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Generalized Kramers–Kronig (K–K) type dispersion relations and sum rules are derived in the static limit for the moments of the degenerate four wave mixing susceptibility. The degenerate nonlinear susceptibility is different from a typical use of the conventional K–K dispersion relations, which assume absence of complex poles of a function in the upper half of complex frequency plane, whereas degenerate susceptibility has simultaneous poles in both half planes. In the derivation of the generalized K–K relations the poles and their order are taken into account by utilization of the theorem of residues. The conventional K–K relations can be used to estimate the real and imaginary parts of the second and higher powers of the susceptibility as the effect of the poles is reduced due to a faster convergence of the dispersion relations. The present theory is directly applicable to higher order susceptibilities and can be used in testing of theoretical models describing the degenerate four wave mixing susceptibility in nonlinear optical and terahertz spectroscopy.

In this study, spray pyrolysis; an aerosol processing technique was utilized to produce a mixed-phase copper on carbon (Cu/Cu

We investigate the terahertz complex conductivity spectra of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) based composite films fabricated with different blending ratios of the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and without/with glycerol additive. A partially localized nature of carriers in the composite is clearly seen in the obtained spectral shapes of complex conductivity and is well described by an extended Drude model. We find that the carriers become denser and less localized with increasing PEDOT:PSS blending ratio and that the addition of glycerol to the composite is efficacious in enhancing carrier delocalization as well as mechanical flexibility.

TiO2 inverse opal (TIO) structures were prepared by the conventional wet chemical method, resulting in well-formed structures for photocatalytic activity. The obtained structures were functionalized with liquid flame spray-deposited silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The nanocomposites of TIO and AgNPs were extensively characterized by various spectroscopies such as UV, Raman, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with microscopic methods such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution TEM. The characterization confirmed that high-quality heterostructures had been fabricated with evenly and uniformly distributed AgNPs. Fabrication of anatase TiO2 was confirmed, and formation of AgNPs was verified with surface plasmon resonant properties. The photocatalytic activity results measured in the gas phase showed that deposition of AgNPs increases photocatalytic activity both under UVA and visible light excitation; moreover, enhanced hydrogen evolution was demonstrated under visible light. acceptedVersion

Three-dimensional highly ordered multilayer titanium dioxide (TiO2) inverse opal (TIO) structures with two pore sizes were fabricated over a large surface using a self-convective method. The fabric...

Solid lubrication in tribological applications was studied on hard metal specimens with micropits fabricated using metal injection molding (MIM). This study investigated synergy effects of paraffin wax mixed with 5 wt% MoS2 on the lubricating potential both under normal and elevated temperatures. Pin-on-plate sliding tests were performed on a CSM tribometer in which WC–Co pins oscillated against microstructured and flat reference WC–Co specimens under 10 N applied normal load. Surface morphology characterization of test specimens was carried out before and after tribological tests using scanning electron microscopy. Solid paraffin wax displayed enhanced lubrication compared to solid paraffin wax mixed with 5 wt% MoS2 on micropit specimens under normal temperature. On the contrary, under heating conditions, solid paraffin mixed with 5 wt% MoS2 significantly reduced the dynamic coefficient of friction (COF) values for both flat and micropit specimens. The results showed that the micropits in textured specimens can be used as a reservoir for the lubricant that can significantly reduce friction compared to flat reference specimens. Graphical Abstract

Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are known as one of the major problems of the modern healthcare system, which result in additional cost and mortality. It has also been shown that pathogenic bacteria are mostly transferred via surfaces in healthcare settings. Therefore, antibacterial surfaces, which include fabrics and textiles, can be used in a healthcare environment to reduce the transfer of pathogenic bacteria, hence reducing HAIs. Silver nanoparticles have been shown to have broad spectrum antibacterial properties, and therefore they have been incorporated into fabrics to provide antibacterial functionality. Liquid flame spray (LFS) nanoparticle synthesis allows nanoparticles to be produced and deposited on surfaces at speeds up to and beyond 300 m/min. Herein, LFS is used to deposit silver nanoparticles onto two fabrics that are commonly used in the hospital environment with the aim of producing antibacterial fabrics. A thin plasma coating on top of the fabrics after silver deposition is used to improve nanoparticle adhesion. Fabrics coated with silver nanoparticles demonstrated antibacterial properties against Escherichia coli. Nanoparticle imaging and surface chemical characterization are performed using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The highlights of this research are as follows: • high-speed synthesis and deposition of silver nanoparticles on fabrics; • plasma coating onto fabrics with silver nanoparticles; • antibacterial fabrics for potential use in healthcare environments.

TiO2 inverse opal (IO) structure surfaces were functionalized with a sub-monolayer amount of Cu by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and tested for photocatalytic and antimicrobial applications. Decomposition of acetylene (C2H2) into CO2 and reduction of CO2 into CH4 were tested in the gas phase and photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) was tested in the liquid phase. Antimicrobial activity was tested against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. ALD Cu without any post-deposition heat treatment (HT) decreased the photo degradation rate of both C2H2 and MB but improved the activity towards CO2 reduction. ALD Cu increased MB photodegradation rate and antimicrobial activity only after HT at 550 °C, which was linked to the improved chemical stability Cu after the HT. The same HT decreased the activity towards CO2 reduction and decomposition of C2H2. The HT induced desorption of loosely bound ALD Cu+/2+ from the TiO2 IO surface and the remaining Cu+/2+ was reduced to Cu+. The photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity of TiO2 IO can be tailored by the addition of a sub-monolayer amounts of Cu with performance depending on the targeted reaction. publishedVersion

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Silver nanoparticles (NPs) are known to provide antimicrobial properties for surfaces. However, there are environmental concerns due to reports of toxicity after exposure to the environment during or after end-use. Immobilizing silver NPs to the surface of substrates could ensure that particles are readily available for antibacterial activity with limited environmental exposure. A plasma coating on top of silver NPs could improve the adhesion of NPs to a substrate, but it could also impede the release of silver NPs completely. Furthermore, silver has been shown to require direct contact to demonstrate antibacterial activity. This study demonstrates immobilization of silver NPs with plasma coating onto a surface while maintaining its antibacterial properties. Silver NPs are simultaneously synthesized and deposited onto a surface with liquid flame spray aerosol technique followed by hexamethyldisiloxane plasma coating to immobilize the NPs. Atomic force microscope scratch testing is used to demonstrate improved nanoparticle adhesion. Antibacterial activity against gram-negative Escherichia coli is maintained even for plasma coating thicknesses of 195 nm. NP adhesion to the surface is significantly improved. Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus was found be resistant to all the plasma-coated samples. The results show promise of using plasma coating technology for limiting NP exposure to environment.

Nanoparticles are used in several applications due to the unique properties they possess compared to bulk materials. Production techniques have continuously evolved over the years. Recently, there has been emphasis on environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. Substrate properties often limit the possible production techniques and, for example; until recently, it has been difficult to incorporate nanoparticles into paper. Chemical reduction of a precursor in the presence of paper changes the bulk properties of paper, which may limit intended end-use. In this study, we present a novel technique for incorporating silver nanoparticles into paper surface using a flame pyrolysis procedure known as Liquid Flame Spray. Papers precoated with mineral pigments and plastic are used as substrates. Silver nanoparticles were analyzed using SEM and XPS measurements. Results show a homogeneous monolayer of silver nanoparticles on the surface of paper, which demonstrated antibacterial properties against E. coli . Paper precoated with plastic showed more nanoparticles on the surface compared to pigment coated paper samples except for polyethylene-precoated paper. The results demonstrate a dry synthesis approach for depositing silver nanoparticles directly onto paper surface in a process which produces no effluents. The production technique used herein is up scalable for industrial production of antibacterial paper.

We demonstrate roll-to-roll fabrication of ultraviolet A light-activated colorimetric oxygen indicators on paper and plastic substrates. Such large-scale, cost-effective and non-toxic oxygen indicator and production method can find applications as a very low-cost leakage indicator for modified atmosphere packages by printing the material directly or gluing the pre-printed indicator label inside the lid. The introduction of leakage indicators onto all modified atmosphere packages could result in improved food safety and reduced food spoilage. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Three-dimensional highly ordered multilayer titanium dioxide (TiO2) inverse opal (TIO) structures with two pore sizes were fabricated over a large surface using a self-convective method. The fabricated TIO multilayers were functionalized with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by immersing the samples in solution with gold nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2 was enhanced by 85% via plasmonic activation of AuNPs that increased the lifetime of photogenerated holes and electrons. The improved photocatalytic activity was characterized with both UVA and visible light irradiation using an in-house built gas-phase photoreactor.

We investigate the terahertz transmission through flexible composite films that contain nanofibrillar cellulose (NFC) and different blending percentages of the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The real part of terahertz complex conductivity is found to decrease with decreasing frequency for each NFC composite film and to approach a finite positive value dependent on the PEDOT:PSS blending percentage in the limit of zero frequency. Both the real and imaginary parts of complex conductivity spectra can be fitted simultaneously with an extended Drude model that describes a partially localized nature of carriers. Our spectral analysis indicates that carriers in the NFC composite become denser and also less localized as the PEDOT:PSS blending percentage is increased. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].

Zinc electroplating was used to enhance corrosion resistance of porous metal injection molded 440C stainless steel. Controlled porosity was achieved by the powder space holder technique and by using sodium chloride as a space holder material. The internal pore structure of porous 440C was deposited by zinc using electroplating with three different electrolytes of zinc acetate, zinc sulfate, and zinc chloride. Our results show that all zinc depositions on porous 440C samples significantly improved corrosion resistance. The lowest corrosion was observed with zinc acetate at 30 wt.% porosity. The developed zinc coated porous 440C samples have potential in applications in corrosive environments.

Surface texturing with lubricant mixtures was studied by dynamic coefficient of friction (COF) values on micropit and micropillar WC-Co hard metal specimens that were fabricated using a micro-working robot technique combined with metal injection molding (MIM). Lubricating grease mixed with MoS2 was investigated, and 40 wt% additive level of MoS2 reduced COF values by 45% down to 0.06 level on flat WC-Co specimens. The corresponding COF values for the micropit specimens were higher up to 0.10 that may result from the small contact area of the used pin. On the contrary, a reduction of COF values was observed for micropillar specimens compared to the flat WC-Co specimens induced by a load carrying structure of the micropillar specimen. A highly stable antiwear behavior was observed for specimens with micropits.

Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces in large scale has been in high interest for several years, also titanium oxide nanostructures having been applied for the purpose. Optimizing the amount and structure of the TiO2 material in the coating will play a key role when considering upscaling. Here, we take a look at fabricating the superhydrophobic surface in a one-step roll-to-roll pilot scale process by depositing TiO2 nanoparticles from a Liquid Flame Spray onto a moving paperboard substrate. In order to find the minimum amount of nanomaterial still sufficient for creating superhydrophobicity, we varied nanoparticle production rate, flame distance from the substrate and line speed. Since the deposited amount of material sideways from the flame path was seen to decrease gradually, spatial analysis enabled us to consistently determine the minimum amount of TiO2 nanoparticles on the substrate needed to achieve superhydrophobicity. Amount as low as 20-30 mg m-2 of TiO2 nanoparticles was observed to be sufficient. The scanning electron microscopy revealed that at this amount, the surface was covered with nanoparticles only partially, but still sufficiently to create a hierarchical structure to affect wetting significantly. Based on XPS analysis, it became apparent that TiO2 gathers hydrocarbons on the surface to develop the surface chemistry towards hydrophobic, but below the critical amount of TiO2 nanoparticles, the chemistry could not enable superhydrophobicity anymore. While varying the deposited amount of TiO2, besides the local spatial variance of the coating amount, also the overall yield was studied. Within the text matrix, a yield up to 44% was achieved. In conclusion, superhydrophobicity was achieved at all tested line speeds (50 to 300 m min-1), even if the amount of TiO2 varied significantly (20 to 230 mg m-2). acceptedVersion

Silver nanoparticles deposited on surfaces can provide an antibacterial effect with potential uses in, for example, healthcare settings. However, release of nanoparticles and their potential exposure to the environment is of concern. The current work demonstrates a continuous synthesis that simultaneously deposits silver nanoparticles onto plastic coated paper surface by utilizing the liquid flame spray (LFS) aerosol process. Heat from LFS is used to soften the thermoplastic paper surface, which enables partial and full embedding of the nanoparticles, thereby improving adhesion. The embedding is confirmed with atomic force and scanning electron microscopy, and the deposited silver amounts are quantified with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results suggest that embedding was more effective in PE-coated paper samples due to the lower glass transition temperature when compared to PET-coated paper samples. The antibacterial properties of the surfaces against E. coli and S. aureus were maintained and confirmed with a previously developed `Touch-Test Method'. The LFS process has the potential to be used for large-scale manufacturing of antibacterial surfaces with improved nanoparticle adhesion on appropriately chosen thermoplastic surfaces. publishedVersion

Conductivity of the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) strongly depends on the film morphology, which can be altered by the presence of polyelectrolytes. Aqueous dispersion of PEDOT:PSS was studied with anionic sodium polyacrylate (PA) and cationic poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (pDADMAC) polyelectrolytes that are typically used in papermaking as retention aids and dispersing agents in the paper pigment coating formulations. Spin-coated PEDOT:PSS films on a PA coated glass formed non-uniform layers with lowered conductivity compared to the reference PEDOT:PSS films on a clean glass substrate. On contrary, spin-coated PEDOT:PSS on a pDADMAC coated glass formed uniform layers with good conductivity. These results point out the importance of surface chemistry when using renewable and recyclable paper-based substrates with the PEDOT:PSS films.

Cellulose nano- and microfibrils (CNF/CMF) grades vary significantly based on the raw materials and process treatments used. In this study four different CNF/CMF grades were combined with kaolin clay pigment particles to form nanoporous composites. The attained composite properties like porosity, surface smoothness, mechanical properties and density properties depended strongly on the raw materials used. In general, higher kaolin content (~80 wt%) led to controllable shrinkage during drying, which resulted in improved dimensional stability of composites, compared to a lower kaolin content (~50 wt%). On the other hand, the use of a plasticizer and a high amount of CNF/CMF was essential to produce adequate elasticity for the composites. The performance of transistors when fabricated on the nanoporous composites was strongly dependent on the raw materials used. The formation of the semiconductor layer was affected by the porosity, roughness, hydrophobicity, polarity and absorption properties of the top-most layer at the composite. The developed natural fiber-based substrates may be applied to novel value-added applications in intelligent products, such as sensors and simple displays.

TiO2 inverse opal (IO) structures were fabricated by an infiltration method that were functionalized with gold, silver, and gold-silver core-shell metal nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 IO structures with metal nanoparticles was characterized by gas-phase conversion of acetylene into carbon dioxide. All metal nanoparticle functionalized structures showed an increase in photocatalytic activity via surface plasmon resonance coupling of the incident light. The highest photocatalytic activity was observed with gold-silver core-shell nanoparticle functionalized TiO2 IO structure (increase of 62% compared to reference TiO2 IO) followed by gold (53%) and silver (39%) nanoparticles.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrates were made via liquid flame spray deposition and inkjet printing of silver nanoparticles. Both processes are suitable for cost-effective fabrication of large-area SERS substrates. Crystal violet (CV) solutions were used as target molecules and in both samples the detection limit was approximately 10 nM. In addition, sintering temperature of the inkjet printed silver nanoparticles was found to have a large effect on the SERS activity with the higher curing temperature of 200 °C resulting in contamination layer on silver and cancelation of the SERS signal. This layer was characterized using an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Surface wetting/anti-wetting and liquid absorption are relevant properties of many porous solids including paper and other cellulose-based materials. Here we demonstrate how surface wetting by water and water absorption of commercially available kraft paper can be altered by thin nanoparticle coatings fabricated by liquid flame spray in facile and continuous one-step process. Surface wettability and absorption properties of paper increased with silica and decreased with titania (TiO2) nanoparticle coatings. Moreover, the water-repellent (superhydrophobic) TiO2 nanoparticle coated paper could be switched to superhydrophilic and water absorbing by ultraviolet illumination. The experiments revealed that although surface wetting and liquid absorption of nanoparticle coated paper are strongly related to each other, they are two distinct phenomena which do not necessarily correlate. We propose wetting regimes on the nanoparticle coated paper samples on the basis of the experimental observations.

We present two cost-effective routes for roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing of silver nanoparticle based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) active substrates on paper utilizing either inkjet printing or liquid flame spray (LFS) nanoparticle deposition. Paper is cost-effective, renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable that can easily be disposed after the SERS analysis. Paper based substrates can have a strong luminescence that can overshadow the rather weak SERS signal. Two solutions are presented here that solve the luminescence issue of the base paper substrate. A full silver coverage by inkjet printing or alternatively a simple flexography carbon coating can suppress the background luminescence allowing a reliable SERS characterization. The detection limit of the sample analyte crystal violet was 100 nM corresponding to 100 fmol in a 1 µl sample volume. These approaches can provide a cost-effective route towards disposable, point-of-care SERS active substrates. publishedVersion

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a photoactive material with various interesting and useful properties. One of those is the perfect wettability of TiO2 surface after ultraviolet (UV) illumination. Wettability of a solid surface plays an important role in the field of printing, coating, and adhesion among others. Here we report on a superhydrophobic and photoactive liquid flame spray (LFS) generated TiO2 nanoparticle coating that can be applied on web-like materials such as paper and board in one-step roll-to-roll process. The LFS TiO2 nanoparticle coated paper and board were superhydrophobic instantly after the coating procedure because of spontaneously accumulated carbonaceous overlayer on TiO2, and thus there was no need for any type of separate hydrophobization treatment. The highly photoactive LFS TiO2 nanoparticle coating could be converted steplessly from superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic by UV-illumination, and the coating gave strong response to natural daylight illumination even in the shade. The superhydrophobic LFS TiO2 coated surface can be used as an intelligent substrate, where photo-generated hydrophilic patterns guide the fluid setting and figure formation. Our study reveals that the wettability changes on the LFS TiO2 surface were primarily caused by the photocatalytic removal of the carbonaceous material from TiO2 during the UV-illumination and spontaneous accumulation of the carbonaceous material on the surface of the metal oxide during storage in the dark. The latter mechanism was found to be a temperature activated process which could be significantly speeded up by heat treatment. If other mechanisms such as surface oxidization, increment of hydroxyl groups, or charge separation played a role in the wetting phenomena on TiO2, their effect was rather secondary as the removal and accumulation of the carbonaceous material dominated the wettability changes on the surface. Our study gives valuable information on the complex issue of photo-induced wettability changes on TiO2.

Surface wetting is an important and relevant phenomenon in several different fields. Scientists have introduced a large number of applications where special surface wetting could be exploited. Here, we study wetting phenomena on high- and low-adhesive superhydrophobic liquid flame spray (LFS)-generated TiO2 coatings on paper and pigment-coated board substrates using water–ethanol solution as a probe liquid. Submicrometer-scale air gaps, which exist on superhydrophobic surfaces below the liquid droplets, were more stable with the ethanol increment than the larger-scale micrometric air gaps. With the droplet ethanol concentration of 15 wt%, static contact angle as high as 155 ± 2° was measured on the LFS–TiO2-coated board. Transition from the low-adhesive wetting state to the high-adhesive state was demonstrated on the LFS–TiO2-coated paper. The LFS method enables efficient roll-to-roll production of surfaces with special wetting properties on economically viable board and paper substrate materials.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are synthesised in aerosol phase using the Liquid Flame Spray method. The particles are deposited in-situ on paperboard, glass and metal surfaces. According to literature, titanium dioxide is supposed to be hydrophilic. However, hydrophobic behaviour is observed on paperboard substrates but not on metal or glass substrates. Here, the water contact angle behaviour of the deposits is studied along with XRD, XPS, BET and HR-TEM. The deposits are compared with silicon dioxide deposits having, as expected, hydrophilic properties synthesised with the same method. It seems probable that the deposition process combusts some substrate material from the paperboard substrate, which later on condenses on top of the deposit to form a carbonaceous layer causing the hydrophobic behaviour of the TiO2 deposit. The similar layer does not form when depositing the nanoparticles on a metal or glass surfaces. The observations are more than purely aerosol phenomena. However, they are quite essential in nanoparticle deposition from the aerosol phase onto a substrate which is commonly utilised. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)

Surface chemical analysis of photocatalytic wettability conversion of the TiO 2 nanoparticle coating is performed by the water contact angle measurement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is observed that the UVA irradiation and heat treatment strongly affect on the water contact angle. Initially superhydrophobic TiO 2 nanoparticle coated paperboard surfaces can undergo several transition loops between hydrophobic and hydrophilic states: the surface hydrophilicity can be induced by ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation whereas high temperature oven treatment results in superhydrophobic surface. The XPS spectra shows that UVA irradiation induces photocatalytic oxidation of the TiO 2 nanocoated surface whereas the oven treatment decreases the amount of oxygen related to the hydroxyl groups. The wettability changes are related to the degree of hydroxyl groups or aliphatic chains present on the TiO 2 surface.

Corona, flame, atmospheric plasma, and liquid flame spray (LFS) techniques were used to create highly hydrophilic surfaces for pigment-coated paper and board and machine-glossed paper. All the surface modification techniques were performed continuously in ambient atmosphere. The physical changes on the surfaces were characterized by field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), atomic force microscopy and Parker Print-Surf surface roughness. The chemical changes were analysed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The superhydrophilic surfaces, i.e. contact angle of water (CAW)

We compare predictions of effective medium theories with the results of numerical modeling of linear optical properties of two-dimensional disordered dielectric structures. A type of Maxwell Garnett effective medium theory is found to be in good agreement with the results of the plane-wave-expansion computations for pseudo-random samples of nanoscale cylindrical rods in a host medium, except for very high volume fractions of the rods. We analyze the extent and the reasons of the deviations of the effective medium theory from the numerical results, as well as the degree of applicability of our numerical model to real random samples of porous dielectrics.

The chemical composition of nanoparticle coated paperboard surfaces was characterized. The deposition of SiO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles induced changes in wetting properties of the paperboard surface: a superhydrophilic surface was created by SiO2 nanoparticles and a superhydrophobic surface by TiO2 nanoparticles. Both X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle (CA) measurements were used to study the surface properties of the samples. The low and high resolution XPS spectra were collected to evaluate the chemical composition before and after nanoparticle deposition. The SiO2 nanocoated sample has the highest values of both O to C and C2 to C1 ratios, which indicates a high relative amount of hydroxyl groups. On the other hand, carbon C1 peak which represents the hydrocarbon type of bonds, is on higher level for TiO2 when compared to the SiO2 nanocoated sample. This may be related to the replacement of hydroxyl groups by aliphatic chains on the superhydrophobic surface of TiO2 nanoparticle coated sample.

Nanostructured coatings have been prepared on a flexible, moving paperboard using deposition of ca. 40-nm-sized titanium dioxide nanoparticles generated by a liquid flame spray process, directly above the paperboard, to achieve improved functional properties for the material. Properties such as surface wettability can be extensively improved by a thin layer of nanoparticles on the substrate. Owing to the vulnerability to heat, the substrate needs to be moved rapidly through the flame. This, on the other hand, generates a setting for a roll-to-roll coating process, which favors upscaling of the method. In this article, we characterize the flame process for nanoparticle coating and quantify the operational window for this method. The amount of deposited material as a function of substrate speed through the flame is discussed. Although the thermophoretic flux of nanoparticles is estimated to be very high from the hot flame onto the cold substrate, other factors were observed to limit the deposited amount of ...

This paper introduces a new method for generating nanoscale coatings in a continuous roll-to-roll process at normal pressure. Nanostructured and transparent coating, based on titanium dioxide nanoparticles, was successfully deposited on-line at atmospheric conditions on pigment coated paperboard using a thermal spray method called the Liquid Flame Spray (LFS). The LFS coating process is described and the influences of process parameters on coating quality are discussed. Nanocoating was investigated by a field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM), an atomic force microscope (AFM), an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and a water contact angle measurement. The highest measured water contact angles on the nanocoated paperboard surface were over 160°. Falling water droplets were able to bounce off the surface, which is illustrated by high speed video system images. Regardless of the high hydrophobicity, the coating showed sticky nature, creating a high adhesion to water droplets immediately as the motion of the droplets stopped. Nanocoating with full coverage of the substrate was produced at line speeds up to 150 m/min. Therefore, the LFS coating has scale up potential to industrial level as an affordable and efficient method for coating large volumes at high line speeds.

This paper summarizes recent developments in phase retrieval methods from surface plasmon resonance reflectance that are applied in the extraction of the complex effective refractive index of liquids containing nanoparticles. Both classical dispersion theory and the maximum entropy model (MEM) are considered. We show that the MEM is more suitable for a reflectance analysis, and it is applied to a variety of topologies with different volume fractions of nanoparticles in a solution. The MEM is always suitable for the extraction of the effective complex refractive index of the whole solution whereas the complex refractive index of constituent nanoparticles requires extraction using an effective medium theory. Therefore, a reliable model for the effective complex refractive index of the solution is needed. In this paper we give a summary of different effective medium theories that have been applied to describe the effective complex refractive index of nanoparticles in a liquid environment.

A formalism based on dyadic Green functions is applied to the reflection and transmission of fields generated in the presence of anisotropic media. Our approach is general and treats the fields immediately in terms of s- and p-polarized components. Hence, the Fresnel reflection and transmission coefficients appear naturally in our expressions. The asymptotic far-field expansions of the dyadic Green functions are easily obtained, and numerical calculations in experimental geometries are straightforward.