Precoated Surface Research Articles

Improving polishing efficiency of RB-SiC through femtosecond laser pretreatment

It is a great technical challenge to precisely and efficiently polish RB-SiC substrates due to their two-phase structure and extreme hardness, especially for large-optics fabrication. Here, a simple laser pretreatment process is demonstrated for improving the polishing efficiency using femtosecond laser to modify the RB-SiC surface pre-coated with silicon powder. Material characterization and finite-element analyses reveal that the pre-coated surface is oxidized under femtosecond laser irradiation. As oxidation gradually penetrates deeper into the interface, the modified layer forms a bonding with the RB-SiC substrate. By optimizing laser scanning parameters to adjust the oxidation depth, a high-quality modified layer with stronger adhesion strength can be obtained. The approach is capable of delivering a modified layer that is easier to polish and tightly bonded to the RB-SiC substrate with an adhesion strength of 55.46 N. Thanks to the femtosecond laser modification, the surface roughness of the pretreated RB-SiC can be reduced to Sq 4.5 nm in just a few hours of polishing, which increases polishing efficiency over 3 times compared with direct abrasive polishing. Low requirements for substrate surface profile and simple operation make this laser pretreatment approach possible to be applied to more complex RB-SiC surfaces and significantly improve polishing efficiency.

Algal extracellular organic matter pre-treatment enhances microalgal biofilm adhesion onto microporous substrate

Adhesive biocoating has microstructure composed of biomolecules to entrap viable cells in a stabilized matrix over exposed surfaces. Although marine benthic diatoms are a common group of algae excreting substantial amount of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), studies regarding the utilization of these EPS are scarce. Using the soluble EPS derived from Navicula incerta and pre-deposition of it as a thin conditioning layer on microporous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes, the pre-coated surface was used to investigate the cell binding affinity of three marine microalgae, namely Amphora coffeaeformis, Cylindrotheca fusiformis and Navicula incerta. Microalgae actively engaged themselves on the pre-coated membranes which was 10 times greater than the initial cell adhesion degree. Soluble EPS is mainly comprised of polysaccharide while bounded EPS is mainly comprised of protein. On EPS pre-coated membranes, N. incerta released the least amount of bounded polysaccharides (<100 mg m−2) and vice versa for the other two because EPS production is usually maximized to assist cell adhesion onto unfavorable substrates. In stark contrast, when the adaptation period (first 6 h) ended, cells began to secrete more bounded protein for cell growth, and an increasing trend of protein content found in N. incerta has verified its optimal adaptation onto the biocoating itself. On pristine PVDF membranes, the adhesion degree was ranked in ascending order: C. fusiformis, N. incerta and A. coffeaeformis. Interestingly, after the pre-coating process, the order was reported as: A. coffeaeformis, N. incerta and C. fusiformis, but it should be noted that C. fusiformis demonstrated fluctuating cell colonization degree and bounded EPS production over time. In other words, the biofilm's susceptibility was confirmed since the cells latched loosely on the membranes rather than in a biofilm matrix. Biocoating enables uniform cell distribution and firmer biofilm growth, opening the door to vast future applications in environmental bioremediation and sensing.

Multifunctional barrier coating systems created by multilayer curtain coating

Functional coatings are applied to paper and paperboard substrates to provide resistance, or a barrier, against media such as oil and grease (OGR), water, water vapor as measured by moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR), and oxygen, for applications such as food packaging, food service, and other non-food packaging. Typical functional barrier coatings can be created by applying a solid coating or extruded film, a solvent based-coating, or a water-based coating to the paper substrate using various means of coating applicators. This paper focuses on water-based barrier coatings (WBBC) for OGR, water, MVTR, and oxygen barriers. The main goal was to create coated systems that can achieve more than one barrier property using multilayer curtain coating (MLCC). Curtain coating has emerged as the premier low-impact application method for coated paper and paperboard. This paper provides examples using MLCC to create coating structures that provide multiple barrier properties in a single coating step. Barrier polymer systems studied include styrene butadiene, styrene acrylate, vinyl acrylic, and natural materials, as well as proprietary additives where required to give desired performance. The paper also shows how the specific coating layers can be optimized to produce the desired property profile, without concern for blocking, as the addition of a non-blocking top layer can be applied in the MLCC structure as well. Experiments on base sheet types also shows the importance of applying the multilayer structure on a pre-coated surface in order to improve coating thickness consistency and potentially allow for the reduction of more expensive layer components.

An In Situ Formed Surface Coating Layer Enabling LiCoO2 with Stable 4.6 V High‐Voltage Cycle Performances

AbstractThe development of high‐voltage LiCoO2 is essential for achieving lithium‐ion batteries with high volumetric energy density, however, it faces a great deal of challenges owing to the materials, structure and interfacial instability issues. In this work, a strategy is developed, through heat annealing a precoated surface layer to in situ form a high‐voltage‐stable surface coating layer, which is demonstrated to be highly effective to improve the high‐voltage performance of LiCoO2. It is discovered that LiCoO2 reacts with Li1.5Al0.5Ti1.5(PO4)3 (LATP) at 700 °C to form exclusively spinel phases in addition to Li3PO4, which are structurally coherent to the layered lattice of LiCoO2. The heat annealing of the precoated thin layer of LATP enables the formation of a high‐quality surface layer. Spinel phases possess high‐voltage‐stable structures with much weaker oxidizing ability of lattice oxygen than layered structure. In addition, the Li3PO4 is a good lithium‐ion conductor with excellent chemical stability at high voltages. All these benefits contribute to the construction of a uniform and conformal high‐voltage‐stable surface layer with favorable lithium conducting kinetics at the LiCoO2 surface. The modified LiCoO2 shows excellent 4.6 V high‐voltage cycle performance at both room temperature and 45 °C. The thermal stability is greatly enhanced as well.

Molecularly imprinted polyaniline for detection of horseradish peroxidase.

A new facile and fast approach to the synthesis of polyaniline (PANi) molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) based on aniline oxidative chemical polymerization was proposed for protein recognition. For the first time, a surface imprinting strategy was implemented for the synthesis of PANi MIPs on the inner surface of soft glass polycapillaries (PC) with a large (2237) number of individual microcapillaries. Two different PANi layers-(i) PANi film and (ii) protein imprinted PANi nanowires-were synthesized sequentially. Uniform and highly stable PANi film was synthesized by oxidative polymerization at pH< 1. The synthesis of PANi MIPs on the PANi film pre-coated surface improved the reproducibility of PANi MIP formation. PANi MIP nanowires were synthesized at "mild" conditions (pH > 4.5) to preserve the protein template activity. The binding of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) molecules on the PANi MIP selective sites was confirmed by photometry (TMB chromogenic reaction), SEM images, and FTIR spectroscopy. The developed PANi MIPs enable HRP determination with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 1.00 and 0.07ngmL-1 on the glass slips and PC, respectively. The PANi MIPs are characterized by high stability; they are reversible and selective to HRP. The proposed approach allows PANi MIPs to be obtained for proteins on different supports and to create new materials for separation and sensing. Graphical abstract.

Hydrogel Containing Oleoresin From Copaifera officinalis Presents Antibacterial Activity Against Streptococcus agalactiae.

Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcus (GBS) remains a leading cause of neonatal infections worldwide; and the maternal vaginal-rectal colonization increases the risk of vertical transmission of GBS to neonates and development of infections. This study reports the in vitro antibacterial effect of the oleoresin from Copaifera officinalis Jacq. L. in natura (copaiba oil) and loaded into carbomer-hydrogel against planktonic and sessile cells of GBS. First, the naturally extracted copaiba oil was tested for the ability to inhibit the growth and metabolic activity of planktonic and sessile GBS cells. The time-kill kinetics showed that copaiba oil exhibited a dose-dependent bactericidal activity against planktonic GBS strains, including those resistant to erythromycin and/or clindamycin [minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) ranged from 0.06 mg/mL to 0.12 mg/mL]. Copaiba oil did not inhibit the growth of different Lactobacillus species, the indigenous members of the human microbiota. The mass spectral analyses of copaiba oil showed the presence of diterpenes, and the kaurenoic acid appears to be one of the active components of oleoresin from C. officinalis related to antibacterial activity against GBS. Microscopy analyses of planktonic GBS cells treated with copaiba oil revealed morphological and ultrastructural alterations, displaying disruption of the cell wall, damaged cell membrane, decreased electron density of the cytoplasm, presence of intracellular condensed material, and asymmetric septa. Copaiba oil also exhibited antibacterial activity against established biofilms of GBS strains, inhibiting the viability of sessile cells. Low-cost and eco-friendly carbomer-based hydrogels containing copaiba oil (0.5% – CARB-CO 0.5; 1.0% – CARB-CO 1.0) were then developed. However, only CARB-CO 1.0 preserved the antibacterial activity of copaiba oil against GBS strains. This formulation was homogeneous, soft, exhibited a viscoelastic behavior, and showed good biocompatibility with murine vaginal mucosa. Moreover, CARB-CO 1.0 showed a slow and sustained release of the copaiba oil, killing the planktonic and sessile (established biofilm) cells and inhibiting the biofilm formation of GBS on pre-coated abiotic surface. These results indicate that carbomer-based hydrogels may be useful as topical systems for delivery of copaiba oil directly into de vaginal mucosa and controlling S. agalactiae colonization and infection.

Rhamnolipids from non-pathogenic Burkholderia thailandensis E264: Physicochemical characterization, antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy against oral hygiene related pathogens

Biosurfactants are naturally occurring surface active compounds that have mainly been exploited for environmental applications and consumer products, with their biomedical efficacy an emerging area of research. Rhamnolipids area major group of biosurfactants that have been reported for their antimicrobial and antibiofilm efficacy. One of the main limiting factors for scaled up production and downstream applications of rhamnolipids is the fact that they are predominantly produced from the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In this article, we have reported the production and characterisation of long chain rhamnolipids from non-pathogenic Burkholderia thailandensis E264 (ATCC 700388). We have also investigated the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of these rhamnolipids against some oral pathogens (Streptococcus oralis, Actinomyces naeslundii, Neisseria mucosa and Streptococcus sanguinis), important for oral health and hygiene. Treating these bacteria with different concentrations of long chain rhamnolipids resulted in a reduction of 3–4 log of bacterial viability, placing these rhamnolipids close to being classified as biocidal. Investigating long chain rhamnolipid efficacy as antibiofilm agents for prospective oral-related applications revealed good potency against oral-bacteria biofilms in a co-incubation experiments, in a pre-coated surface format, in disrupting immature biofilms and has shown excellent combination effect with Lauryl Sodium Sulphate which resulted in a drastic decrease in its minimal inhibitory concentration against different bacteria. Investigating the rhamnolipid permeabilization effect along with their ability to induce the formation of reactive oxygen species has shed light on the mechanism through which inhibition/killing of bacteria may occur.

Computer simulation of the relationship between selected properties of laser remelted tool steel surface layer

Investigations >The language in this paper has been slightly changed. Please check for clarity of thought, and that the meaning is still correct, and amend if necessary.include Finite Element Method simulation model of remelting of PMHSS6-5-3 high-speed steel surface layer using the high power diode laser (HPDL). The Finite Element Method computations were performed using ANSYS software. The scope of FEM simulation was determination of temperature distribution during laser alloying process at various process configurations regarding the laser beam power and method of powder deposition, as pre-coated past or surface with machined grooves. The Finite Element Method simulation was performed on five different 3-dimensional models. The model assumed nonlinear change of thermal conductivity, specific heat and density that were depended on temperature. The heating process was realized as heat flux corresponding to laser beam power of 1.4, 1.7 and 2.1kW. Latent heat effects are considered during solidification. The molten pool is composed of the same material as the substrate and there is no chemical reaction. The absorptivity of laser energy was dependent on the simulated materials properties and their surface condition. The Finite Element Method simulation allows specifying the heat affected zone and the temperature distribution in the sample as a function of time and thus allows the estimation of the structural changes taking place during laser remelting process. The simulation was applied to determine the shape of molten pool and the penetration depth of remelted surface. Simulated penetration depth and molten pool profile have a good match with the experimental results. The depth values obtained in simulation are very close to experimental data. Regarding the shape of molten pool, the little differences have been noted. The heat flux input considered in simulation is only part of the mechanism for heating; thus, the final shape of solidified molten pool will depend on more variables.

Bioactive TTR105–115-based amyloid fibrils reduce the viability of mammalian cells

A growing number of protein-based fibrous biomaterials have been produced with a cross-β amyloid core yet the long-term effect of these materials on cell viability and the influence of core and non-core protein sequences on viability is not well understood. Here, synthetic bioactive TTR1-RGD and control TTR1-RAD or TTR1 fibrils were used to test the response of mammalian cells. At high fibril concentrations cell viability was reduced, as assessed by mitochondrial reduction assays, lactate dehydrogenase membrane integrity assays and apoptotic biomarkers. This reduction occurred despite the high density of RGD cell adhesion ligands and use of cells displaying integrin receptors. Cell viability was affected by fibril size, maturity and whether fibrils were added to the cell media or as a pre-coated surface layer. These findings show that while cells initially interact well with synthetic fibrils, cellular integrity can be compromised over longer periods of time, suggesting a better understanding of the role of core and non-core residues in determining cellular interactions is required before TTR1-based fibrils are used as biomaterials.

Massive femoral osteolysis secondary to loosening of a cemented roughened long stem: a case report.

The surface finish of a femoral stem plays an important role in the longevity of cemented total hip arthroplasty. In efforts to decrease the rate of aseptic loosening, some prostheses have been designed to have a roughened surface that enhances bonding between the prosthesis and cement, but clinical outcomes remain controversial. We present a rare case of massive osteolysis with extreme femoral expansion that developed after cemented revision total hip arthroplasty. The destructive changes in the femur were attributable to abnormal motion of the stem and were aggravated by the roughened precoated surface of the long femoral component. Revision surgery using a total femur prosthesis was performed because there was insufficient remaining bone to fix the new prosthesis. The surgical technique involved wrapping polypropylene meshes around the prosthesis to create an insertion for the soft tissue, which proved useful for preventing muscular weakness and subsequent dislocation of the hip.

Interfacially Polymerized Composite Hollow Fiber Membrane for CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; Separation

PEAm-TMC/PDMS/PVC composite hollow fiber membrane for CO2 separation was developed through interfacial polymerization (IP) on the PDMS pre-coated inner surface of PVC hollow fiber. Polyetheramine (PEAm) and Trimesoyl chloride (TMC) were selected as aqueous monomer and organic monomer, respectively. SEM observation result shows that the thickness of PEAm-TMC IP layer is about 215 nm. The effects of monomer concentrations and acid acceptor concentration on the membrane performance were investigated. The results shows that the CO2 permeance decareses and CO2/N2 selectivity increases with the increasing concentrations of PEAm, TMC and Na2CO3. At 0.12 MPa, the composite hollow fiber membrane possesses a very high CO2 permeance of 964 GPU and CO2/N2 selectivity of 40.6.

Sortase A as a Tool to Functionalize Surfaces

A widely accepted approach to combat surface fouling is based on the prevention of biofoulants to attach to a surface by the functionalization with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The goal of this study was to generate a proof of concept for the enzymatic coupling of PEG to a peptide precoated surface by using the enzyme Sortase A (SrtA). A hydrophobic polystyrene surface was primed with anchoring peptide P3 equipped with a pentaglycine acceptor motif for SrtA, to enable subsequent transpeptidation with either biotin or a PEG-tail containing the sortase recognition motif LPETG. High levels of surface-bound biotin were detected only in cases with biotin-LPETG and SrtA. Little if any reactivity was detected in wells treated with the SrtA scrambled motif EGLTP, or in the absence of SrtA. Conjugation of PEG resulted in a significant decrease of bacterial adherence to the surface.

Mechanical stretch and shear flow induced reorganization and recruitment of fibronectin in fibroblasts

It was our objective to study the role of mechanical stimulation on fibronectin (FN) reorganization and recruitment by exposing fibroblasts to shear fluid flow and equibiaxial stretch. Mechanical stimulation was also combined with a Rho inhibitor to probe their coupled effects on FN. Mechanically stimulated cells revealed a localization of FN around the cell periphery as well as an increase in FN fibril formation. Mechanical stimulation coupled with chemical stimulation also revealed an increase in FN fibrils around the cell periphery. Complimentary to this, fibroblasts exposed to fluid shear stress structurally rearranged pre-coated surface FN, but unstimulated and stretched cells did not. These results show that mechanical stimulation directly affected FN reorganization and recruitment, despite perturbation by chemical stimulation. Our findings will help elucidate the mechanisms of FN biosynthesis and organization by furthering the link of the role of mechanics with FN.

Fabrication of an Implantable Fine Needle-Type Glucose Sensor Using γ-Polyglutamic Acid

Implantable fine needle-type glucose sensors with an outer diameter of less that 0.2 mm were fabricated using a low-cost and non-animal origin polyamide, gamma-polyglutamic acid (PGA) as a glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilizing material. Two types of PGA, gamma-polyglutamic acid (PGAH) and gamma-polyglutamic acid sodium salt (PGANa), were employed to prepare GOx immobilized film by the covalent attachment of GOx using water-soluble carbodiimide (EDC). Nafion/cellulose acetate composite film and polyurethane/polydimethylsiloxane composite film were employed as a permselective inner film and a biocompatible outer film, respectively. The procedure of enzyme-immobilized film fabrication affected the stability of the sensor; that is, GOx immobilized film prepared by pouring a mixture solution of GOx and EDC on a PGA precoated surface showed higher sensor stability than that prepared by pouring a mixture solution of GOx, PGA and EDC. Although, obvious differences in the sensor properties were not observed between the use of PGANa and PGAH, the electrode prepared with PGAH had a lower swelling degree. The glucose sensors prepared with both PGANa and PGAH were practically not affected by the existence of electroactive compounds, such as uric acid, and provided long-term stability for approximately 5 weeks. These sensors also showed good performance in horse serum.

Macromol. Rapid Commun. 4/2010

Front Cover: Single chains of a neutral dendronized polymer with peripheral azide groups are co-deposited with charged plasmid dsDNA on a pre-coated graphite surface. A “move-connect-prove” sequence within a scanning force microscope shows that with UV-light single chains of the two different polymers can be covalently connected at arbitrary positions. Further details can be found in the article by J. Barner, R. Al-Hellani, A. D. Schlüter,* and J. P. Rabe* on page 362.

Velocity-dependence of Cargo Loading onto Molecular Shuttles Demonstrates the Glue-like Character of Biotin/Streptavidin

Molecular shuttles based on biomolecular motors and their associated filaments are being developed to function as conveyor belts in the molecular factories of the future. An essential design element in these active nanoscale transport systems is cargo loading onto the shuttles. We demonstrate that molecular shuttle velocity has to be optimized to facilitate cargo attachment of nanospheres via biotin-streptavidin linkages. The biotin-streptavidin bond gains its ultimate strength on a timescale of milliseconds due to existence of metastable binding states. As a consequence of the glue-like character of this widely used intermolecular bond, the velocity of molecular shuttles has to be optimized to permit efficient attachment of cargo via biotin-streptavidin linkages.In our experiments, kinesin motor proteins adsorbed to a casein precoated surface were used to propel biotinylated microtubules which were coated with streptavidin at saturating dosages. The microtubule gliding velocity was varied between 50 nm/s and 450 nm/s by changing the kinesin substrate ATP concentration. Finally, biotinylated fluorescein-labeled nanospheres were added in concentrations ranging from 25 pM to 100 pM. Nanospheres attached to the surface and were loaded onto microtubules only as a result of collisions between gliding microtubules and nanospheres. Nanosphere attachment showed an unexpected optimum at an intermediate shuttle velocity.The attachment and detachment processes were modeled by combining rigorous mechanical engineering analysis with detailed physico-chemical models. This contribution will present both, the experimental details of our velocity dependent loading experiments and the theoretical model which explains the optimum on the basis of the complex binding energy landscape of the biotin streptavidin linkages.

Microstructural and electrochemical characterization of hydroxyapatite-coated Ti6Al4V alloy for medical implants

The in vitro behaviors of the etched, electrochemically anodized, and hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated Ti6Al4V alloys were investigated through microstructural analysis, electrochemical measurements, and immersion tests in the Hank’s solution. A nanometer-scale, bonelike porous structure with a layer of TiO2on top was formed during the anodization process. The surface of the coated substrate was composed of a thin TiO2layer adjacent to the substrate, a thick monolithic HA on the outside, and a composite layer of TiO2and HA in the middle. The anodization significantly improved the stability of the Ti6Al4V alloy in Hank’s solution due to a layer of TiO2formed on the surface. The precoated HA further improved the stability of the Ti6Al4V alloy due to a composite layer of TiO2and HA. The barrier layer of the composite of TiO2and HA was suggested by the capacitive behavior of the HA-coated substrate in the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical measurements implied a high tendency for the new formation of HA on the precoated HA and the anodized substrates, which was confirmed through the immersion tests. The newly formed HA on the anodized substrate was scattered over the entire surface. The newly formed HA on the HA-precoated surface mingled with the precoated HA, and gradually a new layer of HA was formed on top. These proved the favorable condition of the anodized surface as a prerequisite step for coating HA and the conductive promotion of new HA formation on the precoated surface. The new formation of HA during the immersion might suggest that artificial joints pretreated through anodization and HA coating could induce strong bonding to the bone due to the easy growth of new HA.

Electrochemistry of Conductive Polymers 39. Contacts between Conducting Polymers and Noble Metal Nanoparticles Studied by Current-Sensing Atomic Force Microscopy

Electrical properties of contacts formed between conducting polymers and noble metal nanoparticles have been examined using current-sensing atomic force microscopy (CS-AFM). Contacts formed between electrochemically prepared pi-conjugated polymer films such as polypyrrole (PPy), poly(3-methylthiophene) (P3MeT), as well as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and noble metal nanoparticles including platinum (Pt), gold (Au), and silver (Ag) have been examined. The Pt nanoparticles were electrochemically deposited on a pre-coated PPy film surface by reducing a platinum precursor (PtCl62-) at a constant potential. Both current and scanning electron microscopic images of the film showed the presence of Pt islands. The Au and Ag nanoparticles were dispersed on the P3MeT and PEDOT film surfaces simply by dipping the polymer films into colloid solutions containing Au or Ag particles for specified periods (5 to approximately 10 min). The deposition of Au or Ag particles resulted from either their physical adsorption or chemical bonding between particles and the polymer surface depending on the polymer. When compared with PPy, P3MeT and PEDOT showed a stronger binding to Au or Ag nanoparticles when dipped in their colloidal solutions for the same period. This indicates that Au and Ag particles are predominantly linked with the sulfur atoms via chemical bonding. Of the two, PEDOT was more conductive at the sites where the particles are connected to the polymer. It appears that PEDOT has better aligned sulfur atoms on the surface and is strongly bonded to Au and Ag nanoparticles due to their strong affinity to gold and silver. The current-voltage curves obtained at the metal islands demonstrate that the contacts between these metal islands and polymers are ohmic.

Deposition of Spherical Particles onto Cylindrical Solid Surfaces: II. Experimental Studies

This paper presents experimental studies of the deposition of silicone oil drops onto two different solid surfaces in an aqueous solution. A series of deposition tests were conducted to measure the dimensionless mass transfer rate (Sherwood number). The effects of three kinds of aqueous solutions and two solid surfaces on the deposition process were studied and compared with the numerical predictions based on the well-known DLVO theory. More specifically, both the experimentally measured and the numerically predicted Sherwood numbers monotonically decrease as the pH value of the aqueous solution increases. It was also found that two ionic surfactant solutions have similar influences while the electrolyte solutions have opposite effects on the deposition rate on different solid surfaces. Finally, comparison of all the experimental results for the bare glass surface with the numerical simulations shows that the deposition process of the silicone oil drops onto the hydrophilic solid surface can be satisfactorily described by the classical DLVO theory. However, the deposition data for the FC725 precoated surface are significantly larger than the numerical predictions. This fact suggests that the so-called non-DLVO attractive interaction is involved in the deposition process with the hydrophobic solid surface. This additional non-DLVO attractive interaction, which is generally called the hydrophobic interaction, still remains to be incorporated into the existing DLVO theory, if this is possible.

Studies on non-wetting sands .1. The role of intrinsic particulate organic-matter in the development of water-repellency in non-wetting sands

The bulk of the organic matter in sands from the south-east of South Australia is present as discrete particles which constitute 4-6% of the mass of the sand. Hydrophobic particulate organic matter was separated from non-wetting sand obtained from two sites in the south-east of South Australia and characterized with respect to size and ability to induce water-repellency. When heated with both a wettable acid washed sand and a natural sand (non-wetting sand washed free of particulate organic matter), the intrinsic particulate organic matter induced strong water-repellence. The degree of hydrophobicity created was higher with the natural-washed sand than the acid-washed sand which indicated that a precoated surface, even one with a low initial hydrophobicity, has a strong enhancing effect. Particulate organic matter, especially the larger size fractions, acted as a reservoir of waxes or hydrophobic materials which diffused onto the surfaces of sand grains during heating, and particularly during wetting/heating/drying cycles. Thus, intrinsic particulate organic matter plays a substantial role in the development of water-repellency in sandy soils. In addition to hydrophobic waxes which diffuse out under environmental conditions prevalent in the field, water-repellency increases significantly when these hydrophobic particles interact with the natural precoated hydrophobic surface of the sand.