Detection of Crude Oil in Subsea Environments Using Organic Electrochemical Transistors.

Current methods for detecting pipeline oil leaks depend primarily on optical detection, which can be slow and have deployment limitations. An alternative non-optical approach for earlier and faster detection of oil leaks would enable a rapid response and reduce the environmental impact of oil leaks. Here, we demonstrate that organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) can be used as non-optical sensors for crude oil detection in subsea environments. OECTs are thin film electronic devices that can be used for sensing in a variety of environments, but they have not yet been tested for crude oil detection in subsea environments. We fabricated OECTs with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) as the channel and showed that coating the channel with a polystyrene film results in an OECT with a large and measurable response to oil. Oil that comes in contact with the device will adsorb onto the polystyrene film and increases the impedance at the electrolyte interface. We performed electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements to quantify the impedance across the device and found an optimal thickness for the polystyrene coating for the detection of oil. Under optimal device characteristics, as little as 10 µg of oil adsorbed on the channel surface produced a statistically significant change in the source-drain current. The OECTs were operable in seawater for the detection of oil, and we demonstrated that the devices can be transferred to flexible substrates which can be easily implemented in vehicles, pipelines, or other surfaces. This work demonstrates a low-cost device for oil detection in subsea environments and provides a new application of OECT sensors for sensing.

Antibacterial flexible triboelectric nanogenerator via capillary force lithography.

Increasing the surface contact area (SCA) between active materials of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) can effectively enhance energy harvesting performance. In the meantime, owing to potential intimate contacts between skin and wearables, hygienic aspects of TENG devices with high SCA become important. Herein, we present a robust route to fabricate flexible TENGs with antimicrobial capability realized by nano-patterning thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) thin films. Without involving sophisticated equipment and time-consuming technique, simply tuning curing conditions of capillary force lithography could precisely control the nanostructure geometry. Our topographically designed TENGs could promote higher power generation while preventing biofilm formation without adding any chemical additives. Analysis of pattern amplitude and wavelength correlation to output power is uniquely provided for a deeper understanding of how patterns enable peak performance of TENGs. Furthermore, a prototype TENG was innovatively applied to a smart device as a transparent screen sensor. Specific finger trajectories could be recognized by different electric responses, and as-generated electricity can be directly charged into comercial capacitors. Our proposed TENGs with critical hygienic advancements are expected to open avenues for TENG-incorporated wearables in the post-pandemic era.

Comparison of Nanoarchitecture to Porous Media Diffusion Models in Reduced Graphene Oxide/Aramid Nanofiber Electrodes for Supercapacitors.

Structural electrodes made of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and aramid nanofiber (ANF) are promising candidates for future structural supercapacitors. In this study, the influence of nanoarchitecture on the effective ionic diffusivity, porosity, and tortuosity in rGO/ANF structural electrodes is investigated through multiphysics computational modeling. Two specific nanoarchitectures, namely, "house of cards" and "layered" structures, are evaluated. The results obtained from nanoarchitecture computational modeling are compared to the porous media approach and show that the widely used porous electrode theories, such as Bruggeman or Millington-Quirk relations, overestimate the effective diffusion coefficient. Also, the results from nanoarchitecture modeling are validated with experimental measurements obtained from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The effective diffusion coefficients obtained from nanoarchitectural modeling show better agreement with experimental measurements. Evaluation of microscopic properties such as porosity, tortuosity, and effective diffusivity through both experiment and simulation is essential to understand the material behavior and to improve its performance.

In Situ Study of Strain-Dependent Ion Conductivity of Stretchable Polyethylene Oxide Electrolyte.

There is a strong need in developing stretchable batteries that can accommodate stretchable or irregularly shaped applications including medical implants, wearable devices and stretchable electronics. Stretchable solid polymer electrolytes are ideal candidates for creating fully stretchable lithium ion batteries mainly due to their mechanical and electrochemical stability, thin-film manufacturability and enhanced safety. However, the characteristics of ion conductivity of polymer electrolytes during tensile deformation are not well understood. Here, we investigate the effects of tensile strain on the ion conductivity of thin-film polyethylene oxide (PEO) through an in situ study. The results of this investigation demonstrate that both in-plane and through-plane ion conductivities of PEO undergo steady and linear growths with respect to the tensile strain. The coefficients of strain-dependent ion conductivity enhancement (CSDICE) for in-plane and through-plane conduction were found to be 28.5 and 27.2, respectively. Tensile stress-strain curves and polarization light microscopy (PLM) of the polymer electrolyte film reveal critical insights on the microstructural transformation of stretched PEO and the potential consequences on ionic conductivity.

High Fidelity Tape Transfer Printing Based On Chemically Induced Adhesive Strength Modulation.

Transfer printing, a two-step process (i.e. picking up and printing) for heterogeneous integration, has been widely exploited for the fabrication of functional electronics system. To ensure a reliable process, strong adhesion for picking up and weak or no adhesion for printing are required. However, it is challenging to meet the requirements of switchable stamp adhesion. Here we introduce a simple, high fidelity process, namely tape transfer printing (TTP), enabled by chemically induced dramatic modulation in tape adhesive strength. We describe the working mechanism of the adhesion modulation that governs this process and demonstrate the method by high fidelity tape transfer printing several types of materials and devices, including Si pellets arrays, photodetector arrays, and electromyography (EMG) sensors, from their preparation substrates to various alien substrates. High fidelity tape transfer printing of components onto curvilinear surfaces is also illustrated.

High ion conducting polymer nanocomposite electrolytes using hybrid nanofillers.

There is a growing shift from liquid electrolytes toward solid polymer electrolytes, in energy storage devices, due to the many advantages of the latter such as enhanced safety, flexibility, and manufacturability. The main issue with polymer electrolytes is their lower ionic conductivity compared to that of liquid electrolytes. Nanoscale fillers such as silica and alumina nanoparticles are known to enhance the ionic conductivity of polymer electrolytes. Although carbon nanotubes have been used as fillers for polymers in various applications, they have not yet been used in polymer electrolytes as they are conductive and can pose the risk of electrical shorting. In this study, we show that nanotubes can be packaged within insulating clay layers to form effective 3D nanofillers. We show that such hybrid nanofillers increase the lithium ion conductivity of PEO electrolyte by almost 2 orders of magnitude. Furthermore, significant improvement in mechanical properties were observed where only 5 wt % addition of the filler led to 160% increase in the tensile strength of the polymer. This new approach of embedding conducting-insulating hybrid nanofillers could lead to the development of a new generation of polymer nanocomposite electrolytes with high ion conductivity and improved mechanical properties.