Erratum to“Probing the Interfacial Forces and Surface Interaction Mechanisms in Petroleum Production Processes”[Engineering 18(2022)49-61]

In Ref.[1],Eq.(8)has a typo,the following replacement should be done.γ_(bb)/2rδ/δr(rδ(r,t)/δr=2γ_(bb)/R_(bb)-Þ(t,t)-Ⅱ[h[r,t)](bubble=drop-bubble=drop)The publisher regrets an error in the original–article,and the sentence that explained the equation“Eqs.(8)–(10)show the augmented Young–Laplace equation for the interactions of gas bubbles or liquid droplets in different configurations,where Rb is the bubble/drop radius,Rp is the particle radius,Rbp=(1/Rb+1/Rp)1.

Probing the Interfacial Forces and Surface Interaction Mechanisms in Petroleum Production Processes

Despite the advances that have been made in renewable energy over the past decade,crude oil or petroleum remains one of the most important energy resources to the world.Petroleum production presents many challenging issues,such as the destabilization of complex oil-water emulsions,fouling phenomena on pipelines and other facilities,and water treatment.These problems are influenced by the molecular forces at the oil/water/solid/gas interfaces involved in relevant processes.Herein,we present an overview of recent advances on probing the interfacial forces in several petroleum production processes(e.g.,bitumen extraction,emulsion stabilization and destabilization,fouling and antifouling phenomena,and water treatment)by applying nanomechanical measurement technologies such as a surface forces apparatus(SFA)and an atomic force microscope(AFM).The interaction forces between bitumen and mineral solids or air bubbles in the surrounding fluid media determine the bitumen liberation and flotation efficiency in oil sands production.The stability of complex oil/water emulsions is governed by the forces between emulsion drops and particularly between interface-active species(e.g.,asphaltenes).Various oil components(e.g.,asphaltenes)and emulsion drops interact with different substrate surfaces(e.g.,pipelines or membranes),influencing fouling phenomena,oil-water separation,and wastewater treatment.Quantifying these intermolecular and interfacial forces has advanced the mechanistic understanding of these interfacial interactions,facilitating the development of advanced materials and technologies to solve relevant challenging issues and improve petroleum production processes.Remaining challenges and suggestions on future research directions in the field are also presented.

Recent advances in designing conductive hydrogels for flexible electronics

Flexible electronics have emerged as an exciting research area in recent years,serving as ideal interfaces bridging biological systems and conventional electronic devices.Flexible electronics can not only collect physiological signals for human health monitoring but also enrich our daily life with multifunctional smart materials and devices.Conductive hydrogels(CHs)have become promising candidates for the fabrication of flexible electronics owing to their biocompatibility,adjustable mechanical flexibility,good conductivity,and multiple stimuli-responsive properties.To achieve on-demand mechanical properties such as stretchability,compressibility,and elasticity,the rational design of polymer networks via modulating chemical and physical intermolecular interactions is required.Moreover,the type of conductive components(eg,electron-conductive materials,ions)and the incorporation method also play an important role in the conductivity of CHs.Electron-CHs usually possess excellent conductivity,while ion-CHs are generally transparent and can generate ion gradients within the hydrogel matrices.This mini review focuses on the recent advances in the design of CHs,introducing various design strategies for electron-CHs and ion-CHs employed in flexible electronics and highlighting their versatile applications such as biosensors,batteries,supercapacitors,nanogenerators,actuators,touch panels,and displays.