The Korean Society of Surface Science and Engineering

In the case of buildings consisting of reinforced concrete, vulnerable problems (such as steel-reinforcement corrosion and concrete cracks) may occur due to concrete carbonation depending on external environmental conditions such as temperature, moisture and CO₂ concentration. Since concrete carbonation is significantly important degradation factor that could determine the lifetime of the building, functional coatings (paints) are attracting attention as a means of preventing it. This review provides the current status of highly functionalized paints for preventing concrete carbonation in South Korea and the direction for improving paints.

Surface coating; Paint; Concrete materials; Carbonation resistance

Atomic layer deposition(ALD) has emerged as a promising technique for improving the performance and durability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs). By enabling atomic-scale precision in material deposition, ALD enhances catalyst utilization, gas diffusion layer (GDL) modification, and bipolar plate protection. ALD-based catalyst minimizes platinum usage while maintaining high electrochemical activity through controlled nanoparticle growth and alloy formation. In addition, ALD improves GDL characteristic by optimizing mass transport and water management, which enhances durability and efficiency. ALD material deposition on bipolar plates could provide superior corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity, ensuring long-term stability. However, challenges remain in scaling ALD for large-area applications, increasing process speed, and reducing costs. Future research should focus on optimizing deposition conditions, and developing cost-effective ALD systems. This review highlights the role of ALD in advancing PEMFC technology and its potential to enhance efficiency and stability.

Atomic Layer Deposition; Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell; Catalyst; Bipolar Plate; Gas Diffusion Layer

The sewage and wastewater treatment market is evolving from organic material removal to advanced treatment and reuse, including toxic management and non-degradable treatment systems. Consequently, the importance of insoluble electrode technology for oxidant generation, which primarily degrades hazardous materials, is increasing. In this study, we propose boron-doped diamond (BDD) as an electrode material for an oil component removal system. BDD electrodes were prepared with various methane (CH₄) and trimethyl borane (TMB) flow ratios using hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (HF-CVD) system. All samples exhibited a preferential (111) peak growth; however, there was no significant difference in crystallinity concerning different boron concentration. In cyclic voltammetry analysis, all samples had a potential window of 2.6 V, but the current increased as a function of boron concentration; BDD with 47,000 ppm exhibited 1.3 times higher current than BDD with 6,700 ppm. As a result, the BDD 47,000 ppm sample, which generated an extremely high concentration of oxidants, showed the best performance in the oil residue component removal test.

HF-CVD; Boron-doped diamond; Insoluble electrode; Oil components removal

Electrochromic materials, which exhibit reversible color changes through electrochemical reactions, have attracted significant attention for applications in smart windows and displays due to their energy-efficient properties. Among various electrochromic materials, vanadium oxides are promising due to their high energy density, excellent stability, and diverse color states. This study demonstrates the fabrication of transparent vanadium oxide thin films via electrodeposition and investigates their electrochromic properties. The films exhibited phase transformation from monoclinic VO₂ to orthorhombic V₂O₅ at 300 ℃, accompanied by morphological evolution from spherical particles to platelet structures. The electrochemical analysis revealed efficient Li⁺ ion diffusion with notable optical modulation and rapid color switching between transparent yellow and purple states. This simple electrodeposition method demonstrates that the transparent V₂O₅ thin films possess stable and reversible electrochromic characteristics suitable for smart window applications.

Vanadium oxide; Electrodeposition; Annealing; Electrochromism; Smart windows

This study examines how surface modification treatments affect the surface energy of a polymer substrate and how these changes influence the adhesion strength of metal coatings. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was chosen as the substrate material. The surface of the PMMA was modified using atmospheric plasma treatment and fluorination coating. The surface energy was measured by evaluating the contact angle. After modification, a titanium (Ti) thin film was deposited on the substrate by sputtering, and the adhesion strength between the Ti coating and PMMA was measured using a Cross-cut test. The plasma treatment significantly increased the polar component of the surface energy, improving its interaction with the Ti coating. In contrast, the hydrophobic fluorination coating reduced the surface energy of the PMMA from 50.0 mJ/m^² to 38.2 mJ/m^². Importantly, the adhesion strength of the Ti coating showed a clear correlation with the surface energy of the substrate.

Surface modification; Adhesion; Surface energy; Contact angle; Polymer

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have attracted significant interest due to their extraordinary electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties, making them promising materials for next generation electronic and energy storage devices. We here report a synthesis of parallel-aligned (PA) SWNTs on quartz substrates and direct transfer process onto silicon dioxide wafers without loss of as-grown SWNTs during the wet transfer. The growth temperature to obtain PA-SWNTs in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was changed and investigated the effect of CVD temperature on tube density and diameter distribution. The morphological and structural properties of as-grown and transferred SWNTs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. We believe that the proposed approach offers great potential for SWNTs-based nanoelectronic device fabrication.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes; Chemical vapor deposition; Wet transfer; Parallel-aligned singlewalled carbon nanotubes