Toggle Main Menu Toggle Search

Open Access padlockePrints

Transforming siliconization into slippery liquid-like coatings

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Nicholas JakubovicsORCiD

Downloads


Licence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

© 2025 The Authors. Siliconization is a specific coating technique to engineer surface properties in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries to lubricate motion, ensure complete dispensation of product, and to inhibit protein adsorption and biofilm growth. However, the focus has been on optimizing hydrophobicity, whereas liquid shedding is dominated by static and kinetic contact line friction. Here, we report a simple-to-apply coating method with optimization of ultra-low contact angle hysteresis liquid-like coatings for glass (G), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polyurethane (PU) and stainless steel (SS); materials which are used for pharmaceutical/parenteral packaging and medical equipment. Moreover, we demonstrate that the coating's slow sliding dynamics surface properties for water droplets caused by high droplet kinetic friction, can be converted into fast sliding dynamics corresponding to low droplet kinetic friction, by a simple molecular capping (methylation) process. Our results provide new insight into key aspects of siliconization coatings in the context of industrial/commercial processes.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Barrio-Zhang H, McHale G, Wells GG, Ledesma-Aguilar R, Han R, Jakubovics N, Chen J

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Progress in Organic Coatings

Year: 2026

Volume: 210

Print publication date: 01/01/2026

Online publication date: 13/09/2025

Acceptance date: 04/09/2025

Date deposited: 04/09/2025

ISSN (print): 0300-9440

ISSN (electronic): 1873-331X

Publisher: Elsevier BV

URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.porgcoat.2025.109651

DOI: 10.1016/j.porgcoat.2025.109651

Data Access Statement: Data will be made available on request.


Altmetrics

Altmetrics provided by Altmetric


Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council: grants EP/V049348/1, EP/V049615/1 and EP/V049615/2

Share