Wire Electrochemical Machining of Multiscale Superhydrophobic Arrays with Specific Unit Shapes on Stainless Steel.

The multiscale superhydrophobic array with a specific unit shape has a broader prospect for application in engineering materials, such as stainless steel (SS). However, the fabrication of the multiscale superhydrophobic array with a specific unit shape remains limited by several aspects, mainly including the complexity and controllability of multiscale integration of microstructures and arrays, the difficulties in obtaining specific unit shapes, and the low safety. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a relatively controllable, simple, and safe method to achieve a multiscale superhydrophobic array with a specific unit shape.

The Tribological Properties of Novel Sulfoximine Derivatives as Lubricant Additives.

Introducing an additive is a practical approach to improve the lubrication performance of base oil in the field of tribology. Herein, a series of sulfoximine derivatives was synthesized and incorporated into base oil A51 as additives. The tribological properties of these lubricants were evaluated at both room and high temperatures, and the result demonstrated that they displayed excellent friction reduction and wear resistance in the friction process under both test conditions.

Robust and Lubricating Interface Semi-Interpenetrating Network on Inert Polymer Substrates Enabled by Subsurface-Initiated Polymerization.

Lubricating hydrogel coatings on inert rubber and plastic surfaces significantly reduce friction and wear, thus enhancing material durability and lifespan. However, achieving optimal hydration lubrication typically requires a porous polymer network, which unfortunately reduces their mechanical strength and limits their applicability where robust durability and wear-resistance are essential. In the research, a hydrogel coating with remarkable wear resistance and surface stability is developed by forming a semi-interpenetrating polymer network with polymer substrate at the interface.

One-step zwitterionization and quaternization of thick PDMAEMA layer grafted through subsurface-initiated ATRP for robust antibiofouling and antibacterial coating on PDMS.

In this work, we demonstrate the grafting of thick poly((2-dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) layer on PDMS via subsurface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SSI-ATRP). The self-migration of DMAEMA monomers into the subsurface of PDMS is proven to be the dominant factor for the success of SSI-ATRP. The as-prepared thick microscale graft layer on PDMS shows much better abrasion resistance than nanoscale graft layer obtained by conventional surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) under identical condition.

Transparent Janus Hydrogel Wet Adhesive for Underwater Self-Cleaning.

The optical window is a key part of a sensor specially used for oceanographic detection, but it is often severely affected by marine biofouling and oil pollution, resulting in reduced transparency and lifespan. Hydrogel, as a hydrophilic polymer network, has excellent antifouling effects with good transparency, but it is difficult to adhere to substrates, which greatly limits its practical applications. To solve the above problem, a transparent Janus hydrogel wet adhesive was prepared through modifying poly(vinyl alcohol)/glycerol-tannic acid/Cu (PVA/Gly-TA/Cu) hydrogel with the underwater adhesive poly(dopamine methacrylamide--methoxyethyl acrylate) (P(DMA--MEA)) via the coordination effect between Cu and catechol.

Supramolecular assembly inspired molecular engineering to dynamically tune non-Newtonian fluid:from quasi-static flowability-free to shear thickening.

Shear thickening fluids (STFs) have been the research focus for decades because of the prospect as a damping ingredient. However, their inherent liquid character confines their practical applications. In this work, inspired by the assembly engineering, novel gelatinous shear thickening fluids (GSTFs) are fabricated by integrating low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) into STFs and investigated by rheological experiments.

Embedded polyzwitterionic brush-modified nanofibrous membrane through subsurface-initiated polymerization for highly efficient and durable oil/water separation.

Hypothesis: Developing separation membranes functionalized by polymer brushes with high separation efficiency and good cycling stability is of great importance for oil/water separation, yet is still challenged.

Experiments: In this work, the covalently embedded polyzwitterionic brush-functionalized nanofibrous membrane was developed for efficient and durable oil/water separation. The nanofibrous membrane was prepared by the electrospinning method using initiator-embedded polyacrylonitrile (PAN) resin, followed by novel subsurface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SSI-ATRP) to graft embedded poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) brushes (PSBMA).

Solvent-driven migration of highly polar monomers into hydrophobic PDMS produces a thick graft layer via subsurface initiated ATRP for efficient antibiofouling.

The sucessful grafting of highly polar polymer chains both on the surface and in the subsurface of PDMS via subsurface initiated ATRP for the improved antibiofouling performance is enabled by the diffusion of organic solvents (in a water-based binary solvent) which act as not only a "carrier" for hydrophilic monomers but also a "sweller" for the PDMS substrate.

In Situ Grafting Hydrophilic Polymeric Layer for Stable Drag Reduction.

Developing drag reduction techniques has attracted great attention because of their need in practical applications. However, many of the proposed strategies exhibit some inevitable limitations, especially for long period of adhibition. In this work, the dynamic but stable drag reduction effect of superhydrophilic hydrogel-coated iron sphere falling freely in a cylindrical water tank was investigated.

Contribution of Charges in Polyvinyl Alcohol Networks to Marine Antifouling.

Semi-interpenetrated polyvinyl alcohol polymer networks (SIPNs) were prepared by integrating various charged components into polyvinyl alcohol polymer. Contact angle measurement, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and tensile tests were used to characterize the physicochemical properties of the prepared SIPNs. To investigate the contribution of charges to marine antifouling, the adhesion behaviors of green algae Dunaliella tertiolecta and diatoms Navicula sp.