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Hwang U, Kim BQ, Nam JD, Lee D. Flexible Antireflection Coatings with Enhanced Durability and Antifogging Properties. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:10714-10721. [PMID: 38377540 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c17986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Antireflection coatings (ARCs) enhance optical clarity and improve light transmission by reducing glare and reflections. The application of conventional ARCs in flexible devices, however, is impeded by their lack of durability, particularly under bending deformation. We develop ARCs that withstand delamination and fracture, remaining intact even after 1000 bending cycles with a 5 cm bending radius. We fabricate integrated ARCs (iARCs) on a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrate by inducing free polymers to infiltrate the interstices of a disordered assembly of hollow silica nanochains and nanospheres. The polydispersity of PMMA creates a refractive index gradient, yielding a broadband antireflection capability. The nanochain-based iARCs are superior to the nanosphere-based coatings in both antireflection properties and mechanical durability, owing to the lower packing density and mechanical interlocking of the nanochains, respectively. Additionally, these nanochain iARCs display antifogging properties stemming from their superhydrophilicity. While our demonstrations are based on PMMA as a model substrate, this methodology is potentially extendable to other polymers, enhancing the iARC's applicability across various practical applications, including flexible and wearable devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uiseok Hwang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Baekmin Q Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Jae-Do Nam
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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Ren T, Hinton ZR, Huang R, Epps TH, Korley L, Gorte RJ, Lee D. Increase in the effective viscosity of polyethylene under extreme nanoconfinement. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:024909. [PMID: 38214386 DOI: 10.1063/5.0185144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding polymer transport in nanopores is crucial for optimizing heterogeneously catalyzed processes in polymer upcycling and fabricating high-performance nanocomposite films and membranes. Although confined polymer dynamics have been extensively studied, the behavior of polyethylene (PE)-the most widely used commodity polymer-in pores smaller than 20 nm remains largely unexplored. We investigate the effects of extreme nanoconfinement on PE transport using capillary rise infiltration in silica nanoparticle packings with average pore radii ranging from ∼1 to ∼9 nm. Using in situ ellipsometry and the Lucas-Washburn model, we discover a previously unknown inverse relationship between effective viscosity (ηeff) and average pore radius (Rpore). Additonally, we determine that PE transport under these extreme conditions is primarily governed by physical confinement, rather than pore surface chemistry. We refine an existing theory to provide a generalized formalism to describe the polymer transport dynamics over a wide range of pore radii (from 1 nm and larger). Our results offer valuable insights for optimizing catalyst supports in polymer upcycling and improving infiltration processes for nanocomposite fabrication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Ren
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Zachary R Hinton
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Renjing Huang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Thomas H Epps
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - LaShanda Korley
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Raymond J Gorte
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
- Center for Plastics Innovation, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA
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