Article
Polymer Science
Ryunosuke Shimura, Hiroya Abe, Hiroshi Yabu, Mei-Fang Chien, Chihiro Inoue
Summary: Microorganisms form biofilms which can cause health hazards and energy loss. Preventing initial adhesion of microbial cells to material surface is the most effective solution. This study successfully fabricated slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces with antibiofouling properties through a simple method inspired by pitcher plants.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Nilesh D. Pawar, Ramchandra D. Narhe
Summary: This study numerically investigates the influence of droplet motion on the growth dynamics of breath figures during condensation on phase change material. The model considers aspects such as condensation, droplet coalescence, random droplet movement, and surface wettability. The dynamics of breath figures are analyzed in terms of the evolution of droplet mean radius, surface coverage, and droplet size distribution. The results demonstrate that droplet movement significantly alters the distribution of droplets on the phase change material, mainly through increased coalescence. Four growth regimes are observed, characterized by different power-law relationships between droplet radius and time.
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL-SPECIAL TOPICS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Huan Liu, Bo Pang, Kai Zhang
Summary: This study demonstrates the self-assembly of cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) in confined geometries to fabricate ordered honeycomb microporous films. The critical influencing factors for film formation include the concentration of CNW-SU suspensions, relative humidity, and surface-attached moieties. Immobilized hydrophobic groups on CNWs significantly affect the formation of uniform porous films.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
L. Stricker, F. Grillo, E. A. Marquez, G. Panzarasa, K. Smith-Mannschott, J. Vollmer
Summary: This study experimentally tests droplet condensation on surfaces and explores the size distribution and time-scale characteristics. The results show that in the asymptotic time regime, the data for different substrates and condensation rates adhere to universal scaling functions, validating the universality of the scaling theory.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
David Paulovics, Christophe Raufaste, Thomas Frisch, Cyrille Claudet, Franck Celestini
Summary: In this study, the process of condensation frosting on flat surfaces was investigated using thermal imaging microscopy. The results showed that the propagation speed of frost fronts is affected by the characteristic droplet size of the breath figure and is governed by the competition between the freezing time of individual droplets and the formation time of interdroplet ice bridges. Additionally, it was found that the mean ice bridge speed remains constant regardless of the characteristic radius of the liquid droplets in the breath figure.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Chenxu Wang, Xuefei Miao, Jiaju Zha, Wenhui Guo, Qingyong Ren, Yujing Zhang, Feng Xu, Luana Caron
Summary: The geometry of a magnetocaloric regenerator plays a crucial role in the performance and heat exchange efficiency of a magnetic refrigerator. A new and easy method has been proposed to produce monolithic MRs with highly ordered and unidirectional oriented microchannels. The MRs retain an orthorhombic perovskite structure after sintering, exhibiting a significantly higher isothermal entropy change.
SCRIPTA MATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Siddharth Thakur, Ashok Kumar Dasmahapatra, Dipankar Bandyopadhyay
Summary: A one-step self-organized pathway is utilized to generate large-area and high-density liquid crystal micro-droplets by spreading an LC-laden volatile liquid film rapidly on an aqueous surfactant bath. Modification of surfactant and LC loadings in the fluid can tune the size, periodicity, and ordering of the microdroplets. The LC microdroplets serve as photomasks for soft-photolithography applications, allowing for the creation of mesoscale three-dimensional features on photoresist films by controlling the movement of photons through the drops.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Intan Sue Liana Abdul Hamid, Beh Khi Khim, Mohammad Faiz Mohamed Omar, Khairu Anuar Mohamad Zain, Nuha Abd Rhaffor, Sofiyah Sal Hamid, Asrulnizam Abd Manaf
Summary: In this work, the hydrophobicity of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface was improved by fabricating 3D PDMS micropillars of various heights and investigating the wettability improvement. Two methods of PDMS replication were demonstrated using a single master mold to obtain the micropillar arrays. The different heights of the fabricated PDMS micropillars were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a surface profiler. The surface hydrophobicity was evaluated by measuring the water contact angles. The study showed that the fabrication of PDMS micropillar arrays effectively modified the contact angles of water droplets, with the highest water contact angle of 157.3 degrees achieved using a single mask grayscale lithography technique.
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
L. Betti, C. Cohen, X. Noblin
Summary: We demonstrate the impact of mechanical vibrations on a breath figure by dropping a steel ball on a plastic plate covered with a breath figure pattern. The evolution of the figure can occur in milliseconds, showing a more dramatic change than the natural aging process that takes minutes. We quantify the changes in droplet number and size over time for different substrate accelerations and initial droplet radii. It is observed that above a threshold acceleration, the final droplet count decreases as acceleration increases. This can be explained by the unpinning of the contact line causing oscillation of droplet radii, leading to contact and coalescence with neighboring droplets. Additionally, a new parameter is introduced to characterize the decrease in droplet number, which shows that all the data follows a single master curve when plotted against an effective Bond number.
PHYSICAL REVIEW FLUIDS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shahkar Falak, Bokyoung Shin, Dosung Huh
Summary: Recent developments in the breath figure (BF) method have renewed interest in the pore-selective functionalization of honeycomb-patterned (HCP) films. The selective functionalization of the HCP film with pores gives unique properties for specific applications such as protein recognition, catalysis, cell culturing, and drug delivery. This review focuses on the modified BF method for pore-selective functionalization of HCP films, examining its importance, applications, limitations, and future perspectives.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yufei Zhang, Lei Wu, Aijaz Ahmed Babar, Xinglei Zhao, Xianfeng Wang, Jianyong Yu, Bin Ding
Summary: This work presents a biomimetic nanofibrous membrane water harvester with a highly ordered honeycomb structure, featuring super flexibility, high tensile strength, superior elasticity, and excellent moisture absorption performance for efficient water collection.
Review
Physics, Applied
Gwanho Yoon, Takuo Tanaka, Thomas Zentgraf, Junsuk Rho
Summary: Metasurfaces are two-dimensional arrays of subwavelength optical antennas with potential applications in next-generation optical components, but challenges remain in large-scale manufacturing of these tiny nanostructures. Various methods are being attempted to overcome the limitations of conventional fabrication techniques.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yang Liu, Hui Zhang, Yijun Zhu, Jiawei Chen, Pu Wang, Songjie Dai, Xing Li, Guangneng Dong
Summary: Inspired by the jaws of tiny insects, researchers have developed a surface with novel jaw-like microstructures as micro one-way valves, enabling self-driven unidirectional spreading of liquid. These microstructures, which are almost two-dimensional, are simple and easy to fabricate. Surfaces with such micro one-way valves exhibit remarkable rapid and long-distance water droplet spreading behaviors, with a maximum forward-backward distance ratio of about 14.5, nearly double that of previous research. The capillary attraction at the location of the jaws and the pinning effect brought by the sharp edge of the jaws are identified as the main mechanisms.
Article
Polymer Science
Thuy T. Cao, Hiroshi Yabu, Do S. Huh
Summary: By combining the breath figure technique and layer-by-layer solution casting process, a hierarchical flower-like ordered arrangement of pores in porous films was explored successfully. The formation mechanism of flower-like ordered hierarchical porous structure was proposed based on deep experimental observation.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chenglong Liu, Zhenzhu Wang, Lei Zhang, Zeyuan Dong
Summary: In this study, a soft imine-based 2D covalent organic framework (S-COF) with a compacted honeycomb topology was synthesized. The compacted topological structure was characterized using various techniques. This research opens up new possibilities for the development of covalent organic frameworks.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Susannah Elizabeth Evans, Tomas Harrington, Maria Cristina Rodriguez Rivero, Etienne Rognin, Tri Tuladhar, Ronan Daly
Summary: The pharmaceutical industry is shifting towards biologics from small molecule drugs globally, driven by the need for more targeted treatments. Researchers and companies are facing shared challenges in developing biopharmaceuticals, including considering mechanical and chemical influences during manufacturing and selecting appropriate hardware.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
John Elie Sader
Summary: The study of a sphere's motion in a viscous gas using the linearised Boltzmann-BGK equation provides a comprehensive understanding of flows, including continuum and collisionless flows. The research also shows that impulsive rotation of a sphere in a gas generates heat flow, with its direction reversing as the flow evolves.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Cassi J. Henderson, Etienne Rognin, Elizabeth A. H. Hall, Ronan Daly
Summary: This study introduces a new biosensor format where bio-functionalized particles are moved through fluid samples. By examining the interdependencies between enzyme reaction kinetics, substrate transport, and particle settling behavior, it is found that particle size and enzyme loading influence the measured outcomes, and that this falling particle model can provide simple yet highly effective sensors.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Debadi Chakraborty, Brian Uthe, Edward W. Malachosky, Matthew Pelton, John E. Sader
Summary: This study observed slip enhancement between flowing liquids and solid surfaces, caused by the intrinsic viscoelasticity of the liquid. The enhancement of slip compared to traditional models has implications on the understanding of ultrafast liquid flows and various technologies utilizing liquid flows.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Brian Uthe, Jesse F. Collis, Mahyar Madadi, John E. Sader, Matthew Pelton
Summary: The study successfully considered the compression and shear relaxation properties of the liquid using highly spherical gold nanoparticles to drive flows without the use of the no-slip boundary condition at the particle surface.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yunhong Shi, Dunzhu Li, Liwen Xiao, Daragh Mullarkey, Daniel K. Kehoe, Emmet D. Sheerin, Sebastian Barwich, Luming Yang, Yurii K. Gun'ko, Igor V. Shvets, Matthias E. Mobius, John J. Boland, Jing Jing Wang
Summary: The study found that microplastic release levels from plastics exposed to tap water and synthetic drinking water were similar, indicating that synthetic drinking water can be a suitable reference standard for testing microplastic release levels from plastic products. Polypropylene products exposed to boiling tap water developed a protective copper oxide film, leading to a significant reduction in microplastic release.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Edward M. Hinton, Jesse F. Collis, John E. Sader
Summary: The problem involves the motion of a yield-stress material of finite height above a flat plate, encompassing both fluid-like and rigid behavior. The yield surface emerges from the plate at a rate faster than momentum diffusion, with a constant yield stress accelerating the rigid region adjacent to the free surface.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yunhong Shi, Dunzhu Li, Liwen Xiao, Emmet D. Sheerin, Daragh Mullarkey, Luming Yang, Xue Bai, Igor Shvets, John J. Boland, Jing Jing Wang
Summary: This study found that the addition of typical ions and particles in household plastic products can significantly reduce the release of microplastics. Different ions form different films to prevent the release of microplastics, while particles do not have this effect.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Mechanics
Justin S. Leontini, John E. Sader
Summary: The study presents a numerical simulation of a mechanical system called the "rigid inverted flag," which consists of a rigid plate attached to a torsional spring. The findings show that the flapping dynamics of inverted flags do not solely depend on their continuous flexibility, but can also be exhibited by rigid structures. The rigid inverted flag demonstrates additional states, including small-amplitude flapping and chaotic large-amplitude flapping regimes. The study reveals that the competition and instability between periodic states lead to chaos through various mechanisms. This research provides motivation for future experimental studies on the dynamics of rigid inverted flags.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2022)
Review
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Brian Uthe, John E. Sader, Matthew Pelton
Summary: Standard continuum assumptions may not apply to fluid flows at the nanoscale, as even simple molecular liquids can exhibit non-Newtonian viscoelastic responses and nanometer-scale slip. Optical measurements of metal nanoparticles' mechanical vibrations provide insights into the rheology and slip behavior of simple liquids at the nanoscale.
REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Naijian Shen, Debadi Chakraborty, John E. E. Sader
Summary: This article presents an exact analytical theory for the resonant response of rectangular cantilevered plates immersed in viscous fluids, and finite-element simulations are conducted to validate the theory. The results of this study are expected to have practical implications for the design and application of micro- and nano-electromechanical systems.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Edward M. M. Hinton, Jesse F. F. Collis, John E. E. Sader
Summary: This study quantitatively explores the fluid physics of oscillatory flow of Bingham material on a solid plate through analytical approximations and numerical computation. It reports four key topological properties concerning the generation and termination of yielded regions. Theoretical results can be used as a basis for oscillatory rheometry to measure the yield stress.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Stephan Link, Niklas Gross, Mahyar Madadi, Behnaz Ostovar, Pratiksha D. Dongare, Lauren A. McCarthy, Wei-Yi Chiang, Wei-Shun Chang, Naomi J. Halas, Christy F. Landes, John E. Sader
Summary: We investigate the effect of substrate-particle binding strength on the vibrational Q-factor of lithographically prepared gold nanodisks. Strong binding leads to higher acoustic Q-factors, and we propose an approach to tune enhanced acoustic Q-factors of nanoparticles.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Niamh Willis-Fox, Erica Watchorn-Rokutan, Etienne Rognin, Ronan Daly
Summary: Polymer mechanochemistry utilizes mechanical forces to break and manipulate chemical bonds, making it an ideal choice for force sensing in various emerging applications. In this review, the interdependencies between moiety design, matrix material choice, integration, and manufacturing processes are identified for polymer mechanochemistry force sensors. The challenges in commercializing these sensors based on polymer mechanophores are highlighted.
TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tanyaradzwa N. Mangoma, Shunsuke Yamamoto, George G. Malliaras, Ronan Daly
Summary: Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are essential in bioelectronics and printed electronics applications due to their simple structure, ease of tunability, biocompatibility, and suitability for different fabrication routes. This study presents a hybrid direct-write additive manufacturing approach to fabricating OECTs, combining 3D printing of conducting and insulating layers with inkjet printing of semiconducting thin films. The results demonstrate that this manufacturing method can rapidly produce OECTs and neuromorphic devices with good performance.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
