Eric Charrault

Interfacial slip on rough, patterned and soft surfaces: a review of experiments and simulations.

Advancements in the fabrication of microfluidic and nanofluidic devices and the study of liquids in confined geometries rely on understanding the boundary conditions for the flow of liquids at solid surfaces. Over the past ten years, a large number of research groups have turned to investigating flow boundary conditions, and the occurrence of interfacial slip has become increasingly well-accepted and understood. While the dependence of slip on surface wettability is fairly well understood, the effect of other surface modifications that affect surface roughness, structure and compliance, on interfacial slip is still under intense investigation. In this paper we review investigations published in the past ten years on boundary conditions for flow on complex surfaces, by which we mean rough and structured surfaces, surfaces decorated with chemical patterns, grafted with polymer layers, with adsorbed nanobubbles, and superhydrophobic surfaces. The review is divided in two interconnected parts, the first dedicated to physical experiments and the second to computational experiments on interfacial slip of simple (Newtonian) liquids on these complex surfaces. Our work is intended as an entry-level review for researchers moving into the field of interfacial slip, and as an indication of outstanding problems that need to be addressed for the field to reach full maturity.

Hydrophilic Organic Electrodes on Flexible Hydrogels

Prompted by the rapidly developing field of wearable electronics, research into biocompatible substrates and coatings is intensifying. Acrylate-based hydrogel polymers have gained widespread use as biocompatible articles in applications such as contact and intraocular lenses. Surface treatments and/or coatings present one strategy to further enhance the performance of these hydrogels or even realize novel functionality. In this study, the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is deposited from the vapor phase onto hydrated hydrogel substrates and blended with biocompatibilizing coconstituents incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) moieties. Plasma pretreatment of the dehydrated hydrogel substrate modifies its surface topography and chemical composition to facilitate the attachment of conductive PEDOT-based surface layers. Manipulating the vapor phase polymerization process and constituent composition, the PEDOT-based coating is engineered to be both hydrophilic (i.e. to promote biocompatibility) and highly conductive. The fabrication of this conductively coated hydrogel has implications for the future of wearable electronic devices.

Normal and Lateral Interactions between Thermosensitive Nanoparticle Monolayers in Water

Static and dynamic interaction forces between two thermosensitive polymeric nanoparticle monolayers grafted onto mica surfaces and immersed in water were studied using a surface forces apparatus. The polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) were made of N,N-diethylacrylamide and had a hydrodynamic diameter of ca. 780 nm at 20 degrees C in aqueous suspension. They were irreversibly grafted onto chemically modified mica surfaces at a constant surface coverage of 2.6 NPs/mum(2). The measured normal forces between two opposing NP monolayers were found to be strongly dependent on the temperature. At temperatures lower than the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), the grafted NPs were swollen, and the normal interaction forces between the two NP monolayers were repulsive. Above the LCST, the NPs collapsed, and attractive forces between the NP layers were measured. The swollen NPs were found to exhibit very low friction forces compared to the collapsed ones. The effect of the sliding velocity on the shear stress was investigated, and the results are in agreement with the so-called adhesive friction model developed for rubber friction. Our results suggest that the water content in the contact area and the interdiffusion of polymer chains are important parameters in determining the friction between polymer-bearing surfaces.

A facile route to homogeneous high density networks of metal nanoparticles.

In this communication, we report an inexpensive and simple-to-implement method using self-assembly properties of surfactants onto solid substrates for patterning square centimeter surfaces with a high density of catalyst metal nanoparticles with narrow size distributions. This method, which uses patterns of hemimicelles of partially fluorinated alkanes as masks and over metal evaporation, leads to typical particle sizes and spacings of 2 and 25 nm, respectively, arranged in a hexagonal network with a density of about 10(11) particles/cm2. Using gold as the metal, we show the ability of such material to catalyze the oxidation reaction of carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide at low temperature.

Micromechanical properties of almond kernels with various moisture content levels

ABSTRACT Almond fruits are subjected to various mechanical stresses throughout production, from harvest to processing, storage and packaging. Kernel properties play an important role in reducing mechanical damage such as scratches and penetration of shell pieces. Knowledge of kernel properties under various conditions of the fruit can assist in optimising post-harvest and processing lines to minimise kernel damage and thus maximise final kernel quality. Kernel moisture content is one of the main attributes affecting the kernel’s response to mechanical processing. Increasing the kernel moisture content to an optimum level through wetting fruit prior to processing can lead to a reduced percentage of damaged kernel. Water added to the structure of kernels acted as a plasticiser and helped the kernels to absorb the mechanical load instead of fracturing and breaking into pieces. In this study, tests were conducted on almond kernels with different moisture content levels from 5.52 to 14.09g/100g wet basis. Kernels from a Nonpareil variety were tested in dried and wetted conditions. Test results showed that kernels with higher moisture content were able to undergo a larger deformation at a given force value in comparison with dry kernels. Average deformation for dry samples was from 0.12 mm, which increased to an average of 0.25 mm in wetted samples. The effect of skin on the mechanical properties of the kernels (with and without skin) was studied using a mechanical tester. The test results showed a peak force value in samples tested with skin in comparison with the kernels tested without skin.