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Variations from equilibrium Young's angle, known as contact angle hysteresis (CAH), are frequently observed upon droplet deposition on a solid surface. This ubiquitous phenomenon indicates the presence of multiple local surface energy minima for the sessile droplet. Previous research primarily explains CAH via considering macroscopic roughness, such as topographical defects, which alter the effective interfacial energy between the fluid phase and the solid phase, thereby shifting the global surface energy minimum. One typical example is the classic Cassie–Baxter–Wenzel theory. Here, we propose an alternative microscopic mechanism that emphasizes the complexity of molecular rearrangements at the fluid–solid interface, treating their interfacial tensions as variables, which results in multiple local surface energy minima. Our theoretical framework demonstrates that CAH can occur even on chemically homogeneous and mechanically smooth-flat substrates, aligning with previously unexplained experimental observations. In addition, we explore the interplay between macroscopic and microscopic roughness in influencing CAH and clarify the contrasting wetting behaviors—the lotus effect and the rose petal effect—on hierarchical roughness from a thermodynamic perspective. This work provides valuable insights into surface tension determination by restoring the natural physical properties of interfaces and illuminates the multifaceted mechanisms underlying the everyday occurrences of CAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drop impact onto wettability-patterned surfaces is of great significance in industries. Self-propulsion, self-splitting, and directional rebounding can be realized when drops impact on such surfaces. This paper established a diffuse interface/phase field model to delve into drop impact onto wettability-patterned surfaces, with two typical surfaces considered, one having a step change in the contact angle and the other having a smooth change in it. The diffuse interface model used the phase field to track the liquid–gas interface, was discretized on a half-staggered grid, and was run in a parallel manner. The model was validated first against an impact onto a uniform surface and then against an impact onto a hydrophilic surface coated with a superhydrophobic strip. A mesh independence study was conducted for the phase field modeling. Grid independence was achieved while the phase field mobility was kept fixed in meshes of varied resolutions. The major findings are as follows. The spreading of a spherical drop on gradient wettability surfaces resembles that of an ellipsoidal drop on a uniform surface, and axis-switching was observed. On the other hand, directional rebounding on multi-region wettability surfaces is enhanced with increased wettability contrast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from the molecular dynamics simulation of surface-directed spinodal decomposition in binary fluid mixtures (A + B) with off-critical compositions. The aim is to elucidate the role of composition ratio in the early time wetting kinetics under the influence of long-range surface potential. In our simulations, the attractive part of surface potential varies as V(z) = −ϵa/zn, with ϵa being the surface-potential strength. The surface prefers the "A" species to form the wetting layer. Its thickness [R1(t)] for the majority wetting (number of A-type particles [NA] > number of B-type particles [NB]) grows as a power-law with an exponent of 1/(n + 2). This is consistent with the early time kinetics in the form of potential-dependent growth present in the Puri–Binder model. However, for minority wetting (NA < NB), the growth exponent in R1(t) is less than 1/(n + 2). Furthermore, on decreasing the field strength ϵa, we recover 1/(n + 2) for a minority wetting case. We provide phenomenological arguments to explain the early time wetting kinetics for both cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent work, we have briefly introduced a new structural index for water that, unlike previous indicators, was devised specifically for generic contexts beyond bulk conditions, making it suitable for hydration and nanoconfinement settings. In this work, we shall study this metric in detail, demonstrating its ability to reveal the existence of a fine-tuned interplay between the local structure and energetics in liquid water. This molecular principle enables the establishment of an extended hydrogen bond network, while simultaneously allowing for the existence of network defects by compensating for uncoordinated sites. By studying different water models and different temperatures encompassing both the normal liquid and the supercooled regime, this molecular mechanism will be shown to underlie the two-state behavior of bulk water. In addition, by studying functionalized self-assembled monolayers and diverse graphene-like surfaces, we shall show that this principle is also operative at hydration and nanoconfinement conditions, thus generalizing the validity of the two-liquid scenario of water to these contexts. This approach will allow us to define conditions for wettability, providing an accurate measure of hydrophobicity and a reliable predictor of filling and drying transitions. Hence, it might open the possibility of elucidating the active role of water in the broad fields of biophysics and materials science. As a preliminary step, we shall study the hydration structure and hydrophilicity of graphene-like systems (parallel graphene sheets and carbon nanotubes) as a function of the confinement dimensionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological CO2 sequestration (GCS) can help mitigate global warming and enhance methane recovery from coal beds. However, few studies have linked the effects of CO2 to surface chemistry changes controlling wetting behavior in deep coal beds. Contact angles (CAs) of CO2/N2-high volatile bituminous coal-water systems were measured under different temperatures and pressures. The surface chemistry and physical structure of coals were characterized to investigate changes in physicochemical properties and their relations with wettability after reactions. For N2 treatment, the time-dependence of static and dynamic CAs were insignificant, ranging within 4°. For gaseous CO2 treatment, the static CAs and the average advancing angles increased slightly. With supercritical (sc) CO2, both the static and dynamic CAs increased significantly, and θ adv changed to intermediate-wet (92°). Reactions with minerals exposed to scCO2 resulted in greater surface roughness and heterogeneity, greater contact angle hysteresis and more surface sites occupied by scCO2 rather than H2O. Increases in hydrophobic functional groups and decreases in hydrophilicity were shown by FTIR spectra, reflecting the shedding of polar oxygen-containing functional groups, reduction of hydrogen bonds, and increasing percentage of hydrocarbons. XRD patterns obtained following scCO2-treatment showed that crystallite growth and molecular polymerization were higher toward graphite-like. The calculated structural parameters of functional groups and crystallites both showed elevated coal rank. Changes in crystallite structure, notably higher carbon content and decreased negative surface charge, are unfavorable for water-wetting. This study contributes to understanding surface chemistry changes responsible for decreased wettability during CO2-enhanced coal bed methane recovery and GCS in coal reservoirs.

Moving contact line dynamics calculations include two models: precursor film models and slip models. The lubrication approximation method is used to establish a three-dimensional mathematical model to analyze the droplet thermocapillary migration behavior on a non-uniformly heated solid substrate with a wettability track. The contact line dynamics in the slip model and the disjoining pressure effect in the precursor model are proposed to regulate the substrate wettability. Both models are numerically implemented to investigate droplet spreading for three cases: free spreading on an isothermal substrate, thermocapillary migration on a uniform wettability substrate, and thermocapillary migration on a wettability-confined track. For the case of free spreading on an isothermal substrate, the three-dimensional results of the slip and precursor contact line models are essentially consistent with two-dimensional slip model results. For the case of thermocapillary migration on a uniform wettability substrate, the results of the two models essentially agree with the experimental results. Decreasing the thermal gradient reduces the discrepancies between the two models that result from the coordinate transformation method used in the slip model, which reduces the contact angles measured in the y-direction and enlarges the advancing contact angle in the migration direction. For the case of thermocapillary migration on a wettability-confined track, the slip model gradually shows a "dynamic-pinning" behavior with increasing equilibrium contact angle in the hydrophobic region. By contrast, the precursor film model maintains a stationary pinning behavior but separates a residual liquid outside the track. The precursor film model is preferred over the slip model in lubrication approximations for three-dimensional fluids when calculating complex moving contact dynamics caused by wettability differences. However, the precursor film model must be further optimized to prevent numerical instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cahn introduced the concept of wall energy to describe the interaction between two immiscible fluids and a solid wall [J. W. Cahn, J. Chem. Phys. 66, 3667–3672 (1977)]. This quintessential concept has been successfully applied to describe various wetting phenomena of a droplet in contact with a solid surface. The usually formulated wall free energy results in the so-called surface composition that is not equal to the bulk composition. This composition difference leads to a limited range of contact angles which can be achieved by the linear/high-order polynomial wall free energy. To address this issue and to improve the adaptability of the model, we symmetrically discuss the formulation of the wall free energy on the Young's contact angle via Allen–Cahn model. In our model, we modify the calculation of the fluid-solid interfacial tensions according to the Cahn's theory by considering the excess free energy contributed by the distorted composition profile induced by the surface effect. Additionally, we propose a semi-obstacle wall free energy which enforces the surface composition to be the bulk composition within the framework of bulk obstacle potential. By this way, the accuracy of the contact angle close to 0° and 180° is significantly improved in the phase-field simulations. We further reveal that the volume preservation term in the conservative Allen–Cahn model has a more significant impact on the wetting behavior on superhydrophobic surfaces than on hydrophilic surfaces, which is attributed to the curvature effect. Our findings provide alternative insights into wetting behavior on superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a contact line (CL)—where a liquid–vapor interface meets a substrate—is put into motion, it is well known that the contact angle differs between advancing and receding CLs. Using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal another intriguing distinction between advancing and receding CLs: while temperature increases at an advancing CL—as expected from viscous dissipation, we show that temperature can drop at a receding CL. Detailed quantitative analysis based on the macroscopic energy balance around the dynamic CL showed that the internal energy change of the fluid due to the change of the potential field along the pathline out of the solid–liquid interface induced a remarkable temperature drop around the receding CL, in a manner similar to latent heat upon phase changes. This result provides new insights for modeling the dynamic CL, and the framework for heat transport analysis introduced here can be applied to a wide range of nanofluidic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat exchangers are made of metals because of their high heat conductivity and mechanical stability. Metal surfaces are inherently hydrophilic, leading to inefficient filmwise condensation. It is still a challenge to coat these metal surfaces with a durable, robust, and thin hydrophobic layer, which is required for efficient dropwise condensation. Here, we report the nonstructured and ultrathin (∼6 nm) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) brushes on copper that sustain high-performing dropwise condensation in high supersaturation. Due to the flexible hydrophobic siloxane polymer chains, the coating has low resistance to drop sliding and excellent chemical stability. The PDMS brushes can sustain dropwise condensation for up to ∼8 h during exposure to 111 °C saturated steam flowing at 3 m·s-1, with a 5-7 times higher heat transfer coefficient compared to filmwise condensation. The surface is self-cleaning and can reduce the level of bacterial attachment by 99%. This low-cost, facile, fluorine-free, and scalable method is suitable for a great variety of heat transfer applications.

We present eight metatranscriptomic datasets of light algal and cyanolichen biological soil crusts from the Mojave Desert in response to wetting. These data will help us understand gene expression patterns in desert biocrust microbial communities after they have been reactivated by the addition of water.

In present study, titanium diboride (TiB2) and glass powder waste utilized as reinforcement particles with Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) matrix material in development of a polymer-based composite. The % reinforcement of TiB2and glass powder waste varied from 2.5% to 20%. Micrographs of PET/8.75% TiB2/8.75% glass wastecomposite revealed uniform distribution of TiB2and glass powder in PET-based MMC. Proper wettability between matrix and reinforcement particles were observed for PET/8.75% TiB2/8.75% glass wastecomposite. Results showed that by adding 8.75% of TiB2and 8.75% of glass powder, mechanical properties of PET were improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As container for the photovoltaic (PV) Si growth, fused silica crucible can only be used once owing to crystallization breakage, which inevitably reduces the quality and yield of Si. To develop re-useable crucible, Si 3 N 4 ceramics were successfully fabricated using novel BaSiO 3 (0-8 wt%) as sintering aid. Higher BaSiO 3 content promotes the densification and sintering of Si 3 N 4 ceramic. Then, the wetting/infiltration behaviors of Si/Si 3 N 4 binary systems were systematically investigated by sessile drop test and microstructural analysis technology. With 8 wt% BaSiO 3 introduction, the Si 3 N 4 ceramic displayed larger contact angle of Si drop and excellent Si infiltration resistance, which was determined by de-oxidation rate. Moreover, three type of infiltrations, including infiltrations under Si drop and beyond Si drop (on/under substrate surface), were found and systematically analyzed. In this work, novel sintering aid (BaSiO 3) was developed for Si 3 N 4 ceramic fabrication at relatively lower sintering temperature. Additionally, the data of wetting/infiltration behavior for Si/Si 3 N 4 binary system can be used to guide the application of Si 3 N 4 crucible in PV Si manufacture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sealants play an indispensable role in the fabrication of proton ceramic fuel cell (PCFC) stacks. A TiO 2 -containing silicate glass, primarily composed of Na 2 O-K 2 O-TiO 2 -SiO 2 , was developed for sealing BaZr 0.1 Ce 0.7 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3-δ (BZCYYb) electrolyte and Crofer 22 H interconnect. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass sealant is 11.6 × 10−6 K−1, and its glass transition temperature and softening temperature are 566 °C and 601 °C, respectively. The structure of the glass was investigated by XRD, Raman and FT-IR, indicating that it is not sensitive to high temperatures up to 800 °C. The wettability of the glass on BZCYYb and Crofer 22 H substrates was tested. An intact and defect-free BZCYYb/Crofer 22 H joint was sealed by the glass sealant at 750 °C for 30 min. The elemental distribution demonstrates that no violent reaction or diffusion of elements occurs at the interface, indicating that the Na 2 O-K 2 O-TiO 2 -SiO 2 glass is capable of sealing PCFC stacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of carboxyl-modified polyether block silicone (CPES) surfactants were synthesized by the polymerization of 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldihydrodisiloxane, D4, allyl polyoxyethylene and sodium chloroacetate. The structures of the surfactants were characterized by IR and 1H-NMR. Furthermore, the surface tension, wetting properties, foam properties, emulsifying properties and cleansing properties of the synthesized products were investigated. The results show that these compounds have high surface activity and good foaming stability. The wetting properties are general, but increasing temperature can improve the wetting ability of the product. Besides, CPES surfactants exhibit good emulsifying and cleaning ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic semi‐hydrogenation of alkynols holds tremendous advantages over conventional thermocatalysis process. However, the selectivity‐activity seesaw effect is a principal obstacle to its further development. Inspired by interfacial self‐assembled monolayers, alkanethiols with different alkyl chain lengths are employed to modify the Cu surface for controllably modulating the activity and selectivity in the semi‐hydrogenation of alkynols. 1‐dodecanethiol‐modified Cu nanowires (Cu NWs) exhibit the optimal electrosynthesis of 2‐methyl‐3‐buten‐2‐ol with excellent specific selectivity (above 93%) in the semi‐hydrogenation of 2‐methyl‐3‐butyn‐2‐ol. Mechanistic studies reveal that the proportion of liquid‐like water increases while the proportion of isolated water reduces at the hydrophobic interface. Moreover, we assemble a larger 3 × 100 cm2 electrolyzer stack, which can deliver a single‐pass alkynol conversion rate of 95% and an excellent alkenol selectivity of 94% at a 15 A stack current. Eventually, the Cu NWs catalyst with thiol treatment is also applicable to the semi‐hydrogenation of various unsaturated alkynols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood is a sustainable, porous material with a diverse range of applications. However, the low permeability of liquids within wood poses significant challenges for the widespread application of advanced wood-based materials such as oil–water separation, as well as traditional chemical modification processes of wood. Surfactants exhibit potential to improve permeability of liquids within wood by effectively enhancing liquid wettability on solid surfaces. In this study, the effects of didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC) on liquid absorption of water and copper ethanolamine (CE) by wood were explored under atmospheric temperature and pressure. With an increase in concentration of DDAC, its promotion effect on liquid absorption of wood became more pronounced. The most notable enhancement was observed in wicking test where 0.10% DDAC increased liquid absorption of wood to water by 156.7% and to CE by 65.5%. The enhancement of liquid wettability on wood surface cannot be solely attributed to reduction of liquid surface tension, the adsorption of DDAC onto wood surface also plays a crucial role in this process. This study investigated the intrinsic mechanisms by which DDAC enhanced the permeability of liquids within wood, contributing to increased productivity and reduced energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northwest China is much more sensitive to climate warming, and the climate has varied rapidly from warm and drought to warm and humid conditions. In addition, due to the complex terrain of Northwest China, the methods and parameterization schemes of different CMIP6 models, these models are mostly applied to arid areas in Northwest China or Central Asia, lacking climate data for plateau areas and eastern Lanzhou, specifically in filtering CMIP6 models and evaluating applicable models. In this paper, 34 CMIP6 climate models are used to evaluate and forecast future trends in Northwest China under the SSP126, SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios in the short, medium and long term. CMIP6 models of temperature and precipitation are identified by applying the interannual variability skill score (IVS) between CN05.1 datasets and historical CMIP6 models, which are suitable for Northwest China. Then, we assess the characteristics, warming and wetting deviations, and uncertainties in the prediction of climatic change according to CMIP6 models over Northwest China. The results show that CMIP6 models in precipitation and temperature applicable to Northwest China are AWI‐CM‐1‐1‐MR, BCC‐CSM2‐MR, FGOALS‐g3, INM‐CM4‐8, INM‐CM5‐0 and MRI‐ESM2‐0. The multi‐model ensemble mean (MMEM) has better capability than individual CMIP6 models in precipitation and temperature prediction. Spatiotemporal climatic change over Northwest China shows overall warming and wetting trends. The IVS provides the ability to estimate CMIP6 model simulation performance both temporally and spatially. The temperature simulation is quite good in the Tarim Basin and Hexi Corridor region, and the precipitation simulation is quite good in the plateau region, Altai Mountains, Tianshan Mountains and Hexi Corridor region. Cold and wet deviations occur in Northwest China due to the topography and few stations, which are common reasons. The main sources of uncertainties in temperature prediction during this century are model uncertainty (before the 2090s) and scenario variability (after the 2090s), and model uncertainty in precipitation for CMIP6 becomes the main source of uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving high efficiency over large areas remains a significant bottleneck in commercializing perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Recent advancements in passivation technology, especially using self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs) to address buried interface defects, have been instrumental in boosting the efficiency of PSCs. However, SAMs' compactness, uniformity, and wettability are crucial factors influencing the quality of perovskite films. This study presents a buried interface layer based on NiOx/mesoporous Al2O3 sponge as a carrier for SAM solution adsorption, combined with a dip coating process, successfully developing a large‐area preparation technology for SAM layers. The results indicate that the compact SAM layer deposited by this approach effectively passivates buried interface defects on a large scale, while the enhanced wettability of the Al2O3 layer aids in eliminating interfacial voids. The modified PSCs with an active area of 0.09 cm2 achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.46%. The device attains a champion PCE of 22.66%, marking one of the highest efficiencies reported for p‐i‐n PSMs prepared via large‐area coating in mini‐modules (10–200 cm2) under air ambient conditions. Moreover, encapsulated devices retain 93.8% of their initial PCE after 1000 h of continuous operation under one‐sun equivalent intensity at 65 °C in an air environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the strong adsorption of oil and moisture for the ashes of mosquito‐repellent incense (MRI) in daily life, their potential application for the highly efficient separation of water‐in‐oil (W/O) and oil‐in‐water (O/W) emulsions was developed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy spectrometer (EDS) were used to determine the micromorphology and composition of the MRI ashes. The packed ashes were both superhydrophilicity/superoleophilicity in the air, and underwater superoleophobicity/under‐oil superhydrophobicity. Based on the special dual wettability of the ash layer, the resultant packed column was used for the efficient separation of O/W emulsions and the corresponding W/O emulsions, respectively. The separation flux of different types of O/W and W/O emulsions was over 2×104 L/m2h and their separation efficiencies were maintained at over 95%. The waste MRI ashes without any physical and chemical treatment provided a new idea for the selection of efficient separation materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerium oxide (CeO 2) is a primary abrasive frequently used in quartz glass polishing slurry for facilitating glass surface planarisation. However, due to its exorbitant synthesis costs and extremely corrosive as well as toxic reagents in the system, the chemical modification of CeO 2 abrasives have limited practical applications. In this work, a novel chemical mechanical polishing slurry for quartz glass incorporating potassium oleate (KOL), deionised water (DIW), cerium dioxide and molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2) was developed in this paper to enhance the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) performance of CeO 2 -based polishing slurry. KOL creates an alkaline environment for the system, further develops silicate insoluble substances on the quartz glass surface and boosts the material removal rate (MRR) in CMP. MoS 2 exhibits a two-dimensional layered nanosheet structure between the abrasive and quartz glass, and then acts as a solid lubricant to prevent excessive mechanical damage, thus increasing the abrasive's wettability. This characteristic helps avoid scratches and other defects on the quartz glass surface. Notably, when the content of KOL and MoS 2 in the system is 0.2 wt% and 0.3 wt%, respectively, the surface roughness of the quartz glass surface is 0.48 nm under the scanning area of 15 × 15 μm2 and the MRR is 24.03 μm/h following CMP. The synergistic interaction between CeO 2 and MoS 2 significantly enhances the abrasive performance on the glass substrate, offering a novel approach for developing polishing fluids that leverage the collaborative effects between abrasives and two-dimensional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During PINK1- and Parkin-mediated mitophagy, autophagy adaptors are recruited to damaged mitochondria to promote their selective degradation. Autophagy adaptors such as optineurin (OPTN) and NDP52 facilitate mitophagy by recruiting the autophagy-initiation machinery, and assisting engulfment of damaged mitochondria through binding to ubiquitinated mitochondrial proteins and autophagosomal ATG8 family proteins. Here, we demonstrate that OPTN and NDP52 form sheet-like phase-separated condensates with liquid-like properties on the surface of ubiquitinated mitochondria. The dynamic and liquid-like nature of OPTN condensates is important for mitophagy activity, because reducing the fluidity of OPTN-ubiquitin condensates suppresses the recruitment of ATG9 vesicles and impairs mitophagy. Based on these results, we propose a dynamic liquid-like, rather than a stoichiometric, model of autophagy adaptors to explain the interactions between autophagic membranes (i.e., ATG9 vesicles and isolation membranes) and mitochondrial membranes during Parkin-mediated mitophagy. This model underscores the importance of liquid-liquid phase separation in facilitating membrane-membrane contacts, likely through the generation of capillary forces. Synopsis: Autophagy adaptors undergo liquid-liquid phase separation, but it remains unclear how this contributes to selective mitochondrial autophagy. This study shows that the mitophagy adaptors OPTN and NDP52 phase-separate to facilitate mitochondrial recognition and mitophagy. OPTN and NDP52 form sheet-like condensates on ubiquitinated mitochondria during Parkin-mediated mitophagy. The liquid-like property of these adaptor condensates is important for mitophagy. Capillary forces of these condensates between mitochondria and autophagic membranes (i.e., ATG9 vesicles and isolation membranes) are likely to promote the attachment of these membranes. Damaged mitochondria are engulfed by autophagosomes through adhesive forces generated by wetting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPickering Emulsions are commonly applied in the pharmaceutical, food, and chemical industries. The use of natural particles as stabilizers provides access to surfactant-free dispersions with reduced toxicity and environmental impact. This work investigates the use of three commercial organoclays (C15A, C10A, and C30B) and hydrophilic sodium montmorillonite (Mt) as stabilizers for Pickering emulsions. Emulsion stability was evaluated through macroscopic and microscopic morphological observations and the emulsion microstructure was characterized by optical microscopy and DLS measurements to assess creaming and coalescence. The influence of different experimental parameters on emulsion stability was evaluated, including organoclay content, emulsification time, emulsification speed, and oil–water ratio. The results showed that emulsions based on C15A exhibit better stability against coalescence as compared to emulsions prepared with the other clays. This was attributed to the wettability of the particles and solution viscosity. Droplet size decreased as emulsification time and stabilizer content increased and reached a minimum value at 1 wt.% of C15A and for emulsification time of 5 min and oil–water ratio O/W (v/v: 50/50). The experimental parameters also impacted emulsion viscosity, increasing it for high clay content and as the stirring speed and emulsification time increased. The results of the heat and cold resistance stability tests indicated that 25 °C represents the optimal storage temperature for the prepared emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work addresses the systematic accurate fabrication and design of biphilic surfaces having superhydrophobic circular islands surrounded by a hydrophilic background by investigating their condensation frosting and defrosting behavior. A significant delay in frost formation is observed on samples with higher superhydrophobicity ratio A*, defined as superhydrophobic area to total area ratio. As the superhydrophobic island diameter D increases from D = 500 µm to D = 700 µm (A* from 19.62% to 38.46%), a 50% improvement/delay is observed in terms of frost formation or densification. Besides delaying icing/frosting, the presence of superhydrophobic areas empowers the formation of porous and nonuniform frost structure, which facilitates ice removal during the defrosting process. To this end, as the surface is recovered the ambient temperature, almost complete passive cleaning performance within only 23 s is observed on the biphilic design having superhydrophobic islands with the diameter of D = 500 µm, that is, a superhydrophobicity ratio A* of 19.62%. This work concludes on the optimum biphilic ratio, which is not only effective as a passive method by hindering frosting but also leads to a slush/water free surface after defrosting eased by the Laplace pressure gradient which is imposed by the different biphilic wettability patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irreversible deformation of paper is a challenge for both printer operation and product quality, particularly in inkjet printing with water-based inks. Here we are investigating permanent paper curl, which is the residual curl of paper after drying of the ink (i.e., it is not the immediate paper curl due to wetting). The key aim of this work was to test the hypothesis that permanent paper curl is created by partial opening and rearrangement of the fibre–fibre bonds in the wetted paper layer. In order to test this hypothesis, we produced paper with crosslinked fibre–fibre bonds that do not open in the presence of water. Polyamideamine epichlorohydrin (PAE) and 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid were used as crosslinking agents and properties of the treated paper samples were analysed. Both agents led to significantly improved wet strength of the papers, furthermore we indeed found that the permanent curl of crosslinked papers was strongly reduced. Other curl related mechanisms like differences in fibre swelling, paper hydroexpansion and liquid penetration were not able to explain the reduction in curl. The finding that the creation of fibre–fibre bonds unaffected by water prevents permanent curl of paper after wetting and redrying leads to the conclusion that the mechanism for creating permanent paper curl after wetting is related to the partial opening and rearrangement of fibre–fibre bonds in the wetted paper. Possible pathways to apply these findings to paper production are discussed, for example switchable or temporary wet strength agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid composite molding (LCM) is a promising option for low‐cost manufacturing of high‐performance composites compared to traditional prepreg‐autoclave methods. Void formation may be the most significant roadblock to such adaptation of LCM. In this article, the hypothesis that higher wettability, that is, lower contact angles of liquid on solids, would lead to lower void content for LCM is tested. First, a theory that calculates the energy required to form a bubble with varying contact angles is formulated by considering interfacial energy differences of a system with and without it. To experimentally prove this hypothesis, six different carbon fiber reinforcement samples were prepared each with a different fiber surface treatment. The wettability from the surface treatments was evaluated with contact angle measurements based on capillary rise between two fiber yarns. Void formation in situ during infusion was evaluated by a series of 1D infusion experiments using the same six surface modifications. Of the six samples, the reinforcements coated with fluorinated alkane and aminosilane showed the highest wettability and lowest void content, confirming that a lower contact angle can reduce the formation of voids during the infusion process. Highlights: Higher wettability was correlated with less bubble (void) formation.Theoretical model and LCM experimental confirmation.Various surface modifications of carbon fibers tested.Potential application: enhancement of properties from LCM manufactured parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light-responsive Pickering interfacial biocatalysis (LPIB) is desirable because of its convenient catalyst recovery, product separation and clean external stimuli trigger. However, the recyclability of LPIB is still limited due to its enzyme inactivation. Herein, lipase-entrapped colloidosomes as particulate emulsifiers and biocatalysts were fabricated using the one-step co-assembly of lipases and TiO2 nanoparticles (with light-responsive wettability). The obtained LPIB exhibited a 4.31-fold enhancement of enzyme activity compared with the traditional biphasic system. Impressively, the LPIB maintained nearly 90% of its initial enzyme activity even after 20 cycles, which is the highest among the currently reported LPIBs. It is attributed that the TiO2 nanoparticle layer on the colloidosome surface reflects UV light, thus protecting the enzyme from photodegradation. This green platform can be widely applied to construct recyclable and efficient biphasic biocatalytic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feathers are complex integument structures that provide birds with many functions. They are vital to a bird's survival, fundamental to their visual displays, and responsible for the evolutionary radiation of the avian class. Feathers provide a protective barrier for the body; their water repellency is a key feature. Despite hundreds of years of ornithological research, the available literature on how feathers repel water is both limited and puzzling. Most hypotheses from the early 1900s suggested uropygial gland oil provided feathers with a hydrophobic coating. Subsequent studies showed that the feather's hierarchical structure creates a porous substrate that readily repels water with or without oil. Numerous studies and methods have been published attempting to explain, quantify, and compare the water repellency of feathers. Many overlook the role of barbules and the effect of their variation, which both likely play a crucial part in water repellency. The goal of this paper is to synthesize this research to better understand what has been done, what makes sense, and more importantly, what is missing. Previous reviews on this subject are mostly over 30 years old and did not use modern methods for systematic review. Here, we performed a systematic review to capture all relevant published papers on feather water repellency. We emphasize the crucial role of barbules in feather water repellency and why their morphological variation should not be ignored. We answer the question, what do we really know about the water repellency of feathers? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marangoni effect is one of the critical factors in the droplet evaporation process, which is caused by surface tension gradient in the droplet interface. In this study, local heating is adopted to provide a more complicated temperature distribution on the droplet surface, and a detailed numerical investigation is carried out to address the effect of Marangoni flow on the droplet evaporation behaviour. Results show that asymmetric heat source position could result in the droplet morphology being asymmetric, especially for droplets on super-hydrophilic surfaces. The evaporation rate could be affected both by the heat source position and the droplet contact angle. When placed on a smooth substrate, the droplet will slip horizontally as a result of the asymmetric heating condition. The slipping behaviour is affected by both the heat source position and the surface wettability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its high durability and transparency, soda lime glass holds a huge potential for several applications such as photovoltaics, optical instrumentation and biomedical devices, among others. The different technologies request specific properties, which can be enhanced through the modification of the surface morphology with a nanopattern. Here, we report a simple method to nanostructure a glass surface with soft lithography and wet-chemical etching in potassium hydroxide (KOH) solutions. Glass samples etched with a polymeric mask showed a nanopattern with stripes of widths between 220 and 450 nm and modulated heights between 50 and 200 nm. For different solution concentrations or etching times, the obtained nanopatterns led to an increase or reduction of the water contact angle. The largest increment, ~20 degrees, was achieved by etching the glass for 180 min with 30% KOH concentration, while a super-hydrophilic glass (~9° contact angle) was achieved when etching for 90 min with the same concentration. Optical characterization showed a very low influence of the nanostructured pattern on glass transparency and an increment in UV transmittance for some cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface wetting or coating of materials by polymers is crucial for designing functional interfaces and various industrial applications. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, the wetting behavior of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) on a quartz surface was systematically investigated using computer simulation methods. A notable tip-dominant surface adsorption mode of HTPB was identified, where the hydroxyl group at the end of the polymer chain binds to the surface to initiate the wetting process. Moreover, it was found that with the increase in the degree of polymerization (e.g., from DP = 10 to 30), spontaneous adsorption of HTPB becomes increasingly difficult, with a three-fold increase in the adsorption time. These results suggest a competition mechanism between enthalpy (e.g., adhesion between the polymer and the surface) and entropy (e.g., conformational changes in polymer chains) that underlies the wetting behavior of HTPB. Based on this mechanism, two strategies were employed: altering the degree of polymerization of HTPB and/or regulating the amount of interfacial water molecules (e.g., above or below the threshold amount of 350 on a 10 × 10 nm2 surface). These strategies effectively modulate HTPB's surface wetting process. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the surface adsorption behavior of HTPB and offers guidance for manipulating polymer wetting processes at interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a simple, fast, and cost-effective method for creating metallic microstructured surfaces by spray-coating a dispersion of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) onto polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates, enabling the imbibition-induced wetting of liquid metal. The formation of these microstructured patterns is crucial for the spontaneous wetting of gallium-based liquid metals. Traditional techniques for producing such microstructures often involve complex and costly lithography and vacuum deposition methods. In contrast, this study demonstrates that liquid metal wetting can occur with metal microstructures formed through a straightforward spray-coating process. To immobilize the CuNPs on the polymer substrate, an organic solvent that dissolves the polymer surface was employed as the dispersion medium. The effects of various spray-coating parameters, including distance and time, on the uniformity and immobilization of CuNP films were systematically investigated. Under optimal conditions (120 s of spray time and 10 cm spray distance), CuNPs dispersed in dichloromethane (DCM) yielded uniform and stable microstructured surfaces. The spontaneous wetting of gallium-based liquid metal was observed on the fabricated CuNP film. Additionally, liquid metal selectively wet the CuNP patterns formed by stencil techniques, establishing electrical connections between electrodes. These findings underscore the potential of spray-coating for fabricating metallic surfaces to drive the formation of liquid metal patterns in flexible electronics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent progress in using copper oxide (CuO) nanomaterials to prepare superhydrophobic properties has encouraged significant advancements across various applications. This comprehensive review examines and consolidates the latest progress in CuO nanostructure synthesis and its applications in fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces. The review includes a multifaceted investigation, beginning with an analysis of the synthesis methods, followed by a study of natural superhydrophobic surfaces, drawing inspiration from their innate properties to prepare artificial equivalents. It proceeds to explore recent advancements in creating and employing CuO superhydrophobic surfaces and the inherent factors impacting their preparation. A crucial aspect involves characterizing the wetting properties of CuO superhydrophobic layers, unveiling the mechanisms governing their functionality across surfaces. Highlighting the essential role of CuO superhydrophobic surfaces, this review emphasizes their significance in various industry applications. However, it also confronts the inherent challenges and limitations in harnessing CuO nanostructure to prepare effective superhydrophobic surfaces, paving the way for future research directions. This comprehensive review fills a critical void in current knowledge and guides the evolution and application of CuO superhydrophobic surfaces in diverse domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-emulsions stabilized by nonionic surfactants have the characteristics of ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) and altered wettability in ultra-low permeability reservoirs. Thus, in this work, a new nanoemulsion is proposed to enhance spontaneous imbibition recovery in ultra-low permeability reservoirs. The nanoemulsion is prepared using n-dodecane, Tween-20, and coconut oil acid diethanolamine n-amyl alcohol. The effects of temperature and salinity on particle size, IFT, and wettability alteration performance of the nanoemulsions were systematically studied. Experimental results show that the particle size of nanoemulsions increases with salinity, and the highest level is up to 100 nm, while an increase in temperature is beneficial to the formation of smaller nanoemulsions. The IFT of the nanoemulsion system can be reduced to an ultra-low level (10–3 mN/m) when the salinity is lower than 50,000 mg/L. As for the wettability alteration property of a nanoemulsion system, an increase in temperature can improve its performance, but variations in salinity seldom have any effects. At 56 °C and 30,000 mg/L salinity, the spontaneous imbibition recovery of 1.00 wt% nanoemulsion can reach 53.8% under the synergistic effect of three mechanisms: extremely small droplet size, excellent wettability alteration performance, and ultra-low IFT. These three mechanisms work together to significantly improve the displacement efficiency of ultra-low-permeability reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogel-based soft materials have attracted significant attention in various fields due to their high water content, good biocompatibility, and variable mechanical strength. However, due to the hydrophilic properties of hydrogel networks, most of the hydrogel-based soft materials are easy to swell in water and have monotonous surface wettability. Here, taking advantage of the intrinsic hydrophobicity of siloxane, novel heteronetwork organohydrogels were synthesized by covalently integrating reactive siloxane monomers into the hydrophilic hydrogel networks via emulsion polymerization. The surface of the heteronetwork organohydrogels exhibited adaptive wettability owing to the rearrangement of the surface chemistry induced by varying solvent conditions. Moreover, the heterogeneous networks endowed organohydrogels with excellent anti-swelling abilities in water or oil (n-heptanes). The potential application of the prepared organohydrogels in the field of oil/water separation was also preliminarily explored. The idea and method of integrating polysiloxane into hydrogels in this study might provide a new insight to develop high-performance polysiloxane-based heteronetwork gel materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological assemblages in streams are influenced by hydrological dynamics, particularly in non‐perennial systems. Although there has been increasing attention on how drying impacts stream organisms, few studies have investigated how specific characteristics of drying and subsequent wetting transitions influence biotic responses via resistance and resilience traits.Here, we characterized how hydrologic metrics, including those quantifying drying and wetting transitions as well as dry and wet phases, alter diversity and composition of three aquatic assemblages in non‐perennial streams in southern California: benthic macroinvertebrates, soft‐bodied algae and diatoms.We found that flow duration prior to sampling was correlated with variation in macroinvertebrate and soft‐bodied algal assemblage composition. The composition and richness of diatom assemblages, however, were predominantly influenced by the drying start date prior to sampling. Contrary to other studies, the duration of the dry phase prior to sampling did not influence the composition or richness of any assemblage. Although our study was conducted within a region in which each assemblage experienced comparable environmental conditions, we found no single hydrologic metric that influenced all assemblages in the same way.The hot‐summer Mediterranean climate of southern California likely acts as a strong environmental filter, with taxa in this region relying on resistance and resilience adaptations to survive and recolonize non‐perennial streams following wetting. The different responses of algal and diatom assemblages to hydrologic metrics suggest greater resilience to drying and wetting events, particularly for primary producers.As drying and wetting patterns continue to change, understanding biodiversity responses to hydrologic metrics could inform management actions that enhance the ecological resilience of communities in non‐perennial streams. In particular, the creation and enhancement of flow regimes in which natural timing and duration of dry and wet phases sustain refuges that support community persistence in a changing environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method using NMP/water system was adopted to prepare PVA/PVC thin films and were characterized by FTIR & FE-SEM analysis. Mechanical strength measurements indicated that an optimum composition of PVA/PVC has maximum tensile strength and might be due to the intercalation of viscous PVA into the stiff PVC matrix. Degree of swelling (DS) and water contact angle (WCA) measurements showed greater wettability of the films with increasing PVA content as is revealed from the higher film porosity and diminished contact angle. Pure water flux (PWF) and mean pore size were studied to determine the water permeation capacity of the film. Vapour permeability of various films was evaluated by using three different aliphatic alcohols viz. Methanol, ethanol and propanol. Barrier property and selectivity in permeation were studied for a particular PVA/PVC composition with moderate number and size of the pores which exhibited minimum permeation capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel CaO–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 –Li 2 O (CASL) glass was developed for bonding yttria–stabilized zirconia ceramics (YSZ). The CASL glass possessed a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that matched with YSZ and exhibited outstanding wettability on the surface of YSZ substrate. During the bonding process, mutual dissolution and diffusion between YSZ and CASL glass took place, which ensured good interface bonding. Furthermore, the rapid cooling speed led to a completely amorphous seam, which allowed the CTE of the seam to correspond with that of the original glass. The optimal flexural strength of YSZ/YSZ joints could reach more than 90 % of that of the YSZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, joining of alumina to zirconia was conducted using a Bi 2 O 3 -Y 2 O 3 filler under a normal atmosphere. In order to prevent the possible diffusion of yttrium from zirconia substrate into the interface, yttria was added to the filler. The wettability of 97Bi 2 O 3 -3Y 2 O 3 (wt%) filler was examined, and it was found that this filler has good wettability on alumina and zirconia. The bonded samples that were brazed at 975 °C for 10, 15, and 20 min were determined to be acceptable, while the samples that underwent various process temperatures showed defects such as voids, incomplete fusion, and cracks. Three new phases were observed formed at the interface using SEM images, and the content of these phases increased with increasing holding time. The effectiveness of adding yttria to the filler was confirmed by EDS analysis, as the yttrium of the zirconia substrate did not diffuse into the interface. The fracture surfaces were studied, and XRD analysis was taken from them. Brittle fracture has occurred in all samples, and BiAlO 3 , Y 3 Al 5 O 12 , and (Bi 1.85 Zr 0.15) O 3.75 phases were identified at the interface. According to measurements of the shear strength of the joints, the sample brazed for 15 min at a temperature of 975 °C had the maximum strength of 31 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been widely acknowledged that the presence of impurities in molten fluoride salt can alter the salt/material interactions. However, the effects of various impurities such as oxides, metal fluorides, reducing impurities, etc., on the behavior of nuclear-grade graphite in molten fluoride salts have not been reported. This study focuses on understanding the effects of various oxidizing and reducing impurities on the wetting and infiltration behavior of molten FLiNaK salt for nuclear-grade IG-110 graphite. Our results suggest that different impurities can cause different effects on nuclear graphite–molten salt interactions, with some impurities leading to significant degradation of the graphite. Our results demonstrate that certain impurities, such as Cr2O3 and CrF3, lead to a limited increase in wetting and infiltration of molten salt into nuclear graphite, while impurities such as Li2O lead to significantly increased wetting and infiltration throughout the cross section of the graphite specimen. Certain impurities, such as Li, can also lead to significant degradation of the graphite in the salt, with the extent of degradation increasing with the increase in the quantity of Li added. Our results also demonstrate that firing of IG-110 graphite at 900°C under a reducing atmosphere made the graphite surface resistant to wetting by molten FLiNaK salt, as compared to the nonfired sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Hypothesis: In the interfacial wetting boundary, the superhydrophobic surface is often damaged, and the anisotropic wettability of its surface has attracted many researchers' attention. The "petal effect" surface has typical anisotropic wettability. We predict that under the dual conditions of structural defects and high impact velocity, the "petal effect" becomes more adhesive on the surface. Experiments: This study refers to the droplet state on rose petals, structural defects were constructed on the superhydrophobic surface. This paper studies the influence of macro-structural defects on the wettability change from natural to bionic "lotus effect" to "petal effect" in both static and dynamic angles. Findings: Macro defects significantly change the static contact angle of the superhydrophobic surface. The higher the impact velocity of the droplet, the higher the energy dissipation of the "petal effect" surface (DSHS), which improves the adhesion of the surface to the droplet and prolongs the contact time. It is found that the defect structure and high impact velocity will directly affect the deposition and desorption of droplets on the superhydrophobic surface, and they are both essential. This wetting dynamic law is very likely to be helpful in the quantitative design of defect structure scale for dynamic desorption of droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rocks containing clay minerals exhibit diminished strength and undergo physical and chemical deterioration of their texture due to the presence of these clay minerals. Specifically, rocks containing swelling clay minerals experience a significant decrease in strength when subjected to repeated drying and wetting compared to rocks with non-swelling clay minerals. This study conducted a comprehensive series of experiments (physical, uniaxial compressive, and swelling pressure tests) using artificial soft rock mixed with clay minerals. The primary objective was to elucidate the impact of the types of clay minerals present on the physical properties of rock materials under repeated drying and wetting. The clay minerals investigated in this study included Na-type and Ca-type smectites (swelling clay minerals) and mica (non-swelling clay minerals). The smectite-mixed specimen demonstrated higher swelling pressure than the mica-clay-mineral-mixed specimen. Moreover, the uniaxial compressive strength and P-wave velocity of the specimens were remarkably reduced due to repeated drying and wetting process. Hence, the difference in clay mineral content and type in the clay mineral-bearing rock material specimens directly influences the physical and mechanical properties of rock materials when subjected to dry and wet cycles. Furthermore, the outcomes suggest a close association between the reduction in rock material strength, inclusive of clay minerals, and the swelling pressure observed in the specimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the microhardness and wettability of steel C1045 substrates, Ni-Co-Si3N4 nanocomposite coatings were fabricated successfully on steel C1045 substrates via electrodeposition with varying electrodeposition process parameters and Si3N4 nanoparticle concentrations. The microhardness, surface roughness, and static contact angle of the coatings were analyzed using a microhardness tester, laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM), and contact angle meter (OCA15E), respectively. The results showed that the plating solution temperature, current density, and Si3N4 nanoparticle concentration played key roles in adjusting the microhardness and wettability of the samples. The variations in the process parameters and Si3N4 nanoparticle concentration altered the contents of Co, Si, and N in the Ni-Co-Si3N4 nanocomposite coatings. These alterations influenced the grain size and improved the microhardness of the samples. The microhardness of the coatings was 541.56 HV0.05 when their grain size was 16.99 nm. Additionally, the variations in the process parameters and Si3N4 nanoparticle concentration affected the surface morphology and altered the surface roughness of the coatings. These alterations influenced the wettability and improved the water contact angles of the samples. Furthermore, the water contact angle of the Ni-Co-Si3N4 nanocomposite coatings was 143.1° when the surface roughness was 0.322 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pinning dynamic of oil droplet on micropore surface has a significant impact on the stability of the oil film. Herein, the numerical model of the oil droplet generated in situ at the orifices is established. The influence of pore parameters and the inlet pressure on the movement of the three‐phase contact line are explored. The transformation mechanism between pinning and spreading of the droplet is revealed. The result shows that due to the competition between the surface tension and the driving force, the flow field parameters at the pinning point become unstable. Until the three‐phase contact line is unpinned, the droplet spreads on the micropore surface. With the reduce of the contact angle or the increase of the diameter of the pore, the pinning time of the droplet is shortened, and the droplets spread faster on the micropore surface. As the inlet pressure increases, the droplets grow faster at the orifice and spread from the orifice until the apparent contact angle reaches its maximum forward angle. The spread promotes the regeneration of the lubricating film, which is conducive to improving the stability of the oil film on micropore surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanopores are in dominant positions in tight reservoirs. Recently, global scholars have focused on the role of imbibition in tight reservoirs on the macroscale, which is insufficient for understanding the process and mechanism of imbibition in tight reservoirs on the microscale. Therefore, it is of great significance to adopt a new microscopic research method to study the imbibition of water in micropore and nanopore spaces in tight reservoirs. In this paper, models of the quartz nanopore imbibition effect and water drive oil reservoirs are established through molecular dynamics simulation. Then, the impacts of different factors on the imbibition effect and the roles of this effect in the water drive process are investigated. The results show that the percolation rate of water in the nanopore is related to the temperature, pore size, and wettability. The permeation strength increases with increasing wettability. Warming accelerates the movement of water molecules in the system, thereby increasing the rate of osmosis, enhancing the strength of osmosis, and shortening the time needed for equilibrium. However, the total amount of osmosis remains unchanged. The smaller the pore size is, the stronger the sorption strength. Imbibition plays a dominant role at lower injection rates, and expulsion plays a dominant role as the injection rate gradually increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Al₂O₃–13% TiO₂ coating was applied to M2 high-speed steel using the d-gun process. The surface properties were compared between uncoated samples, coated samples before cryogenic treatment (CBCT), and coated samples after cryogenic treatment (CACT). The mean particle size was ~17.07 μm, with average coating thicknesses of 212 μm for CBCT and 196 μm for CACT. CACT exhibited 3.19% and 24.65% higher microhardness than CBCT and uncoated samples, respectively. All samples exhibited hydrophilic wettability, with CBCT showing 59.41% and 67.43% higher Ra values, along with 56.03% and 59.70% higher Rz values than CACT and uncoated samples. CBCT also exhibited 32.96% and 98.14% higher porosity than CACT and uncoated samples. CACT showed reduced abrasion loss by 54.05% and 36.25% compared to CBCT and uncoated samples. CBCT has better corrosion resistance of 90.25% and 95.89% than CACT and uncoated samples. The Raman shift revealed increased particle size formation in CACT than other samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Surfactants, particularly non‐ionic ones, are widely used as adjuvants in pesticide formulations due to their ability to maintain pesticide effectiveness without changing solution properties, such as pH. While non‐ionic surfactants are generally low‐toxic, stable, and excellent dispersants with high solubilization capabilities, they may be less effective than cationic surfactants, which offer superior surface activity, transport properties, and antimicrobial action. This study investigates the efficacy of new piperidinium surfactants with carbamate fragments as adjuvants in insecticide formulations containing imidacloprid. The efficacy of these formulations is being assessed against greenhouse whitefly, a pest known to harm cultivated and ornamental flowering plants. RESULTS: The aggregation behavior of piperidinium surfactants containing carbamate fragments was investigated, and their wetting effect was evaluated. Synthesized surfactants have lower CMC values compared to their methylpiperidinium analogue. The effect of piperidinium surfactants on the insecticide concentration on the surface and inside tomato leaves was assessed using spectrophotometric methods. It was found that the introduction of piperidinium surfactants with carbamate fragment at a concentration of 0.1% wt. allows for decrease in lethal concentration of imidacloprid up to 10 times, thereby testifying the marked increase in the effectiveness of imidacloprid against the greenhouse whitefly insect pest (Trialeurodes vaporariorum). It was shown that the main factors responsible for the enhanced efficacy of the insecticide were the ability of the surfactant to increase the concentration of imidacloprid on the leaf surfaces and improve their penetration into the plant. CONCLUSION: The presented work employed a comprehensive approach, which significantly increases the generalizability of the results obtained and provides the ability to predict the effect and target selection of adjuvants. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non‐wetting issue of the self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) layer can complicate subsequent perovskite deposition and impact device efficiency. This study addresses this challenge using a dual approach involving co‐self‐assembly and a buffer layer to enhance the wettability and interfacial contact of the buried perovskite film. A weakly acidic boronic acid derivative, 4‐N, N‐dimethylbenzeneboronic acid hydrochloride (4NPBA), is used to co‐self‐assemble with the regular SAM molecule on ITO and the subsequent FAI buffer layer further increased perovskite film coverage to 89%. This dual buried interface strategy—SAM‐4NPBA/FAI—results in a flat and dense perovskite interface. The optimized device demonstrates a high fill factor of 88.35%, a power conversion efficiency of 25.29%, and retains over 99% of its initial efficiency after 500 h of maximum power point testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid manipulation using tubular actuators finds diverse applications ranging from microfluidics, printing, liquid transfer to micro‐reactors. Achieving flexible and simple regulation of manipulated liquid droplets during transport is crucial for the tubular liquid actuators to perform complex and multiple functions, yet it remains challenging. Here, a facile tubular actuator for directional transport of various liquid droplets under the control of an externally applied magnetic field is presented. The surfaces of the actuator can be engineered with submillimeter‐sized through‐hole pores, which enables the liquid droplet to be easily modulated in the transport process. Furthermore, the liquid actuator with featured through‐hole pores is expanded to function as a switch in an integrated external electric circuit by magnetically controlling the motion of a conductive liquid droplet. This work develops a strategy for regulating liquid droplets in the tubular actuation systems, which may inspire ideas for designing functional liquid actuators with potential applications in microfluidics, microchemical reaction, liquid switch, and liquid robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fog represents an underestimated water resource, particularly in arid coastal areas where the abundance of fog makes fog harvesting a highly viable and operational option. In response to the limitations of traditional fog harvesting techniques, biomimetic fog harvesting materials with special wettable surfaces have emerged as a promising solution, offering a notable enhancement in water collection efficiency (WCE). This work presents a bio‐inspired multi‐strategy fog harvesting material integrated with a wettability contrast pattern and asymmetric wettability. The implementation of multiple strategies at each stage of fog harvesting synergistically improves the WCE of aluminum plates by up to 53%. A solar‐powered active fog‐collecting system is devised based on this material to cope with changing environments, which demonstrates a significant improvement in WCE compared to a conventional fog net, reaching up to 736.67% under a static fog environment. This work provides a viable design of bio‐inspired fog harvesting materials and offers a promising approach for their large‐scale implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]