Self-assembled monolayers and titanium dioxide: From surface patterning to potential applications

• Yaron Paz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 845–861, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.94

• were used to pattern an OTS monolayer on mica sheets, the size of the islands and concentration being affected by the UV flux impinging on the surface, as evidenced by AFM and wettability measurements. The phenomenon of remote degradation raises a question regarding the fidelity of patterns obtained by

Direct monitoring of opto-mechanical switching of self-assembled monolayer films containing the azobenzene group

• Einat Tirosh,
• Enrico Benassi,
• Silvio Pipolo,
• Marcel Mayor,
• Michal Valášek,
• Veronica Frydman,
• Stefano Corni and
• Sidney R. Cohen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 834–844, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.93

• ↔trans switching have been demonstrated for SAMs. These include mechanical testing, as mentioned above, as well as changes in the local surface potential [13][14], UV–vis spectroscopy [10], wettability [15], and direct molecular-resolution imaging by scanning tunneling microscopy [10]. These methods vary

Approaches to nanostructure control and functionalizations of polymer@silica hybrid nanograss generated by biomimetic silica mineralization on a self-assembled polyamine layer

• Jian-Jun Yuan and
• Ren-Hua Jin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 760–773, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.84

• , nanostructured thin films on substrates with tunable nanostructure and surface morphology are of great importance for various applications, such as photoelectronics [1], high-efficiency sensing and bioanalysis [2][3], protein adsorption [4], cell growth [5], surface wettability control [6] and liquid

• (anatase titania). The silica@titania composite nanosurface exhibited an extreme change in photoresponsive wettability due to the presence of photocatalytic anatase titania, which can decompose hydrophobic organic components bonded to the surface. Results and Discussion The inner wall of a soda-lime glass

• synthesis of functional silica-based nanosurfaces. Silica@titania composite nanograss and photoresponsive surface wettability Finally, we attempted using LPEI in hybrid nanograss as a catalyst for titania deposition, with the aim to synthesize a silica@titania composite nanosurface after high-temperature

Dynamics of capillary infiltration of liquids into a highly aligned multi-walled carbon nanotube film

• Sławomir Boncel,
• Krzysztof Z. Walczak and
• Krzysztof K. K. Koziol

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 311–317, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.36

• density of nanotube packing, the thermodynamics of the infiltration process (wettability) were described by the contact angle between the nanotube wall and a liquid meniscus (θ). Once the wettability criterion (θ < 90°) was met, the HACNT film (of free volume equal to 91%) was penetrated gradually by the

• general theory of capillarity can be applied in a prediction of both wettability of HACNT films and the dynamics of capillary rise in the intertube space in various technological applications. Keywords: capillary action; dynamic viscosity; highly aligned carbon nanotubes; superhydrophobicity; wettability

• ; Introduction Wettability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and highly aligned carbon nanotube (HACNT) films is an important aspect in numerous technologies including manufacture of composites [1], fabrication of constantly/interchangeably hydrophobic or hydrophilic materials [2][3], nanofluidic devices [4] or sponges

Hierarchically structured superhydrophobic flowers with low hysteresis of the wild pansy (Viola tricolor) – new design principles for biomimetic materials

• Anna J. Schulte,
• Damian M. Droste,
• Kerstin Koch and
• Wilhelm Barthlott

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 228–236, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.27

• ). Combinations of relatively thick folds separated by a small distance and thin folds separated by a large distance were found. The width of the folds varied from 260 nm (Violar) to 600 nm (Cosmosr) and the distance between the single folds varied from 210 nm (Dahliar) to 460 nm (Cosmosr). Wettability of the

• petals and their replicas Static CA and the TA measurements were performed to compare the surface structures with the wettability. Two superhydrophobic petals (Rosa CA 155.6° and Viola CA 169°) and two hydrophobic petals (Cosmos CA 118.3° and Dahlia CA 136.4°) were found (Figure 4). The static CA of the

• petals (micropapillae with a folding on top), but a similar wetting behavior as that described for lotus leaves. By an easy and fast replication technique and subsequent hydrophobic coating, biomimetic replicas were fabricated. These replicas possessed the same surface structures and wettability as the

Moisture harvesting and water transport through specialized micro-structures on the integument of lizards

• Philipp Comanns,
• Christian Effertz,
• Florian Hischen,
• Konrad Staudt,
• Wolfgang Böhme and
• Werner Baumgartner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 204–214, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.24

• case of Phrynonoma cornutum even directed! – passive transport of water. Results and Discussion Macroscopic morphology and wettability of the lizards' integuments The three species under investigation were chosen because all perform moisture harvesting but developed separately in different arid areas

• the scales, independent of form or species, is the wettability. Application of a water droplet onto the integument leads in all three species to an almost immediate spreading of the water as shown in Figure 3A–C and in the supplementary videos (Supporting Information Files 1–3). In contrast to the

• and any macroscopic geometric parameter of the scales in the three investigated species (data not shown). Thus, either material properties or the micro ornamentation of the scales induce the high wettability. Contact angle and microscopic morphology To quantify the wetting properties we attempted to

Superhydrophobicity in perfection: the outstanding properties of the lotus leaf

• Hans J. Ensikat,
• Petra Ditsche-Kuru,
• Christoph Neinhuis and
• Wilhelm Barthlott

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 152–161, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.19

• with contact angles >150° and their surface morphologies. Many studies, in which the properties of lotus leaves were compared with those of other superhydrophobic plants, have shown the superiority of the upper side of the lotus leaf. A standard tool for the determination of wettability or water

• . Only the lotus leaves showed no significant loss of water repellency when water vapour condensed on the surface of the cooled samples at 5 °C. Wagner et al. (2003) [9] examined the morphology of the epidermal structures and the wettability with liquids of varying surface tension such as methanol–water

• mixtures. They reported the lowest wettability by these liquids for the lotus leaves in comparison to other species. They also described the unique shape of the papillae and a very high papillae density (number per area). Chemical analyses [10] and crystal structure analysis by X-ray diffraction [11

Review of "Contact Mechanics and Friction: Physical Principles and Applications" by Valentin L. Popov

• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 57–58, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.7

• contact problem in biology see [4]). Biological and technical systems have many common features. First, the mechanical interaction occurs on identical length and force scales [5]. In both types of systems, surface properties – for example wettability, microstructure or surface chemistry – have a strong