ROLLE, Switzerland - Nissan announced the latest must-have for the iPhone - a self-healing iPhone case. The Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case features the brand's pioneering self-healing paint finish, a paint technology developed in 2005 and already used on a number of Nissan and Infiniti models. Now, the technology has been applied to a product that's prone to scratches through everyday use - the smart phone. 

Developed by Nissan in collaboration with University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials Inc., the Scratch Shield paint finish was initially designed for automotive use and is available on the Nissan Murano, 370Z and X-Trail along with the Infiniti range of products. The technology is being trialed for the first time on a non-automotive product in Europe, with the Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case. 

The Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case has been designed using several automotive engineering innovations to deliver a more durable and long-lasting paint coat, and closely fitting, tight case. The case has three key benefits: the highly flexible and elastic properties of Scratch Shield paint technology allows fine scratches to quickly mend themselves; its tactile gel-like rather than glossy surface is more scratch-resistant than conventional paint and provides a better grip; and the case itself is made of ABS plastic - a high-grade substance widely used in the automotive industry that is more rigid and robust than other plastics. The outer coating is made from polyrotaxane, which means that when damage occurs to the coating in the form of a fine scratch, the chemical structure is able to react, change back to its original shape and fill the gap – “healing” the blemish. 

Nissan has produced an initial batch of prototypes of the Scratch Shield iPhone cases for BETA testing with selected journalists and customers. If demand proves strong, it will look to put the cases on general sale later this year. 

Bob Laishley, Overseas Program Director Business Development for Nissan in Europe, said, "We like to think laterally by taking the great innovations we've got from an automotive point of view and looking at how they could be applied to improve everyday issues. The Scratch Shield iPhone case is a great example of us taking a Nissan automotive technology that has had a huge impact for our customers, and then shifting the boundaries to apply it to another everyday product.”