Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Guowei Lv, Hongmiao Tian, Jinyou Shao, Demei Yu
Summary: This paper reviews a recent patterning technique called electrohydrodynamic patterning (EHDP), which uses an externally applied electric field to create micro-/nano-patterns on thin polymeric films. The theoretical and numerical studies of EHDP are presented, as well as the discussion on how the characteristic wavelength and time are influenced by external conditions and polymer properties. Various strategies for fabricating high-aspect-ratio or hierarchical patterns are reviewed, with emphasis on aligning and ordering of anisotropic polymers. The paper also provides a perspective on the novelty and limitations of EHDP compared to conventional patterning techniques, and suggests possible future research directions.
Article
Mechanics
Ali Mohammadtabar, Hadi Nazaripoor, Adham Riad, Arman Hemmati, Mohtada Sadrzadeh
Summary: This study investigates the pattern formation in shear thinning and shear thickening liquid films induced by thermal effects using linear and nonlinear analyses. The results show that rheological properties influence the timescale and characteristics of the formed features.
Review
Polymer Science
Mingjun Qiu, Weiwei Du, Shangyu Zhou, Pengzhe Cai, Yingwu Luo, Xiaoxue Wang, Rong Yang, Junjie Zhao
Summary: This review summarizes the recent progress in non-photolithographic patterning methods, including soft lithography, nanoimprint lithography, direct writing, self-assembly of block copolymers, area-selective vapor phase deposition, and instability-induced patterning. These methods have been applied in various applications such as chromic devices, polymer light-emitting diodes, sensors, transistors, protein and cellular engineering, and more. The challenges and future research directions of non-photolithographic patterning approaches are highlighted, focusing on resolution, reliability, and scalability.
PROGRESS IN POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Palash Dhara, Rabibrata Mukherjee
Summary: This paper reports on the morphology, phase separation, instability, and dewetting of Polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) thin film comprising nematic liquid crystal, 4-n-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (5CB), and Polystyrene (PS). It is found that the thickness and composition of the film play a crucial role in their properties, and topographically patterned substrates can help align the phase-separated LC domains.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2021)
Article
Mechanics
Ryan H. Allaire, Linda J. Cummings, Lou Kondic
Summary: This study focuses on the evolution of a free-surface thin film on a thermally conductive substrate exposed to an external heat source. Thermal effects play a crucial role in the metal film evolution, while the Marangoni effect is found to be insignificant in the considered set-up.
JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Gabriel Velarde, Shishir Pandya, J. Karthik, David Pesquera, Lane W. Martin
Summary: This review discusses recent advances in thin-film pyroelectrics, highlighting the complex physical phenomena and history in this field, and emphasizing the importance of controlling thin-film materials. The review also explores recent advancements in thin-film pyroelectric devices and potential future research directions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kaushik Dey, Surojit Bhunia, Himadri Sekhar Sasmal, C. Malla Reddy, Rahul Banerjee
Summary: This study investigates the mechanical behavior of different types of COF thin films by controlling the internal order and self-assembly of building blocks, revealing that defect density and the nature of supramolecular interactions play a significant role in determining the stress-strain behavior of the films.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Derek Breid, Victoria Lai, Andrew T. Flowers, Xianheng Guan, Qihan Liu, Sachin S. Velankar
Summary: This study examines the mechanism of folding induced by solvent drops on a film, revealing a strong coupling between folding and drop spreading due to capillary effects. When the film is weakly adhered to the substrate, solvent drops spread further on the film, leading to different shapes of folds.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Anusree Augustine, Marc Veillerot, Nicolas Gauthier, Bangguo Zhu, Chung-Yuen Hui, Yvette Tran, Emilie Verneuil, Antoine Chateauminois
Summary: This study reports on the delamination of thin hydrogel films from silicon substrates under the action of swelling stresses. The films were synthesized by cross-linking and grafting preformed polymer chains onto the substrate. The delamination process was observed and analyzed using a nonlinear fracture mechanics model, revealing the effect of grafting density on the threshold thickness and debonding velocity.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Xuebo Yuan, Bin Zhu, Youshan Wang
Summary: This study investigates the mechanics of compressed thin films adhered to a rigid substrate through theoretical modeling and numerical simulations. The deformed configurations and post-buckling behavior of the films are analyzed based on energy analysis and phase diagrams. The results may have potential applications in the controlled assembly of micro-/nano-scale thin films.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kaili Xie, Alizee Glasser, Shekhar Shinde, Zaicheng Zhang, Jean-Michel Rampnoux, Abdelhamid Maali, Eric Cloutet, Georges Hadziioannou, Hamid Kellay
Summary: Polymer-based conductive and transparent thin films are essential in flexible organic electronic devices but susceptible to degradation and mechanical instability. The study demonstrates that depositing water or solvent drops on these films leads to buckling instability and formation of folds, which can be used to estimate material parameters and pattern surfaces at low cost for enhanced conductive pathways.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Mujib Ur Rahman, Yonghao Xi, Haipeng Li, Fei Chen, Dongjie Liu, Jinjia Wei
Summary: This study investigated the stability/instability behavior of polystyrene (PS) films of different thickness on silicon substrates, revealing factors such as effective viscosity, solvent strength, and various interactions on the substrate surface that affect the decrement in residual film thickness, growth of holes in the film, and film dewetting. The results showed that the polarity of the rinsing solvent, film thickness, and substrate type impacted the behavior of the polymer film, highlighting the importance of polymer-substrate interactions in determining the overall stability of the PS thin films.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Thi Thu Thuy Can, Young-Jin Kwack, Woon-Seop Choi
Summary: In this study, fine MoS2 patterns were successfully fabricated using electrohydrodynamic (EHD)-jet printing technology for the first time with highly uniform coverage. These patterns were applied in thin-film transistors (TFTs) and exhibited good electrical performance.
MATERIALS & DESIGN
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Prezgot, Adam Bottomley, Emma Jorgenson, Anatoli Ianoul
Summary: This work demonstrates the photothermal lithographic patterning of polymer films using plasmonic nanoparticles with high efficiency. By controlling the laser intensity and wavelength, precise displacement and controllable optical patterning of polymer films can be achieved. The approach highlights the potential for further expansion to other materials, applications, and subdiffraction length scales.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Dipal B. Patel, Khushbu R. Chauhan, Indrajit Mukhopadhyay
Summary: This study demonstrates the pyroelectric properties of tetragonal alpha-PbO thin films and reveals the unexplored potential of PbO material for fabricating low cost pyroelectric or photovoltaic devices.
MATERIALS RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
D. Zhao, A. Sultana, J. Edberg, M. Shiran Chaharsoughi, M. Elmahmoudy, U. Ail, K. Tybrandt, X. Crispin
Summary: Research has found that the absorbed water from the atmosphere can significantly impact the ionic thermoelectric properties, increasing the ionic Seebeck coefficient. The water concentration difference generated hydrovoltaic voltage is identified as the main reason for enhancing the apparent ionic Seebeck coefficient. The combination of ionic Seebeck voltage and hydrovoltaic voltage can be used to harvest electricity from intermittent temperature gradients.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Crystallography
Adam J. Berges, Wangxiang Li, Wenwen Xu, Fei Tong, Rabih O. Al-Kaysi, Ryan C. Hayward, Christopher J. Bardeen
Summary: This paper investigates the growth of 9-methylanthracene nanowires in anodic aluminum oxide templates and explores the potential of utilizing crystal expansion for generating motion. The study reveals that incomplete filling, crystal orientation, and debris on the template surface may hinder the observation of vertical actuation.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Saeed Mardi, Dan Zhao, Klas Tybrandt, Andrea Reale, Xavier Crispin
Summary: This study demonstrates that the electrode used in an ionic thermoelectric supercapacitor (ITESC) is critical both for energy storage and for determining the effective thermopower. It is shown that different electrode materials can lead to positive or negative thermopower. Furthermore, the study concludes that PEDOT:PSS electrodes are superior to AuNWs electrodes in terms of thermovoltage, capacitance, and charge retention performance. Additionally, a new strategy of constructing an ionic thermopile is achieved by series-connecting different legs with the same electrolyte but different electrodes, resulting in enhanced thermoelectric effect in ITESCs.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Physical
Dan Zhao
Summary: In their recent study, Ma et al. conducted a comprehensive evaluation of ionic thermoelectric materials by examining the field evolutions of temperature, voltage, and ionic concentration. This research provides important insights for researchers to understand the performance of these materials.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ayesha Sultana, Md. Mehebub Alam, Eleni Pavlopoulou, Eduardo Solano, Magnus Berggren, Xavier Crispin, Dan Zhao
Summary: Internet-of-Everything (IoE) is defined as the networked connections of things, people, data, and processes. To power distributed IoE nodes in an ecofriendly manner, researchers have developed a technology to scavenge energy from the environment and self-powered devices. By utilizing electrochemically poled cellulose nanofiber (CNF) thin films processed from water dispersions, researchers have found that these films exhibit piezoelectric characteristics, making them a promising low-cost and printable ecofriendly power source for IoE nodes.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Dan Zhao, Xinghuo Yu, Guanghui Wen, Yifan Hu, Tingwen Huang
Summary: This article addresses the problem of dynamic task allocation with limited communication and velocity. The main challenge lies in selecting suitable winner participants and dealing with participant contention. By considering both the distance between the targets and participants and the motion direction of the targets, an improved evaluation index is proposed to avoid futile selection. An additional evaluation index is also presented to resolve participant contention. Control protocols for targets interception are developed and their stability is proven using the Lyapunov theory. Simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed algorithms.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON SYSTEMS MAN CYBERNETICS-SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mingna Liao, Debashree Banerjee, Tomas Hallberg, Christina akerlind, Md Mehebub Alam, Qilun Zhang, Hans Kariis, Dan Zhao, Magnus P. Jonsson
Summary: Cellulose is a sustainable material with high thermal emissivity and low solar absorptance. By introducing additives such as carbon black, solar absorptance can be achieved. However, the high thermal emissivity of such materials leads to counteractive radiative cooling when exposed to the sky. To address this issue, a cellulose-carbon black composite with low mid-infrared (MIR) emissivity and a transparent IR-reflecting indium tin oxide coating is used. This composite material provides opposite optical properties compared to solar-reflecting electrospun cellulose, resulting in spontaneous temperature differences when exposed to the sky.
Editorial Material
Crystallography
Fei Tong, Rabih O. O. Al-Kaysi, Daichi Kitagawa
Article
Crystallography
Yuhao Li, Peiyao Wang, Zhongzhao Duan, Tianle Zhang, Fei Tong
Summary: In this study, fluorescent hollow organic molecular cocrystals were prepared using a surfactant-mediated co-precipitation method. The size and morphology of the cocrystals could be easily controlled by adjusting the surfactant type, concentration, incubation time, and temperature. The cocrystals exhibited high crystallinity and contained two symmetric empty cavities when a specific surfactant was used. Additionally, the cocrystals emitted bright red luminescence with a strong charge-transfer property.
Article
Automation & Control Systems
Dan Zhao, Yuezu Lv, Guanghui Wen, Zhiwei Gao
Summary: This paper investigates the resilient consensus problem of high-order networks under malicious attacks. A novel attack isolation strategy is developed to overcome the collusion among attacks against the attack detection and isolation. A control algorithm is provided to achieve resilient consensus and a new notion of (r, s) -isolability is introduced to present sufficient conditions for attack isolation. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated by simulation studies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yanhui Dai, Shangbo Yang, Dan Zhao, Chuanmin Hu, Wang Xu, Donald M. Anderson, Yun Li, Xiao-Peng Song, Daniel G. Boyce, Luke Gibson, Chunmiao Zheng, Lian Feng
Summary: Using satellite observations, we found that the spatial extent and frequency of coastal algal blooms have significantly increased globally from 2003 to 2020, but weakened in tropical and subtropical areas of the Northern Hemisphere. We identified the relationship between bloom trends and ocean circulation, as well as the stimulating effects of recent increases in sea surface temperature. Our findings provide a basis for global assessments of bloom risks and benefits, and for the formulation or evaluation of management or policy actions.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Bo Yang, Ni Yang, Dan Zhao, Fengyang Chen, Xingping Yuan, Bin Kou, Yanqing Hou, Gang Xie
Summary: Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a key method for growing high-quality and high-density graphene on copper substrates. This study focuses on the fluid flow and transmission phenomena in the CVD reactor under different operating conditions and structures. By using numerical simulation, the effect of the pressure field inside a T45-R Tesla valve on graphene synthesis and the temperature variation on the graphene surface deposition rate were determined. The results showed a significant improvement in the graphene surface deposition rate when the reactor temperature was maintained within a specific range, as verified by experiments. This study provides important insights for optimizing reactor design and understanding the impact of operating parameters on carbon deposition rates during CVD.
Article
Water Resources
Si-Liang Zhao, Shao-Gang Liu, Bo Qiu, Zhou Hong, Dan Zhao, Li-Qiang Dong
Summary: To address the issue of inconspicuous leakage signal characteristics under external noise interference, a leakage detection method based on variational modal decomposition (VMD) and support vector machine (SVM) is proposed in this paper. The method calculates the spearman correlation coefficients (SCC) between multiple intrinsic modal components (IMFs) obtained by VMD and the source signal, extracts the energy and central frequency features of IMFs with larger SCC, and performs leak detection using the SVM classifier. Experimental results show that the VMD-SVM method achieves leak detection with an accuracy of 98.27%. Compared to other methods such as time-frequency (TF) feature SVM, empirical modal decomposition (EMD) feature SVM, and wavelet (DWT) feature SVM, the proposed VMD-SVM method improves the accuracy by 6.5%, 5.63%, and 10.39%, respectively. Moreover, feature sensitivities are analyzed to reduce model complexity while maintaining accuracy.
URBAN WATER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Bo Yang, Ni Yang, Dan Zhao, Fengyang Chen, Xingping Yuan, Yanqing Hou, Gang Xie
Summary: The process of graphene growth by CVD involves complex gas-phase surface chemical reactions, and a combination of numerical simulation and reactor structure optimization model is a good tool for industrial production and theoretical research. The effects of various factors on the growth of graphene in a vertical rotating disk reactor were studied, and the ideal growth conditions were determined. The deposition rate of carbon surface affects the nucleation density of graphene.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
A. Sultana, A. Wurger, J. Phopase, X. Crispin, D. Zhao
Summary: Ionic thermoelectric materials can generate high thermal voltage under small temperature differences due to their large Seebeck coefficient. Understanding the mechanism of the Seebeck coefficient in practical electrolytes is still a main challenge.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yiping Yin, Zhe Wang, Hua Zou
Summary: This study presents a novel method for preparing dimpled polymer-silica nanocomposite particles using interfacial swelling-based seeded polymerization. The optimized conditions allow for a relatively high percentage of dimpled particles to be achieved.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Brenden D. Hoehn, Elizabeth A. Kellstedt, Marc A. Hillmyer
Summary: Porous materials with nanometer-scale pores have important applications as nanoporous membranes. In this study, ABA triblock copolymers were used as precursors to produce nanoporous polymeric membranes (NPMs) in thin film form by degrading the end blocks. Polycyclooctene (PCOE) NPMs with tunable pore sizes were successfully prepared using solvent casting technique. Oxygen plasma etching was employed to improve the surface porosity and hydrophilicity of the membranes. This study provides a straightforward method to produce tough NPMs with high porosity and hydrophilic surface properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Vladislav S. Petrovskii, Stepan I. Zholudev, Igor I. Potemkin
Summary: This article investigates the behavior of linear and ring polypeptide chains in aqueous solution and explores the properties of the complexes formed by these chains with oppositely charged surfactants. The results demonstrate that the complexes of linear supercharged unfolded polypeptides and the corresponding surfactants exhibit impressive adhesive properties.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Merve Cevik, Serkan Dikici
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death globally, and vascular grafts are a promising treatment option. This study focuses on tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) using decellularized parsley stems as a potential biomaterial. The decellularized parsley stems showed suitable properties for TEVGs, providing a suitable environment for human endothelial cells to form a pseudo endothelium. This study showcases the potential of using parsley stems for TEVGs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gustavo A. Vasquez-Montoya, Tadej Emersic, Noe Atzin, Antonio Tavera-Vazquez, Ali Mozaffari, Rui Zhang, Orlando Guzman, Alexey Snezhko, Paul F. Nealey, Juan J. de Pablo
Summary: The optical properties of liquid crystals are typically controlled by electric fields. In this study, we investigate the effects of microfluidic flows and acoustic fields on the molecular orientation and optical response of nematic liquid crystals. We identify several previously unknown structures and explain them through calculations and simulations. These findings hold promise for the development of new systems combining sound, flow, and confinement.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xinjun Wu, Xin Guan, Shushu Chen, Jiangpeng Jia, Chongyi Chen, Jiawei Zhang, Chuanzhuang Zhao
Summary: This research presents a novel shape memory hydrogel with a remodelable permanent shape and programmable cold-induced shape recovery behavior. The hydrogel is prepared using specific treatment methods to achieve shape fixation by heating and shape recovery by cooling. Additionally, deformable devices can be obtained by assembling hydrogel blocks with different concentrations.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rebecca Hengsbach, Gerhard Fink, Ulrich Simon
Summary: This study examines the properties of DNA functionalized pNipmam microgels and pure pNipmam microgels at different concentrations of sodium chloride and in PBS solutions using temperature dependent H-1-NMR measurements. The results show that DNA modification affects the volume phase transition temperature and the addition of salt and PBS further enhances this effect.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ningyi Li, Junhong Li, Lijingting Qing, Shicheng Ma, Yao Li, Baohui Li
Summary: This paper investigates the self-assembly behavior of colloids with competing interactions under spherical confinement and finds that different ordered structures can be formed under different sized spherical confinements. Moreover, more perforated structures are formed in smaller spheres.
