Sol-Gel Composites-Based Flexible and Transparent Amorphous Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Thin-Film Synaptic Transistors for Wearable Intelligent Electronics

In this study, we propose the fabrication of sol-gel composite-based flexible and transparent synaptic transistors on polyimide (PI) substrates. Because a low thermal budget process is essential for the implementation of high-performance synaptic transistors on flexible PI substrates, microwave annealing (MWA) as a heat treatment process suitable for thermally vulnerable substrates was employed and compared to conventional thermal annealing (CTA). In addition, a solution-processed wide-bandgap amorphous In-Ga-Zn (2:1:1) oxide (a-IGZO) channel, an organic polymer chitosan electrolyte-based electric double layer (EDL), and a high-k Ta₂O₅ thin-film dielectric layer were applied to achieve high flexibility and transparency. The essential synaptic plasticity of the flexible and transparent synaptic transistors fabricated with the MWA process was demonstrated by single spike, paired-pulse facilitation, multi-spike facilitation excitatory post-synaptic current (EPSC), and three-cycle evaluation of potentiation and depression behaviors. Furthermore, we verified the mechanical robustness of the fabricated device through repeated bending tests and demonstrated that the electrical properties were stably maintained. As a result, the proposed sol-gel composite-based synaptic transistors are expected to serve as transparent and flexible intelligent electronic devices capable of stable neural operation.     

宽光谱太阳能电池

太阳能电池的光谱响应特性和光电转换效率与光伏材料的微观能带结构及其宏观组装方式密切相关。无论使用哪种光伏材料,普通单结或单层太阳能电池都只能对部分波段的太阳光进行有效利用。宽光谱研究的目标是要使太阳能电池更好地利用太阳光谱所覆盖的全部波段范围的能量,从而提高太阳能电池光电转换效率。本文从化学角度综述了实现宽光谱太阳能电池的基本方法和当前的研究进展,其中包括叠层太阳能电池、中间带太阳能电池、量子点太阳能电池、热光伏太阳能电池、上转换和下转换、分子基柔性太阳能电池等方法。     

柔性链在调控有机半导体光电性能中的应用

过去一段时间里, 用于光电器件的可溶液加工有机半导体材料已经取得了巨大的进步. 寻找新的共轭骨架一直是改善器件性能的研究重点. 相比之下, 通常认为只有增溶作用的柔性链的发展一直没有引起足够的重视. 本文希望通过总结近年来有关柔性链在调控有机半导体光电性能方面的研究进展, 探讨柔性链的类型、长度、密度、取向以及节点等对材料光电性能的影响作用及规律, 以期深刻理解柔性链在调控有机半导体光电性能中的作用, 为进一步优化高性能有机半导体材料的分子结构设计提供参考和指导.     

Fabrication of asymmetrically superhydrophobic cotton fabrics via mist copolymerization of 2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl methacrylate

We report here a simple strategy for fabricating asymmetrically superhydrophobic cotton fabric via a mist copolymerization of three monomers, 2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFMA), 2‐isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (IEM), and divinylbenzene (DVB). The copolymer layer on the cotton surface was confirmed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis and attenuated total reflection (ATR) accessory, and the nanoscale hierarchical structures in the polymeric layer were demonstrated by observation of field emission scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM). Surface characterization reveals that the modified surface is superhydrophobic, but the opposite side of the modified cotton fabric has the hydrophilic nature of cotton. More experimental data suggest that the good water adsorptivity and vapor transmissibility of the original cotton fabric were inherited after the surface modification. These properties are of great significance in textile and medical applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1862–1871     

超声萃取-高效液相色谱法测定棉织物中5种荧光增白剂

应用超声萃取-高效液相色谱法测定棉织物中5种荧光增白剂的含量。棉织物样品在40℃温度下用二甲基甲酰胺-水(70+30)混合液超声提取20min。提取液按仪器工作条件进行色谱测定。分离中用Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18色谱柱为固定相,用乙腈和10mmol·L-1乙酸铵溶液以不同比例混合后作为流动相进行梯度洗脱。用二极管阵列检测器测定。5种荧光增白剂的质量浓度均在0.5~200.0mg·L-1范围内与其峰面积呈线性关系,方法的检出限(3S/N)在0.05~0.10mg·L-1之间,测定下限(10S/N)在1.2~2.1mg·kg-1之间。以空白样品为基体进行加标回收试验,所得回收率在76.5%~103%之间,相对标准偏差(n=6)在2.6%~7.1%之间。     

High-electromagnetic-shielding cotton fabric prepared using multiwall carbon nanotubes/nickel–phosphorus electroless plating

High-electromagnetic-shielding cotton fabric (CF) was prepared using carboxyl-functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH)/nickel–phosphorus (Ni-P) electroless plating. Firstly, MWCNTs-COOH was loaded on CF used to chelate the metal catalyst followed by electroless plating to impart outstanding electrical conductivity and electromagnetic shielding properties. The intermediate MWCNTs-COOH layer not only improves the bonding strength via the chelating effect, but also can be used as a conductive material. This synergistic action of MWCNTs-COOH and Ni-P layer can work together to improve the electromagnetic interference shielding performance. The features of Ni-P/MWCNTs-COOH/CF were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The resulting Ni-P/MWCNTs-COOH/CF fabrics show high surface resistance of 1.66 Ω sq⁻¹ and robust electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of 40.2 dB. Furthermore, benefiting from the strong interface interaction, the as-prepared composite fabrics retain stable performances after undergoing a series of physical and chemical tests, confirming promising practical applications even under harsh conditions.     

Engineering Active Sites of Polyaniline for AlCl2+ Storage in an Aluminum-Ion Battery

The reversible capacity of AlCl₄⁻ intercalation/de-intercalation in conventional cathodes of aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) is difficult to improve due to the large size of AlCl₄⁻ anions. Therefore, it is highly desirable to realize the intercalation/de-intercalation of smaller Al-based ions. Here, we fabricated polyaniline/single-walled carbon nanotubes (PANI/SWCNTs) composite films and protonated the PANI nanorods. The protonation endows PANI with more active sites and enhanced conductivity. Hyper self-protonated PANI (PANI(H⁺)) exhibits reversible AlCl₂⁺ intercalation/de-intercalation during the discharge/charge process. As a result, the discharge capacity of the Al/PANI(H⁺) battery is twice as high as that of the initial composite films. PANI(H⁺)@SWCNT electrodes also have a stable cycling life with only 0.003 % capacity decay per cycle over 8000 cycles. Owing to the excellent mechanical properties, PANI(H⁺)@SWCNT composite films can act as the electrodes of flexible AIBs.     

Spectral characterization,antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of poly(propylene imine) metallodendrimers in solution and applied onto cotton fabric

Abstract

Poly(propylene imine) dendrimers from first and third generation modified with 1,8-naphthalimide units and their Cu(II) complexes have been characterized by fluorescence and EPR spectroscopy. Cotton fabric has been modified with these dendrimers and their color characteristics were determined. The antimicrobial activity of dendrimer ligands and their Cu(II) complexes in solution and after their deposition on a cotton fabric was investigated. Good antibacterial effect of dendrimer ligands has been obtained, which is enhanced at their Cu(II) complexes. After their deposition on cotton fabric metallodendrimers exhibit good antibiofilm activity.     

Synthesis and mesomorphic properties and optical behaviour analysis of homologous series azobenzene liquid crystal monomer with polar substituents

ABSTRACT

Twenty novel azobenzene liquid crystal micromolecular compounds named ω-[4-(p-substituted azobenzeneoxy carbonyl]acid (X-ABCnA) have been designed and synthesised, followed by studies on the thermal performance and mesomorphic properties of the compounds. The liquid crystal compounds were divided into five homologous series based on the terminal substituents R (R = CH₃O, CH₃, H, Cl, NO₂). In each series, the number of carbons on flexible chain was 4, 6, 8 and 10, respectively. Fourier-transform infrared, proton nuclear magnetic resonance and elementary analysis demonstrated that the structure of the synthesised azobenzene liquid crystal compounds was consistent with the molecular design. The mesomorphic properties were tested, analysed and characterised by using differential scanning calorimetry and polarised optical microscopy. The melting transition (T _m) of all the compounds in homologous series with different substituents appeared to decrease with the increase of carbon numbers on flexible chains. The same held true for the temperature of isotropic-mesophase/crystalline transition. The compounds with stronger polarity of terminal substituents were more likely to form broader mesogenic ranges. The liquid crystal compounds discussed in this work can be regarded as a reference for the synthesis of mesogenic arms participating in the synthesis of novel multi-arm liquid crystalline macromolecules and polymers.     

溶胶凝胶法制备TiO2@Cf柔性忆阻器交叉开关

以碳纤维作为柔性衬底和电极材料,通过溶胶凝胶法在其表面镀覆TiO₂阻变活性层,进而通过“十”字搭接制备成柔性纤维忆阻器（TiO₂@C_f）。采用X射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜、X射线光电子能谱等测试手段对TiO₂@C_f结构进行表征并对其忆阻特性及阻变机理进行研究。结果表明：碳纤维上的TiO₂涂层为锐钛矿型晶体结构,其氧空位的浓度约为19.5%;制备的TiO 2@C_f柔性忆阻器为突变型忆阻器,其高低阻态阻值开关比可达10⁴;经过疲劳耐受性测试,忆阻器件的高低阻态开关比稳定在2个数量级左右。TiO₂@C_f忆阻器的机理表现为：在高阻态和低阻态时是以欧姆导电为主导的载流子输运机制,其阻态转变机制与氧空位导电细丝的形成和断裂有关。制备的TiO₂@C_f柔性忆阻器在一定程度上具有柔性弯曲变形,同时满足可编织、穿戴等功能。