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Image supplied by RMIT University.<\/p>\n Image supplied by RMIT University.<\/p>\n
RMIT University researchers have developed a sound wave-based manufacturing technique capable of creating and applying protective coatings on delicate surfaces, including living plant leaves, according to a new study published in Science Advances.<\/p>\n
The university said the approach uses high-frequency sound waves to generate a fine mist that rapidly forms into a UV-blocking coating at room temperature, potentially opening new manufacturing applications for sensitive materials that cannot withstand heat or harsh processing methods.<\/p>\n
The study demonstrated the process on living plant leaves, where the coating acted as a \u201cplant sunscreen\u201d by absorbing harmful ultraviolet light while still allowing visible light needed for photosynthesis to pass through.<\/p>\n
Lead author Javad Khosravi Farsani said the coating protected the leaves without affecting plant growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe coating absorbs harmful UV light while allowing visible light through,\u201d Farsani said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means the plant can continue photosynthesis while being protected from damage.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the researchers, treated leaves continued growing normally for months after the coating was removed, which the team said demonstrated the gentleness of the process.<\/p>\n
The coating material was produced from a covalent organic framework (COF) liquid, which assembled into a solid layer as it was sprayed. COFs are part of a broader class of porous materials valued for applications including light absorption, molecule separation and surface protection.<\/p>\n
Leslie Yeo, a senior author on the study from RMIT\u2019s School of Engineering, said existing manufacturing and coating methods for such materials often involve trade-offs between preserving material quality and protecting sensitive surfaces.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese materials have extraordinary properties, but you\u2019ve typically had to choose between preserving their structure and protecting the surface you\u2019re applying them to,\u201d Yeo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat this work shows is a way to avoid that trade-off by forming and coating the material under very gentle conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The researchers said conventional coating techniques commonly rely on ovens, aggressive solvents or specialised equipment that can damage fragile materials.<\/p>\n
Amgad Rezk said the new manufacturing process instead used sound waves to both form and deposit the coating in a single step.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy using sound waves, we\u2019re able to form and deposit the coating within minutes without heating or damaging the surface,\u201d Rezk said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a major shift from conventional coating methods and it allows us to work with fragile materials, including living plant tissue.\u201d<\/p>\n
The process works by using high-frequency vibrations to break a liquid formulation into microscopic droplets. As the droplets move through the air, the COF material assembles into an organised solid layer before settling onto the target surface.<\/p>\n
Co-corresponding author Joseph Richardson said the process could simplify coating production for a range of industries handling sensitive materials.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur method effectively combines manufacturing and coating into a single step,\u201d Richardson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat simplicity is what makes it adaptable across different surfaces and applications.\u201d<\/p>\n
The researchers said the technology could have potential applications in electronics, sensors and membranes that require protective coatings but are sensitive to heat or chemicals.<\/p>\n
RMIT said it filed a provisional patent related to the work earlier this year. The research was conducted with collaborators in Australia and Europe, including the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Image supplied by RMIT University. RMIT University researchers have developed a sound wave-based manufacturing technique capable of creating…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":654446,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[64,63,22530,107340,121903,128,107249,316532,2286],"class_list":["post-654445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-manufacturing","tag-rmit","tag-rmit-university","tag-science","tag-science-advances","tag-sound-wave","tag-study"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=654445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/654446"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=654445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=654445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=654445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}