HYDROPHOBICITY－HYDROPHILICITY BALANCE RELATIONSHIPSFORCOLLECTORLESSFLOTATIONOFSULPHIDEMINERALS

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Self-propelled Leidenfrost droplets on femtosecond-laser-induced surface with periodic hydrophobicity gradient

The controllable transfer of droplets on the surface of objects has a wide application prospect in the fields of microfluidic devices,fog collection and so on.The Leidenfrost effect can be utilized to significantly reduce motion resistance.However,the use of 3D structures limits the widespread application of self-propulsion based on Leidenfrost droplets in microelectromechanical system.To manipulate Leidenfrost droplets,it is necessary to create 2D or quasi-2D geometries.In this study,femtosecond laser is applied to fabricate a surface with periodic hydrophobicity gradient(SPHG),enabling directional self-propulsion of Leidenfrost droplets.Flow field analysis within the Leidenfrost droplets reveals that the vapor layer between the droplets and the hot surface can be modulated by the SPHG,resulting in directional propulsion of the inner gas.The viscous force between the gas and liquid then drives the droplet to move.

Aligned Ion Conduction Pathway of Polyrotaxane‑Based Electrolyte with Dispersed Hydrophobic Chains for Solid‑State Lithium–Oxygen Batteries

A critical challenge hindering the practical application of lithium–oxygen batteries(LOBs)is the inevitable problems associated with liquid electrolytes,such as evaporation and safety problems.Our study addresses these problems by proposing a modified polyrotaxane(mPR)-based solid polymer electrolyte(SPE)design that simultaneously mitigates solvent-related problems and improves conductivity.mPR-SPE exhibits high ion conductivity(2.8×10^(−3)S cm^(−1)at 25℃)through aligned ion conduction pathways and provides electrode protection ability through hydrophobic chain dispersion.Integrating this mPR-SPE into solid-state LOBs resulted in stable potentials over 300 cycles.In situ Raman spectroscopy reveals the presence of an LiO_(2)intermediate alongside Li_(2)O_(2)during oxygen reactions.Ex situ X-ray diffraction confirm the ability of the SPE to hinder the permeation of oxygen and moisture,as demonstrated by the air permeability tests.The present study suggests that maintaining a low residual solvent while achieving high ionic conductivity is crucial for restricting the sub-reactions of solid-state LOBs.

Sol-gel preparation, corrosion resistance and hydrophilicity of Ta-containing TiO_2 films on Ti6Al4V alloy

Ta-containing TiO2 films with Ta contents of 5%, 20%, 33% （mole fraction） were sol-gel coated on the surface roughened Ti6AI4V alloy by dip coating method for biomedical applications. The Ta-TiO2 films on 1.5 mol/L NaOH-HCI pretreated substrate are adherent, but there are cracks for the sample with 33% Ta. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that Ti and Ta exist as TiP2 and Ta205 in the film, and A1 element is not detectable. X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering analyses reveal that the addition of Ta decreases crystallization of the films. Potentiodynamic polarization test in a Ca-free Hank＇s balanced solution demonstrates that the coating samples markedly improve the corrosion resistance compared with the polished sample. The addition of Ta impedes UV light-induced hydrophilic conversion of the coating samples. The sample with 20% Ta has enough film integrity and hydrophilic conversion rate, and is expected to possess good biological properties.

Improvement of hydrophilicity of porous PVDF membranes with LiCl additives

Porous polyvinylidene fluoride（PVDF）membranes blended with LiCl are prepared through the phase inversion method to obtain a good support layer for air dehumidification.The hydrophilicity of the resulting membrane is evaluated by water contact angle measurements and vapor adsorption tests.The moisture permeation performance of the membrane is measured by permeation tests in terms of total mass transfer coefficients and moisture permeability rates.It is found that water contact angles and water vapor adsorption capacities increase with the increasing LiCl content in the casting solution.As the LiCl content increases,the total mass transfer coefficient increases slightly at a low LiCl content（below 2.5%）and then improves greatly at a high LiCl content（above 2.5%）,whereas the moisture permeation rate increases.The results demonstrate that LiCl can remarkably improve the hydrophilicity of PVDF membranes,and then greatly enhance moisture permeation performance.

An electron beam irradiation-assisted coating method for the regulation of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity

Developing a stable,reliable,and industrially compatible method to control hydrophobicity is crucial for separation,transportation,and the generation of special surfaces.An e-HMS-PDMS silica gel nanoparticle coating was prepared using a two-step electron beam irradiation(EBI)process,consisting of(i)grafting of two organic groups onto thiol-functionalized hollow mesoporous silica(HMS-SH)with 10 MeV EBI and(ii)curing of polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)onto silicone rubber using the HMS hybrid materials prepared in step i as an additive with 200 keV EBI.The tuneable grafting of functional groups and the surface properties of the silica,which was embedded in the PDMS layer,allowed us to precisely control the hydrophilicity of the PDMS layer by means of altering the grafting gradient of the silica and the loading ratio of the monomers.A diverse range of vinyl-structured monomers can be used in this method,and the selection of suitable monomers is vital in determining the physical properties of the coating layer.The hydrophilicity of the coating can be linearly controlled within a specific range(50°to 155°)by using suitable monomers,allowing for the design of surfaces with specific hydrophilic and hydrophobic requirements.

Preparation and Hydrophilicity of Copolymerization of Chitosan Selectively Grafted by Polyethylene Glycol

Copolymerization of chitosan selectively grafted by polyethylene glycol was prepared. Chitosan was selectively grafted by monomethoxy polyethylene glycol（mPEG-OH）, which contained a hydroxyl group combining with hexamethylene diisocyanate（HDI） to form a novel macromonomer namely monomethoxy polyethylene glycol isocyanate（mPEG-NCO） containing a isocyanate group with higher chemical activity in ethyl glyoxalate solution absolutely without water. The selective grafted copolymerization of Chitosan with mPEG-NCO was conducted under heterogeneous conditions as suspension in dimethylformamide. The hydrophilic copolymers of chitosan were prepared by condensation reaction of isocyanate group on mPEG- NCO with hydroxy groups on chitosan chains because amino groups on chitosan chains were protected by complexion formation with copper ions. The effect of reaction condition on the grafting extents was discussed. Swelling properties of mPEG-g-CS were researched. The graft copolymer mPEG-g-CS was characterized by the infrared spectra. The experimental result showed that the copper ions were very effective to protect amino groups from condensation reaction. The swelling degree in water increases with adding of grafting ratio. The maximum swelling degree was up to above 132% when the grafting ratio was about 270%. The graft copolymer can be soluble partially in pure water.

Hydrophilic/hydrophobic characters of antimicrobial peptides derived from animals and their effects on multidrug resistant clinical isolates

Multidrug resistant（MDR） pathogen infections are serious threats to hospitalized patients because of the limited therapeutic options. A novel group of antibiotic candidates, antimicrobial peptides（AMPs）, have recently shown powerful activities against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Unfortunately, the viability of using these AMPs in clinical settings remains to be seen, since most still need to be evaluated prior to clinical trials and not all of AMPs are potent against MDR clinical isolates. To find a connection between the characteristics of several of these AMPs and their effects against MDR pathogens, we selected 14 AMPs of animal origin with typical structures and evaluated their in vitro activities against clinical strains of extensive drugresistant Acinetobacter baumannii, methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. Our results showed that these peptides＇ hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics, rather than their secondary structures, may explain their antibacterial effects on these clinical isolates. Peptides that are amphipathic along the longitudinal direction seemed to be effective against Gramnegative pathogens, while peptides with hydrophilic terminals separated by a hydrophobic intermediate section appeared to be effective against both Gramnegative and Gram-positive pathogens. Among these, cathelicidin-BF was found to inhibit all of the Gram-negative pathogens tested at dosages of no more than 16 mg/L, killing a pandrug-resistant A. baumannii strain within 2 h at 4×MICs and 4 h at 2×MICs. Tachyplesin III was also found capable of inhibiting all Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens tested at no more than 16 mg/L, and similarly killed the same A. baumannii strain within 4 h at 4×MICs and 2×MICs. These results suggest that both cathelicidin-BF and tachyplesin III are likely viable targets for the development of AMPs for clinical uses.

Hydrophobic versus hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lens on posterior capsule opacification: a Meta-analysis

AIM: To conduct a Meta-analysis pooling randomized controlled trials(RCTs) to compare hydrophobic with hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses in terms of posterior capsule opacification(PCO) development.METHODS: Electronic databases including PubMed,Embase, and the Cochrane Library were queried from their starting till January 2020. RCTs investigating the impact of hydrophobic versus hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses on PCO were considered eligible in this study. The pooled effect estimates were calculated using the random-effects model.RESULTS: Thirteen RCTs comprising of 939 patients(1263 eyes) were covered in this study. Patients with hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses had a lower PCO score than those with a hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses [standard mean difference:-1.80;95% confidence interval(CI):-2.62 to-0.98;P<0.001]. Moreover, the frequency of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet(Nd:YAG)capsulotomy in patients with hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses was significantly lower than patients with hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses(relative risk: 0.38;95%CI: 0.20-0.71;P=0.003).CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses are superior to hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses in patients after cataract surgery due to lower PCO score and reduced Nd:YAG capsulotomy. While similar studies are conducted by other researchers, the present study conducted subgroup analyses that show superior results with hydrophobic lenses in trials conducted in western countries.

HYDROPHOBICITY OF CONTAMINATED SILICONE RUBBER SURFACES

Silicone rubber (SIR) shows superior performance when used outdoors, but its surface can be transformed from inherently hydrophobic to hydrophilic by the adsorption of contaminants. Al(OH)(3), Al2O3, quartz powder and active carbon were selected as authentic contaminants. Hydrophobicity of the surface was determined using contact angle measurement. The results indicate that the adsorbability of the contaminants can strongly affect the hydrophobicity of contaminated SIR surface. The increasing rate of contact angle of specimens contaminated by Al(OH)(3) was much faster than that by Al2O3 and quartz due to the adsorption of migrated low molecular weight (LMW) polydimethylsiloxanes. Specimens contaminated by active carbon could achieve surface hydrophobicity within 15 min because active carbon has high adsorbability. Surfaces of contaminated ultrapure SIR, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and glass remain hydrophilic because they contain no mobile LMW components. The addition of oligomeric polydimethylsiloxanes has little effect on the hydrophobicity of contaminants covered on SIR surface.

Comparison of posterior capsule opacification at 360-degree square edge hydrophilic and sharp edge hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens in diabetic patients

·AIM: To compare posterior capsule opacification(PCO)degree and visual functions after phacoemulsification in eyes implanted with 360-degree square edge hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lens(IOL)(570C C-flex, Rayner) and sharp edge hydrophobic acrylic IOL(Sensar AR40 e,AMO) in diabetic patients.· METHODS: Sixty diabetic patients underwent uneventful phacoemulsification and randomly implanted one of the two IOLs. The PCO value was measured by retroillumination photographs and Evaluation of Posterior Capsule Opacification(EPCO) 2000 image-analysis software at 1, 6, 12, and 24 mo after surgery. Visual acuity, and contrast sensitivity in photopic and mesopic conditions were also examined at each follow up time point. The incidence of eye that required Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomy were also compared.·RESULTS: There was not any statistically significant difference in PCO scores between Rayner C-flex 570 C group and Sensar AR40 e group at each follow up time point. Visual acuity, Nd:YAG capsulotomy incidence and contrast sensitivity also had no significant difference during the 24 mo follow-up.·CONCLUSION: For diabetic patients, Rayner 570 C Cflex and Sensar AR40 e IOLs are same effective for prevent PCO. The 360-degree square edge design maybe is a good alternative technique to improve PCO prevention.

Three different low-temperature plasma-based methods for hydrophilicity improvement of polyethylene films at atmospheric pressure

Three different low-temperature plasma-based methods were used to improve the surface hydrophilicity of polyethy- lene （PE） films, and all the modification processes were carried out by employing an atmospheric pressure plasma jet （APPJ） system. （a） PE films were directly modified by APPJ using a gas mixture of He and 02. （b） Acrylic acid （AA） was introduced into the system and a polymer acrylic acid （PAA） coating was deposited onto the PE films. （c） AA was grafted onto the PE surface activated by plasma pre-treatment. It was found that the hydrophilicity of the PE films was significantly improved for all the three methods. However, the samples modified by Process （a） showed hydrophobicity recovery after a storage time of 20 days while no significant change was found in samples modified by Process （b） and Process （c）. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） results indicated that the most intensive C=O peak was detected on the PE surface modified by Process （c）. According to the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） analysis, the ratios of oxygen-containing polar groups for samples modified by Process （b） and Process （c） were higher than that modified by Process （a）.

Effect of modifying agents on the hydrophobicity and yield of zinc borate synthesized by zinc oxide

The aim of this study was to synthesize zinc borate using zinc oxide, reference boric acid, and reference zinc borate （reference ZB） as the seed, and to investigate the effects of modifying agents and reaction parameters on the hydrophobicity and yield, respectively. The reaction parameters include reaction time （1-5 h）, reactant ratio （H3BO3/ZnO by mass： 2-5）, seed ratio （seed crystal/（H3BO3＋ZnO） by mass： 0-2wt%）, reaction temperature （50-120~C）, cooling temperature （10-80~C）, and stirring rate （400-700 r/min）; the modifying agents involve propylene glycol （PG, 0-6wt%）, kerosene （lwt%-6wt%）, and oleic acid （OA, lwt%-6wt%） with solvents （isopropyl alcohol （IPA）, ethanol, and methanol）. The results of reaction yield obtained from either magnetically or mechanically stirred systems were compared. Zinc borate produced was characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR）, and contact angle tests to identify the hydrophobicity. In conclusion, zinc borate is synthesized successfully under the optimized reaction conditions, and the different modifying agents with various solvents affect the hydrophobicity of zinc borate.

Enhancing Hydrophilicity of Thick Electrodes for High Energy Density Aqueous Batteries

Thick electrodes can substantially enhance the overall energy density of batteries.However,insufficient wettability of aqueous electrolytes toward electrodes with conventional hydrophobic binders severely limits utilization of active materials with increasing the thickness of electrodes for aqueous batteries,resulting in battery performance deterioration with a reduced capacity.Here,we demonstrate that controlling the hydrophilicity of the thicker electrodes is critical to enhancing the overall energy density of batteries.Hydrophilic binders are synthesized via a simple sulfonation process of conventional polyvinylidene fluoride binders,considering physicochemical properties such as mechanical properties and adhesion.The introduction of abundant sulfonate groups of binders(i)allows fast and sufficient electrolyte wetting,and(ii)improves ionic conduction in thick electrodes,enabling a significant increase in reversible capacities under various current densities.Further,the sulfonated binder effectively inhibits the dissolution of cathode materials in reactive aqueous electrolytes.Overall,our findings significantly enhance the energy density and contribute to the development of practical zinc-ion batteries.

Synthesis, characterizations and hydrophobicity of micro/nano scaled heptadecafluorononanoic acid decorated copper nanoparticle

Copper nanoparticle was synthesized in the presence of heptadecafluorononanoic acid by the conventional solution immersion method at room temperature from the copper plate, as a resource material. The bulk etching rate was calculated by the weight loss method. The pale green colored Cu-HDFN was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and contact angle measurements and the results are critically analyzed.

An unusual network of α-MnO_(2) nanowires with structure-induced hydrophilicity and conductivity for improved electrocatalysis

Nanowires with anisotropic morphologies have been applied in various scientific and technological areas.It is also widely employed to fabricate nanowires into high-dimensional superstructures(arrays,networks etc.)to overcome the shortcomings of low-dimensional nanowires.However,typical strategies for constructing these superstructures are restricted to complicated and harsh synthetic conditions,not to mention unique 3D structures with advanced properties beyond common superstructures.Herein,we report an unusual network ofα-MnO_(2)nanowires with structure-induced hydrophilicity and conductivity.In the network,the nanowires are interconnected from all directions by nodes,and the 3D network structure is formed from the endless connection of nodes in a node-by-node way.The unique network structure brings about high hydrophilicity and conductivity,both of which are positive factors for an efficient electrocatalyst.Accordingly,the α-MnO_(2) network was tested for electrocatalytic water oxidation and showed significantly enhanced activity compared with isolatedα-MnO_(2)nanowires and 3Dα-MnO_(2)microspheres.This study not only provides a synthetic route toward an advanced network structure but also a new idea for the design of materials for electrochemistry with both efficient mass diffusion and charge transfer.

Plasma jet array treatment to improve the hydrophobicity of contaminated HTV silicone rubber

An atmospheric-pressure plasma jet array specially designed for HTV silicone rubber treatment is reported in this paper. Stable plasma containing highly energetic active particles was uniformly generated in the plasma jet array. The discharge pattern was affected by the applied voltage. The divergence phenomenon was observed at low gas flow rate and abated when the flow rate increased.Temperature of the plasma plume is close to room temperature which makes it feasible for temperature-sensitive material treatment. Hydrophobicity of contaminated HTV silicone rubber was significantly improved after quick exposure of the plasma jet array, and the effective treatment area reached 120 mm？×？50 mm（length？×？width）. Reactive particles in the plasma accelerate accumulation of the hydrophobic molecules, namely low molecular weight silicone chains, on the contaminated surface, which result in a hydrophobicity improvement of the HTV silicone rubber.

Facile Fabrication of Cellulosic Paper-based Composites with Temperature-controlled Hydrophobicity and Excellent Mechanical Strength

In this paper,we presented a novel strategy to employ a plantderived carbohydrate polymer,i.e.,cellulose,to prepare a hydrophobic composite.Cellulose was used as a scaffold,and ethylene-propylene side by side(ES)fiber was thermally melted and then coated on the cellulose surface to achieve hydrophobicity.Experimental results revealed that the thermocoating ES fibers greatly increased the water contact angle of the cellulose scaffold from 25°to 153°while simultaneously enhanced the wet tensile strength of the composite approximately 6.7-fold(drying temperature of 170℃)compared with the pure cellulose paper.In particular,compared with other related research,the prepared cellulose-based composite possessed excellent hydrophobicity and superior mechanical strength,which introduces a new chemical engineering approach to prepare hydrophobic cellulose-based functional materials.

Reduced graphene oxide aerogel decorated with Mo_(2)C nanoparticles toward multifunctional properties of hydrophobicity,thermal insulation and microwave absorption

Reduced graphene oxide(rGO)aerogels are emerging as very attractive scaffolds for high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption materials(EWAMs)due to their intrinsic conductive networks and intricate interior microstructure,as well as good compatibility with other electromagnetic(EM)components.Herein,we realized the decoration of rGO aerogel with Mo_(2)C nanoparticles by sequential hydrothermal assembly,freeze-drying,and high-temperature pyrolysis.Results show that Mo_(2)C nanoparticle loading can be easily controlled by the ammonium molybdate to glucose molar ratio.The hydrophobicity and thermal insulation of the rGO aerogel are effectively improved upon the introduction of Mo_(2)C nanoparticles,and more importantly,these nanoparticles regulate the EM properties of the rGO aerogel to a large extent.Although more Mo_(2)C nanoparticles may decrease the overall attenuation ability of the rGO aerogel,they bring much better impedance matching.At a molar ratio of 1:1,a desirable balance between attenuation ability and impedance matching is observed.In this context,the Mo_(2)C/r GO aerogel displays strong reflection loss and broad response bandwidth,even with a small applied thickness(1.7 mm)and low filler loading(9.0wt%).The positive effects of Mo_(2)C nanoparticles on multifunctional properties may render Mo_(2)C/r GO aerogels promising candidates for high-performance EWAMs under harsh conditions.

STUDY ON A HYDROPHOBIC-HYDROPHILIC GRADIENT ROD

A hydrophobic-hydrophilic gradient rod with a length of 40 mm and a diameter of 3 mm was prepared by heating a polymethylsilsesquioxane rod in a cylindrical stove with temperature gradient. The rod was thus pyrolyzed under a temperature gradient condition. The organic end of the gradient rod appears hydrophobic with a contact angle of 109.9° while the other end is hydrophilic with a contact angle of 62.4°. The gradient chemical structure and the gradient microstructure along the rod were characterized by FTIR and SEM, respectively.