Date | 8th, Jun 2018 |
---|
Home > Press > Does nanoconfinement affect the interaction between two materials placed in contact? It ispossible to estimate how nanoconfinement affects the number of contacts formed by two materials placed in intimate contact and, hence, the interfacial interactions
Abstract: Now writing in ACS Central Science, Simavilla et al., show that is it possible to estimate how nanoconfinement affects the number of contacts formed by two materials placed in intimate contact and, hence, the interfacial interactions.
Brussels, Belgium | Posted on June 7th, 2018
They considered wafers of silicon, as those largely used in microelectronics, coated by thin polymer layers of different thickness. The currently used approximate methods predict that the interaction between the two materials does not depend on the thickness of the polymer layer. On the contrary, the team of the Universit' libre de Bruxelles (ULB) lead by Simone Napolitano (Polymer and Soft Matter Dynamics - Faculty of Sciences), showed that size does matter. Molecules at the interface of thinner films form less contacts with the silicon wafer, because the vdW forces (van der Waals (vdW) forces, that depend on the dimension of the objects involved) are weaker. The method used permitted to verify a striking correlation between the intensity of the vdW forces and the number of contacts.
This result shows that the current way we think at interfaces is not valid. In addition to the huge impact at the level of fundamental science, the results of the researchers of ULB could be exploited on a large number of applications. Since almost a decade, several research groups have shown that properties of many thin coatings - such as flow, the ability to retain or be repel water, the velocity of formation of crystals - depend on the number of contacts between the film and its supporting substrate. Till now, to modify this number it was necessary to change the type of molecules at the interface, often involving complex chemical reactions. The findings of Simavilla et al show that it is possible to tailor the performance of nanomaterials by simply changing their dimensions. Or even without! The research team of ULB has, in fact, also shown that placing a different material on top of the polymer layer in contact with the substrate, affects in a controllable way the vdW forces at the interface between polymer of given thickness and the substrate. This method, hence, allows controlling the polymer layer without touching it, as by using a remote control.
####
For more information, please click here
Contacts:Simone Napolitano
32-477-446-972
Copyright © Universit' libre de Bruxelles
If you have a comment, please Contact us.
Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
News and information
Scientists unravel 'Hall effect' mystery in search for next generation memory storage devices August 19th, 2022
Researchers design new inks for 3D-printable wearable bioelectronics: Potential uses include printing electronic tattoos for medical tracking applications August 19th, 2022
Possible Futures
New chip ramps up AI computing efficiency August 19th, 2022
Rice team eyes cells for sophisticated data storage: National Science Foundation backs effort to turn living cells into equivalent of computer RAM August 19th, 2022
Chip Technology
New chip ramps up AI computing efficiency August 19th, 2022
Scientists unravel 'Hall effect' mystery in search for next generation memory storage devices August 19th, 2022
Researchers design new inks for 3D-printable wearable bioelectronics: Potential uses include printing electronic tattoos for medical tracking applications August 19th, 2022
Discoveries
Scientists unravel 'Hall effect' mystery in search for next generation memory storage devices August 19th, 2022
Researchers design new inks for 3D-printable wearable bioelectronics: Potential uses include printing electronic tattoos for medical tracking applications August 19th, 2022
Visualizing nanoscale structures in real time: Open-source software enables researchers to see materials in 3D while they're still on the electron microscope August 19th, 2022
Materials/Metamaterials
Strain-sensing smart skin ready to deploy: Nanotube-embedded coating detects threats from wear and tear in large structures July 15th, 2022
New protocol for assessing the safety of nanomaterials July 1st, 2022
Nanotubes: a promising solution for advanced rubber cables with 60% less conductive filler June 1st, 2022
Announcements
Scientists unravel 'Hall effect' mystery in search for next generation memory storage devices August 19th, 2022
Researchers design new inks for 3D-printable wearable bioelectronics: Potential uses include printing electronic tattoos for medical tracking applications August 19th, 2022
Visualizing nanoscale structures in real time: Open-source software enables researchers to see materials in 3D while they're still on the electron microscope August 19th, 2022
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Scientists unravel 'Hall effect' mystery in search for next generation memory storage devices August 19th, 2022
Researchers design new inks for 3D-printable wearable bioelectronics: Potential uses include printing electronic tattoos for medical tracking applications August 19th, 2022
Visualizing nanoscale structures in real time: Open-source software enables researchers to see materials in 3D while they're still on the electron microscope August 19th, 2022