rendering-sio2si-surfaces-omniphobic-carving-gas-entrapping

Rendering SiO2/Si Surfaces Omniphobic by Carving Gas-Entrapping Microtextures Comprising Reentrant and Doubly Reentrant Cavities or Pillars

We present microfabrication protocols for rendering intrinsically wetting materials repellent to liquids (omniphobic) by creating gas-entrapping ...

proof-concept-for-gas-entrapping-membranes-derived-from-water-loving

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination

Desalination through direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) exploits water-repellent membranes to robustly separate counterflowing streams of hot and ...

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Trapping air at the solid-liquid interface is a promising strategy for reducing frictional drag and desalting water, although it has thus far remained unachievable without perfluorinated coatings. Here, we report on biomimetic microtextures composed of doubly reentrant cavities (DRCs) and reentrant cavities (RCs) that can enable even intrinsically wetting materials to entrap air for long periods upon immersion in liquids. Using SiO/Si wafers as the model system, we demonstrate that while the air entrapped in simple cylindrical cavities immersed in hexadecane is lost after 0.2 s, the air entrapped in the DRCs remained intact even after 27 days (~10 s). To understand the factors and mechanisms underlying this ten-million-fold enhancement, we compared the behaviors of DRCs, RCs and simple cavities of circular and non-circular shapes on immersion in liquids of low and high vapor pressures through high-speed imaging, confocal microscopy, and pressure cells. Those results might advance the development of coating-free liquid repellent surfaces.

Biomimetic coating-free surfaces for long-term entrapment of air under wetting liquids.

Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) processes exploit water-repellant membranes to desalt warm seawaters by allowing only water vapor to transport across. While perfluorinated membranes/coatings are routinely used for DCMD, their vulnerability to abrasion, heat, and harsh chemicals necessitates alternatives, such as ceramics. Herein, we systematically assess the potential of ceramic membranes consisting of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) for DCMD.

Evaluating the potential of superhydrophobic nanoporous alumina membranes for direct contact membrane distillation.

Coating-free approaches to achieve liquid repellent, or omniphobic, surfaces could exploit inexpensive intrinsically wetting materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate and nylon, for applications such as liquid-vapor extraction and drag reduction. However, it is not clear whether the existing criteria for assessing coating-based omniphobicity, based on contact angles, would be reliable for coating-free approaches, especially considering localized defects/damages during manufacturing and usage.

Assessing omniphobicity by immersion.

The recent application of electrosprays to characterize the air-water interface, along with the reports on dramatically accelerated chemical reactions in aqueous electrosprays, have sparked a broad interest. Herein, we report on complementary laboratory and  experiments tracking the oligomerization of isoprene, an important biogenic gas, in electrosprays and isoprene-water emulsions to differentiate the contributions of interfacial effects from those of high voltages leading to charge-separation and concentration of reactants in the electrosprays. To this end, we employed electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, proton nuclear magnetic resonance,  calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. We found that the oligomerization of isoprene in aqueous electrosprays involved minimally hydrated and highly reactive hydronium ions. Those conditions, however, are non-existent at pristine air-water interfaces and oil-water emulsions under normal temperature and pressure. Thus, electrosprays should be complemented with surface-specific platforms and theoretical methods to reliably investigate chemistries at the pristine air-water interface.

ArticleTotal : 2	Year
Publication title	2020
Publication title	2020

Article	Year
Biomimetic coating-free surfaces for long-term entrapment of air under wetting liquids. Nature communications\| PubMed ID: 30190456	2018
Evaluating the potential of superhydrophobic nanoporous alumina membranes for direct contact membrane distillation. Journal of colloid and interface science\| PubMed ID: 30199828	2019
Assessing omniphobicity by immersion. Journal of colloid and interface science\| PubMed ID: 30218988	2019
The chemical reactions in electrosprays of water do not always correspond to those at the pristine air-water interface. Chemical science\| PubMed ID: 30996971	2019

Himanshu Mishra

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