The Surface Modification of Pure Cellulose Paper Induced by Low-Pressure Nitrogen Plasma Treatment

We have used Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS) in combination with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to study chemical changes taking place at the surface of pure cellulose paper samples treated in N₂ plasma for periods of time up to 60 seconds. High resolution TOF-SIMS spectra permit the detection of various functionalities containing nitrogen, even following very brief (2s) plasma exposure. Correlations between chemistry and surface properties, such as water wettability, are presented and discussed.     

Separation and Chemical Characterization of Wetting Crude Oil Compounds

To improve the understanding of wettability, especially the influence of colloidal stability and composition of crude oil, wetting experiments on quartz sand were performed with an asphaltene-rich oil, a resin-rich oil, and with model oils containing different colloid compositions. A two-step procedure was developed to investigate the wetting behavior. In the first step those crude oil components were extracted, which preferentially wet solid surfaces. The extracted crude oil components were characterized in the second step. The amount of adsorbed oil components correlates with the stability of the crude oil colloids: low colloidal stability of crude oil leads to larger amounts of adsorbed components than does high colloidal stability. The addition of resins and/or low molecular weight asphaltenes to the crude oil stabilizes the crude oil colloids; i.e., a lower amount of wetting components are isolated by extraction in such systems. To find out, which fraction of the adsorbed oil components determines the wetting behavior of a crude oil, the wetting properties of the toluene solutions of these fractions were compared to those of the toluene solutions of the precipitated crude oil colloids. The fractions extracted with the solvent systems chloroform and methanol/chloroform showed nearly the same wetting behavior as the crude oil colloids. These fractions are characterized by the highest molecular weights, higher sulfur compositions, and the lowest H/C ratios. On the other hand, the nitrogen compounds predominate in the acetone fraction.     

Controlled switchable surface

The macroscopic properties of a surface can be intelligently controlled by alternating the states of the modified molecules, such as polymers, metallic oxide, or self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). This article reviews various approaches to create a switchable surface and different types of external stimuli used to switch the surface properties. This area is of potential benefit for biomaterials, biosensors, information storage, microfluidic systems, adhesive materials, nanolithography, and so on.     

PLASMA POLYMERIZATION OF HYDROPHILIC AND HYDROPHOBIC MONOMERS FOR SURFACE MODIFICATION OF NUCLE-MICROPOROUS MEMBRANE

Surface modification of nucle-microporous membrane by plasma polymerization of HEMA, NVP and D_4 has been studied. The hydrophilicity of membranes was increased with increasing of plasma polymerization time of hydrophilic monomers HEMA and NVP. The flow rate of water through the membrane was increased remarkably after plasma polymerization of HEMA on it.     

Wettability control of a solid surface by utilizing photocatalysis

This paper describes a strategic approach utilizing a photocatalyst to obtain a solid surface with a high level of sustainable wettability (hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity). We clarified that the substances adsorbed on the surface could be successfully removed by photocatalytic oxidation resulting in sustainable high hydrophilic and high hydrophobic states. In addition to the conventional redox reaction, photoinduced wettability conversion plays an inevitable role in obtaining a superhydrophilic state. Both of the aforementioned photoinduced properties can be applied to sustain a high level of hydrophilicity. A superhydrophobic surface can be designed based on the Cassie theory. However, a combination with the usual TiO₂ photocatalyst leads to a decrease in hydrophobicity because the photocatalyst becomes hydrophilic itself as a result of the photoinduced hydrophilic reaction. Utilizing the newly developed hydroxyapatite doped with Ti(IV) ions (TiHAP) photocatalyst, which has a considerably reduced hydrophilic effect, a superhydrophobic surface can be sustained after exposing it to outdoor conditions for a long period. As for sustaining the hydrophobic state, the introduction of a material design based on dynamic wettability leads to the possibility of novel functional materials with a high dynamic hydrophobicity. Our study shows that a high level of wettability (hydrophilic or hydrophobic) of a solid surface as that sustained by biologic action is possible by utilizing photocatalysis. © 2008 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 8: 279–290; 2008: Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ) DOI 10.1002/tcr.20154     

Wettability of commercial starches and galactomannans

This paper describes the wettability of basic commercial polysaccharides: starches (potato PS, wheat WS, corn CS, tapioca TS, kuzu KS) and galactomannans (fenugreek gum FG, guar gum GG, tara gum TG, locust bean gum LBG). The study was conducted using the Washburn capillary rise method and thermal drying. This allowed one to determine the material constant C, contact angle θ, surface free energy of solid SFE, and initial moisture content M. The measured values of contact angle θ and surface free energy SFE indicated that potato starch (70.9°, 41.1?mN?·?m^?1) and wheat starch (88.4°, 30.2?mN?·?m^?1) were characterized by the highest and lowest wettability among the examined starches, respectively. In turn, the galactomannans were poorly wettable substances. Their contact angles θ were approximately equal to 90°, showing a slight increase with increasing substitution degree. The observed decrease in surface free energy SFE from 30 to 29.6?mN?·?m^?1 indicated a very minor hydrophobization of their surfaces. Material constant C was practically independent of temperature, and an increase in initial moisture content M in the examined starches and galactomannans proceeded according to the following schemes: CS?相似文献   

Interaction between polymer and anionic/nonionic surfactants and its mechanism of enhanced oil recovery

Various experimental methods were used to investigate interaction between polymer and anionic/nonionic surfactants and mechanisms of enhanced oil recovery by anionic/nonionic surfactants in the present paper. The complex surfactant molecules are adsorbed in the mixed micelles or aggregates formed by the hydrophobic association of hydrophobic groups of polymers, making the surfactant molecules at oil-water interface reduce and the value of interfacial tension between oil and water increase. A dense spatial network structure is formed by the interaction between the mixed aggregates and hydrophobic groups of the polymer molecular chains, making the hydrodynamic volume of the aggregates and the viscosity of the polymer solution increase. Because of the formation of the mixed adsorption layer at oil and water interface by synergistic effect, ultra-low interfacial tension (～2.0?×?10^?3 mN/m) can be achieved between the novel surfactant system and the oil samples in this paper. Because of hydrophobic interaction, wettability alteration of oil-wet surface was induced by the adsorption of the surfactant system on the solid surface. Moreover, the studied surfactant system had a certain degree of spontaneous emulsification ability (D50?=?25.04?µm) and was well emulsified with crude oil after the mechanical oscillation (D50?=?4.27?µm).     

Several surfaces with special wettability: Influence on spreading and motion of W/O emulsion droplets

Physical and chemical modifications were made on the surface of the aluminum sheet to change the surface properties and superhydrophobic–hydrophilic wettability gradient surface was made on the perspex surface by using microstructure-pattering technique and self-assembled-monolayer method. By using high-speed video camera system and optical tensiometer, this paper discusses the influence of special surfaces with different wettability on spreading and motion of water, oil, and W/O emulsion droplets both experimentally and theoretically. In addition, the paper also discusses the influence of the superhydrophobic–hydrophilic wettability gradient on fluidity of W/O emulsion droplets and the coalescence process of droplets. The results showed that the contact angle of W/O emulsion droplets on the modified surfaces was related to the water and oil distribution at the three-phase line. On the wettability gradient surface, the droplet moved spontaneously when the droplet was located at the junction of the gradient. A quasi-steady theoretical model was used to analyze the driving and resistant forces acting on a droplet to improve the understanding of the self-transport behavior of the droplets.