Abstracts - Poster Programme
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 Poster Titles:

 

Synthesis of conductive polymethyl red film for electrochemical sensing application - poster

A. Adeosun, Abdullah M. Asiri and Hadi M. Marwani
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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This study reported synthesis of polymethyl red thin film by electropolymerization technique for sensitive detection of 2-nitrophenol (2-NP), a known environmental pollutant and carcinogen. The synthesized conductive polymethyl red (PMR) film was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron diffraction x-ray spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Due to its high conductivity and electro-catalytic property, the synthesized PMR film catalyzed electro-reduction process of 2-NP at a potential of -0.5 V. The limit of detection and sensitivity of PMR thin film for 2-NP were 0.15 µM (S/N = 3) and 95.0 µAµM-1cm-2 respectively. The proposed sensor also showed highly reproducible, repeatable and stable current responses to 2-NP. Finally, suitability of PMR film in detection of 2-NP in real environmental samples was established. Based on the result of these electrochemical studies, PMR film is a promising electrochemical sensor for 2-NP for human health protection and environmental management.

Keywords: Thin film synthesis; linear sweep voltammetry; 2-nitrophenol detection; polymethyl red; Sensor

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Preparation and characterisation of alumina coated TiO2 - poster
Steven Hall1
1Centre for Doctoral Training in Complex Particulate Products and Processes, School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

More than 7.5 million tonnes of titanium dioxide (TiO2) are produced worldwide each year for use as white pigments in paints, plastics and paper. During manufacture, TiO2 is often coated with small amounts of hydrous alumina in order to decrease its photocatalytic activity and prevent photodegradation of the material in which it is dispersed in.

In this work, alumina coated TiO2 was prepared using a wet treatment process, precipitating various levels of alumina (0.3 – 3.0 wt%) on to aluminium-doped TiO2 aggregates. The uncoated and alumina coated TiO2 aggregates were then characterised by TEM, XRD, XRF, EDS, ESA, image analysis and laser diffraction particle size analysis in order to understand the influence of alumina coatings on physicochemical properties.

For uncoated TiO2, the aggregate size was determined to be 334 nm, with a suspension IEP was of  pH 4.7. For alumina coated TiO2, elemental analysis via XRF and EDS, supported by TEM and ESA measurements confirmed alumina had been precipitated at the required levels and were present on the surface of TiO2 aggregates. With increasing alumina coating level, the IEP increased to a maximum of pH 8.7 and a maximum aggregate size of 1280 nm for an alumina coating level of 3 wt%. These findings can be used for the design of TiO2 pigment products.

 

Design of polymer colloids for use in functional biocoatings - poster
Joshua R. Booth1, Yuxiu Chen2*, Simone Krings3, Stefan A. F. Bon1, Suzanne Hingley-Wilson3, Joseph L. Keddie2*
1 Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
2 Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK
3 Department of Microbial Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK

Biocoatings can be defined as polymer films containing immobilised, non-growing, metabolically active bacteria. We recently developed a porous waterborne biocoating, with future applications in wastewater treatment and production of biomass.1 For use in this functional coating, it was crucial that the latex was non-toxic to the bacteria and that the polymer had a precise glass transition temperature. A glass transition temperature of 34 °C was selected as a compromise. At room temperature the particles were glassy and did not deform, however, film formation took place at higher temperatures that could still be tolerated by the bacteria. The low toxicity of the latex was achieved with careful selection of anionic and non-ionic surfactants and their use in semi-batch emulsion polymerisation. A single glass transition temperature of 34 °C for the copolymer was accomplished through monomer selection and adjustments to the semi-batch process. Furthermore, these strategies can be applied to the design of biocoatings for other applications.

1   Y. Chen, S. Krings, J. R. Booth, S. A. F. Bon, S. Hingley-Wilson and J. L. Keddie, Biomacromolecules, DOI:10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00649

 

Computer simulations of epoxy binding on Iron Oxide surfaces - poster
Charlie Wand1, Simon Gibbon2 and Flor Siperstein1
1 Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
2 AkzoNobel Research & Development, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 7BJ, UK
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Epoxy resins are widely used in protective coatings due to their good heat and chemical resistance, favourable mechanical properties and good adhesion to a range of substrates. As such, epoxy resins have been formulated as a protective coating for a wide range of applications, from aerospace and marine applications through to nontoxic interior coatings in the food industry [1]. In all cases, the performance of the final solid-polymer system is dependent on the physicochemical properties of the interface and the interaction between the polymer and the solid substrate. However, experimental methods to characterize this interaction are limited and mostly deteriorative to the interface. Computer modelling provides a tool to investigate the surface-polymer interface at an atomistic level.

Here we perform atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the binding of a common component in epoxy resins, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), on Iron Oxide surfaces (Figure 1) and investigate the effect of number of repeat units in DGEBA on the binding energy () defined as;

Where  is the energy of the adsorbed DGEBA on the surface and , are the energy of the adsorbate and surface in vacuum respectively.

In epoxy resin applications the composition of the solid substrate is highly varied, with pre-treatments and production processes leading to a non-uniform surface chemistry and roughness. To reflect this, we investigate two Iron Oxides surfaces, hematite (Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4). We find that binding is stronger for DGEBA on hematite than magnetite, in agreement with previous literature findings [2] and suggest causes of this trend based on the surface termination.

This work was done with support from the EPSRC Prosperity Partnership SusCORD (EP/S004963/1).

[1] Friedrich, Jörg. Metal-Polymer Systems: Interface Design and Chemical Bonding. John Wiley & Sons, 2017.
[2] Bahlakeh, Ghasem, et al J. Phys. Chem. C 120 20 (2016): 11014-11026.

 

Introducing Porosity in Colloidal Biocoatings for Functional Biocatalysis - poster
Yuxiu Chen1*, Simone Krings2, Joshua R. Booth3, Stefan A. F. Bon3, Suzanne Hingley-Wilson2, Joseph L. Keddie1*
1 Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK
2 Department of Microbial Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK
3 Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK

A biocoating is a recently-developed material that employs a colloidal polymer (latex) film to confine non-growing, metabolically-active bacteria. Bacteria encapsulated inside biocoatings are intended to be used as a biocatalyst in applications including remediation of pollutants and production of useful by-product. A biocoating needs to have high permeability to allow a high rate of mass transfer for rehydration and the transport of both nutrients and metabolic products. It therefore needs an interconnected porous structure. Here, we exploited rigid tubular nanoclays (halloysite) and non-toxic latex particles with a relatively high glass transition temperature as colloidal building blocks to tailor porosity inside biocoatings. SEM images revealed inefficient packing of the rigid nanotubes and proved the existence of nanovoids along the halloysite/polymer interfaces. A custom-built apparatus was used to measure the permeability of a fluorescein sodium salt in the biocoatings. Whereas there was no measurable permeability in a polymer film made from only latex particles, the composites with an increased halloysite content had an increasing permeability coefficient (up to 1´10-4 m h-1). As a result, bacteria encapsulated in halloysite composite biocoatings had statistically significant higher metabolic activities in comparison to bacteria encapsulated in a non-optimized coating made from latex particles alone.

 

Functional reduced graphene coating for augmenting the rate of clean water generation using solar energy - poster
Amrit Kumar Thakur
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Anna University, CEG Campus, Chennai, India.
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Solar still (SS) harvest the abundantly available solar energy for generating clean water from brackish water resources using different energy storage medium, but low water productivity of this device is the major concern. The present experimental investigation deals with improving the energy harvesting of SS for higher generation of clean water using reduced graphene oxide coating. Reduced graphene oxide nanosheet was prepared from graphene oxide through hydrothermal treatment and SEM image of the nanosheet shows the porous and wrinkled structure, while SEM image of nanopaint shown the aggloromates formation of nanosheet. . Three different solar still namely conventional SS with only black paint coated absorber and two SS with reduced graphene oxide mixed in black paint coated absorber (2 wt. % and 4 wt. %) were used in the present study and tested under the climatic conditions of Jaipur, India. Experimental results showed that the utilization of 4 wt. % of nanosheet coated absorber of the SS enhanced the water and absorber temperature by 6 % and 7 % respectively than that of absorber without nanosheet. The accumulated water yield of solar still with augmented by 25 % (4 wt. %) with nanosheet coating, compared to conventional SS.
Keywords: Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosheet, Energy Harvesting, Desalination, Water Yield

 

Formulating stratified films: exploiting diffusion and diffusiophoresis - poster
Clare R. Rees-Zimmerman and Alex F. Routh
Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
University of Cambridge, UK
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Stratification in drying films – how a mixture of differently-sized particles arranges itself upon drying – is examined. It is seen experimentally that smaller particles preferentially accumulate at the top surface, but it is not understood why. Understanding this could allow the design of formulations that self-assemble during drying to give a desired structure. Potential applications are across a wide range of industries, from a self-layering paint for cars, to a biocidal coating in which the biocide stratifies to the top surface, where it is required. On the basis of diffusional arguments alone, it would be expected that larger particles stratify to the top surface. However, other physical processes, including diffusiophoresis, may also be important. As will be explored in this poster, by deriving transport equations, the magnitude of different contributions can be compared, and numerical solutions for the film profile are produced. Adding a diffusiophoresis term to the diffusional model predicts that the top surface is formed of small particles. This demonstrates that diffusiophoresis is a feasible explanation for the experimental observations.

 

Using Ion Beam Analysis to study the surfactant distribution in cross-linked colloidal polymer films - poster
T. Palmer1, M. Duewel2, K. Greiner2, R.W. Smith3, H.M. van der Kooji4, J. Sprakel4, J.L. Keddie1

1University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
2Synthomer Germany GmbH, Marl, Germany
3Surrey Ion Beam Centre, Guildford, UK
4Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

The distribution of surfactant in waterborne colloidal polymer films such as adhesives and coatings is of significant interest for scientific understanding and industrial applications, with a general desire to prevent surfactant accumulation at the surfaces of films. We have studied the direct impact of particle deformation on surfactant migration during film formation, using a model poly (butyl acrylate) system synthesised with deuterated Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate. The particle deformation has been controlled via cross-linking of the polymer chains at differing amounts, from 0 mol% to 35 mol%. Ion Beam Analysis has been used to probe dried films, providing information on the surfactant’s depth distribution close to the top surface. It has been seen in the first instance, that for low and high cross-linking densities, surfactant is not found to accumulate at the surfaces of the films. At intermediate levels, surfactant is seen to accumulate strongly at the surface of the dried films, giving a ~10nm thick enriched layer. The observed results have been explained using a simple model that considers known theory about particle deformation and skin formation and the effect that cross-linked chains will have on these processes. The ability to exert control over surfactant distribution in drying films will aid in the design of new high-performance adhesives.

 

Poly(phenylene methylene)-Based Coatings for Corrosion Protection: Replacement of Additives by Use of Copolymers - poster
Marco F. D’Elia
Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland

Poly(phenylene methylene) (PPM) is a thermally stable, hydrophobic, fluorescent hydrocarbon polymer. Recently, blended PPM has been proposed as a valuable anti-corrosion coating material, and, in particular, rheological additives such as external plasticizers resulted crucial to prevent crack formation. Accordingly, to avoid common problems related to the use of external plasticizers, the development of PPM-related copolymer-based coatings containing n-octyloxy side chains and their anti-corrosion behaviour were explored in this study. The aluminum alloy AA2024, was selected as a substrate, covered with a thin layer of a polybenzylsiloxane in order to improve adhesion between the underlying hydrophilic substrate and the top hydrophobic coating. Gratifyingly, coatings with those copolymers were free of bubbles and cracks. The n-octyloxy side-chains may be regarded to adopt the role of a bound plasticizer, as the glass transition temperature of the copolymers decreases with increasing content of alkoxy side-chains. Electrochemical corrosion tests on PPM-substituted coatings exhibited good corrosion protection of the metal surface towards a naturally aerated near-neutrally 3.5% wt.% NaCl neutral solution, providing comparable results to blended PPM formulations, previously reported. Hence, the application of rheological additives can be avoided by use of proper design copolymers.

 

Thermally triggable, anchoring block polymers for use in aqueous inkjet printing - poster
1Helena J Hutchins-Crawford, 1George E Parkes, 2Claire Bourdin, 2Stuart Reynolds, 1Laura Leslie, 1Matthew J Derry, 2Josephine L Harries, 1Paul D Topham
1Aston Institute of Materials Research, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
2Domino Printing UK, Trafalgar Way, Bar Hill, Cambridge, CB23 8TU, UK. *Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Commercial inkjet printing onto hydrophobic materials, such as is used in the food and medical supply industries, rely heavily on harmful organic solvents for the deposition of hydrophobic inks that will adhere to the substrate whilst maintaining appropriate resolution of the printed information.

A series of well defined poly[( 2 hydroxyethyl acrylate stat N hydroxymethyl acrylamide) block propyl methacrylate], P[(HEA st HMAA) b PMA)], amphiphilic block copolymers with varying P(HEA st HMAA) and PPMA contents were synthesized via RAFT polymerization and subjected to industrially designed tests to determine their suitability for use in aqueous ink formulations for printing onto hydrophobic substrates.

 

The chemistry and challenges of functional polymers for corrosion protection - poster
Joseph Watson, Matthew Unthank
Northumbria University

Organic thermoset polymer coatings based on epoxy curing methods have been used extensively to provide excellent physical protection to metal substrates such as aluminium from corrosive environments. However, in the case of automotive protection the complex shapes of alloy wheels lead to uneven coating, with less physical protection on sharp edges making them more susceptible to damage form road debris.
Once exposed to the environment high humidity and corrosive species such as chloride salts can initiate filiform corrosion. Filiform corrosion is identified by its unique thread like appearance, which propagates across a metal surface underneath the polymer coating. To combat this type of corrosion coatings have been developed to provide active protection in response to an external stimulus. Here methacrylic monomers have been synthesised with the goal of either neutralising the acidic environment of the filiform head or increasing the adhesion between the coating metal interface.
Unique methods of sample preparation have been used to test material and surface properties of cured epoxy thermoset coatings. Whilst exploring the correlation between coatings physical properties and their corrosion resistance performance under accelerated corrosion conditions.

 

Graphene coatings for tribological applications - poster
Yugal Rai
Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), National Formulation Centre, The Coxon Building, John Walker Road, NETPark, Sedgefield, County Durham, TS21 3FE, United Kingdom.

The application of graphene, graphene oxide and other forms of modified graphene as filler materials in polymers and ceramic coatings, and as additives to conventional lubricants have demonstrated a benefit in protective coatings [1]. A polymer-based coating with 5 and 10 graphene weight % were developed in CPI for the purpose of this study, along with coatings without graphene. Various dispersing methods including centrifugal mix, ultra turrex and three roll milling of graphene were evaluated. Results on steel substrates demonstrate a correlation between the roughness and the adhesion with the graphene dispersion method. Tribo-tests in unidirectional and reciprocating motion were conducted under dry conditions, these showed the presence of graphene on the wear scar for both motions through Raman spectroscopy. Inclusion of graphene within the coating resulted in lower friction for both types of motion under dry condition, where the decrease in friction has been attributed to the formation of graphene layers.

Reference
[1] Nine, M., Cole, M., Tran, D. and Losic, D. (2015). Graphene: a multipurpose material for protective coatings. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 3(24), pp.12580-12602

Abstract submission is now closed

We would now like to offer an opportunity to submit papers for this conference in the general field of functional films and coatings. Areas to be considered include novel routes to their manufacture, the properties that such products exhibit, whether in the area of thin films or coatings based on multicomponent formulations. Other topics could include the analysis of such material. The application areas can be anything from pharmaceutical, cosmetics, agrochemicals, veterinary, to smart materials such as inks and adhesives.

Authors of successful abstracts will be offered the opportunity to present a poster on the topic.  Accompanying your standard A1/A0 poster PDF, you will also present your work as a recorded 3 minute presentation during the poster session where you will need to be available to answer both typed chat and oral questions.  So please prepare your A1/A0 pdf poster and 3 minute recorded video presentation, and sent  to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 14th August at the latest.

Abstracts should consist of a one- paragraph summary (ca 150 – 200 words) and the contact details of the authors (presenting author first) and affiliations.

This should be sent to the conference secretariat This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. a soon as possible and at the latest by Friday 14th August.  Abstracts will be accepted on the basis of title relevance to the conference, until no more poster slots are available.  So please email at least your title now to ensure that your poster has the best chance of being accepted