While physical methods for planar thin film deposition are well established, this thematic issue aims to highlight their chemical counterparts. Chemical coating techniques are applicable to the large-scale preparation of nanostructured materials, the properties or functionalities of which originate from interfacial effects. Tailored functionality, however, entails the precise control of growth on the nanometer scale and necessitates substantial insight into the surface reactivity at the fundamental level in order to produce flexible, low-cost materials that can be integrated at the process level. Potential contributions may include, but are not limited to the following topics:
Figure 1: a) Phase diagram of diblock copolymer predicted by SCMF theory. Reprinted with permission from [41], co...
Figure 2: Schematic representation of the solvent evaporation in a thin film made by block copolymer. At the ...
Figure 3: SEM micrographs of PS-b-PEO films after heating at 90 °C and washing with water. a) PS-b-PEO (18.5-b...
Figure 4: a) Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of a composite nanoporous membrane: detail of the Si micros...
Figure 5: Schematic representation of different micellar architectures. Hydrophilic polar heads are indicated...
Figure 6: Top-view (left) and tilted 60° (right) SEM micrographs of PS962-b-PEO3409 (a, b), PS563-b-PEO1614 (...
Figure 7: Schematic cross section of a screen filter (A) and a depth filter (B). Reprinted with permission fr...
Figure 1: Selected oxygen evolution activities for planar state-of-the-art electrode materials (adapted from ...
Figure 2: Pourbaix diagram for ruthenium in the presence of water (adapted from the Atlas of Eh-pH diagrams, ...
Figure 3: Photographs and schematic drawings of laser-induced chemical liquid deposition geometry on planar (...
Figure 4: SEM images of planar samples coated with laser-induced Ru/C films in cross-section (a) and top-view...
Figure 5: Preparation of nanostructured Ru/C electrodes. (a) Anodization of Al in 1 wt % H3PO4; this step def...
Figure 6: Scanning electron micrographs of a nanostructured Ru/C sample after all preparation steps in top vi...
Figure 7: Raman spectra of a nanostructured template coated with Ru/C films, without ITO contact (a) and of t...
Figure 8: X-ray photoelectron spectra of a nanostructured Ru/C sample recorded as deposited and after Ar+ spu...
Figure 9: Cyclic voltammograms of Ru/C electrodes recorded in a KH2PO4 electrolyte at pH 4 (scan rate: 50 mV s...
Figure 10: J–t curve of the same nanoporous (blue line) and planar (green line) electrode (as presented in Figure 7) d...
Figure 11: Tafel plots of nanoporous Ru/C electrodes of various lengths 11 ≤ L ≤ 24 μm in quasi-steady-state c...
Figure 12: Current densities of Ru/C electrodes for water oxidation measured at pH 4 and at 0.10 V or 0.20 V a...
Figure 1: Raman spectra (shifted for visibility) of the as-deposited and thermally treated Sb2S3 films deposi...
Figure 2: XRD patterns (shifted for visibility) of as-deposited and vacuum treated (170 °C or 200 °C, 5 minut...
Figure 3: Surface and cross-sectional views by SEM study of as-deposited Sb2S3 layers deposited from Sb/S 1:6...
Figure 4: Surface and cross-sectional views by SEM study of thermally treated (170 °C, 5 minutes) Sb2S3 layer...
Figure 5: Surface and cross-sectional views by SEM study of vacuum treated (200 °C, 5 minutes) Sb2S3 layers d...
Figure 6: Proposed growth mechanism paths of Sb2S3 by Volmer–Weber growth during ultrasonic spraying of metha...
Figure 7: Absorption coefficient (α) vs wavelength of glass/ITO/TiO2/Sb2S3 samples incorporating as-deposited...
Figure 1: Schematic representation of the two deposition series of nanostructured LSMO films. I series – the ...
Figure 2: (a–c) SEM pictures of LSMO films (I series) deposited on Al2O3 substrates with different thickness:...
Figure 3: (a) Resistivity dependence on temperature for nanostructured LSMO films with thickness in the range...
Figure 4: SEM picture of LSMO films grown from (a) one supply source - I series; (b) two supply sources - II ...
Figure 1: Field emission scanning electron microscopy images of (a) polymer-coated ITO patterned with a pore ...
Figure 2: Top view FESEM images of ZnO NCs for (a, b, c) SB (on bare ITO) (d, e) S600 (on patterned ITO with ...
Figure 3: X-ray diffraction spectra of ZnO NCs for SB (on bare ITO), S600 (on patterned ITO with pore size ≈6...
Figure 4: Microstructure characterization of hexagonal-shaped twinned ZnO NCs for the S600 sample. (a, b) Low...
Figure 1: Transmittance (a) according to the annealing treatment method and (b) according to the number of an...
Figure 2: Contact angles of the coating films fabricated using various annealing treatment methods: (a) natur...
Figure 3: Contact angle by (a) annealing treatment method and (b) annealing treatment times using a gas torch....
Figure 4: Anti-pollution characteristics of the coating films fabricated using various annealing treatment me...
Figure 5: Adhesion characteristics of the coating films fabricated using various annealing treatment methods:...
Figure 6: Hardness characteristics of the coating films fabricated using various annealing treatment methods:...
Figure 1: Growth diagrams of the three deposition strategies. The deposition steps correspond to temperature ...
Figure 2: Representation of the range of appropriate deposition conditions. Maximum temperature used versus t...
Figure 3: SEM surface images of the LMO films deposited by, A) strategy I, B) strategy II, and C) strategy II...
Figure 4: TEM cross-section images from LMO films grown by strategy I (A) and strategy III (B). A) A continuo...
Figure 5: GIXRD patterns obtained for LMO thin films grown by strategy I (cooled in Ar and cooled in O2), str...
Figure 6: Raman spectra of LMO films obtained by the three deposition strategies under different conditions o...
Figure 7: XANES absorption in Mn K-edge data of LMO films obtained by the three deposition strategies under d...
Figure 8: A) Cross section of the LMO-based MIM structure. B) Resistive switching cycles, I–V characteristics...
Figure 1: Illustration of the experimental deposition chamber. Top view, without cover. The chamber is closed...
Figure 2: Chamber cover after deposition. The shape of the chamber is outlined by the PTFE paste used for sea...
Figure 3: Samples in chamber during deposition, immediately before being taken out of the chamber. The glass ...
Figure 4: GIXRD of as-deposited samples with indexed reflections attributed to cubic LiH. GIXRD was performed...
Figure 5: Possible mechanism of the surface reactions.
Figure 6: Derivative Auger spectra confirming the presence of Li2O on the surface, acquired at two different ...
Figure 7: XPS spectra before Ar sputtering of a) Li 1s region, b) C 1s and c) O 1s region.
Figure 8: In situ QCM results, showing approximately 18 sALD cycles. The maxima and minima correspond to the ...
Figure 9: SEM of the Si/Pt sample surface after deposition and exposure to atmosphere. The large crystal seen...
Figure 10: SEM of a Si sample cleaved after deposition. The film thickness was estimated to be roughly 45 nm.
Figure 11: Growth curve obtained from spectroscopic ellipsometry. The thickness is relative to the SEM cross-s...