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Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Analysis and Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 November 2020) | Viewed by 49842

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Prof. Chih-Feng Wang

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Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan
Interests: superwetting materials; polymeric composites; oil/water separation; surface modification; surface free energy
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Prof. Dr. Wei-Song Hung

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Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan
Interests: membrane; graphene; positron; surface modification; liquid separation
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Dear Colleagues,

Polymeric materials—either synthetic or natural—play an important role in everyday life. Polymers used for practical applications are usually selected based on their bulk mechanical and thermal properties. However, the wettability is also a fundamental property of polymeric materials, which plays important roles in daily life, industry, and agriculture. Functional surfaces with appropriate wettability have aroused much interest because of their great advantages in applications. The wettability of a surface is determined by a combination of its chemical properties and topographical microstructures. This Special Issue aims to cover all the aspects related to recent innovations on wettabilities and surface properties of polymeric materials. Special emphasis will be placed on the influence of preparation methods, chemical or physical surface modifications of polymeric materials on their wettabilities and surface properties.

In particular, the topics of interest include but are not limited to:

Wettabilities of polymeric materials;
Surface-free energies of polymeric materials;
Surface modifications of polymeric materials;
Polymeric materials with anisotropic or patterned wettabilities;
Polymeric materials with switchable wettability;
Superwetting polymeric materials.

Prof. Chih-Feng Wang
Prof. Wei-Song Hung
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Wettabilities
Surface-free energy
Surface modification
Switchable wettability
Patterned wettability
Hydrophobic
Hydrophilic
Superhydrophobic
Superhydrophilic

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Superwetting Polymeric Composites in Polymers (13 articles)

Published Papers (11 papers)

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18 pages, 13408 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ibuprofen-Loaded Heparin Modified Thermosensitive Hydrogel for Inhibiting Excessive Inflammation and Promoting Wound Healing

by Abegaz Tizazu Andrgie, Haile Fentahun Darge, Tefera Worku Mekonnen, Yihenew Simegniew Birhan, Endiries Yibru Hanurry, Hsiao-Ying Chou, Chih-Feng Wang, Hsieh-Chih Tsai, Jen Ming Yang and Yen-Hsiang Chang

Polymers 2020, 12(11), 2619; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12112619 - 6 Nov 2020

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 5183

Abstract

Hydrogels have been investigated as ideal biomaterials for wound treatment owing to their ability to form a highly moist environment which accelerates cell migration and tissue regeneration for prompt wound healing. They can also be used as a drug carrier for local delivery, and are able to activate immune cells to enhance wound healing. Here, we developed heparin-conjugated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), an injectable, in situ gel-forming polymer, and evaluated its use in wound healing. Ibuprofen was encapsulated into the hydrogel to help reduce pain and excessive inflammation during healing. In addition to in vitro studies, a BALB/c mice model was used to evaluate its effect on would healing and the secretion of inflammatory mediators. The in vitro assay confirmed that the ibuprofen released from the hydrogel dramatically reduced lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation by suppressing the production of NO, PGE2 and TNF-α in RAW264.7 macrophages. Moreover, an in vivo wound healing assay was conducted by applying hydrogels to wounds on the backs of mice. The results showed that the ibuprofen-loaded hydrogel improved healing relative to the phosphate buffered saline group. This study indicates that ibuprofen loaded in an injectable hydrogel is a promising candidate for wound healing therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials)

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14 pages, 2995 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Properties, Free Volume, and Performance for Thin-Film Composite Pervaporation Membranes Fabricated through Interfacial Polymerization Involving Different Organic Solvents

by Micah Belle Marie Yap Ang, Shu-Hsien Huang, Shi-Wei Wei, Yu-Hsuan Chiao, Ruth R. Aquino, Wei-Song Hung, Hui-An Tsai, Kueir-Rarn Lee and Juin-Yih Lai

Polymers 2020, 12(10), 2326; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12102326 - 12 Oct 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4379

Abstract

The type of organic solvents used in interfacial polymerization affects the surface property, free volume, and separation performance of the thin-film composite (TFC) polyamide membrane. In this study, TFC polyamide membrane was fabricated through interfacial polymerization between diethylenetriamine (DETA) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC). Four types of organic solvent were explored in the preparation of pervaporation membrane. These are tetralin, toluene, hexane, and isopentane. The solubility parameter distance between organic solvents and DETA follows in increasing order: tetralin (17.07 MPa^1/2) < toluene (17.31 MPa^1/2) < hexane (19.86 MPa^1/2) < isopentane (20.43 MPa^1/2). Same trend was also observed between the organic solvents and DETA. The larger the solubility parameter distance, the denser and thicker the polyamide. Consequently, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) analysis revealed that TFC_isopentane had the thickest polyamide layer. It also delivered the highest pervaporation efficiency (permeation flux = 860 ± 71 g m⁻² h⁻¹; water concentration in permeate = 99.2 ± 0.8 wt%; pervaporation separation index = 959,760) at dehydration of 90 wt% aqueous ethanol solution. Furthermore, TFC_isopentane also exhibited a high separation efficiency in isopropanol and tert-butanol. Therefore, a suitable organic solvent in preparation of TFC membrane through interfacial polymerization enables high pervaporation efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials)

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18 pages, 5398 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Thermo-Tunable Pores and Antibiotic Gating Properties of Bovine Skin Gelatin Gels Prepared with Poly(n-isopropylacrylamide) Network

by Fang-Chang Tsai, Chih-Feng Huang, Chi-Jung Chang, Chien-Hsing Lu and Jem-Kun Chen

Polymers 2020, 12(9), 2156; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12092156 - 22 Sep 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2534

Abstract

Polystyrene nanospheres (PNs) were embedded in bovine skin gelatin gels with a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) network, which were denoted as NGHHs, to generate thermoresponsive behavior. When 265 nm PNs were exploited to generate the pores, bovine skin gelatin extended to completely occupy the pores left by PNs below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), forming a pore-less structure. Contrarily, above the LCST, the collapse of hydrogen bonding between bovine skin gelatin and PNIPAAm occurred, resulting in pores in the NGHH. The behavior of pore closing and opening below and above the LCST, respectively, indicates the excellent drug gating efficiency. Amoxicillin (AMX) was loaded into the NGHHs as smart antibiotic gating due to the pore closing and opening behavior. Accordingly, E. coli. and S. aureus were exploited to test the bacteria inhibition ratio (BIR) of the AMX-loaded NGHHs. BIRs of NGHH without pores were 48% to 46.7% at 25 and 37 °C, respectively, for E. coli during 12 h of incubation time. The BIRs of nanoporous NGHH could be enhanced from 61.5% to 90.4% providing a smart antibiotic gate of bovine skin gelatin gels against inflammation from infection or injury inflammation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials)

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17 pages, 5507 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polymer/BiOBr-Modified Gauze as a Dual-Functional Membrane for Heavy Metal Removal and Photocatalytic Dye Decolorization

by Chi-Jung Chang, Pei-Yao Chao, Chen-Yi Chou, Ying-Jen Chen and Chih-Feng Huang

Polymers 2020, 12(9), 2082; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12092082 - 13 Sep 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2634

Abstract

It is crucial to remove heavy metals and dyes before discharging industrial effluents. Gauze substrate was surface-modified by coating with a polymeric adsorbent and a spray coating of BiOBr photocatalyst to develop a novel dual-functional membrane, polymer/BiOBr-modified gauze, for water remediation. The polymeric adsorbent was crosslinked to prevent the dissolving of the adsorbent during operation in contaminated water. The morphology and surface chemistry of the modified gauze were characterized before and after the adsorption of Ni²⁺. The surface wettability, isotherms, and kinetics of Ni²⁺ adsorption were studied. We also studied the effect of pH, initial Ni²⁺ concentration, monomer molar ratio, and monomer chemical structure on the Ni²⁺ adsorption capacity. To achieve a high Ni²⁺ adsorption capacity and good photocatalytic decolorization activity, the amount of decorated BiOBr was tuned by changing the spray-coating time to optimize the exposed BiOBr and polymer on the surface. The optimized dual-functional membrane PB20 possesses excellent adsorption capacity (650 mg g⁻¹) for Ni²⁺ ions and photocatalytic decolorization activity (100% degradation of RhB within 7 min). Decorating the optimized amount of BiOBr on the surface can introduce photocatalytic decolorization activity without sacrificing the adsorption capacity for Ni²⁺. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials)

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12 pages, 2813 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Zwitterionic Polymer Brush Grafted on Polyvinylidene Difluoride Membrane Promoting Enhanced Ultrafiltration Performance with Augmented Antifouling Property

by Yu-Hsuan Chiao, Shu-Ting Chen, Mani Sivakumar, Micah Belle Marie Yap Ang, Tanmoy Patra, Jorge Almodovar, S. Ranil Wickramasinghe, Wei-Song Hung and Juin-Yih Lai

Polymers 2020, 12(6), 1303; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12061303 - 7 Jun 2020

Cited by 47 | Viewed by 5532

Abstract

Superhydrophilic zwitterions on the membrane surface have been widely exploited to improve antifouling properties. However, the problematic formation of a <20 nm zwitterionic layer on the hydrophilic surface remains a challenge in wastewater treatment. In this work, we focused on the energy consumption and time control of polymerization and improved the strong hydrophilicity of the modified polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane. The sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) monomer was treated with UV-light through polymerization on the PVDF membrane at a variable time interval of 30 to 300 s to grow a poly-SBMA (PSBMA) chain and improve the membrane hydrophilicity. We examined the physiochemical properties of as-prepared PVDF and PVDF–PSBMA_x using numeric analytical tools. Then, the zwitterionic polymer with controlled performance was grafted onto the SBMA through UV-light treatment to improve its antifouling properties. The PVDF–PSBMA_120s modified membrane exhibited a greater flux rate and indicated bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection performance. PVDF–PSBMA_120s and unmodified PVDF membranes were examined for their antifouling performance using up to three cycles dynamic test using BSA as foulant. The PVDF-modified PSBMA polymer improved the antifouling properties in this experiment. Overall, the resulting membrane demonstrated an enhancement in the hydrophilicity and permeability of the membrane and simultaneously augmented its antifouling properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials)

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11 pages, 1970 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plasma-Polymer-Fluorocarbon Thin Film Coated Nanostructured-Polyethylene Terephthalate Surface with Highly Durable Superhydrophobic and Antireflective Properties

by Eunmi Cho, Mac Kim, Jin-Seong Park and Sang-Jin Lee

Polymers 2020, 12(5), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12051026 - 1 May 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 7315

Abstract

Herein, an antireflection and superhydrophobic film was obtained by uniformly forming nanostructures on the surface of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate using oxygen plasma without a pattern mask and coating plasma-polymer-fluorocarbon (PPFC) on the nanostructured surface by mid-range frequency sputtering. PPFC/nanostructured-PET showed a reflectance of 4.2%, which is 56% lower than that of the PET film. Haze was also improved. Nanostructured-PET exhibited a superhydrophilic surface due to plasma deformation and a superhydrophobic surface could be realized by coating PPFC on the nanostructured surface. The PPFC coating prevented the aging of polymer film nanostructures and showed excellent durability in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment. It exhibited excellent flexibility to maintain the superhydrophobic surface, even at a mechanical bending radius of 1 mm, and could retain its properties even after repeated bending for 10,000 times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials)

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18 pages, 3447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Studies of UV Irradiated Polypropylene Films Modified with Mineral Fillers Designed as Piezoelectric Materials

by Marta Chylińska, Halina Kaczmarek, Dariusz Moszyński, Bogusław Królikowski and Jolanta Kowalonek

Polymers 2020, 12(3), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12030562 - 4 Mar 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4659

Abstract

Isotactic-polypropylene (i-PP) films with inorganic minerals such as Sillikolloid, perlite, or glass beads were prepared. The obtained polymeric films were subjected to an orientation process. Moreover, this paper includes results how the artificial accelerated weathering influences surface properties of the unoriented and oriented i-PP films with the mineral fillers. Changes in the ultraviolet (UV) treated polymeric films were studied with attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and by measuring contact angles. The results revealed that photooxidation of i-PP was more effective in the presence of the fillers and depended on the type of the filler but not on its amount. Moreover, the oriented samples experienced more effective photooxidation compared with the unoriented ones. In all studied samples the same photoproducts were detected, suggesting the same route of polymer photooxidation with and without the filler. These polymeric films were produced for potential applications in the devices in which piezoelectric effect can be used. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials)

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10 pages, 1997 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tuning the Wettability and Surface Free Energy of Poly(vinylphenol) Thin Films by Modulating Hydrogen-Bonding Interactions

by Chih-Feng Wang, Dula Daksa Ejeta, Jian-Yi Wu, Shiao-Wei Kuo, Ching-Hsuan Lin and Juin-Yih Lai

Polymers 2020, 12(3), 523; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12030523 - 1 Mar 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3651

Abstract

The ability to tune the surface properties of a polymer film in a simple and effective manner is important for diverse biological, industrial, and environmental applications. In this work, we investigated whether or not the surface free energy of poly(vinyl phenol; PVPh) can be tuned by adjusting the casting solvent and the thermal treatment time, which alters the proportions of intra-and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. Compared to the untreated sample, in tetrahydrofuran (THF) system, the thermal treatment resulted in a lower proportion of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and a concomitant decrease in the surface free energy (from 39.3 to 18.8 mJ/m²). In contrast, the thermal treatment in propylene glycol methyl ether acetate (PGMEA) and ethyl-3-ethoxypropionate (EEP) systems increased the proportion of intermolecular hydrogen bonds and the surface free energy of the polymer thin films, from 45.0 to 54.3 mJ/m² for PGMEA and from 45.5 to 52.9 mJ/m² for EEP. Controlling intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions is a unique and easy method for tuning the surface free energies of polymer substances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials)

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15 pages, 3423 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Zwitterion Co-Polymer PEI-SBMA Nanofiltration Membrane Modified by Fast Second Interfacial Polymerization

by Yu-Hsuan Chiao, Tanmoy Patra, Micah Belle Marie Yap Ang, Shu-Ting Chen, Jorge Almodovar, Xianghong Qian, S. Ranil Wickramasinghe, Wei-Song Hung, Shu-Hsien Huang, Yung Chang and Juin-Yih Lai

Polymers 2020, 12(2), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12020269 - 27 Jan 2020

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 7318

Abstract

Nanofiltration membranes have evolved as a promising solution to tackle the clean water scarcity and wastewater treatment processes with their low energy requirement and environment friendly operating conditions. Thin film composite nanofiltration membranes with high permeability, and excellent antifouling and antibacterial properties are important component for wastewater treatment and clean drinking water production units. In the scope of this study, thin film composite nanofiltration membranes were fabricated using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) support and fast second interfacial polymerization modification methods by grafting polyethylene amine and zwitterionic sulfobutane methacrylate moieties. Chemical and physical alteration in structure of the membranes were characterized using methods like ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, XPS analysis, FESEM and AFM imaging. The effects of second interfacial polymerization to incorporate polyamide layer and ‘ion pair’ characteristics, in terms of water contact angle and surface charge analysis was investigated in correlation with nanofiltration performance. Furthermore, the membrane characteristics in terms of antifouling properties were evaluated using model protein foulants like bovine serum albumin and lysozyme. Antibacterial properties of the modified membranes were investigated using E. coli as model biofoulant. Overall, the effect of second interfacial polymerization without affecting the selectivity layer of nanofiltration membrane for their potential large-scale application was investigated in detail. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials)

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14 pages, 3084 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Facile Functionalization via Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for the Effective Filtration of Oily Aerosol

by Sanghyun Roh, Sungmin Kim and Jooyoun Kim

Polymers 2019, 11(9), 1490; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11091490 - 12 Sep 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3700

Abstract

With the growing concern about the health impacts associated with airborne particles, there is a pressing need to design an effective filter device. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of plasma-based surface modifications on static charges of electrospun filter media and their resulting filtration performance. Polystyrene (PS) electrospun web (ES) had inherent static charges of ~3.7 kV due to its electric field-driven process, displaying effective filtration performance. When oxygen species were created on the surface by the oxygen plasma process, static charges of electret media decreased, deteriorating the filter performance. When the web surface was fluorinated by the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), the filtration efficiency against oily aerosol significantly increased due to the combined effect of decreased wettability and strong static charges (~−3.9 kV). Solid particles on the charged media formed dendrites as particles were attracted to other layers of particles, building up a pressure drop. The PECVD process is suggested as a facile functionalization method for effective filter design, particularly for capturing oily aerosol. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wettabilities and Surface Properties of Polymer Materials)

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1 pages, 166 KiB

Open AccessErratum

Erratum: Facile Functionalization via Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition for the Effective Filtration of Oily Aerosol. Polymers 2019, 11, 1490

by Sanghyun Roh, Sungmin Kim and Jooyoun Kim

Polymers 2020, 12(6), 1422; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12061422 - 25 Jun 2020

Viewed by 1606

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The authors wish to make a change to the published paper [...] Full article

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