Fluidic self-assembly for MicroLED displays by controlled viscosity.

Displays in which arrays of microscopic 'particles', or chiplets, of inorganic light-emitting diodes (LEDs) constitute the pixels, termed MicroLED displays, have received considerable attention1,2 because they can potentially outperform commercially available displays based on organic LEDs3,4 in terms of power consumption, colour saturation, brightness and stability and without image burn-in issues1,2,5-7. To manufacture these displays, LED chiplets must be epitaxially grown on separate wafers for maximum device performance and then transferred onto the display substrate. Given that the number of LEDs needed for transfer is tremendous-for example, more than 24 million chiplets smaller than 100 µm are required for a 50-inch, ultra-high-definition display-a technique capable of assembling tens of millions of individual LEDs at low cost and high throughput is needed to commercialize MicroLED displays. Here we demonstrate a MicroLED lighting panel consisting of more than 19,000 disk-shaped GaN chiplets, 45 µm in diameter and 5 µm in thickness, assembled in 60 s by a simple agitation-based, surface-tension-driven fluidic self-assembly (FSA) technique with a yield of 99.88%. The creation of this level of large-scale, high-yield FSA of sub-100-µm chiplets was considered a significant challenge because of the low inertia of the chiplets. Our key finding in overcoming this difficulty is that the addition of a small amount of poloxamer to the assembly solution increases its viscosity which, in turn, increases liquid-to-chiplet momentum transfer. Our results represent significant progress towards the ultimate goal of low-cost, high-throughput manufacture of full-colour MicroLED displays by FSA.

Chiroptical Performances in Self-Assembled Hierarchical Nanosegregated Chiral Intermediate Phases Composed of Two Different Achiral Bent-Core Molecules.

In this paper, chiral intermediate phases composed of two achiral molecules are fabricated by utilizing nanophase separation and molecular hierarchical self-organization. An achiral bent-core guest molecule, exhibiting a calamitic nematic and a dark conglomerate phase according to the temperature, is mixed with another achiral bent-core host molecule possessing a helical nanofilament to separate the phases between them. Two nanosegregated phases are identified, and considerable chiroptical changes, such as circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence, are detected at the transition temperatures between the different nanophase-separated states. The nanosegregated chiral phase-wherein the helical nanofilament and dark conglomerate phases are phase-separated-exhibits the highest chiroptical intensities. The luminescence dissymmetry factor, |glum|, in this phase is amplified by an order of magnitude compared with that of another nanosegregated phase, wherein the helical nanofilament and nematic phases are phase-separated.

Large-Scale, Lightweight, and Robust Nanocomposites Based on Ruthenium-Decorated Carbon Nanosheets for Deformable Electrochemical Capacitors.

Despite the increase in demand for deformable electrochemical capacitors as a power source for wearable electronics, significant obstacles remain in developing these capacitors, including their manufacturing complexity and insufficient deformability. With recognition of these challenges, a facile strategy is proposed to fabricate large-scale, lightweight, and mechanically robust composite electrodes composed of ruthenium nanoparticles embedded in freestanding carbon nanotube (CNT)-based nanosheets (Ru@a-CNTs). Surface-modified CNT sheets with hierarchical porous structures can behave as an ideal platform to accommodate a large number of uniformly distributed Ru nanoparticles (Ru/CNT weight ratio of 5:1) while improving compatibility with aqueous electrolytes. Accordingly, Ru@a-CNTs offer a large electrochemically active area, showing a high specific capacitance (∼253.3 F g-1) and stability for over 2000 cycles. More importantly, the exceptional performance and mechanical durability of quasi-solid-state capacitors assembled with Ru@a-CNTs and a PVA-H3PO4 hydrogel electrolyte are successfully demonstrated in that 94% of the initial capacitance is retained after 100 000 cycles of bending deformation and a commercial smartwatch is charged by multiple cells. The feasible large-scale production and potential applicability shown in this study provide a simple and highly effective design strategy for a wide range of energy storage applications from small- to large-scale wearable electronics.

Chiral polymer hosts for circularly polarized electroluminescence devices.

Polymer electroluminescence devices producing circularly polarized luminescence (CP PLEDs) have valuable photonic applications. The fabrication of a CP PLED requires a polymer host that provides the appropriate chiral environment around the emitting dopant. However, chemical strategies for the design of chiral polymer hosts remain underdeveloped. We have developed new polymer hosts for CP PLED applications. These polymers were prepared through a free-radical polymerization of 3-vinylcarbazole with a chiral N-alkyl unit. This chiral unit forces the carbazole repeat units to form mutually helical half-sandwich conformers with preferred (P)-helical sense along the polymer main chain. Electronic circular dichroism measurements demonstrate the occurrence of chirality transfer from chiral monomers to achiral monomers during chain growth. The (P)-helical-sense-enriched polymer interacts diastereoselectively with an enantiomeric pair of new phosphorescent (R)- and (S)-dopants. The magnitude of the Kuhn dissymmetry factor (g abs) for the (P)-helically-enriched polymer film doped with the (R)-dopant was found to be one order of magnitude higher than that of the film doped with the (S)-dopant. Photoluminescence dissymmetry factors (g PL) of the order of 10-3 were recorded for the doped films, but the magnitude of diastereomeric enhancement decreased to that of g abs. The chiral polymer host permits faster energy transfer to the phosphorescent dopants than the achiral polymer host. Our photophysical and morphological investigations indicate that the acceleration in the chiral polymer host is due to its longer Förster radius and improved compatibility with the dopants. Finally, multilayer CP PLEDs were fabricated and evaluated. Devices based on the chiral polymer host with the (R)- and (S)-dopants exhibit electroluminescence dissymmetry factors (g EL) of 1.09 × 10-4 and -1.02 × 10-4 at a wavelength of 540 nm, respectively. Although challenges remain in the development of polymer hosts for CP PLEDs, our research demonstrates that chiroptical performances can be amplified by using chiral polymer hosts.

Twist to Boost: Circumventing Quantum Yield and Dissymmetry Factor Trade-Off in Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) enables promising applications in asymmetric photonics. However, the performances of CPL molecules do not yet meet the requirements of these applications. The shortcoming originates from the trade-off in CPL between the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and the photoluminescence dissymmetry factor (gPL). In this study, we developed a molecular strategy to circumvent this trade-off. Our approach takes advantage of the strong propensity of [Pt(N^C^N)Cl], where the N^C^N ligand is 1-(2-oxazoline)-3-(2-pyridyl)phenylate, to form face-to-face stacks. We introduced chiral substituents, including (S)-methyl, (R)- and (S)-isopropyl, and (S)-indanyl groups, into the ligand framework. This asymmetric control induces torsional displacements that give homohelical stacks of the Pt(II) complexes. X-ray single-crystal structure analyses for the (S)-isopropyl Pt(II) complex reveal the formation of a homohelical dimer with a Pt···Pt distance of 3.48 Å, which is less than the sum of the van der Waals radii of Pt. This helical stack elicits the metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MMLCT) transition that exhibits strong chiroptical activity due to the electric transition moment making an acute angle to the magnetic transition moment. The PLQY and gPL values of the MMLCT phosphorescence emission of the (S)-isopropyl Pt(II) complex are 0.49 and 8.4 × 10-4, which are improved by factors of ca. 6 and 4, respectively, relative to the values of the unimolecular emission (PLQY, 0.078; gPL, 2.4 × 10-4). Our photophysical measurements for the systematically controlled Pt(II) complexes reveal that the CPL amplifications depend on the chiral substituent. Our investigations also indicate that excimers are not responsible for the enhanced chiroptical activity. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, organic electroluminescence devices were fabricated. The MMLCT emission devices were found to exhibit simultaneous enhancements in the external quantum efficiency (EQE, 9.7%) and the electroluminescence dissymmetry factor (gEL, 1.2 × 10-4) over the unimolecular emission devices (EQE, 5.8%; gEL, 0.3 × 10-4). These results demonstrate the usefulness of using the chiroptically active MMLCT emission for achieving an amplified CPL.

Europium-Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic Acid Loaded Radioluminescence Liposome Nanoplatform for Effective Radioisotope-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective anticancer strategy with a higher selectivity and fewer adverse effects than conventional therapies; however, shallow tissue penetration depth of light has hampered the clinical utility of PDT. Recently, reports have indicated that Cerenkov luminescence-induced PDT may overcome the tissue penetration limitation of conventional PDT. However, the effectiveness of this method is controversial because of its low luminescence intensity. Herein, we developed a radiolabeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid chelated Eu3+ (Eu-DTPA)/photosensitizer (PS) loaded liposome (Eu/PS-lipo) that utilizes ionizing radiation from radioisotopes for effective in vivo imaging and radioluminescence-induced PDT. We utilized Victoria blue-BO (VBBO) as a PS and observed an efficient luminescence resonance energy transfer between Eu-DTPA and VBBO. Furthermore, 64Cu-labeled Eu lipo demonstrated a strong radioluminescence with a 2-fold higher intensity than Cerenkov luminescence from free 64Cu. In our radioluminescence liposome, radioluminescence energy transfer showed a 6-fold higher energy transfer efficiency to VBBO than Cerenkov luminescence energy transfer (CLET). 64Cu-labeled Eu/VBBO lipo (64Cu-Eu/VBBO lipo) showed a substantial tumor uptake of up to 19.3%ID/g by enhanced permeability and retention effects, as revealed by in vivo positron emission tomography. Finally, the PDT using 64Cu-Eu/VBBO lipo demonstrated significantly higher in vitro and in vivo therapeutic effects than Cerenkov luminescence-induced PDT using 64Cu-VBBO lipo. This study envisions a great opportunity for clinical PDT application by establishing the radioluminescence liposome which has high tumor targeting and efficient energy transfer capability from radioisotopes.

Computational wrapping: A universal method to wrap 3D-curved surfaces with nonstretchable materials for conformal devices.

This study starts from the counterintuitive question of how we can render conventional stiff, nonstretchable, and even brittle materials sufficiently conformable to fully wrap curved surfaces, such as spheres, without failure. Here, we extend the geometrical design method of computational origami to wrapping. Our computational wrapping approach provides a robust and reliable method for fabricating conformal devices for arbitrary curved surfaces with a computationally designed nonpolyhedral developable net. This computer-aided design transforms two-dimensional (2D)-based materials, such as Si wafers and steel sheets, into various targeted conformal structures that can fully wrap desired 3D structures without fracture or severe plastic deformation. We further demonstrate that our computational wrapping approach enables a design platform that can transform conventional nonstretchable 2D-based devices, such as electroluminescent lighting and flexible batteries, into conformal 3D curved devices.

High-performance circular-polarization-sensitive organic photodetectors based on a chiral plasmonic nanocavity.

Chiral photodetectors, optoelectronic devices that can detect circularly polarized light (CPL), have attracted much attention as building blocks of next-generation information technology. However, their performance has been severely limited by the tradeoff between the external quantum efficiency (ηE) and the dissymmetry factor of photocurrent, the latter typically being limited by the small dissymmetry factor of absorption (gA). This work numerically demonstrates that a circular polarization-sensitive organic photodetector (CP-OPD) based on a chiral plasmonic nanocavity can achieve both high ηE and gA. The design of the chiral nanocavity, featuring a circular dichroic plasmonic mode with a high photonic density of states in the subwavelength thick photoactive layer, is decoupled with that of the photoactive layer, which enables the independent control of the circular dichroic and photon-to-charge conversion properties. By investigating the interaction between CPL and the molecules constituting the photoactive layer, a design principle of the plasmonic CP-OPD is established, resulting in superior performance with ηE = 23.8 % and gA = 1.6.

Selective crack suppression during deformation in metal films on polymer substrates using electron beam irradiation.

While cracks are usually considered detrimental, crack generation can be harnessed for various applications, for example in ceramic materials, via directing crack propagation and crack opening. Here, we find that electron beam irradiation prompts a crack suppression phenomenon in a copper (Cu) thin film on a polyimide substrate, allowing for the control of crack formation in terms of both location and shape. Under tensile strain, cracks form on the unirradiated region of the Cu film whereas cracks are prevented on the irradiated region. We attribute this to the enhancement of the adhesion at the Cu-polyimide interface by electrons transmitted through the Cu film. Finally, we selectively form conductive regions in a Cu film on a polyimide substrate under tension and fabricate a strain-responsive organic light-emitting device.

Amplified circularly polarized phosphorescence from co-assemblies of platinum(ii) complexes.

Molecules capable of producing zero-field circularly polarized phosphorescence (CPP) are highly valuable for chiroptoelectronic applications that rely on triplet exciton. However, the paucity of tractable molecular design rules for obtaining CPP emission has inhibited full utilization. We report amplification of CPP by the formation of helical co-assemblies consisting of achiral square planar cycloplatinated complexes and small fractions of homochiral cycloplatinated complexes. The latter has a unique Pfeiffer effect during the formation of superhelical co-assemblies, enabling versatile chiroptical control. Large dissymmetry factors in electronic absorption (g abs, 0.020) and phosphorescence emission (g lum, 0.064) are observed from the co-assemblies. These values are two orders of magnitude improved relative to those of individual molecules. In addition, photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) also increase by a factor of ten. Our structural, photophysical, and quantum chemical investigations reveal that the chiroptical amplification is attributable to utilization of both the magnetically allowed electronic transition and asymmetric coupling of excitons. The strategy overcomes the trade-off between g lum and PLQY which has frequently been found for previous molecular emitters of circularly polarized luminescence. It is anticipated that our study will provide new insight into the future research for the exploitation of the full potential of CPP.

Controlled Enhancement in Hole Injection at Gold-Nanoparticle-on-Organic Electrical Contacts Fabricated by Spark-Discharge Aerosol Technique.

We demonstrate that hole injection from a top electrode composed of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) capped with a thick Au layer into an underlying organic semiconductor, N, N'-diphenyl- N, N'-bis-[4-(phenyl- m-tolyl-amino)-phenyl]-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine (DNTPD), is significantly enhanced compared to that in a control device whose top electrode is composed entirely of a thick Au layer. The fabrication of this organic hole-only device with the AuNP electrode is made possible by dry, room-temperature distribution of AuNPs onto DNTPD using a spark-discharge aerosol technique capable of varying the average diameter ( D̅) of the AuNPs. The enhancement in hole injection is found to increase with decreasing D̅, with the current density of a device with D̅ = 1.1 nm being more than 3 orders of magnitude larger than that of the control device. Intensity-modulated photocurrent measurements show that the built-in potentials of the devices with the AuNP electrode are smaller than that of the control device by as much as 0.68 V, indicating that the enhanced hole injection originates from the increased work functions of these devices, which in turn decreases the hole injection barrier heights. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that the increased work functions of the AuNP electrodes are due to surface oxidation of the AuNPs resulting in AuN and Au3N. The degree of oxidation of the AuNPs increases with decreasing D̅, consistent with the D̅-dependencies of the hole injection enhancement and the built-in potential reduction.

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Stamp Coated with a Low-Surface-Energy, Diffusion-Blocking, Covalently Bonded Perfluoropolyether Layer and Its Application to the Fabrication of Organic Electronic Devices by Layer Transfer.

It is demonstrated that a stamp composed of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) bulk and perfluoropolyether (PFPE) coating fabricated by a simple dip-coating method has the following properties that are ideal for the transfer patterning of various materials. Deposited by a condensation reaction between PDMS and PFPE molecules as well as the adjacent PFPE molecules, the PFPE coating has a strong adhesion to the PDMS surface and strong internal cohesion, while providing a low energy surface. Furthermore, it is found to function as a bidirectional diffusion barrier: it effectively prevents organic small molecules deposited on the stamp from being absorbed into free volumes of PDMS; it also prevents PDMS oligomers from migrating onto the layer to be transferred, thereby avoiding the contamination of that layer. Morphological and elemental characterization of the surfaces of the transferred organic semiconductor and graphene layers confirms a successful transfer with a high degree of surface cleanliness. The quality of interfaces mechanically bonded using the PFPE-coated stamps and the cleanliness of the transferred layers are remarkably high that the electronic functions of a transfer-bonded organic heterojunction are comparable to those of the same interface formed by vacuum deposition, and that the charge transport across the transfer-bonded graphene-graphene and graphene-MoO3 interfaces is efficient. Our results demonstrate that the PFPE-coated stamp enables patterned depositions of materials with high quality interfaces while avoiding a high temperature or wet process.

Eliminating the solvent blocking requirement of interconnection layers in polymer tandem solar cells by thin-film transfer technique.

Interconnection layers (ICLs) for polymer tandem solar cells reported so far are limited in materials' choice and layer structure, because of a requirement that the ICLs must prevent the penetration of solvents used for the top cells. In this research, it is demonstrated that depositing the active layer of the top subcell using a dry thin-film transfer technique allows for incorporation of an ICL composed of vacuum deposited materials in a polymer tandem cell, providing a large degree of freedom in ICL design. Specifically, a polymer tandem solar cell was fabricated using an ICL composed of bathocuproine:silver/silver islands/1,4,5,8,9,11-hexaazatriphenylene hexacarbonitrile (BCP:Ag/Ag islands/HAT-CN), where the thicknesses of the BCP:Ag and Ag island layers are precisely controlled at the nanoscale to facilitate the transport of electrons generated in the bottom subcell and to ensure their efficient recombination with holes generated in the top subcell. Consequently, the tandem device featuring the optimized ICL, whose active layers are composed of poly(3-hexylthiophene):[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PC61BM) and poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b']dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)]:[6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PCPDTBT:PC71BM), exhibits an open-circuit voltage of 1.20 V, which is equal to the sum of the open-circuit voltages of the two subcells, with a fill factor (FF) of 0.60 almost identical to the FFs of the subcells.

Multifunctional Bilayer Template for Near-Infrared-Sensitive Organic Solar Cells.

For organic solar cells (OSCs) based on nonplanar phthalocyanines, it has previously been reported that a thin film composed of triclinic crystals with face-on (or flat-lying)-oriented molecules, typically obtained with a CuI template layer, is desired for optical absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region. However, this work demonstrates that for a PbPc-C60 donor-acceptor pair, less face-on orientation with a broader orientation distribution obtained with a new template layer consisting of a ZnPc/CuI bilayer is more desirable in terms of solar cell efficiency than the face-on orientation. A NIR-sensitive PbPc-C60 OSC employing this bilayer-templated PbPc film is found to increase the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) by 36% on average in the NIR spectral region compared to a device using a CuI-templated PbPc film. Analyses of the change in IQE using the exciton diffusion model and the entropy- and disorder-driven charge-separation model suggest that the improved IQE is attributed to the facilitated dissociation of charge-transfer excitons as well as the reduction in exciton quenching near the indium tin oxide surface.

Carbon-Nanosheet Based Large-Area Electrochemical Capacitor that is Flexible, Foldable, Twistable, and Stretchable.

With the growing demand for wearable electronics, developing new compatible energy systems is a prominent topic of research. Energy systems mounted on wearable electronics should exhibit high cost efficiency, mechanical robustness, and high electrochemical activity. Herein, all-carbon-based large-area nanocomposites for freely deformable electrochemical capacitors are suggested to address these requirements. The three-dimensionally integrated, self-supported nanocomposites consist of activated carbons (ACs) distributed in direct spinning-derived carbon nanotube (DS-CNT) sheets without any additives, including conducting agents or binders. Owing to synergetic effects of the highly porous AC particles, high electron transport kinetics of CNTs, and facile ion accessibility resulting from acid treatment, the nanocomposites show a greatly improved specific capacitance of 128 F g-1 , compared to that of pristine ACs (62 F g-1 ), based on the total mass of the electrodes. The exceptional mechanical stability of the nanocomposites, which are attached on prestretched elastomer substrates, is confirmed; only a ≈15% increase in the electrical resistance is observed under a tensile strain of 100%, and the initial resistance is fully recovered after releasing. Finally, the outstanding durability and electrochemical performance of the deformable all-carbon-based symmetric capacitors under various mechanical deformations of bending, folding, twisting, and stretching are successfully demonstrated.

Efficient Planar-Heterojunction Perovskite Solar Cells Fabricated by High-Throughput Sheath-Gas-Assisted Electrospray.

When a perovskite precursor solution is electrosprayed using the conventional method where the nebulization of the solution is primarily governed by electrostatics, its high electrical conductivity tends to cause electrospray instabilities and thus makes high-quality perovskite films very difficult to obtain. Here, we report high-throughput fabrication of efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs) whose CH3NH3PbI3-xClx films are deposited using a sheath-gas-assisted electrospray system. Our system, based on strong pneumatic nebulization as well as high-voltage electrostatic charging of droplets, enables very stable high-flow electrospray of small charged droplets, even for the highly conductive perovskite precursor solution. Consequently, with the control of the drying rate of the droplets deposited on substrates by adjusting the substrate temperature during deposition, crystalline, void-free CH3NH3PbI3-xClx films with nearly 100% surface coverage and high thickness uniformity are obtained. Inverted planar-heterojunction PSCs employing these films have a maximum power conversion efficiency of 14.2% with a small standard deviation of 0.9%, comparable to that of the spin-coated device.

Hybrid Organic Tandem Solar Cell Comprising Small-Molecule Bottom and Polymer:Fullerene Top Subcells Fabricated by Thin-Film Transfer.

Multilayer structures involving solution-deposited polymer films are difficult to fabricate, not allowing for unrestricted designs of polymer-based optoelectronic devices required for maximizing their performance. Here, we fabricate a hybrid organic tandem solar cell whose top and bottom subcells have polymer:fullerene and small molecules active layers, respectively, by a solvent-free process based on transferring the polymer:fullerene layer from an elastomeric stamp onto a vacuum-deposited bottom subcell. The interface between small-molecule and transferred polymer:fullerene layers is void-free at the nanoscale, allowing for efficient charge transport across the interface. Consequently, the transfer-fabricated tandem cell has an open-circuit voltage (V OC) almost identical to the sum of V OC values for the single-junction devices. The short-circuit current density (J SC) of the tandem cell is maximized by current matching achieved by varying the thickness of the small-molecule active layer in the bottom subcell, which is verified by numerical simulations. The optimized transfer-fabricated tandem cell, whose active layers are composed of poly[2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-4,7-diyl[4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl]]:[6,6]-Phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester and Di-[4-(N,N-di-p-tolyl-amino)-phenyl]cyclohexane:C70, has V OC = 1.46 V, J SC = 8.48 mA/cm2, a fill factor of 0.51, leading to the power-conversion efficiency of 6.26%, the highest among small molecule-polymer:fullerene hybrid tandem solar cells demonstrated so far.

Scattering of surface plasmon polaritons at a planar interface by an embedded dielectric nanocube.

We investigate scattering of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) at a planar metal-dielectric interface by a dielectric nanocube embedded in the metal layer using finite element method-based simulations. The scattering characteristics of the embedded nanocube, such as the scattering and absorption cross sections, far-field scattering patterns, reflectance, and transmittance, are calculated as functions of the wavelength of the incident SPP waves in the visible range. The main features of the characteristics are explained in connection with the excitation of plasmonic eigenmodes of the embedded nanocube. The most efficient scattering into waves propagating away from the metal surface, i.e., the radiating modes, occurs when a dipolar-like plasmonic mode is excited, whose eigenfrequency can be tuned by changing the edge length of the nanocube.

A dual-scale metal nanowire network transparent conductor for highly efficient and flexible organic light emitting diodes.

Although solution processed metal nanowire (NW) percolation networks are a strong candidate to replace commercial indium tin oxide, their performance is limited in thin film device applications due to reduced effective electrical areas arising from the dimple structure and percolative voids that single size metal NW percolation networks inevitably possess. Here, we present a transparent electrode based on a dual-scale silver nanowire (AgNW) percolation network embedded in a flexible substrate to demonstrate a significant enhancement in the effective electrical area by filling the large percolative voids present in a long/thick AgNW network with short/thin AgNWs. As a proof of concept, the performance enhancement of a flexible phosphorescent OLED is demonstrated with the dual-scale AgNW percolation network compared to the previous mono-scale AgNWs. Moreover, we report that mechanical and oxidative robustness, which are critical for flexible OLEDs, are greatly increased by embedding the dual-scale AgNW network in a resin layer.

Preservation of keratinized mucosa around implants using a prefabricated implant-retained stent: a case-control study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to clinically assess the impact of a prefabricated implant-retained stent clipped over healing abutments on the preservation of keratinized mucosa around implants after implant surgery, and to compare it with horizontal external mattress sutures. METHODS: A total of 50 patients were enrolled in this study. In the test group, a prefabricated implant-retained stent was clipped on the healing abutment after implant surgery to replace the keratinized tissue bucco-apically. In the control group, horizontal external mattress sutures were applied instead of using a stent. After the surgical procedure, the width of the buccal keratinized mucosa was measured at the mesial, middle, and distal aspects of the healing abutment. The change in the width of the buccal keratinized mucosa was assessed at 1 and 3 months. RESULTS: Healing was uneventful in both groups. The difference of width between baseline and 1 month was -0.26±0.85 mm in the test group, without any statistical significance (P=0.137). Meanwhile, the corresponding difference in the control group was -0.74±0.73 mm and it showed statistical significance (P<0.001). The difference of width between baseline and 3 months was -0.57±0.97 mm in the test group and -0.86±0.71 mm in the control group. These reductions were statistically significant (P<0.05); however, there was no difference between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Using a prefabricated implant-retained stent was shown to be effective in the preservation of the keratinized mucosa around implants and it was simple and straightforward in comparison to the horizontal external mattress suture technique.