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Strongly attractive forces act between superhydrophobic surfaces across water due to the formation of a bridging gas capillary. Upon separation, the attraction can range up to tens of micrometers as the gas capillary grows, while gas molecules accumulate in the capillary. We argue that most of these molecules come from the pre-existing gaseous layer found at and within the superhydrophobic coating. In this study, we investigate how the capillary size and the resulting capillary forces are affected by the thickness of the gaseous layer. To this end, we prepared superhydrophobic coatings with different thicknesses by utilizing different numbers of coating cycles of a liquid flame spraying technique. Laser scanning confocal microscopy confirmed an increase in gas layer thickness with an increasing number of coating cycles. Force measurements between such coatings and a hydrophobic colloidal probe revealed attractive forces caused by bridging gas capillaries, and both the capillary size and the range of attraction increased with increasing thickness of the pre-existing gas layer. Hence, our data suggest that the amount of available gas at and in the superhydrophobic coating determines the force range and capillary growth., QC 20240318

Corrosion and wear pose significant challenges to equipment operating in harsh environments. Thus, protective coatings are needed. Anti-corrosion and anti-wear coatings are traditionally fossil-based and often contain environmentally harmful additives. Achieving anti-corrosion and anti-wear coatings based on environmentally benign and sustainable materials is important and a significant challenge. This work focused on the development of organosolv lignin-based polyurethane (OS_lignin-PU) coatings. The coatings were synthesised and evaluated for corrosion protection using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and for wear properties using nanoindentation and nano scratch measurements. EIS revealed that the optimal lignin content for corrosion protection purposes in the OS_lignin-PU coatings was 15 wt%. Moreover, addition of 15 wt% lignin to the OS_lignin-PU coatings also enhanced their wear resistance, as evidenced by reduced thickness loss during tribometer tests. The nano scratch measurements revealed that OS_lignin-PU coatings containing 15 wt% lignin exhibited the lowest scratch depth and friction coefficient. It is found that the developed lignin-containing coating exhibits remarkable corrosion and wear resistance, making it a promising sustainable material in various applications for pursuing sustainable development., QC 20231227

Corrosion causes significant challenges in industrial settings, leading to economic losses and safety concerns. Previously, we developed a lignin-polydimethylsiloxane (lignin-PDMS) coating that exhibited high corrosion resistance. However, the adhesion of the developed lignin-PDMS coating to carbon steel was limited, affecting its overall performance. To address this, we incorporated dopamine (DOPA), known for its strong adhesive properties, as a pre-treatment before applying the coating. It was found that the adhesion and corrosion resistance of lignin-PDMS coated steel could be improved by adjusting the pH value of the DOPA solution. The steel treated with pH 4.5 DOPA solution showed two times higher adhesion strength to the coating than non-treated steel. After the DOPA treatment, the coating can maintain high barrier property for at least 3 months in 1 M NaCl solution, which is even better than commercial gelcoat, demonstrating super corrosion protection. Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analyses confirmed the DOPA deposition on the steel surface. Our findings show that the DOPA-lignin-PDMS system is an environmentally friendly and efficient solution for enhancing the durability of steels in corrosive environments., QC 20240719

A fundamental understanding of the interactions between mineral surfaces and amphiphilic surface modification agents is needed for better control over the production and uses of mineral fillers. Here, we controlled the carboxylic acid layer formation conditions on calcite surfaces with high precision via vapor deposition. The properties of the resulting carboxylic acid layers were analyzed using surface-sensitive techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurements, angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy. A low wettability was achieved with long hydrocarbon chain carboxylic acids such as stearic acid. The stearic acid layer formed by vapor deposition is initially patchy, but with increasing vapor exposure time, the patches grow and condense into a homogeneous layer with a thickness close to that expected for a monolayer as evaluated by AFM and XPS. The build-up process of the layer occurs more rapidly at higher temperatures due to the higher vapor pressure. The stability of the deposited fatty acid layer in the presence of a water droplet increases with the chain length and packing density in the adsorbed layer. Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy data demonstrate that the stearic acid monolayers on calcite have their alkyl chains in an all-trans conformation and are anisotropically distributed on the plane of the surface, forming epitaxial monolayers. Vibrational spectra also show that the stearic acid molecules interact with the calcite surface through the carboxylic acid headgroup in both its protonated and deprotonated forms. The results presented provide new molecular insights into the properties of adsorbed carboxylic acid layers on calcite., QC 20231114

Calcium carbonate, particularly in the form of calcite, is an abundant mineral widely used in both human-made products and biological systems. The calcite surface possesses a high surface energy, making it susceptible to the adsorption of organic contaminants. Moreover, the surface is also reactive towards a range of chemicals, including water. Consequently, studying and maintaining a clean and stable calcite surface is only possible under ultrahigh vacuum conditions and for limited amounts of time. When exposed to air or solution, the calcite surface undergoes rapid transformations, demanding a comprehensive understanding of the properties of calcite surfaces in different environments. Similarly, attention must also be directed towards the kinetics of changes, whether induced by fluctuating environments or at constant condition. All these aspects are encompassed in the expression “dynamic nature”, and are of crucial importance in the context of the diverse applications of calcite. In many instances, the calcite surface is modified by adsorption of fatty acids to impart a desired nonpolar character. Although the binding between carboxylic acid groups and calcite surfaces is strong, the fatty acid layer used for surface modification undergoes significant alterations when exposed to water vapour and liquid water droplets. Therefore, it is also crucial to understand the dynamic nature of the adsorbed layer. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of both the dynamics of the calcite surface as well as when modified by fatty acid surface treatments., QC 20240624

Organic semiconductors are a family of pi-conjugated compounds used in many applications, such as displays, bioelectronics, and thermoelectrics. However, their susceptibility to processing-induced contamination is not well understood. Here, it is shown that many organic electronic devices reported so far may have been unintentionally contaminated, thus affecting their performance, water uptake, and thin film properties. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is used to detect and quantify contaminants originating from the glovebox atmosphere and common laboratory consumables used during device fabrication. Importantly, this in-depth understanding of the sources of contamination allows the establishment of clean fabrication protocols, and the fabrication of organic field effect transistors (OFETs) with improved performance and stability. This study highlights the role of unintentional contaminants in organic electronic devices, and demonstrates that certain stringent processing conditions need to be met to avoid scientific misinterpretation, ensure device reproducibility, and facilitate performance stability. The experimental procedures and conditions used herein are typical of those used by many groups in the field of solution-processed organic semiconductors. Therefore, the insights gained into the effects of contamination are likely to be broadly applicable to studies, not just of OFETs, but also of other devices based on these materials., QC 20240626

Conjugated polymer field-effect transistors are emerging as an enabling technology for flexible electronics due to their excellent mechanical properties combined with sufficiently high charge carrier mobilities and compatibility with large-area, low-temperature processing. However, their electrical stability remains a concern. ON-state (accumulation mode) bias-stress instabilities in organic semiconductors have been widely studied, and multiple mitigation strategies have been suggested. In contrast, OFF-state (depletion mode) bias-stress instabilities remain poorly understood despite being crucial for many applications in which the transistors are held in their OFF-state for most of the time. Here, we present a simple method of using an anti-solvent treatment to achieve significant improvements in OFF-state bias-stress and environmental stability as well as general device performance for one of the best performing polymers, solution-processable indacenodithiophene-co-benzothiadiazole (IDT-BT). IDT-BT is weakly crystalline, and we attribute the notable improvements to an anti-solvent-induced, increased degree of crystallinity, resulting in a lower probability of electron trapping and the removal of charge traps. Our work highlights the importance of the microstructure in weakly crystalline polymer films and offers a simple processing strategy for achieving the reliability required for applications in flexible electronics., Validerad;2023;Nivå 2;2023-07-05 (hanlid);Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/R031894/1); EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (EP/L015889/1); EPSRC (EP/S030662/1)

Various more or less wear-resistant coatings have been developed and used to protect metal substrates. However, the damage caused by wear is still a problem for most coatings. It is of great importance to monitor the wear of coatings in real-time during the applications. Recently reported wear monitoring methods (image processing, luminescent layers and the use of a sensing underlayer) require complex external equipment or additional coating preparation process steps, which limit their applications. As an emerging technology, a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) can convert mechanical energy into electricity, and it has been applied as a self-powered sensor. In this study, a new coating wear monitoring method is developed based on a solid-liquid TENG. The developed TENG generates electric signals corresponding to different wear states, which facilitates easy monitoring of the coating's wear conditions. The results show that the surface composition change caused by wear is the main reason affecting the TENG signal output. The coating-liquid contact-separation motion generates realtime output signals that directly reflect the coating wear states without the need of any additional equipment. This study provides a promising new technology for in-situ coating wear monitoring., QC 20230626

A fundamental understanding of the interactions between mineral surfaces and amphiphilic surface modification agents is needed for better control over the production and uses of mineral fillers. Here, we controlled the carboxylic acid layer formation conditions on calcite surfaces with high precision via vapor deposition. The properties of the resulting carboxylic acid layers were analyzed using surface-sensitive techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurements, angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy. A low wettability was achieved with long hydrocarbon chain carboxylic acids such as stearic acid. The stearic acid layer formed by vapor deposition is initially patchy, but with increasing vapor exposure time, the patches grow and condense into a homogeneous layer with a thickness close to that expected for a monolayer as evaluated by AFM and XPS. The build-up process of the layer occurs more rapidly at higher temperatures due to the higher vapor pressure. The stability of the deposited fatty acid layer in the presence of a water droplet increases with the chain length and packing density in the adsorbed layer. Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy data demonstrate that the stearic acid monolayers on calcite have their alkyl chains in an all-trans conformation and are anisotropically distributed on the plane of the surface, forming epitaxial monolayers. Vibrational spectra also show that the stearic acid molecules interact with the calcite surface through the carboxylic acid headgroup in both its protonated and deprotonated forms. The results presented provide new molecular insights into the properties of adsorbed carboxylic acid layers on calcite.

The formation of a bridging gas capillary between superhydrophobic surfaces in water gives rise to strongly attractive interactions ranging up to several micrometers on separation. However, most liquids used in materials research are oil-based or contain surfactants. Superamphiphobic surfaces repel both water and low-surface-tension liquids. To control the interactions between a superamphiphobic surface and a particle, it needs to be resolved whether and how gas capillaries form in non-polar and low-surface-tension liquids. Such insight will aid advanced functional materials development. Here, we combine laser scanning confocal imaging and colloidal probe atomic force microscopy to elucidate the interaction between a superamphiphobic surface and a hydrophobic microparticle in three liquids with different surface tensions: water (73 mN m-1), ethylene glycol (48 mN m-1) and hexadecane (27 mN m-1). We show that bridging gas capillaries are formed in all three liquids. Force-distance curves between the superamphiphobic surface and the particle reveal strong attractive interactions, where the range and magnitude decrease with liquid surface tension. Comparison of free energy calculations based on the capillary menisci shapes and the force measurements suggest that under our dynamic measurements the gas pressure in the capillary is slightly below ambient.