Surface functionalisation
Most of what a material does in service happens in its first few nanometres. Functionalising that layer changes wetting, bonding and release behaviour without touching bulk properties.
The first
few nanometres
do most of the work
Whether something wets, sticks, sheds or releases is decided at a depth the bulk specification never mentions. Functionalisation lets that be designed deliberately — and, importantly, measured, so it can be held constant from batch to batch.
01
Surface characterisation
Contact angle, surface energy and chemical composition established as a baseline before anything is changed.
02
Functional group selection
The chemistry chosen for the behaviour wanted — hydrophilic, hydrophobic, adhesion-promoting or release — and for the substrate it has to bond to.
03
Treatment process
A route that fits an industrial line: in-line where possible, with a treatment window wide enough to survive normal variation.
04
Stability over time
Treated surfaces recover. We measure how fast, so the shelf life of the treatment is known rather than assumed.
Where it is applied
A surface property that is not measured is a surface property that will drift.
This capability sits within Nanotechnology. If it is the one your problem turns on, tell us the constraint and we will tell you whether it is worth starting.