A three-dimensional liquid diode for soft, integrated permeable electronics.

Wearable electronics with great breathability enable a comfortable wearing experience and facilitate continuous biosignal monitoring over extended periods1-3. However, current research on permeable electronics is predominantly at the stage of electrode and substrate development, which is far behind practical applications with comprehensive integration with diverse electronic components (for example, circuitry, electronics, encapsulation)4-8. Achieving permeability and multifunctionality in a singular, integrated wearable electronic system remains a formidable challenge. Here we present a general strategy for integrated moisture-permeable wearable electronics based on three-dimensional liquid diode (3D LD) configurations. By constructing spatially heterogeneous wettability, the 3D LD unidirectionally self-pumps the sweat from the skin to the outlet at a maximum flow rate of 11.6 ml cm-2 min-1, 4,000 times greater than the physiological sweat rate during exercise, presenting exceptional skin-friendliness, user comfort and stable signal-reading behaviour even under sweating conditions. A detachable design incorporating a replaceable vapour/sweat-discharging substrate enables the reuse of soft circuitry/electronics, increasing its sustainability and cost-effectiveness. We demonstrated this fundamental technology in both advanced skin-integrated electronics and textile-integrated electronics, highlighting its potential for scalable, user-friendly wearable devices.

Sensitive Luminescence Thermometry through Excitation Intensity Ratio in Eu-Doped BaTiO3.

Optical ratiometric thermometry techniques have gained much attention in recent years due to their reliable and noncontact temperature sensing capability for industrial and biorelated applications. Herein, we exploited the temperature dependence of the absorption band of BaTiO3 (BTO) for novel excitation intensity ratio (EIR) thermometry. Photoluminescence and excitation properties of Eu3+-doped BTO powders were studied as a function of Eu3+ doping concentration. The excitation peak intensities at 397 and 468 nm, corresponding to the 7F0 → 5L6 and 5D2 transitions of Eu3+, were used as EIR parameters. The temperature dependence of the EIR can be explained by the competitive absorption between Eu3+ and the BTO host. The EIR properties were studied in relation to the doping concentration, registering a maximum relative sensitivity (Sr) of 4.89% K-1 in BTO:Eu3+ (0.5%) at 303 K. An amphoteric Eu3+ occupation mode at both Ba2+ and Ti4+ sites was found to interpret the doping concentration dependence of the Sr. The reduced Ba2+ site occupation ratio proved to be responsible for the low Sr values at high Eu3+ doping concentrations. Accordingly, an Eu3+/Ti3+ codoping method was further proposed to improve the Sr by increasing the Ba2+ site occupation ratio. Our result showed that BTO:Eu3+ (0.5%) demonstrated an enhancement of Sr from 4.89 to 6.42% K-1 at 303 K after 2% Ti3+ codoping.

Interfacing Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks with ZnO Nanowires for Alternating Current Electroluminescence.

Alternating current electroluminescence (ACEL) devices are attractive candidates in cost-effective lighting, sensing, and flexible displays due to their uniform luminescence, stable performance, and outstanding deformability. However, ACEL devices have suffered from limited options for the light-emitting layer, which presents a significant constraint in the progress of utilizing ACEL. Herein, a new class of ACEL phosphors based on lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) is devised. A synthesis of lanthanide-benzenetricarboxylate (Ln-BTC) thin film on a brass grid substrate seeded with ZnO nanowires (NWs) as anchors is developed. The as-synthesized Ln-BTC thin film is employed as the emissive layer and shows visible electroluminescence driven by alternating current (2.9 V µm-1 , 1 kHz) for the first time. Mechanistic investigations reveal that the Ln-based ACEL stems from impact excitation by accelerated electrons from ZnO NWs. Fine-tuning of the ACEL color is also demonstrated by controlling the Ln-MOF compositions and introducing an extra ZnS emitting layer. The advances in these optical materials expand the application of ACEL devices in anti-counterfeiting.

Synthesis and hybridization of CuInS2 nanocrystals for emerging applications.

Copper indium sulfide (CuInS2) is a ternary A(I)B(III)X(VI)2-type semiconductor featuring a direct bandgap with a high absorption coefficient. In attempts to explore their practical applications, nanoscale CuInS2 has been synthesized with crystal sizes down to the quantum confinement regime. The merits of CuInS2 nanocrystals (NCs) include wide emission tunability, a large Stokes shift, long decay time, and eco-friendliness, making them promising candidates in photoelectronics and photovoltaics. Over the past two decades, advances in wet-chemistry synthesis have achieved rational control over cation-anion reactivity during the preparation of colloidal CuInS2 NCs and post-synthesis cation exchange. The precise nano-synthesis coupled with a series of hybridization strategies has given birth to a library of CuInS2 NCs with highly customizable photophysical properties. This review article focuses on the recent development of CuInS2 NCs enabled by advanced synthetic and hybridization techniques. We show that the state-of-the-art CuInS2 NCs play significant roles in optoelectronic and biomedical applications.

Thermodynamics-Induced Injection Enhanced Deep-Blue Perovskite Quantum Dot LEDs.

Precisely tuning emission spectra through the component control of mixed halides has been proved to be an efficient method for procuring deep-blue perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs). However, the inferior color instability and lifetime attenuation, originated from vacancy- and trap-mediated mechanisms under an external field, remain an uninterruptedly formidable challenge for the commercial development of PeLEDs. Here, an ultrafast thermodynamics-induced injection enhancement strategy was employed to promote efficient carrier recombination within perovskite quantum dots (QDs), accompanied by less inefficient charge accumulation and trap generation, enabling deep-blue PeLEDs with improved thermal and spectral stability. The resultant PeLEDs feature an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 3.66%, a max luminance of 2100 cd/m2 at the electroluminescence (EL) of 460 nm, and a halftime of 288 s. This work provides a general platform for promoting the EL performances and a deep insight into unraveling the degradation mechanism of blue PeLEDs.

Understanding the Percolation Effect in Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Conductive Intermediate Layer.

Introducing the conductive intermediate layer into a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been proved as an efficient way to enhance the surface charge density that is attributed to the enhancement of the dielectric permittivity. However, far too little attention has been paid to the companion percolation, another key element to affect the output. Here, the TENG with MXene-embedded polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite film is fabricated, and the dependence of the output capability on the MXene loading is investigated experimentally and theoretically. Specifically, the surface charge density mainly depends on the dielectric permittivity at lower MXene loadings, and in contrast, the percolation becomes the degrading factor with the further increase of the conductive loadings. At the balance between the dielectric and percolation properties, the surface charge density of the MXene-modified TENG obtained 350% enhancement compared to that with the pure PVDF. This work shed new light on understanding the dielectric and percolation effect in TENG, which renders a universal strategy for the high-performance triboelectronics.

Aqueous Phase Exfoliating Quasi-2D CsPbBr3 Nanosheets with Ultrahigh Intrinsic Water Stability.

All-inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as attractive optoelectronic materials due to the excellent optical and electronic properties. However, their environmental stability, especially in the presence of water, is still a significant challenge for their further commercialization. Here, ultrahigh intrinsically water-stable all-inorganic quasi-2D CsPbBr3 nanosheets (NSs) via aqueous phase exfoliation method are reported. Compared to conventional perovskite NCs, these unique quasi-2D CsPbBr3 nanosheets present an outstanding long-term water stability with 87% photoluminescence (PL) intensity remaining after 168 h under water conditions. Moreover, the photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) of quasi-2D CsPbBr3 NSs is up to 82.3%, and these quasi-2D CsPbBr3 NSs also present good photostability of keeping 85% PL intensity after 2 h under 365 nm UV light. Evidently, such quasi-2D perovskite NSs will open up a new way to investigate the intrinsic stability of all-inorganic perovskites and further promote the commercial development of perovskite-based optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices.

Na+ and Pr3+ co-doped orange-emitting CaYAl3O7 phosphors: synthesis, luminescence properties and theoretical calculations.

A series of Na+ and Pr3+ co-doped orange-emitting CaYAl3O7 (CYAO) phosphors were prepared by a conventional high-temperature solid-state reaction method. The crystalline structure, the luminescence properties and the decay times of the as-prepared samples were systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence. Under ultraviolet (UV) light and blue light excitation, the CYAO:Pr3+ phosphors exhibited orange photoluminescence emission and show potential for application in warm white LEDs, and the emission spectra of the as-prepared samples in the near-infrared (NIR) region were detected. Furthermore, Na+ ions were designed as charge compensators to maintain the charge balance. The luminescence intensities in the visible and NIR regions can be effectively enhanced by adjusting the doping amounts of Pr3+ ions and Na+ ions. Moreover, the optical spectra of Pr3+ in the CYAO host crystals were calculated by conventional parametric modeling based on the diagonalization of the complete 91 × 91 energy matrix. The calculated optical spectra were in good agreement with the observed ones and the obtained crystal field parameters were also in a reasonable range. This systemic study, and all of the above, will give a deep insight into the luminescence mechanism of the phosphors and then open one way to exploit the new phosphors for white LEDs.

Visible and near-infrared luminescent properties of Pr3+ doped strontium molybdate thin films by a facile polymer-assisted deposition process.

Quartz substrate supported Praseodymium (Pr) doped strontium molybdate (SrMoO4) thin films with good uniformity and outstanding fluorescent properties are successfully fabricated via a facile polymer-assisted deposition (PAD) method. In combination with the strong chelating effect of water-soluble polymer on metal cations, the free cations without chelating are effectively ruled out but the remaining chelating metal cations are employed for the highly uniform and accurate stoichiometry luminescent SrMoO4: Pr thin films, layer-by-layer mounting on the common quartz substrates. More importantly, the excellent release of stress from polymer during the growth process of epitaxial thin film can effectively overcome the mismatch between thin film and common quartz substrate and then guarantee the quality of thin film. Under the ultraviolet (UV) light excitation, the samples show high luminescence intensity both in visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions peaked at 646 nm and 1037 nm, mainly ascribing to the transitions of 3P0 → 3F2 and 1G4 → 3H4 of Pr3+ ions. The luminescent properties can be tailored by optimizing the number of spin-coated layers and doping concentrations. The maximum emission occurs at 4 mol% of Pr3+ dopant, and it exhibits an impressive high photoluminescence quantum yield (QY) of up to 86.12%. These results evidently demonstrate the present PAD method is a useful prototype for preparing high performance luminescent thin films even on the cheap quartz substrate.

Structural and Optical Investigations of Quasi-Single Crystal Eu3+-Doped BaWO4 Thin Films.

Scheelite-structure tungstates with unique structural features and excellent luminescence possess promising applications, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), scintillators, and displays. The controllable growth of high quality and uniform composition thin films mounted on cheap substrates is a key factor to realize the above commercial applications, however, which is also a big challenge due to the difficult stress release stemming from intrinsic lattice mismatches. Here, we employed the simple and composition-controlled polymer-assisted deposition (PAD) method to successfully obtain a series of high quality and well-proportioned BaWO4:Eu3+ (BWOE) thin films with red emission. Screening out the unbound freedom metal ions by poly(ether imide) (PEI) and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), the firmly bound metal ions (Ba2+, W6+ and Eu3+) in polymer solution were applied to accurately control the chemical composition and effectively governed the release of stress during the growth process of BWOE thin films. Furthermore, XRD, SEM and EDS mapping detections evidently authenticated the quasi-single crystallinity, uniform morphology and well-distributed composition of as-grown thin films. Additionally, excited by 250 nm light, these thin films could efficiently produce the red emission, peaked at around 612 nm originated from the 5 D0 → 7 F2 transition of Eu3+. Moreover, the optimal doping concentration of thin films was confirmed to be 9% and corresponding Commission International de l'Eclairage (CIE) chromaticity coordinate was (0.618, 0.365), which evidently implied the excellent color rending index. Therefore, this work highlights the rather superior PAD method to prepare uniform and high-quality BWOE thin films, which can be expanded toward the other photoelectric devices including white lighted-emitting diodes, scintillators, displays, and photoelectric detectors.

Self-Powered Acceleration Sensor Based on Liquid Metal Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Vibration Monitoring.

An acceleration sensor is an essential component of the vibration measurement, while the passivity and sensitivity are the pivotal features for its application. Here, we report a self-powered and highly sensitive acceleration sensor based on a triboelectric nanogenerator composed of a liquid metal mercury droplet (LMMD) and nanofiber-networked polyvinylidene fluoride (nn-PVDF) film. Due to the ultrahigh surface-to-volume ratio of nn-PVDF film and high surface tension, high mass density, high elastic as well as mechanical robustness of LMMD, the open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current reach up to 15.5 V and 300 nA at the acceleration of 60 m/s2, respectively. The acceleration sensor has a wide detection range from 0 to 60 m/s2 with a high sensitivity of 0.26 V·s/m2. Also, the output voltage and current show a negligible decrease over 200,000 cycles, evidently presenting excellent stability. Moreover, a high-speed camera was employed to dynamically capture the motion state of the acceleration sensor for insight into the corresponding work mechanism. Finally, the acceleration sensor was demonstrated to measure the vibration of mechanical equipment and human motion in real time, which has potential applications in equipment vibration monitoring and troubleshooting.