Epitaxial Guidance of Adamantyl-Substituted Polythiophenes by Self-Assembled Monolayers.

The anisotropic nature of charge transport through organic materials requires high control over the self-assembly of the organic materials. This is particularly so for conductive polymers, where transport occurs mainly along the polymers' backbone. Herein, we demonstrate the use of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) to influence the self-assembly of poly(3-adamantylmethylthiophene).

Self-Assembled Hydrogel Membranes with Structurally Tunable Mechanical and Biological Properties.

Using supramolecular self-assembled nanocomposite materials made from protein and polysaccharide components is becoming more popular because of their unique properties, such as biodegradability, hierarchical structures, and tunable multifunctionality. However, the fabrication of these materials in a reproducible way remains a challenge. This study presents a new evaporation-induced self-assembly method producing layered hydrogel membranes (LHMs) using tropocollagen grafted by partially deacetylated chitin nanocrystals (CO--ChNCs).

Physico-Chemical Properties of Lithium Silicates Related to Their Utilization for Concrete Densifiers.

Protection of concrete against aggressive influences from the surrounding environment becomes an important step to increase its durability. Today, alkali silicate solutions are advantageously used as pore-blocking treatments that increase the hardness and impermeability of the concrete's surface layer. Among these chemical substances, known as concrete densifiers, lithium silicate solutions are growing in popularity.

Correlating Hydration of Alkali-Activated Slag Modified by Organic Additives to the Evolution of Its Properties.

This study investigates the relationships between the hydration kinetics of waterglass-activated slag and the development of its physical-mechanical properties, as well as its color change. To modify the calorimetric response of alkali-activated slag, hexylene glycol was selected from various alcohols for in-depth experiments. In presence of hexylene glycol, the formation of initial reaction products was restricted to the slag surface, which drastically slowed down the further consumption of dissolved species and slag dissolution and consequently delayed the bulk hydration of the waterglass-activated slag by several days.

Effect of Alkali Salts on the Hydration Process of Belite Clinker.

Belite-rich cement is a low carbon footprint binder. However, its use is accompanied by a low initial rate of hydration. This can be partially eliminated by grinding to a high specific surface or through the addition of admixtures (mineralizators or activators).