Research
The majority of new and emerging applications for glasses require surface treatment or coating. In biotechnology, molecular and polymer coatings of various kinds are required. For flat panel display and energy technologies, the glass surface is a substrate for electronic and integrated optical materials of all types, some deposited from vapor and some from solution. For lightweight structural materials and numerous consumer products, fiberglass is treated with multi-functional polymer-based coatings for protection or adhesion. In all cases, the glass surface energy, surface charge, adsorptivity, cleanliness, nano/micro-texture, chemical durability and surface mechanical properties play critical roles in the coating process and the performance of the final product. Our work is focused on understanding and engineering these features of glass surfaces and interfaces as a function of the glass composition, and its processing or manufacture.
