Wettability Assisted Selective Deposition of Polystyrene Nanoparticles on Glass Fibers

Publication date: Available online 23 June 2018Source: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering AspectsAuthor(s): Seethalakshmi Chandramouli, Larissa Gorbatikh, David SevenoAbstractThis work presents a concept for creating different chemistries along thin, micrometer sized fibers to be used as substrates for selective localization of nanoparticles. Glass fibers have been surface modified to introduce hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions along their length. Dynamic contact angle measurements using the Wilhelmy technique shows a marked change in the wetting behavior, confirming the transition in chemical functionality along the fiber. These fibers were then used as substrates to localize polystyrene nanoparticles from an aqueous dispersion at the air-water interface via a dip-coating method. Low contact angles and faster de-wetting allowed the particles to predominantly confine onto the hydrophilic regions of the glass fibers, indicating that both the fiber surface properties as well as the curvature of the fiber influences the profile of the particle carrying fluid meniscus. Our results also indicate a velocity-dependent particle deposition morphology and image quantification analysis revealed a significantly higher density of nanoparticles to be deposited at higher withdrawal velocities.Graphical abstract
Source: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects - Category: Chemistry Source Type: research