An Overview of Polymer Composite Films for Antibacterial Display Coatings and Sensor Applications.

The escalating presence of pathogenic microbes has spurred a heightened interest in antimicrobial polymer composites tailored for hygiene applications. These innovative composites ingeniously incorporate potent antimicrobial agents such as metals, metal oxides, and carbon derivatives. This integration equips them with the unique ability to offer robust and persistent protection against a diverse array of pathogens. By effectively countering the challenges posed by microbial contamination, these pioneering composites hold the potential to create safer environments and contribute to the advancement of public health on a substantial scale. This review discusses the recent progress of antibacterial polymer composite films with the inclusion of metals, metal oxides, and carbon derivatives, highlighting their antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic microorganisms. Furthermore, the review summarizes the recent developments in antibacterial polymer composites for display coatings, sensors, and multifunctional applications. Through a comprehensive examination of various research studies, this review aims to provide valuable insights into the design, performance, and real-time applications of these smart antimicrobial coatings for interactive devices, thus enhancing their overall user experience and safety. It concludes with an outlook on the future perspectives and challenges of antimicrobial polymer composites and their potential applications across diverse fields.

High-Performance Flexible Ultraviolet Photodetectors Based on Facilely Synthesized Ecofriendly ZnAl:LDH Nanosheets.

Recent studies have focused on the development of efficient, flexible, and highly sensitive ultraviolet photodetectors (UV PDs) with various wide band-gap materials. In the present study, the application of environmentally friendly zinc-aluminum layered double hydroxide (ZnAl-CO3:LDH) is demonstrated for a high-performance, flexible UV PD. The vertically oriented ZnAl:LDH nanosheets (ZnAl:LDH Ns) are facilely synthesized by dipping the sputtered 10 wt % aluminum-doped zinc oxide thin films in deionized water at room temperature. Without passivation, the UV PDs exhibit an exceptional light-to-dark current ratio of 104 and a responsivity of ∼34.7 mA/W at a bias of 1 V. Moreover, the spectral responsivity and detectivity are enhanced to ∼148.3 mA/W and 2.5 × 1012 Jones, respectively, by passivating the ZnAl:LDH Ns with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), thus making the device suitable for application in UV detectors. In addition, the ambient atmosphere effect on PD performance, which elucidates the clear understanding of the PD working mechanism, is also investigated. The passivation of the Ns by PDMS also helps to enhance the mechanical robustness and long-term stability of the PD. The methodology demonstrated herein highlights the potential of the ZnAl:LDH material in realizing the next generation of flexible UV PDs.

Direct Growth of Highly Conductive Large-Area Stretchable Graphene.

The direct synthesis of inherently defect-free, large-area graphene on flexible substrates is a key technology for soft electronic devices. In the present work, in situ plasma-assisted thermal chemical vapor deposition is implemented in order to synthesize 4 in. diameter high-quality graphene directly on 10 nm thick Ti-buffered substrates at 100 °C. The in situ synthesized monolayer graphene displays outstanding stretching properties coupled with low sheet resistance. Further improved mechanical and electronic performances are achieved by the in situ multi-stacking of graphene. The four-layered graphene multi-stack is shown to display an ultralow resistance of ≈6 Ω sq-1, which is consistently maintained during the harsh repeat stretching tests and is assisted by self-p-doping under ambient conditions. Graphene-field effect transistors fabricated on polydimethylsiloxane substrates reveal an unprecedented hole mobility of ≈21 000 cm2 V-1 s-1 at a gate voltage of -4 V, irrespective of the channel length, which is consistently maintained during the repeat stretching test of 5000 cycles at 140% parallel strain.

Light-Driven Piezo- and Triboelectricity in Organic-Inorganic Metal Trihalide Perovskite toward Mechanical Energy Harvesting and Self-powered Sensor Application.

A single-structured multifunctional device capable of energy harvesting and sensing multiple physical signals has significant potential for a wide range of applications in the Internet of Things (IoT). In this study, the fabricated single-structured device based on methylammonium lead iodide-polyvinylidene fluoride (MAPbI3-PVDF) composite can harvest mechanical energy and simultaneously operate as a self-powered light and pressure sensor because of the combined photoelectric and piezoelectric/triboelectric properties of the MAPbI3-PVDF composite. Light-dependent dielectric and piezoelectric properties of composite films are thoroughly investigated. Light and contact electrification effect on device performance in both piezoelectric and triboelectric modes is also systematically investigated. When the device is operated as a harvester in both piezoelectric and triboelectric modes, remarkable light-driven outputs were observed under illumination; the outputs decreased in the piezoelectric mode, while they increased in the triboelectric mode. Such light-controlled properties enabled the device to operate as a self-powered photodetector with outstanding responsivity (∼129.2 V/mW), rapid response time (∼50 ms), and satisfactory detectivity (∼1.4 × 1010 Jones) in the piezoelectric mode. The same device could also operate as a pressure sensor that exhibited excellent pressure sensitivity values of 0.107 and 0.194 V/kPa in the piezoelectric and triboelectric modes, respectively. In addition, the device exhibits a fast response time with long-term on-off switching properties, excellent mechanical durability, and long-term stability.

Unveiling Predominant Air-Stable Organotin Bromide Perovskite toward Mechanical Energy Harvesting.

Organotin halide perovskites are developed as an appropriate substitute to replace highly toxic lead-based hybrid perovskites, which are a major concern for the environment as well as for human health. However, instability of the lead-free Sn-based perovskites under ambient conditions has hindered their wider utility in device applications. In this study, we report a predominantly stable lead-free methylammonium tin bromide (MASnBr3) perovskite that has air stability over 120 days without passivation under ambient conditions. Further, the feasibility of this predominant air-stable MASnBr3 perovskite for use in the harvesting of mechanical energy is described with the fabrication of an ecofriendly, flexible, and cost-effective piezoelectric generator (PEG) using MASnBr3-polydimethylsiloxane composite films. The fabricated PEG exhibits high performance along with good mechanical durability and long-term stability. This flexible device reveals a high piezoelectric output voltage of ∼18.8 V, current density of ∼13.76 µA/cm2, and power density of ∼74.52 µW/cm2 under a periodic applied pressure of 0.5 MPa. Further, the ability of PEG to scavenge energy from various easily accessible biomechanical movements is demonstrated. The energy generated from PEG by finger tapping is stored in a capacitor and is used to power both a stopwatch and a commercial light-emitting diode. These findings offer a new insight to achieve long-term air-stable Sn-based hybrid perovskites, demonstrating the feasibility of using organotin halide perovskites to realize highly efficient, ecofriendly, mechanical energy harvesters with a wide range of utility that includes wearable and portable electronics as well as biomedical devices.