Automated image-based method for laboratory screening of coating libraries for adhesion of algae and bacterial biofilms

Assessment and down-selection of non-biocidal coatings that prevent the adhesion of fouling organisms in the marine environment requires a hierarchy of laboratory methods to reduce the number of experimental coatings for field testing. Automated image-based methods are described that facilitate rapid, quantitative biological screening of coatings generated through combinatorial polymer chemistry. Algorithms are described that measure the coverage of bacterial and algal biofilms on coatings prepared in 24-well plates and on array panels, respectively. The data are used to calculate adhesion strength of organisms on experimental coatings. The results complement a number of physical and mechanical methods developed to screen large numbers of samples.     

Development of combinatorial chemistry methods for coatings: high-throughput weathering evaluation and scale-up of combinatorial leads

Combinatorial screening of materials formulations followed by the scale-up of combinatorial leads has been applied for the development of high-performance coating materials for automotive applications. We replaced labor-intensive coating formulation, testing, and measurement with a "combinatorial factory" that includes robotic formulation of coatings, their deposition as 48 coatings on a 9x12-cm plastic substrate, accelerated performance testing, and automated spectroscopic and image analysis of resulting performance. This high-throughput (HT) performance testing and measurement of the resulting properties provided a powerful set of tools for the 10-fold accelerated discovery of these coating materials. Performance of coatings is evaluated with respect to their weathering, because this parameter is one of the primary considerations in end-use automotive applications. Our HT screening strategy provides previously unavailable capabilities of (1) high speed and reproducibility of testing by using robotic automation and (2) improved quantification by using optical spectroscopic analysis of discoloration of coating-substrate structure and automatic imaging of the integrity loss of coatings. Upon testing, the coatings undergo changes that are impossible to quantitatively predict using existing knowledge. Using our HT methodology, we have developed several cost-competitive coatings leads that match the performance of more costly coatings. These HT screening results for the best coating compositions have been validated on the traditional scales of coating formulation and weathering testing. These validation results have confirmed the improved weathering performance of combinatorially developed coatings over conventional coatings on the traditional scale.     

Controlled, rapid deposition of structured coatings from micro- and nanoparticle suspensions

The objective of the study was to develop the operational basis for rapid and controlled deposition of crystal coatings from particles of a wide size range. We deposited such structured coatings by dragging with constant velocity a small volume of liquid confined in a meniscus between two plates. Two types of structured coatings were characterized: latex colloidal crystals and thin layers from metallic nanoparticles. The crystal deposition was sped up by use of preconcentrated suspensions. Crystal coatings larger than a few square centimeters were deposited in minutes from aqueous suspension volumes of approximately 10 microL. The governing mechanism of crystal deposition is convective assembly at high volume fractions. The two major process parameters that allow control over the coating thickness and structure were the deposition speed and particle volume fraction. The evaporation rate was not found to affect the process to a large extent. A volumetric flux balance was used to relate the deposition parameters to coating structure and properties. Operational "phase" diagrams were constructed, relating the crystal layer thickness and packing symmetry to the process parameters. These diagrams could be instrumental in transforming the convective colloidal deposition into a robust scaleable technology.     

Development of multifunctional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)‐epoxy‐zinc oxide nanocomposite coatings for marine applications

Multifunctional epoxy‐polydimethylsiloxane nanocomposite coatings with antifouling and anticorrosion characteristics have been developed via in situ polymerization method at different loading (1, 3, and 6.5 wt.%) of ZnO nanoparticles to cater marine applications. A detailed comparative analysis has been carried out between epoxy‐polydimethylsiloxane control (EPC) and ZnO‐reinforced coatings to determine the influence of ZnO loading on various properties. The incorporation of ZnO in EPC led to increase in root mean square (RMS) roughness to 126.75 nm and improved hydrophobicity showing maximum contact angle of 123.5° with low surface energy of 19.75 mN/m of nanocomposite coating as compared with control coating. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) result indicated improved glass transition temperature of nanocomposite coatings with highest T_g obtained at 83.69°C in case of 1 wt.% loading of ZnO. The increase in hydrophobicity of the system was accompanied by upgraded anticorrosion performance exhibiting 98.8% corrosion inhibition efficiency (CIE) as compared with control coating and lower corrosion rate of 0.12 × 10^?3 mm/year. The Taber abrasion resistance and pull‐off adhesion strength results indicated an increment of 34.7% and 150.7%, respectively, in case of nanocomposite coating as compared with the control coating. The hardness of nanocomposite coatings was also improved, and maximum hardness was found to be 65.75 MPa for nanocomposite coating with 1 wt.% of ZnO. Our study showed that the nanocomposite coating was efficient in inhibiting accumulation of marine bacteria and preventing biofouling for more than 8 months. The developed environment‐friendly and efficient nanocomposite material has a promising future as a high‐performance anticorrosive and antifouling coating for marine applications.     

Deposition of protective-decorative coatings onto aluminum alloys

Technique for deposition of a nickel coating onto various aluminum alloys was developed. This coating can be used both independently and as a sublayer under multilayer coatings and, in particular, under those of nickel, tin–bismuth, lustrous nickel, and lustrous chromium. The technique includes anodization, chemical treatment, and electrodeposition of nickel in a special solution. The working modes of the anodization electrolyte were chosen and the necessity for a preliminary chemical treatment of the oxide film being formed was substantiated. A composition of the acid electrolyte for the subsequent nickel plating was developed with buffer and improving additives. The thus deposited electroplated nickel coatings exhibit a high adhesion to the aluminum base without additional thermal treatment. This makes it possible not only to reduce the technological time for deposition of the subsequent multilayer coatings, but also to fully automate the whole process.     

A new room-temperature deposition technique for optical coatings

We describe a new coating method Laminar Flow Coating (LFC) technique developed to obtain highly reflective (HR) laser damage resistant sol-gel multidielectric coatings. Such coatings are used in high-power lasers for inertial confinement fusion experiments (ICF). This technique uses substrates in an upside-down position and a travelling wave of coating solution is transported with a laminar motion under the substrate surface with a tubular dispense unit. This creates a thin-film coating by solvent evaporation. Satisfactory results have been obtained on 20-cm square glass substrates regarding the optical performances, the thickness uniformity, the edge-effects and the laser damage resistance. This deposition technique combines the advantages of both classical techniques: the non-exclusive substrate geometry such as in dip-coating and the small solution consumption such as in spin-coating.The association of sol-gel colloidal suspensions and LFC coating process has been demonstrated as a promising way to produce inexpensive specific optical coatings [1].     

Electrochemical Processing of Reaction-bonded Ceramic Composite Coatings

Ceramic matrix composite coatings are currently of much interest for application in high-temperature and highly corrosive environments. Formation of ceramic coatings by electrochemical processing is a relatively new mean^[1-2]. It presents several advantages over alternative coating techniques, the thickness and morphology of the deposit can be controlled by the electrochemical parameters, relatively uniform deposits are obtainable on complex shapes, the deposition rate is higher than that using most other methods and the equipment required is of low cost Recently we developed a novel fabrication technique for the production of ceramic/ceramic and ceramic/metal composite coatings by electrochemical processing^[3]. The technique combined two electrochemical deposition methods, electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and electrolytic deposition (ELD), which can produce uniform composite layers of closely controlled thickness on both metallic and ceramic substrates at ambient temperature with inexpensive equipment. However, the main problem associated with electrochemical processing is the difficulty in sintering of the coatings. First, high temperature is required for sintering of the coatings. Secondly, the volume shrinkage of the coatings during sintering leads to the formation of cracks in coatings bonded to metal substrates. So a reaction forming technique, reaction bonding process, also has been developed to produce near net-shape ceramic coatings, which overcome problems caused by the shrinkage of ceramics during sintering.     

Efficient and robust coatings using poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) and its copolymers for marine and bacterial fouling prevention

Molecular design, fabrication, and properties of thin-film coatings based on poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PMOX) and its copolymers were investigated to tackle problem of marine and bacterial fouling prevention. The ultraviolet crosslinkable macromonomer poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) dimethylacrylate was synthesized by cationic ring-opening polymerization in a microwave reactor initiated by 1,4-dibromobutane. In order to study the charge effect of the PMOX coatings on the adhesion of fouling organisms, PMOX surfaces with negative, neutral, and positive ζ-potential values were prepared by copolymerization with the positively charged monomer [2-(methacryloyloxy)-ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride. The coatings were stable in sea water for at least 1 month without significant reduction in the film thickness. The marine antifouling activity was evaluated against barnacle cyprids Amphibalanus amphitrite and algae Amphora coffeaeformis. Results showed that PMOX coatings provide effective reduction of the settlement regardless of the molar mass and surface charge of the polymer. Bacterial adhesion test showed that PMOX coatings effectively reduce Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli adhesion. Owing to its good stability and antifouling activity PMOX has a great potential as antifouling coating for marine antifouling applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 275–283     

Wet-chemical deposition of functional coatings for bone implantology

Since the early 1980s, research on the modification of bone implant surfaces by applying coatings has mainly focused on the application of inorganic calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings using physical deposition techniques. Organic components of the extracellular bone matrix, on the other hand, play an essential role in the process of bone healing, but cannot be applied using these physical techniques. Therefore, a recent trend in biomaterials research involves development of novel wet-chemical deposition techniques for both inorganic and organic coatings. This study reviews the major wet-chemical coating techniques that are used for the deposition of inorganic CaP coatings and organic biomolecules coatings.     

Spectral force analysis using atomic force microscopy reveals the importance of surface heterogeneity in bacterial and colloid adhesion to engineered surfaces

Coatings developed to reduce biofouling of engineered surfaces do not always perform as expected based on their native properties. One reason is that a relatively small number of highly adhesive sites, or the heterogeneity of the coated surface, may control the overall response of the system to initial bacterial deposition. It is shown here using an approach we call spectral force analysis (SFA), based on force volume imaging of the surface with atomic force microscopy, that the behavior of surfaces and coatings can be better understood relative to bacterial adhesion. The application of vapor deposited TiO₂ metal oxide increased bacterial and colloid adhesion, but coating the surface with silica oxide reduced adhesion in a manner consistent with SFA based on analysis of the “stickiest” sites. Application of a TiO₂-based paint to a surface produced a relatively non-fouling surface. Addition of a hydrophilic layer coating to this surface should have decreased fouling. However, it was observed that this coating actually increased fouling. Using SFA it was shown that the reason for the increased adhesion of bacteria and particles to the hydrophilic layer was that the surface produced by this coating was highly heterogeneous, resulting in a small number of sites that created a stickier surface. These results show that while it is important to manufacture surfaces with coatings that are relatively non-adhesive to bacteria, it is also essential that these coatings have a highly uniform surface chemistry.     

Sol-gel immobilized cyano-polydimethylsiloxane coating for capillary microextraction of aqueous trace analytes ranging from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to free fatty acids

Sol-gel coating containing highly polar cyanopropyl and nonpolar poly(dimethylsiloxane) components (sol-gel CN-PDMS coating) was developed for capillary microextraction (CME). The sol-gel chemistry provided an efficient means to immobilize the CN-PDMS coating by establishing chemical anchorage between the coating and the fused silica capillary inner surface. This chemical bond provided excellent thermal and solvent stability to the created sol-gel coating. For the extraction of polar and nonpolar analytes, the upper allowable conditioning temperatures were 330 degrees C and 350 degrees C, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first time when a CN-PDMS thick coating survived such a high operation temperature. The prepared sol-gel CN-PDMS coating provided effective extraction of polar and nonpolar analytes simultaneously from aqueous samples. The cyanopropyl moiety in sol-gel CN-PDMS coatings provided effective extraction of highly polar analytes such as free fatty acids, alcohols, and phenols without requiring derivatization, pH adjustment or salting out procedures. The PDMS moiety, on the other hand, provided efficient extraction of nonpolar analytes. The extraction properties of the sol-gel CN-PDMS coatings can be fine tuned via manipulation of relative proportions of 3-cyanopropyltriethoxysilane and hydroxy-terminated PDMS in the sol solution used to create the coatings. Detection limits of nanogram/liter (ng/L) were achieved for both highly polar and nonpolar analytes directly extracted from aqueous media using sol-gel CN-PDMS coated microextraction capillaries followed by GC analysis.     

The study of morphology and wear behavior of nanocomposite Cr-WC coating produced via electrodeposition with direct and pulse current

Nanocomposite Cr-WC coatings are widely used in different industries due to the favorite characteristics such as high wear and corrosion resistance. In this article, at the first time the nanocomposite Cr-WC coatings are produced via square pulsed and direct current in Watts’ deposition bath containing tungsten carbide particles of 70 nm in diameter. And then the effects of applied current to deposition on the size of tungsten carbide particles, distribution in the coating, homogeneity, hardness and the coatings wear ratio are investigated. The morphology of coating is studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The weight percentage of the tungsten carbide particles and the coatings hardness are determined by EDX composite analysis and Vickers micrometer ingressive hardness system, respectively. The results reveal that the amounts of nanoparticles and homogeneous distribution in the pulse current coating are more than direct current. The coating wear behavior and homogeneity of thickness in pulse current are better than direct current.     

Numerical Modeling of Thin Film Deposition in Expanding Thermal Plasma

Expanding thermal plasma (ETP) is a widely used technique for deposition of a thin layer of ceramic materials and metal oxide on a substrate for a wide range of applications including abrasion resistance, UV absorption, as well as conductive and optical coatings. The coating quality is found to be dependent on operating parameters as well as reactor designs. In this article, we have presented a CFD based model of the ETP process to simulate the deposition of silica-like coatings on a polycarbonate substrate. Along with the flow-thermal model of plasma jet expansion process, the study also reports the development of a simplified gas phase and surface reaction model to simulate the coating phenomena. The model has been used further to study the effect of various operating conditions on the coating thickness, viz. reactor pressure, reagent flow rate, distance of the substrate from the arc and substrate alignment.     

造孔剂对电泳沉积制备多孔HA涂层及其生物活性的影响

采用水热法制得的羟基磷灰石(HA)纳米粉体,分别与造孔剂葡萄糖(Glu)、壳聚糖(CS)、炭粉(C)3种微粒(＜38.5 μm)配置成质量比1∶1的悬浮液,电泳沉积 烧结制备钛基多孔HA涂层,并对制得的3种多孔HA涂层在模拟体液浸泡前后的表面形貌、化学组成及物相变化进行表征。 结果表明,经700 ℃烧结处理后制得的3种多孔HA涂层在1.5倍人体模拟体液中浸泡5 d后,多孔HA涂层表面均被层状生长的碳磷灰石颗粒完全覆盖,颗粒直径在5~25 μm,说明这些多孔HA涂层均具有良好的生物活性。 其中以CS为造孔剂制得的多孔HA涂层结合强度最高,达19.5 MPa,有望开发成为新型的人骨植入生物陶瓷材料。     

塑料表面载银微凝胶层层组装膜的制备及抗菌活性

以载银聚烯丙基胺盐酸盐-葡聚糖微凝胶与聚苯乙烯磺酸钠为构筑基元,利用层层组装技术制备了一种可直接沉积在疏水的塑料基底表面的载银抗菌微凝胶膜. 研究结果表明,该载银抗菌微凝胶膜具有很好的抗菌能力,并且其抗菌活性可以通过控制载银微凝胶膜的组装层数方便地进行调控. 这种制备在塑料表面的载银抗菌微凝胶膜具有良好的稳定性和基底粘附力,能够保障其长效抗菌的实现.     

CuSO4/H2O2‐Induced Rapid Deposition of Polydopamine Coatings with High Uniformity and Enhanced Stability

Mussel‐inspired polydopamine (PDA) deposition offers a promising route to fabricate multifunctional coatings for various materials. However, PDA deposition is generally a time‐consuming process, and PDA coatings are unstable in acidic and alkaline media, as well as in polar organic solvents. We report a strategy to realize the rapid deposition of PDA by using CuSO₄/H₂O₂ as a trigger. Compared to the conventional processes, our strategy shows the fastest deposition rate reported to date, and the PDA coatings exhibit high uniformity and enhanced stability. Furthermore, the PDA‐coated porous membranes have excellent hydrophilicity, anti‐oxidant properties, and antibacterial performance. This work demonstrates a useful method for the environmentally friendly, cost‐effective, and time‐saving fabrication of PDA coatings.     

Development of combinatorial chemistry methods for coatings: high-throughput adhesion evaluation and scale-up of combinatorial leads

Coupling of combinatorial chemistry methods with high-throughput (HT) performance testing and measurements of resulting properties has provided a powerful set of tools for the 10-fold accelerated discovery of new high-performance coating materials for automotive applications. Our approach replaces labor-intensive steps with automated systems for evaluation of adhesion of 8 x 6 arrays of coating elements that are discretely deposited on a single 9 x 12 cm plastic substrate. Performance of coatings is evaluated with respect to their resistance to adhesion loss, because this parameter is one of the primary considerations in end-use automotive applications. Our HT adhesion evaluation provides previously unavailable capabilities of high speed and reproducibility of testing by using a robotic automation, an expanded range of types of tested coatings by using the coating tagging strategy, and an improved quantitation by using high signal-to-noise automatic imaging. Upon testing, the coatings undergo changes that are impossible to quantitatively predict using existing knowledge. Using our HT methodology, we have developed several coatings leads. These HT screening results for the best coating compositions have been validated on the traditional scales of coating formulation and adhesion loss testing. These validation results have confirmed the superb performance of combinatorially developed coatings over conventional coatings on the traditional scale.     

羟基磷灰石涂层的电化学可控制备及生物性能的初步表征

控制不同沉积条件制备不同结构形貌的羟基磷灰石涂层,主要获得3种由不同尺寸晶粒构成的直立状、花簇状和多孔状典型形貌特征的涂层;XRD物相分析显示,该涂层主要由结晶良好的羟基磷灰石组成;FT-IR组分分析未检测到其他钙磷盐成分的存在.体外细胞培养试验表明,以上各种形貌的羟基磷灰石涂层均具有良好的生物相容性,但其生物活性则因形貌而异,其中纳米有序多孔状羟基磷灰石涂层表现出最高的生物活性,而花簇状的涂层生物活性相对较低.     

基于聚琥珀酰亚胺衍生物仿生超亲水表面的制备及性能

利用对聚琥珀酰亚胺(PSI)的亲核加成反应,仿生设计合成侧基带有多巴胺和磺酸甜菜碱两性离子基团的新型聚琥珀酰亚胺衍生物(PSI-DA-ZW);通过聚琥珀酰亚胺衍生物中多巴邻苯二酚基团的氧化自聚和沉积,制备了仿生超亲水功能涂层表面(PSI-DA-ZW/glass).利用X射线光电子能谱仪(XPS)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM...     

Nano/micro‐sized calcium phosphate coating on carbon/carbon composites by ultrasonic assisted electrochemical deposition

Nano/micro‐sized calcium phosphate (CaP) coating was prepared on carbon/carbon (C/C) composites by ultrasonic assisted electrochemical deposition. The coating obtained at different deposition voltages contained a mixture of hydroxyapatite (HA) and brushite (DCPD). The homogenous coating prepared at 2.4 V consisted of nano‐sized and needle‐like HA embedded in micro‐sized and plate‐like DCPD. An interlocking structure was formed along the depth direction of the coating. The internal stress may be released effectively through the interlocking structure of the coating. And the plate‐like crystals of the coating were inset in the grooves on the surface of C/C composites. This led to a better adhesive strength of the coating. Meanwhile, the formed interlocking structure could help enhance cohesive strength of the coating. It was found that the growth of CaP crystals in the coating under the voltage of 2.4 V consisted of the plate‐like crystals deposited initially. Then the plate‐needle‐like crystals of submicron size formed among the plate‐like crystals and developed needle‐like ones. The CaP‐coated C/C composites might improve the biological properties of coating for its unique morphology, structures and strong adhesion to the C/C substrate. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.