scholarly journals Flexibility of network materials and the Rigid Unit Mode model: a personal perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 377 (2149) ◽  
pp. 20180222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin T. Dove
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Personal Perspective ◽  
Network Structures ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Natural And Synthetic

The Rigid Unit Mode model was initially developed to understand the origin of displacive phase transitions in network silicate structures. Here, we review the successes of the model, and consider how it might apply to a wider range of network structures. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Mineralomimesis: natural and synthetic frameworks in science and technology’.

scholarly journals Introduction: minerals to metal-organic frameworks

2019 ◽  
Vol 377 (2149) ◽  
pp. 20190153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony E. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Science And Technology ◽  
Metal Organic Frameworks ◽  
Materials Design ◽  
Materials Chemistry ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Structures And Properties ◽  
Metal Organic ◽  
Natural And Synthetic

Mineralogy and materials design have always been closely intertwined. Here, I review some of the earliest work in modern materials chemistry to explicitly take inspiration from mineral structures and properties, and introduce the invited contributions to this theme issue. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Mineralomimesis: natural and synthetic frameworks in science and technology’.

scholarly journals New applications of the renormalization group method in physics: a brief introduction

2011 ◽  
Vol 369 (1946) ◽  
pp. 2602-2611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Meurice ◽  
R. Perry ◽  
S.-W. Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Renormalization Group ◽  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Dynamical Systems ◽  
Particle Physics ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Condensed Matter ◽  
Group Method ◽  
Renormalization Group Method ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
New Applications

The renormalization group (RG) method developed by Ken Wilson more than four decades ago has revolutionized the way we think about problems involving a broad range of energy scales such as phase transitions, turbulence, continuum limits and bifurcations in dynamical systems. The Theme Issue provides articles reviewing recent progress made using the RG method in atomic, condensed matter, nuclear and particle physics. In the following, we introduce these articles in a way that emphasizes common themes and the universal aspects of the method.

scholarly journals Bioinspired triangular patterns for water collection from fog

2019 ◽  
Vol 377 (2150) ◽  
pp. 20190128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Song ◽  
Bharat Bhushan
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Laplace Pressure ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Droplet Motion ◽  
Triangular Shape ◽  
Conical Shape ◽  
Bioinspired Materials ◽  
Water Collection ◽  
Curvature Gradient

Cacti use spines with conical geometry to transport water to its base. A conical shape with curvature gradient generates a Laplace pressure gradient along the droplet, which is responsible for droplet motion. In this study, the triangular shape was used which also generates a Laplace pressure gradient along the droplet. A bioinspired surface, composed of a hydrophilic triangular pattern surrounded by a rim of superhydrophobic region, was used to transport water collected from the fog on the hydrophilic pattern. The growing droplets start to coalesce into bigger ones. Eventually, they are big enough to touch the superhydrophobic borders, which trigger the transport motion. Droplet mobility and water collection measurements were made on triangular patterns with various geometries to determine the most efficient configurations. Results from this study can be used to enhance the performance of water collection systems from fog. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bioinspired materials and surfaces for green science and technology (part 2)’.

scholarly journals Lessons from nature for green science and technology: an overview and bioinspired superliquiphobic/philic surfaces

2018 ◽  
Vol 377 (2138) ◽  
pp. 20180274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bharat Bhushan
Keyword(s):  
Human Impact ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Aquatic Animals ◽  
Structured Surfaces ◽  
Commercial Interest ◽  
General Field ◽  
Commercial Applications

Nature has developed materials, objects and processes that function from the macroscale to the nanoscale. The emerging field of biomimetics allows one to mimic biology or nature to develop nanomaterials, nanodevices and processes which provide desirable properties. The biologically inspired materials and structured surfaces are being explored for various commercial applications. These should have minimum human impact on the environment, leading to eco-friendly or green science and technology. There are a large number of flora and fauna including bacteria, plants, land and aquatic animals, and seashells with properties of commercial interest. The paper presents an overview of the general field of biomimetics followed by a detailed overview of mechanisms, fabrication techniques and characterization of superliquiphobic/philic surfaces and their applications.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bioinspired materials and surfaces for green science and technology’.

A bioinspired strategy for designing well-ordered nanotubular structures by templateless electropolymerization of thieno[3,4- b ]thiophene-based monomers

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2167) ◽  
pp. 20190450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imen Bousrih ◽  
Mejda El Kateb ◽  
Caroline R. Szczepanski ◽  
Mohammed Beji ◽  
Frédéric Guittard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Solvent ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Water Harvesting ◽  
Stacking Interactions ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Monomer Structure ◽  
Bioinspired Materials ◽  
Harvesting Systems

Here, a bioinspired strategy is used to prepare well-ordered nanotubular structures, as observed in animals and plants, such as gecko toe pads or corals. The nanotubes are obtained by templateless electropolymerization of thieno[3,4- b ]thiophene-based monomers with various aromatic groups in an organic solvent (dichloromethane). The most interesting and robust structures were obtained with carbazole and pyrene substituents to the base monomer structure, since these groups participate significantly in the polymerization and also have strong π -stacking interactions. The addition of water to electropolymerization solvent significantly impacted the formation of nanotubes, as it caused the release of a significant amount of H 2 and O 2 bubbles, depending on the electropolymerization method. Identifying templateless approaches to vary nanotubular structures is very interesting, as these materials are sought-after for applications in water harvesting systems. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bioinspired materials and surfaces for green science and technology (part 3)’.

scholarly journals Surface phase transitions in ice: from fundamental interactions to applications

2019 ◽  
Vol 377 (2146) ◽  
pp. 20180261 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Wettlaufer
Keyword(s):  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Colloidal Suspensions ◽  
Accretion Discs ◽  
Surface Phase ◽  
Particle Collisions ◽  
Two Component System ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Surface Phase Transitions ◽  
Two Component

Interfaces divide all phases of matter and yet in most practical settings it is tempting to ignore their energies and the associated implications. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is the introduction of a new pair of canonically conjugate variables—interfacial energy and its counterpart the surface area. A key set of questions surrounding the treatment of multiphase flows concerns how and when we must account for such effects. I begin this discussion with an abbreviated review of the basic theory of lower-dimensional phase transitions and describe a range of situations in which the bulk behaviour of a two-phase (and in some cases two-component) system is dominated by surface effects. Then I discuss a number of settings in which the bulk and surface behaviour can interact on equal footing. These can include the dynamic and thermodynamic behaviour of floating sea ice, the freezing and drying of colloidal suspensions (such as soil) and the mechanisms of protoplanetesimal formation by inter-particle collisions in accretion discs. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The physics and chemistry of ice: scaffolding across scales, from the viability of life to the formation of planets’.

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