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At least 109 records · Page 6

Tuning the Cross-Linker Crystallinity of a Stretchable Polymer Semiconductor

The cross-linking of conjugated polymers has been shown to be an effective strategy to improve its elastic properties to give deformable semiconductors for plastic electronics. Although there have been extensive studies of the structural requirements of the polymer host for good film ductility, no work to date has focused on the relevance of the structural design or chemistry of these cross-linker additives. In this study, urethane groups and tertiary carbon atoms are inserted into the alkyl backbone of perfluorophenyl azide-based cross-linkers to investigate the importance of cross-linker crystallinity with respect to polymer morphology and hence mechanical and electrical properties. Linear cross-linkers with hydrogen bonding from urethane groups readily phase separate and recrystallize in the polymer network to form cross-linked domains that obstruct the strain distribution of the polymer film. Branch cross-linkers with tertiary carbon on the other hand form an evenly cross-linked network in the polymer blend stemming from excellent miscibility and show a 4-fold increase in fracture strain. Furthermore, a stable hole mobility of 0.2 cm 2 V –1 s –1 is achieved up to ε = 100%, and a stable hole mobility of 0.1 cm 2 V –1 s –1 after 2000 cycles of ε = 25% on fully stretchable organic field-effect transistors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Kinetically controlled metal-elastomer nanophases for environmentally resilient stretchable electronics

Nanophase mixtures, leveraging the complementary strengths of each component, are vital for composites to overcome limitations posed by single elemental materials. Among these, metal-elastomer nanophases are particularly important, holding various practical applications for stretchable electronics. However, the methodology and understanding of nanophase mixing metals and elastomers are limited due to difficulties in blending caused by thermodynamic incompatibility. Here, we present a controlled method using kinetics to mix metal atoms with elastomeric chains on the nanoscale. We find that the chain migration flux and metal deposition rate are key factors, allowing the formation of reticular nanophases when kinetically in-phase. Moreover, we observe spontaneous structural evolution, resulting in gyrified structures akin to the human brain. The hybridized gyrified reticular nanophases exhibit strain-invariant metallic electrical conductivity up to 156% areal strain, unparalleled durability in organic solvents and aqueous environments with pH 2–13, and high mechanical robustness, a prerequisite for environmentally resilient devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Instrument for evaluating the electrical resistance and wavelength-resolved transparency of stretchable electronics during strain

A complete analysis of strain tolerance in a stretchable transparent conductor (TC) should include tracking of both electrical conductivity and transparency during strain; however, transparency is generally neglected in contemporary analyses. In this paper, we describe an apparatus that tracks both parameters while TCs of arbitrary composition are deformed under stretching-mode strain. We demonstrate the tool by recording the electrical resistance and light transmission spectra for indium tin oxide-coated plastic substrates under both linearly increasing strain and complex cyclic strain processes. The optics are sensitive across the visible spectrum and into the near-infrared region (∼400-900 nm), and without specifically optimizing for sampling speed, we achieve a time resolution of ∼200 ms. In our automated analysis routine, we include a calculation of a common TC figure of merit (FOM), and because solar cell electrodes represent a key TC application, we also weigh both our transparency and FOM results against the solar power spectrum to determine “solar transparency” and “solar FOM.” Finally, we demonstrate how the apparatus may be adapted to measure the basic performance metrics for complete solar cells under uniaxial strain.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

MHD flow of a micropolar fluid over a stretchable disk in a porous medium with heat and mass transfer

This article studies the simultaneous impacts of heat and mass transfer of an incompressible electrically conducting micropolar fluid generated by the stretchable disk in presence of porous medium. The thermal radiation effect is accounted via Rosseland’s approximation. The governing boundary layer equations are reduced into dimensionless form by employing the suitable similarity transformations. A finite difference base algorithm is utilized to obtain the solution expressions. The impacts of physical parameters on dimensionless axial velocity, radial velocity, micro-rotation, temperature and concentrations profiles are presented and examined carefully. Numerical computation is performed to compute shear stress, couple stress, heat and mass rate at the disk.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Mixed convective thermally radiative micro nanofluid flow in a stretchable channel with porous medium and magnetic field

A numerical study is carried out for two dimensional steady incompressible mixed convective flow of electrically conductive micro nanofluid in a stretchable channel. The flow is generated due to the stretching walls of the channel immersed in a porous medium. The magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the walls. The impact of radiation, viscous dissipation, thermophoretic and Brownian motion of nanoparticles appear in the energy equation. A numerical technique based on Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg fourth-fifth order (RFK45) method is used to express the solutions of velocity, microrotation, temperature and concentration fields. The dimensionless physical parameters are discussed both in tabular and graphical forms. The results are also found in a good agreement with previously published literature work.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Topological supramolecular network enabled high-conductivity, stretchable organic bioelectronics

Intrinsically stretchable bioelectronic devices based on soft and conducting organic materials have been regarded as the ideal interface for seamless and biocompatible integration with the human body. A remaining challenge is to combine high mechanical robustness with good electrical conduction, especially when patterned at small feature sizes. We develop a molecular engineering strategy based on a topological supramolecular network, which allows for the decoupling of competing effects from multiple molecular building blocks to meet complex requirements. We obtained simultaneously high conductivity and crack-onset strain in a physiological environment, with direct photopatternability down to the cellular scale. We further collected stable electromyography signals on soft and malleable octopus and performed localized neuromodulation down to single-nucleus precision for controlling organ-specific activities through the delicate brainstem.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The Role of Second Phase Hard Particles on Hole Stretchability of two AA6xxx Alloys

The hole stretchability of two Aluminum Alloys (AA6111 and AA6022) are studied by using a two stages integrated finite element framework where the edge geometry and edge damages from the hole piercing processes were considered in the subsequent hole expansion processes. Experimentally it has been found that AA6022 has higher hole expansion ratios than those of AA6111. This observation has been nicely captured by finite element simulations. The main cause of differences have been identified to the volume fractions of the random distributed second phase hard particles which play a critical role in determining the fracture strains of the materials.

Hu, Xiaohua↗

Stretchable Mesh for Cavity Noise Reduction

A stretchable mesh material extends across the opening of a cavity of the landing gear of an aircraft when the landing gear is in the deployed position. The mesh material alters the flow of air across the opening of the landing gear cavity and significantly reduces the amount of noise produced by the wheel well at low-to-mid frequencies.

Khorrami, Mehdi R.↗

Stretchable and foldable electronic devices

Disclosed herein are stretchable, foldable and optionally printable, processes for making devices and devices such as semiconductors, electronic circuits and components thereof that are capable of providing good performance when stretched, compressed, flexed or otherwise deformed. Strain isolation layers provide good strain isolation to functional device layers. Multilayer devices are constructed to position a neutral mechanical surface coincident or proximate to a functional layer having a material that is susceptible to strain-induced failure. Neutral mechanical surfaces are positioned by one or more layers having a property that is spatially inhomogeneous, such as by patterning any of the layers of the multilayer device.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Stretchable transistors with buckled carbon nanotube films as conducting channels

Thin-film transistors comprising buckled films comprising carbon nanotubes as the conductive channel are provided. Also provided are methods of fabricating the transistors. The transistors, which are highly stretchable and bendable, exhibit stable performance even when operated under high tensile strains.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Stretchable and foldable electronic devices

Disclosed herein are stretchable, foldable and optionally printable, processes for making devices and devices such as semiconductors, electronic circuits and components thereof that are capable of providing good performance when stretched, compressed, flexed or otherwise deformed. Strain isolation layers provide good strain isolation to functional device layers. Multilayer devices are constructed to position a neutral mechanical surface coincident or proximate to a functional layer having a material that is susceptible to strain-induced failure. Neutral mechanical surfaces are positioned by one or more layers having a property that is spatially inhomogeneous, such as by patterning any of the layers of the multilayer device.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Stretchable and foldable electronic devices

Disclosed herein are stretchable, foldable and optionally printable, processes for making devices and devices such as semiconductors, electronic circuits and components thereof that are capable of providing good performance when stretched, compressed, flexed or otherwise deformed. Strain isolation layers provide good strain isolation to functional device layers. Multilayer devices are constructed to position a neutral mechanical surface coincident or proximate to a functional layer having a material that is susceptible to strain-induced failure. Neutral mechanical surfaces are positioned by one or more layers having a property that is spatially inhomogeneous, such as by patterning any of the layers of the multilayer device.

Rogers, John A.↗

A Water-Based Silver-Nanowire Screen-Print Ink for the Fabrication of Stretchable Conductors and Wearable Thin-Film Transistors

Silver nanowire is a very promising material for fabricating compliant conductors which are essential for stretchable/wearable electronic devices. Screen printing is a cost-effective and scalable technology to fabricate large-area thin film coatings with modest pattern resolution. The biggest challenge to prepare a screen printable silver nanowire ink stems from the low viscosity of silver nanowire dispersions and that the addition of a thickening agent could dramatically increase the inter-nanowire contact resistance in the resulting coating. Herein, we report the synthesis of a water-based silver nanowire ink, which was formulated with low solid contents, high viscosity at 0.1 s -1 shear rate, and appropriate rheological behavior suitable for screen printing. Silver nanowire coating patterns were screen printed with uniform sharp edges, ~50 μm resolution, and electrical conductivity as high as 4.67 × 10 4 S cm -1 . The screen printed silver nanowires were then used to fabricate a composite conductor that retained a conductivity greater than 10,000 S cm -1 under 70% tensile strain. Fully printed and stretchable/wearable thin-film transistor arrays were also fabricated by employing the screen printed composite conductor as the source, drain, and gate, drop cast semiconducting carbon nanotubes as the channel, and a dielectric elastomer. The 10 × 6 thin-film transistor arrays had a fabrication yield of 91.7%, average mobility of 33.8 ± 3.7 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , ON/OFF ratio ~1000, and remained stable during 1,000 cycles of wearing on and peeling off a glass tube with 5 mm diameter.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Intrinsically stretchable electrode array enabled in vivo electrophysiological mapping of atrial fibrillation at cellular resolution

Electrophysiological mapping of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) at high throughput and high resolution is critical for understanding its underlying mechanism and guiding definitive treatment such as cardiac ablation, but current electrophysiological tools are limited by either low spatial resolution or electromechanical uncoupling of the beating heart. To overcome this limitation, here we introduce a scalable method for fabricating a tissue-like, high-density, fully elastic electrode (elastrode) array capable of achieving real-time, stable, cellular level-resolution electrophysiological mapping in vivo. Testing with acute rabbit and porcine models, the device is proven to have robust and intimate tissue coupling while maintaining its chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties during the cardiac cycle. The elastrode array records epicardial atrial signals with comparable efficacy to currently available endocardial-mapping techniques but with 2 times higher atrial-to-ventricular signal ratio and >100 times higher spatial resolution and can reliably identify electrical local heterogeneity within an area of simultaneously identified rotor-like electrical patterns in a porcine model of chronic AF.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗