Single-step fabrication of liquid gallium nanoparticles via capillary interaction for dynamic structural colours.

Incorporating structural coloured materials in flexible and stretchable elastomeric substrates requires numerous steps that compromise their scalability and economic viability for prospective applications in visual sensors and displays. Here we describe a one-step approach for fabricating plasmonic Ga nanostructures embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane substrate exhibiting tunable chromaticity, in response to mechanical stimuli. The process exploits the capillary interactions between uncrosslinked oligomeric chains of the substrate and Ga metal deposited by thermal evaporation, as elucidated by a theoretical model that we developed. By tuning the oligomer content in polydimethylsiloxane, we attain a range of colours covering a substantial gamut in CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage) coordinates. This mechanochromic flexible substrate shows reversible response to external mechanical stimuli for ~80,000 cycles. We showcase the capabilities of our processing technique by presenting prototypes of reflective displays and sensors for monitoring body parts, smart bandages and the capacity of the nanostructured film to map force in real time.

On the unique temperature-dependent interplay of a B-exciton and its trion in monolayer MoSe2.

Plasmonics in metal nanoparticles can enhance their near field optical interaction with matter, promoting emission into selected optical modes. Here, using Ga nanoparticles with carefully tuned plasmonic resonance in proximity to MoSe2 monolayers, we show selective photoluminescence enhancement from the B-exciton and its trion with no observable A-exciton emission. The nanoengineered substrate allows for the first direct experimental observation of the B-trion binding energy in semiconducting monolayers. Using temperature-dependent photoluminescence measurements, we show the following features of the MoSe2 B-exciton family: (i) the trion binding energy has an observable temperature dependence with a decreasing trend towards low temperatures and (ii) the exciton-trion emission ratio varies non-monotonically with temperature with a steep increase in the trion emission at lower temperatures. Using detailed models, we identify the particle size required for selective excitation and describe the underlying physical processes. This opens newer avenues for selectively promoting excitonic species and tuning the effective particle lifetimes in monolayer semiconductors. These results demonstrate the excellent plasmonic properties of Ga nanoparticles, which along with facile processing techniques makes it an attractive alternative to the prevalent noble metal plasmonics having applications in flexible/stretchable materials and textiles.

3D stretchable and self-encapsulated multimaterial triboelectric fibers.

A robust power device for wearable technologies and soft electronics must feature good encapsulation, high deformability, and reliable electrical outputs. Despite substantial progress in materials and architectures for two-dimensional (2D) planar power configurations, fiber-based systems remain limited to relatively simple configurations and low performance due to challenges in processing methods. Here, we extend complex 2D triboelectric nanogenerator configurations to 3D fiber formats based on scalable thermal processing of water-resistant thermoplastic elastomers and composites. We perform mechanical analysis using finite element modeling to understand the fiber's deformation and the level of control and engineering on its mechanical behavior and thus to guide its dimensional designs for enhanced electrical performance. With microtexture patterned functional surfaces, the resulting fibers can reliably produce state-of-the-art electrical outputs from various mechanical deformations, even under harsh conditions. These mechanical and electrical attributes allow their integration with large and stretchable surfaces for electricity generation of hundreds of microamperes.

Tunable Van der Waal's optical metasurfaces (VOMs) for biosensing of multiple analytes.

Van der Waal's heterostructure assembling low dimensional materials are the new paradigm in the field of nanophotonics. In this work, we theoretically investigate Van der Waal's optical metasurfaces consisting of graphene and hBN for the application of biosensing of multiple analytes in the mid-infrared (MIR) region. Phonon polaritons of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) show an advantage over plasmon polaritons, as the phonon polaritons are lossless and possess high momentum and enhanced lifetime. The hybrid phonon mode produced at 6.78 µm in the mid-infrared (MIR) region with near-perfect absorption is used for surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) based detection of organic analytes. Moreover, by adding the graphene layer, the device's overall resonance responses can be tuned, enabling it to identify multiple organic analytes-such as 4,4'-bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,1'-biphenyl (CBP) and nitrobenzene (Nb) [C6H5NO2], just by changing graphene's fermi potential (Ef). Owing to large wave vector of phonon polariton, the device has the capability to detect small amount of number of molecules (390 for CBP and 1990 for nitrobenzene), thus creating a highly sensitive optical biosensor.

Structured nanoscale metallic glass fibres with extreme aspect ratios.

Micro- and nanoscale metallic glasses offer exciting opportunities for both fundamental research and applications in healthcare, micro-engineering, optics and electronics. The scientific and technological challenges associated with the fabrication and utilization of nanoscale metallic glasses, however, remain unresolved. Here, we present a simple and scalable approach for the fabrication of metallic glass fibres with nanoscale architectures based on their thermal co-drawing within a polymer matrix with matched rheological properties. Our method yields well-ordered and uniform metallic glasses with controllable feature sizes down to a few tens of nanometres, and aspect ratios greater than 1010. We combine fluid dynamics and advanced in situ transmission electron microscopy analysis to elucidate the interplay between fluid instability and crystallization kinetics that determines the achievable feature sizes. Our approach yields complex fibre architectures that, combined with other functional materials, enable new advanced all-in-fibre devices. We demonstrate in particular an implantable metallic glass-based fibre probe tested in vivo for a stable brain-machine interface that paves the way towards innovative high-performance and multifunctional neuro-probes.

High-efficiency super-elastic liquid metal based triboelectric fibers and textiles.

Fibers that harvest mechanical energy via the triboelectric effect are excellent candidates as power sources for wearable electronics and functional textiles. Thus far however, their fabrication remains complex, and exhibited performances are below the state-of-the-art of 2D planar configurations, making them impractical. Here, we demonstrate the scalable fabrication of micro-structured stretchable triboelectric fibers with efficiencies on par with planar systems. We use the thermal drawing process to fabricate advanced elastomer fibers that combine a micro-textured surface with the integration of several liquid metal electrodes. Such fibers exhibit high electrical outputs regardless of repeated large deformations, and can sustain strains up to 560%. They can also be woven into deformable machine-washable textiles with high electrical outputs up to 490 V, 175 nC. In addition to energy harvesting, we demonstrate self-powered breathing monitoring and gesture sensing capabilities, making this triboelectric fiber platform an exciting avenue for multi-functional wearable systems and smart textiles.

Publisher Correction: Self-assembly of nanostructured glass metasurfaces via templated fluid instabilities.

In the version of this Article originally published, the volume, article number and year of ref. 32 were incorrect; they should have read 31, 1802348 (2019). This has now been corrected.

Self-assembly of nanostructured glass metasurfaces via templated fluid instabilities.

Modern devices require the tuning of the size, shape and spatial arrangement of nano-objects and their assemblies with nanometre-scale precision, over large-area and sometimes soft substrates. Such stringent requirements are beyond the reach of conventional lithographic techniques or self-assembly approaches. Here, we show nanoscale control over the fluid instabilities of optical thin glass films for the fabrication of self-assembled all-dielectric optical metasurfaces. We show and model the tailoring of the position, shape and size of nano-objects with feature sizes below 100 nm and with interparticle distances down to 10 nm. This approach can generate optical nanostructures over rigid and soft substrates that are more than tens of centimetres in size, with optical performance and resolution on a par with advanced traditional lithography-based processes. To underline the potential of our approach, which reconciles high-performance optical metasurfaces and simple self-assembly fabrication approaches, we demonstrate experimentally and via numerical simulation sharp Fano resonances with a quality factor, Q, as high as ∼300 in the visible for all-dielectric nanostructures, to realize protein monolayer detection.

Superelastic Multimaterial Electronic and Photonic Fibers and Devices via Thermal Drawing.

Electronic and photonic fiber devices that can sustain large elastic deformation are becoming key components in a variety of fields ranging from healthcare to robotics and wearable devices. The fabrication of highly elastic and functional fibers remains however challenging, which is limiting their technological developments. Simple and scalable fiber-processing techniques to continuously codraw different materials within a polymeric structure constitute an ideal platform to realize functional fibers and devices. Despite decades of research however, elastomeric materials with the proper rheological attributes for multimaterial fiber processing cannot be identified. Here, the thermal drawing of hundreds-of-meters long multimaterial optical and electronic fibers and devices that can sustain up to 500% elastic deformation is demonstrated. From a rheological and microstructure analysis, thermoplastic elastomers that can be thermally drawn at high viscosities (above 103 Pa s), allowing the encapsulation of a variety of microstructured, soft, and rigid materials are identified. Using this scalable approach, fiber devices combining high performance, extreme elasticity, and unprecedented functionalities, allowing novel applications in smart textiles, robotics, or medical implants, are demonstrated.