Versatile high-performance inkjet-printed paper photo-actuators based on 2D materials.

In this paper, we present high-performance and versatile inkjet-printed paper photo-actuators based on two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials. As a rapid fabrication method, inkjet printing of 2D materials is used to promptly fabricate photo-actuators in a bi-layer paper/polymer structure. Water-based and biocompatible inks based on graphene and molybdenum disulfide are developed based on liquid phase exfoliation and differential centrifugation technique. It is shown that incorporation of 2D materials with inkjet printing techniques and liquid phase exfoliation can lead to rapid fabrication of photo-actuators with huge opto-mechanical energy release and versatility with a broad range of applications due to specific design and methods presented in this paper.

MoS2 actuators: reversible mechanical responses of MoS2-polymer nanocomposites to photons.

New molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)-based polymer composites and their reversible mechanical responses to light are presented, suggesting MoS2 as an excellent candidate for energy conversion. Homogeneous mixtures of MoS2/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocomposites (0.1-5 wt.%) were prepared and their near infrared (NIR) mechanical responses studied with increasing pre-strains. NIR triggering resulted in an extraordinary change in stress levels of the actuators by ~490 times. Actuation responses of MoS2 polymer composites depended on applied pre-strains. At lower levels of pre-strains (3-9%) the actuators showed reversible expansion while at high levels (15-50%), the actuators exhibited reversible contraction. An opto-mechanical conversion (η)∼0.5-3 MPa W(-1) was calculated. The ratio of maximum stress due to photo-actuation (σmax) at 50% strain to the minimum stress due to photo-actuation (σmin) at 3% strain was found to be ∼315-322% for MoS2 actuators (for 0.1 to 5 wt.% additive), greater than single layer graphene (∼188%) and multi-wall nanotube (∼172%) photo-mechanical actuators. Unlike other photomechanical actuators, the MoS2 actuators exhibited strong light-matter interactions and an unambiguous increase in amplitude of photomechanical response with increasing strains. A power law dependence of σmax/σmin on strains with a scaling exponent of ß = 0.87-1.32 was observed, suggesting that the origin of photomechanical response is intertwined dynamically with the molecular mechanisms at play in MoS2 actuators.

The Coupled Straintronic-Photothermic Effect.

We describe the coupled straintronic-photothermic effect where coupling between bandgap of the 2D layered semiconductor under localized strains, optical absorption and the photo-thermal effect results in a large chromatic mechanical response in TMD-nanocomposites. Under the irradiation of visible light (405 nm to 808 nm), such locally strained atomic thin films based on 2H-MoS2 embedded in an elastomer such as poly (dimethyl) siloxane matrix exhibited a large amplitude of photo-thermal actuation compared to their unstrained counterparts. Moreover, the locally strain engineered nanocomposites showed tunable mechanical response giving rise to higher mechanical stress at lower photon energies. Scanning photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed a change in bandgap of 30 meV between regions encompassing highly strained compared to the unstrained few layers. For 1.6% change in the bandgap, the macroscopic photo-thermal response increased by a factor of two. Millimeter scale bending actuators based on the locally strained 2H-MoS2 resulted in significantly enhanced photo-thermal actuation displacements compared to their unstrained counterparts at lower photon energies and operated up to 30 Hz. Almost 1 mN photo-activated force was obtained at 50 mW and provided long-term stability. This study demonstrates a new mechanism in TMD-nanocomposites that would be useful for developing broad range of transducers.

Chromatic Mechanical Response in 2-D Layered Transition Metal Dichalcogenide (TMDs) based Nanocomposites.

The ability to convert photons of different wavelengths directly into mechanical motion is of significant interest in many energy conversion and reconfigurable technologies. Here, using few layer 2H-MoS2 nanosheets, layer by layer process of nanocomposite fabrication, and strain engineering, we demonstrate a reversible and chromatic mechanical response in MoS2-nanocomposites between 405 nm to 808 nm with large stress release. The chromatic mechanical response originates from the d orbitals and is related to the strength of the direct exciton resonance A and B of the few layer 2H-MoS2 affecting optical absorption and subsequent mechanical response of the nanocomposite. Applying uniaxial tensile strains to the semiconducting few-layer 2H-MoS2 crystals in the nanocomposite resulted in spatially varying energy levels inside the nanocomposite that enhanced the broadband optical absorption up to 2.3 eV and subsequent mechanical response. The unique photomechanical response in 2H-MoS2 based nanocomposites is a result of the rich d electron physics not available to nanocomposites based on sp bonded graphene and carbon nanotubes, as well as nanocomposite based on metallic nanoparticles. The reversible strain dependent optical absorption suggest applications in broad range of energy conversion technologies that is not achievable using conventional thin film semiconductors.