Top Surface Research Articles

An Algorithm for Coding an Additive Manufacturing File from the Pressure Distribution of a Baropodometric Board for 3D Printing Customised Orthopaedic Insoles

Customised orthotic insoles play a critical role in addressing foot pathologies and improving comfort and biomechanical alignment for patients with specific needs. The use of 3D printing technology for the manufacturing of orthotic insoles has received considerable attention in recent years due to its potential for customisation, rapid prototyping, and cost-effectiveness. This paper presents the implementation of an algorithm purposely developed to generate an Additive Manufacturing File (AMF) containing the geometry of a patient-specific insole and the stiffness distribution based on pressure analysis from a baropodometric board. The generated file is used to 3D print via Fused Deposition Modelling an insole with a variable infill percentage depending on the pressure distribution on the patient’s foot. Three inputs are used as source data for the AMF file coding: (i) the 3D model that defines the geometry of the insole designed by the orthopaedist; (ii) the pressure map of the patient’s feet obtained with a baropodometric board; and (iii) the stiffness of the material that will be used to fabricate the insole. The proposed approach allows the fabrication of a patient-specific insole, capable of restoring the correct pressure distribution on the foot by varying the infill percentage. Two types of insoles were successfully fabricated using the implemented algorithm: the first was 3D printed, adding a top layer to be ready-to-use; the second was 3D printed without a top surface to be further customised with different coatings. The method described in this paper is robust for the fabrication of customised insoles and aims at overcoming the limitations of the traditional approach based on milling machining (e.g., time, costs, and path planning) since it can be easily integrated into any orthopaedic workshop.

Lithium Volatilization and Phase Changes during Aluminum-Doped Cubic Li6.25La3Zr2Al0.25O12 (c-LLZO) Processing

Stabilized Li6.25La3Al0.25 Zr2O12 (cubic LLZO or c-LLZO) is a Li+-conducting ceramic with ionic conductivities approaching 1 mS-cm. Processing c LLZO so that it is suitable for use as a solid state electrolyte in all solid state batteries, however, is challenging due to the formation of secondary phases at elevated temperatures. The work described in this manuscript examines the formation of one such secondary phase La2Zr2O7 (LZO) formed during sintering c LLZO at 1000 °C. Specifically, spatially resolved Raman spectroscopy and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) measurements have identified gradients in Li distributions in the Li ion (Li+)-conducting ceramic Li6.25La3Al0.25 Zr2O12 (cubic LLZO or c-LLZO) created by thermal processing. Sintering c-LLZO under conditions relevant to solid state Li+ electrolyte fabrication conditions lead to Li+ loss and the formation of new phases. Specifically, sintering for 1 h at 1000 °C leads to Li+ depletion and the formation of the pyrochlore lanthanum zirconate (La2Zr2O7 or LZO), a material known to be both electronically and ionically insulating. Circular c-LLZO samples are covered on the top and bottom surfaces, exposing only the 1.6 mm-thick sample perimeter to the furnace’s ambient air. Sintered samples show a radially symmetric LZO gradient, with more LZO at the center of the pellet and considerably less LZO at the edges. This profile implies that Li+ diffusion through the material is faster than Li+ loss through volatilization, and that Li+ migration from the center of the sample to the edges is not completely reversible. These conditions lead to a net depletion of Li+ at the sample center. Findings presented in this work suggest new strategies for LLZO processing that will minimize Li+ loss during sintering, leading to a more homogeneous material with more reproducible electrochemical behavior.

Foldable sandwich fabric-based composites with thermal insulation and low emissivity for highly efficient infrared stealth

Fabric-based infrared (IR) stealth composites with thermal insulation and low emissivity are desirable for improving IR camouflage of military targets and thermal management of special environments. Therefore, a flexible and foldable composite fabric with a sandwich structure is delicate designed in this work aiming to realize dual-modes IR effects. Polyester fabric chemically plated with copper-nickel (Cu/Ni@PF) and aluminum foil (AF) are on the top and bottom, respectively, acting as low emissivity layers. The medium layer is constructed by silica aerogel microspheres (SAM) with thickeners and waterborne polyurethanes (WPU) functioned as thermal insulation. The thermal conductivity of as-prepared composite fabric is only 0.05904 W/(m·K). When the AF is heated to 70 °C, the introduction of the SAM in the medium layer with the thickness of 300 μm makes Cu/Ni@PF as top surface exhibit a obvious temperature difference of 11.7 °C, demonstrating excellent thermal insulation. The AF maintains a low emissivity of less than 0.2, and the emissivity of Cu/Ni@PF was also as low as 0.296 at 8–14 μm, which can effectively shield the IR signal. Thanks to the Cu/Ni@PF as the top surface, the radiation temperature displays only 36.3 °C when heated at 70 °C, which meaning the dramatic IR signal strength reduce. Therefore, this dual-modes flexible and foldable composite can be a potential candidate in the IR stealth fields.

Electrically tunable infrared optics enabled by flexible ion-permeable conducting polymer-cellulose paper

Materials that provide dynamically tunable infrared (IR) response are important for many applications, including active camouflage and thermal management. However, current IR-tunable systems often exhibit limitations in mechanical properties or practicality of their tuning modalities, or require complex and costly fabrication methods. An additional challenge relates to providing compatibility between different spectral channels, such as allowing an object to be reversibly concealed in the IR without making it appear in the visible range. Here, we demonstrate that conducting polymer-cellulose papers, fabricated through a simple and cheap approach, can overcome such challenges. The papers exhibit IR properties that can be electrochemically tuned with large modulation (absolute emissivity modulation of 0.4) while maintaining largely constant response in the visible range. Owing to high ionic and electrical conductivity, the tuning of the top surface can be performed electrochemically from the other side of the paper even at tens of micrometer thicknesses, removing the need for overlaying electrode and electrolyte in the optical beam path. These features enabled a series of electrically tunable IR devices, where we focus on demonstrating dynamic radiative coolers, thermal camouflage, anti-counterfeiting tags, and grayscale IR displays. The conducting polymer-cellulose papers are sustainable, cheap, flexible and mechanically robust, providing a versatile materials platform for active and adaptive IR optoelectronic devices.

Numerical simulation of rainfall-induced deformations of embankments considering the coupled hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils

This paper presents numerical simulations of the deformation response of unsaturated embankments subjected to rainfall infiltration using a coupled hydro-mechanical constitutive model for unsaturated soils. The constitutive model accounts for the influence of degree of saturation on the stress–strain behavior and the influence of void ratio on the water retention behavior. The constitutive model was implemented in the finite difference program FLAC, calibrated using triaxial test data, and validated using measurements of wetting-induced deformations of embankment models from centrifuge tests. The validation demonstrates that the constitutive model can capture the coupled hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soils under wetting conditions. Simulations of the hydro-mechanical response of unsaturated embankments subjected to rainfall infiltration indicate that the differential settlement across the top surface of the embankment between the centerline and shoulder increases significantly during rainfall infiltration, which could result in severe damage to overlying transportation infrastructure. As the rainfall infiltration increases, shear strains accumulate and form a potential failure surface at a shallow depth of approximately 2 m from the slope surface. Insights into the hydro-mechanical response of unsaturated embankments subjected to rainfall infiltration gained will be useful for considering climate change effects in design and construction of compacted embankments.

A microwave sensing system combination of interdigital structure (IDS)-based microstrip line and RF circuits for extracting complex permittivity of liquid samples

In this manuscript, a microwave sensing system for extracting complex permittivity of binary aqueous solutions based on a modified microstrip line with interdigital structure (IDS) etched is proposed. The passive resonance unit and active circuits constitute the microwave sensing system. The passive resonance unit is evolved from conventional microstrip line with the characteristic impedance of 50Ω, then the IDS is etched on the top surface of passive resonance unit to enhance the confinement of electrical field. The modified passive sensor can produce two resonant modes, i.e., odd-mode 1 and odd-mode 2, the electrical fields of these two modes are both concentrating at IDS, and odd-mode 1 with higher density of electrical field is adopted to retrieve complex permittivity of liquid samples. Except for the passive sensor, the sensing system consists of power divider, low noise amplifier (LNA), isolator, orthogonal hybrid coupler, phase shifter, mixer, and low-pass filter (LPF). The proposed microwave sensing system has two output DC voltages, i.e., channel-I and channel-Q. The mathematical relationship between complex permittivity and resonant frequency shift can be transformed into the relation between complex permittivity and two DC voltages by the proposed microwave sensing system, which is beneficial to discard the use of VNA. The two output voltages of microwave sensing system will be changed according to the injections of liquid samples with different complex permittivity, then the mathematical models can be established by summarizing the rule between complex permittivity and DC voltages. Finally, the established mathematical models can be adopted to predict the binary aqueous solutions with unknown complex permittivity. In measurement, the proposed microwave sensing system has the average sensitivities of about 2.478 mV/εr′ and 1.418 mV/εr′ for channel-I and channel-Q, respectively, which are several times higher than other reported ones. Low-cost, high sensitivity, convenient measurement, and easy fabrication are the merits for the proposed sensing system, and it is a good template in the region of detecting liquid samples.

Surface integrity and high-cycle fatigue life of direct laser metal deposited AISI 431 alloys modified by plasticity ball burnishing

Laser metal deposition (LMD) as an additive manufacturing (AM) is widely used to repair and extend wear and fatigue life of the critical components. This paper has investigated the application of ball burnishing (BB) to improve surface integrity and high-cycle fatigue resistance of LMDed AISI 431 alloys. Results showed that the BB treated samples exhibited significant surface finish improvement by lowering roughness by 91 %. Microhardness increased from 490 to 530 HV0.1, an increase by 10 % with a modified depth of 400 µm from the top surface. XRD results showed a peak shift and increase in FWHM by up to 17 %. This had been corroborated by EBSD exhibiting a 20 % increase in dislocation density and 24 % increase in localised misorientation within microstructure. As a result, the overall high cycle fatigue strength of the burnished sample increased by 50 %, and the cracks initiated from sub-surface level defects at a depth of 350 μm below the top surface, delaying the crack propagation and fracture failure. The findings clearly highlight that the burnishing treatment can be a plausible approach in improving the dynamic fatigue resistance and the overall service life of LMDed AISI 431 steel alloys components in engineering applications.

Highly sensitive refractive index based biofuel adulteration sensor using multiband absorber

A multi-band electromagnetic absorber is proposed for sensing the adulterant concentration in biofuels based on refractive index variations at room temperature (300 K). The proposed absorber structure consists of a gold based metallic resonating geometry and metallic ground plane on the top and bottom layer of the cavity loaded dielectric material. The unit cell has volume of 24μm×24μm×3.57μm (0.1088λL×0.1088λL×0.01618λL where λL is wavelength at lowest operating frequency), five absorption peaks at 1.36, 3.349, 5.338, 5.887 & 9.307 THz with peak absorptivity of 96.15%, 97.55%, 95.63%, 83.60% & 96.13% and Full Width at Half Maxima (FWHM) of 0.098, 0.275, 1.01 & 0.417 THz respectively. For solid substrate, the absorption performance is polarization insensitive and with cavity inside the substrate, the absorption performance is polarization sensitive in normal incidence. The absorber’s Refractive Index (RI) and biofuel adulteration sensing performance is also analyzed by loading analyte on its top surface and inside the substrate cavity. Peak sensitivity of ∼3 THz/RIU with a maximum Figure of merit (FOM) of ∼5.69RIU−1 and maximum ∼0.16% error in ethanol based biofuel adulteration estimation are achieved. The proposed absorber has advantages of ultracompact dimensions, very high sensitivity and very less estimation error in adulteration estimation over other absorber based sensors.

First Failure Load of Rectangular Laminated and Sandwich Plates Using Isogeometric Analysis

This paper investigates the first failure load of simply supported and clamped laminate and sandwich plates loaded by a distributed normal traction on the top surface. A third-order shear and normal deformable plate theory, the isogeometric basis functions, and five failure criteria, namely, the maximum stress, the Tsai–Wu, the Tsai–Hill, the Hoffman, and the Hashin for laminated plates, and only the Tsai–Hill criterion for sandwich plates are used in this study. Of these, Hashin’s criteria distinguish between the fiber and the matrix failure. The in-plane stresses are found from the plate displacements and Hooke’s law, and the transverse stresses are recovered by integrating the equilibrium equations through the thickness. Effects of the plate aspect ratio, the fiber angle, the face sheet materials, and the core materials on the first failure load are identified. The computed results are found to agree well with those reported in the literature. Whereas the five failure criteria for laminated plates predict nearly the same value of the first failure load, they do not provide the same location of the failure initiation.

Flow and heat transfer in multi-cavity pistons with oscillating cooling

Under high temperature and pressure conditions, pistons play a crucial role in managing thermal stress within combustion chambers. To analyze of the heat transfer characteristics of piston cooling systems in low-speed engines, this study developed and validated an oscillating cooling model featuring a composite piston with multiple cooling cavities. Using numerical simulation methods combined with dynamic mesh technology, the model replicates the long-stroke behavior of actual diesel engines and is validated against preliminary experimental data. The results demonstrates that during reciprocating motion, oil flowing through the telescopic sleeve interacts with gas from breather holes, forming a gas–liquid two-phase flow that significantly alters the liquid film coverage ratio (LFC) on wall surfaces, influencing heat transfer efficiency. As the filling rate increases from 28 % to 71 %, the average liquid film coverage (ALFC) rises by 0.27, and LFC fluctuation frequency decreases, with amplitude increasing by 0.08. Notably, the average Nusselt number (Nuavg) shows significant increases for top surface of inner cavity (TSIC) and side surface of inner cavity (SSIC) between filling rates of 52 % and 64 %, while the maximum increase for top surface of outer cavity (TSOC) and side surface of outer cavity (SSOC) occurs between 37 % and 52 %. Temperature drops at points A and B in the filling rate range of 28 % to 52 % were 1.37 K (4.09 K), which is notably higher than the 0.35 K (0.86 K) drop in the 52 % to 71 % range. Analyzing these changes indicates that the optimal filling rate for enhanced heat transfer performance is approximately 52 %. Furthermore, as engine speed increases from 135.2 to 202.8 rpm, the piston head filling rate decreases from 0.60 to 0.46, reducing both the contact area and the surface heat transfer coefficient. This study provides profound insights of the multiple cooling cavities under reciprocating motion and presents new strategies for optimizing piston cooling systems designed for low-speed engines.

Thermomechanical modelling of residual stresses and distortion in laser powder bed fusion: Assessment of the effect of build plate preheating on the behaviour of Inconel 718

The fabrication of complex metallic parts via laser powder bed fusion (L–PBF) is becoming more mainstream to overcome the limitations of traditional manufacturing methods. However, L–PBF induces undesirable residual stresses (RS) and possible geometric distortion of the component. This study aims to show the capabilities of build plate preheating in mitigating both defects. A thermomechanical finite element model is developed to investigate the outcomes of various preheating conditions when producing Inconel 718 samples consisting in a base and an overhanging beam restricted with support structures. Initially, the model is calibrated against the deflection result of an academic work employing a resemblant geometry. Our study is then performed. The as–built von Mises stress evolution along two paths as well as part distortion are assessed at 100, 300, and 500°C, then compared to the reference “no preheating” case results. A peak top surface RS of 803MPa was reached without preheating and reduced by 48.69% at 500°C. Along the vertical path, the mean stress value went from 897MPa at 20°C to 474MPa at 500°C. Distortion of the as–built part is essentially a non–uniform contraction of the beam along the x–direction due to progressive bending of the supports about y–axis. Once the beam is unrestricted from the substrate, it deforms as a cantilever structure. Increasing the preheating temperature decreases the maximum build direction deflection by 14.56% at 100°C, up to 76.94% at 500°C in comparison to the 4.12mm reached at 20°C. In conclusion, preheating the substrate is a very effective way to mitigate RS and distortion in L–PBF of Inconel 718. Even the relatively low 100°C showed a notable improvement in this regard.

Fumed nano-silica modified PVA-chitosan composite hydrogel with Janus structure for solar-driven interfacial evaporation

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SIE) receives much attention nowadays. At present, efficient thermal management and salt resistance during operation are still the difficulties of SIE technology. In this work, a new composite hydrogel for SIE has been reported. This composite hydrogel uses polyvinyl acetate (PVA) and chitosan (CS) as the framework, carbon nanoparticles (CB) as the photothermal material, modified with hydrophilic/hydrophobic fumed nano-silica. The addition of fumed nano-silica reduces the thermal conductivity and effectively immobilizes heat energy on the evaporator’s top surface, which reduces heat loss and improves the evaporation rate. The CSPC (CB/Nano-silica PVA-CS) evaporator modified with hydrophobic nano-silica exhibits Janus structure with transition from a hydrophobic top to a hydrophilic bottom. The Janus-structured CSPC evaporator has the characteristics of excellent salt resistance, simple preparation process, low heat loss with self-floating property. The CSPC evaporator containing 0.5 g hydrophobic fumed nano-silica has a maximum evaporation rate of 1.58 kg/(m2·h), about 1.6 times higher than the evaporator without fumed nano-silica, which proves that the introduction of fumed nano-silica can effectively improve the evaporation performance of hydrogel. The overall efficiency of CSPC evaporator in simulated seawater is 88.63 %. The evaporation rate of CSPC evaporator has reached a high level in the evaporators using carbon black as photothermal material which was prepared by simple and low-cost method. It should be a promising category of material to be employed for solar desalination.

Temperature monitoring test and thermal analysis during construction of deep orifice of arch dam

In the low-temperature season of Southwest China, concrete of orifice is easy to crack during pouring, and the superficial heat preservation of dam is needed. In this paper, the temperature gradient monitoring test of deep orifice of Baihetan Dam is carried out to obtain measured temperature data based on the distributed optical fiber sensing technique. Based on monitoring data, a finite element model of deep orifice of pouring blocks considering thermal insulation materials is established. By comparing calculated temperature with measured temperature, accuracy of the simulation model is verified. The temperature and stress of deep orifice with or without thermal insulation measures are analyzed, considering the thermal insulation effects of different thicknesses and different types of thermal insulation materials. The results show that when the insulation measures are not covered, the average temperature difference between day and night exceeds 2 °C, and the average temperature difference between day and night is within 1 °C after coverage. Using 3 cm or 5 cm polyethylene coil at the top surface and the transverse joint surface of pouring blocks, and spraying 3 cm or 5 cm polyurethane at the upstream surface of pouring blocks for thermal insulation can effectively prevent the temperature cracks.

Effect of thermal oxidation on helium implanted pure iron

The impact of thermal oxidation on Helium (He) implanted pure iron (Fe) was investigated to experimentally evaluate how thermal oxidation influences the diffusion and distribution of He within the material. In case of the sample with the lowest dose (2 × 1017 ions/cm2), the thinnest oxide layer was observed compared to the non-implanted pure Fe. It is due to He nano bubbles implanted in the material, which hinder the diffusion of Fe ions necessary for forming the oxide layer. For the medium dose sample (5 × 1017 ions/cm2), the oxide layer was slightly thicker than that of the lowest dose, however it had more porous structure due to the numerous nano He bubbles. In addition, a large bubble region around 150–200 nm depth was generated. The highest dose sample (1 × 1018 ions/cm2) was observed that the escape of He was accelerated by the large amount of nano He bubbles from within the metal, forming a porous Fe matrix on the top surface and an oxide layer that is very porous but thicker than those of lower doses.

Late Palaeozoic structural evolution of the Patch Bank Ridge and Utsira High, northern North Sea

AbstractThis study focuses on the Late Palaeozoic development of the area east of Utsira High in the North Sea, where the stratigraphic section below the late Permian Rotliegend Group is undrilled. We use regional 3D seismic data to study structuring, sediment distribution and geomorphology across the Patch Bank Ridge and Utsira High in the North Sea. The results show that the Stord Basin and the bounding Utsira East fault initially developed during the Late Palaeozoic extension, probably during the Devonian, and that the Utsira Shear Zone controlled the location of Late Palaeozoic depocentres. The Patch Bank Ridge is an uplifted part of the Stord Basin where we identify Late Palaeozoic growth strata along the southern and northern flanks, indicating a similar timing of the structural evolution in this area. Two key wells, in the Sele High and Ling Depression, are used to relate a Late Palaeozoic isopach map with regional structuring, surface tilt and basement morphology to the enigmatic parts of the Late Palaeozoic basin system. Our results supplement regional models for the Late Palaeozoic basin development, we suggest that the deeply eroded Devonian half‐grabens preserved on the Utsira High formed parts of an extensive basin system that show stratigraphic expansion towards their bounding faults. The Top Basement surface at these highs offers several distinct geomorphologies that evolved during three periods of exposure, expressed as (i) a tilted and rugose landscape, (ii) distinct drainage networks and (iii) peneplain surfaces. Cover sediments place these landscapes to the (i) Devonian, (ii) Carboniferous/Permian/Triassic and (iii) Late Triassic periods.

Analysis of composite honeycomb sandwich panels under blast loads

ABSTRACT This paper presents a novel isogeometric model to analyze the static bending, fre, and forced vibration characteristics of a sandwich of two-layer plates made of auxetic honeycomb core and laminated three-phase polymer/GNP/fiber skin subjected to a double blast load. The two layers are restricted from vertical movement by elastic pins but they can still move in the horizontal plane. The unique feature of the refined first-order shear plate theory with a distribution function g(z) is used to replace the shear correction factor, thereby allowing the shear stress at the top and bottom surfaces to be accurately calculated. The results are derived by the exact Navier solutions for rectangular plates and the IGA method with arbitrary boundary conditions for elliptical and rectangular plate structures. A comprehensive investigation was conducted to evaluate the influence of some parameters on the oscillation of sandwich two-layer plates subjected to double blast load.

Amorphous Carbon Nitride Films: Surface and Subsurface Composition and Bonding.

To obtain quantitative information about the composition and bonding of atoms located at and beyond the analyzed solid surface nondestructively, we applied angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy aided by the maximum entropy method to air-exposed amorphous carbon nitride films deposited by pulsed laser deposition of diamond-like carbon modified by low-energy nitrogen ion bombardment during film growth. We demonstrate that the composition, chemical bonding, and mass density vary significantly from the top surface to a shallow subsurface region. The analyzed samples, in a shallow surface region of ∼1 nm, are composed of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and mostly carbon in sp2 hybridization. In a deeper region, the C sp3 content increases substantially going to a maximum, whereas the nitrogen percentage decreases to a minimum, then increases, and tends to saturate. Special attention has been paid to in-depth distributions of carbon atoms in trigonal and tetragonal arrangements because they specify numerous physical and chemical properties of carbon-based materials. These results indicate that the interaction of DLC:N surfaces with surroundings can be influenced, barring oxygen and nitrogen, by sp2-bonded carbon atoms located near the surface of the samples. The obtained results can be useful for developing a deeper understanding of the interaction between DLC:N layer surfaces and their surroundings and particularly with living tissue.

Bionic Janus microfluidic hydrogen production with high gas–liquid separation efficiency

Water electrolysis offers the advantages of emission-free and highly efficient energy conversion in terms of sustainable energy development and environmental pollution. However, water electrolysis is strongly affected by the detachment of bubbles from the electrodes commonly enabled by buoyancy, thereby reducing the performance of the electrolytic cells in harsh environments like in space. Herein, a bionic Janus microchannels with active gas–liquid separation for water electrolysis is proposed. There is a Janus membrane with superaerophilic top surface and inner micropores over the microchannels, and such a unique type of microchannels can capture and unidirectionally manipulate the hydrogen (H2) bubbles generated on the surface of the electrode during the water electrolysis reaction at high speed with long-term stability. It is worth noting that the gas–liquid separation through the Janus membrane does not hinder the flow of electrolyte in the microchannel due to its hydrophilic inside surfaces, which can maintain the great stability of the electrolysis. Moreover, mimicked leaves and trees for water catalysis are further demonstrated with ultrahigh electrolysis efficiency based on the active detachment of H2 bubbles enabled by Janus micropores. The present bionic Janus microchannels for high-efficient water electrolysis to produce H2 is intended to provide a new power supply solution for human space living and exploration.

A green bulk modification for imparting a green VIPS membrane with antifouling properties

BackgroundMembrane preparation and membrane modification processes have long involved the use of toxic solvents. The present work proposes to only use envrionmentally-friendly solvents for both the fabrication and the surface modification of hydrophobic microfiltration membranes. In addition, coating processes for membrane modification are essentially surface modification processes. However, spray-coating may be a suitable method for both surface and bulk modification. MethodsAfter dissolving poly(vinylidene fluoride) in dimethylsulfoxide, membranes were formed by the vapor-induced phase separation process, and then modified using an aqeous solution of an amphiphilic copolymer containing poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate units. Then, a variety of physicochemical techniques were employed to characterize the membrane structure and prove the effectiveness of the surface/bulk modification. Antifouling tests in static and dynamic conditions were conducted. Significant findingsIt is possible to reduce the water contact angle of the top surface of the membrane from 135° to 0° and that of the bottom surface from 126° to 0° within <10 s, indicating successful hydrophilization of the membrane on the one hand, and top-to-bottom modification, despite solely exposing the top surface to the spray, on the other hand. This conclusion was confirmed by deidcated surface chemistry analyses. Besides, the membranes maintained their original highly porous and symmetric structure with light effects on surface porosity and pore size following the spray-coating process. The drasting improvement of hydrophilicity resulted in effective mitigation of fibrinogen adsorption (reduced by 85 %) and Escherichia coli adhesion (reduced by 86 %). Fouling during cyclic filtration involving a bacterial suspension was also effectively reduced with a flux recovery ratio of 53 % (against 37 % for a commercial hydrophilic membrane) and an irreversible flux decline ratio of 47 % (against 63 % for a commercial hydrophilic membrane) in the conditions of the test.

Corrosion-Resistant Ultrathin Cu Film Deposited on N-Doped Amorphous Carbon Film Substrate and Its Use for Crumpleable Circuit Board.

Copper (Cu) is widely used as an industrial electrode due to its high electrical conductivity, mechanical properties, and cost-effectiveness. However, Cu is susceptible to corrosion, which degrades device performance over time. Although various methods (alloying, physical passivation, surface treatment, etc.) are introduced to address the corrosion issue, they can cause decreased conductivity or vertical insulation. Here, using the nitrogen-doped amorphous carbon (a-C:N) thin film is proposed as a substrate on which Cu is directly deposited. This simple method significantly inhibits corrosion of ultrathin Cu (<20nm) films in humid conditions, enabling the fabrication of ultrathin electronic circuit boards without corrosion under ambient conditions. This study investigates the origin of corrosion resistance through comprehensive microscopic/spectroscopic characterizations and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations: i) diffusion of Cu atoms into the a-C:N driven by stable C-Cu-N bond formation, ii) diffusion of N atoms from the a-C:N to the Cu layer heading the top surface, which is the thermodynamically preferred location for N, and iii) the doped N atoms in Cu layer suppress the inclusion of O into the Cu lattice. By leveraging the ultrathinness and deformability of the circuit board, a transparent electrode and a crumpleable LED lighting device are demonstrated.