温度驱动的相变润滑剂灌注表面用于可持续抗垢

润滑剂灌注表面(LIS)能够减少来自不同来源的污染(包括细菌、冰和水垢).然而,润滑剂的液体特性经常导致这类表面在恶劣环境中流失,从而无法防止污垢的沉积.本文报道了一种相变润滑剂灌注的表面,实现了长期高效抗水垢.当温度在润滑剂的熔点以下时,润滑剂为固态,展示出了高的稳定性.当温度在润滑剂的熔点以上时,液态润滑剂利用其光滑的表面形貌和水垢黏附的降低,实现了抗水垢.本文对于处理实际应用中结垢问题,特别是在温度变化场景下的结垢问题,提供了一种可行方法.

Wettability-driven synergistic resistance of scale and oil on robust superamphiphobic coating

Disgusting deposits(e.g.,scale and crude oil)in daily life and industrial production are always serious problems,posing great threats to the safety and economic development.However,most of developed coatings can only conquer one part of these deposits such as superhydrophobic coatings possess antiscaling capacity but would adhere crude oil.To integrate scale resistance with oil repellence,we herein report a robust superamphiphobic(SAB)coating simultaneously reducing pollution of scale and oil for extended period of time(two weeks with over 98%reduction).Compared with single role of superhydrophobic and amphiphilic surfaces,the SAB coating can not only inhibit interfacial nucleation of scale but also reduce the adhesion of formed scale and polluted oil.The durability of the SAB coating is evaluated via mechanical tests(sandpaper abrasion,tape stripping and sand falling)and chemical corrosion(corrosive liquid immersing),revealed by sustainable high contact angles and low contact angle hysteresis of water and oil.The universality of this strategy can be further confirmed by adding different particles like kaolin,Al_(2)O_(3),and SiO_(2),resisting multiple types of scale(i.e.,CaSO_(4),BaSO_(4)and MgCO_(3))and oil(i.e.,glycerol,glycol,and mineral oil).Therefore,this study provides an ideal avenue for resisting scale and oil,which may be used for conquering the complexity of application environments(e.g.,oil production and transportation).

Water-Excluding Underwater Glue Induced by Marangoni Effect

Marangoni effect at the two-phase interface with different surface tension as a unique mass transfer phenomenon has been widely used in daily life and industrialmanufacture.However,their marvelous liquid-driving capability between miscible liquids has long been ignored,especially in water environments.Here,we first reveal a distinct underwater Marangoni effect between the solvent of glues and the water layer on solid surfaces.Driven by the Marangoni effect,organic solvents with water solubility,high dielectric constant,and low diffusivity could effectively exclude the interfacial water layer,enabling direct and effective contact between glues and solid surfaces.Our experimental results and theoretical simulation proved that a relatively large ratio of the Marangoni number in the horizontal direction and to the vertical direction ensured an effective underwater adhesion of the water-excluding glue.This surface engineering approach provides an alternative to the traditional methods of molecular engineering for realizing underwater adhesion.

Cell adhesive spectra along surface wettability gradient from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity

Surface wettability is important to design biointerfaces and fimctional biomaterials in various biological applications. However, to date, it remains some confusions about how cells would response to the surfaces with different wettabilities. Herein, we systematically explore the adhesive spectra of cells to the surface with wettability gradient from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity, clarifying the effect of wettability on cell adhesion. We envision that this study may provide valuable information for the design of biomedical implants with controllable cell adhesion, such as neural interface devices and flexible implant.

Photo-responsive polymer materials for biological applications

Photo-responsive polymer materials from zero-dimensional micelles, two-dimensional surfaces to three-dimensional hydrogels have been designed, synthesized and applied for various biological fields including drug delivery and cell manipulation. Many remarkable works have been reported, revealing the advantages of photo-responsive polymers such as noninvasion and spatiotemporal control. In this review, we briefly summarized the remarkable progress of photo-responsive polymers with irreversible or reversible moieties and their further biological applications. The future opportunities and challenges of photo-responsive polymer materials are also proposed.

Flexible Dry Hydrogel with Lamella-Like Structure Engineered via Dehydration in Poor Solvent

Hydrogels are among the most promising biologic materials in recent technology with numerous desired applications,including serving as biosensors,drug delivery vehicles,and tissue-engineered products for cell matrices.However,they often dehydrate,and become stiff and brittle in air,causing loss of flexibility and functions.Several layered structures have been proven to increase the strength,toughness,and even flexibility of these materials,which might provide a new clue for the sustenance of the flexibility of drying gels.Herein,we report a novel solvent-dehydrated hydrogel engineering approach,aimed to change the inner structure and keep the flexibility of a dehydrated hydrogel in the air via solvent-induced dehydration,for example,acetonedehydrated polyacrylic acid hydrogel.This flexible dry gel could be folded,twisted,and stretched without any damage due to the assumed lamella-like structures,contrary to dry gels without these microstructures or those with porous structures,which retain brittle consistency.The flexible dry gel also exhibited excellent self-healing capability with the assistance of solvents.Fascinatingly,this flexible gel film displayed strain-visualizing paper writing/erasing performance properties,with water acting as invisible ink.Thus,this fabricated flexible hydrogel film might function as confidential information storage material.Our current approach is versatile,hence applicable to other hydrogels,and provides insight into the engineering of other functional gels for extended future applications.