Controllable fabrication of silver-deposited polyurethane acrylate nanopillar array film as a flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate with high sensitivity and reproducibility.

A controllable method for fabricating flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates is demonstrated by depositing silver onto a flexible nanopillar array film. The flexible nanopillar array film was cost-effectively prepared by replicating an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template with UV-curable polyurethane acrylate (PUA) over a large area. Then, the deposition of silver was done by an Ar-assisted thermal evaporation. In the deposition process, the partial pressure of Ar was optimized because it has a significant influence on the SERS intensity through the microstructural changes of silver deposited on PUA nanopillars. In addition, the increase in the nanopillar diameter and height enhanced the SERS intensity obtained at 785-nm excitation because of the increased number of hot spots. However, the agglomeration of Ag-deposited nanopillars, which is caused by high aspect ratios, negatively affected the SERS performance in terms of intensity and standard deviation. The optimized Ag-deposited nanopillar array film with nanopillar diameters and heights of 80 nm and 200 nm exhibited excellent SERS sensitivity and signal reproducibility with stable mechanical flexibility. For application in food and biomedical analysis, it was used for detecting saccharin and peptide and showed a good linear relationship between the SERS intensity and concentration. These findings demonstrate the suitability of our method for the controllable fabrication and optimization of flexible SERS substrates with high sensitivity and reproducibility.

Self-Assembled Monolayers Coated Porous SnO2 Film Gas Sensor with Reduced Humidity Influence.

Metal-oxide sensors, detect gas through the reaction of surface oxygen molecules with target gases, are promising for the detection of toxic pollutant gases, combustible gases, and organic vapors; however, their sensitivity, selectivity, and long-term stability limit practical applications. Porous structure for increasing surface area, adding catalyst, and altering the operation temperature are proposed for enhancing the sensitivity and selectivity. Although humidity can significantly affect the property and stability of the sensors, studies focusing on the long-term stability of gas sensors are scarce. To reduce the effects of humidity, 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PFOTS) was coated on a porous SnO2 film. The interconnected SnO2 nanowires improved the high surface area, and the PFOTS coating provided superhydrophobicity at water contact angle of 159°and perfect water vapor repellency inside E-SEM. The superhydrophobic porous morphology was maintained under relative humidity of 99% and operating temperature of 300 °C. The CO gas sensing of 5, 20, and 50 ppm were obtained with linearity at various humidity. Flame detection was also achieved with practical high humidity conditions. These results suggest the simple way for reliable sensing of nanostructured metal-oxide gas sensors with high sensitivity and long-term stability even in highly humid environments.

Effects of a PbTiO3 insertion layer on the morphological and electromechanical characteristics of sol-gel-driven 0.2PZN-0.8PZT piezoelectric films for energy harvesters.

This study investigated the morphological and electromechanical characteristics of 0.2PZN-0.8PZT films fabricated using a PbTiO3 layer. Crack-free 1-microm-thick films with a pure perovskite phase were obtained on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates using a modified sol-gel deposition method. A highly dense and smooth morphology and a high piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of 230 pC/N were observed in a 0.2PZN-0.8PZT film with a PbTiO3 insertion layer after annealing at 750 degrees C. The as-produced sol-gel-driven 0.2PZN-0.8PZT thin films are attractive for application to piezoelectrically operated microelectronic actuators, sensors, or energy harvesters due to their low facility cost, smooth surface, and excellent electromechanical characteristics.

Characterization of Porous CuO Films for H2S Gas Sensors.

Using a thermal evaporator, various porous Cu films were deposited according to the deposition pressure. CuO films were formed by post heat treatment in the air. Changes in morphological and structural characteristics of films were analyzed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Relative density and porosity were quantitatively calculated. CuO films with various pores ranging from 39.4 to 95.2% were successfully manufactured and were applied as gas sensors for H2S detection on interdigitated electrode (IDE) substrate. Resistance change was monitored at 325 °C and an increase in porosity of the film improved the sensor performance. The CuO-10 gas sensor with a high porosity of 95.2% showed a relatively high response (2.7) and a fast recovery time (514 s) for H2S 1.5 ppm. It is confirmed that the porosity of the CuO detection layer had a significant effect on response and recovery time.

Growth behavior of iridium on Si substrates prepared by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition.

Growth behavior of iridium (Ir) thin film on Si substrates prepared by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) was systematically studied. Ir(EtCp)(COD) and oxygen was employed as a precursor and reactant, respectively. To obtain optimal conditions for depositing nanometer scale Ir thin film, deposition temperature, cycle dependence and precursor feeding time dependence were studied. Uniform 12 nm thick Ir layer with sharp interface was grown at the temperature range of 330-360 degrees C at the fixed deposition cycles of 300. The grown Ir film showed linear properties as a function of deposition cycles which is a typical self-limiting characteristic of ALD. The XRD patterns revealed that IrOx was not formed due to relatively low partial pressure of oxygen. The optimal conditions obtained for 12 nm thick Ir thin film were 330 degrees C of deposition temperature, 300 deposition cycles, and 10 sec of precursor feeding time.

Selective Nonenzymatic Amperometric Detection of Lactic Acid in Human Sweat Utilizing a Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT)-Polypyrrole Core-Shell Nanowire.

Lactic acid plays an important role as a biochemical indicator for sports medicine and clinical diagnosis. The detection of lactic acid in sweat is a promising technique without any intrusive inconvenience or risk of infection. In this study, we present a selective nonenzymatic amperometric detection method for lactic acid in human sweat utilizing a multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-polypyrrole core-shell nanowire. Because polypyrrole is a p-type conducting polymer, onto which anions are exclusively doped, leading to charge transfer, it offers selective detection for lactate anions at a specific potential, while being inert to the neutral and cationic species contained in human sweat. A chronoamperometric study reveals good sensing performance for lactic acid with a high sensitivity of 2.9 µA mM-1 cm-2 and detection limit of 51 µM. Furthermore, the MWCNT-polypyrrole nanowire exhibits excellent selectivity for lactic acid over interfering species, such as sodium chloride, glucose, urea, and riboflavin, which coexist with lactic acid in sweat. Finally, a nonenzymatic amperometric sensor for the selective detection of lactic acid in human sweat is demonstrated on commercial flexible electrodes. The results demonstrate the potential applications of the MWCNT-polypyrrole core-shell nanowire as a nonenzymatic amperometric lactate sensor.

Solution and Evaporation Hybrid Approach to Enhance the Stability and Pattern Resolution Characteristics of Organic Light-Emitting Diodes.

The solution process and vacuum evaporation, both fabrication methods for conventional organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), are intrinsically restricted with regard to their ability to enhance pattern resolutions and film stability outcomes. Here, we introduce a novel approach of the solution process followed by intense pulsed light (IPL) evaporation for producing high-resolution line patterns of OLEDs. Through control of the wettability between the banks and microchannels via a mask-free selective surface treatment, we successfully deposited phosphorescent green and red inks only into the microchannels. Then, high-resolution patterns of an emitting layer (EML) layer were uniformly evaporated onto the device substrate using IPL evaporation. Ultimately, we fabricated green and red phosphorescent OLED devices with a high pixel density of a line-patterned EML with a width of 6 µm and a pitch of 13.6 µm. In addition, we demonstrated that the IPL-evaporated films have many advantages compared to those fabricated by the conventional solution process. We also showed that the IPL evaporation process can be less sensitive to problems related to the aggregation of organic molecules during a drying or annealing process. Hence, the device performance and lifetime of the IPL-evaporated OLEDs were enhanced compared to those of the spin-coated OLEDs.

Role of a 193 nm ArF Excimer Laser in Laser-Assisted Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition of SiNx for Low Temperature Thin Film Encapsulation.

In this study, silicon nitride thin films are deposited on organic polyethylene-naphthalate (PEN) substrates by laser assisted plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (LAPECVD) at a low temperature (150 °C) for the purpose of evaluating the encapsulation performance. A plasma generator is placed above the sample stage as conventional plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) configuration, and the excimer laser beam of 193 nm wavelength illuminated in parallel to the sample surface is coupled to the reaction zone between the sample and plasma source. Major roles of the laser illumination in LAPECVD process are to compete with or complement the plasma decomposition of reactant gases. While a laser mainly decomposes ammonia molecules in the plasma, it also contributes to the photolysis of silane in the plasma state, possibly through the resulting hydrogen radicals and the excitation of intermediate disilane products. It will also be shown that the LAPECVD with coupled laser illumination of 193 nm wavelength improves the deposition rate of silicon nitride thin film, and the encapsulation performance evaluated via the measurement of water vapor transmission rate (WVTR).

A facile synthetic strategy for iron, aniline-based non-precious metal catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.

The development of a low cost and highly active alternative to the commercial Pt/C catalysts used in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) requires a facile and environmentally-friendly synthesis process to facilitate large-scale production and provide an effective replacement. Transition metals, in conjunction with nitrogen-doped carbon, are among the most promising substitute catalysts because of their high activity, inexpensive composition, and high carbon monoxide tolerance. We prepared a polyaniline-derived Fe-N-C catalyst for oxygen reduction using a facile one-pot process with no additional reagents. This process was carried out by ultrasonicating a mixture containing an iron precursor, an aniline monomer, and carbon black. The half-wave potential of the synthesized Fe-N-C catalyst for the ORR was only 10 mV less than that of a commercial Pt/C catalyst. The optimized Fe-N-C catalyst showed outstanding performance in a practical anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC), suggesting its potential as an alternative to commercial Pt/C catalysts for the ORR.

Preparation and Characterization of SnO2-Nanoparticle-Included Ink Solution and Its Application to the Patterned Pt Films on SiO2/Si Substrates.

Pure SnO2 nanoparticles with a single tetragonal phase were fabricated and characterized for use as ink solution. It was possible to obtain the SnO2 nanoparticles through the calcination process of SnC204 powders prepared by a hydrothermal reaction of an aqueous solution containing SnCl2 x 2H2O and H2C2O4. The SnO2 powder, synthesized at 600 degrees C, showed a single tetragonal phase, while the powders synthesized at 550 degrees C or lower were composed of a mixture of tetragonal and orthorhombic phases. The particle size of the SnO2 powder with single tetragonal phase was as small as 100 nm and its surface specific area was 12.31 m2/g. It was possible to fabricate the SnO2-nanoparticle-included ink solution for nanoparticle printing by adding a small amount of the previously prepared SnO2 powder to an aqueous solution of glycerol. The region of SnO2 nanoparticles formed by dropping the ink solution was able to successfully fill the gaps between Pt electrodes patterned on SiO2/Si substrates; the range of the gap between the electrodes was from 10 to 100 µm.