Researchers Study Anti-adhesive Nano-thin Liquid-like Coatings to End PFAS Dependence by Paving the Way to Non-Stick Materials
University of Sydney researchers observe oil molecules retaining their ‘liquid-like’ properties when they are chemically attached as an extremely thin layer to solid surfaces, opening new possibilities for designing sustainable materials with non-stick characteristics.
The ‘liquid-like’ coatings, known as slippery covalently-attached liquid surfaces (SCALS), are produced from silicones or polyethylene glycol – both of which break down into harmless byproducts in the environment. SCALS are anti-adhesive without relying on problematic perfluorinated polymers (PFAS), known as ‘forever chemicals’ that are usually used for their low adhesion properties.
The slippery nano-thin layers, between two and five billionths of a meter thick or 10,000 times thinner than an human hair, are made up of oil molecules that are only a hundred atoms long.