A simple and highly sensitive flexible sensor with extended-gate field-effect transistor for epinephrine detection utilizing InZnSnO sensing films.

This study introduces a straightforward method for depositing InZnSnO films onto flexible polyimide substrates at room temperature, enabling their application in electrochemical pH sensing and the detection of epinephrine. A comprehensive analysis of these sensing films, spanning structural, morphological, compositional, and profiling characteristics, was conducted using diverse techniques, including X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. The investigation into the influence of oxygen flow rates on the performance of InZnSnO sensitive films revealed a significant correlation between their structural properties and sensing capabilities. Notably, exposure to an oxygen flow rate of 30/2 (Ar/O2) the ratio of resulted in the InZnSnO sensitive film demonstrating outstanding pH sensitivity at 59.58 mV/pH within a broad pH range of 2-12, surpassing the performance observed with other oxygen flow rates. Moreover, under this specific condition, the film exhibited excellent stability, with a minimal drift rate of 0.14 mV/h at pH 7 and a low hysteresis voltage of 1.8 mV during a pH cycle of 7 â†’ 4→7 â†’ 10→7. Given the critical role of epinephrine in mammalian central nervous and hormone systems, monitoring its levels is essential for assessing human health. To facilitate the detection of epinephrine, we utilized the carboxyl group of 4-formylphenylboronic acid to enable a reaction with the amino group of the 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane-coated InZnSnO film. Through optimization, the resulting InZnSnO-based flexible sensor displayed a broad and well-defined linear relationship within the concentration range of 10-7 to 0.1 µM. In practical applications, this sensor proved effective in analyzing epinephrine in human serum, showcasing notable selectivity, stability, and reproducibility. The promising outcomes of this study underscore the potential for future applications, leveraging the advantages of electrochemical sensors, including affordability, rapid response, and user-friendly operation.

Sensing and Impedance Characteristics of YbTaO4 Sensing Membranes.

In this study we developed ytterbium tantalum oxide (YbTaO4) sensing membranes for use in electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) pH sensors. The influence of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatment on the sensing and impedance properties of the YbTaO4 sensing membranes deposited through reactive co-sputtering onto Si substrates was explored. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the structural, morphological, and chemical features, respectively, of these YbTaO4 films annealed at 700, 800 and 900 °C. The YbTaO4 EIS device annealed at the 800 °C exhibited a super-Nernstian response of 71.17 mV/pH within the pH range of 2-12. It also showed the lowest hysteresis voltage ( < 1 mV) and the lowest drift rate (0.22 mV/h) among the tested systems. Presumably, the optimal annealing temperature improved the stoichiometry of YbTaO4 film and increased its (-131)-oriented nanograin size. Moreover, the impedance properties of YbTaO4 EIS sensors were investigated by using the capacitance-voltage method. The resistance and capacitance of YbTaO4 sensing films annealed at three various temperatures were evaluated by using different frequency ranges in accumulation, depletion, and inversion regions. The semicircle diameter of the YbTaO4 EIS sensor became smaller, due to a gradual decrease in the bulk resistance of the EIS device, as the RTA temperature was increased.

High performance sol-gel synthesized Ce0.9Sr0.1(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O4 sensing membrane for a solid-state pH sensor.

In this paper, we developed a high-performance solid-state pH sensor using a Ce0.9Sr0.1(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O4 (CSZT) membrane through a very simple sol-gel spin-coating process. The structural properties of the CSZT membrane are correlated with its sensing characteristics. The CSZT based EIS sensor exhibited a high pH sensitivity of 92.48 mV pH-1, which is beyond the Nernst limit (59.4 mV pH-1), and good reliability in terms of a low hysteresis voltage of 1 mV and a small drift rate of 0.15 mV h-1. This behaviour is attributed to the incorporation of Sr in the CSZT sensing membrane, which promotes change in the Ce oxidation state from Ce4+ to Ce3+.

Magnetoreception Regulates Male Courtship Activity in Drosophila.

The possible neurological and biophysical effects of magnetic fields on animals is an area of active study. Here, we report that courtship activity of male Drosophila increases in a magnetic field and that this effect is regulated by the blue light-dependent photoreceptor cryptochrome (CRY). Naïve male flies exhibited significantly increased courtship activities when they were exposed to a ≥ 20-Gauss static magnetic field, compared with their behavior in the natural environment (0 Gauss). CRY-deficient flies, cryb and crym, did not show an increased courtship index in a magnetic field. RNAi-mediated knockdown of cry in cry-GAL4-positive neurons disrupted the increased male courtship activity in a magnetic field. Genetically expressing cry under the control of cry-GAL4 in the CRY-deficient flies restored the increase in male courtship index that occurred in a magnetic field. Interestingly, artificially activating cry-GAL4-expressing neurons, which include large ventral lateral neurons and small ventral lateral neurons, via expression of thermosensitive cation channel dTrpA1, also increased the male courtship index. This enhancement was abolished by the addition of the cry-GAL80 transgene. Our results highlight the phenomenon of increased male courtship activity caused by a magnetic field through CRY-dependent magnetic sensation in CRY expression neurons in Drosophila.

Resistive switching behavior in Lu2O3 thin film for advanced flexible memory applications.

In this article, the resistive switching (RS) behaviors in Lu2O3 thin film for advanced flexible nonvolatile memory applications are investigated. Amorphous Lu2O3 thin films with a thickness of 20 nm were deposited at room temperature by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering on flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate. The structural and morphological changes of the Lu2O3 thin film were characterized by x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. The Ru/Lu2O3/ITO flexible memory device shows promising RS behavior with low-voltage operation and small distribution of switching parameters. The dominant switching current conduction mechanism in the Lu2O3 thin film was determined as bulk-controlled space-charge-limited-current with activation energy of traps of 0.33 eV. The oxygen vacancies assisted filament conduction model was described for RS behavior in Lu2O3 thin film. The memory reliability characteristics of switching endurance, data retention, good flexibility, and mechanical endurance show promising applications in future advanced memory.

Structural and electrical characteristics of high-κ Er2O3 and Er2TiO5 gate dielectrics for a-IGZO thin-film transistors.

In this letter, we investigated the structural and electrical characteristics of high-κ Er2O3 and Er2TiO5 gate dielectrics on the amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) devices. Compared with the Er2O3 dielectric, the a-IGZO TFT device incorporating an Er2TiO5 gate dielectric exhibited a low threshold voltage of 0.39 V, a high field-effect mobility of 8.8 cm2/Vs, a small subthreshold swing of 143 mV/decade, and a high Ion/Ioff current ratio of 4.23 × 107, presumably because of the reduction in the oxygen vacancies and the formation of the smooth surface roughness as a result of the incorporation of Ti into the Er2TiO5 film. Furthermore, the reliability of voltage stress can be improved using an Er2TiO5 gate dielectric.

Copper halide-bridged ruthenium telluride carbonyl complexes: discovery of the semiconducting cluster chain polymer {[PPh4]2[Te2Ru4(CO)10Cu4Br2Cl2].THF}infinity.

A new series of Te-Ru-Cu carbonyl complexes was prepared by the reaction of K(2)TeO(3) with [Ru(3)(CO)(12)] in MeOH followed by treatment with PPh(4)X (X=Br, Cl) and [Cu(MeCN)(4)]BF(4) or CuX (X=Br, Cl) in MeCN. When the reaction mixture of K(2)TeO(3) and [Ru(3)(CO)(12)] was first treated with PPh(4)X followed by the addition of [Cu(MeCN)(4)]BF(4), doubly CuX-bridged Te(2)Ru(4)-based octahedral clusters [PPh(4)](2)[Te(2)Ru(4)(CO)(10)Cu(2)X(2)] (X=Br, [PPh(4)](2)[1]; X=Cl, [PPh(4)](2)[2]) were obtained. When the reaction mixture of K(2)TeO(3) and [Ru(3)(CO)(12)] was treated with PPh(4)X (X=Br, Cl) followed by the addition of CuX (X=Br, Cl), three different types of CuX-bridged Te-Ru carbonyl clusters were obtained. While the addition of PPh(4)Br or PPh(4)Cl followed by CuBr produced the doubly CuBr-bridged cluster 1, the addition of PPh(4)Cl followed by CuCl led to the formation of the Cu(4)Cl(2)-bridged bis-TeRu(5)-based octahedral cluster compound [PPh(4)](2)[{TeRu(5)(CO)(14)}(2)Cu(4)Cl(2)] ([PPh(4)](2)[3]). On the other hand, when the reaction mixture of K(2)TeO(3) and [Ru(3)(CO)(12)] was treated with PPh(4)Br followed by the addition of CuCl, the Cu(Br)CuCl-bridged Te(2)Ru(4)-based octahedral cluster chain polymer {[PPh(4)](2)(Te(2)Ru(4)(CO)(10)Cu(4)Br(2)Cl(2)).THF}(infinity) ({[PPh(4)](2)[4].THF}(infinity)) was produced. The chain polymer {[PPh(4)](2)[4].THF}(infinity) is the first ternary Te-Ru-Cu cluster and shows semiconducting behavior with a small energy gap of about 0.37 eV. It can be rationalized as resulting from aggregation of doubly CuX-bridged clusters 1 and 2 with two equivalents of CuCl or CuBr, respectively. The nature of clusters 1-4 and the formation and semiconducting properties of the polymer of 4 were further examined by molecular orbital calculations at the B3LYP level of density functional theory.