Enhanced flexibility and stability of PEDOT:PSS electrodes through interfacial crosslinking for flexible organic light-emitting diodes

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) films have drawn extensive attention as one of the most promising flexible transparent conductive electrodes to replace traditional indium tin oxide. However, some critical issues, such as weak adhesion, vulnerability to moisture and detrimental acidic property, need to be addressed before the practical application and industrialization. Here, we propose a facile and effective strategy of interfacial crosslinking to further improve the flexibility and stability of PEDOT:PSS electrodes with high transparency and conductivity by introducing polyethyleneimine ethoxylated (PEIE) on the surface. The flexibility and stability of PEDOT:PSS electrodes with PEIE overcoating layer are significantly improved, which can be attributed to the interfacial crosslinking reaction between PEIE and PSS. Finally, flexible organic light-emitting didoes (OLEDs) are constructed based on the PEDOT:PSS electrodes modified by PEIE, and current efficiency is enhanced from 20.5 to 76.4 cd/A with a 2.7-fold enhancement, owning to the improved carrier balance. This study confirms that PEIE is effective in protecting the PEDOT:PSS films from mechanical damage and moisture attack, while maintaining the high conductive and transmittance, and illustrates a promising future in low-cost flexible optoelectronic devices employing PEDOT:PSS electrodes.     

Nanoscale Mapping of the Conductivity and Interfacial Capacitance of an Electrolyte-Gated Organic Field-Effect Transistor under Operation

Probing nanoscale electrical properties of organic semiconducting materials at the interface with an electrolyte solution under externally applied voltages is key in the field of organic bioelectronics. It is demonstrated that the conductivity and interfacial capacitance of the active channel of an electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistor (EGOFET) under operation can be probed at the nanoscale using scanning dielectric microscopy in force detection mode in liquid environment. Local electrostatic force versus gate voltage transfer characteristics are obtained on the device and correlated with the global current–voltage transfer characteristics of the EGOFET. Nanoscale maps of the conductivity of the semiconducting channel show the dependence of the channel conductivity on the gate voltage and its variation along the channel due to the space charge limited conduction. The maps reveal very small electrical heterogeneities, which correspond to local interfacial capacitance variations due to an ultrathin non-uniform insulating layer resulting from a phase separation in the organic semiconducting blend. Present results offer insights into the transduction mechanism at the organic semiconductor/electrolyte interfaces at scales down to ≈100 nm, which can bring substantial optimization of organic electronic devices for bioelectronic applications such as electrical recording on excitable cells or label-free biosensing.     

Highly Stable Ag–Au Core–Shell Nanowire Network for ITO-Free Flexible Organic Electrochromic Device

Solid and flexible electrochromic (EC) devices require a delicate design of every component to meet the stringent requirements for transparency, flexibility, and deformation stability. However, the electrode technology in flexible EC devices stagnates, wherein brittle indium tin oxide (ITO) is the primary material. Meanwhile, the inflexibility of metal oxide usually used in an active layer and the leakage issue of liquid electrolyte further negatively affect EC device performance and lifetime. Herein, a novel and fully ITO-free flexible organic EC device is developed by using Ag–Au core–shell nanowire (Ag–Au NW) networks, EC polymer and LiBF₄/propylene carbonate/poly(methyl methacrylate) as electrodes, active layer, and solid electrolyte, respectively. The Ag–Au NW electrode integrated with a conjugated EC polymer together display excellent stability in harsh environments due to the tight encapsulation by the Au shell, and high area capacitance of 3.0 mF cm⁻² and specific capacitance of 23.2 F g⁻¹ at current density of 0.5 mA cm⁻². The device shows high EC performance with reversible transmittance modulation in the visible region (40.2% at 550 nm) and near-infrared region ( − 68.2% at 1600 nm). Moreover, the device presents excellent flexibility ( > 1000 bending cycles at the bending radius of 5 mm) and fast switching time (5.9 s).     

1D p–n Junction Electronic and Optoelectronic Devices from Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Lateral Heterostructures Grown by One-Pot Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthesis

Lateral heterostructures of dissimilar monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides provide great opportunities to build 1D in-plane p–n junctions for sub-nanometer thin low-power electronic, optoelectronic, optical, and sensing devices. Electronic and optoelectronic applications of such p–n junction devices fabricated using a scalable one-pot chemical vapor deposition process yielding MoSe₂-WSe₂ lateral heterostructures are reported here. The growth of the monolayer lateral heterostructures is achieved by in situ controlling the partial pressures of the oxide precursors by a two-step heating protocol. The grown lateral heterostructures are characterized structurally and optically using optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy/microscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy/microscopy. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy further confirms the high-quality 1D boundary between MoSe₂ and WSe₂ in the lateral heterostructure. p–n junction devices are fabricated from these lateral heterostructures and their applicability as rectifiers, solar cells, self-powered photovoltaic photodetectors, ambipolar transistors, and electroluminescent light emitters are demonstrated.     

An Artificial Peripheral Neural System Based on Highly Stretchable and Integrated Multifunctional Sensors

Prostheses and robots have been affecting all aspects of life. Making them conscious and intelligent like humans is appealing and exciting, while there is a huge contrast between progress and strong demand. An alternative strategy is to develop an artificial peripheral neural system with high-performance bionic receptors. Here, a novel functional composite material that can serve as a key ingredient to simultaneously construct different artificial exteroceptive sensors (AE sensors) and artificial proprioceptive sensors (AP sensors) is demonstrated. Both AP sensors and AE sensors demonstrate outstandingly high stretchability; up to 200% stretching strain and possess the superior performance of fast response and high stability. An artificial peripheral neural system integrated with the highly stretchable AP sensor and AE sensor is constructed, which makes a significant breakthrough in the perception foundation of efficient proprioception and exteroception for intelligent prostheses and soft robots. Accurate feedback on the activities of body parts, music control, game manipulation, and wireless typing manifest the enormous superiority of the spatiotemporal resolution function of the artificial peripheral neural system, all of which powerfully contribute to promoting intelligent prostheses and soft robots into sophistication, and are expected to make lives more fascinating.     

Flame-Retardant Host–Guest Films for Efficient Thermal Management of Cryogenic Devices

Phase change materials hold tremendous potential for thermal energy storage and temperature management due to their high latent heat and chemical stability. However, the manufacture of flame-retardant, form-stable phase change films working under a cryogenic environment remains difficult. Herein, an organic polydopamine-aramid nanofiber (PANF) aerogel film with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 32 is applied as a host to confine a unique phase change guest material (i.e., deep eutectic solvent, DES) to fabricate PANF-DES host–guest flame-retardant cryogenic phase change films. The PANF aerogel film is prepared through the in situ polymerization of dopamine within the aramid nanofiber hydrogel film, exhibiting a high specific surface area of 289 m² g⁻¹. The cryogenic phase change material is a ternary DES composed of ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl), ethylene glycol (Eg), and deionized water (H₂O). The as-prepared PANF-DES host–guest films with the phase transition temperature of −21 °C and melting enthalpy of 225 J g⁻¹ can withstand fire for 60 s without naked flame, and the peak of heat release rate (pkHRR) is only 26.0 MJ kg⁻¹. This study opens the way for developing ultra-low flammable phase change composite films, as well as shows great potential applications for thermal management in cryogenic devices.     

High Performance Ternary Organic Phototransistors with Photoresponse up to 2600 nm at Room Temperature

Infrared (IR) photodetection is important for light communications, military, agriculture, and related fields. Organic transistors are investigated as photodetectors. However, due to their large band gap, most organic transistors can only respond to ultraviolet and visible light. Here high performance IR phototransistors with ternary semiconductors of organic donor/acceptor complex and semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), without deep cooling requirements are developed. Due to both the ultralow intermolecular electronic transition energy of the complex and charge transport properties of SWCNTs, the phototransistor realizes broadband photodetection with photoresponse up to 2600 nm. Moreover, it exhibits outstanding performance under 2000 nm light with photoresponsivity of 2.75 × 10⁶ A W⁻¹, detectivity of 3.12 × 10¹⁴ Jones, external quantum efficiency over 10⁸%, and high I_photo/I_dark ratio of 6.8 × 10⁵. The device exhibits decent photoresponse to IR light even under ultra-weak light intensity of 100 nW cm⁻². The response of the phototransistor to blackbody irradiation is demonstrated, which is rarely reported for organic phototransistors. Interestingly, under visible light, the device can also be employed as synaptic devices, and important basic functions are realized. This strategy provides a new guide for developing high performance IR optoelectronics based on organic transistors.     

Neuro-Receptor Mediated Synapse Device Based on Crumpled MXene Ti3C2Tx Nanosheets

Artificial synapse devices can simulate the neuro-transmission in a completely electronic way, but the neuro-biochemical responses are still a challenge for them. Here, a novel three-terminal (3T) neuro-receptor-mediated (acetylcholine receptor (AChR) as a proof-of-concept) synapse device (NR-S) based on the solution–MXene interface is presented. It is demonstrated that the synaptic plasticity behavior triggered by neuro-transmitter (ACh) and the pathogenic autoantibody (AChR-ab) induced neuronal damage that can be detected and recorded. The improved sensitivities, including the linear responses to ACh in an extremely wide range (1 am to 1 µm ) and ultra-low (1 am ) limit of detection, are obtained using crumpled MXene. Furthermore, the ability of the proposed NR-S to determine the tiny neuronal injury caused by only 10 ng mL⁻¹ AChR-ab is conceptually proven. Collectively, the novel 3T NR-S has good application prospects in the field of the neuromorphic chip for not only realizing the bionic simulation of the chemically modulated or injured neuro-transmission but also offering an efficient experimental platform for neuro-biochemistry studies.     

Liquid Droplet Stamp Transfer Printing

Despite the increasingly significant role of flexible electronics in information, energy, and medical treatment, their integration with a special-shaped interface remains an unresolved challenge. The traditional transfer method, as a core technology of device integration, is still unsuitable for thinned chips and 3D sensors. Solid-contact elastomer stamp sometimes causes cracks while non-contact method such as sacrificial layer method fails to achieve precise positioning transfer. Herein, the authors present liquid droplet stamp transfer printing (LSTP) with a high yield ratio which allows flexible devices to be transferred form silicon wafer to complex special-shaped interfaces. Following the transfer scheme, the regulation of interface force is demonstrated with different thin-film patterns. Besides, the liquid droplet stamp is designed as an efficient tool to transfer thinned inorganic flexible chips. A thinned micro light emitting diode, extensively used in large-scale manufacturing of flexible circuits, is transferred and lighted successfully. In addition, a new method to fabricate 3D sensors is proposed with the liquid droplet stamp, which provides a new way of manufacturing wearable antenna and reconfigurable devices. Consequently, the LSTP has great potential for future sophisticated and system-level flexible devices transfer printing and plays a vital role in the research of 3D flexible electronics.