Materials

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15 pages, 7118 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Copper Electroless Metallization of Cellulose Paper via Polydopamine Coating and Silver Catalyst

by Krzysztof Moraczewski, Andrzej Trafarski and Rafał Malinowski

Materials 2021, 14(22), 6862; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14226862 - 14 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1959

The paper presents the results of copper electroless metallization of cellulose paper with the use of a polydopamine coating and silver catalyst. The polydopamine coating was deposited via a simple dip method using a dopamine hydrochloride solution in 10 mM TRIS-HCl buffer with [...] Read more.

The paper presents the results of copper electroless metallization of cellulose paper with the use of a polydopamine coating and silver catalyst. The polydopamine coating was deposited via a simple dip method using a dopamine hydrochloride solution in 10 mM TRIS-HCl buffer with a pH of 8.5. The research showed that as a result of this process, cellulose fibers were covered with a homogeneous layer of polydopamine. The unique properties of the polydopamine coating allowed the reduction of silver ions from silver nitrate solution and the deposition of silver atoms on the paper surface. Deposited silver served as a catalyst in the autocatalytic electroless copper-plating process. The copper layer covered the entire surface of the paper sheet after 5 min of metallization, favorably affecting the electrical properties of this material by lowering the surface resistivity. The deposited copper layer was further characterized by good adhesive strength and high susceptibility to deformation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies and Materials for Coatings and Surface Treatments)

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13 pages, 3203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermally Induced Silane Dehydrocoupling: Hydrophobic and Oleophilic Filter Paper Preparation for Water Separation and Removal from Organic Solvents

by Rae Hyung Kang and Dokyoung Kim

Materials 2021, 14(19), 5775; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14195775 - 02 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2167

Abstract

Organic solvents with high purity are essential in various fields such as optical, electronic, pharmaceutical, and chemical areas to prevent low-quality products or undesired side-products. Constructing methods to remove impurities such as water residue in organic solvents has been a significant challenge. Within [...] Read more.

Organic solvents with high purity are essential in various fields such as optical, electronic, pharmaceutical, and chemical areas to prevent low-quality products or undesired side-products. Constructing methods to remove impurities such as water residue in organic solvents has been a significant challenge. Within this article, we report for the first time a new method for the preparation of hydrophobic and oleophilic filter paper (named OCFP), based on thermally induced silane dehydrocoupling between cellulose-based filter paper and octadecylsilane. We comprehensively characterized OCFP using various characterization techniques (FTIR, XPS, XRD, and EDS). OCFP showed super-hydrophobic and oleophilic properties as well as remarkable water separation and removal efficiency (>93%) in various organic solvents with sustained reusability. In addition, the analytical results both before and after filtration of an NMR solvent using OCFP indicated that OCFP has an excellent solvent drying efficiency. This work presents a new strategy for the development of super-hydrophobic cellulose-based filter paper, which has great potential for solvent drying and water separation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies and Materials for Coatings and Surface Treatments)

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20 pages, 6371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soft Computing Techniques for Laser-Induced Surface Wettability Control

by Gennaro Salvatore Ponticelli, Flaviana Tagliaferri, Silvio Genna, Simone Venettacci, Oliviero Giannini and Stefano Guarino

Materials 2021, 14(9), 2379; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14092379 - 03 May 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1791

Abstract

Making decisions and deducing control actions in manufacturing environments requires considering many uncertainties. The ability of fuzzy logic to incorporate imperfect information into a decision model has made it suitable for the optimization of both productivity and final quality. In laser surface texturing [...] Read more.

Making decisions and deducing control actions in manufacturing environments requires considering many uncertainties. The ability of fuzzy logic to incorporate imperfect information into a decision model has made it suitable for the optimization of both productivity and final quality. In laser surface texturing for wettability control, in fact, these aspects are governed by a complex interaction of many process parameters, ranging from those connected with the laser source to those concerning the properties of the processed material. The proposed fuzzy-based decision approach overcomes this difficulty by taking into account both the random error, associated with the process variability, and the systematic error, due to the modelling assumptions, and propagating such sources of uncertainties at the input level to the output one. In this work, the laser surface texturing was carried out with a nanosecond-pulsed laser on the surfaces of AISI 304 samples, changing the laser scanning speed, the hatch distance, the number of repetitions, and the scanning pattern. A significant change of the contact angle in the range 24–121° is observed due to the produced textures. The fuzzy maps highlight the inherent uncertainty due to both the laser texturing process and the developed model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies and Materials for Coatings and Surface Treatments)

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12 pages, 19935 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aqueous Sol-Gel Synthesis of Different Iron Ferrites: From 3D to 2D

by Justinas Januskevicius, Zivile Stankeviciute, Dalis Baltrunas, Kęstutis Mažeika, Aldona Beganskiene and Aivaras Kareiva

Materials 2021, 14(6), 1554; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14061554 - 22 Mar 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2234

Abstract

In this study, an aqueous sol-gel synthesis method and subsequent dip-coating technique were applied for the preparation of yttrium iron garnet (YIG), yttrium iron perovskite (YIP), and terbium iron perovskite (TIP) bulk and thin films. The monophasic highly crystalline different iron ferrite powders [...] Read more.

In this study, an aqueous sol-gel synthesis method and subsequent dip-coating technique were applied for the preparation of yttrium iron garnet (YIG), yttrium iron perovskite (YIP), and terbium iron perovskite (TIP) bulk and thin films. The monophasic highly crystalline different iron ferrite powders have been synthesized using this simple aqueous sol-gel process displaying the suitability of the method. In the next step, the same sol-gel solution was used for the fabrication of coatings on monocrystalline silicon (100) using a dip-coating procedure. This resulted, likely due to substrate surface influence, in all coatings having mixed phases of both garnet and perovskite. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis of the precursor gels was carried out. All the samples were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis. The coatings were also investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Magnetic measurements were also carried out. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies and Materials for Coatings and Surface Treatments)

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18 pages, 27087 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Nanocoatings Based on the Deposition of Zirconium Oxide: The Role of the Substrate

by Vitor Bonamigo Moreira, Anna Puiggalí-Jou, Emilio Jiménez-Piqué, Carlos Alemán, Alvaro Meneguzzi and Elaine Armelin

Materials 2021, 14(4), 1043; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14041043 - 23 Feb 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3279

Abstract

Herein, the influence of the substrate in the formation of zirconium oxide monolayer, from an aqueous hexafluorozirconic acid solution, by chemical conversion and by electro-assisted deposition, has been approached. The nanoscale dimensions of the ZrO₂ film is affected by the substrate nature [...] Read more.

Herein, the influence of the substrate in the formation of zirconium oxide monolayer, from an aqueous hexafluorozirconic acid solution, by chemical conversion and by electro-assisted deposition, has been approached. The nanoscale dimensions of the ZrO₂ film is affected by the substrate nature and roughness. This study evidenced that the mechanism of Zr-EAD is dependent on the potential applied and on the substrate composition, whereas conversion coating is uniquely dependent on the adsorption reaction time. The zirconium oxide based nanofilms were more homogenous in AA2024 substrates if compared to pure Al grade (AA1100). It was justified by the high content of Cu alloying element present in the grain boundaries of the latter. Such intermetallic active sites favor the obtaining of ZrO₂ films, as demonstrated by XPS and AFM results. From a mechanistic point of view, the electrochemical reactions take place simultaneously with the conventional chemical conversion process driven by ions diffusion. Such findings will bring new perspectives for the generation of controlled oxide coatings in modified electrodes used, as for example, in the construction of battery cells; in automotive and in aerospace industries, to replace micrometric layers of zinc phosphate by light-weight zirconium oxide nanometric ones. This study is particularly addressed for the reduction of industrial waste by applying green bath solutions without the need of auxiliary compounds and using lightweight ceramic materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies and Materials for Coatings and Surface Treatments)

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15 pages, 4659 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thin Diamond Film on Silicon Substrates for Pressure Sensor Fabrication

by Stefano Salvatori, Sara Pettinato, Armando Piccardi, Vadim Sedov, Alexey Voronin and Victor Ralchenko

Materials 2020, 13(17), 3697; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13173697 - 21 Aug 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2828

Abstract

Thin polycrystalline diamond films chemically vapor deposited on thinned silicon substrates were used as membranes for pressure sensor fabrication by means of selective chemical etching of silicon. The sensing element is based on a simple low-finesse Fabry–Pérot (FP) interferometer. The FP cavity is [...] Read more.

Thin polycrystalline diamond films chemically vapor deposited on thinned silicon substrates were used as membranes for pressure sensor fabrication by means of selective chemical etching of silicon. The sensing element is based on a simple low-finesse Fabry–Pérot (FP) interferometer. The FP cavity is defined by the end-face of a single mode fiber and the diamond diaphragm surface. Hence, pressure is evaluated by measuring the cavity length by an optoelectronic system coupled to the single mode fiber. Exploiting the excellent properties of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamond, in terms of high hardness, low thermal expansion, and ultra-high thermal conductivity, the realized sensors have been characterized up to 16.5 MPa at room temperature. Preliminary characterizations demonstrate the feasibility of such diamond-on-Si membrane structure for pressure transduction. The proposed sensing system represents a valid alternative to conventional solutions, overcoming the drawback related to electromagnetic interference on the acquired weak signals generated by standard piezoelectric sensors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies and Materials for Coatings and Surface Treatments)

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8 pages, 1654 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optical Etching to Pattern Microstructures on Plastics by Vacuum Ultraviolet Light

by Tomotaka Doi and Takatoki Yamamoto

Materials 2020, 13(9), 2206; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13092206 - 11 May 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2572

Abstract

We proposed and demonstrated an optical dry etching method for transferring a pattern on a photomask to a surface of plastics by decomposing the irradiated area using the high energy of vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV) at room temperature and pressure. Two kinds of [...] Read more.

We proposed and demonstrated an optical dry etching method for transferring a pattern on a photomask to a surface of plastics by decomposing the irradiated area using the high energy of vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV) at room temperature and pressure. Two kinds of wavelengths of 160 nm and 172 nm were used as the vacuum ultraviolet light, and the patterning performances for polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC) were compared. As a result, it was revealed that proportional relationships were obtained between the etching rate and the irradiation dose for both wavelengths, and the cross-sectional profiles were anisotropic. In addition, both PMMA and PC were etched at a wavelength of 160 nm, whereas PC could not be etched at a wavelength of 172 nm, suggesting that it correlates with the bond dissociation energies of the molecular bonds of the materials and the energies of the photons. Furthermore, by combining this method with the optical bonding method that we had previously developed to bond surfaces irradiated with VUV, we have demonstrated a method for fabricating microfluidic devices by irradiating only with VUV. This paper shows that this technique is a new microfabrication method suitable for simple and mass production of plastic materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies and Materials for Coatings and Surface Treatments)

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24 pages, 10845 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Modification of Lightweight Mortars by Nanopolymers to Improve Their Water-Repellency and Durability

by Małgorzata Szafraniec, Danuta Barnat-Hunek, Małgorzata Grzegorczyk-Frańczak and Maciej Trochonowicz

Materials 2020, 13(6), 1350; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13061350 - 17 Mar 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2472

Abstract

The paper explores the possibility of covering the mortar with the lightweight aggregate by the nanopolymer silane and siloxane as surface hydrophobisation. The investigation involved the mortars with two types of hydrophobic agents diluted with water in a ratio of 1:4 and 1:8. [...] Read more.

The paper explores the possibility of covering the mortar with the lightweight aggregate by the nanopolymer silane and siloxane as surface hydrophobisation. The investigation involved the mortars with two types of hydrophobic agents diluted with water in a ratio of 1:4 and 1:8. Mortar wetting properties were determined by measuring the absorbability, water vapor diffusion, contact angle (CA) and surface free energy (SFE) of their structure. Surface micro-roughness and 2D topography were evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has shown the microstructure and distribution of pores in mortars. The reduction in absorbency after the first day of testing by 87% was shown. An improvement in frost resistance after 25 cycles by 97% and an 18-fold decrease in weight loss after the sulphate crystallization test were observed. The hydrophobic coating reduces the SFE of mortars and increases the CA. In the case of using silanes, a 9-fold increase CA was observed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Technologies and Materials for Coatings and Surface Treatments)

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