Lustrous metallic paints are used to enhance the beauty of many products, such as home decorations, cars and artwork. But most of these pigments owe their sheen to flakes of aluminum, copper, zinc or other metals, which have drawbacks. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Omega have developed organic-only dyes that can form films resembling gold or bronze, without the need for metals. Organic-only dyes produce films with … Continue reading Gold- and bronze-like paints that don’t contain metal

“Listen to this article” These types of membranes are used in water treatment facilities, semiconductor manufacturing sites and within the food and beverage industry. Scientists at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed a light-activated coating for filtration membranes — the kind used in water treatment facilities, at semiconductor manufacturing sites and within the food and beverage industry — to make them … Continue reading A light-activated coating for filtration membranes

A team from UNIGE has artificially reproduced a nanoscale coating on different types of surfaces that usually covers the eyes of fruit flies, and which provides anti-reflective, anti-adhesive properties. Successive enlargements of a fly’s eye. The eye is made up of many facets, which are themselves covered by a thin layer of protuberances a few tens of nanometres high. 1 micrometer (μm) = 1000 nanometers (nm). ©UNIGE/Vladimir Katanaev … Continue reading Anti-reflective coating inspired by fly eyes

New research from Binghamton University, State University of New York could lead to more environmentally friendly paints and coatings. Janus particles have a similar dual nature, because they are engineered to have two surfaces each with distinct physical properties. One combination for a Janus particle is to have one side hydrophilic (attracted to water) and the other hydrophobic (water repellent). Until recently, Janus particles could … Continue reading Self-stratification behaviors of Janus particles to improve paints, coatings