Welcome to Bio-Inspired Polymeric Materials Lab
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Research activities in our lab are mostly interdisciplinary. It originates with the strategic choice of facile chemistry that provides a unique basis for systematic orthogonal/independent tailoring of topography/roughness and surface free energy to derive interfaces with functional, robust and adaptive wettability. Such materials are with immense potential in wide range of applications related to environment, health and energy. Our research group mostly apply 1,4- conjugate addition reaction as an effective chemical tool to design a range of functional interfaces and materials.
Our primary research activities are revolved around following topics:
Super Liquid Repellent Interfaces
While the lotus-leaf inspired superhydrophobic interfaces are widely recognized for their selfcleaning performance in air, the fish-scale inspired underwater superoleophobic coatings known for their ability for preventing underwater oil-contamination. Our research lab involved in deriving such extremely water and oil repellent coating following simple and scalable approach, where different synthetic, semi-synthetic polymers, small molecules and naturally abundant ingredients are strategically applied to achieve highly tolerant coatings following solgel conversion, layer-by-layer deposition, spray coating, dip-coating methods.
Adv. Funct. Mater., 2023, 33, 2302569
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2022, 51, 5452
Chem. Mater., 2021, 33, 8941–8959
Mater. Horiz., 2021,8, 2717-2725
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021, 9, 824–856
Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 24349-24356.
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2019, 7, 9120-9129
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018, 6, 6642-6653
Chem. Sci., 2017, 8, 6542-6554
Chem. Mater. 2016, 28, 8689-8699
Slippery Interfaces
The design of smooth interfaces having ability to slide beaded droplets of liquids effortlessly appeared as an important avenue for design optically transparent anti-wetting interfaces. While Napenthese Pitcher inspired slippery liquid infused slippery surfaces (SLIPS) are widely recognized for various potential applications, the continuous and unavoidable leaching of infused external lubricants from SLIPS remained a major concern. As an alternative solid + 1,4-Conjugate addition reaction Super Liquid Repellent Interfaces Slippery Interfaces slippery coating is highly prospective, but precise and control tailoring of roughness and surface-free energy in lubricant-free coating is important and challenging task to achieve. Our research team is involved in deriving such functional interfaces following different strategies.
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Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 4938
Adv. Mater., 2023, 35, 2302264.
Chem. Eng. J., 2023, 465, 142776
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed, 2022, 61, e202116763 ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 12, 14531.
Air-bubble Wettability/ Adhesion
Underwater Air-bubble repellence and adhesion appeared as an effective tool for guided transport of gas bubbles underwater. However, methods of deriving superaerophobic coatings with tailored gas-bubble adhesion is rare in the literature. Our lab is involved in designing coatings with such calibres to improve electrochemical hydrogen production, where an early detachment of produced gas bubble prevents the rise in resistance of working electrode because of the adhesion of gaseous products—which often observed in bare electrode surface.
Small, 2024,20, 2309359
Adv. Funct. Mater., 2023, 2311648
Adv. Mater., 2022, 34, 2110085
Patterned Interfaces
In the past, inspired by the patterned wettability present in back of Namib desert beetle, superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic patterns are introduced for various relevant applications— including droplet open microfluidic, cell on a chip, guided liquid transport etc. However, our research group is involved in developing some unconventional pattern wettability with different architects of chemical modulation in reactive antiwetting coatings. Such patterned wettabilities are appeared to be important for various relevant applications—including anticounterfeiting, sorting of liquids based on their surface tension differences, water harvesting, moisture managements, strain sensing etc.
Nat. commun., 2024 Accepted Manuscript
Adv. Funct. Mater., 2024, Accepted Manuscript
Mater. Horiz., 2023,10, 2204-2214.
Mater. Horiz., 2021, 8, 2851-2858
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020, 8, 25040– 25046
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, 12, 2935–2943.
Liquid/ liquid separation
The strategic association of super-liquid repellence with porous and fibrous mesh/sponges provided a facile basis for selective absorption based or gravity driven selective filtration-based separation of immiscible or layered liquid mixtures or even emulsified oil/water mixtures. In this relevance, our research group is involved in designing efficient materials—including superhydrophobic 2D materials, superhydrophobic covalent organic framework, antiwetting membranes and superhydrophobic sponges for separating oil from water or vice versa, irrespective of the difference in the surface tension of liquids present in their mixture.
Adv. Funct. Mater. 2024, 2315460
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2022, 61, e2022105
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020,8, 15148-15156
Chem. Sci., 2020,11, 6556-6566
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018,6, 15993-16002
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 23339-23348
Chemical Sensing
There are different approaches available for deriving materials for detecting toxic chemical presents in the water or food items. But often, the detection process demands equipment to LA (γLv >35 mN m-1) LB (γLv<30 mN m-1) Specially Selective Pattern Liquid Selective Recognition of Pattern Hide See Liquid/Liquid Separation Chemical Sensing record data and its analysis, which makes the process less appropriate for detection of relevant toxic chemicals in remote places. In this context, our research group strategically used chemically reactive coatings and adaptive wettability for naked eye sensing of toxic chemicals just by monitoring raising or rolling of liquid droplets on solid surface.
Chem. Commun., 2023, 59, 7915–7918
(2023 Pioneering Investigators and HOT article issue)
Mater. Horiz., 2022, 9, 991-1001
Chem. Sci., 2021, 12, 2097–2107
Programable Liquid Marbles
Liquid marbles, droplets coated with hydrophobic or superhydrophobic particles, provide a protective environment to the encapsulated tiny (volume of few microliter) liquid droplets on solid surfaces—without having any adhesion loss. Programming lifetime of such liquid marbles to release encapsulated liquids is a challenging task. Our research group is involved in tailoring water vapor diffusion length through the porous layer in the liquid marbles to preprogrammed their life time on water pool having different pH. Now we are also exploring such soft materials to execute no-loss droplet chemistry on solid surface, where we can handle a micro-litre volume of reaction mixture.
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024, 12, 3362–3372
Adv. Funct. Mater., 2023, 33, 2214840
Chem. Mater., 2024, Accepted Manuscript