys by high-power particle beams, and development of biomaterials with nanoparticles and 2D MXenes. Prof. Pogrebnjak has been a Visiting Scientist at Helsinki Technology University (Finland), Trento University (Italy), Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories (USA), National Institute for Materials Science (Japan), Lublin University of Technology (Poland), and the University of Poitiers (France). He is an Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine and General Co-Chair of the annual IEEE International Conference “Nanomaterials: Applications & Properties”. He has co-authored 14 book chapters and over 380 peer-reviewed scientific articles.

Dr. Olga Maksakova is a Senior Research Scientist and Associate Professor at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Her research focuses on surface engineering and advanced nanostructured coatings deposited by PVD/CAE/HiPIMS for machinery, energy, and high-performance industrial applications. She specializes in multilayer and multicomponent nitride systems, wear-resistant coatings, and structure–property relationships under extreme conditions. Dr. Maksakova is a recipient of the Young Scientists Prize of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (2024), a 2023–2025 NextGenerationEU (Slovakia) fellow, and a two-time JESH Fellow of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2023, 2024). She has co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, two monographs, and eight patents, with validated industrial prototypes of multilayer-coated cutting tools.

Dr. Kateryna Smyrnova is a materials scientist specializing in thin films and nanostructured coatings. Her research focuses on understanding and tailoring structure–property relationships in non-equilibrium coatings for tribological applications, particularly in transition metal borides and nitrides. She is also involved in the development and surface functionalization of nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

She is a co-author of 23 peer-reviewed publications, including two book chapters, and holds two patents.