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The authors develop a protective transparent coating of aluminum oxide through direct oxidation of aluminum-coated glass. Aluminum coatings are deposited on low-iron glass substrates using a physical deposition method and then oxidized at different temperatures. A uniform nano-porous structure with grain sizes of approximately 30-80 nm is observed. X-ray diffraction, TEM images, and EDX analysis indicate the formation of crystalline γ-Al2O3, Si, and stishovite-SiO2 as a result of interdiffusion. The samples treated at different temperatures have hardness values ranging from 5 to 9 H, which is within the desirable range for industrial scratch-resistant coatings. The optical transmission of around 75-85% at visible wavelengths makes the proposed technique useful for the design of protective transparent coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the next generation of handling systems, reversible adhesion enabled by micropatterned dry adhesives exhibits high potential. The versatility of polymeric micropatterns in handling objects made from various materials has been demonstrated by several groups. However, specimens reported in most studies have been restricted to the laboratory scale. Upscaling the size and quantity of micropatterned adhesives is the next step to enable successful technology transfer. Towards this aim, we introduce a continuous roll-to-roll replication process for fabrication of high-performance, mushroom-shaped micropatterned dry adhesives. The micropatterns were made from UV-curable polyurethane acrylates. To ensure the integrity of the complex structure during the fabrication process, flexible templates were used. The compression between the template and the wet prepolymer coating was investigated to optimize replication results without structural failures, and hence, to improve adhesion. As a result, we obtained micropatterned adhesive tapes, 10 cm in width and several meters in length, with adhesion strength about 250 kPa to glass, suitable for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure and Nb‐doped TiO2 photocatalysts with highly ordered alternating gyroid architecture and well‐controllable mesopore size of 15 nm via co‐assembly of a poly(isoprene)‐block‐poly(styrene)‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymer are synthesized. A combined effort by electron microscopy, X‐ray scattering, photoluminescence, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and density functional theory simulations reveals that the addition of small amounts of Nb results in the substitution of Ti4+ with isolated Nb5+ species that introduces inter‐bandgap states, while at high concentrations, Nb prefers to cluster forming shallow trap states within the conduction band minimum of TiO2. The gyroidal photocatalysts are remarkably active toward hydrogen evolution under UV and visible light due to the open 3D network, where large mesopores ensure efficient pore diffusion and high photon harvesting. The gyroids yield unprecedented high evolution rates beyond 1000 µmol h−1 (per 10 mg catalyst), outperforming even the benchmark P25‐TiO2 more than fivefold. Under UV light, the Nb‐doping reduces the activity due to the introduction of charge recombination centers, while the activity in the visible triple upon incorporation is owed to a more efficient absorption due to inter‐bandgap states. This unique pore architecture may further offer hitherto undiscovered optical benefits to photocatalysis, related to chiral and metamaterial‐like behavior, which will stimulate further studies focusing on novel light–matter interactions. Superior hydrogen evolution is achieved by using highly ordered mesoporous pure and Nb‐doped TiO2 with alternating gyroid architecture due to their large pores and 3D connectivity. The incorporation of Nb5+ has different effects on visible and UV‐based photocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the next generation of handling systems, reversible adhesion enabled by micropatterned dry adhesives exhibits high potential. The versatility of polymeric micropatterns in handling objects made from various materials has been demonstrated by several groups. However, specimens reported in most studies have been restricted to the laboratory scale. Upscaling the size and quantity of micropatterned adhesives is the next step to enable successful technology transfer. Towards this aim, we introduce a continuous roll-to-roll replication process for fabrication of high-performance, mushroom-shaped micropatterned dry adhesives. The micropatterns were made from UV-curable polyurethane acrylates. To ensure the integrity of the complex structure during the fabrication process, flexible templates were used. The compression between the template and the wet prepolymer coating was investigated to optimize replication results without structural failures, and hence, to improve adhesion. As a result, we obtained micropatterned adhesive tapes, 10 cm in width and several meters in length, with adhesion strength about 250 kPa to glass, suitable for a wide range of applications.