Preventing the coffee-ring effect and aggregate sedimentation by in situ gelation of monodisperse materials.

ABSTRACT: Drop-casting and inkjet printing are virtually the most versatile and cost-effective methods for depositing active materials on surfaces. However, drawbacks associated with the coffee-ring effect, as well as uncontrolled aggregation of the coating materials, have impeded the use of these methods for applications requiring high control of film properties. We now report on a simple method based on covalent cross-linking of monodisperse materials that enables the formation of thin films with homogeneous thicknesses and macroscale cohesion. The coffee-ring effect is impeded by triggering gelation of the coating materials via a thioacetate-disulfide transition which counterbalances the capillary forces induced by evaporation. Aggregates are prevented by monodisperse building blocks that

SUBMITTER: Li H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6182772 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature