Glass Sides Research Articles

The effect of adding layers of date stones on the profitability of brackish water solar desalination process

Lately, there has been a pronounced and alarming up tick in the global demand for fresh water, resulting in a limited availability of this precious resource. Solar desalination emerges as a promising solution, particularly for supplying the sparsely populated desert regions in the southern regions of Algeria, where plentiful solar energy and subterranean brackish water resources are present.The current paper seeks to optimize the performance of traditional solar stills and elevate the quality of distilled water by incorporating layers of blackened date stones as an additional heat storage medium. Date stones, typically discarded post-date consumption, undergo a process of washing and blackening before being introduced in two forms (stone and powder). They are then uniformly distributed across the horizontal surface of solar still’s absorber.Three solar stills of identical design featuring glass sides were designed, manufactured, and subjected to testing to compare their productivity with that of a control unit. Experimental trials conducted at Ouargla University reveal significant enhancements the inclusion of a single layer of date stones (approximately 2.210 kg/ (m2 of absorber area)) leads to a remarkable 45.66 % increase in yield. Conversely, an equivalent amount (≈ 504 g) of date stones in powder form results in a 29.42 % improvement in yield. Notably, the distillate quality is substantially enhanced in both cases contrasted with the conventional setup.

The study of heat transfers and thermal performance of different types of solar box cookers

Solar fireplaces are important in remote areas with abundant solar radiation, they are a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional cooking methods as they do not emit toxic gases. This study aims to experimentally compare solar box cookers of different designs, materials, and features to understand heat transfer and thermal performance to improve overall efficiency. Four different cases with different materials and features of the box structure are studied: Case 1 - non-tinted wooden sides, case 2 - black tinted wooden sides, case 3 - box with glass sides, and Case 4-black tinted wooden sides and coated inside with aluminum foil. Two designs are compared for each case- one with a front flat mirror and one without. All solar fireplaces consist of an inclined glass facing at an angle to the latitude of Baghdad and a base with black fins. The experiments lasted for three months in various weather conditions including cold, hot, dusty, and sunny days in southern Baghdad, Iraq, positioned at Latitude north and longitude East. Factors such as the intensity of incident radiation, wind speed, and ambient air temperature are taken into account during the cooking period. The results indicate that the third glass-sided box achieved the highest thermal efficiency of 93.7% after 120 minutes. The rice was fully cooked in just 97 minutes, the quickest time ever seen with this type of solar cooker, and it had a thermal efficiency of 88%. The fourth box, lined with aluminum foil inside, succeeded the third book with Rice reaching ripeness at 110 minutes with an 80.5% efficiency.

Effect of global damp heat ageing on debonding of crosslinked EVA- and POE-glass laminates

Polyolefin elastomers (POE) have been established as a promising alternative to commonly used peroxide crosslinked ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) photovoltaic encapsulation materials. The main objective of this work was to assess the long-term ageing behavior of double-glass laminates based on UV-transparent EVA and POE under damp heat (85 °C, 85 %rh) conditions for up to 10,000h. Ageing induced changes were characterized by microscopy, UV–visible–near infrared (UVVISNIR) spectroscopy, compressive shear testing (CST), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), macro- and microscopic Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Within the laminates, the formation of birefringent spheric microdomains (maltese-crosses) was confirmed after an exposure time of more than 2,000h. The compressive shear behavior of EVA laminates was not significantly affected by damp heat ageing. Interestingly, the POE laminates revealed an even improved compressive shear performance. Whereas the tested EVA laminates failed in an interfacial manner independent on damp heat ageing time, POE laminates exhibited a failure mode transition from interfacial (unaged) to combined interfacial and cohesive (10,000h). On the interfacially fractured surfaces of EVA and POE laminates, carboxylic acid groups were ascertained. Deprotonated silanol and water bands were discernible on the opposite glass sides. Damp heat exposure of POE laminates for 10,000h resulted in pronounced glass ageing close to the interface associated with a partly cohesive failure within glass. This phenomenon was quite different to EVA and was attributed to the alkaline characteristics of the hindered amine light (HALS) stabilized, less-polar, UV-transparent POE encapsulant.

Assessment of the mechanical behavior of bonded glass-to-glass transparent epoxy adhesive joint at elevated temperatures for load-bearing elements

Glass is increasingly used as a structural material in buildings, not only for enclosing spaces but also for bearing loads. To meet architect requirements for a uniform structure without appearance disturbance, adhesively bonded joints are preferred over mechanical fasteners. However, in the construction industry, most technical guidelines cover only soft structural silicone sealants, while stiffer adhesives like epoxy resins are not considered. Alternatively, the specific transparent epoxy adhesives offer a high potential for bonded glass assemblies, enabling thinner joints and a fully transparent junction. Indeed, under real service conditions, elevated temperatures are one of the worst factors affecting the mechanical properties of structural bonded joints. Therefore, in this paper, an experimental program was conducted to evaluate the performance of transparent bonded glass joints with epoxy resin over a wide range of temperatures. Tensile and shear tests were performed on bulk-cured adhesive samples and bonded glass-to-glass block shear specimens respectively, at room temperature (RT), 40, 60, and 80 °C. The differences in surface characteristics such as roughness, wettability, and surface free energy (SFE) between both glass sides were examined. The results showed that tensile and shear strengths decreased with increasing temperatures. Furthermore, the shear strength was influenced by the surface properties of the glass sides. At all tested temperatures, the rougher bonded glass side specimens revealed higher shear strength coupled with a mixed failure while a loss of adhesion characterised the smoother glass surfaces.

Development of surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy evidence swabs using a silver nanoparticle biosynthesis for the detection of animal blood

AbstractIdentifying the type of body fluid recovered from crime scenes before DNA typing may be critical to qualify its relevancy to the case. Presumptive tests are often used first to detect blood traces; however, they require confirmation, are destructive, and are susceptible to false positives. This study aims to develop a method of collection and identification for nonhuman blood using biosynthesized SERS swabs as a more accurate, specific, and nondestructive detection technique. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized directly on nylon swabs using a biosynthesis reaction and curcumin as the reducing agent to form the nanoparticles. The detection of bovine blood was investigated by analyzing decreasing volumes of blood swabbed with the surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) swabs. Although swabbing 30 and 20 μl of blood resulted in the most resolved spectra, swabbing 10 μl of blood still produced identifiable peaks. Wetted swabs were used to analyze dried bovine bloodstains on cotton fabrics and glass slides: The spectra collected when swabbing the bloodstain on the glass sides had a higher signal‐to‐noise ratio than on fabrics. The SERS swabs were subsequently used to collect and analyze horse and sheep blood. Although Raman bands characteristic of blood were identifiable for each specie, showing that the SERS swabs allowed the successful detection of the three animal blood species, the spectra from the three species could not be differentiated. This study demonstrates the efficiency of the biosynthesis to grow nanoparticles on the swabs and shows their viability to be used as SERS substrates to collect and identify animal blood.

Wavelength tuning from Cadmium based 8-HQ luminous paints formulated with contrasting resins

We report the formulation of luminous paints with cadmium-based quinoline complex, bis(8-hydroxyquinoline) (cadmium) - Cdq2 as a pigment (where Cd = Cadmium, q = 8-hydroxy quinoline). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, Photoluminescence (PL) spectra and photometric evaluation of the pigment were probed to evaluate its structural, optical and photometric properties. The excitation spectra of Cdq2 pigment Portrays a broad excitation peak at 440 nm while emission spectra reveals a broad peak, registered at 509 nm. Further, fluorescent Paints were formulated on glass sides with five different binders viz. oil (O), water(W), mineral turpentine oil(T), epoxy(E) and urea formaldehyde (UF) based resins and toluene as solvent. The painted panels were tested for various tests to check their resistance against different environments. Most of the water and turpentine-based paint panels failed in some of these tests while oil, epoxy, and urea formaldehyde-based paints passed in almost all the tests; hence further investigations were carried out by excluding water-based and mineral turpentine oil-based paint formulations. Among all the formulations of paint, the intensity of the best five follows the order: Ioil based pure pigment >IUF based pure pigment > IZnO UF (0.05), Ioil based ZnO (0.01) > IZnO Epoxy (0.05). Photometric evaluation reveals that all the painted panels emit light either in the green or bluish-green region of the visible spectrum that lie between 492 to 530 nm. This proffers a way to tune the emission wavelength of the painted panels by wisely adjusting the stoichiometry of either the pigment to binder ratio (p/b) or wt. % of metallic pigments.

Role of Symmetry Breaking in Observing Strong Molecule-Cavity Coupling Using Dielectric Microspheres.

The emergence of dielectric open optical cavities has opened a new research avenue in nanophotonics. In particular, dielectric microspheres support a rich set of cavity modes with varying spectral characteristics, making them an ideal platform to study molecule–cavity interactions. The symmetry of the structure plays a critical role in the outcoupling of these modes and, hence, the perceived molecule–cavity coupling strength. Here, we experimentally and theoretically study molecule–cavity coupling mediated by the Mie scattering modes of a dielectric microsphere placed on a glass substrate and excited with far-field illumination, from which we collect scattering signatures both in the air and glass sides. Glass-side collection reveals clear signatures of strong molecule–cavity coupling (coupling strength 2g = 74 meV), in contrast to the air-side scattering signal. Rigorous electromagnetic modeling allows us to understand molecule–cavity coupling and unravel the role played by the spatial mode profile in the observed coupling strength.

Highly transparent antireflection coatings on fullerene-free organic solar cells using polymeric nanoparticles

A simple method is described herein for the preparation of highly transparent antireflection (AR) coatings based on polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) for efficient organic solar cells. The NPs based on poly(styrene-co-acrylic acid) (PS-co-PAA) are synthesized via a straightforward emulsion polymerization process, and air void-containing AR films are deposited onto the glass sides of organic solar cells via spin-casting of the NP solution. Various NP sizes ranging from 42 to 86 nm are used to provide a variety of pore fractions and refractive indices. The AR film with an average particle size of 86 nm is shown to increase the normal-incident 595-nm light transmittance from 92.0 to 98.9%. The AR coatings on solar cells are beneficial for the light absorption of the photoactive layers, thus resulting in enhanced short-circuit current densities of up to ∼26.8 mA cm-2. The power conversion efficiency of the device with the optimum AR coating is increased to 12.8% compared to that of non-AR device (12.0%). This work represents a simple strategy for developing high-performance solar cells.

Aquariums and Human–Animal Relations at the Great Barrier Reef


 
 In the early twentieth century, great delight in the unique tropical beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, coupled with an opportunistic spirit for commercial development, inspired the commission of eye-catching posters and advertisements by Australian tourist organisations. The aim of this article is to discuss a pictorial device that developed alongside the rise of modern tourist advertising images of Great Barrier Reef – a split-level viewpoint that approximates the effect of looking at the Reef through the glass sides of an aquarium. Building on my earlier research published in 2019 on wildlife photography and the construction of the Great Barrier Reef as a modern visual spectacle, and combining art history with environmental history, this article also turns to coloured advertising lithographs. It argues that split-level visualisations separate human from non-human and elevate the idea of human superiority. With the Great Barrier Reef facing unprecedented ecological pressures, the historical images at the centre of this article are instructive for understanding the deleterious effects of anthropogenic impact, as well as early twentieth-century attitudes towards human–non-human relations.
 

Influence of heterogeneities of density on the hydromechanical behaviour of pellet-based bentonite materials in imbibition experiments

An experimental investigation on the hydromechanical behaviour of pellet-powder mixtures, candidate materials for sealing the galleries in radioactive waste disposal concepts, was described. Imbibition experiments were performed using a specially-designed column, with square cross-section and glass sides allowing pictures to be taken by a camera. Relative humidity and swelling pressure were measured at different elevations of the column. Three mixtures with an identical pellet volume fraction and various powder volume fractions were used to study the influence of heterogeneities of density on the hydromechanical behaviour of the mixture under repository conditions. Results demonstrated that hydration of the material was dominated by water vapour flux, with pellets and inter-pellet pores not at hydraulic equilibrium. In mixtures with low powder content, the evolution of swelling pressure was controlled by contact forces between pellets. The material progressively lost the initial granular structure upon hydration. Note that hydration was made by imbibition, instead of injecting liquid water at high pressure, to avoid unrealistic liquid water flow rates in the initial large inter-pellet voids. In addition, sensors four times larger than the pellets were used to measure a representative value of swelling pressure.

Improvement of the method of evaluation of bitumen binder adhesion

Abstract. Problem. Adhesion can be used as one of the general indicators of interaction between bitumen binder and mineral aggregates in asphalt concrete. From this point of view adhesion of binder to mineral surface is one of the factors that directly provides strength and performance of asphalt road pavement. More than 20 years in Ukraine adhesion properties of bitumen evaluated with a ДСТУ Б В.2.7-81-98 standard method. This method is based on evaluation of bitumen adhesion to a glass slide, which is set as a standardized surface. Nowadays the list of the positions of ДСТУ Б В.2.7-81-98 is out of date that requires an improvement of adhesion evaluation method. Goal. This research work is aimed to improve the method of evaluation of bitumen binder adhesion to a glass and mineral material surface. Methodology. To reach the goal the following experimental researches are done: the analysis of different glass slides as a standardized surface, the improvement of the preparation method of glass surface for the test, the choice of the time-temperature regimes of the test. Results. It is found that glass sides for the microscope analysis can be set as a standardized glass surface for the test. Methods of glass surface preparation and a test procedure are improved. The regimes of samples heating and exposure before the test and a time-temperature regimes of the rest is changed in comparison with ДСТУ Б В.2.7-81-98. It was found that stripping of the glass surface in water with a time can be described as a polynomial function irrelevant to the test temperature. For each bitumen binder stripping tends to reach the specific constant level during a test time and stays practically unchanged at the further exposure. Originality. On the analysis of the obtained time-temperature relations for the test samples stripping it is set the test regimes and procedure that allows correct and precision evaluation of the adhesion level for a wide range of bitumen binders with additives. Practical value. The obtained experimental data is a base of developed project of national standard ДСТУ «Bitumen and bituminous binders. Determination of resistance to stripping on glass and aggregates surface».

Neutral sterols in honey bee (Apis mellifera) feces

Nutrition is important in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony decline. While the honey bee is incapable of converting dietary plant sterols to cholesterol, the sterol 24-methylenecholesterol has been previously shown to be selectively transferred from worker honey bees to developing brood in both laboratory and field studies. The importance of 24-methylenecholesterol to honey bee development and nutrition is unknown. This selective transfer suggests either (i) honey bees concentrate 24-methylenecholesterol in their tissues by selectively excreting other sterols in their feces (hypothesis 1), or (ii) some other metabolic/physiological mechanism exists to segregate/sequester 24-methylencholesterol for transfer to brood (hypothesis 2). The objective of this study was to determine if any C28 and C29 sterols other than 24-methylenecholesterol were selectively excreted in the feces by the honey bee (hypothesis 1), thereby concentrating the relative percentages of 24-methylenecholesterol in worker bee tissue, and thereby partially explaining the mechanism of selective sterol transfer in honey bees. We conducted the study by confining worker honey bees in a small cage with glass sides to facilitate the collection of honey bee feces. After four days, the neutral sterols were identified and the percentages of these sterols were determined from the pollen the honey bees presumably consumed prior to confinement, from the tissues of the confined worker bees, and from their feces. There was no apparent excessive excretion of other C28 and C29 phytosterols such as campesterol, sitosterol and isofucosterol and stigmasterol in honey bee feces, suggesting that hypothesis 2 (above) needs investigation.

Low-velocity impact performance of hybrid 3D carbon/glass woven orthogonal composite: Experiment and simulation

In this work, the synergistic effect of 3D orthogonal woven structure and asymmetric carbon/glass hybridization on impact response was studied by experimental and numerical methods. The hybrid 3D orthogonal woven (H3DOW) composite plates were manufactured on a home-made 3D weaving machine. Impacts with various energies 42.9, 54.9, 66.9 and 78.9 J were applied to carbon (CG) and glass (GC) sides. The impact response was examined using fracture morphology observation and mechanical curves. Yarn-level finite element models including failure criteria and progressive damage law were established in ABAQUS/Explicit to compare the structural deformation and damage behavior. The impact side significantly influences the failure modes of H3DOW materials. GC specimen failed through delamination between carbon layers at non-impact side and subsequent fiber tensile breakage, whereas the crushing damage in the carbon yarn located in the impact-side and large area debonding between yarn and matrix resin in superficial layers was the dominant failure mode in CG specimen. This caused the CG configuration to exhibit better impact resistance with respect to the perforation threshold energy.

STUDY OF SOME FACTORS EFFECTING ON PRODUCTIVITY OF SOLAR DISTILLERS

The aim of this research was increasing the productivity of solar distillation. In order to reach this aim a solar distiller was created with three glass sides sloping 30o at the horizontal level, and the experiments were carried out on the solar distillation unit during the period from 24th August, 2016 till 24th May, 2017 at the Agricultural Engineering and Bio Systems Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University. Three gap lengths were used between the water level and the inner glass cover, those were 3, 6, and 9cm. As the result of change the gap length between the water level and the inner glass cover the total volume of basins were changed from 15.5, 13, and 11L respectively. The total basin volume divided to three sections, to investigate the effect of water volume. The three water volumes were 100%, 75%, and 50%. Every section was supplied with one, two or three heaters. The one heater power was 15 W. The results showed that, by increase in distance between the basins edge and the inner edge of the glass cover an increase occurs in the percentage of temperature difference with maximum value was 52% at distance 9cm from each edge, an increase occurs in the productivity with maximum productivity was 3.3L/m2 at distance 9cm from each edge and an increase occurs in the efficiency with maximum efficiency was 70% at distance 9cm from each edge.

Visualization of pool boiling heat transfer of magnetic nanofluid

AbstractTo increase heat transfer, ferrofluids have been utilized to study the effective parameters of pool boiling. Changes and possible enhancement of pool boiling heat transfer of magnetic fluids is a function of magnetic field and concentration of nanoparticles. To the best knowledge of the authors, no systematic experiments have been conducted to visualize the phenomena during the boiling of ferrofluids with different concentrations. In this study an experimental investigation has been conducted, by designing and fabricating a novel hele‐shaw vessel with glass sides, to explore via visualizations some details in the pool boiling of ferrofluids. Boiling patterns of ferrofluids at various concentrations have been visualized –both in the presence of a constant magnetic field and without any magnetic field. Pure water tests were performed as a baseline, and the experimental program has been conducted at four different concentrations, namely 30, 40, 50, and 500 ppm. The primary focus of the visualization is to study how different concentration of ferrofluid affects the boiling ebullition cycle through a high‐speed camera. The results showed that in the boiling process of ferrofluids with a low concentration (10 to 50 ppm), the rising bubbles lead to enlarge the active nucleation sites and create cavities. The formation of cavities changes the solid layer of the surface to a porous medium and enhances the wettability of the surface and boiling heat transfer coefficient. In the ferrofluid boiling with high concentration (500 ppm), bubbles rising is hindered by nanoparticles.

Clinical comparison of liquid-based and conventional cytology of oral brush biopsies: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundExfoliative cytology performed on oral brush samples can help dentists to decide, whether a given oral lesion is (pre-) malignant. The use of non-invasive brush biopsies as an auxiliary tool in the diagnosis of oral mucosal lesions has gained renewed interest since improvements in cytological techniques such as the development of adjuvant diagnostic tools and liquid-based cell preparation techniques.MethodsThe aim of this study was to compare the quality of two different preparation techniques (cell collectors): the conventional transfer procedure to glass slides and the so-called liquid-based cytology preparation method. Cell smears were collected from 10 orally healthy individuals (mean age: 24 years) from the palatine mucosa at two different times (baseline and 4 weeks later). Slides of both techniques were stained by Giemsa (n = 40) and May-Gruenwald Giemsa (n = 40). The statistical analysis was performed with Excel.ResultsOn specimen analysis, the liquid-based cytology showed statistically significant improvement compared to conventional glass sides (p < 0.001). Thin layers, which were performed by liquid-based cytology showed significantly better results in the parameters (p < 0.001): uniform distribution, cellular overlapping, cellular disformation, mucus, microbial colonies and debris. The conventional glass slides approach showed more cell overlapping and contamination with extraneous material than thin layers, which were performed by Orcellex® Brush cell collectors.ConclusionsBoth techniques are diagnostically reliable. The liquid-based method showed an overall improvement on sample preservation, specimen adequacy, visualization of cell morphology and reproducibility.Liquid-based cytology simplifies cell collection due to easier handling and less transfer errors by dentists.

Preparation of Chromosomes from Zea mays.

High-quality preparations of chromosomes are useful for many purposes. To prepare metaphase chromosome spreads in maize, root tips are harvested and treated with nitrous oxide to stop cell division at metaphase before being fixed in acetic acid. This process allows a high number of condensed chromosome spreads to be obtained at the end of the procedure. To prepare chromosome spreads from various stages of meiosis, anthers are first fixed before being examined for developmental stage. Cells are digested with a mixture of enzymes before the chromosomes are dropped onto glass sides and fixed under UV light. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Synthesis and characteristics study of TiO2 nanowires and nanoflowers on FTO/glass and glass substrates via hydrothermal technique

In this work, a typical hydrothermal synthesis to grow long, high density, vertically aligned, well oriented and homogenous TiO2 nanowires arrays and flower-like film on conductive and nonconductive (glass) sides of fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO-glass) substrate are presented. Under the same conditions, the TiO2 nanowires arrays were directly grown on the FTO coated side. While the flower-like nanostructures were grown on the glass side. Two cleaned FTO-glass samples were placed inside the autoclave cylinder. The samples were placed at horizontal and inclined at 45° respectively. The average diameter and length of nanowires are 150 nm and 7.0 μm respectively. Also the average diameter of the prepared flower-like nanostructure of TiO2 is ≈5–10 µm. The flower-like nanostructure growth was confirmed in the absence of FTO by scratched line made on conductive side. The optical propertied of the TiO2 flower-like nanostructures was also investigated. The synthesized products were characterized by SEM equipped with EDS, XRD and UV–VIS NIR spectrophotometer.

Validation of Whole Slide Imaging in Pathology

Validation of whole slide imaging (WSI) is an important process for clinical practice. From a vendor perspective, validation seeks to achieve premarket approval from a regulatory agency in order for them to sell their WSI devices for an intended use (e.g., primary diagnosis). Academic validations are different, as these research studies typically result in publications reporting results of a self-defined, focused validation and their findings may not be generalizable. In general, published validation studies show good concordance for diagnoses made by WSI compared to glass slides. Clinical validation in the laboratory involves documenting the process and results of a validation study for an intended clinical use. This is typically conducted in accordance with available recommendations and/or guidelines. Validation studies comparing WSI (digital slides) to glass sides (traditional light microscopy) customarily measure concordance (agreement) between these two modalities. However, this outcome measurement can be influenced by several factors including validation study design, technology used, user training, observer variability, and case difficulty. Interobserver variability is likely to be greater than intraobserver variability, as not all pathologists may agree on certain diagnoses. Several guidelines have been developed that address WSI validation, which includes the College of American Pathologists (CAP) recommendations developed for validating WSI for diagnostic purposes. These CAP recommendations were subsequently adopted by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) clinical guidelines for telepathology. Practical guidelines that assist pathology laboratories seeking to validate their own WSI systems for diagnostic work not only are timely but also help promote digital pathology adoption.

Synthesis and surface properties of polydimethylsiloxane-based block copolymers: poly[dimethylsiloxane-block- (ethyl methacrylate)] and poly[dimethylsiloxane-block-(hydroxyethyl methacrylate)

A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) macroazoinitiator was synthesized from bis(hydroxyalkyl)-terminated PDMS and 4,4′-azobis-4-cyanopentanoic acid by a condensation reaction. The bifunctional macroinitiator was used for the block copolymerization of ethyl methacrylate (EMA) and 2-(trimethylsilyloxy)ethyl methacrylate (TMSHEMA) monomers. The poly(DMS-block-EMA) and poly(DMS-block-TMSHEMA) copolymers thus obtained were characterized using Fourier transform infrared and 1H NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. After the deprotection of trimethylsilyl groups, poly(DMS-block-HEMA) and poly(DMS-block-EMA) copolymer film surfaces were analysed using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effects of the PDMS concentration in the copolymers on both air and glass sides of films were examined. The PDMS segments oriented and moved to the glass side in poly(DMS-block-EMA) copolymer film while orientation to the air side became evident with increasing DMS content in poly(DMS-block-HEMA) copolymer film. The block copolymerization technique described here is a versatile and economic method and is also applicable to a wide range of monomers. The copolymers obtained have phase-separated morphologies and the effects of DMS segments on copolymer film surfaces are different at the glass and air sides. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry