Interfacial Forces and Functional Surfaces: From Fundamental Mechanisms to Resource and Environmental Applications

Interfacial phenomena underpin a wide range of natural and industrial processes, from mineral flotation and petroleum recovery to water purification and anti-fouling surface engineering. The rational design of functional surfaces and the optimization of colloidal systems in these applications rely on a quantitative understanding of intermolecular and surface forces — including van der Waals, electrical double-layer, hydrophobic, hydration, and steric interactions — operating at gas/liquid/solid/oil interfaces.Recent advances in experimental and characterization techniques, particularly atomic force microscopy (AFM), surface forces apparatus (SFA), and other nanoscale force measurement methods now enable researchers to directly quantify interaction forces between individual bubbles, droplets, particles, and surfaces with sub-nanonewton resolution under realistic solution conditions. These tools have transformed our ability to decode the molecular-level mechanisms governing adhesion, wetting, lubrication, and colloidal stability in complex multi-phase systems. At the same time, breakthroughs in materials design — including 2D nanomaterials (e.g., MXenes), mussel-inspired adhesive polymers, and superwettable coatings — have created exciting opportunities to engineer surfaces with precisely controlled interfacial properties for resource processing and environmental remediation.Despite this progress, significant challenges remain. The interplay between surface chemical heterogeneity, nanoscale roughness, and molecular architecture in modulating hydrophobic interactions is not yet fully understood. The selective separation of valuable minerals by flotation still relies heavily on empirical reagent screening rather than mechanism-driven design. The removal of emerging contaminants — microplastics, natural organic matter, and heavy metal ions — from complex water matrices demands new interfacial strategies guided by fundamental force measurements.This Research Topic aims to bring together physical chemists, materials scientists, chemical engineers, and environmental researchers to advance the mechanistic understanding of nanoscale interfacial forces and translate this knowledge into functional surfaces and sustainable technologies.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:•Intermolecular and Surface Forces — Quantitative measurement and modeling of van der Waals, electrostatic, hydrophobic, hydration, and steric forces at mineral, polymer, biological, and composite interfaces.•Hydrophobic Interactions — Role of molecular architecture, surface nanoscale structure, and solution chemistry in modulating hydrophobic interactions at solid/liquid and air/liquid interfaces.•Anisotropic Surface Properties — Probing anisotropic surface chemistry, wettability, and interaction forces of layered and crystalline minerals.•Bubble and Droplet Interactions — Interaction mechanisms between air bubbles, oil droplets, and solid surfaces in aqueous and non-aqueous media, with implications for flotation and emulsion stability.•Superwettable Surfaces — Design and mechanistic understanding of superhydrophobic, superhydrophilic, and Janus surfaces for anti-fouling, anti-corrosion, anti-icing, drag reduction, and oil–water separation.•Bio-Inspired Adhesion and Lubrication — Mussel-inspired wet adhesives, zwitterionic antifouling coatings, and biopolymer-based lubricants.•Nanomaterials for Water Treatment — 2D nanosheets, core–shell microspheres, and functional membranes for removal of heavy metal ions, organic pollutants, humic acid, and microplastics.•Colloid Chemistry in Mineral Processing — Surface forces governing collector/depressant adsorption, bubble–particle attachment, and selective flotation separation.•Asphaltene and Petroleum Interfacial Science — Interaction mechanisms at oil/water/solid interfaces involving asphaltenes and other interfacially active species.•Computational and Theoretical Approaches — First-principles calculations, molecular dynamics simulations, and DLVO/non-DLVO modeling of interfacial interactions. Topic editors: Lei Xie, Qingye Lu, Wenshuai Yang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80838/interfacial-forces-and-functional-surfaces-from-fundamental-mechanisms-to-resource-and-environmental-applications