Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joseph M. Prisaznuk, Peter Huang, Xin Yong, Paul R. Chiarot
Summary: By using surface energy patterning and electrospray atomization, we created nonspherical droplets and observed the assembly of microparticles at the liquid-air interface. We found that the underlying surface energy pattern played a significant role in the colloidal assembly, driving particles towards the center of the droplet. The particles formed a single, non-close-packed cluster with local hexagonal ordering, but left a clear region with very few particles near the contact line, which was attributed to long-range electrostatic repulsion from the photoresist used to create the surface energy pattern.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Merin Jose, Muraleedharapai Mayarani, Madivala G. Basavaraj, Dillip K. Satapathy
Summary: Experimental studies have shown that binary mixtures of soft colloids in monolayer deposits exhibit good ordering properties, regardless of the size difference or mixing ratio of the particles. The unique characteristics of soft colloids allow them to deform at the interface to preserve the crystalline lattice structure.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sadaf Maramizonouz, Sadegh Nadimi
Summary: In this research, numerical simulations and twelve drag models were used to investigate the drag force acting on ellipsoidal particles. The results showed that most models compared well with the simulation results in terms of drag coefficient values and trends, although there was a significant range of maximum error.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jacopo Vialetto, Sergii Rudiuk, Mathieu Morel, Damien Baigl
Summary: This study presents a generic method for optically reconfigurable colloidal crystals at the air/water interface and reveals a new mechanism for controlling lattice properties using light. The photoreversible melting process is driven by thermocapillary stress and increased particle diffusivity, allowing for dynamic patterns and multiresponsive assembly to be achieved with light and magnetic stimuli.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kai Shi, Manfeng Hu, Ping Huang
Summary: This paper investigates the influence of relative humidity and dwell time on the adhesion force between silica and graphene. A cone-plane contact model is established based on the law of variable water contact angle. Experimental and theoretical results show that the adhesion force initially increases and then decreases with increasing humidity and dwell time, while the variable water contact angle of the graphene surface increases.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dan Zhou, Tiezhu Sun, Yi Huang, Xianfei Chen, Jianying Shang
Summary: This study investigates the transport and retention mechanisms of a novel 2D nanomaterial, delaminated Ti3C2Tx, in porous media. Results show that the particle shape and interface interactions significantly influence colloid retention.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenchuo Yao, Daniel L. Gallagher, Julia M. Gohlke, Andrea M. Dietrich
Summary: The study found that using room-sized ultrasonic humidifiers with lead in the fill water can lead to increased indoor air lead concentrations, potentially affecting the health of children and adults, especially in terms of respiratory health and blood lead levels.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Qiong Wang, Shanyong Wang, Wei Su, Dongyue Pan, Zhen Zhang, Weimin Ye
Summary: Laboratory tests on unsaturated sand reveal the influence of water content on grouting characteristics, showing that non-monotonic phenomena of grouting characteristics are strongly dependent on shear strength induced by capillary mechanisms at the water-air interface. The study identifies the threshold value of injectability and diffusion pattern corresponding to different desaturation mechanisms, with implications for optimizing grouting parameters in engineering practice.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jacopo Vialetto, Manos Anyfantakis
Summary: The self-assembly of colloids at fluid interfaces, driven by additives, is a well-studied research field. The critical analysis of mechanisms, interactions, and experimental protocols provides insights into controlling the organization of particles at interfaces. Structures formed by colloid self-organization at fluid interfaces have potential applications and unique properties, making this research area exciting and valuable for scientists from various fields.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xu Zhang, Bo Liu, James S. Grundy, Rogerio Manica, Qingxia Liu
Summary: This study investigates the impact of sodium citrate (Na(3)Cit), a secondary processing aid, on the size of bitumen droplets after the oil sand liberation process. The research shows that Na(3)Cit facilitates the aggregation of midsized droplets to form larger droplet flocs. It also reveals that slime coating, surface properties, and surface forces are the major factors affecting the impact of Na(3)Cit on the bitumen droplet size.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gargi Joshi, Kosuke Okeyoshi, Fitri Adila Amat Yusof, Tetsu Mitsumata, Maiko K. Okajima, Tatsuo Kaneko
Summary: By exploring the fluidic geometry of a liquid crystalline polysaccharide solution containing micron-sized rod and platelet units, it was found that the presence of platelet units contributes lateral capillary interactions and helps rod units form a wider self-assembled structure with high viscosity.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Alena Vdovchenko, Amanda K. Pearce, Mark Freeley, Rachel K. O'Reilly, Marina Resmini
Summary: This study investigates the impact of different polymerization methods on the characteristics and applications of pNIPAm nanogels, revealing significant differences between heterogeneous and homogeneous polymerization in terms of internal structure and thermoresponsive behavior.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Toru Ishigami, Taisei Karasudani, Shu Onitake, Mohammadreza Shirzadi, Tomonori Fukasawa, Kunihiro Fukui, Yasushi Mino
Summary: In this study, the rheological properties and microstructure formation of a ternary particle/oil/water dispersion system under shear flow were numerically investigated. The water-phase volume fraction and shear rate were found to significantly affect the microstructure and apparent viscosity. This is the first numerical study to demonstrate the correlation between microstructure formation and apparent viscosity in a ternary dispersion.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Carolina van Baalen, Jacopo Vialetto, Lucio Isa
Summary: This study explores the control of crystallization of colloidal particles at oil-water interfaces using oil-soluble electrolytes. The results show that the repulsion among particles can be continuously tuned by introducing nanomolar amounts of an organic salt into the oil.
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xin Chen, Ivan M. Kislyakov, Tiejun Wang, Yafeng Xie, Yan Wang, Long Zhang, Jun Wang
Summary: The authors report a pulsed laser-induced photoacoustic driving force that can overcome the van der Waals adhesion forces between 2D semimetallic nanosheets and insulating substrates. Optically controlled nanomachine engineering can satisfy the touch-free and non-invasive demands of optoelectronics, nanotechnology, and biology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yingxue Yu, Henry Y. Sintim, Anton F. Astner, Douglas G. Hayes, Andrew Bary, Alla Zelenyuk, Odeta Qafoku, Libor Kovarik, Markus Flury
Summary: Biodegradable plastics can effectively degrade when disposed of correctly, reducing plastic pollution. However, during degradation, additives can be released into the environment. This study found that during composting, biodegradable plastic mulch released TiO2 particles, which showed different transport behaviors in soil and sand columns. The mobility of these particles was enhanced by humic acid present in the compost residues.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Deirdre Griffin-LaHue, Shuresh Ghimire, Yingxue Yu, Edward J. Scheenstra, Carol A. Miles, Markus Flury
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the in-field degradation of soil-biodegradable plastic mulch films through field experiments. The research found that the degradation rate of these mulches may exceed the laboratory standard in certain conditions, with thermal time being more suitable for assessing mulch degradation in the field environment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shitong Li, Fan Ding, Markus Flury, Zhan Wang, Li Xu, Shuangyi Li, Davey L. Jones, Jingkuan Wang
Summary: Plastic film mulch is an agricultural technology that significantly increases agricultural production but also leads to severe plastic pollution. This study found a considerable accumulation of macro- and micro-plastics in soil after 32 years of continuous plastic mulch film use in an agricultural field. The long-term use of plastic film mulch not only causes surface pollution but also contamination in deep soil layers, making removal and remediation challenging.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Dengjun Wang, Navid B. Saleh, Andrew Byro, Richard Zepp, Endalkachew Sahle-Demessie, Todd P. Luxton, Kay T. Ho, Robert M. Burgess, Markus Flury, Jason C. White, Chunming Su
Summary: Nanopesticides show higher efficacy in controlling agricultural pests, lower toxicity to non-target organisms, and the ability to mitigate various biotic and abiotic stresses, contributing to increased crop yields and sustainable agriculture.
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Fan Ding, Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick, Pil Joo Kim, Rui Jiang, Markus Flury
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carina Wismeth, Markus Flury, Thomas Baumann
Summary: This study aimed to characterize and quantify convective flow along the interface between water and nonaqueous-phase liquids (NAPLs). The researchers observed a fast-rotating convection current along the NAPL-water interface, which gradually decreased over time. The convective flow dynamics were attributed to three mechanisms: short-lived Marangoni flow, medium-lived dissolution-driven flow, and long-lived evaporation-driven flow.
VADOSE ZONE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Henry Y. Sintim, Khurram Shahzad, Andy Bary, Douglas P. Collins, Elizabeth A. Myhre, Markus Flury
Summary: Biodegradable plastic mulch is a potential alternative to conventional polyethylene mulch. Gas exchange and soil microclimate are important factors affected by plastic mulch, which in turn impact crop productivity.
ITALIAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2022)
Biographical-Item
Environmental Sciences
Martine van der Ploeg, Quirijn de Jong van Lier, Markus Flury
VADOSE ZONE JOURNAL
(2022)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Markus Flury, Venkat Lakshmi, Ning Lu, Jan Vanderborght
VADOSE ZONE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yingxue Yu, Anil K. Battu, Tamas Varga, Adam C. Denny, Tahsin Md. Zahid, Indranil Chowdhury, Markus Flury
Summary: This study investigated the effects of incorporating polyester fibers and polypropylene granules into silt loam soil on its physical properties. It was found that microplastics had significant effects on soil physical properties only at high concentrations, and the shape of the microplastics played a role in their impact.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Venkataraman Lakshmi, Markus Flury
VADOSE ZONE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Kaushik Adhikari, Anton F. Astner, Jennifer M. DeBruyn, Yingxue Yu, Douglas G. Hayes, Brian T. O'Callahan, Markus Flury
Summary: This study investigated the interactions between earthworms and microplastics in a natural environment. The results showed that microplastics did not have adverse effects on earthworms at environmentally realistic concentrations.
ACS AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Thomas Groenveld, Charles Obiero, Yingxue Yu, Markus Flury, Markus Keller
Summary: This study found that predawn leaf water potential cannot be used as a proxy for soil water potential in wet soil conditions, but it may be applicable in dry soil conditions. These findings are important for plant water relations research.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Juan Pinos, Markus Flury, Jerome Latron, Pilar Llorens
Summary: Stemflow, which is the flow of water down the stem or trunk of a plant, can redistribute soil moisture in forest environments. In this study, artificial tracers were used to observe and measure the preferential flow of stemflow in the soil. The results showed that stemflow infiltrated primarily along the surface of roots and through macropores, impacting soil moisture distribution and groundwater recharge.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Brenda Madrid, Sam Wortman, Douglas G. Hayes, Jennifer M. DeBruyn, Carol Miles, Markus Flury, Thomas L. Marsh, Suzette P. Galinato, Karl Englund, Shinsuke Agehara, Lisa Wasko DeVetter
Summary: This article reviews the current end-of-life options for polyethylene mulch in the United States and identifies opportunities to improve plastic waste management, with a focus on soil-biodegradable plastic mulches. The review concludes that recycling and upcycling of polyethylene mulch can be a more sustainable option, but the high cost of cleaning and decontaminating used mulch is a barrier. Research and policy developments are necessary to refine and encourage recycling. Soil-biodegradable plastic mulches offer another solution, but they are not permitted in organic agriculture in the United States. Further studies are needed to address knowledge gaps and understand the factors influencing the degradation of soil-biodegradable mulches.
FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
(2022)