Water-Enabled Electricity Generation by a Smooth Liquid-Like Semiconductor Coating Surface.

Water energy-converting techniques that focus on interfacial charge separation and transfer have aroused significant attention. However, the water-repelling nature leads to a less dense liquid layer and a sharp gradient of liquid velocity, which limits its output performance. Here, a water sliding generator (WSG) based on a smooth liquid-like/semiconductor surface (SLSS) is developed that harnesses the full advantage of liquid sliding friction.

Superhydrophobic Coatings Composed of Multifunctional Polymers Synthesized Using Successive Modification of Dihydropyrimidin-2(1)-thione.

Polymer synthesis via multicomponent reactions (MCRs) has opened avenues in polymer chemistry and led to the development of various types of functional polymers. Herein, we developed a strategy to prepare multifunctional polymers via the successive modification of dihydropyrimidin-2(1)-thione (DHPMT), which can be generated by the tricomponent Biginelli reaction. Four hydrophobic polymers were efficiently prepared by using DHPMT derivatives.

A Wax-Elastomer Superwetting Membrane with Controllable Permeability: Toward Separating a Crude Oil-in-Water Emulsion from an Oil Field.

Smart superwetting membranes with finely tunable properties have attracted increased attention recently. However, they mostly focus on controllable wettability rather than controllable permeability. Also, the oil/water separation performance is usually tested with laboratory-simulated samples, making it hard for the materials to meet practical applications.

A Self-Adaptive and Regenerable Hydrogel Interfacial Evaporator with Adjustable Evaporation Area for Solar Water Purification.

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is a potential water purification solution. Here, a novel regenerable hydrogel interfacial evaporator is designed with tunable water production. Such an evaporator is fabricated by readily mixing hydroxypropyl chitosan (HPCS) and dibenzaldehyde-functional poly(ethylene glycol) (DF-PEG) at ambient conditions.

Daphnia-inspired dynamic slippery chemically bonded liquid surface for the active prevention of covalently attached foulant adhesion.

Engineering anti-adhesion coatings always focuses on a specific hierarchy and surface free energy, which passively endures water scouring to wash away the loosely attached foulants. Certain foulants, however, especially those that are highly adhesive or covalently attached on the coatings, cannot be removed off the designed surfaces easily. Inspired by the active self-hunting behavior of the filter-feeding animal Daphnia, herein, we propose a universal antifouling strategy with both passive and active adhesion repellency capabilities.

A Dually Charged Membrane for Seawater Utilization: Combining Marine Pollution Remediation and Desalination by Simultaneous Removal of Polluted Dispersed Oil, Surfactants, and Ions.

Shortage of freshwater and deterioration of the marine environment have a serious effect on the human body and ecological environment. Here, we demonstrated a facile way to prepare a multiple-target superwetting porous material to obtain available water without cumbersome steps. Through the facile immersion and hydrothermal method, a charge-enhanced membrane material combining superwettability, electrostatic interaction, and the steric effect is prepared.

Universal and tunable liquid-liquid separation by nanoparticle-embedded gating membranes based on a self-defined interfacial parameter.

Superwetting porous membranes with tunable liquid repellency are highly desirable in broad domains including scientific research, chemical industry, and environmental protection. Such membranes should allow for controllable droplet bouncing or spreading, which is difficult to achieve for low surface energy organic liquids (OLs). Here we develop an interfacial physical parameter to regulate the OL wettability of nanoparticle-embedded membranes by structuring synergistic layers with reconfigurable surface energy components.

Superwetting Patterned Membranes with an Anisotropy/Isotropy Transition: Towards Signal Expression and Liquid Permeation.

Superwetting membranes with responsive properties have attracted heightened attention because of their fine-tunable surface wettability. However, their functional diversity is severely limited by the "black-or-white" wettability transition. Herein, we describe a coating strategy to fabricate multifunctional responsive superwetting membranes with SiO /octadecylamine patterns.