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Related Concept Videos

Cohesion01:07

Cohesion

Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same type, such as water molecules. Water molecules have an overall neutral charge but are polar molecule. An oxygen atom in one water molecule has a partial negative charge that can bind to a hydrogen atom with a partial positive charge in a second water molecule, forming a hydrogen bond. Each water molecule can form up to four hydrogen bonds with other water molecules. Hydrogen bonds are responsible for water's cohesive nature.
On a surface,...
Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity02:57

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

Surface Tension
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
Surface Active Agents01:27

Surface Active Agents

Surfactants, named for their behavior at interfaces, positively adsorb at the interfaces of two phases, reducing interfacial tension. Their versatility as emulsifiers, detergents, and foaming agents stems from this ability. Surfactants, often termed amphiphiles, share the property of amphipathy, with molecules having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The hydrophilic part is called the head, and the hydrophobic part, including an elongated alkyl substituent, forms the tail.Surfactants...
Surface Tension of Fluid01:22

Surface Tension of Fluid

Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
Surface tension varies with...
Entropy and Solvation02:05

Entropy and Solvation

The process of surrounding a solute with solvent is called solvation. It involves evenly distributing the solute within the solvent. The rule of thumb for determining a solvent for a given compound is that like dissolves like. A good solvent has molecular characteristics similar to those of the compound to be dissolved. For example, polar solutions dissolve polar solutes, and apolar solvents dissolve apolar solutes. A polar solvent is a solvent that has a high dielectric constant (ϵ ≥ 15); an...
Solubility03:00

Solubility

Solution, Solubility, and Solubility Equilibrium
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
In a solution, the solute particles (molecules, atoms, and/or ions)...

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Rendering SiO2/Si Surfaces Omniphobic by Carving Gas-Entrapping Microtextures Comprising Reentrant and Doubly Reentrant Cavities or Pillars
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Metastable underwater superhydrophobicity.

Rosa Poetes1, Kathrin Holtzmann, Kristian Franze

  • 1Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.

Physical Review Letters
|January 15, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Superhydrophobic surfaces rely on a thin air film, the plastron, for their water-repellent properties. This study reveals that the plastron is unstable underwater, limiting the practical applications of superhydrophobic materials in submerged environments.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Surface Science
  • Fluid Dynamics

Background:

  • Superhydrophobicity is typically viewed as a stable wetting state.
  • This state relies on a plastron, a thin air film between a solid surface and a liquid.
  • The stability of this plastron, especially underwater, is crucial for applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the stability of the plastron on superhydrophobic surfaces under water.
  • To determine the factors influencing plastron decay.
  • To understand the implications of plastron instability for natural occurrences and technological uses.

Main Methods:

  • Underwater experiments were conducted to observe plastron behavior.
  • Confocal microscopy was employed for detailed measurements.
  • A theoretical model was developed to explain the observed phenomena.

Main Results:

  • The plastron demonstrated rapid decay after a specific onset time.
  • Plastron stability was found to be dependent on the immersion depth.
  • A model based on experimental data successfully explained the plastron decay mechanism.

Conclusions:

  • The plastron, essential for superhydrophobicity, is not permanently stable underwater.
  • Limited underwater plastron stability explains why permanently submerged superhydrophobic surfaces are rare in nature.
  • This instability restricts the commercial applications of superhydrophobic materials in submerged conditions.