Light-induced switching of surfaces at wetting transitions through photoisomerization of polymer monolayers

Arylazopyrazole-Modified Thiolactone Acrylate Copolymer Brushes for Tuneable and Photoresponsive Wettability of Glass Surfaces

Photoswitches have long been employed in coatings for surfaces and substrates to harness light as a versatile stimulus to induce responsive behavior. We previously demonstrated the viability of arylazopyrazole (AAP) as a photoswitch in self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on silicon and glass surfaces for photoresponsive wetting applications. We now aim to transfer the excellent photophysical properties of AAPs to polymer brush coatings. Compared to SAMs, polymer brushes offer enhanced stability and an increase of the thickness and density of the functional organic layer. In this work, we present thiolactone acrylate copolymer brushes which can be post-modified with AAP amines as well as hydrophobic acrylates, making use of the unique chemistry of the thiolactones. This strategy enables photoresponsive wetting with a tuneable range of contact angle change on glass substrates. We show the successful synthesis of thiolactone hydroxyethyl acrylate copolymer brushes by means of surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization with the option to either prepare homogeneous brushes or to prepare micrometer-sized brush patterns by microcontact printing. The polymer brushes were analyzed by atomic force microscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Photoresponsive behavior imparted to the brushes by means of post-modification with AAP is monitored by UV/vis spectroscopy, and wetting behavior of homogeneous brushes is measured by static and dynamic contact angle measurements. The brushes show an average change in static contact angle of around 13° between E and Z isomer of the AAP photoswitch for at least five cycles, while the range of contact angle change can be fine-tuned between 53.5°/66.5° (E/Z) and 81.5°/94.8° (E/Z) by post-modification with hydrophobic acrylates.

Wetting dynamics under periodic switching on different scales: characterization and mechanisms

The development of substrates with a switchable wettability is proceeding and the limit of switching frequencies and contact angle differences between substrate states has developed in the past years. In this paper we investigate the behavior of a droplet on a homogeneous substrate, which is switched between two wettabilities for a large range of switching frequencies. Here, we are particularly interested in the dependence of the wetting behavior on the switching frequency. We show that results obtained on the particle level via molecular dynamics simulations and on the continuum level via the thin-film model are consistent. Predictions of simple models as the molecular theory of wetting (MKT) and analytical calculations based on the MKT also show good agreement and offer deeper insights into the underlying mechanisms.

Photoswitchable Binary Nanopore Conductance and Selective Electronic Detection of Single Biomolecules under Wavelength and Voltage Polarity Control

We fabricated photoregulated thin-film nanopores by covalently linking azobenzene photoswitches to silicon nitride pores with ∼10 nm diameters. The photoresponsive coatings could be repeatedly optically switched with deterministic ∼6 nm changes to the effective nanopore diameter and of ∼3× to the nanopore ionic conductance. The sensitivity to anionic DNA and a neutral complex carbohydrate biopolymer (maltodextrin) could be photoswitched "on" and "off" with an analyte selectivity set by applied voltage polarity. Photocontrol of nanopore state and mass transport characteristics is important for their use as ionic circuit elements (e.g., resistors and binary bits) and as chemically tuned filters. It expands single-molecule sensing capabilities in personalized medicine, genomics, glycomics, and, augmented by voltage polarity selectivity, especially in multiplexed biopolymer information storage schemes. We demonstrate repeatedly photocontrolled stable nanopore size, polarity, conductance, and sensing selectivity, by illumination wavelength and voltage polarity, with broad utility including single-molecule sensing of biologically and technologically important polymers.

Pushing the limits of nanopore transport performance by polymer functionalization

Inspired by the design and performance of biological pores, polymer functionalization of nanopores has emerged as an evolving field to advance transport performance within the last few years. This feature article outlines developments in nanopore functionalization and the resulting transport performance including gating based on electrostatic interaction, wettability and ligand binding, gradual transport controlled by polymerization as well as functionalization-based asymmetric nanopore and nanoporous material design going towards the transport direction. Pushing the limits of nanopore transport performance and thus reducing the performance gap between biological and technological pores is strongly related to advances in polymerization chemistry and their translation into nanopore functionalization. Thereby, the effect of the spatial confinement has to be considered for polymer functionalization as well as for transport regulation, and mechanistic understanding is strongly increased by combining experiment and theory. A full mechanistic understanding together with highly precise nanopore structure design and polymer functionalization is not only expected to improve existing application of nanoporous materials but also opens the door to new technologies. The latter might include out of equilibrium devices, ionic circuits, or machine learning based sensors.

Dynamic Wetting of Photoresponsive Arylazopyrazole Monolayers is Controlled by the Molecular Kinetics of the Monolayer

Smart surfaces that can change their wettability on demand are interesting for applications such as self-cleaning surfaces or lab-on-a-chip devices. We have synthesized arylazopyrazole (AAP) phosphonic acids as a new class of photoswitchable molecules for functionalization of aluminum oxide surfaces. AAP monolayers were deposited on α-Al₂O₃(0001) and showed reversible E/Z photoswitching that can trigger contact angle changes of up to ∼10°. We monitored these changes on the macroscopic level by recording the contact angle while the monolayer was switched in situ. On the molecular level, time-dependent vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy provided information on the kinetic changes within the AAP monolayer and the characteristic times for E/Z switching. In addition, vibrational SFG at different relative humidity indicates that the thermal stability of the Z configuration is largely influenced by the presence of water which can stabilize the Z state and hinder E → Z switching of the AAP monolayer when it is wetted with H₂O. Having established the switching times on the molecular scale, we additionally measured the dynamic contact angle and show that the time scales of the substrate and droplet dynamics can be extracted individually. For that, we report on a relaxation model that is solved analytically and is verified via a comparison with simulations of a Lennard-Jones system and with experimental data. The slower E to Z switching in the presence of the droplet as compared to the vapor phase is rationalized in terms of specific interactions of water with the exposed AAP moieties.

Bioinspired photo-responsive membrane enhanced with "light-cleaning" feature for controlled molecule release

Inspired by the stomatal feature of plant leaves, a photo-responsive membrane was developed to enhance the removal of irreversible membrane fouling and to control molecule release. Photo-responsive polymers were prepared by reacting the amine group of 4-amineazobenzene with about 3, 5 and 9 out of 12 carboxylic groups of PMAA which was grafted from P(VDF-CTFE) with a certain length. Subsequently, high-flux photo-responsive membranes (PRMs) were prepared from the heterogeneous polymers with different contents of photo-switchable azobenzene following a non-solvent-induced phase-inversion protocol. The pore size and surface hydrophilicity of PRMs could be reversibly increased by switching visible light to UV irradiation, which dramatically enhanced the backflushing efficiency on PRMs under UV irradiation. The "light-cleaning" process could recover more than 90% of the irreversible flux decline caused by typical organic foulant (BSA) and biological foulant (E. coli) on PRMs. The higher the content of azobenzene, the more obvious the pore size and hydrophilicity variation after light switching but the smaller the absolute pore size observed for PRMs. On the other hand, the light-switching gates of PRMs enabled the controlled release of molecules with different sizes. The novel PRM provided an efficient solution to mitigate irreversible membrane fouling and a light-triggered molecule release protocol, which would improve the membrane performance and further expand the application field of the membrane.

"CHicable" and "Clickable" Copolymers for Network Formation and Surface Modification

In this study, we present the generation of novel, multifunctional polymer networks through a combination of C,H-insertion cross-linking (CHic) and click chemistry. To this, copolymers consisting of hydrophilic N,N-dimethylacrylamide as matrix component and repeat units containing azide moieties, as well as benzophenone or anthraquinone groups, are generated. The benzophenone or anthraquinone groups allow photo-cross-linking, surface attachment or covalent immobilization of adjacent (bio)molecules through CHic reactions. The azide moieties either can react with available alkynes through conventional click reactions or can be activated to form nitrenes, which can also undergo CHic reactions. By choosing appropriate reaction conditions, the same polymer can be used to follow very different reaction paths, opening up a plethora of choices for the generation of functional polymer networks. In the exemplary presented case ("CHic-Click"), irradiation of the copolymers with UV-A light (λ_irr = 365 nm) leads to cross-linking (network formation) and surface attachment simultaneously. The azide units remain intact during this cross-linking step, and alkyne-modified (bio)molecules can be bound through click reactions. Biofunctionalization of the polymer network with alkynylated streptavidin, followed by application of biotin-conjugated antibody and a model analyte, highlights the potential of these surface architectures as a toolbox which can be adapted for diverse bioanalytical applications.

Photoluminescent, Ferromagnetic, and Hydrophobic Sponges for Oil-Water Separation

To find a facile way to produce a hydrophobic sponge that can effectively absorb oils is urgent to resolve the environmental pollution and ecological disaster caused by oil spillage. Here, alkylated carbon dots (C dots) were prepared from pyrolysis of a mixture of dodecylamine and citric acid followed by purification through silica gel column chromatography. Polyurethane sponge was modified by alkylated C dots by a simple dip-coating method, which endows the photoluminescent and hydrophobic sponge with good absorption capacities for various oils and nonpolar organic solvents with high recyclability. The water contact angle of the modified sponge can reach 138.8°. Interestingly, the sponge enables visual absorption under UV irradiation in the dark, which has not been achieved by other carbon-based adsorbents. The sponge was further made ferromagnetic by introducing alkylated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles into its structure, which allowed controllable oil-water separation.

Macroscale Light-Controlled Lubrication Enabled by Introducing Diarylethene Molecules in a Nanoconfinement

Reversible friction regulation is of long-standing great interest in the fields of both industry and scientific research, so some materials and theories have been developed aiming to solve this problem. Light-sensitive materials are promising because of the easy controllable switching of the properties and structures. Here, a reversible light-controlled macrolubrication was realized by regulating the performance of nanoscale light-sensitive molecules adsorbed on contact surfaces. In this work, symmetric diarylethene and asymmetric diarylethene had been designed and synthesized as functional materials. The friction forces were found to be obviously increased upon exposure to ultraviolet light and decayed to the initial value under visible light. In addition, the friction coefficient changed alternately with ultraviolet and visible illumination. According to the results of experiments and simulation of material properties, the behavior was suggested to be attributed to the difference in shear stiffness of the nanoscale diarylethene molecule adsorption layer triggered by two wavelength lights. This work not only provides a new lubrication regulation technology but also develops intelligent engineering materials.

Photoswitchable Macroscopic Solid Surfaces Based On Azobenzene-Functionalized Polydopamine/Gold Nanoparticle Composite Materials: Formation, Isomerization and Ligand Exchange

The facile preparation of dynamic interfaces is presented based on the combination of photoisomerizable azobenzenes and polydopamine (PDA)/Au nanoparticle composite materials. Azobenzenes with different spacer lengths (C₃ , C₆ ) and surface-binding groups (SH, NH₂ ) were synthesized. The polymer layer on macroscopic quartz surface was prepared by the facile aerobic autopolymerisation of dopamine hydrochloride under basic conditions. The presence of redox-active catechol moieties meant that gold nanoparticles were formed on the polymer surface. The obtained UV-Vis spectroscopic results confirmed that following their successful assembly, the switching of azobenzenes on PDA/Au was not affected by the surface binding group and the spacer length of the azobenzene molecules under the measurement conditions. Furthermore, facilitated by the curved nature of the Au particles, the surface-bound azobenzene layer could be reconstructed by ligand-exchange processes, and the photochemical characterization of the mixed layer was performed.

Smart Copolymer-Functionalized Flexible Surfaces with Photoswitchable Wettability: From Superhydrophobicity with "Rose Petal" Effect to Superhydrophilicity

Realizing smart surfaces with switchable wettability inspired by nature continues to be fascinating as well as challenging. Herein, we present a versatile dip-coating approach to fabricate smart polymer-functionalized flexible surfaces with photoswitchable superwettability. Decorated with novel acrylate copolymers bearing a trifluoromethyl side chain and fluorine-containing azobenzene derivative moieties, the modified cotton fabric possesses a rose petal-like superhydrophobicity with contact angles larger than 150° and high water adhesion. This smart surface exhibits rapid phototriggered wettability transformation between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity via alternate irradiation with ultraviolet and visible light, respectively. Meanwhile, the as-prepared flexible smart surfaces have excellent chemical and physical stabilities, which could tolerate harsh environmental conditions and repetitive mechanical deformation (e.g., stretching, curling, folding, and twisting) as well as multiple washing. More importantly, based on the excellent photocontrollability, various erasable and rewritable patterns with distinct wetting properties upon selective photoirradiation can be obtained. This simple strategy and the developed smart surface may find more advanced potential applications in controllable liquid transport, patterning droplet microarrays, and microfluidic devices.

Dual-Functional Superhydrophobic Textiles with Asymmetric Roll-Down/Pinned States for Water Droplet Transportation and Oil-Water Separation

Superhydrophobic surfaces with tunable adhesion from lotus-leaf to rose-petal states have generated much attention for their potential applications in self-cleaning, anti-icing, oil-water separation, microdroplet transportation, and microfluidic devices. Herein we report a facile magnetic-field-manipulation strategy to fabricate dual-functional superhydrophobic textiles with asymmetric roll-down/pinned states on the two surfaces of the textile simultaneously. Upon exposure to a static magnetic field, fluoroalkylsilane-modified iron oxide (F-Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) moved along the magnetic field to construct discrepant hierarchical structures and roughnesses on the two sides of the textile. The positive surface (closer to the magnet, or P-surface) showed a water contact angle up to 165°, and the opposite surface (or O-surface) had a water contact angle of 152.5°. The P-surface where water droplets easily slid off with a sliding angle of 7.5° appeared in the "roll-down" state as Cassie mode, while the O-surface was in the "pinned" state as Wenzel mode, where water droplets firmly adhered even at vertical (90°) and inverted (180°) angles. The surface morphology and wetting mode were adjustable by varying the ratios of F-Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and PDMS. By taking advantage of the asymmetric adhesion behaviors, the as-fabricated superhydrophobic textile was successfully applied in no-loss microdroplet transportation and oil-water separation. Our method is simple and cost-effective. The fabricated textile has the characteristics of superhydrophobicity, magnetic responsiveness, excellent chemical stability, adjustable surface morphology, and controllable adhesion. Our findings conceivably stand out as a new tool to fabricate functional superhydrophobic materials with asymmetric surface properties for various potential applications.

Near-infrared photochemistry at interfaces based on upconverting nanoparticles

We review near-infrared photochemistry at interfaces based on upconverting nanoparticles, highlight its potential applications, and discuss the challenges.

How Water Advances on Superhydrophobic Surfaces

Superliquid repellency can be achieved by nano- and microstructuring surfaces in such a way that protrusions entrap air underneath the liquid. It is still not known how the three-phase contact line advances on such structured surfaces. In contrast to a smooth surface, where the contact line can advance continuously, on a superliquid-repellent surface, the contact line has to overcome an air gap between protrusions. Here, we apply laser scanning confocal microscopy to get the first microscopic videos of water drops advancing on a superhydrophobic array of micropillars. In contrast to common belief, the liquid surface gradually bends down until it touches the top face of the next micropillars. The apparent advancing contact angle is 180°. On the receding side, pinning to the top faces of the micropillars determines the apparent receding contact angle. Based on these observations, we propose that the apparent receding contact angle should be used for characterizing superliquid-repellent surfaces rather than the apparent advancing contact angle and hysteresis.

Inspired smart materials with external stimuli responsive wettability: a review

Recent progress in smart surfaces with responsive wettability upon external stimuli is reviewed and some of the barriers and potentially promising breakthroughs in this field are also briefly discussed.

Synthesis and characterization of photoresponsive POSS-based polymers and their switchable water and oil wettability on cotton fabric

Photoresponsive POSS-based polymers were successfully prepared via radical polymerization. The surface wettability of both water and oil on the polymers coated fabrics can be intelligently controlled by applying irradiation with UV or visible light.

Multifunctional superamphiphobic TiO2 nanostructure surfaces with facile wettability and adhesion engineering

Compared to conventional top-down photo-cleavage method, a facile bottom-up ink-combination method to in situ and rapidly achieve water wettability and adhesion transition, with a great contrast on the superamphiphobic TiO2 nanostructured film, is described. Moreover, such combination method is suitable for various kinds of superamphiphobic substrate. Oil-based ink covering or removing changes not only the topographical morphology but also surface chemical composition, and these resultant topographical morphology and composition engineering realize the site-selectively switchable wettability varying from superamphiphobicity to amphiphilicity, and water adhesion between sliding superamphiphobicity and sticky superamphiphobicity in micro-scale. Additionally, positive and negative micro-pattern can be achieved by taking advantage of the inherent photocatalytic property of TiO2 with the assistance of anti-UV light ink mask. Finally, the potential applications of the site-selectively sticky superamphiphobic surface were demonstrated. In a proof-of-concept study, the microdroplet manipulation (storage, moving, mixing, and transfer), specific gas sensing, wettability template for positive and negative ZnO patterning, and site-selective cell immobilization have been demonstrated. This study will give an important input to the field of advanced functional material surfaces with special wettability.

Multiscale effect of hierarchical self-assembled nanostructures on superhydrophobic surface

In this work, we describe self-assembled surfaces with a peculiar multiscale organization, from the nanoscale to the microscale, exhibiting the Cassie-Baxter wetting regime with extremely low water adhesion: floating drops regime with roll-off angles < 5°. These surfaces comprise bundles of hierarchical, quasi-one-dimensional (1D) TiO2 nanostructures functionalized with a fluorinated molecule (PFNA). While the hierarchical nanostructures are the result of a gas-phase self-assembly process, their bundles are the result of the capillary forces acting between them when the PFNA solvent evaporates. Nanometric features are found to influence the hydrophobic behavior of the surface, which is enhanced by the micrometric structures up to the achievement of the superhydrophobic Cassie-Baxter state (contact angle (CA) ≫ 150°). Thanks to their high total and diffuse transmittance and their self-cleaning properties, these surfaces could be interesting for several applications such as smart windows and photovoltaics where light management and surface cleanliness play a crucial role. Moreover, the multiscale analysis performed in this work contributes to the understanding of the basic mechanisms behind extreme wetting behaviors.

Light-responsive smart surface with controllable wettability and excellent stability

Novel fluorinated gradient copolymer was designed for smart surface with light-responsive controllable wettability and excellent stability. The switchable mechanism and physicochemical characteristics of the as-prepared surface decorated by designed polymeric material were investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrum, scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Thanks to the functional film and surface roughening, etched silicon surface fabricated by copolymer involving spiropyran (Sp) moieties possesses a fairly large variation range of WCA (28.1°) and achieves the transformation between hydrophilicity (95.2° < 109.2°) and hydrophobicity (123.3° > 109.2°) relative to blank sample (109.2°). The synthetic strategy and developed smart surface offer a promising application in coating with controllable wettability, which bridge the gap between chemical structure and material properties.

Poly(azobenzene acrylate-co-fluorinated acrylate) spin-coated films: influence of the composition on the photo-controlled wettability

The wetting properties of spin-coated films of copolymers based on azobenzene and fluorinated units have been investigated. The copolymers, denoted as poly(Azo-co-AcRf6), have been synthesized by free-radical polymerization of different proportions of acrylate monomers bearing either an azobenzene group or a semifluorinated side chain. The UV-visible spectroscopy analysis of the different spin-coating films through a cycle of UV and visible light irradiation indicates the reversible trans-cis isomerization of azobenzene groups. Simultaneously, atomic force microscopy shows that surface roughness does not exceed 1 nm. Advancing and receding contact angles of water and diiodomethane have been measured before and after UV photoirradiation of the different surfaces. In particular, a decrease in the advancing contact angles has been observed upon trans-cis isomerization of azobenzene groups. Switching variations up to 50° have been evidenced without any introduction of surface nanoroughness. Surface free-energy evaluations have been deduced from these measurements, including dispersive and polar components. The results show that, through surface composition and UV photoirradiation, a large range of surface free-energies can be obtained, from 7 to 46 mN·m(-1).

Surfaces with combined microscale and nanoscale structures: a route to mechanically stable superhydrophobic surfaces?

Materials with superhydrophobic properties are usually generated by covering the surfaces with hydrophobic nanoscale rough features. A major problem, however, for any practical application of such strongly water-repellent surfaces is the mechanical fragility of the nanostructures. Even moderate forces caused by touching or rubbing the surfaces are frequently strong enough to destroy the nanostructures and lead to the loss of the superhydrophobic properties. In this article, we study the mechanical stability of superhydrophobic surfaces with three different topographies: nano- and microscale features and surfaces carrying a combination of both. The surfaces are generated by silicon etching and subsequent coating with a monolayer of a fluoropolymer (PFA). We perform controlled wear tests on the different surfaces and discuss the impact of wear on the wetting properties of the different surfaces.