Electrical Contact at the Interface between Silicon and Transfer-Printed Gold Films by Eutectic Joining

This paper presents the electrical and morphological properties at the interface between a metal (Au) and a semiconductor (Si) formed by a novel transfer-printing technology. This work shows that a transfer-printed thin (hundreds of nanometers) Au film forms excellent electrical contact on a Si substrate when appropriate thermal treatment is applied. The successful electrical contact is attributed to eutectic joining, which allows for the right amount of atomic level mass transport between Au and Si. The outcomes suggest that transfer-printing-based micromanufacturing can realize not only strong mechanical bonding but also high-quality electrical contact via eutectic joining

Controlling the Location of Nanoparticles in Polymer Blends by Tuning the Length and End Group of Polymer Brushes

This paper investigates controlling the location of nanoparticles (NPs) in a phase-separated polymer blend of deuterated poly­(methyl methyl methacrylate) (dPMMA) and poly­(styrene-<i>ran</i>-acrylonitrile) (SAN). Silica NPs are grafted with PMMA brushes having molecular weights of 1800, 21000, and 160000 at fixed grafting density. Using ion beam milling combined with SEM imaging, NP location and morphology are investigated for blends containing 10 wt % NP. With increasing brush length, the NPs are found to segregate to the dPMMA/SAN interface, partition between the interface and dPMMA phase, or locate in the dPMMA phase, respectively

Highly Flexible, Multipixelated Thermosensitive Smart Windows Made of Tough Hydrogels

In a cold night, a clear window that will become opaque while retaining the indoor heat is highly desirable for both privacy and energy efficiency. A thermally responsive material that controls both the transmittance of solar radiance (predominantly in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths) and blackbody radiation (mainly in the mid-infrared) can realize such windows with minimal energy consumption. Here, we report a smart coating made from polyampholyte hydrogel (PAH) that transforms from a transparency state to opacity to visible radiation and strengthens opacity to mid-infrared when lowering the temperature as a result of phase separation between the water-rich and polymer-rich phases. To match a typical temperature fluctuation during the day, we fine-tune the phase transition temperature between 25 and 55 °C by introducing a small amount of relatively hydrophobic monomers (0.1 to 0.5 wt % to PAH). To further demonstrate an actively controlled, highly flexible, and high-contrast smart window, we build in an array of electric heaters made of printed elastomeric composite. The multipixelated window offers rapid switching, ∼70 s per cycle, whereas the device can withstand high strain (up to 80%) during operations

Highly Flexible, Multipixelated Thermosensitive Smart Windows Made of Tough Hydrogels

In a cold night, a clear window that will become opaque while retaining the indoor heat is highly desirable for both privacy and energy efficiency. A thermally responsive material that controls both the transmittance of solar radiance (predominantly in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths) and blackbody radiation (mainly in the mid-infrared) can realize such windows with minimal energy consumption. Here, we report a smart coating made from polyampholyte hydrogel (PAH) that transforms from a transparency state to opacity to visible radiation and strengthens opacity to mid-infrared when lowering the temperature as a result of phase separation between the water-rich and polymer-rich phases. To match a typical temperature fluctuation during the day, we fine-tune the phase transition temperature between 25 and 55 °C by introducing a small amount of relatively hydrophobic monomers (0.1 to 0.5 wt % to PAH). To further demonstrate an actively controlled, highly flexible, and high-contrast smart window, we build in an array of electric heaters made of printed elastomeric composite. The multipixelated window offers rapid switching, ∼70 s per cycle, whereas the device can withstand high strain (up to 80%) during operations

Sponge-Templated Macroporous Graphene Network for Piezoelectric ZnO Nanogenerator

We report a simple approach to fabricate zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire based electricity generators on three-dimensional (3D) graphene networks by utilizing a commercial polyurethane (PU) sponge as a structural template. Here, a 3D network of graphene oxide is deposited from solution on the template and then is chemically reduced. Following steps of ZnO nanowire growth, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) backfilling and electrode lamination completes the fabrication processes. When compared to conventional generators with 2D planar geometry, the sponge template provides a 3D structure that has a potential to increase power density per unit area. The modified one-pot ZnO synthesis method allows the whole process to be inexpensive and environmentally benign. The nanogenerator yields an open circuit voltage of ∼0.5 V and short circuit current density of ∼2 μA/cm², while the output was found to be consistent after ∼3000 cycles. Finite element analysis of stress distribution showed that external stress is concentrated to deform ZnO nanowires by orders of magnitude compared to surrounding PU and PDMS, in agreement with our experiment. It is shown that the backfilled PDMS plays a crucial role for the stress concentration, which leads to an efficient electricity generation