Enhanced far infrared emissivity, UV protection and near-infrared shielding of polypropylene composites via incorporation of natural mineral for functional fabric development.

Far infrared radiation in the range of 4-20 µm has been showed to have biological and health benefits to the human body. Therefore, incorporating far-infrared emissivity additives into polymers and/or fabrics hold promise for the development of functional textiles. In this study, we incorporated nine types of natural minerals into polypropylene (PP) film and examined their properties to identify potential candidates for functional textiles and apparels.

Bacterial cellulose impregnated with andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium) microencapsulation as diabetic wound dressing.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus which can cause infection, amputation and even death. One of many treatments that can be applied to support the DFU healing processes is by using wound dressings. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a good material to be used as a wound dressing.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue Using N-Doped ZnO/Carbon Dot (N-ZnO/CD) Nanocomposites Derived from Organic Soybean.

This study reports on successful synthesis of carbon dots (CDs), nitrogen-doped zinc oxide (N-ZnO), and N-ZnO/CD nanocomposites as photocatalysts for degradation of methylene blue. The first part was the synthesis of CDs utilizing a precursor from soybean and ethylenediamine as a dopant by a hydrothermal method. The second part was the synthesis of N-ZnO with urea as the nitrogen dopant carried out by a calcination method in a furnace at 500 °C for 2 h in an N atmosphere (5 C min).

Conformal Noble Metal High-Entropy Alloy Nanofilms by Atomic Layer Deposition for an Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The current synthesis methods of high-entropy alloy (HEA) thin-film coatings face huge challenges in facile preparation, precise thickness control, conformal integration, and affordability. These challenges are more specific and noteworthy for noble metal-based HEA thin films where the conventional sputtering methods encounter thickness control and high-cost issues (high-purity noble metal targets required). Herein, for the first time, we report a facile and controllable synthesis process of quinary HEA coatings consisting of noble metals (Rh, Ru, Pt, Pd, and Ir), by sequential atomic layer deposition (ALD) coupled with electrical Joule heating for post-alloying.

The New Materials for Battery Electrode Prototypes.

In this article, we present the performance of Copper (Cu)/Graphene Nano Sheets (GNS) and C-π (Graphite, GNS, and Nitrogen-doped Graphene Nano Sheets (N-GNS)) as a new battery electrode prototype. The objectives of this research are to develop a number of prototypes of the battery electrode, namely Cu/GNS//Electrolyte//C-π, and to evaluate their respective performances. The GNS, N-GNS, and primary battery electrode prototypes (Cu/GNS/Electrolyte/C-π) were synthesized by using a modified Hummers method; the N-doped sheet was obtained by doping nitrogen at room temperature and the impregnation or the composite techniques, respectively.

Sustainable Production of Molybdenum Carbide (MXene) from Fruit Wastes for Improved Solar Evaporation.

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Edison Huixiang Ang at the National Institute of Education, an institute of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The image depicts the sustainable fabrication of two-dimensional MXene sheets from the upcycling of fruit waste for solar desalination. Read the full text of the article at 10.

Sustainable Production of Molybdenum Carbide (MXene) from Fruit Wastes for Improved Solar Evaporation.

Freshwater production using solar-driven interfacial evaporation is regarded as a green and sustainable strategy. The biggest barrier to practical deployment of solar desalination, however, continues to be the lack of options for renewable materials. Herein, we present a facile two-step carbonization approach that is sustainable for developing innovative two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum carbide (Mo C) materials derived from carbonized fruit wastes.

Atomic layer deposition of rhodium and palladium thin film using low-concentration ozone.

Rhodium (Rh) and palladium (Pd) thin films have been fabricated using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process using Rh(acac) and Pd(hfac) as the respective precursors and using short-pulse low-concentration ozone as the co-reactant. This method of fabrication does away with the need for combustible reactants such as hydrogen or oxygen, either as a precursor or as an annealing agent. All previous studies using only ozone could not yield metallic films, and required post treatment using hydrogen or oxygen.

Affimer sandwich probes for stable and robust lateral flow assaying.

Lateral flow assays (LFAs) widely deployed for on-site diagnosis have predominantly utilized antibodies as recognition molecules. Antibodies with limited thermal stability deteriorate the performance of the LFA over time. Herein, we demonstrate a stable and robust LFA by utilizing thermally stable peptide-based 12-14 kDa affimers as recognition molecules, in lieu of conventional protein-based antibodies to analyze complex samples with a significantly improved shelf life at room temperature.

Noble metal alloy thin films by atomic layer deposition and rapid Joule heating.

Metal alloys are usually fabricated by melting constituent metals together or sintering metal alloy particles made by high energy ball milling (mechanical alloying). All these methods only allow for bulk alloys to be formed. This manuscript details a new method of fabricating Rhodium-Iridium (Rh-Ir) metal alloy films using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and rapid Joule heating induced alloying that gives functional thin film alloys, enabling conformal thin films with high aspect ratios on 3D nanostructured substrate.

Mechanically Durable Memristor Arrays Based on a Discrete Structure Design.

Memristors constitute a promising functional component for information storage and in-memory computing in flexible and stretchable electronics including wearable devices, prosthetics, and soft robotics. Despite tremendous efforts made to adapt conventional rigid memristors to flexible and stretchable scenarios, stretchable and mechanical-damage-endurable memristors, which are critical for maintaining reliable functions under unexpected mechanical attack, have never been achieved. Here, the development of stretchable memristors with mechanical damage endurance based on a discrete structure design is reported.

Nd-Nb Co-doped SnO/α-WO Electrochromic Materials: Enhanced Stability and Switching Properties.

The fabrication of Nd-Nb co-doped SnO/α-WO electrochromic (EC) materials for smart window applications is presented in the present paper. Nb is a good dopant candidate for ECs owing to its ability to introduce active sites on the surface of α-WO without causing much lattice strain due to the similar ionic radius of Nb and W. These active sites introduce more channels for charge insertion or removal during redox reactions, improving the overall EC performance.

Inorganic Photonic Microspheres with Localized Concentric Ordering for Deep Pattern Encoding and Triple Sensory Microsensor.

Photonic microspheres offer building units with unique topological structures and specific optical functions for diverse applications. Here, a new class of inorganic photonic microspheres with superior robustness, optical and electrical properties is reported by introducing a unique localized concentric ordering architecture and chemical interaction, which further serve as building blocks for deep pattern encoding and multiple sensory optoelectronic devices. Benefiting from localized concentric ordering architecture, the resultant photonic microspheres demonstrate orientation- and angle-independent structural colors.

Periodic FTO IOs/CdS NRs/CdSe Clusters with Superior Light Scattering Ability for Improved Photoelectrochemical Performance.

Periodic fluorine-doped tin oxide inverse opals (FTO IOs) grafted with CdS nanorods (NRs) and CdSe clusters are reported for improved photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance. This hierarchical photoanode is fabricated by a combination of dip-coating, hydrothermal reaction, and chemical bath deposition. The growth of 1D CdS NRs on the periodic walls of 3D FTO IOs forms a unique 3D/1D hierarchical structure, providing a sizeable specific surface area for the loading of CdSe clusters.

Self-Assembled VO Mesh Film-Based Resistance Switches with High Transparency and Abrupt ON/OFF Ratio.

Vanadium dioxide, a well-known phase transition material with abrupt resistance change during its transition temperature, is herein used to fabricate the transparent mesh film onto a glass slide through self-assembly mesh printing. A record high ON/OFF ratio up to 10 is achieved together with high visible transmittance of 86% compared to the normal glass slide with visible transmittance at 88%. The high transparent properties make the resistive switches applicable for next-generation electronics, such as see-through computing device and beyond.

Additive-Free Electrophoretic Deposition of Graphene Quantum Dots Thin Films.

The electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of graphene-based materials on transparent substrates is highly potential for many applications. Several factors can determine the yield of the EPD process, such as applied voltage, deposition time and particularly the presence of dispersion additives (stabilisers) in the suspension solution. This study presents an additive-free EPD of graphene quantum dot (GQD) thin films on an indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate and studies the deposition mechanism with the variation of the applied voltage (10-50 V) and deposition time (5-25 min).

Multicolored Photonic Crystal Carbon Fiber Yarns and Fabrics with Mechanical Robustness for Thermal Management.

Multicolored photonic crystal carbon fiber (CF) yarns and fabrics with mechanical robustness in a full spectrum are reported. By facilely controlling the thickness of the periodic layer, a series of photonic CF yarns and fabrics with vivid structural colors ranging from purple, green, yellow, orange, to red are obtained. Interestingly, the prepared multicolored CF yarns show anisotropic optical reflection properties because of their unique axisymmetric geometry, while the plain-woven fabrics exhibit vivid colors even under ambient scattering light.

Electrodeposition of amorphous WO on SnO-TiO inverse opal nano-framework for highly transparent, effective and stable electrochromic smart window.

In recent years, there has been significant advancement in smart window technologies due to their effectiveness in reducing energy consumption of indoor lighting and air-conditioning in buildings. Electrochromic (EC) materials, in particular, have been widely studied as they provide a simple method for tuning or modulating visible light and infrared (IR) transmittance. In this work, a novel hybrid, multi-layered SnO-TiO-WO inverse opal (IO) nanostructure has been fabricated dip-coating and electrodeposition process.

3D FTO/FTO-Nanocrystal/TiO Composite Inverse Opal Photoanode for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

A 3D fluorine-doped SnO (FTO)/FTO-nanocrystal (NC)/TiO inverse opal (IO) structure is designed and fabricated as a new "host and guest" type of composite photoanode for efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this novel photoanode design, the highly conductive and porous FTO/FTO-NC IO acts as the "host" skeleton, which provides direct pathways for faster electron transport, while the conformally coated TiO layer acts as the "guest" absorber layer. The unique composite IO structure is fabricated through self-assembly of colloidal spheres template, a hydrothermal method and atomic layer deposition (ALD).

Supercompressible Coaxial Carbon Nanotube@Graphene Arrays with Invariant Viscoelasticity over -100 to 500 °C in Ambient Air.

Vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays have been recognized as promising cushion materials because of their superior thermal stability, remarkable compressibility, and viscoelastic characteristics. However, most of the previously reported CNT arrays still suffer from permanent shape deformation at only moderate compressive strains, which considerably restricts their practical applications. Here, we demonstrate a facile strategy of fabricating supercompressible coaxial CNT@graphene (CNT@Gr) arrays by using a two-step route involving encapsulating polymer layers onto plastic CNT arrays and subsequent annealing processes.

Horizontally Aligned Carbon Nanotube Based Biosensors for Protein Detection.

A novel horizontally aligned single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) Field Effect Transistor (FET)-based biosensing platform for real-time and sensitive protein detections is proposed. Aligned nanotubes were synthesized on quartz substrate using catalyst contact stamping, surface-guided morphological growth and chemical vapor deposition gas-guided growth methods. Real-time detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) using as-prepared FET biosensors was demonstrated.

Development of a chemiluminescent DNA fibre optic genosensor to Hepatitis A Virus (HAV).

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection has caused substantial morbidity and economic losses to human society, presenting a major public health problem in many parts of the world. Despite the capability for low-concentration detection, current PCR-based techniques are limited by the requirement of specialized lab equipment, trained personnel and a relatively large time-commitment. The need for a prompt in-field quantitative identification of HAV in real samples has led us to develop a chemiluminescent fibre optic genosensor system.

Thermal Conductivity Enhancement of Coaxial Carbon@Boron Nitride Nanotube Arrays.

We demonstrate the thermal conductivity enhancement of the vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays (from ∼15.5 to 29.5 W/mK, ∼90% increase) by encapsulating outer boron nitride nanotube (BNNT, 0.

Biocompatible Hydroxylated Boron Nitride Nanosheets/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Interpenetrating Hydrogels with Enhanced Mechanical and Thermal Responses.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels with tissue-like viscoelasticity, excellent biocompatibility, and high hydrophilicity have been considered as promising cartilage replacement materials. However, lack of sufficient mechanical properties is a critical barrier to their use as load-bearing cartilage substitutes. Herein, we report hydroxylated boron nitride nanosheets (OH-BNNS)/PVA interpenetrating hydrogels by cyclically freezing/thawing the aqueous mixture of PVA and highly hydrophilic OH-BNNS (up to 0.