Aqueous Zn batteries are sustainable energy storage devices that gained considerable research interest over the last few years. Positive electrode materials are commonly coated onto current collectors which need to remain electrochemically and chemically stable during the battery lifespan. Herein, we report on the electrochemical stability of aluminum current collector in mild acidic zinc electrolytes, 1 M ZnSO4 and 1 M Zn(CF3SO3)2 (known as Zn- triflate). The aluminum foil underwent severe anodic oxidation (commonly referred to as corrosion) upon the 1st anodic oxidation cycle at a scan rate of 5.0 mV s − 1 in Zn-triflate electrolyte. On the contrary, the aluminum foil did not feature signs of corrosion in 1 M ZnSO4 electrolyte over ~200 cycles of cyclic voltammetry at a scan rate of 5.0 mV s − 1 . The foil surface was found to be passivated by the growth of a surface oxide layer, as confirmed by XPS, EDX and SEM analyses. At a lower scan rate of 0.5 mV s − 1 , the aluminum corrosion was observed over 100 cycles, suggesting the local pH at the electrode surface at low scan rate can result in dissolving the aluminum foil. The use of concentrated electrolyte, 2 M ZnSO4, and/or coating the aluminum surface with a carbon layer did not efficiently mitigate the aluminum corrosion during long-term cycling. This work opens a venue for understanding the challenges of using aluminum current collectors in mild acidic Zn electrolytes.

Strongly attractive forces act between superhydrophobic surfaces across water due to the formation of a bridging gas capillary. Upon separation, the attraction can range up to tens of micrometers as the gas capillary grows, while gas molecules accumulate in the capillary. We argue that most of these molecules come from the pre-existing gaseous layer found at and within the superhydrophobic coating. In this study, we investigate how the capillary size and the resulting capillary forces are affected by the thickness of the gaseous layer. To this end, we prepared superhydrophobic coatings with different thicknesses by utilizing different numbers of coating cycles of a liquid flame spraying technique. Laser scanning confocal microscopy confirmed an increase in gas layer thickness with an increasing number of coating cycles. Force measurements between such coatings and a hydrophobic colloidal probe revealed attractive forces caused by bridging gas capillaries, and both the capillary size and the range of attraction increased with increasing thickness of the pre-existing gas layer. Hence, our data suggest that the amount of available gas at and in the superhydrophobic coating determines the force range and capillary growth. © 2024 The Authors.

Ice adhesion tests are widely used to assess the performance of potential icephobic surfaces and coatings. A great variety of test designs have been developed and used over the past decades due to the lack of formal standards for these types of tests. In many cases, the aim of the research was not only to determine ice adhesion values, but also to understand the key surface properties correlated to low ice adhesion surfaces. Data from different measurement techniques had low correspondence between the results: Values varied by orders of magnitude and showed different relative relationships to one another. This study sought to provide a broad comparison of ice adhesion testing approaches by conducting different ice adhesion tests with identical test surfaces. A total of 15 test facilities participated in this round-robin study, and the results of 13 partners are summarized in this paper. For the test series, ice types (impact and static) as well as test parameters were harmonized to minimize the deviations between the test setups. Our findings are presented in this paper, and the ice- and test-specific results are discussed. This study can improve our understanding of test results and support the standardization process for ice adhesion strength measurements. 

Solar energy will be a crucial part of the sustainable, fossil free energy production of the future. A majority of this will be produced by solar collectors and photovoltaics. Important for the efficient utilization of the incident solar energy for both technologies are a cover glass with antireflective coatings giving it a high solar transmittance. In the current paper we describe the development of antireflective mesoporous silica coatings on low-iron float glass using the aerosol-based nFOG™ deposition technique. The coatings exhibit a hexagonal and closed pore structure, high smoothness, superhydrophilic properties (contact angle <5°) and consistent thicknesses of approximately 110 nm. This is in line with optimal thickness determined from simulations of the antireflective behavior. Low-iron float glass coated on both sides show a highly reproducible solar weighted transmittance of 95% in the wavelength range 300–2500 nm and an antireflective effect increasing with incident angle. The smoothness, closed pores and low contact angle indicate a high cleanability, which in combination with the high transmittance render a competitive broadband antireflective coating well adapted for solar glass applications.

Solar energy will be a crucial part of the sustainable, fossil free energy production of the future. Amajority of this will be produced by solar collectors and photovoltaics. Important for the efficientutilization of the incident solar energy for both technologies are a cover glass with antireflectivecoatings giving it a high solar transmittance. In the current paper we describe the development ofantireflective mesoporous silica coatings on low-iron float glass using the aerosol-based nFOGTMdeposition technique. The coatings exhibit a hexagonal and closed pore structure, a high smoothness,and consistent thicknesses of approximately 110 nm. This is in line with optimal thicknessesdetermined from simulations of the antireflective behavior. Low-iron float glass coated on both sidesshow a highly reproducible solar weighted transmittance of 95 % in the wavelength range 300-2500nm and an antireflective effect increasing with incident angle. The smoothness and closed poresassociated with high cleanability, as well as high transmittance makes it a competitive broadbandantireflective coating well adapted for solar glass applications.

I ett nyligen avslutat forskningsprojekt har Absolicon Solar Collector tillsammans med RISE Research Institutes of Sweden och Umeå universitet utvecklat en ny toppmodern antireflektiv beläggning som kan göra Absolicons solfångare än mer effektiva. Nu siktar man på ett nytt projekt för att skala upp metoden.

A fundamental understanding of the interactions between mineral surfaces and amphiphilic surface modification agents is needed for better control over the production and uses of mineral fillers. Here, we controlled the carboxylic acid layer formation conditions on calcite surfaces with high precision via vapor deposition. The properties of the resulting carboxylic acid layers were analyzed using surface-sensitive techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurements, angle resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy. A low wettability was achieved with long hydrocarbon chain carboxylic acids such as stearic acid. The stearic acid layer formed by vapor deposition is initially patchy, but with increasing vapor exposure time, the patches grow and condense into a homogeneous layer with a thickness close to that expected for a monolayer as evaluated by AFM and XPS. The build-up process of the layer occurs more rapidly at higher temperatures due to the higher vapor pressure. The stability of the deposited fatty acid layer in the presence of a water droplet increases with the chain length and packing density in the adsorbed layer. Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy data demonstrate that the stearic acid monolayers on calcite have their alkyl chains in an all-trans conformation and are anisotropically distributed on the plane of the surface, forming epitaxial monolayers. Vibrational spectra also show that the stearic acid molecules interact with the calcite surface through the carboxylic acid headgroup in both its protonated and deprotonated forms. The results presented provide new molecular insights into the properties of adsorbed carboxylic acid layers on calcite.

The use of antireflective coatings to increase the transmittance of the cover glass is a central aspect of achieving high efficiencies for solar collectors and photovoltaics alike. Considering an expected lifetime of 20–30 years for solar energy installations, the durability of the antireflective surfaces is essential. Here, a novel antireflective SiO2 coating with a hexagonally ordered closed pore structure, produced with an aerosol-based sol-gel method is benchmarked against two commercial coatings; produced with acid etching and sol-gel roll coating. The optical and mechanical properties together with contact angle characteristics were evaluated before and after various durability tests, including climate chamber tests, outdoor exposure, and abrasion. Compared to the commercial antireflective coatings with open pore structures, the novel coating performed in parity, or better, in all tests. Based on the results of humidity freeze and industrial climate chamber tests, it appears that the coating with closed pore structure has a better ability to prevent water adsorption. Additionally, the closed pore structure of the coating seems to minimize the accumulation of dirt and deposits. The abrasion and cleanability test further confirm the advantages of a closed pore structure, showcasing the coating's mechanical durability. While the coatings exhibit similar hardness and reduced elastic modulus, the closed pore coating proves to be even harder after undergoing the industrial climate chamber test, but also slightly more brittle, as indicated by the probability of crack initiation. In summary the closed pore structure is well suited for tempered and arid climates, making it a truly competitive alternative to existing antireflective coatings.

The formation of a bridging gas capillary between superhydrophobic surfaces in water gives rise to strongly attractive interactions ranging up to several micrometers on separation. However, most liquids used in materials research are oil-based or contain surfactants. Superamphiphobic surfaces repel both water and low-surface-tension liquids. To control the interactions between a superamphiphobic surface and a particle, it needs to be resolved whether and how gas capillaries form in non-polar and low-surface-tension liquids. Such insight will aid advanced functional materials development. Here, we combine laser scanning confocal imaging and colloidal probe atomic force microscopy to elucidate the interaction between a superamphiphobic surface and a hydrophobic microparticle in three liquids with different surface tensions: water (73 mN m−1), ethylene glycol (48 mN m−1) and hexadecane (27 mN m−1). We show that bridging gas capillaries are formed in all three liquids. Force-distance curves between the superamphiphobic surface and the particle reveal strong attractive interactions, where the range and magnitude decrease with liquid surface tension. Comparison of free energy calculations based on the capillary menisci shapes and the force measurements suggest that under our dynamic measurements the gas pressure in the capillary is slightly below ambient. © 2023, The Author(s).

För att slippa vänta på plusgrader håller en samling forskare på RISE på attutveckla och testa nya ytbeläggningar för solceller som ska göra att snö och isinte fäster på dem. Snö och is kan leda till stopp i elproduktionen - en solcellsmodulsom är täckt av snö och is generar i praktiken ingen elektricitet eftersomsolljuset inte tränger igenom i tillräcklig omfattning. Dessutom kan rejälasnömängder leda till stora belastningar på underliggande konstruktioner.