Editorial

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Surface Innovations is entering its thirteenth year, featuring a diverse portfolio of articles focused on scientific and engineering advancements in the formulation, modification, testing, and characterization of functional surfaces and coatings made from novel materials, including nanomaterials. The reports published between 2013 and 2024 summarize research efforts in the invention and design of various innovative functional surfaces, biomaterials, antimicrobial and antifungal coatings, fabric coloration, electronic materials, and energy storage materials, including their processing and recycling. The journal aims to continue publishing articles covering a broad range of topics related to the science and engineering of surfaces and interfaces.In this first issue of 2025 the journal offers seven original reports on composite superhydrophobic membrane for oil-water separation,1 antimicrobial functionalization of cotton,2 natural colorant for dyeing mordanted nylon fabric,3 wettability of laser-based structured steel surface,4 synthesis of polymer nanocomposites for flexible electronics,5 fabrication of coating using shock wave-assisted laser cladding,6 and biocomposite coating for bone tissue engineering.7The first paper1 discusses the work of an international team of researchers from Saudi Arabia, China, and Egypt who have developed a superhydrophobic textile fabric designed for effective oil-water separation. This innovative fabric incorporates biochar made from pyrolyzed banana leaves and bio-Cu nanoparticles derived from grape seed extract, which enhance textile fabric surface roughness. Additionally, eco-friendly stearic acid is used as a low surface energy material. The resulting textile fabric demonstrates exceptional efficiency in oil-water separation across multiple cycles, along with both mechanical and chemical stability. This invention represents a significant advancement in environmental remediation and oil-water separation technologies. Two interesting inventions on oil-water separation membranes were also published last year.8,9In the second contribution to this issue,2 another international team of researchers from China, Bangladesh, India, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, and Korea investigated the antimicrobial finishing on chitosan treated cotton fabric using natural lavender oil and latex gum from jackfruit. This interesting work proposes a facile, eco-friendly method for preparing antimicrobial functional cotton fabric. The researchers found that the combination of chitosan-treated lavender essential oil and jackfruit latex gum effectively inhibits the growth of both gram-negative E. coli and gram-positive S. aureus bacteria. This innovative blend can serve as a natural antimicrobial agent for the functionalization of cotton fabric in medical textiles, replacing synthetic chemicals.The success of international and multidisciplinary collaboration in research is highlighted by another study on fabric coloration. A study by Bisma et al.3 demonstrates an environmentally friendly method for extracting bixin from Bixa Orellana seeds and applying it to dye microwave-treated nylon fabric. The authors explore natural mordants as alternatives to chemical ones, achieving very good to exceptional color fastness. Surface chemistry characterization indicates the extract's potential for textile coloring, and the study shows that combining microwave treatment with plant-based dyes could yield eco-friendly nylon fabric. The growing demand for natural dyes highlights their benefits for the environment and human health, as well as their effectiveness and industrial efficiency. It should be emphasized that the journal is receiving an increasing number of submissions related to textile coloration and modifications, and published three interesting papers in 2024.10–12In the fourth contribution to this issue, Xia et al.4 describe the fabrication of self-organized lamellar and strip structures on steel through femtosecond laser ablation. Numerical simulations indicate that higher frequencies lead to increased heat accumulation, which influences the morphology of the structures. Initially, all surfaces were highly hydrophilic, but they transitioned to hydrophobic or superhydrophobic after a 6-hour annealing process at 100°C. This change was primarily due to chemical variations on the surface. Surface chemistry characterization revealed that the annealing process removed polar organics and enhanced the adsorption of non-polar organics. Additionally, it facilitated the oxidation of iron, with magnetite oxides promoting hydrophobicity by generating carbon compounds from carbon dioxide. Therefore, the transition in wettability resulted from both the adsorption of non-polar substances and the formation of self-organized structures. Surface Innovations is recognized for its quality publications on solid surface wettability. We highly recommend reviewing both the original and review papers published previously, including the work by Starostin et al.13 and Emelyanenko et al.14The journal also published many contributions on flexible electronics in the past.15,16 In a new contribution,5 polyvinyl alcohol and sodium iodide films were fabricated using the casting technique and exposed to cold nitrogen plasma for 15 to 60 minutes. Phase and surface characterization analyses revealed structural and morphological changes in the films, indicating their sensitivity as dosimeters for low energy irradiation. The reflectance and refractive index increased significantly after 15 minutes of exposure, then decreased with longer exposure, although they remained higher than in the pristine sample. The optical conductivity and extinction coefficient improved gradually with nitrogen plasma exposure, enhancing the films’ optical properties for optoelectronic applications.Next, researchers from the China University of Mining and Technology conducted a fascinating study on the use of in situ shock wave-assisted laser cladding to create NiCrBSi coatings.6 The study integrates theoretical calculations, experimental observations, and real-time monitoring to investigate the impact of shock waves on the molten pool during the cladding process. This research offers valuable insights into the fields of laser cladding and materials science. The results indicate that contact ultrasonic vibration enhances the grain structure, porosity, element distribution, and hardness of the induction cladding coating.In the final contribution to this issue, Najafinezhad et al.7 successfully combined baghdadite and reduced graphene oxide to create composite materials through sol-gel and chemical reduction methods. Specifically, the authors applied a gelatin-graphene oxide-azithromycin mixture to the surface of baghdadite scaffolds using the dip-coating technique under low vacuum conditions. They evaluated the structural characteristics, mechanical properties, degradation behavior, drug release profile, bioactivity, antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility of both the bare and coated scaffolds. The scaffolds exhibited a porous structure, with pore sizes primarily ranging from 500 to 700 μm, along with numerous smaller pores ranging from 2 to 10 μm. The coated scaffolds demonstrated 3 to 4 times higher compressive strength compared to the uncoated ones, and they showed enhanced bioactivity, including improved antibacterial effectiveness against Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-positive S. aureus. Therefore, gelatin-graphene oxide-azithromycin coated baghdadite scaffolds have excellent potential for treating bone tissue defects.We welcome your feedback and suggestions to help improve the Surface Innovations journal for our readers in the future. We also invite comprehensive reviews and original work related to surfaces., interfaces, and coating science, engineering, manufacturing, and performance.