Interface Response Research Articles

Electrochemical fabrication of Ru[bpy]32+@Cu-MOF(-SH)/Au photo/electrochemical coupling interface and its DNA-based biosensing performance

An electrochemical fabrication method of Ru[bpy]32+@Cu-MOF(-SH)/Au (MOF = metal–organic framework) was developed with a photo/electrochemical information characterization and a DNA-based biosensing validation for the proposed interface. Applying an anodic synthesis method, a modification layer of Ru[bpy]32+ encapsulated with MOF was formed on the Au electrode surface to fabricate an interface with photo/electrochemical dual-signal response. Combining the scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) imaging technology with electrochemical and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection, the information about the interfacial photo/electrochemical bi-functional properties was explored from three aspects of the parameter variable, intensity variable, and morphology variable. The results show that the effect of parameter variables on the interfacial response follows an “interference effect” mechanism. Under the optimized conditions, the background and the saturation ECL intensities are 610.0 and 24.0 with a quenching efficiency of 96.1% and a detection limit of 30 fM. The saturation current is 48.8 µA with a detection limit of 330.0 nM. Both ECL and electrochemical imaging methods can corroborate each other, validating the logical correlation between the interface fabrication and the response performance in the regional interfacial distribution and laying a methodological foundation for evaluating the interface fabrication quality based on imaging morphology qualitatively. The proposed interface can construct photo/electrochemical dual-signal DNA-based biosensors.

Composition manipulation of heat-resistant iron-based cores@graphitic carbon@amorphous carbon derived from urea-modulated MOFs for high-efficient microwave absorption

Designing multifunctional microwave absorption materials is crucial in practical application. Herein, the iron-based cores@graphitic carbon@amorphous carbon composites with diverse phase compositions were annealed from urea-modulated metal organic frameworks (MOFs), MIL-88A, as precursors. By simply varying the mass ratio of urea and MIL-88A, the chemical compositions of as-prepared samples were well adjusted, which brought the variation of interfacial polarization, dipole polarization, and magnetic response. Meanwhile, the structure with outer-layered amorphous carbon and inner-layered graphitic carbon enhanced impedance matching. Therefore, with stronger microwave attenuation brought by polarization loss and better impedance matching, the high-efficient microwave absorption performance with a minimum reflection loss (RL) of −67.81 dB at 12.5 GHz and an effective absorption bandwidth of 5.76 GHz was obtained with S-05 (Fe/Fe3C/Fe15.1C@graphitic carbon@amorphous carbon), which was prepared with the weight ratio of MIL-88A and urea at 2:1. Meanwhile, the iron-based cores@graphitic carbon@amorphous carbon composites possess good heat-resistant properties due to the existence of protecting carbon layers. Thus, urea-assisted treatment paves a way for acquiring multifunctional absorbers derived from MOFs with enhanced microwave absorption performance.

Dielectric response of thin water films: a thermodynamic perspective.

The surface of a polar liquid presents a special environment for the solvation and organization of charged solutes, which differ from bulk behaviors in important ways. These differences have motivated many attempts to understand electrostatic response at aqueous interfaces in terms of a spatially varying dielectric permittivity, typically concluding that the dielectric constant of interfacial water is significantly lower than in the bulk liquid. Such analyses, however, are complicated by the potentially nonlocal nature of dielectric response over the short length scales of interfacial heterogeneity. Here we circumvent this problem for thin water films by adopting a thermodynamic approach. Using molecular simulations, we calculate the solvent's contribution to the reversible work of charging a parallel plate capacitor. We find good agreement with a simple dielectric continuum model that assumes bulk dielectric permittivity all the way up to the liquid's boundary, even for very thin (∼1 nm) films. This comparison requires careful attention to the placement of dielectric boundaries between liquid and vapor, which also resolves apparent discrepancies with dielectric imaging experiments.

A comprehensive insight on the impact of individual ions on Engineered Waterflood: With already strongly water-wet sandstone

Engineered Waterflood (EWF) has drawn increasing attention as an emerging economic-friendly technique. However, the underlying mechanisms still remain ambiguous. Wettability alteration has been claimed as the main reason to the additional oil recovery by EWF. In contrast, limited work was devoted to investigate the contribution of fluid-fluid interaction. To fill this gap, in the study, strongly water-wet rock samples (artificial clay-free sandstones) were used to minimize wettability alteration, thereby highlighting the fluid-fluid interaction. A high-salinity single-component NaCl solution (100 kppm) was used as a base line; three low salinity (1 kppm) brines (i.e., NaCl, CaCl2 and Na2SO4) were adopted in our experiments to explore the effect of brine salinity and ion types. Moreover, an offshore heavy oil was chosen in our study to emphasize fluid-fluid interfacial response. First, secondary EWFs were conducted to demonstrate the brine chemistry effect on core scale. Subsequently, oil/brine interfacial properties including IFT and IVE were analyzed at the interfacial film scale. Thereafter, visible micromodel experiments were performed to manifest the fluid-fluid interaction on pore-scale displacement events. On the other hand, zeta potential measurements along with the disjoining pressure isotherm calculation by the extended-DLVO theory were used to study the rock-fluid interaction. Our results show that both low salinity and the sulfate enrichment increase the interfacial visco-elasticity, which hinders the microscopic displacement events of both snap-off and coalescence. In addition, as engineered water is injected at secondary mode, the overall oil continuity is primarily improved by suppressing snap-off. Additionally, disjoining pressure calculation reveal that a lower brine salinity and an enrichment of sulfate can decrease the attraction force between oil and rock, imparting a lubricating effect on the flow of crude oil. Therefore, this work has shed light on EWF mechanisms by considering both fluid-fluid and fluid-rock interactions from multi-scales. It also clarifies the effect of sulfate on EWF in sandstone, unlike previous studies that mainly evaluated the performance of sulfate in carbonate.

Incipient sliding of adhesive contacts

A model is proposed herein to investigate the incipient sliding of contacts in the presence of both friction and adhesion, where the interfacial response is modeled based on traction-separation laws. A Maugis-like parameter is defined to characterize the response in the tangential direction. Subsequently, the model is used to investigate the contact between a smooth cylinder and a flat body, where adhesion-friction interactions are strong. A range of behaviors are observed when a tangential displacement is imposed: When the parameter is low, the contact pressure exhibits a relatively constant profile; when it is high, a pressure spike is observed at the edge of the contact. This difference is caused by a significant interface compliance in the former case, which limits the amount of slip. The results for the mid-range values of the Maugis-like parameter can qualitatively replicate various experiments performed using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) balls.

Shear transfer mechanism of perforated web connection for concrete encased steel structures

The size of the steel section in concrete encased steel (CES) structure of bridge engineering is much larger than that of the building construction, accompanied by great shear demands at the steel–concrete interface. To enhance the interfacial shear performance, perforated web connection (PWC), which perforates the web of steel section with perforating rebars passing through the web openings, is proposed in this research for bridge application. Push-out tests and refined numerical analysis were performed on CES specimens with PWC, aiming to evaluate its effectiveness and to reveal the shear transfer mechanism. The effect of various parameters on the shear resistance was also investigated through a parametric study using the validated modeling method. Eventually, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was developed to predict the ultimate shear resistance of PWC. The results indicate that the interfacial shear-slip response especially the post-peak behavior is significantly improved by PWC with perforating rebars, which transforms the failure manner from brittle to ductile. The failure process of the PWC with perforating rebars experiences the loss of bonding, activation of perforating rebars, as well as shear failure of perforating rebars and concrete dowels. The parametric analysis shows that the PWC with large web openings exhibits great ultimate shear resistance and sensitivity to the variation in other parameters owing to good compatibility between the natural bond and reinforced concrete dowels. The well trained ANN model is a powerful tool for efficiently predicting the ultimate shear resistance of such connection.

The effects of rock-infill interfacial properties on the compressive damage behaviour of flawed rocks: Results from a DEM study

Infilled rock discontinuities is a general technique to enhance the strength and stability of natural rock mass. However, the effects of rock-infill interfaces on the fracture of rock remain ambiguous due to difficulties in controlling interfacial properties in both laboratory and practice. In this study, we investigate the effects of rock-infill interfacial contact properties on the fracture behaviour of rock under uniaxial compression loads from a multiscale perspective based on Discrete Element Method (DEM). Single-flawed rock specimens with various inclined angles and three common types of rock-infill interfacial contacts (i.e. smooth, weak-cohesive and cohesive) are considered in the investigation. The mesoscopic responses of rock and infill material, as well as the cohesive interface, are characterized in DEM by a cohesive damage-plasticity model, while their smooth interfacial response is described by the smooth joint model. To bridge the meso- and macro-behaviour of infilled rock specimens, a local strain calculation technique for large deformation issues is used to quantify continuum strain fields from discrete displacements of DEM particles. After calibration and verification, the proposed numerical model is demonstrated to be capable of capturing the mechanical behaviour of both unfilled and infilled rock specimens with various flaw inclined angles. Sensitivity analyses of infilled rock performance demonstrate that the cohesive interfacial contact is more effective than smooth interfacial contact in enhancing the mechanical responses of rocks, and flawed rocks with full-cohesive interfacial contacts can behave like an intact mass. In addition, the interfacial contact types show significant effects on the cracking process and crack patterns in rock specimens.

Construction of multiple electron transfer paths in 1D core-shell hetetrostructures with MXene as interlayer enabling efficient microwave absorption

The exploitation of multicomponent nanocomposites with suitable hierarchical heterostructures is an attractive strategy to obtain high-performance microwave absorption materials. In this work, a versatile strategy is proposed for synthesizing 1D hierarchical core-shell structure with Co-ZIF arrays derived carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coupled on cotton fiber (CF)-supported MXene shell (Co/CNTs-MXene@CF). The advantages of Co-ZIF arrays derived CNTs and MXene dielectric layer can be efficiently integrated to realize multiple electron transfer paths by the construction of the well-designed hierarchical structure. The designed heterogeneous composites consist of the interlayer MXene and CNTs grow sequentially from the outermost Co-ZIF nanosheet arrays with appropriate conductivity and abundant heterointerfaces, which can improve the conduction loss and interfacial polarization response. As expected, the elaborate 1D Co/CNTs-MXene@CF heterostructures exhibit the optimal reflection loss of −61.41 dB at 2.52 mm and effective absorption bandwidth reaches 5.04 GHz with a thickness of only 1.5 mm. The experimental results demonstrate that the optimized structure dramatically improves the electromagnetic wave attenuation behavior. This work illuminates a new design strategy for the preparation of multicomponent composites with reasonable hierarchical structure that enables high-performance microwave absorption materials.

Quantum and Classical Characteristics of the Capacitance of Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces from Joint Density Functional Theory

Quantifying the interfacial response towards addition of charge, the capacitance of electrode-electrolyte interfaces is a key property for the functioning of electrochemical devices. The rich electronic properties of two-dimensional electrode materials strongly affect their electrochemical behavior, giving rise to their so-called quantum capacitance CQ. It is well-accepted that the quantum capacitance is essentially equal to the electronic density of states (DOS) of the electrode. However, the total capacitance Ctot of the electrode-electrolyte interface is also determined by the "classical" double-layer capacitance Cdl. Typically, both contributions are assumed to act in series, resulting in the commonly employed partitioning 1/Ctot = 1/CQ + 1/Cdl. However, in spite of its fundamental relevance, the motivation of this partitioning remained vague to date.I will show how both quantum and classical characteristics of the capacitance of complex electrode-electrolyte interfaces rigorously derive ab initio from joint density functional theory that provides a framework for the combined description of both the electronic density of the electrode and the ionic and dielectric densities of the electrolyte. Whereas the quantum capacitance is determined by the DOS of the Kohn-Sham single-particle orbitals, the double-layer capacitance is determined by the interaction between the local density of states (LDOS) of the electrode and the Fukui function of the electrode-electrolyte system. The derived relation precisely yields the known partitioning of the total interface capacitance, but it also shows that additional capacitive contributions arise, e.g., from the electronic exchange-correlation interaction.This analysis provides a clear perspective on the influence of the electrode material and thickness, as well as temperature, on the charging response of the interface, which is particularly relevant for two-dimensional electrode materials where all capacitive contributions are significant and non-trivial. Moreover, the presented approach makes the transition from thin two-dimensional to thick bulk electrodes mathematically traceable and shows how the classical electrochemical double-layer capacitance is recovered in the limit of a bulk metal electrode. The findings will be exemplified by computational results for a single-layer graphene electrode, and for bulk and single-layer gold electrodes.[1] T. Binninger, Piecewise nonlinearity and capacitance in the joint density functional theory of extended interfaces, Phys. Rev. B 103 (2021), L161403.

Broadband impedance modulation via non-local acoustic metamaterials.

Causality of linear time-invariant systems inherently defines the wave-matter interaction process in wave physics. This principle imposes strict constraints on the interfacial response of materials on various physical platforms. A typical consequence is that a delicate balance has to be struck between the conflicting bandwidth and geometric thickness when constructing a medium with desired impedance, which makes it challenging to realize broadband impedance modulation with compact structures. In pursuit of improvement, the over-damped recipe and the reduced excessive response recipe are creatively presented in this work. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, we construct a metamaterial with intensive mode density that supports strong non-locality over a frequency band from 320 Hz to 6400 Hz. Under the guidelines of the over-damped recipe and the reduced excessive response recipe, the metamaterial realizes impedance matching to air and exhibits broadband near-perfect absorption without evident impedance oscillation and absorption dips in the working frequency band. We further present a dual-functional design capable of frequency-selective absorption and reflection by concentrating the resonance modes in three frequency bands. Our research reveals the significance of over-damped recipe and the strong non-local effect in broadband impedance modulation, which may open up avenues for constructing efficient artificial impedance boundaries for energy absorption and other wave manipulation.

Wine lees: From waste to O/W emulsion stabilizer

Wine lees are the major waste from wine production, containing a noticeable amount of biomass (yeast, stalks, and peels), they could be used for the stabilization of dispersed systems such as emulsions. This work is focused on the determination of techno-functional properties of whine less produced from white grapes and industrial-grade blueberries. The interfacial characterisation was carried out by means of dilatational and interfacial shear rheology, whereas the characterisation of emulsion microstructure was assessed by droplet size distribution, rheological characterisation and backscattering measurements. The results obtained indicated that a high amount of polyphenols were present in wine less obtained from grape fermentation with industrial-grade blueberries as an additive, moreover, their presence also caused better interfacial properties (reducing the interfacial tension up to ca. 15 mN/m). However, the comparison of dilatational and interfacial-shear rheology determined that the interfacial response was caused by a densely packed structure. Fairly low droplet sizes (⁓ 320 nm) were obtained after ultraturrax® homogenization and further passing through the Microfluidizer® device, where the emulsions were stable only in presence of xanthan gum (0.06, 0.12 and 0.25 wt%). However, the suitable amount of XG gum was 0.06 and 0.12 wt% since no phase separation was observed in the emulsions generated over storage time, although flocculation phenomena took place. The results obtained exhibited emulsions with a suitable texture for the preparation of milk-shakes and brewages products, evidencing the potential of wine lees for these products.

The Influence of Friction Blocks Connection Configuration on High-Speed Railway Brake Systems Performance

The influence of friction blocks connection configuration on the interfacial tribology behavior and FIVN (friction-induced vibration and noise) of the high-speed railway braking system is systematically investigated with a scaled brake test bench. The potential relationship among interface contact status, friction, wear, pressure distribution, thermal response, and vibration noise of the system is studied under dragging test conditions. The results indicate that the connection configuration of the friction blocks has a significant impact on systematic interfacial tribology behavior, thermal response, and vibration noise. A floating connection mode can suppress the vibration noise of the brake system. The interfacial thermal response and systematic vibration noise are quite relevant with the contact status, interfacial wear, and pressure distribution. The increase of interfacial wear will lead to an expansion of pressure concentration area and an aggravation of vibration noise. This research is helpful for further design optimization and noise reduction of the railway brake system.

Two birds with one stone: Interfacial controls and pH response for long-term and high-efficiency Cu2O antibacterial materials

Cu2O is the current mainstream antifouling agent, but it has problems such as explosive release of Cu2+ ions, poor sterilization effect, and environmental pollution. In this work, we used the weakly acidic solution generated during the preparation of Cu2O@Ag to dissolve chitosan (CS) and then prepared Cu2O@Ag@CS core–shell nanocomposites using a one-pot method. The emergence of Cu2O@Ag@CS composites solved the above-mentioned problems of Cu2O. The CS shell can protect the Cu2O well, avoid direct contact with the outside environment, and reduce the oxidation of Cu2O. In addition, the CS shell provided a pH-response performance, and made Cu2O crystal face more active. The acidic environment generated by bacteria and other microorganisms opened the CS shell, causing Cu2O@Ag@CS to release a large amount of Cu2+ ions. In a neutral or alkaline environment, the release of Cu2+ ions were less, greatly improving the utilization efficiency of Cu2+ ions. Ag nanoparticles deposited onto the surface of Cu2O further protected Cu2O from oxidation, significantly improving the photocatalytic efficiency of Cu2O and enhancing its sterilization efficiency. The antibacterial properties of CS itself with more holes also benefited the improvement in the sterilization effect of Cu2O@Ag@CS. A 30-day long-acting antibacterial experiment proved the long-acting and high-efficiency antibacterial properties of Cu2O@Ag@CS composites. After the antifouling coating with Cu2O@Ag@CS as an antifouling agent was hung in a marine environment for 70 days in summer, no microorganisms attached onto the surface, proving the excellent practical application performance of Cu2O@Ag@CS antifouling agent.

A molecular dynamics based cohesive zone model for interface failure under monotonic tension of 3D four direction SiCf/SiC composites

Aiming at a mechanics-based prediction on the progressive damage in SiC fiber reinforced SiC matrix (SiCf/SiC) composites, multiscale simulation coupling molecular dynamics (MD) and finite element method (FEM) is established with specific concern on the silicon carbide/pyrocarbon (SiC/PyC) interface separation behavior. The MD simulation is employed to evaluate the interface damage with preset crack. Interfacial mechanical response at microscale between SiC and PyC under pure normal and tangential stresses is captured. Accordingly, a cohesive zone model (CZM) for the SiC/PyC interface separation is established, generalized to mixed loading conditions and validated by FEM fiber push-out simulation. Integrating proposed CZM to FEM to construct 3D four direction SiCf/SiC composites, the multiscale damage model is eventually consistent with the data from monotonic tension test. This research provides new physical insights on SiC/PyC interface damage under complex stress state, and contributes to a promising tool for mechanical performance prediction on 3D four direction SiCf/SiC composites.

Real-time characterisation of interfacial response of X52 steel under slow strain rate deformation in high-pH carbonate–bicarbonate solution

ABSTRACT The effects of elastic and plastic strain on interfacial behaviour of X52 steel in high-pH solution are studied using slow strain rate tensile testing and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The EIS data revealed a defined relationship between capacitance and resistance with elastic strain. The strain rate influenced the metal dissolution by favouring the active rate over the passive state conditions. The EIS results clearly show the reduction in passive film resistance and increase in passive film capacitance when the strain rate increases while the pre-formed passive film is damaged due to the slow repassivation rate. A transmission line model is also used to simulate the evolution of the electrochemical response and provide a quantitative perspective to the activation-stress conditions.

Study on the drilling performances of a newly developed CFRP/invar co-cured material

The CFRP/metal co-cured material which possesses the outstanding properties of both lightweight and high strength has become one of the commonly used materials in the design and manufacture of attitude control flywheel. However, few studies are reported concerning the mechanical drilling operation of this newly developed structural material. To cover the gap and enrich the scientific field of this topic, the present work was performed to specially evaluate the drilling performances of a co-cured material composed of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and invar alloy. The significance of the present work aims to on the one hand, reveal the evolution of vital cutting phenomena including thrust forces, cutting temperatures and surface quality of drilling holes as function of cutting parameters, and on the other hand address the mechanism of controlling the interfacial drilling response. The results indicate that both the thrust forces and cutting temperatures during drilling of the invar phase are relatively higher compared to that of the CFRP phases while it presents elevation for the lower CFRP phase than the upper one due to the effect of chip ejection. The evolution of thrust forces and drilling temperatures present common regularity, in which the feed rate and cutting speed play an essential role, respectively. It is worth noting that the hole size indicates disparities for all the involved layers regardless of the machining parameters, of which the hole size exceeds the nominal diameter for the upper CFRP phase while it presents lower magnitudes for the lower CFRP phase and close gap between the invar phase and expected value. Surface cavity and fiber pullout dominate the hole surface morphology for the upper CFRP phase, matrix degradation and micro-cracks appear on the hole wall of the lower CFRP phase, and chip adhesion and oxidation are the cases for the invar layer. The mechanical effect induces the notch and the thermal effect causes the matrix degradation, which controls the cutting response for the upper and lower interface, respectively.

Sensitivity of cellular automata grain structure predictions for high solidification rates

Understanding as-solidified grain structure development during constrained (G> 0) alloy solidification conditions is a necessary component of understanding the larger process-microstructure relationships during additive manufacturing (AM) processing. This study applies a cellular automata (CA) model, for static solidification velocities and thermal gradients on the order of those expected in AM melt pools, to investigate grain shape development across ranges of input parameters governing temperature field evolution, nucleation, and growth. Variation in nucleated grain shape from columnar to equiaxed as a function of thermal gradient and nucleation density is modeled with CA and verified against the established transition model of Hunt and Gaumann. While thermal conditions and nucleation density are shown to have the largest roles on microstructure development, the sensitivity of grain structure was very unevenly distributed across parameter space. In particular, it was found that microstructure is very sensitive to mean nucleation undercooling and the interfacial response function in process space regimes near grain structure transitions, but entirely controlled by a combination of thermal gradient, solidification velocity, and nucleation density away from such transitions. The understanding of grain shape sensitivity obtained through CA modeling, particularly at large thermal gradient and nucleation density, will be necessary for accurate microstructure prediction during the extreme processing conditions and large input parameter uncertainty common to AM.

Interfacial Response and Structural Adaptation of Structured Polyelectrolyte Thin Films

Ionizable block copolymers with distinctive block characteristics display the diversity crucial for the design of macromolecules for targeted applications. In contrast to van der Waals copolymers, ...

The effect of damping components on the interfacial dynamics and tribological behavior of high-speed train brakes

Improving the interfacial dynamics and tribological behavior of high-speed braking systems are important for train safety. The effects of different damping components on the interfacial dynamic response and tribological properties of a braking system are presented in this study. Firstly, four kinds of damping components made of fluororubber, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Mn-Cu alloy and Mn-Cu damping alloy materials are introduced into the braking system, respectively. Drag-type brake tests are performed with a self-designed high-speed railway brake dynamometer. The vibration, noise signal, thermal distribution at the interface, and wear behavior under different configurations of the braking systems are analyzed. In addition, numerical simulations are conducted to provide explanations for the experimental results. The results indicate that the vibration response, noise characteristic, and interface contact state are affected by the deformation behavior and damping properties of the damping components. With the help of damping components, the friction-induced vibration and noise (FIVN) is reduced and the interfacial contact state is improved. It is found that the fluororubber component plays a significant role in improving the interface contact state of the braking system. While the Mn-Cu damping component has an excellent performance in FIVN suppression. Finally, composite damping components of fluororubber and Mn-Cu damping alloy with different thickness ratios are introduced into the braking system to analyze the performance of composite damping components on the dynamical and tribological behavior of the braking systems.

Insight on compatibilization of LLDPE/PS blends from morphology, interfacial state, mechanical properties and melt properties: Comb-like copolymer vs diblock copolymer

The influence of the composition and chain architecture of compatibilizers on the compatibilization efficiency in immiscible LLDPE/PS blends was studied. Firstly, the compatibilization provided by ethylene-styrene diblock copolymer (PS-b-PE) and comb-like copolymers (PS-cb-PE) was compared from the morphology, interfacial state, mechanical properties and melt properties of the blends. Compared to PS-b-PE as a compatibilizer in LLDPE/PS blends, depending on the side chain composition and side chain density of PS-cb-PE copolymers (PS as backbone), the comb-like copolymers showed a poor compatibilization in the cases with PE as side chains, especially in the case with high grafting density, but a much better compatibilization in the cases with PS-b-PE (PS-cb-(PS-b-PE)) or heterografted PS/PE chains as side chains (PS-cb-(PS/PE)). It could be seen that the chain architecture of the compatibilizers played a key role in the compatibilization efficiency of LLDPE/PS blends. Furthermore the compatibilization of these comb-like copolymers dramatically improved the CO2 foaming capacity of the LLDPE/PS blends, which is ascribed to significant effect of the compatibilization on the increased interfacial interaction and rheological response of the blends, such as the improved strain-hardening behavior of the compatibilized blends.