Wafer-Scale Replication of Plasmonic Nanostructures via Microbubbles for Nanophotonics.

Quasi-3D plasmonic nanostructures are in high demand for their ability to manipulate and enhance light-matter interactions at subwavelength scales, making them promising building blocks for diverse nanophotonic devices. Despite their potential, the integration of these nanostructures with optical sensors and imaging systems on a large scale poses challenges. Here, a robust technique for the rapid, scalable, and seamless replication of quasi-3D plasmonic nanostructures is presented straight from their production wafers using a microbubble process.

Transparent radiative cooling cover window for flexible and foldable electronic displays.

Transparent radiative cooling holds the promise to efficiently manage thermal conditions in various electronic devices without additional energy consumption. Radiative cooling cover windows designed for foldable and flexible displays could enhance cooling capacities in the ubiquitous deployment of flexible electronics in outdoor environments. However, previous demonstrations have not met the optical, mechanical, and moisture-impermeable criteria for such cover windows.

Transparent Intracellular Sensing Platform with Si Needles for Simultaneous Live Imaging.

Vertically ordered Si needles are of particular interest for long-term intracellular recording owing to their capacity to infiltrate living cells with negligible damage and minimal toxicity. Such intracellular recordings could greatly benefit from simultaneous live cell imaging without disrupting their culture, contributing to an in-depth understanding of cellular function and activity. However, the use of standard live imaging techniques, such as inverted and confocal microscopy, is currently impeded by the opacity of Si wafers, typically employed for fabricating vertical Si needles.

In Situ Spray Polymerization of Conductive Polymers for Personalized E-textiles.

E-textiles, also known as electronic textiles, seamlessly merge wearable technology with fabrics, offering comfort and unobtrusiveness and establishing a crucial role in health monitoring systems. In this field, the integration of custom sensor designs with conductive polymers into various fabric types, especially in large areas, has presented significant challenges. Here, we present an innovative additive patterning method that utilizes a dual-regime spray system, eliminating the need for masks and allowing for the programmable inscription of sensor arrays onto consumer textiles.

Biodegradable silicon nanoneedles for ocular drug delivery.

Ocular drug delivery remains a grand challenge due to the complex structure of the eye. Here, we introduce a unique platform of ocular drug delivery through the integration of silicon nanoneedles with a tear-soluble contact lens. The silicon nanoneedles can penetrate into the cornea in a minimally invasive manner and then undergo gradual degradation over the course of months, enabling painless and long-term sustained delivery of ocular drugs.

Replicable Quasi-Three-Dimensional Plasmonic Nanoantennas for Infrared Bandpass Filtering.

Quasi-three-dimensionally designed metal-dielectric hybrid nanoantennas have provided a unique capability to control light at the nanoscale beyond the diffraction limit, which has enabled powerful optical manipulation techniques. However, the fabrication of these nanoantennas has largely relied on the use of nanolithography techniques that are time- and cost-consuming, impeding their application in wide-ranging use. Herein, we report a versatile methodology enabling the repetitive replication of these nanoantennas from their silicon molds with tailored optical features for infrared bandpass filtering.

3D Printed Bioresponsive Devices with Selective Permeability Inspired by Eggshell Membrane for Effective Biochemical Conversion.

Eggshell membrane has selective permeability that enables gas or liquid molecules to pass through while effectively preventing migration of microbial species. Herein, inspired by the architecture of the eggshell membrane, we employ three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques to realize bioresponsive devices with excellent selective permeability for effective biochemical conversion. The fabricated devices show 3D conductive carbon nanofiber membranes in which precultured microbial cells are controllably deployed.

Bactericidal Lubricating Synthetic Materials for Three-Dimensional Additive Assembly with Controlled Mechanical Properties.

3D printable synthetic materials have been developed to realize desired surface and mechanical properties. Lubricating synthetic surfaces have broad technological impacts on many applications including food packaging, microfluidic systems, and biomedical devices. However, combining soft materials with lubricants leads to significant phase separation and swelling phenomena, together with lowered mechanical strength, impeding full utilization of lubricating synthetic surfaces with desired shapes in a highly controllable manner.