Low Water Vapor Transmission Rate Research Articles

In Situ Solution-Processed Submicron Thick SiOx Cy /a-SiNx (O):H Composite Barrier Film for Polymer:Non-Fullerene Photovoltaics.

Aiming to improve the environmental stability of organic photovoltaics, a multilayered SiOx Cy /a-SiNx (O):H composite barrier film coated with a hydrophobic perfluoro copolymer stop layer for polymer:non-fullerene solar cells is developed. The composite film is prepared by spin-coating of polysilicone and perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) following a densification process by vacuum ultraviolet irradiation in an inert atmosphere. The transformation of polysilicone and PHPS to SiOx Cy and a-SiNx (O):H is confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurement. However, the as-prepared PHPS-derived silicon nitride (PDSN) can react with moisture in the ambient atmosphere, yielding microscale defects and a consequent poor barrier performance. Treating the incomplete PDSN with methanol vapor significantly densifies the film yielding low water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs)of 5.0 × 10-1 and 2.0 × 10-1 gm-2 d-1 for the one- and three-couple of SiOx Cy /a-SiNx (O):H (CON) composite films, respectively. By incorporating a thin hydrophobic perfluoro copolymer layer, the three-coupled methanol-treated CON film with a total thickness of 600nm shows an extremely low WVTR of 8.7 × 10-4 gm-2 d-1 . No performance decay is measured for the PM6:Y6 and PM6:L8-BO cells after such an encapsulation process. These encapsulated polymer cells show good stability storaged at 25°C/50% relative humidity, or under simulated extreme rainstorm tests.

Lower Levelized Cost of Energy Achievement of Silicon Heterojunction Solar Modules with Low Water Vapor Transmission Rate Encapsulants

The damp‐heat (DH) degradation of silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar modules leads to severe power loss, necessitating superior‐quality encapsulation materials. Herein, it is aimed to investigate the mechanical, thermal, and optical properties of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyolefin elastomer (POE), and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO). TPO demonstrates the lowest water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of only 3.14 g (m2·day)−1, which is approximately seven times lower than that of EVA. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of EVA demonstrates a loss of the carbonyl group, revealing the formation of acetic acid under DH stress, which is not observed in POE and TPO. Both glass/back sheet and glass/glass (G/G) modules show a significant influence of encapsulant material on DH degradation. The maximum output power (Pmax) of the G/TPO/G single‐cell module maintains 96.6% of its initial value after 1000 h DH stress. After sealing the edge, the G/G commercial‐size modules encapsulated with lower WVTR encapsulants display excellent DH reliability, and Pmax degrades <4.8% after 3000 h of DH stress. The predicted levelized cost of energy (LCOE) decreases ≈0.11 US cents/(KW h), which boosts additional power generation and illustrates the remarkable potential for the SHJ solar modules meeting the requirements of reliable, sustainable, and low‐LCOE systems.

Flexible Ultrathin Chip-Film Patch for Electronic Component Integration and Encapsulation using Atomic Layer-Deposited Al2O3-TiO2 Nanolaminates.

Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) is utilized to improve the barrier properties of an organic chip-film patch (CFP) when it is used as an implant to prevent moisture and ions from migrating into the embedded electronic circuits. For this purpose, surface condition and material properties of eight modifications of Al2O3-TiO2 nanolaminates sequentially deposited on polyimide PI-2611 films are evaluated in detail. The effect of stress-induced warpage of the deposited Al2O3-TiO2 on the wafer level is calculated with the Stoney equation and reveals higher tensile stress values while increasing the thickness of Al2O3-TiO2 nanolaminates from 20 up to 80 nm. Contact angle measurement and atomic force microscopy are used to investigate the surface energy and wettability, as well as the surface morphology of polyimide-Al2O3-TiO2 interfaces. We show that plasma treatment of pristine polyimide leads to an enhanced adhesion force of the PEAL-deposited layer by a factor of 1.3. The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) is determined by exposing the coated polyimide films to 85% humidity and 23 °C and yields down to 1.58 × 10-3 g(H2O)/(m2 d). The data obtained are compared with alternative coating processes using the polymers parylene-C and benzocyclobutene (BCB). The latter shows higher WVTR values of 1.2 × 10-1 and 1.7 × 10-1 g(H2O)/(m2 d) compared to the PEALD-PI-2611 systems, indicating lower barrier properties. Two Al2O3-TiO2 modifications with low WVTR values have been chosen for encapsulating the CFP substrates and exposing them in a long-time experiment to chemical and mechanical loads in a chamber filled with phosphate-buffered saline at 37 °C, pH 7.3, and a cyclically applied pressure of 160 mbar (∼120 mm Hg). The electrical leakage behavior of the CFP systems is measured and reveals reliable electrical long-term stability far beyond 11 months, highlighting the great potential of PEALD-encapsulated CFPs.

A Facile Approach for the Encapsulation of Perovskite Solar Cells

Effectively encapsulating perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to enhance the external reliability is the key towards commercialization. We herein propose a facile encapsulation method by introducing conductive ribbons and a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) backsheet on both sides of PSC. Via applying thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) encapsulant, we implemented PSCs with fine encapsulation, enabling considerable durability in the ambient atmosphere and even with water immersion, demonstrating almost no degradation in the device output, which is ascribed to the low water vapor transmission rate as well as the high chemical stability of TPO. The operation reliability of the encapsulated cell is also significantly increased, maintaining 80% of the initial efficiency after 770 hours’ light illumination in an ambient atmosphere. This novel encapsulation route provides a feasible idea for the commercial application of PSCs in the future.

A Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Alternative to Plastics: Bioplastics

Traditional plastics made from petrochemicals continue to be extensively employed in packaging because of their strong barrier qualities, rigidity, and tensile and tear strengths. Despite their popularity, plastics have a number of disadvantages, such as a relatively low water vapour transmission rate and a lack of biodegradability. In recent years, we have seen the correct disposal of plastic become a persistent and possibly global environmental issue. Millions of animals have died as a result of improper plastic disposal and land and marine garbage disposal, which reduced soil fertility. Newer concepts for using bioplastics were implemented while keeping in mind the environmental damage and contamination. Bioplastics are a rapidly growing segment of the plastics industry, and they have the potential to play a significant role in addressing some of the environmental challenges posed by traditional petroleum-based plastics. This review aims to provide an overview of the current state of the bioplastics industry, including its brief history, the types of bioplastics that are available, their properties, production processes, and end-of-life considerations. Additionally, the review will explore the advantages and disadvantages of bioplastics compared to traditional plastics, and will consider the future prospects of this rapidly evolving industry.

Preparation and reverse recycling logistics of a new type of nano-filled antibacterial layer packaging film for dairy products.

Introduction: Dairy products are loved by people because of their high nutritional value, but they have also become the most ideal breeding places for microorganisms. Some dairy packaging has the problem of lax sealing, resulting in products susceptible to contamination and deterioration. The harmful microorganisms and bacteria contained in them will pose a serious threat to people's health. Therefore, a good antibacterial protection is very important for dairy products. The purpose of this paper is to study the preparation and reverse recycling logistics of a new type of nano-filled antibacterial layer packaging film for dairy products. Methods: A new type of nano-filled antibacterial layer packaging film is prepared by extrusion casting method, and its mechanical properties and antibacterial properties are analyzed. Results: The experimental results in this article show that the prepared new nano-filled antibacterial layer packaging film has lower light transmittance and water vapor transmission rate, and has obvious antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and has good barrier properties. Discussion: The antibacterial rate of the bacteria in the petri dish is as high as 99.97% after being placed for 120days, and the antibacterial performance can be enhanced by the ratio of glycerol and starch content, and the new nano-filled antibacterial film prepared is degradable Sex, can be better recycled.

Fabrication of Bragg stack films of clay nanosheets and polycations via co-polymerization of intercalated monomers and functional interlayer cations.

The fabrication of one-dimensional (1D) crystalline, monodomain nanocomposite films (hybrid Bragg stacks) is still limited to a few combinations of polymers and clay. The main reason is the segregation of clay and polymers driven by the entropic loss faced by the polymer confined in a narrow slit between the nanosheets. By exchanging synthetic sodium-fluorohectorite with vinylbenzyltrimethylammonium chloride, we succeeded in delaminating clay via 1D dissolution in N-methylformamide to obtain a liquid crystalline suspension. By combining this with bisphenol A glycerolate diacrylate, 1D crystalline nanocomposites could be obtained via photopolymerization of doctor bladed wet coatings. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed the co-polymerization of monomers and the organic modifier between the hectorite platelets. This single-phase hybrid material shows very low oxygen and water vapor transmission rates. The incorporation of the modified clay into the polymer leads to an oxygen transmission rate of 0.21 cm3 m-2 day-1 atm-1 at 50% r.h. and 23 °C and a water vapor transmission rate of 0.05 g m-2 day-1 for a coating of 3.7 μm, making this material appropriate for challenging packaging applications.

Water and oil-resistant paper materials based on sodium alginate/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose/polyvinyl butyral/nano-silica with biodegradable and high barrier properties

Despite many technical challenges in the development of safe and environmentally friendly food packaging paper materials with excellent water and oil resistance using simple methods, producing paper-based functional materials using bio-based polymers is currently an important topic in the food packaging industry. In this study, novel water and oil-resistant coatings for the paper were developed through the combination of sodium alginate (SA), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), and hydrophobic silica nanoparticles (HSNPs). To impart oil-repellency to paper, SA and HPMC were first mixed uniformly and coated on the base paper, which was pre-treated with calcium chloride solution. A compact and tough coating layer was formed on paper due to the hydrogen bonding between SA and HPMC molecules, and the crosslinking between SA and Ca2+ ions in the base paper. High water resistance of the paper was achieved through the coating of PVB and HSNPs on top of the coating of SA/HPMC. The final coated paper demonstrated outstanding oil resistance (kit rating: 12/12), water resistance (Cobb value: 4.23 g/m2), low water vapor transmission rate (100 g/m2·24 h), and improved mechanical properties. This fluorine-free, and biodegradable barrier paper will find excellent applications in the food packaging industry.

Hierarchically porous composite fabrics with ultrahigh metal–organic framework loading for zero-energy-consumption heat dissipation

The long-term safe operation of high-power equipment and integrated electronic devices requires efficient thermal management, which in turn increases the energy consumption further. Hence, the sustainable development of our society needs advanced thermal management with low, even zero, energy consumption. Harvesting water from the atmosphere, followed by moisture desorption to dissipate heat, is an efficient and feasible approach for zero-energy-consumption thermal management. However, current methods are limited by the low absorbance of water, low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and low stability, thus resulting in low thermal management capability. In this study, we report an innovative electrospinning method to process hierarchically porous metal–organic framework (MOF) composite fabrics with high-efficiency and zero-energy-consumption thermal management. The composite fabrics are highly loaded with MOF (75 wt%) and their WVTR value can be up to 3138 g m−2 d–1. The composite fabrics also exhibit stable microstructure and performance. Under a conventional environment (30 ℃, 60% relative humidity), the composite fabrics adsorb water vapor for regeneration within 1.5 h to a saturated value Wsat of 0.614 g g−1, and a corresponding equivalent enthalpy of 1705.6 J g−1. In the thermal management tests, the composite fabrics show a strong cooling capability and significantly improve the performance of thermoelectric devices, portable storage devices and wireless chargers. These results suggest that hierarchically porous MOF composite fabrics are highly promising for thermal management of intermittent-operation electronic devices.

Pengaruh Penambahan Minyak Zaitun Terhadap Karakteristik dan Reologi Edible Film Berbahan Dasar Gluten

Gluten vegetable protein can be used as an alternative source of biopolymer as the basic material for edible film other than polysaccharides. Gluten-based edible films have a poor water vapor barrier and high cohesive and viscoelastic properties, therefore the addition of lipids and plasticizers is required. In this study, olive oil was added to reduce its permeability to water vapor, while glycerin was added to produce a more flexible edible film. The results showed that the addition of 1% olive oil could reduce the lowest water vapor transmission rate of 9.14 g/m2/24 hours with a thickness of 0.248 mm, tensile strength of 16.64 mPa, and elongation of 419.5%. The four characteristics are in accordance with the Japanese Industrial Standard. The antimicrobial testing on edible films showed that the addition of 0-2% olive oil could inhibit the growth of E. coli, while A. niger and R. oryzae 0-2% olive oil could not inhibit the growth of the two fungi. The measurement of optical properties showed that the transparency of the edible film was highest at the addition of 0% olive oil at 55%. The highest opacity value was with the addition of 1% olive oil, which is 2.96. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) identification showed that the edible film added with 1% olive oil had three characteristic absorption bands from gluten, olive oil, and an absorption band from glycerin. These bands indicate that olive oil, glycerin, and gluten do not react but only physically interact. The measurement using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) showed that the microstructure of gluten-based edible film produces a varied structure where the gluten structure network can be clearly observed and contains elements of C, O, N where the intensity of C and O elements of 160-400 cps and 30-100 cps, respectively.

High-performance water vapor barriers via amorphous alumina-polycrystalline zinc oxide hybrids with a self-wrinkling morphology

This work presents a materially and structurally designed barrier thin film with a self-wrinkling morphology, which consists of composites of amorphous alumina (a-Al2O3) and polycrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO). The pure ZnO, Al2O3 films, and Al2O3-ZnO composited film are deposited on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) by magnetron co-sputtering at room temperature. The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) for the composited film with about 30 % ratio of Al2O3 to ZnO is down to 0.026 g·m−2·day−1 from 1.184 g·m−2·day−1 of pure ZnO film at 38 °C/90 % RH, indicating that the nanocomposite structure of amorphous Al2O3 and crystalline ZnO can significantly improve the water-resistance performance. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the amorphous Al2O3 can dramatically suppress the defect fraction within ZnO from 4.65 % to 0.08 %. Furthermore, a self-wrinkling morphology with Al2O3-ZnO composited film deposited on PET/acrylic is designed to have the WVTR value as low as 1.30 × 10−3 g·m−2·day−1. Due to the stress release when forming micro-scale wrinkles, the more smooth and dense Al2O3-ZnO composited film can markedly sharpen up the barrier property. The low WVTR barriers via amorphous and crystalline hybrid composites with self-wrinkling morphology by magnetron sputtering potentially serve as a low-cost and large-scale production path for electronics encapsulation as compared to atomic layer deposition (ALD) and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD).

A waterproof cellulose nanofibril sheet prepared by the deposition of an alkyl ketene dimer on a controlled porous structure.

This study prepared a waterproof cellulose nanofibril (CNF) sheet via the deposition of an alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) on the sheet’s controlled porous structure. The porosity of the CNF sheet was controlled by drying under different conditions, which included hot-press drying (HD) and solvent-exchange drying (SD), and the effect on the hydrophobization and water-related barrier performance of the sheet were investigated. When the SD sheet was immersed in an AKD wax solution, the sheet exhibited super-hydrophobicity and a lower water vapor transmission rate, compared with the HD sheet. This indicated that the porous structure of the SD sheet enabled AKD to be adsorbed on both the surface and the inner surface and it filled in the pores of the sheet, thereby giving rise to excellent waterproofing properties. The performance of a hydrophobized SD sheet as a water barrier material was comparable to a linear low-density polyethylene film. This study confirms the possibility for AKD wax to be immersed in a porous CNF sheet and used as a potential barrier material in hydrogel packaging.Graphical abstract

Tough, transparent, biocompatible and stretchable thermoplastic copolymer with high stability and processability for soft electronics

Materials with a variety of required properties, including stretchability, toughness, optical transparency, biocompatibility, processability, and recyclability are in great demand for soft electronics. Creation of such materials, however, has been hampered due to the challenges of balancing these properties. Herein, we report intrinsically stretchable thermoplastic copolymers with a random sequence of hard and soft domains in the polyimide backbone in which their superior traits are harnessed to enable the properties of the copolymer tunable and balanced. We obtained a tough and stretchable copolymer with high optical transparency, biocompatibility, thermal and chemical stability, and low water vapor transmission rate. In addition, the polymer is recyclable and shows excellent processability, allowing for the fabrication of fibers, thin films, and molded parts for soft electronics. Furthermore, the utility of the copolymer was successfully demonstrated for a wearable temperature sensor on the stretchable copolymer and a copolymer-based fully stretchable sweat collection patch, suggesting that they have great potential in soft electronics.

Production of Agar-Agar and Sago based Bioplastic

Abstract: Plastic garbage is the world's third-largest waste source, posing a threat to human health and the environment. Because of their outstanding barrier properties, stiffness, tensile strength, and rip strength, petrochemical plastics have long been used as packaging materials. Plastics have a lot of disadvantages, including a low water vapour transmission rate, nonbiodegradability, and other difficulties that lead to environmental degradation. Newer solutions for the use of bio-plastics have emerged, all while keeping pollution and environmental harm in mind. Bio-plastics are primarily made from biological resources such as potatoes, potato peels, corn, sugarcane, wheat, and rice, as well as seaweed-based bioplastics including varied proportions of agar-agar, seaweed, starch, or cellulose, as well as plasticizers and their relative impact on physical-properties, and the bioplastic characteristics. Replacing petroleum plastic with bioplastic is an alternate strategy to reduce plastic waste in human life while also being more environmentally friendly. As a result, the goal of this research is to gelatinize agar-agar and sago powder to make bioplastic and analysis of its properties. Unlike earlier investigations, this one looked at and evaluated new bioplastic formulations with varying ratios of agar-agar and sago to glycerol samples of 1:0.5, 1:1, and 2:1, referred to as Sets A, B, and C, respectively. The bioplastic samples (Sets A to C) with varying ratios of Agar-Agar and Sago powder to glycerol were found to have higher biodegradable qualities when the ratio of Agar-Agar and Sago powder to glycerol was 1: 1 (Set B) and It had the smallest capacity for holding water. According to the findings, Set B could only hold only 5.48 percent of the water, preventing water from interacting with the wrapped contents. In addition, as compared to other samples, Set B appears to deteriorate better in soils and dissolve more in ethanol, acetone, and oils. Set B has the potential to be employed as a fertilizer coating or other related packaging to reduce the usage rate of the petrochemical plastic since the bioplastic can decay naturally by the ethanol produced by bacteria in soils under anaerobic reactions. Keywords: Bioplastic, Glycerol, Agar-Agar, Sago Powder, Gelatinization, Biodegradable

Pectin Films with Recovered Sunflower Waxes Produced by Electrospraying.

Valorization of by-products obtained from food processing has achieved an important environmental impact. In this research, sunflower wax recovered from oil refining process was incorporated to low and high-methoxyl pectin films produced by electrospraying. Film-forming solutions and wax-added electrosprayed films were physical and structurally evaluated. The addition of sunflower wax to the film-forming solutions reduces conductivity while raising surface tension and density, whereas the type of pectin had a larger impact on viscosity, with the low-methoxyl solution having the highest value. These changes in physical solution properties influenced the film characteristics, observing thicker films with lower water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) when adding wax. Micrographs obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of wax particles as small spherical shapes, having a good distribution through the sectional area of films. According to X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and mechanical properties analyses, the presence of wax had an impact on the degree of crystallinity, producing a more amorphous and rougher film’s structure, without affecting the elongation percentage and the tensile stress (p>0.05). These results showed that wax addition improves the physical properties of films, while the suitability of using both pectins and the electrospraying technique was demonstrated.

The effect of pulp type on the performance of microfibrillar lignocellulosic bismuth-based active packaging material

AbstractThe study aims to investigate the effect of the different lignocellulosic pulp on the composite properties for active packaging application. Microfibrillated cellulose from bleached and unbleached Kraft and thermomechanical pulp (TMP) having different cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and extractive content were used as the matrix phase with antimicrobial bis-phosphinato bismuth complex as the dispersed phase. The Kraft pulp has thinner fibres as observed in the SEM images and have higher aspect ratio (EMT 109–157) compared to TMP (EMT 43–51). So, it is more easily fibrillated resulting in a strong close network and therefore resulting in low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and high tensile index (20–91 g/m2.day and 59–78 Nm/g respectively) compared to the TMP ones (153–261 g/m2.day and 35–43 Nm/g respectively). While the physical dimension of the fibres controls the mechanical and barrier properties, the leaching and antibacterial performance is related to the bonding of the complex with the matrix. The high hydrophilicity of the bleached kraft pulp results in a weak bond with the hydrophobic bismuth complex, easing its release to kill the surrounding microbial population and thus resulting in larger zones of inhibition against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, bleached kraft pulp was found to be the most suitable with promising barrier, mechanical and antibacterial properties.

Preparing and Characterizing Novel Biodegradable Starch/PVA-Based Films with Nano-Sized Zinc-Oxide Particles for Wound-Dressing Applications

Given recent worldwide environmental concerns, biodegradability, antibacterial activity, and healing properties around the wound area are vital features that should be taken into consideration while preparing biomedical materials such as wound dressings. Some of the available wound dressings present some major disadvantages. For example, low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), inadequate exudates absorption, and the complex and high environmental cost of the disposal/recycling processes represent such drawbacks. In this paper, starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) material with inserted nano-sized zinc-oxide particles (nZnO) (average size ≤ 100 nm) was made and altered using citric acid (CA). Both ensure an efficient antibacterial environment for wound-dressing materials. The film properties were assessed by UV–Vis spectrometry and were validated against the UV light transmission percentage of the starch/ polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/ zinc-oxide nanoparticles (nZnO) composites. Analyses were conducted using X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate the structure and surface morphology of the materials. Moreover, to validate an ideal moisture content around the wound area, which is necessary for an optimum wound-healing process, the water vapor transmission rate of the film was measured. The new starch-based materials exhibited suitable physical and chemical properties, including solubility, gel fraction, fluid absorption, biodegradability, surface morphology (scanning electron microscopy imaging), and mechanical properties. Additionally, the pH level of the starch-based/nZnO film was measured to study the prospect of bacterial growth on this wound-dressing material. Furthermore, the in vitro antibacterial activity demonstrated that the dressings material effectively inhibited the growth and penetration of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus).

A compact polymer\u2013inorganic hybrid gas barrier nanolayer for flexible organic light-emitting diode displays

Atomic layer infiltration technology allows the formation of a nanometer-thick polymer-inorganic hybrid barrier layer in polymer material for flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. In this study, according to transmission electron microscopy and secondary-ion mass spectrometry analysis results under various process conditions, a compact polymer-inorganic hybrid nanolayer was successfully formed in a polymer and good barrier performance was revealed with a low water vapor transmission rate under optimal process conditions. Additionally, through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry measurements after ultra-violet radiation testing, polymer out-gassing decreased compared to bare polymers. Based on barrier properties, the polymer with a polymer-inorganic hybrid barrier nanolayer was applied to a flexible OLED display as a substrate. During storage tests and folding tests, the flexible OLED display exhibits good reliability and better flexibility compared to those with an inorganic barrier layer. These results confirm that the polymer-inorganic hybrid nanolayer is suitable for barrier layer formation in flexible OLED displays.

Milk Protein-Based Edible Films: Influence on Mechanical, Hydrodynamic, Optical and Antioxidant Properties

Edible films are thin preformed layers that provide food protection against adverse environmental conditions. Despite milk proteins being functional ingredients that can provide interesting features to films, there is scarce information evaluating their influence on film properties and stability. For this reason, this research work compared the mechanical (thickness, tensile strength, elongation at break), hydrodynamic (moisture content, water solubility, swelling ratio, water vapor transmission rate), color and antioxidant (DPPH) properties of edible films based on casein and whey protein isolate (two types, WPI1 and WPI2). Films with casein displayed the highest thickness (0.193 mm), elongation at break (49.67%), moisture content (40.21%) and antioxidant capacity (32.64% of DPPH inhibition), while obtaining the lowest water vapor transmission rate (15.28 g/m2·day). Significant differences were found in the color properties, mainly between films with casein and those made with WPI. Films containing WPI1 and WPI2 were statistically similar in thickness, tensile strength and color properties. The results showed that the properties of the edible films depended on the type of milk protein used. Thus, it is important to evaluate the features provided by different ingredients and formulations for obtaining edible films that properly preserve food.

Stretchable PDMS Encapsulation via SiO2 Doping and Atomic Layer Infiltration for Flexible Displays

AbstractStretchable encapsulation plays a crucial role in expanding the applications of flexible electronics, particularly the large‐area flexible displays. In this work, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) hybrid films with high stretchability, excellent transparency, and good barrier property are achieved by a simple process of SiO2 doping and atomic layer infiltration (ALI). The doped SiO2 improves the mechanical property and serves as reaction sites for the Al2O3 infiltration. A clear “nucleation‐filling‐coating” mechanism of Al2O3 ALI is proposed and elaborated in detail by in situ quartz crystal microbalance. The optimized PDMS hybrid films exhibit a relatively low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) value of 1.81 × 10−3 g m−2 day−1 and excellent mechanical reliability, where after 1000 cycles of the fatigue stretching test at 1% tensile strain the WVTR only slightly increases to 2.01 × 10−3 g m−2 day−1. Furthermore, the patterned quantum dots encapsulated with PDMS hybrid films still retain more than 50% photoluminescent intensity even after the stretching and storage in deionized water for 2400 h, which is ≈80 times longer than the pristine ones. Therefore, the proposed combined method of SiO2 doping and ALI modification has great and practical implications for stretchable encapsulations for future flexible electronics.