Advanced Flexible Physical Sensors with Independent Detection Mechanisms of Pressure and Strain Stimuli for Overcoming Signal Interference.

Flexible and wearable physical sensors have gained significant interest owing to their potential in attachable devices, electronic skin, and multipurpose sensors. The physical stimuli of these sensors typically consist of vertically and horizontally applied pressures and strains, respectively. However, owing to their similar response characteristics, interference occurs between the two types of signals detected, complicating the distinction between pressure and strain stimuli, leading to inaccurate data interpretation and reduced sensor specificity.

Designing a highly near infrared-reflective black nanoparticles for autonomous driving based on the refractive index and principle.

Hypothesis: The development of highly NIR reflective black single-shell hollow nanoparticles (BSS-HNPs) can overcome the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor limitations of dark-tone materials. The crystalline phase of TiO and the refractive index can be controlled by calcination temperature. The formation of hollow structure and the refractive index is expected to simultaneously increase the light reflection and LiDAR detectability.

Designing Novel LiDAR-Detectable Plate-Type Materials: Synthesis, Chemistry, and Practical Application for Autonomous Working Environment.

Plate-type hollow black TiO (HL/BT) with a high NIR reflectance was fabricated for the first time as a LiDAR-detectable black material. A TiO layer was formed on commercial-grade glass by using the sol-gel method to obtain a plate-type structure. The glass template was then etched with hydrofluoric acid to form a hollow structure, and blackness was further achieved through NaBH reduction, which altered the oxidation state of TiO to black TiO or Ti to Ti and Ti.

Vivid-Colored Electrorheological fluids with simultaneous enhancements in color clarity and Electro-Responsivity.

Hypothesis: Surface modification of dielectric materials changes the dipole-dipole interactions under electric fields, thereby controlling the electrorheological (ER) response. The introduction of metal oxides onto mica templates and further coating of dyes is expected to simultaneously improve the color clarity and ER performance.

Experiments: Dye-coated TiO platelets on mica are synthesized for high-performance colorful ER fluids.

A Study on Enhanced Electrorheological Performance of Plate-like Materials via Percolation Gel-like Effect.

The use of plate-like materials to induce a percolation gel-like effect in electrorheological (ER) fluids is sparsely documented. Hence, we dispersed plate-like materials, namely natural mica, synthetic mica, and glass, as well as their pulverized particles, in various concentrations in silicone oil to form ER fluids. Subsequently, the rheological properties of the fluids were evaluated and compared to identify the threshold concentration for percolating a gel-like state.

Preparation of a High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor by Recycling Aluminum Paper and Filter Components of Heated Tobacco.

In this study, Al paper and cellulose acetate (CA) filters derived from heated tobacco waste were successfully converted into current collectors and active materials for a supercapacitor device. Typically, heated tobacco contains electrically discontinuous Al paper. First, Al was extracted from the tobacco waste using HCl to produce Lewis acid (AlCl).

3D Hierarchically Structured Tin Oxide and Iron Oxide-Embedded Carbon Nanofiber with Outermost Polypyrrole Layer for High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor.

Herein, unique three-dimensional (3D) hierarchically structured carbon nanofiber (CNF)/metal oxide/conducting polymer composite materials were successfully synthesized by combinations of various experimental methods. Firstly, base CNFs were synthesized by carbonization of electrospun PAN/PVP fibers to attain electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) characteristics. To further enhance the capacitance, tin oxide (SnO) and iron oxide (FeO) were coated onto the CNFs via facile hydrothermal treatment.

Polyaniline-Coated Mesoporous Carbon Nanosheets with Fast Capacitive Energy Storage in Symmetric Supercapacitors.

Polyaniline-capped mesoporous carbon nanosheets with high conductivity and porosity are synthesized by vapor deposition polymerization. The mesoporous carbon template is prepared by removing ordered cubic iron oxide nanocrystals embedded in the carbon matrix obtained by thermal decomposition of an iron-oleate complex in a sodium chloride matrix. The evaporated aniline monomers are slowly polymerized on the carbon surface pretreated with FeCl as an initiator, partially filling the carbon pores to improve conductivity.

Facile Enhancement of Electrochemical Performance of Solid-State Supercapacitor via Atmospheric Plasma Treatment on PVA-Based Gel-Polymer Electrolyte.

A facile oxygen (O) atmospheric plasma treatment is applied to a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix to enhance its wettability and hydrophilicity. The optimal plasma treatment conditions are determined by varying the applied plasma power and plasma treatment time. A PVA matrix treated with a plasma power of 120 W for 5 s shows the most hydrophilicity owing to successful formation of carbonyl (-CO, >C=O) functional groups without any structural degradation.

Fabrication of Flexible All-Solid-State Asymmetric Supercapacitor Device via Full Recycling of Heated Tobacco Waste Assisted by PLA Gelation Template Method.

In this study, a flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (FASC) device has been successfully fabricated via full recycling of heated tobacco waste (HTW). Tobacco leaves and cellulose acetate tubes have been successfully carbonized (HTW-C) and mixed with metal oxides (MnO and FeO) to obtain highly active materials for supercapacitors. Moreover, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) filters have been successfully dissolved in an organic solvent and mixed with the as-prepared active materials using a simple paste mixing method.

Synthesis of LiDAR-Detectable True Black Core/Shell Nanomaterial and Its Practical Use in LiDAR Applications.

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors utilize a near-infrared (NIR) laser with a wavelength of 905 nm. However, LiDAR sensors have weakness in detecting black or dark-tone materials with light-absorbing properties. In this study, SiO2/black TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles (SBT CSNs) were designed as LiDAR-detectable black materials.

Novel Approach to Synthesis of AgZnS and TiO Decorated on Reduced Graphene Oxide Ternary Nanocomposite for Hydrogen Evolution Effect of Enhanced Synergetic Factors.

In this work, a novel ternary nanocomposites AgZnS-TiO-reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was successfully synthesized by a facile soft ultrasonic-reduction condition as low as 70 °C. During the ultrasound reaction, the reduction of GO and the growth of AgZnS and TiO crystals occurred simultaneously in conjunction with the deposition of AgZnS and TiO crystals onto the surface of the graphene. The synthesized nanocatalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, UV-Vis DRS, photoluminescence spectrometer, and photocurrent and CV.

Hollow TiO Nanoparticles Capped with Polarizability-Tunable Conducting Polymers for Improved Electrorheological Activity.

Hollow TiO2 nanoparticles (HNPs) capped with conducting polymers, such as polythiophene (PT), polypyrrole (PPy), and polyaniline (PANI), have been studied to be used as polarizability-tunable electrorheological (ER) fluids. The hollow shape of TiO2 nanoparticles, achieved by the removal of the SiO2 template, offers colloidal dispersion stability in silicone oil owing to the high number density. Conducting polymer shells, introduced on the nanoparticle surface using vapor deposition polymerization method, improve the yield stress of the corresponding ER fluids in the order of PANI < PPy < PT.

Development of Novel Colorful Electrorheological Fluids.

Herein, the electrorheological (ER) performances of ER fluids were correlated with their colors to allow for the visual selection of the appropriate fluid for a specific application using naked eyes. A series of TiO-coated synthetic mica materials colored white, yellow, red, violet, blue, and green (referred to as color mica/TiO materials) were fabricated via a facile sol-gel method. The colors were controlled by varying the thickness of the TiO coating layer, as the coatings with different thicknesses exhibited different light interference effects.

PINK1 Inhibits Multimeric Aggregation and Signaling of MAVS and MAVS-Dependent Lung Pathology.

Mitochondria have emerged as important signaling organelles where intracellular perturbations are integrated and, consequently, intracellular signaling pathways are modulated to execute appropriate cellular functions. MAVS (mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein) represents such an example that functions as a platform molecule to mediate mitochondrial innate immune signaling. Recently, multimeric aggregation of MAVS has been identified as a key molecular process for its signaling.

Fluorine plasma treatment on carbon-based perovskite solar cells for rapid moisture protection layer formation and performance enhancement.

A fluorine plasma-treated carbon electrode is used in HTM-free perovskite solar cells for high efficiency and moisture resistance. The fluorine-treated device with a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 14.86% is achieved with a highly enhanced FF (FF = 0.

Synthesis and Electroresponse Activity of Porous Polypyrrole/Silica-Titania Core/Shell Nanoparticles.

Inverted conducting polymer/metal oxide core/shell structured pPPy/SiO-TiO nanoparticles were prepared as electrorheological (ER) materials using sequential experimental methods. The core was synthesized via the low-temperature self-assembly of PPy and SiO materials, and the outer TiO shell was easily coated onto the core part using a sol-gel method and a titanium isopropoxide precursor. Sonication-mediated etching and redeposition were employed to etch out SiO portions from the core part to blend with TiO shells.

Impact of Cigarette Smoke Exposure on the Lung Fibroblastic Response after Influenza Pneumonia.

Influenza viruses can result in significant lung injury with significant morbidity and mortality. In this study, we evaluated the impact of cigarette smoke (CS) exposure on the pulmonary fibroblastic response after influenza infection. We used a murine model in which animals were exposed to CS or room air and subsequently infected with H1N1 influenza virus.

Synthesis of Hierarchical Silica/Titania Hollow Nanoparticles and Their Enhanced Electroresponsive Activity.

Wrinkled silica nanoparticle (WSN)-based hollow SiO/TiO nanoparticles (W-HNPs) with hierarchically arrayed internal surfaces were prepared via the combination of sol-gel, TiO coating, and etching of core template techniques. The hierarchical internal surface of W-HNPs was attained using WSNs as a core template. Compared with SiO sphere-templated hollow SiO/TiO nanoparticles (S-HNPs) with flat inner surfaces, W-HNPs displayed distinctive surface areas, TiO loading amounts, and dielectric properties arising from the hierarchical internal surface.

Smart Fluid System Dually Responsive to Light and Electric Fields: An Electrophotorheological Fluid.

Electrophotorheological (EPR) fluids, whose rheological activity is dually responsive to light and electric fields (E fields), is formulated by mixing photosensitive spiropyran-decorated silica (SP-sSiO) nanoparticles with zwitterionic lecithin and mineral oil. A reversible photorheological (PR) activity of the EPR fluid is developed via the binding and releasing mechanism of lecithin and merocyanine (MC, a photoisomerized form of SP) under ultraviolet (UV) and visible (VIS) light applications. Moreover, the EPR fluid exhibits an 8-fold higher electrorheological (ER) performance compared to the SP-sSiO nanoparticle-based ER fluid (without lecithin) under an E field, which is attributed to the enhanced dielectric properties facilitated by the binding of the lecithin and SP molecules.

Enhanced Electrorheological Performance of Mixed Silica Nanomaterial Geometry.

The mixed geometrical effect on the electrorheological (ER) activity of bimodal ER fluids was investigated by mixing SiO spheres and rods of different dimensions. To gain an in-depth understanding of the mixed geometrical effect, 12 bimodal ER fluids were prepared from 4 sizes of SiO spheres (50, 100, 150, and 350 nm) and 3 types of SiO rods with different aspect ratios (L/D = 2, 3, and 5). Five concentrations of SiO spheres and rods were created for each bimodal ER fluid, resulting in a total of 60 sets of comprehensive ER measurements.

Dual external field-responsive polyaniline-coated magnetite/silica nanoparticles for smart fluid applications.

In this communication, an electromagnetorheological fluid containing FeO/SiO/PANI nanoparticles is reported to demonstrate its controllable rheological properties under electric and magnetic fields. The EMR performance was significantly enhanced under the dual fields in the parallel direction.

High-Performance Three-Dimensional Mesoporous Graphene Electrode for Supercapacitors using Lyophilization and Plasma Reduction.

In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) mesoporous plasma-reduced graphene oxide web (mPrGO web) was fabricated via lyophilization of graphene oxide (GO) solution and subsequent plasma reduction. The lyophilized graphene oxide web (GO web) was successfully reduced by a short plasma treatment (<2 s) using a commercially available plasma apparatus. The degree of reduction of the mPrGO web was determined by the applied plasma power (W) of the apparatus; the optimum power level for effective reduction was identified.

Graphene Oxide Wrapped SiO /TiO Hollow Nanoparticles Loaded with Photosensitizer for Photothermal and Photodynamic Combination Therapy.

Graphene oxide (GO) enwrapped SiO /TiO hollow nanoparticles (GO-HNP) are synthesized by the Stöber method and used as a nanocarrier for loading protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). The synthesized nanoparticle has high dispersibility and high uniformity in diameter (ca. 50 nm).