Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Kelum Perera, Nilanthi Haputhantrige, Md Sakhawat Hossain Himel, Md Mostafa, Alex Adaka, Elizabeth K. Mann, Oleg D. Lavrentovich, Antal Jakli
Summary: This work presents electrically tunable microlenses based on a polymer-stabilized chiral ferroelectric nematic liquid crystal, which exhibit unique properties and lens deformation performance different from traditional liquid crystal lenses. The technology is of great significance in various application fields.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Tasmia Tasnim, Michael D. Adkins, Taehwan Lim, Haidong Feng, Jules J. Magda, Jill E. Shea, Jayant Agarwal, Cynthia M. Furse, Huanan Zhang
Summary: This study demonstrates a method to control and modulate hydrogel crosslinking using temperature-sensitive liposomes, achieving tunable properties of the hydrogel within a mild temperature range, while ensuring good biocompatibility. This work opens up new opportunities for implementing a thermal energy system to control and modulate hydrogel properties.
BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hamed Niknam, Abdolhamid Akbarzadeh, Daniel Therriault, Sampada Bodkhe
Summary: The paper introduces a thermally bistable structure that can quickly restore its original shape through temperature changes. It demonstrates the bistability and nonlinear response of a mechanically bistable element. The concept offers new opportunities for designing self-sensing actuators and intelligent deployable structures.
APPLIED MATERIALS TODAY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Qiuyun Lu, Lingling Yang, Pamela Chelme-Ayala, Yanan Li, Xuehua Zhang, Mohamed Gamal El-Din
Summary: In this study, the capability of surface microlenses (MLs) as a clean technology for more efficient photocatalytic water decontamination was demonstrated. By controlling the conditions of light treatment, MLs could enhance the photocatalytic degradation efficiency (eta) by up to 402%. Optical simulations and experimental results showed that MLs optimize the light distribution and promote the formation of active species, leading to the enhancement of eta. The use of MLs may serve as a novel strategy to improve the photocatalytic degradation of micropollutants, especially in places with weak light sources.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuqi Jin, Arup Neogi
Summary: This study demonstrates the detections and mappings of a solid object using a thermally tunable solid-state phononic crystal lens for potential use in future long-distance detection. By changing the temperature, the focal length of the phononic crystal lens can be adjusted, and experiments in water show a higher signal-to-noise ratio with the thermo-reversible tunable lens.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Youwei Kang, Lingling Wu, Xiaoyong Tian, Tengfei Liu, Dichen Li, Kunyang Lin, Xiaofei Ma, Ali Akmal Zia
Summary: In this study, a multifunctional metamaterial with unique electromagnetic and mechanical properties is proposed. By designing chiral structures and using 4D printing of continuous fibre composites, a metasurface exhibiting simultaneous electromagnetic frequency selection capability and isotropic negative/positive/near-zero thermal expansion is achieved. The influence of structural parameters on effective thermal expansion coefficient and electromagnetic transmission band is investigated through theoretical calculation, finite element analysis simulations, and experiments. The results show that the electromagnetic functionality of the metasurface can be thermally controlled, making it useful in extreme situations where the coupling of multiphysical fields is required.
VIRTUAL AND PHYSICAL PROTOTYPING
(2023)
Article
Optics
Yue Wang, Dajian Cui, Yu Wang, Guohui Yang, Chunhui Wang
Summary: In this paper, an all-solid-state and hybrid electrically/thermally tunable multifunctional metasurface array is proposed, based on graphene pattern and vanadium dioxide configuration. It can achieve band-stop filtering, beam steering, and beam splitting functions, showing great potential in the field of multifunctional integrated chips.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mostafa Moradi
Summary: This paper introduces a theoretical study on the propagation conditions of Dyakonov surface waves in terahertz frequencies using an interface consisting of an isotropic dielectric material and an indium antimonide (InSb) nanowire metamaterial as a substrate. Various temperature-dependent properties of Dyakonov surface waves in such a structure are examined, including allowed THz regions, angular existence domain, dispersion relation, directionality, localization degree, and figure of merit. The proposed configuration, due to significant birefringence in the InSb nanowire metamaterial, holds potential applications in THz sensing, imaging, and spectroscopy.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kang Du, Ivan J. Dmochowski
Summary: The thermostability of encapsulated xenon was investigated in a series of isostructural crystalline sorbents. Metal-organic capsules with an organic linker containing sulfonate groups were used to trap xenon in molecular cavities with large volumes. The sorbents demonstrated high thermostability, retaining xenon up to 561 K. This stability could be controlled by adjusting the ratio of Co:Fe in the crystalline sorbents, and the expansion of the capsule cavity was found to be proportional to the Co:Fe ratio.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuto Arai, Nayuta Yashiro, Yoshiro Imura, Ke-Hsuan Wang, Takeshi Kawai
Summary: The study demonstrates that introducing NaCl as an electrolyte into liquid emulsions provides a highly thermo-sensitive color-changing ability. The structural color of the emulsions can be controlled from red to blue by tuning the temperature. Furthermore, the C18AA and TOAB concentrations can independently regulate the color and coloring-temperature, so that the desired color can develop at a given temperature.
Article
Thermodynamics
Haotuo Liu, Qing Ai, Ming Xie
Summary: This paper presents a numerical analysis of an innovative narrowband absorber with a VO2-graphene-based Fabry-Perot multilayer structure, which utilizes thermally and electrically tunable methods to regulate light absorption in the mid-infrared region. The findings show a maximum thermal modulation of spectral absorbance ranging from 0.068 to 0.999, with Fabry-Perot resonance as the primary cause of strong light absorption. By changing the dimensions of the absorber layers, the spectral selectivity of the absorber can be varied, and the impact of incidence angle and gate voltage on spectral absorbance was also analyzed. Additionally, the sensing performance of the multilayer structure was investigated, providing valuable insights for designing tunable high-performance optoelectronic devices in the future.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THERMAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Optics
Fulong Yang, Chenyang Zhang, Aihua Zhang, Xiaoqing Zhu, Huan Xu, Dayu Wang
Summary: This paper proposes a thermally tunable broadband metamaterial absorber based on ionic liquids at the microwave band, which exhibits distinct modulation characteristics in different frequency bands. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the absorption decreases with temperature in the low-frequency band and increases in the high-frequency band. The absorber shows good broadband absorption even without a metal substrate. Experimental results confirm the validity of the proposed structure. The simple design and wide frequency tuning range of the absorber suggest great potential applications in sensors, detection, and frequency-selective thermal emitters.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Biao Wu, Xiaoshan Liu, Mulin Liu, Guolan Fu, Zhengqi Liu
Summary: In this study, an electrically and thermally bi-tunable narrow-band terahertz wave perfect absorber scheme is proposed. Dual narrow-band spectra with high absorption rates at specific frequencies are achieved. The absorption frequencies can be shifted within a wide range by varying the surrounding temperature, and the peak absorptivities can be adjusted by adjusting the Fermi energy. The study also explores the nanosecond photothermal effects and analyzes the causes of temperature rise.
IEEE PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
M. Gopalakrishnan, A. A. Mohamad, M. T. Nguyen, T. Yonezawa, J. Qin, P. Thamyongkit, A. Somwangthanaroj, S. Kheawhom
Summary: Zinc-air batteries are gaining attention for their high energy density, safety, and eco-friendliness, but the limitations of noble metal electrocatalysts make polymers a promising alternative.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Yujie Dong, Xiyu Sun, Yan Li, Yi Liu
Summary: In this paper, a thermally tunable full space metasurface based on Pancharatnam-Berry phase modulation and InSb temperature characteristic was proposed and analyzed. The metasurface can achieve efficient transmission and reflection of incident circularly polarized light at different frequencies under specific temperatures. Dynamically tunable metalenses were also proposed for generating focused vortex light. These findings provide a potential direction for the development of efficiency-tunable PB terahertz devices in the future.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Chunxue Wan, Shenghan Gao, Xue Shang, Ziyue Wu, Tianyu Li, Wei Ling, Mingxing Zhou, Wenxing Huo, Yu Guo, Xian Huang
Summary: The article presents a flexible 12-lead electrocardiography system that can conduct electrocardiogram sensing and 3-axis acceleration monitoring simultaneously. The system, fabricated through a modularized printing process, offers high accuracy and stability with adjustable interconnect length for different body types. It is suitable for large-scale manufacturing and population health monitoring.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Acoustics
Changyan Zheng, Liguo Xu, Xiaohu Fan, Jibin Yang, Junyi Fan, Xian Huang
Summary: This study proposes a time-domain neural network model based on a dual-path transformer to improve the quality of speech captured by flexible vibrational sensors (FVS). Experimental results show that the proposed model outperforms other baseline models in enhancing speech quality.
JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
J. Li, J. Liu, W. Huo, J. Yu, X. Liu, M. J. Haslinger, M. Muehlberger, P. Kulha, X. Huang
Summary: Biodegradable electronics with the ability to disintegrate and dissolve in liquids have promising applications in healthcare and consumer electronics. Printing technology has the potential to produce complex electronic components with improved yield and throughput. However, achieving a fully printed biodegradable system with complex electronic components is still a challenge. This article summarizes the state-of-the-art techniques in printing biodegradable electronic devices and provides insights into the development of biodegradable inks and pastes suitable for printing. It also discusses the challenges and future trends in printing biodegradable electronics.
MATERIALS TODAY NANO
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xin Zhang, Changyan Zheng, Ya Li, Ziyue Wu, Xian Huang
Summary: Magnetically levitated vibration sensors with wide frequency response ranges and high sensitivity have been developed. The sensors are based on magnetic force suspension and designed with flexible structures to match the soft surfaces of biological tissues and machines.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Rui Guo, Tianyu Li, Ziyue Wu, Chunxue Wan, Jing Niu, Wenxing Huo, Haixia Yu, Xian Huang
Summary: Low-cost, rapid patterning of liquid metal circuits is achieved through a universal printing technique using thermal transfer paper and a desktop laser printer. The technique allows for the transfer of circuit patterns to various substrates and maintains their functionality under extreme strain.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jing Niu, Yicong Zhao, Mengwei Li, Hongbiao Xiang, Zhiqiang Xia, Miaoning Ren, Peng Gao, Xian Huang
Summary: This article proposes a method for integrating photovoltaic devices onto the deformable surfaces of plants and animals. Stretchable photovoltaic devices are achieved through chemically thinning solar cells and using intermediate layers for the connection between the non-stretchable devices and deformable substrates. The resulting devices are thin, small in radius, and adaptable to curved surfaces. The experiments demonstrate the good performance of the thin devices and their potential applications in energy harvesting and light intensity sensing, as well as in agriculture and healthcare monitoring.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Xian Huang, Xueting Li, Ziyue Wu, Pan Zhou, Wei Ling, Chunxue Wan, Jiameng Li
Summary: This paper presents a modularized mass fabrication and selective integration approach for batch manufacturing of multiparameter electronic skin patches. The screen-printing technique is used to print modular sensors and a central hub on a glass substrate. The systematic techniques described in this study can potentially solve the bottleneck in large-scale production of multiparameter skin patches and enable their rapid deployment and convenient application for health monitoring in large populations.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Phillip Won, Stephen Coyle, Seung Hwan Ko, David Quinn, K. Jimmy Hsia, Philip LeDuc, Carmel Majidi
Summary: Liquid metal embedded elastomers (LMEEs) are stretchable composites with unique properties that make them appealing for flexible electronics and soft robotics. This study investigates the biocompatibility and cell cytotoxicity of LMEE composites in contact with C2C12 cells. The influence of EGaIn volume ratio and synthesis parameters on cell proliferation and viability is examined, as well as the case of electrically-conductive LMEE composites.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Wenxing Huo, Zhiqiang Xia, Yu Gao, Rui Guo, Xian Huang
Summary: This study addresses the challenges of heat dissipation and electrical interconnection in flexible thermoelectric (TE) devices by integrating them with phase-change material (PCM) heatsinks and stretchable semi-liquid metal (semi-LM) interconnectors. The effectiveness of PCMs with varying melting points in temperature regulation is demonstrated, providing cooling effects exceeding 10 degrees C. The use of semi-LMs instead of LMs enables excellent stretchability and efficient heat dissipation. Additionally, the TE devices generate power with a density of 7.3 mu W/cm(2) at an ambient temperature of 22 degrees C, making them an ideal power source for wearable self-powered sensing systems. Successful integration into garments and armbands confirms the practicality and adaptability of these flexible thermoelectric devices, establishing them as critical components for future wearables with superior resilience to daily wear and tear.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Andres Arias-Rosales, Philip R. LeDuc
Summary: As the world's population increasingly concentrates in urban areas, meeting the intense energy demand sustainably and efficiently is becoming critical. Solar harvesting technologies have the potential to transform cities into energy producers. In this study, three shadow modeling approaches that consider all anisotropic components of solar radiation are developed and demonstrated in urban scenes, providing new technological capabilities for urban solar harvesting applications.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Ernest Kabuye, Philip LeDuc, Jonathan Cagan
Summary: This study proposes a novel Mixed Reality Combination System (MRCS) that combines Augmented Reality (AR) technology and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor with 3D printed, collagen-based specimens to enhance task performance. By projecting surgeon-created virtual imagery onto a 3D printed biospecimen as AR, the MRCS allows real-time user reactions and effective task planning. In addition to surgical planning, this system can have general applications in areas such as construction, maintenance, and education.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jiayin Liu, Jiameng Li, Ziyue Wu, Song Xu, Chunyou Wan, Xian Huang
Summary: This research proposes a degradable and flexible skin patch that promotes wound healing through thermostatic control, slow release of antibacterial metallic ions, and humidity control. The skin patch features a degradable zinc-silver (Zn-Ag) gird line heater and a Zn temperature sensor, enabling closed-loop thermostatic control of the wound. The gradual degradation of the nanocomposites in a humid environment results in an antibacterial effect with more than 99% antibacterial efficiency (AE) on the wound site.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Chengjie Jiang, Tianyu Li, Xian Huang, Rui Guo
Summary: This study proposes a simple and rapid method for preparing patterned liquid-metal-enabled universal soft electronics (PLUS-E). The PLUS-E exhibits rapid fabrication, excellent stretchability, and high forming accuracy. The stability of PLUS-E on 3D surfaces is improved by using low-fluidity liquid metal composites. The finite element simulation accurately forecasts the deformation and resistance changes of the PLUS-E and provides guidance for device design. Various sensors developed using this method have demonstrated stable and reliable signal measurements in real-world applications.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Zhen Yang, Miaoning Ren, Ya Li, Mingxing Zhou, Jingyi Peng, Si Lin, Kang Du, Xian Huang
Summary: Methods to manipulate magnetic beads play a crucial role in determining the efficiency and size of in vitro diagnostic systems. This study proposes a technique to construct a fully integrated microfluidic device that enables automatic magnetic bead manipulation, rapid chemical reactions, and cleaning in a compact dimension similar to a USB disk. The device combines the precision control of multiple electromagnetic coils and the compactness of microfluidic channels, making it one of the smallest automatic magnetic bead manipulation systems.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiameng Li, Jiayin Liu, Ziyue Wu, Xue Shang, Ya Li, Wenxing Huo, Xian Huang
Summary: In this study, a fully printed bioresorbable electrochemical device was developed for real-time glucose monitoring. The device utilizes bioresorbable materials and a molybdenum-tungsten reference electrode to achieve stable electrode potential and accurate detection. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated the device's performance and biocompatibility, indicating its potential for mass manufacturing high-performance bioresorbable electrochemical devices.
