Condensation on ultrahydrophobic surfaces and its effect on droplet mobility: ultrahydrophobic surfaces are not always water repellant

The condensation of water was studied on topography-based ultrahydrophobic surfaces containing hydrophobized silicon pillars. Optical microscopy showed that water nucleated and grew both on top of and between the pillars. As condensation progressed, water between the pillars became unstable and was forced upward to the surface. Macroscopic water droplets on top of the pillars coalesced with condensed water that remained between the pillars, pinning the droplets at their three-phase contact line. Dynamic contact angle measurements on ultrahydrophobic surfaces wet with condensation revealed a dramatic increase in hysteresis compared to that on dry surfaces, leading to a corresponding decrease in water drop mobility.     

Shaping Solid-State Supramolecular Cavities: Chemically Induced Accordionlike Movement of gamma-Zirconium Phosphate Containing Polyethylenoxide Pillars

The hydrophilic oxygen atoms of polyethylenoxide chains inserted as pillars in gamma-zirconium phosphate form hydrogen bonds with the acid groups of the host. As a result the pillars are almost perpendicular to the gamma layers. Upon changing the pH level of the supernatant solution the hydrogen bonds are broken and the pillars become almost perpendicular to the layers (shown schematically). Thus there is a reversible enlargement-shortening of the interlayer space.     

Computer aided design optimisation of microfluidic flow distributors

This study reports on a quantitative study of the influence of the most important geometrical design parameters for micro-machined flow distributors with uniform cross-section and filled with diamond-shaped pillars having their longest dimension oriented perpendicular to the axial flow direction. It was found that the shape of the bands eluting from the distributor improves with increasing aspect ratio (AR) of the pillars, both in terms of global warp and local axial dispersion. Increasing the AR from 5 to 25 reduces the distributor length needed to bring the maximal transversal velocity difference below 5% from 170 μm to 15 μm when using pillars with axial width of 5 μm. To solve the problem that high AR pillar distributors only have a limited number of exit points, and therefore produce bands with a strong local warp, one can conceive mixed size distributors, wherein a zone filled with several rows of very high AR pillars is followed by one or more zones consisting of pillars with a smaller AR. With such a design, the variance of the eluting bands can be reduced to only 30% of the variance of a single size distributor.     

Adsorption isoterms and capillary condensation in a nanoslit with rough walls: a density functional theory

Adsorption isoterms and capillary condensation in an open slit with walls decorated with arrays of pillars are examined using the density functional theory. Compared with the main substrate, the pillars can have the same or different parameters in the Lennard-Jones interaction potential between them and the fluid in the slit. The roughness of the solid surface, defined as the ratio between the area of the actual surface and the area of the surface free of pillars, is controlled by the height of the pillars. It is shown that the capillary condensation pressure first increases with increasing roughness, passes through a maximum, and then decreases. The amount of adsorbed fluid at constant volume of the slit has, in general, a nonmonotonic dependence on roughness. These features of adsorption and capillary condensation are results of increased surface area and changes in the fluid-solid potential energy due to changes in roughness.     

羟基硅铝交联粘土的合成和热稳定性研究

羟基硅铝交联粘土的合成和热稳定性研究孙来生，李栋藩，陶龙骧（中国科学院大连化学物理研究所，大连１１６０２３）关键词蒙脱土，硅铝柱，热稳定性，~（２７）Ａｌ　ＮＭＲ交联粘土作为一种新型催化材料出现以来，其热稳定性一直是重要研究课题，对影响交联粘土热稳定?..     

Laser-assisted synthesis of cobalt@N-doped carbon nanotubes decorated channels and pillars of wafer-sized silicon as highly efficient three-dimensional solar evaporator

The Co@NCNTs/Si pillars with channels is assemble to a suitable pure water gathering device, which is applied in seawater desalination and sewage purification to produce pure water by utilizing solar energy. High-efficiency utilization of solar energy to generate water vapor is popular, recyclable, and environmentally friendly for seawater desalination and sewage purification, helping to alleviate the global water shortage crisis. Here, we report an efficient and simple method to prepare a three-dimensional (3D) evaporator for steam generation by harnessing the power of the sun. This evaporation is composed of one-dimensional (1D) cobalt embedded and nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (Co@NCNTs) and 3D silicon pillars array structure (Si pillars). The Co@NCNTs/Si pillars shows a wide light absorption range provided by carbon nanotubes and a long light absorption path because of the silicon pillars. The surface temperature of the sample rises rapidly in 1.5 min and exceed 80 °C under solar illumination of one sun. The water evaporation can be high as 1.21 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ under one sun irradiation (1 kW/m²) with the energy efficiency up to 82.4%. This scalable Co@NCNTs/Si pillars can prepare pure water from seawater and sewage, where the removal rate of ions in seawater and pollutants in sewage is similar to 100%. Based on our research, this multistage three-dimensional structure is a simple and efficient novel photothermal material for extensive seawater desalination and sewage purification.     

Suspension of water droplets on individual pillars

We report results of extensive experimental and numerical studies on the suspension of water drops deposited on cylindrical pillars having circular and square cross sections and different wettabilities. In the case of circular pillars, the drop contact line is pinned to the whole edge contour until the drop collapses due to the action of gravity. In contrast, on square pillars, the drops are suspended on the four corners and spilling along the vertical walls is observed. We have also studied the ability of the two geometries to sustain drops and found that if we compare pillars with the same characteristic size, the square is more efficient in pinning large volumes, while if we normalize the volumes to pillar areas, the opposite is true.     

Adhesion enhancement through micropatterning at polydimethylsiloxane-acrylic adhesive interfaces

Adhesion at polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-acrylic adhesive interfaces is shown to be enhanced through micropatterning of the PDMS substrate. By varying the geometry of the patterns (groves and hexagonal arrays of pillars of micrometer sizes, obtained through soft lithography techniques) and comparing rigid and deformable substrates, the respective roles of the geometry and the size and flexibility of the pattern features on the level of adhesion have been analyzed. For cylindrical pillars, two regimes are clearly identified: for a relatively low aspect ratio (h/r < 3, with h and r, respectively, the height and the radius of the pillars), soft patterned substrates are more efficient than rigid ones at increasing adhesion, pointing out the role of the elastic energy associated with the deformation of the pattern that is lost when the adhesive detaches from the substrate. Using scaling laws, the predominant contribution to that elastic energy can be further identified: deformation of the substrate underlying the pillars for h/r < 1.6 or bending of the pillars for h/r > 1.6.; for a high aspect ratio (h/r > 3), only rigid patterned substrates enhance adhesion, then the only possible contribution to energy dissipation comes from the enhanced viscoelastic losses associated with the pattern that induce modifications of the strain field within the adhesive layer. Soft, high aspect ratio patterns lose their efficiency even if still bent under the effect of the peel forces. This is because when bent, some of the pillars touch each other and remain stuck together, lying flat on the surface after the passage of the peel front. The bending elastic energy of the pillars (which is still lost) is then balanced by the corresponding gain in surface energy of the substrate in the peeled region. These systematic experiments demonstrate that the ability of the patterned surface to be deformed plays a crucial role in enhancing adhesion and allow us to propose a way to fine tune the level of adhesion at PDMS-acrylic adhesive interfaces, independently of the chemistry of the adhesive.     

杂多阴离子柱撑水滑石层柱相互作用的XPS研究(II)

水滑石（LayeredDoubleHydroxides，简称LDHs）作为一类重要的柱层材料已引起人们的重视[1，2]．人们利用水滑石间柱阴离子的可交换性的特点[3].将各种阴离子如无机和有机阴离子[4]、同多和杂多阴离子（Polyoxometalates；简称POMs）[5]相继被引入水滑石层间．因此得到了具有高     

Growth dynamics of water drops on a square-pattern rough hydrophobic surface

Condensation on rough or superhydrophobic substrates can induce wetting behavior that is quite different from that of deposited or impinging drops. We investigate the growth dynamics of water drops in a well-controlled condensation chamber on a model rough hydrophobic surface made of square pillars. After having followed growth laws similar to those observed on flat surfaces, a transition to an air-pocket-like state occurred because of the bridging of the drops between the pillars. Another transition to the more stable Wenzel state is later ensured by a noticeable pillar self-drying process. Condensation ends up in a few large drops in a mixed Wenzel penetration regime. The drops are fed by neighboring channels and the adjacent pillars stay almost dry, a remarkable and seemingly general property of rough hydrophobic substrates.     

Modeling the interactions between compliant microcapsules and pillars in microchannels

Using a computational model, we investigate the motion of microcapsules inside a microchannel that encompasses a narrow constriction. The microcapsules are composed of a compliant, elastic shell and an encapsulated fluid; these fluid-filled shells model synthetic polymeric microcapsules or biological cells (e.g., leukocytes). Driven by an imposed flow, the capsules are propelled along the microchannel and through the constricted region, which is formed by two pillars that lie in registry, extending from the top and bottom walls of the channels. The tops of these pillars (facing into the microchannel) are modified to exhibit either a neutral or an attractive interaction with the microcapsules. The pillars (and constriction) model topological features that can be introduced into microfluidic devices or the physical and chemical heterogeneities that are inherently present in biological vessels. To simulate the behavior of this complex system, we employ a hybrid method that integrates the lattice Boltzmann model (LBM) for fluid dynamics and the lattice spring model (LSM) for the micromechanics of elastic solids. Through this LBM/LSM technique, we probe how the capsule's stiffness and interaction with the pillars affect its passage through the chambers. The results yield guidelines for regulating the movement of microcarriers in microfluidic systems and provide insight into the flow properties of biological cells in capillaries.     

Pyramidal assemblies of colloidal particles by micromolding underneath top-gathering pillar arrays

Assemblies of colloidal particles are known to have special photonic and optical properties. Periodic pyramidal assemblies of SiO2 particles with diameters of 0.5 and 1 microm were fabricated using top-gathering pillar arrays as a new template. These top-gathering pillar arrays consisted of four pillars gathered at the top, and were fabricated by photolithography of an organic-inorganic hybrid material. The top-gathering units were obtained by controlling both the capillary and restoring forces. When a colloidal water suspension was spread on the template and the water was allowed to evaporate, the SiO2 particles were molded under the top-gathering pillars according to particle size, resulting in pyramidal assembly arrays of the particles. From in situ observation during the evaporation of water, it was found that the particles were molded underneath the top-gathering pillars by flux generated by the evaporation and by the capillary force among the particles.     

A theoretical description of elastic pillar substrates in biophysical experiments.

Arrays of elastic pillars are used in biophysical experiments as sensors for traction forces. The evaluation of the forces can be complicated if they are coupled to the pillar displacements over large distances. This is the case if many of the pillars are interconnected by elastic linkages as, for example, in fiber networks that are grown on top of pillars. To calculate the traction forces in such a network, we developed a set of nonlinear inhomogeneous equations relating the forces in the linking elements to the resulting pillar deflections. We chose a homogeneous, activated two-dimensional network of cytoskeletal actin filaments to illustrate that a pillar substrate is generally not a force sensor but a force-gradient sensor. In homogeneous networks the forces acting along the filaments can be approximated by analyzing only pillar deflections in the edge zones of the substrate and by integration over the corresponding force gradients.     

Micro-actuators: when artificial muscles made of nematic liquid crystal elastomers meet soft lithography

The production, via soft lithography, of micron-sized thermoresponsive pillars made of side-on nematic LCE leads to the formation of surface-responsive structures. The individual, monodisperse pillars, when cut out from the surface, behave as micro-actuators, showing contraction of around 35% at the nematic to isotropic phase transition.     

部份层无序铝交联蒙脱土结构的研究

应用非完整晶体的XRD衍射及阳离子交换量的测定等实验数据, 得出了铝交联蒙脱土的三维结构模型. 结构中Al(III)多数以十三聚体形式进入层间, 层间距为1.97 nm, 几率为0.65, 少数以六聚体形式进入层间, 层间距为1.5 nm, 几率为0.25, 其余10%的层间仅为水分子. 并给出了交联柱子在层间的分布与层单元之间的连接方式. 目前通用的以Bragg公式计算所得的d_(001)值来表征交联浆脱土的层间距是不确切的.     

Thermogravimetric Analysis for Acidity Determination in Pillared Clays

Thermogravimetric analysis of pyridine adsorption was applied to study the acidity at different temperatures of clays pillared with Al pillars and mixed Al-Ga pillars, in relation to the starting montmorillonite. These results were compared with those obtained by means of a pulse-chromatographic technique. The pillaring process produces a large number of acid centers in the samples. Al-Ga-PILC has a higher acidity than Al-PILC. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Montmorillonite-based porous clay heterostructures (PCHs) intercalated with silica-titania pillars—synthesis and characterization

Porous clay heterostructures (PCHs) were synthesized using natural montmorillonite as a raw material. Apart from pure silica pillars also silica-titania pillars were intercalated into the interlayer space of the parent clay. The detailed studies of the calcination process of the as-prepared PCH samples as well as thermal stability of the pillared structure of these materials were performed. The pillared structure of PCHs intercalated with both silica and silica-titania clusters was found to be thermally stable up to temperatures exceeding 600 °C. It was found that titanium incorporated into the silica pillars was present mainly in the form of separated tetracoordinated cations. For the samples with the higher Ti loading also small contribution of titanium in the form of the polymeric oxide species was detected. Titanium incorporated into the PCH materials significantly increased their surface acidity forming mainly Brønsted acid sites.     

Nanodrop on a nanorough hydrophilic solid surface: contact angle dependence on the size, arrangement, and composition of the pillars

A two-dimensional nanodrop on a hydrophilic solid surface decorated with nanopillars is examined using a nonlocal density functional theory. It is shown that, in contrast to the commonly used Wenzel formula, even an extremely small roughness can considerably increase the contact angle. The contact angle depends on the distance between pillars, their height and width, as well as their composition. It was found that for all selected pillar heights and compositions, the largest contact angle is obtained when the distance between pillars acquires a size at which the liquid molecules can no longer penetrate between them. The further decrease in the interpillar distance decreases the contact angle, in qualitative agreement with the Cassie-Baxter formula. Considering pillars of various compositions, the role of the gradient of the fluid-solid interaction potential is examined. The presence of such a gradient does not allow the formation of a stable nanodrop on the surface. However, asymmetrical metastable nanodrops can be formed.     

Cover Picture: Freely Suspended Actin Cortex Models on Arrays of Microfabricated Pillars (ChemPhysChem 8/2003)

The cover picture shows the first demonstration of a biomimetic model of the cellular actin cortex. The actin filamental network imaged as a fluorescent micrograph (orange) is suspended on top of an array of microfabricated silicon pillars, schematically drawn in light blue. The actin network is obtained by polymerising actin filaments from a template provided by gold‐capped pillars. Subsequently adding filamin as actin‐crosslinking protein causes the formation of the ordered network within minutes. Find out more in the article by Spatz and co‐workers on pages 872–877.     

Ordered Microporous Layered Lanthanide 1,3,5‐Benzenetriphosphonates Pillared with Cationic Organic Molecules

Novel isomorphous pillared‐layer‐type crystalline lanthanide 1,3,5‐benzenetriphosphonates were prepared with bpy and dbo as organic pillars (LnBP‐bpy and LnBP‐dbo; Ln: Ce, Pr, and Nd). Ab initio crystal structure solution using synchrotron X‐ray powder diffraction data revealed that the organic pillars do not exist as neutral coordinating ligands but as cationic molecules. Especially the LnBP‐dbo phases have ordered interlayer space filled with water molecules between the dbo pillars, and the interlayer water is successfully removed by heating under vacuum with slightly distorted but basically retained pillared layer structures. Microporosity of the materials is confirmed by adsorption of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen gases. Such microporous layered metal phosphonates pillared with cationic molecules should be unprecedented and should offer new strategies to design ordered microporous materials.