Contact angles and surface forces

Contact angle measurement system with liquid sodium in inert atmosphere

Liquid sodium is the heat transport medium in fast breeder reactors due to its favorable chemical, physical, and nuclear properties. Wetting of liquid sodium with the material of reactor components is essential for the effective functioning of the reactor. Liquid sodium wetting plays a crucial role, such as in (i) heat transfer and (ii) image reconstruction under sodium ultrasonic scanners. Contact angle is the inverse measure of the wetting of liquids over solid surfaces. A contact angle measurement system was set up in an inert atmosphere glow box to study the wetting behavior of liquid sodium on reactor materials. The contact angle of liquid sodium on nickel surface was measured as a function of temperature, and the results obtained were found to be in good agreement with the literature values. The contact angle of liquid sodium on SS316LN as a function of temperature was measured for the first time using this facility.

Nonequilibrium configurations of swelling polymer brush layers induced by spreading drops of weakly volatile oil

Polymer brush layers are responsive materials that swell in contact with good solvents and their vapors. We deposit drops of an almost completely wetting volatile oil onto an oleophilic polymer brush layer and follow the response of the system upon simultaneous exposure to both liquid and vapor. Interferometric imaging shows that a halo of partly swollen polymer brush layer forms ahead of the moving contact line. The swelling dynamics of this halo is controlled by a subtle balance of direct imbibition from the drop into the brush layer and vapor phase transport and can lead to very long-lived transient swelling profiles as well as nonequilibrium configurations involving thickness gradients in a stationary state. A gradient dynamics model based on a free energy functional with three coupled fields is developed and numerically solved. It describes experimental observations and reveals how local evaporation and condensation conspire to stabilize the inhomogeneous nonequilibrium stationary swelling profiles. A quantitative comparison of experiments and calculations provides access to the solvent diffusion coefficient within the brush layer. Overall, the results highlight the-presumably generally applicable-crucial role of vapor phase transport in dynamic wetting phenomena involving volatile liquids on swelling functional surfaces.

DLVO surface forces in liquid films and statistical mechanics of colloidal oscillatory structural forces in dispersion stability

This paper focuses on the theory of the dispersion stability considering two models. In the classical DLVO model of surface forces, the interactions between two particles consist of two terms: the London-van der Waals attractive interaction and the electrostatic repulsive interaction in the frame of the Debye-Hückel theory. The solvent, the aqueous solution of the electrolyte, was considered the continuous phase. The film stability criteria are P_γ > Π and dP_γ/dh > 0. Henderson and Lozada-Cassou (HC) applied the statistical mechanics approach to calculate the film free energy to predict the dispersion stability by considering two large hard spheres as colloidal particles immersed in a fluid of dispersed small particles (the solvent). HC applied the radial distribution function g(r) to calculate the free oscillatory structural energy using W(r) = - kT ln g(r). HC's theoretical approach was also applied to the particle collective interactions in the film and explains the stability of film formed from complex fluids (e.g., micellar and colloidal dispersions). The differences between the solvation oscillatory layering forces and colloidal oscillatory structural forces are discussed. The application of the DLVO model to the dispersion stability is critically reviewed. The role of nanobubbles in the dispersion stability is discussed.

Study on the control of high ore pass dust pollution by pre-injection foam dedusting technology in the ore bin

The impact airflow generated by ore unloading in the chute raises the dust carried by the ore itself and the floating dust, and then, the dust raised enters the roadway with the airflow and pollutes the environment. In order to minimize the amount of dust entering the roadway and reduce the pollution of unloading dust, we conducted an experimental study of selection of best foam formula and pre-injection foam dust dedusting technology in ore bin. It was found that the optimal foaming formula was 1.0% sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) + 0.5% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) + (0.2 ~ 0.4%) sodium carboxymethyl cellulose CMC-Na and coconut oil monoethanolamide (CMEA) by the compound experiment using two evaluation criteria of initial foaming amount and foam defoaming rate. When the air pressure is 0.7 MPa, the foaming rate of the foam generator is proportional to the gas and liquid flow rate and the best foaming gas and liquid flow ratio is 27.8. Under this circumstance, the foaming rate of the foaming formula is 500 l/min. When the height of foam is controlled at 15 cm, the effect of foam dust removal is the best. The dust emission rate from the foam to the fourth level can reach 60%, and the dust fall rate of the third level is 28%, which effectively reduces the dust production and relieves the pressure of the spray hole dust fall at the wellhead.

Simultaneous Decomposition and Dewetting of Nanoscale Alloys: A Comparison of Experiment and Theory

We consider the coupled process of phase separation and dewetting of metal alloys of nanoscale thickness deposited on solid substrates. The experiments involve applying nanosecond laser pulses that melt the Ag₄₀Ni₆₀ alloy films in two setups: either on thin supporting membranes or on bulk substrates. These two setups allow for extracting both temporal and spatial scales on which the considered processes occur. The theoretical model involves a longwave version of the Cahn-Hilliard formulation used to describe spinodal decomposition, coupled with an asymptotically consistent longwave-based description of dewetting that occurs due to destabilizing interactions between the alloy and the substrate, modeled using the disjoining pressure approach. Careful modeling, combined with linear stability analysis and fully nonlinear simulations, leads to results consistent with the experiments. In particular, we find that the two instability mechanisms occur concurrently, with the phase separation occurring faster and on shorter temporal scales. The modeling results show a strong influence of the temperature dependence of relevant material properties, implying that such a dependence is crucial for the understanding of the experimental findings. The agreement between theory and experiment suggests the utility of the proposed theoretical approach in helping to develop further experiments directed toward formation of metallic alloy nanoparticles of desired properties.

Surface Forces in the Thin Liquid Films (TLFs) of Water Confined between n-Alkane Drops and Hydrophobic Gold Surfaces

In flotation, air bubbles are commonly used to selectively collect the hydrophobic particles suspended in water, with the collection efficiencies strongly affected by contact angles and the properties of wetting films. Knowing that oil drops form substantially larger contact angles than air bubbles on a hydrophobic surface, many investigators explored the possibility of using oil drops rather than air bubbles for flotation. In the present work, the surface forces present in the thin liquid films (TLFs) of water confined between n-alkanes of different chain lengths and thiol-coated gold surfaces have been measured to better understand the drop-surface interactions, which are controlled by surface forces. The force measurements are conducted by monitoring the changes of local curvatures as an oil drop approaches a flat surface slowly, while monitoring film thicknesses by microinterferometry, constructing spatiotemporal film profiles, and analyzing the profiles to derive disjoining pressure and free energy isotherms using the Frumkin-Derjaguin isotherm. The results show that drop-hydrophobic surface interactions are driven by the hydrophobic force, which was first measured by Israelachvili and Pashley in 1982, and that both short- and long-range hydrophobic forces increase with contact angle and decrease with the chain lengths of n-alkane oils. It has been found also that the hydrophobic forces measured with oil drops have longer decay lengths than those measured with air bubbles, which may provide a kinetic advantage over the method of using air bubbles for flotation.

Effect of Airborne Hydrocarbons on the Wettability of Phase Change Nanoparticle Decorated Surfaces

We present here a detailed study of the wettability of surfaces nanostructured with amorphous and crystalline nanoparticles (NPs) derived from the phase-change material Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST). Particular attention was devoted to the effect of airborne surface hydrocarbons on surface wetting. Our analysis illustrates that a reversible hydrophilic-hydrophobic wettability switch is revealed by combined ultraviolet-ozone (UV-O₃) treatments and exposure to hydrocarbon atmospheres. Indeed, the as-prepared surfaces exhibited a hydrophilic state after thermal annealing or UV-O₃ treatment which can partially remove hydrocarbon contaminants, while a hydrophobic state was realized after exposure to hydrocarbon atmosphere. Using high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy for the specially designed GST NP decorated graphene substrates, a network of hydrocarbon connecting GST NPs was observed. Our findings indicate that airborne hydrocarbons can significantly enhance the hydrophobicity of nanostructured surfaces. Finally, the experiments reveal that previously defined hydrophilic materials can be used for the design of hydrophobic surfaces even if the meniscus is highly adhered to a solid surface, which is in agreement with our qualitative model involving the contribution of the nanomeniscus formed between the substrate and a decorating NP.

Electric field effect on the contact angle for non-wetting drops

A microscopic model is formulated concerning the electrowetting of an electrically conducting drop on a dielectric substrate. The interaction energy between the drop and substrate includes both van der Waals attractive forces and Born repulsive forces resulting in an equilibrium gap. An augmented Young-Laplace equation is derived and used as the basis for calculations of wetting phenomena both with and without an applied voltage. In the absence of an electric field, a well-defined Young's angle is established at a distance from the meniscus incipience that is less than 100 times the equilibrium gap. An expression for Young's angle is determined showing its dependence on material properties of the system. With an electric field applied, the meniscus angle changes continuously from the three-phase line (TPL), where it is near zero, until after a distance of at least ten times the thickness of the dielectric where the Lippmann angle is established. Therefore, the initial angle is not the Lippmann angle and care must be taken in the interpretation of measurements of an apparent contact angle.

Films, layers, and droplets: The effect of near-wall fluid structure on spreading dynamics

We present a study of the spreading of liquid droplets on a solid substrate at very small scales. We focus on the regime where effective wetting energy (binding potential) and surface tension effects significantly influence steady and spreading droplets. In particular, we focus on strong packing and layering effects in the liquid near the substrate due to underlying density oscillations in the fluid caused by attractive substrate-liquid interactions. We show that such phenomena can be described by a thin-film (or long-wave or lubrication) model including an oscillatory Derjaguin (or disjoining or conjoining) pressure and explore the effects it has on steady droplet shapes and the spreading dynamics of droplets on both an adsorption (or precursor) layer and completely dry substrates. At the molecular scale, commonly used two-term binding potentials with a single preferred minimum controlling the adsorption layer height are inadequate to capture the rich behavior caused by the near-wall layered molecular packing. The adsorption layer is often submonolayer in thickness, i.e., the dynamics along the layer consists of single-particle hopping, leading to a diffusive dynamics, rather than the collective hydrodynamic motion implicit in standard thin-film models. We therefore modify the model in such a way that for thicker films the standard hydrodynamic theory is realized, but for very thin layers a diffusion equation is recovered.

In vitro cyto-biocompatibility study of thin-film transistors substrates using an organotypic culture method

Thin-Film-Transistors Liquid-Crystal Display has become a standard in the field of displays. However, the structure of these devices presents interest not only in that field, but also for biomedical applications. One of the key components, called here TFT substrate, is a glass substrate with a dense and large array of thousands of transparent micro-electrodes that can be considered as a large scale multi-electrode array(s). Multi-electrode array(s) are widely used for in vitro electrical investigations on neurons and brain, allowing excitation, registration, and recording of their activity. However, the range of application of conventional multi-electrode array(s) is usually limited to some tens of cells in a homogeneous cell culture, because of a small area, small number and a low density of the micro-electrodes. TFT substrates do not have these limitations and the authors are currently studying the possibility to use TFT substrates as new tools for in vitro electrical investigation on tissues and organoids. In this respect, experiments to determine the cyto-biocompatibility of TFT substrates with tissues were conducted and are presented in this study. The investigation was performed using an organotypic culture method with explants of brain and liver tissues of chick embryos. The results in term of morphology, cell migration, cell density and adhesion were compared with the results from Thermanox^®, a conventional plastic for cell culture, and with polydimethylsiloxane, a hydrophobic silicone. The results with TFT substrates showed similar results as for the Thermanox^®, despite the TFT hydrophobicity. TFT substrates have a weak cell adhesion and promote cell migration similarly to Thermanox^®. It could be concluded that the TFT substrates are cyto-biocompatible with the two studied organs.

Effect of Disjoining Pressure on Surface Nanobubbles

In gas-oversaturated solutions, stable surface nanobubbles can exist thanks to a balance between the Laplace pressure and the gas overpressure, provided the contact line of the bubble is pinned. In this article, we analyze how the disjoining pressure originating from the van der Waals interactions of the liquid and the gas with the surface affects the properties of the surface nanobubbles. From a functional minimization of the Gibbs free energy in the sharp-interface approximation, we find the bubble shape that takes into account the attracting van der Waals potential and gas compressibility effects. Although the bubble shape slightly deviates from the classical one (defined by the Young contact angle), it preserves a nearly spherical-cap shape. We also find that the disjoining pressure restricts the aspect ratio (size/height) of the bubble and derive the maximal possible aspect ratio, which is expressed via the Young angle.

Prediction of static contact angles on the basis of molecular forces and adsorption data

At a three-phase contact line, a liquid bulk phase is in contact with and coexists with a very thin layer of adsorbed molecules. This adsorbed film in the immediate vicinity of a liquid wedge modifies the balance of forces between the liquid and solid phases such that, when included in the balance of forces, a quantitative relationship emerges between the adsorbed film thickness and the static contact angle. This relationship permits the prediction of static contact angles from molecular forces and equilibrium adsorption data by means of quantities that are physically meaningful and measurable. For n-alkanes on polytetrafluoroethylene, for which there are experimental data available on adsorption and contact angles, our computations show remarkable agreement with the data. The results obtained are an improvement on previously published calculations-particularly for alkanes with a low number of carbon atoms, for which adsorption is significant.

Wetting transition in water

Optical images were used to study the wetting behavior of water on graphite, sapphire, and quartz along the liquid vapor coexistence curve from room temperature to 300 °C. Wetting transitions were identified by the temperature at which the contact angle decreased to zero and also by the disappearance of dropwise condensation. These two methods yielded consistent values for the wetting temperatures, which were 185 °C, 234 °C, and 271 °C for water on quartz, sapphire, and graphite, respectively. We compare our results with the theoretical predictions based on a simplified model of the water-substrate potential and sharp interfaces.

Comparison of biocompatibility and adsorption properties of different plastics for advanced microfluidic cell and tissue culture models

Microfluidic technology is providing new routes toward advanced cell and tissue culture models to better understand human biology and disease. Many advanced devices have been made from poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) to enable experiments, for example, to study drug metabolism by use of precision-cut liver slices, that are not possible with conventional systems. However, PDMS, a silicone rubber material, is very hydrophobic and tends to exhibit significant adsorption and absorption of hydrophobic drugs and their metabolites. Although glass could be used as an alternative, thermoplastics are better from a cost and fabrication perspective. Thermoplastic polymers (plastics) allow easy surface treatment and are generally transparent and biocompatible. This study focuses on the fabrication of biocompatible microfluidic devices with low adsorption properties from the thermoplastics poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), and cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) as alternatives for PDMS devices. Thermoplastic surfaces were oxidized using UV-generated ozone or oxygen plasma to reduce adsorption of hydrophobic compounds. Surface hydrophilicity was assessed over 4 weeks by measuring the contact angle of water on the surface. The adsorption of 7-ethoxycoumarin, testosterone, and their metabolites was also determined after UV-ozone treatment. Biocompatibility was assessed by culturing human hepatoma (HepG2) cells on treated surfaces. Comparison of the adsorption properties and biocompatibility of devices in different plastics revealed that only UV-ozone-treated PC and COC devices satisfied both criteria. This paper lays an important foundation that will help researchers make informed decisions with respect to the materials they select for microfluidic cell-based culture experiments.

Spreading and retraction as a function of drop size

We simulate the spreading and retraction of a two-dimensional drop over a thin film in the small slope limit for drop heights ranging from a few nanometers to hundreds of nanometers. Drop motion is initiated by an impulsive change in surface wettability expressed in terms of disjoining pressure. Owing to the presence of the film, these simulations require no closure condition at the 'apparent' contact line. Rather, we study the relationships that emerge between the apparent contact line velocity and dynamic contact angles. The disjoining pressure that we study includes stabilizing van der Waals interactions and destabilizing acid-base interactions. Changes in wetting conditions that promote spreading place the thin film surrounding the drop out of equilibrium; the drop spreads as the film thickens to its new equilibrium value. Changes in wetting conditions that promote retraction can either place the thin film out of equilibrium in a stable regime, or they can place the thin film in a spinodally unstable regime. We study drop rearrangement as a function of drop scale for these three cases. Small drops, with heights on the same order as the film thickness, are strongly influenced by disjoining pressure gradients everywhere beneath them. Larger drops, with heights at least an order of magnitude greater than the film thickness, have disjoining pressure gradients isolated near the apparent contact line at all times. For these larger drops, after initial dynamics, macroscopic behavior is recovered; drops move in agreement with Tanner's law. However, dynamics associated with the thin film can play a leading role in the ensuing drop response even after Tanner's law emerges. In particular, when drops retract over spinodally unstable films, retraction occurs in three regimes. Rims form near the apparent contact line over time scales comparable to the time scale for the instability. The rim geometry can be characterized in terms of spinodal film thicknesses. The rims then propagate toward the bulk drop. Finally, the rim disappears and the drop assumes a cap-like shape. Tanner's law is obeyed during the latter two regimes. Attempts to simulate drop rearrangements disregarding the thin film dynamics before Tanner's law manifests can lead to erroneous outcomes, as shown in simulations of drop retraction on a solid surface with an imposed Navier slip length.

Thin wetting films from aqueous solutions of surfactants and phospholipid dispersions

The microscopic thin wetting film method was used to study the stability of wetting films from aqueous solution of surfactants and phospholipid dispersions on a solid surface. In the case of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C(14)TAB) films the experimental data for the receding contact angle, film lifetime, surface potential at the vapor/solution and solution/silica interface were used to analyze the stability of the studied films. It is shown that with increasing C(14)TAB concentration charge reversal occurs at both (vapor/solution and solution/silica) interfaces, which affects the thin-film stability. The spontaneous rupture of the thin aqueous film was interpreted in terms of the earlier proposed heterocoagulation mechanism. The presence of the mixed cationic/anionic surfactants was found to lower contact angles and suppresses the thin aqueous film rupture, thus inducing longer film lifetime, as compared to the pure amine system. In the case of mixed surfactants hetero-coagulation could arise through the formation of ionic surfactant complexes. The influence of the melting phase-transition temperature T(c) of the dimyristoylphosphatiddylcholine (DMPC) on the stability of thin films from dispersions of DMPC small unilamellar vesicles on a silica surface was studied by measuring the film lifetime and the TPC expansion rate. The stability of thin wetting films formed from dispersions of DMPC small unilamellar vesicles was investigated by the microinterferometric method. The formation of wetting films from diluted dispersions of DMPC multilamellar vesicles was studied in the temperature range 25-32 degrees C. The stability of thin film of lipid vesicles was explained on the basis of hydrophobic interactions. The results obtained show that the stability of wetting films from aqueous solutions of single cationic and mixed cationic-anionic surfactants has electrostatic origin, whereas the stability of the phospholipid film is due to hydrophobic interaction.

Effect of interface modification on forces in foam films and wetting films

The paper reviews the effect of the surface composition on forces within aqueous foam and wetting films. In both types of films the charge of the air/water interface is varied by different surfactants. In wetting films the charge and the hydrophobicity of the solid substrate is changed by polymer coatings. The addition of polymers to foam films leads to the formation of surface active polymer/surfactant complexes or to depletion near the interfaces. The dissolution of polyelectrolytes within the film bulk can lead to structural forces. The selection of studies is made with respect to two questions: (1) What is the reason for charges at the air/water interface and (2) what is the mechanism of long-range hydrophobic interaction?

Wetting characteristics of aqueous rhamnolipids solutions

The wetting properties of surfactants on solid surfaces form the basis of many industrial and biological processes. The preferential adsorption of the surfactants from aqueous solutions onto solid surfaces alter the adhesion tension of the surface and this behavior may cause partial to complete wetting of the surfaces by the aqueous surfactant solutions. However, different types of surfactants show different wetting characteristics. To study the wetting properties of biologically produced rhamnolipids (RL), advancing contact angles of the aqueous solutions of the RL mixture of R1 and R2 in a ratio of R2/R1=1.1 were measured as a function of surfactant concentration. For a comparison of the wetting performance, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was chosen as the reference surfactant. A hydrophilic glass surface, a hydrophobic polymer, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and gold surface were used as the solid surfaces to determine the wetting characteristics of rhamnolipids. At low surfactant concentrations (RL concentration <3x10(-5)M, SDS concentration<3x10(-4)M) contact angle (Theta) varied in a certain range depending on the character of the surfactant interactions with the surface. This was followed by a decrease in contact angle. Parallel to this behavior, at low surfactant concentrations the adhesion tension decreased, then remained constant and an increase at higher surfactant concentrations was obtained on hydrophobic surfaces. On hydrophilic surfaces a steady decrease in adhesion tension was observed with both surfactant solutions.

Surface forces in wetting films

A short review of various components of surface forces acting in a non-symmetrical system such as wetting films is presented here. Experimental results are compared with modified DLVO theory, which includes, besides dispersion and electrostatic, structural (solvation) forces caused by a change in liquid structure in conditions of confined geometry. The peculiarities of disjoining pressure isotherms and conditions of the film stability of non-polar and polar simple liquids, as well as of aqueous solutions of electrolytes and surfactants, are systematically considered from a historical perspective.

Influence of Aqueous Electrolytes on the Wetting Behavior of Hydrophobic Solid Polymers—Low-Rate Dynamic Liquid/Fluid Contact Angle Measurements Using Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis

The interaction of inorganic ions with low-energy hydrophobic surfaces was examined using model systems of solid polymers without ionizable functional surface groups in aqueous electrolyte solutions. Low-rate dynamic contact angle measurements with captive bubbles in conjunction with axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA) were performed to study the influence of electrolyte ions (in the aqueous test solutions) on the wettability of the polymers. When various types of ions were used, no significant change in advancing and receding contact angles was observed. The contact angle hysteresis was small. The zeta potential of the model polymers in aqueous electrolyte solutions was determined from streaming potential measurements. The variation of the zeta potential at different pH levels indicates preferential adsorption of hydroxyl ions at this interface. However, the presence of electrolytes at the interface between water and the different model polymers did not influence the macroscopic contact angle. The results may suggest the absence of any specific interaction between the ions and the solid polymer, as this should result in changes of hydrophobicity. Similar to the air/water interface, the composition and the potential of the polymer/water interface are obviously determined predominantly by the aqueous phase with only slight influence from the solid phase.

Electrokinetic properties of methylated quartz capillaries

Electrokinetic (zeta)-potentials of methylated (trimethylchlorosilane) quartz capillaries (5-6 microm in radius) were determined in 10(-4) M KCl solution. Over the course of time, the absolute values of the zeta-potential decrease, as a result of the formation of small bubbles on the rough methylated surface, generated from the flowing, nitrogen gas-saturated solution. This decrease is attributed to screening of a part of the solid surface. After the passage of time, a sharp increase in the zeta-potentials was observed, as the pressure was increased and the initial potential values were recovered. Sometimes, oscillations in the zeta-potentials were observed. This behaviour was explained by detachment of bubbles from the methylated surfaces by the flowing solution. Addition of non-ionic surfactant, which made the methylated surface hydrophilic, decreased the measured zeta-potentials. This was attributed to suppression of water slippage, an effect known to occur for hydrophobic solid surfaces. A mixed mechanism of charge formation is characteristic for these methylated quartz surfaces and is connected with presence of hydrophobic and hydrophilic areas. The ratio between these areas controls both the formation of surface charge as well as the contact angles.

Aqueous Wetting Films on Fused Quartz

Using an image analyzing interferometer, IAI, the interfacial characteristics of an isothermal constrained vapor bubble, CVB, in a quartz cuvette were studied as a precursor to heat transfer research. The effects of pH and electrolyte concentration on the meniscus properties (curvature and adsorbed film thickness) and the stability of the aqueous wetting films were evaluated. The surface potential in the electric double layer was a function of the cleaning and hydroxylation of the quartz surface. The disjoining pressure isotherm for pure water was very close to that predicted by the Langmuir equation. For aqueous solutions of moderate electrolyte concentration, the Gouy-Chapman theory provided a good representation of the electrostatic effects in the film. The effect of temperature on the film properties of aqueous solutions and pure water was also evaluated: The meniscus curvature decreased with increasing temperature, while Marangoni effects, intermolecular forces, and local evaporation and condensation enhanced waves on the adsorbed film layer. Pure water wetting films were mechanically metastable, breaking into droplets and very thin films (less than 10 nm) after a few hours. Aqueous wetting films with pH 12.4 proved to be stable during a test of several months, even when subjected to temperature and mechanical perturbations. The mechanical stability of wetting films can explain the reported differences between the critical heat fluxes of pure water and aqueous solutions. The IAI-CVB technique is a simple and versatile experimental technique for studying the characteristics of interfacial systems. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Structure and reactivity of water at biomaterial surfaces

Molecular self association in liquids is a physical process that can dominate cohesion (interfacial tension) and miscibility. In water, self association is a powerful organizational force leading to a three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded network (water structure). Localized perturbations in the chemical potential of water as by, for example, contact with a solid surface, induces compensating changes in water structure that can be sensed tens of nanometers from the point of origin using the surface force apparatus (SFA) and ancillary techniques. These instruments reveal attractive or repulsive forces between opposing surfaces immersed in water, over and above that anticipated by continuum theory (DLVO), that are attributed to a variable density (partial molar volume) of a more-or-less ordered water structure, depending on the water wettability (surface energy) of the water-contacting surfaces. Water structure at surfaces is thus found to be a manifestation of hydrophobicity and, while mechanistic/theoretical interpretation of experimental results remain the subject of some debate in the literature, convergence of experimental observations permit, for the first time, quantitative definition of the relative terms 'hydrophobic' and 'hydrophilic'. In particular, long-range attractive forces are detected only between surfaces exhibiting a water contact angle theta > 65 degrees (herein defined as hydrophobic surfaces with pure water adhesion tension tau O = gamma O cos theta < 30 dyn/cm where gamma O is water interfacial tension = 72.8 dyn/cm). Repulsive forces are detected between surfaces exhibiting theta < 65 degrees (hydrophilic surfaces, tau O > 30 dyn/cm). These findings suggest at least two distinct kinds of water structure and reactivity: a relatively less-dense water region against hydrophobic surfaces with an open hydrogen-bonded network and a relatively more-dense water region against hydrophilic surfaces with a collapsed hydrogen-bonded network. Importantly, membrane and SFA studies reveal a discrimination between biologically-important ions that preferentially solubilizes divalent ions in more-dense water regions relative to less-dense water regions in which monovalent ions are enriched. Thus, the compelling conclusion to be drawn from the collective scientific evidence gleaned from over a century of experimental and theoretical investigation is that solvent properties of water within the interphase separating a solid surface from bulk water solution vary with contacting surface chemistry. This interphase can extend tens of nanometers from a water-contacting surface due to a propagation of differences in self association between vicinal water and bulk-phase water. Physicochemical properties of interfacial water profoundly influence the biological response to materials in a surprisingly straightforward manner when key measures of biological activity sensitive to interfacial phenomena are scaled against water adhesion tension tau O of contacting surfaces. As examples, hydrophobic surfaces (tau O < 30 dyn/cm) support adsorption of various surfactants and proteins from water because expulsion of solute from solution into the interphase between bulk solid and solution phases is energetically favorable. Adsorption to hydrophobic surfaces is driven by the reduction of interfacial energetics concomitant with replacement of water molecules at the surface by adsorbed solute (surface dehydration). Hydrophilic surfaces (tau O > 30 dyn/cm) do not support adsorption because this mechanism is energetically unfavorable. Protein-adsorbing hydrophobic surfaces are inefficient contact activators of the blood coagulation cascade whereas protein-repellent hydrophilic surfaces are efficient activators of blood coagulation. Mammalian cell attachment is a process distinct from protein adsorption that occurs efficiently to hydrophilic surfaces but inefficiently to hydrophobic surfaces. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Influence of Surface Wettability on Adsorption Isotherms of Water Vapor

Using an exponential form of an isotherm of adsorption the excess surface free energy of a solid surface covered with an adsorption or wetting film Deltagammasv was calculated on the basis of Gibbs equation starting from the state of an infinitely thick film. Isotherms of adsorption and of excess surface free energy were calculated for different values of two parameters that characterize the range of action of surface forces and corresponding decay length. In the case of partial wetting of a solid surface, isotherms consisting of two exponential terms were used, as was proposed earlier by A. Adamson. Equilibrium contact angles that are formed with droplets of bulk liquid were calculated using the Frumkin-Derjaguin approach in dependence on the parameters of isotherms. Calculations of contact angles that are formed between convex capillary menisci in thin pores, at relative vapor pressure lower than 1, have shown that a transition from partial wetting of a lone solid surface (at p/ps = 1) to complete wetting in thin pores (at p/ps < 1) may occur. Corresponding threshold values of relative vapor pressure and pore radii were calculated. In the case of complete wetting, corrections for capillary pressures that arise due to formation of a transition zone between wetting films and curved meniscus surfaces were estimated. The calculations are limited by the values of relative vapor pressure near saturation when thick enough wetting films are formed on pore surfaces. Due to the application of model isotherms with some adopted parameters, the results obtained are qualitative in nature. However, the methods of calculation developed for the excess free energy of solid surfaces covered with thin adsorption of thicker wetting films and of contact angles outside and inside thin pores may be of general interest. Copyright 1998 Academic Press. Copyright 1998Academic Press