Cleaner, more durable surface coatings through collaborative study of electrostatics
(PHYSorg.com Chemistry)

Work surfaces at home that we clean regularly still accumulate mystery particulate matter over time: sinks, tiles, and windows-even non-stick Teflon pans. The same is true of the surfaces of materials used in industry and in environmental remediation. Efforts to create better materials with predictable surface properties have led scientists to study the electrostatic forces that attract particulates to surface coatings. Recently, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory`s (PNNL`s) Hongfei Wang collaborated with a team of researchers from Northwestern University (NU) to dramatically advance the ability to study the electrostatic charges of surfaces. The team`s innovative laser-based technique now allows researchers to predict how a surface`s electrostatic charge might attract particulates with opposite charges, decreasing the buildup of what NU`s Franz Geiger calls `crud.`