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The electrolyte‐wettability of electrode materials in liquid electrolytes plays a crucial role in electrochemical energy storage, conversion systems, and beyond relied on interface electrochemical process. However, most electrode materials do not have satisfactory electrolyte‐wettability for possibly electrochemical reaction. In the last 30 years, there are a lot of literature have directed at exploiting methods to improve electrolyte‐wettability of electrodes, understanding basic electrolyte‐wettability mechanisms of electrode materials, exploring the effect of electrolyte‐wettability on its electrochemical energy storage, conversion, and beyond performance. This review systematically and comprehensively evaluates the effect of electrolyte‐wettability on electrochemical energy storage performance of the electrode materials used in supercapacitors, metal ion batteries, and metal‐based batteries, electrochemical energy conversion performance of the electrode materials used in fuel cells and electrochemical water splitting systems, as well as capacitive deionization performance of the electrode materials used in capacitive deionization systems. Finally, the challenges in approaches for improving electrolyte‐wettability of electrode materials, characterization techniques of electrolyte‐wettability, as well as electrolyte‐wettability of electrode materials applied in special environment and other electrochemical systems with electrodes and liquid electrolytes, which gives future possible directions for constructing interesting electrolyte‐wettability to meet the demand of high electrochemical performance, are also discussed. The electrolyte‐wettability of electrode materials has remarkable impact on their electrochemical performance. This review elucidates the basic electrolyte‐wettability mechanisms of electrode materials, provides a comprehensive evaluation of the topic by summarizing recent progress in the research of electrolyte‐wettability of electrode in electrochemical energy storage systems, energy conversion systems, and capacitive deionization, and proposes critical issues, challenges, and perspectives.

No relationship has been established between surface wettability and ice growth patterns, although ice often forms on top of solid surfaces. Here, we report experimental observations obtained using a process specially designed to avoid the influence of nucleation and describe the wettability-dependent ice morphology on solid surfaces under atmospheric conditions and the discovery of two growth modes of ice crystals: along-surface and off-surface growth modes. Using atomistic molecular dynamics simulation analysis, we show that these distinct ice growth phenomena are attributable to the presence (or absence) of bilayer ice on solid surfaces with different wettability; that is, the formation of bilayer ice on hydrophilic surface can dictate the along-surface growth mode due to the structural match between the bilayer hexagonal ice and the basal face of hexagonal ice (ice Ih), thereby promoting rapid growth of nonbasal faces along the hydrophilic surface. The dramatically different growth patterns of ice on solid surfaces are of crucial relevance to ice repellency surfaces.

HighlightsHybrid fibrous aerogels with tunable wettability from the same molecular unit of vinyltrimethoxysilane are successfully developed.Superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic hybrid aerogels are integrated into a double-layered evaporator, showing robust interfacial networks to withstand repeated and tremendous compression for 1000th cycle.The evaporator delivers high water evaporation rates of 1.91 kg m−2 h−1 under laboratory conditions and 4.20 kg m−2 h−1 under outdoor experiments with the aid of wind (1 sun), enabling efficient salt rejection under continuous operation.Solar-driven interfacial evaporation is an emerging technology for water desalination. Generally, double-layered structure with separate surface wettability properties is usually employed for evaporator construction. However, creating materials with tunable properties is a great challenge because the wettability of existing materials is usually monotonous. Herein, we report vinyltrimethoxysilane as a single molecular unit to hybrid with bacterial cellulose (BC) fibrous network, which can be built into robust aerogel with entirely distinct wettability through controlling assembly pathways. Siloxane groups or carbon atoms are exposed on the surface of BC nanofibers, resulting in either superhydrophilic or superhydrophobic aerogels. With this special property, single component-modified aerogels could be integrated into a double-layered evaporator for water desalination. Under 1 sun, our evaporator achieves high water evaporation rates of 1.91 and 4.20 kg m−2 h−1 under laboratory and outdoor solar conditions, respectively. Moreover, this aerogel evaporator shows unprecedented lightweight, structural robustness, long-term stability under extreme conditions, and excellent salt-resistance, highlighting the advantages in synthesis of aerogel materials from the single molecular unit.

HighlightsThe patternable and controllable wettability via femtosecond laser thermal accumulation engineering is proposed for liquid manipulating.The wettability of polyimide film can be tuned from superhydrophilicity (~3.6°) to superhydrophobicity (151.6 °).Three diverse surfaces with patternable and heterogeneous wettability are constructed for application of water transport, droplet arrays, and liquid wells.Versatile liquid manipulating surfaces combining patternable and controllable wettability have recently motivated considerable attention owing to their significant advantages in droplet-solid impacting behaviors, microdroplet self-removal, and liquid–liquid interface reaction applications. However, developing a facile and efficient method to fabricate these versatile surfaces remains an enormous challenge. In this paper, a strategy for the fabrication of liquid manipulating surfaces with patternable and controllable wettability on Polyimide (PI) film based on femtosecond laser thermal accumulation engineering is proposed. Because of its controllable micro-/nanostructures and chemical composition through adjusting the local thermal accumulation, the wettability of PI film can be tuned from superhydrophilicity (~ 3.6°) to superhydrophobicity (~ 151.6°). Furthermore, three diverse surfaces with patternable and heterogeneous wettability were constructed and various applications were successfully realized, including water transport, droplet arrays, and liquid wells. This work may provide a facile strategy for achieving patternable and controllable wettability efficiently and developing multifunctional liquid steering surfaces.

The effect of Ce multi-addition on wettability and microstructure of Sn-0.7Cu solder was investigated. The results indicated that the multi-addition of Ce could greatly improve the wettability of solder and refine the microstructure of solder matrix. The optimal property of solder was obtained when the addition of Ce reached 0.1 wt.%. With the increasing of Ce addition, black phase appeared and tend to be accumulated in the solder matrix. EDS results indicated that the composition of black phase contained varies elements including Sn, Cu, Ni, and Ce. Compared with the previous research results of solder with excessive Ce addition, no obviously Sn-Nd phase was observed while a small amount of Ga2Nd phase appeared in the solder matrix.

A novel concept of treating oil reservoirs by nanofluids is being developed to improve oil recovery and reduce the trapped oil in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Nanoparticles show great potential in enhancing oil recovery under ambient conditions. In this paper, the approaches of wettability alteration by using nanofluid, stability of nanofluids, and the most reliable wettability alteration mechanisms associated with variant types of nanoparticles have been reviewed. Moreover, the parameters that have a significant influence on nanofluid flooding have been discussed. Finally, the recent studies of the effect of nanoparticles on wettability alteration have been summarised and analysed. Furthermore, this paper presents possible opportunities and challenges regarding wettability alteration using nanofluids.

Understanding and controlling the flow of water confined in nanopores has tremendous implications in theoretical studies and industrial applications. Here, we propose a simple model for the confined water flow based on the concept of effective slip, which is a linear sum of true slip, depending on a contact angle, and apparent slip, caused by a spatial variation of the confined water viscosity as a function of wettability as well as the nanopore dimension. Results from this model show that the flow capacity of confined water is 10−1∼10⁷ times that calculated by the no-slip Hagen–Poiseuille equation for nanopores with various contact angles and dimensions, in agreement with the majority of 53 different study cases from the literature. This work further sheds light on a controversy over an increase or decrease in flow capacity from molecular dynamics simulations and experiments.

Perovskite solar cells with an inverted architecture provide a key pathway for commercializing this emerging photovoltaic technology because of the better power conversion efficiency and operational stability compared with the normal device structure. Specifically, power conversion efficiencies of the inverted perovskite solar cells have exceeded 25% owing to the development of improved self-assembled molecules 1 – 5 and passivation strategies 6 – 8 . However, poor wettability and agglomeration of self-assembled molecules 9 – 12 cause interfacial losses, impeding further improvement in the power conversion efficiency and stability. Here we report a molecular hybrid at the buried interface in inverted perovskite solar cells that co-assembled the popular self-assembled molecule [4-(3,6-dimethyl-9 H -carbazol-9-yl)butyl]phosphonic acid (Me-4PACz) with the multiple aromatic carboxylic acid 4,4′,4″-nitrilotribenzoic acid (NA) to improve the heterojunction interface. The molecular hybrid of Me-4PACz with NA could substantially improve the interfacial characteristics. The resulting inverted perovskite solar cells demonstrated a record certified steady-state efficiency of 26.54%. Crucially, this strategy aligns seamlessly with large-scale manufacturing, achieving one of the highest certified power conversion efficiencies for inverted mini-modules at 22.74% (aperture area 11.1 cm 2 ). Our device also maintained 96.1% of its initial power conversion efficiency after more than 2,400 h of 1-sun operation in ambient air. High efficiency in perovskite solar cells is achieved by using a molecular hybrid of a self-assembled monolayer with nitrilotribenzoic acid.

The aim of the work was to quantify the surface wettability of metallic (Fe, Al, Cu, brass) surfaces covered with sprayed paints. Wettability was determined using the contact angle hysteresis approach, where dynamic contact angles (advancing ΘA and receding ΘR) were identified with the inclined plate method. The equilibrium, ΘY, contact angle hysteresis, CAH = ΘA − ΘR, film pressure, Π, surface free energy, γSV, works of adhesion, WA, and spreading, WS, were considered. Hydrophobic water/solid interactions were exhibited for the treated surfaces with the dispersive term contribution to γSV equal to (0.66–0.69). The registered 3D surface roughness profiles allowed the surface roughness and surface heterogeneity effect on wettability to be discussed. The clean metallic surfaces turned out to be of a hydrophilic nature (ΘY < 90°) with high γSV, heterogeneous, and rough with a large CAH. The surface covering demonstrated the parameters’ evolution, ΘA↑, ΘR↑, γSV↓, WA↓, and WS↓, corresponding to the surface hydrophobization and exhibiting base substratum-specific signatures. The dimensionless roughness fluctuation coefficient, η, was linearly correlated to CAH. The CAH methodology based on the three measurable quantities, ΘA, ΘR, and liquid surface tension, γLV, can be a useful tool in surface-mediated process studies, such as lubrication, liquid coating, and thermoflow.

Abstract The excellent mechanical and lubricant property make graphene an ideal enhanced phase for high-performance composites. Graphene metal matrix composites with good structural mechanical and tribological properties have a wide range of applications in aerospace, automotive, electronics, and biomedical fields. However, some problems exist in preparing high-performance metal matrix composites including poor wettability between graphene and metal matrix, and weak interfacial bonding strength. Efficient methods for preparing graphene metal matrix parts with high performance still need to be further developed. Meanwhile, the study of the tribological behavior of graphene-reinforced metal matrix composites is rather limited, and the poor wear resistance is a limiting factor for a wide range of applications. In this paper, the properties of graphene are reviewed and the applications of graphene are discussed with specific examples. The methods of preparing high-performance metal matrix composites are reviewed and the main challenges were analyzed, and the mechanical and tribological properties of graphene metal matrix composites are discussed with emphasis. The research directions and application trends of graphene metal matrix composites have been prospected.