Spontaneous formation of linearly arranged microcraters on sol-gel-derived silica-poly(vinylpyrrolidone) hybrid films induced by Bénard-Marangoni convection

One-Directional Fluidic Flow Induced by Chemical Wave Propagation in a Microchannel

A one-directional flow induced by chemical wave propagation was investigated to understand the origin of its dynamic flow. A cylindrical injection port was connected with a straight propagation channel; the chemical wave was initiated at the injection port. Chemical waves propagated with a constant velocity irrespective of the channel width, indicating that the dynamics of the chemical waves were governed by a geometry-independent interplay between the chemical reaction and diffusion. In contrast, the velocity of the one-directional flow was dependent on the channel width. Furthermore, enlargement of the injection port volume increased the flow velocity and volume flux. These results imply that the one-directional flow in the microchannel is due to a hydrodynamic effect induced in the injection port. Spectroscopic analysis of a pH indicator revealed the simultaneous behavior between the pH increase near the injection port and the one-directional flow. Hence, we can conclude that the one-directional flow in the microchannel with chemical wave propagation was caused by a proton consumption reaction in the injection port, probably through liquid volume expansion by the reaction products and the reaction heat. It is a characteristic feature of the present system that the hydrodynamic flow started from the chemical wave initiation point and not the propagation wavefront, as observed for previous systems.

Spontaneous Pattern Formation Induced by Bénard-Marangoni Convection for Sol-Gel-Derived Titania Dip-Coating Films: Effect of Co-solvents with a High Surface Tension and Low Volatility

Evaporation-driven surface tension gradient in the liquid layer often causes the convective flow, i.e., Bénard-Marangoni convection, resulting in the formation of cell-like patterns on the surface. Here, we prepared sol-gel-derived titania films from Ti(OC3H7(i))4 solutions by dip coating and discussed the effect of the addition of co-solvents with a high surface tension and low volatility on the spontaneous pattern formation induced by Bénard-Marangoni convection. Propylene glycol (PG, with a surface tension of 38.6 mN m(-1)) and dipropylene glycol (DPG, with a surface tension of 33.9 mN m(-1)) were added to the coating solutions containing 2-propanol (2-Pr, with a surface tension of 22.9 mN m(-1)) for controlling the evaporation-driven surface tension gradient in the coating layer on a substrate. During dip coating at a substrate withdrawal speed of 50 cm min(-1) in a thermostatic oven at 60 °C, linearly arranged cell-like patterns on a micrometer scale were spontaneously formed on the titania gel films, irrespective of the composition of coating solutions. Such surface patterns remained even after the heat treatment at 200 and 600 °C, where the densification and crystallization of the titania films progressed. The width and height of the cell-like patterns increased with increasing PG and DPG contents in the coating solutions, where the addition of PG resulted in the formation of cells with a larger height than DPG.

A model for drying control cosolvent selection for spin-coating uniformity: the thin film limit

Striation defects in spin-coated thin films are a result of unfavorable capillary forces that develop due to the physical processes commonly involved in the spin-coating technique. Solvent evaporation during spinning causes slight compositional changes in the coating during drying, and these changes lead to instability in the surface tension, which causes lateral motions of the drying fluid up to the point where it gels and freezes in the thickness variations. In an earlier publication, we looked at the case where evaporation happens fast enough that the compositional depletion is mostly a surface effect. In terms of the mass transport rate competition within the coating solution, that work covered the thick film limit of this instability problem. However, in many cases, the coatings are thin enough or diffusion of solvent within the coating is fast enough to require a different solvent mixing strategy, which is developed here. A simple perturbation analysis of surface roughness is developed, and evaporation is allowed in the thin film limit. The perturbation analysis allows for a simple rubric to be laid out for cosolvent additions that can reduce the Marangoni effect during the later stages of coating deposition and drying when the thin film limit applies.