Content Of Hydrophobic Groups Research Articles

Surface Modification of Silk Fabric by Polysaccharide Derivatives towards High-Quality Printing Performance Using Bio-Based Gardenia Blue Ink.

Ink-jet-printed silk, a premium textile material, was achieved by utilizing a bio-based gardenia blue dye. However, the sharpness of the printing pattern is difficult to control due to the limited water-retention capacity of silk. To address this issue, three polysaccharide derivatives, namely, sodium alginate (SA), low-viscosity hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC-I), and high-viscosity hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC-II), were employed as thickeners to modify the silk by the dipping-padding method. Firstly, the preparation of the gardenia blue ink and the rheology assessment of the thickener solution were conducted. Furthermore, the impacts of different thickeners on the micro-morphology, element composition, and hydrophilicity of the silk, along with the wetting behavior of the ink on the silk, were analyzed comparatively in order to identify an appropriate thickener for preserving pattern outlines. Lastly, the color features, color fastness, and wearing characteristics of the printed silk were discussed to evaluate the overall printing quality. Research results showed that the optimized ink formulation, comprising 12% gardenia blue, 21% alcohols, and 5.5% surfactant, met the requirements for ink-jet printing (with a viscosity of 4.48 mPa·s, a surface tension of 34.12 mN/m, and a particle size of 153 nm). The HPMC-II solution exhibited prominent shear-thinning behavior, high elasticity, and thixotropy, facilitating the achievement of an even modification effect. The treatment of the silk with HPMC-II resulted in the most notable decrease in hydrophilicity. This can be attributed to the presence of filled gaps and a dense film on the fibers' surface after the HPMC-II treatment, as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed that the HPMC-II treatment introduced the highest content of hydrophobic groups on the fiber surface. The reduced hydrophilicity inhibited the excessive diffusion and penetration of gardenia blue ink, contributing to a distinct printing image and enhanced apparent color depth. Moreover, the printed silk demonstrated qualified color fastness to rubbing and soaping (exceeding grade four), a soft handle feeling, an ignorable strength loss (below 5%), and a favorable air/moisture penetrability. In general, the surface modification with the HPMC-II treatment has been proven as an effective strategy for upgrading the image quality of bio-based dye-printed silk.

Enhancing flotation recovery of residual carbon from gasification waste by mixing hydrophobic powder with diesel as collector

Coal gasification fine slag (CGFS) is a solid waste containing residual carbon and ash generated during the coal gasification process, and the separation of the two components is the essential way to realize its environmental pollution reduction and resource value increase. Froth flotation is the preferred method for separating CGFS, but there is a barrier of low carbon recovery in this process due to the extensive adsorption of collector by the well-developed pores on residual carbon. In this study, a sufficiently simple yet innovative collector, a mixture of hydrophobic powder and diesel, was proposed in an attempt to break the bottleneck. Flotation experiments with common diesel and this novel collector were performed respectively, and FTIR, XPS, and SEM-EDX were employed to analyze the collector action mechanism. Flotation results revealed that the novel collector could significantly improve the residual carbon recovery; test results demonstrated that the novel collector could increase the hydrophobic functional group content on the fine slag surface, and the hydrophobic powders in this novel collector mainly appeared at the pore openings of the flotation concentrate. The essence of the mechanism is that the hydrophobic powders play a dual role of blocking pores and providing adsorption sites, thus facilitating the spreading of diesel on the carbon surface and promoting its floatability. The study can provide creative ideas for the efficient disposal of coal gasification waste.

Study on Factors Affecting Wettability of Blasting Dust in Dexing Copper Mine

The working face blasting dust of Dexing Copper Mine was taken as the research object, and hydrophilic dust (HD, sinking quickly to the bottom) and hydrophobic dust (HCD, floating on the surface for a long time) were separated. The wettability was quantitatively characterized by measuring the wetting contact angle of the two, and the physicochemical properties of the dust particles were comprehensively characterized by measuring the particle size distribution, surface properties, elemental composition, and phase composition of the dust particles. Finally, by comparing the differences in physicochemical properties between HCD and HD, the key factors affecting the wettability of dust were investigated. The results indicate that the wetting angle of HCD is much smaller than that of HD at any given time. When the wetting contact angle of HCD reaches 20° and is in a relative equilibrium state, HD tends to 0°. In terms of wetting properties, the average particle size of HCD is 21.97% smaller compared with HD, which makes HCD have a larger mass-specific surface area, surface energy, and surface activity. Additionally, the true density of HCD is 4.54% lower than that of HD. HCD is less affected by gravity and has a more complex surface pore structure, resulting in a more pronounced air film effect on the surface of dust particles. The formation of an air film greatly weakens the dust’s wettability. Therefore, particle size and surface structure are the main factors affecting the dust’s wettability. Organic substances cannot be detected in the HCD and HD spectra, indicating that both HCD and HD are hydrophilic phases, which determines the overall wettability of blasting dust. The phase composition of HCD and HD is similar, and the difference in the content of hydrophobic groups (C-C, C-H) between them is less than 3%, so the surface groups are not the main factors affecting the wettability of dust.

Effects of surfactant adsorption on the surface functional group contents and polymerization properties of coal dust

In order to better explain the wetting and polymerization mechanism between surfactant and coal dust, the effects of surfactant adsorption on the surface physicochemical properties of coal dust were investigated based on the infrared spectroscopy, zeta and dust control efficiency experiments. The results showed that compared with nonionic surfactant, anionic surfactant was more easily adsorbed on coal dust surface, while the combination of anionic-nonionic surfactants made surfactant molecules more easily adsorbed on the surface of coal dust, especially compound surfactant (B+D). With the surfactant adsorption increased, the hydrophobic functional group content and absolute potential value of coal dust decreased. For example, the surface potential and hydrophilic functional group content of coal dust adsorbing the compound surfactant (B+D) was enhanced by 43.92%, 165.7% than that of single surfactant (B). Additionally, it was verified that surfactant adsorption capacity could not be used as a critical factor to optimize surfactants applied to enhance the solution wettability. In field tests, the developed compound surfactant (B+D) enhanced respirable dust and total dust control efficiencies by 41.86% and 40.16%, respectively, compared to that of water spray. This study was conducive to choose surfactants to improve coal dust control performance of the aqueous solution.

Effects of aminopropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane on structure and properties of waterborne polyurethane-acrylate

To achieve a good balance between mechanical properties and water resistance of the waterborne polyurethane (WPU) film, the hydroxylethyl acrylate (HEA) terminated waterborne polyurethane-acrylate (WPUA) emulsion was prepared by chain extension of 3,6-dioxa-1,8-octanedithiol (BOODT) and modification of aminopropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (APT-PDMS). The effects of APT-PDMS on the microphase separation structure and the performance of WPUA film were investigated by varying the molar ratio of APT-PDMS to HEA. The introduction of APT-PDMS caused an increase in the content of hydrophobic groups, which could induce the rearrangement of the PDMS chain segments on the surface of WPUA during film formation. The rearrangement enhanced the surface hydrophobicity of WPUA, also improved the phase separation between hard and soft segments. The former was beneficial to obtaining better water resistance, while the latter was conducive to improving mechanical properties. However, the decrease in cross-linking degree will limit the mechanical properties and the water resistance with the increase in APT-PDMS/HEA molar ratio. The optimal balance between mechanical properties and water resistance can be achieved when the APT-PDMS/HEA molar ratio is 0.25. This work provides a feasible scheme for the industrial production of WPUA emulsions.

Application of Infrared Spectroscopy in Research on Aging of Silicone Rubber in Harsh Environment.

Polymer insulators using silicone rubber materials as sheds and sheaths are widely used in power systems to replace traditional porcelain and glass insulators which are heavy, inconvenient to install, and prone to pollution flashover. However, in recent years, polymer insulators that have been operating in harsh outdoor environments for many years have experienced different degrees of aging. The aging degree and aging products of silicone rubber are the focus of research. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a technical method to analyze the internal molecular bonds and functional groups of materials, and it is often used to study the aging degree and aging products of silicone rubber. In this paper, the aging characteristics of silicone rubber samples in a high altitude area, salt fog environment, and acid environment were studied by FTIR. The results showed that the silicone rubber in a harsh environment, such as strong radiation, salt fog, and acid fog was degraded to some extent, and its main chain was cut off, the degree of polymerization was reduced, and the content of hydrophobic functional groups was reduced. Infrared spectroscopy can be used to analyze the aging phenomenon of polymers.

Environmentally-friendly emulsion-like collector prepared from waste oil: Application in floatation recovery of unburned carbon in coal fly ash

The decarbonization of waste coal fly ash (CFA) and the reuse of waste oil are concerned in this study. The waste oil in kitchen waste was purified and emulsified into emulsion-like collector to reduce the dependence of CFA flotation on non-renewable collector. The feasibility of preparing microemulsion from waste oil by using OP-10 as surfactant, n-pentanol or n-hexanol as co-surfactants was studied. The pseudo ternary phase diagram was used to analyze the emulsification performance. Emulsification results show that waste oil can be prepared into microemulsion under harsh conditions. The concept of an emulsion-like, which does not require water, was proposed because the flotation process was carried out in an aqueous environment. Three emulsion-like (M waste oil:SAR = M2:8, M5:5, M8:2) were used to verify the effect of the ratio of surfactant on the decarburization efficiency. The flotation results show that the carbon removal rate can reach 94.64% under the conditions of appropriate reagent ratio and dosage. In addition, the flotation kinetic analysis was verified, nonlinear fitting results show that the classical first-order model can more accurately explain the flotation kinetic characteristics of CFA flotation by emulsion-like collector. XPS analysis results show that the content of carbon-based hydrophobic groups in CFA is only 59.9%, which indicates that the assistance of collector is necessary to improve the flotation efficiency. The present study realizes the goal of “treating waste with waste” and provides an innovative idea to realize the reuse of CFA and waste oil.

Performance and mechanisms of enhanced oil recovery via amphiphilic polymer flooding in high salinity reservoir

The amphiphilic polymer has excellent performance and is expected to replace traditional polymer oil-displacing agent in China. In this study, the iso-viscosity method evaluates the oil displacement performance of the betaine-type amphiphilic polymers with different content of hydrophobic groups in high salinity reservoirs. Rheometer, emulsion stability analyzer, laser particle size analyzer, and visualization of microscopic displacement are used to explore their oil displacement mechanism. The results show that the content of hydrophobic groups, and the recovery ratio of polymer flooding shows a positive correlation. The difference in the displacement performance reflects the difference in the viscoelasticity of the displacement system and the ability to emulsify crude oil. The synergistic effect of the two aspects further improves the oil washing efficiency. This study provides a reference for the practical application of the amphiphilic polymer, providing a theoretical basis to select polymer flooding agents in high salinity reservoirs.

Foam Stabilization Mechanism of a Novel Non-cross-linked Foam Fracturing Fluid.

Traditional foam hydraulic fracturing fluids used guar cross-linking technology. However, major production problems, such as high friction and difficulty to accurately control the cross-linking time, have influenced the large-scale application of cross-linked guar foam fracturing fluids. In this study, we developed a novel non-cross-linked foam fracturing fluid using a series of polymers synthesized with acrylamide and hexadecyl trimethylallyl ammonium chloride as monomers and improved the stability of foam by forming structures in solution through association. The results showed that the hydrophobic groups were the key factors that affect the foam stability, and the hydrolysis degree had a significant effect on the elasticity of the polymer solution. The model association polymer with 0.75% hydrophobic group content and 56% hydrolytic degree was optimal. The stability of our proposed foam was comparable to that of the cross-linked guar gum foam. The adsorption of associating polymers on the gas and water interface resulted in a high-stability foam. Our study demonstrates a new avenue to develop high-stability foams to satisfy the current hydraulic fracturing scheme.

Evaluation of new hydrophobic association inorganic composite material as coagulant for oilfield wastewater treatment

• The hydrophobic association PASS was prepared by a base titration method. • PASS with a small amount of lipophilic group could be improving charge neutralization ability. • The crude water containing polymer was effectively treated. • Floc properties were comparatively investigated. The use of oil recovery technologies has resulted in the weakening of interfacial tension between oil and water in oilfield wastewater due to a large amount of polymer present. This leads to the formation of stable emulsified colloidal systems and increases the difficulty of oilfield wastewater treatment. This study investigated hydrophobically-modified polyaluminium silicate sulphate (PASS-C) as a coagulant for oilfield wastewater treatment. PASS-C was prepared by the condensation polymerisation of Al 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ·18H 2 O with dialysed and hydrolysed KH570 [3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate] under titration with NaAlO 2 and water glass at low temperature. The zeta potential of PASS-C showed that the introduction of hydrophobic groups increased its charge neutralisation ability. Additionally, compared with conventional PASS, PASS-C showed a satisfactory oil removal rate from simulated polymer flooding oily wastewater. When the hydrophobic group content was 1% and the dosage of PASS-C was 140 mg·L –1 , the optimal oil removal rate and turbidity removal rate was 95% and 98%, respectively. The particle size and morphology of the coagulated flocs were characterised by laser particle size analysis and SEM. Compared with PASS, PASS-C formed a larger and more compact floc. These findings indicated that the good flocculability of PASS-C for crude oil wastewater was attributable to the synergistic effects of charge neutralisation, hydrophobic associations and adsorption bridging.

Effect of critical micelle concentration of imidazole ionic liquids in aqueous solutions on the wettability of anthracite

In this study, the influence of ionic liquids (ILs) on the microstructure and wetting behaviour of anthracite is explored. 1H NMR and conductometry are used to determine the critical micelle concentration (CMC) for the aggregation of the ILs in an aqueous solution. XPS and zeta potential are used to analyse the changes in functional groups on the surface of coal treated with ILs and their effects on the wetting process. The results show that with an increase in the concentration of the ILs, the chemical shift of the end proton of the alkyl side chain moves forward to the high field, and the chemical shift value decreases. 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Bmim][Cl] and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [Bmim][BF4] in aqueous solution attain the CMC at 0.93 mol/L and 0.95 mol/L, respectively. XPS results show that at the CMC of [Bmim][Cl], the relative content of oxygen-containing functional groups (C–O―, CO, COO―) is higher, and the wetting effect is better. When the concentration of [Bmim][BF4] in aqueous solution is 0.5 mol/L, it has a low hydrophobic group (C–C/C–H) content and strong wetting ability to coal dust. At the CMC, [Bmim][Cl] aqueous solution has an inhibiting effect on the wetting behaviour, while [Bmim][BF4] has the opposite effect.

Effect of micro‐aggregation behavior on the salt tolerance of polymer solutions

AbstractPolymer solution for oil displacement is mostly used in the middle and late stage of water flooding reservoir development, and reservoir groundwater conditions are often one of the main conditions restricting polymer application. Therefore, it is necessary to develop salt tolerance of polymer solutions with different aggregation behaviors, so as to facilitate the synthesis and optimization of suitable polymer systems. The differences in the micro‐aggregation behavior of three polymers with different molecular structures were explored. On this basis, the effects of divalent metal cations on the properties of the polymer solutions were analyzed by assessing the micro‐aggregation behavior, apparent viscosity, hydrodynamic size, and shear rheological characteristics. The results showed that the linear partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) was seriously affected by divalent cations, and the viscosity decreased obviously. The aggregation behavior of the polymer changed by hydrophobic association can enhance the salt tolerance of the solution. The hydrophobically modified partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HMPAM) with “chain beam” aggregation behavior has strong intermolecular connection, which enables it to withstand the content of calcium and magnesium ions of 1100 mg l−1. When the content of calcium and magnesium ions exceeds 600 mg l−1, dendritic hydrophobically associating polymer (DHAP) will destroy the interaction between molecular chains, resulting in the decrease of apparent viscosity and hydrodynamic size. For polymer flooding in high‐salinity reservoir, salt tolerant polymer system can be constructed by optimizing molecular weight and hydrophobic group content.

Influence of surfactants on the properties of amphphilic polymer solutions

The surface activity of amphiphilic polymers increases with an increase in the content of hydrophobic groups in the polymer and in the presence of low molecular weight surfactants. Binary systems containing methacrylic acid copolymer with а-pinene and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide show that the toluene solubilization increases by 1,4 times compared to a polymer without surfactant and by 1,3 times when the surfactant concentration in the solution is below the critical micelle concentration.

Effect of hydrophobic group content on the properties of betaine-type binary amphiphilic polymer

With the development of high salinity reservoirs, amphiphilic polymers with salt thickening behavior have gained increasing attention. In this work, a betaine-type binary amphiphilic polymer PAMA-n with different hydrophobic group contents was synthesized and characterized. The influencing mechanism of different hydrophobic group contents on properties of PAMA was studied by means of viscometer, rheometer, surface tension meter, simultaneous thermal analyzer and fluorescence spectrophotometer. The experimental results showed that the betaine group and hydrophobic group were located in the same association monomer of the PAMA. PAMA was a betaine-type amphiphilic polymer with strong association, high solubility and certain surface activity. Higher hydrophobic group content could enhance the ability to reduce surface tension and the association function between hydrophobic groups of PAMA. The viscosity, thermal stability and viscoelasticity could be improved with the increase of hydrophobic group content. Meanwhile, the PAMA with higher hydrophobic group content showed a better salt thickening behavior.

Preparation and evaluation of lignite flotation collector derived from waste hot-pot oil

Due to poor hydrophobicity, large amounts of petroleum-based collectors are required for upgrading lignite. In this paper, Waste Hot-pot Oil (WHPO) collectors from the catering industry were prepared via filtration, heating, and catalysis. The catalytic experiment was optimized using the Design-Expert software. The optimum catalytic conditions were found to be a pyrolysis temperature of 85 °C, alcohol-oil ratio of 35:1, catalyst dosage of 2%, and reaction time of 1 h. The Separation Efficiency (SE) of WHPO was 3.04 percentage higher than that of the conventional collector (kerosene), while the ash content of Lignite Surface Treated with WHPO (LWHPO) was 1.14 percentage lower than that of kerosene. Response surface methodology was used to analyse the factors influencing the SE; the effect of the studied factors followed the order catalyst amount > alcohol-to-oil ratio > reaction temperature. GC–MS showed that WHPO contained both long-chain alkyl groups and other ester and hydroxyl groups. XPS tests confirmed that the hydrophobic group (CC, CH) content of LWHPO increased, while its hydrophilic group content (except CO) decreased, demonstrating the improved hydrophobicity of lignite after WHPO treatment. FT-IR analysis indicated that WHPO more effectively decreased the content of hydrophilic groups and increased the content of hydrophobic groups than kerosene. Contact angle (CA) analysis showed WHPO was more conducive to lignite surface hydrophobicity improvement than kerosene. WHPO possessed strong collecting ability and better selectivity, and could be used as an alternative collector for lignite flotation.

An experimental study on the effect of ionic liquids on the structure and wetting characteristics of coal

To investigate the effect of ionic liquids on coal structure and wettability, three kinds of ionic liquids with good surface activity were selected to treat coal sample. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study the surface morphology, pore structure, and chemical structure of coals. Moreover, the effect of ionic liquids on the wetting characteristics of coal was studied by contact angle measurement. Compared with the raw coal, the surface morphology of coal treated with ionic liquids became rougher due to the formation of more pores and cracks. FTIR analysis showed that the skeleton of the coal was changed significantly by ionic liquids, and the content of oxygen-containing functional groups increased in the treated coal samples. XPS test revealed that the content of hydrophilic functional groups on the coal surface was increased and the hydrophobic functional group content was decreased obviously, which agreed with the results of FTIR analysis. From the results of contact angle measurement, it could be found that the treated coal samples with ionic liquids demonstrated smaller contact angle compared to the raw coal, which indicated the enhanced wettability of coal, mainly due to the changes in physicochemical structures including surface morphology and functional groups under the impact of ionic liquids. Typically, ionic liquid named [HOEtMIm][NTf2] showed the best wetting effect on coal as evidenced by smallest contact angle for the treated coal with [HOEtMIm][NTf2].

Effects of high-temperature oxygen-deficient oxidation on the surface properties of sub-bituminous coal

ABSTRACTThe air oxidation of coal releases heat which increases coal temperature, as a result, the spontaneous combustion of coal happens. Generally, coal spontaneous combustion needs to be prevented artificially, however, most of the coal particles still suffer a high-temperature heating process under the oxygen-deficient condition. This paper aims to investigate the effect of high temperature (500°C, 600°C, and 700°C) oxygen-deficient (3% oxygen and 97% nitrogen) oxidation on the surface properties of sub-bituminous coal. SEM and XPS were applied to show the changes of surface properties of sub-bituminous coal. SEM results showed the number of pores and cracks on coal surface increased with the increasing heating temperature, and XPS results showed the content of hydrophobic functional groups on coal surface reduced whereas the content of hydrophilic oxygen-containing functional groups increased after the oxygen-deficient oxidation.

Anti-Strip Additive for Bitumen by Processing Lignin

The study was directed toward modifying of lignin by applying processes of depolymerization alkylation and propoxylation to obtain anti-strip additives for bitumen. Lignin depolymerization was carried out by catalytic hydrotreating on catalyst W-Mo/Al2O3, in continuous system and a fixed bed of catalyst. Dispersant characteristics of phenols obtained by lignin depolymerization where improved by increasing the content of hydrophobic groups and of hydrophilic groups, changes made through alkylation and propoxylation of this phenols. Alkylation of cresols was performed in a batch system in the presence of a catalyst phosphotungstic acid supported on mesoporous silica and propoxylation was performed in a batch system in the presence of KOH catalyst. Heterogenous catalysts characterization where performed by determining the acid strength and textural characteristics. The adhesiveness of bitumen is improved by addition of depolymerized-alkylated-propoxylated lignin.

Effect of middle-temperature pyrolysis on the surface hydrophobicity of sub-bituminous coal

ABSTRACTMiddle-temperature pyrolysis is widely used to convert sub-bituminous coal into gas/liquid products and the coal char, which benefits the utilization of low rank coal resources. However, the coal char usually contains high-ash content because the volatile components in coal release from coal particle forming gas/liquid products while most of high-ash mineral components remain in the coal char. Therefore, the upgrading of the coal char is usually required to meet the requirement of calorific value for burning. It is necessary to find out the effect of middle-temperature pyrolysis on the surface hydrophobicity of coal. In this study, the effects of pyrolysis temperature (700, 800, and 900°C) and pyrolysis time (30 and 90 min) on the surface hydrophobicity of sub-bituminous coal were comprehensively investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), attachment time, and flotation tests were used to reveal the changes of surface hydrophobicity and floatability of sub-bituminous coal before and after middle-temperature pyrolysis. The XPS results indicated the content of hydrophilic oxygen-containing functional groups was reduced while the content of hydrophobic functional groups on coal surface was increased after the pyrolysis. The attachment time of coal particle-bubble was reduced while the flotation recovery of coal was increased after the pyrolysis. The surface hydrophobicity and floatability of sub-bituminous coal were enhanced by middle-temperature pyrolysis, which makes the upgrading of the coal char feasible.

Extent of Surface Force Additivity on Chemically Heterogeneous Substrates at Varied Orientations.

Surface interactions between chemically mixed surfaces, as well as those among dissolved biomolecules, comprise distinct contributions from polar and hydrophobic moieties. These contributions are often context dependent. Approximate compliance to the Cassie additivity equation for the wetting free energies on mixed surfaces in water is, however, indicative of similarly additive forces between individual surface elements, suggesting a quadratic interpolation model for total force from the forces between pure surfaces. We use molecular dynamics/umbrella sampling simulations of parallel and nonparallel mixed surfaces with demonstrable Cassie-like behavior to verify how well the total surface force between the heterogeneous, molecularly rough surfaces can be approximated as a combination of forces among the homogeneous ones. When accounting for dissimilar distances of approach between functional groups of different types, our results for graphene surfaces with mixed methyl and nitrile coating show such a superposition to provide a reasonable first order approximation of interactions between the platelets. Deviations from additivity are more prominent in parallel-plate configurations, at high content of hydrophobic groups, and small separations. The inclusion of water polarizability does not visibly alter the observed behavior regardless of platelet orientations. The outcome of this study determines the necessary molecular conditions for observing force additivity that emphasize the context dependence of hydrophobic interaction in the presence of polar groups. This notion provides guidelines for the syntheses of new, chemically heterogeneous materials with tailored function-oriented properties in aqueous media.