Dual-function Device Research Articles

Facile primary battery-based humidity sensor for multifunctional application

Power generation humidity sensor has attracted attention in recent years due to its great potential in self-powered electronics. Herein, combining with the working mechanisms of primary battery and humidity sensor, we propose a facile primary battery-based device (PBD) with dual functions of humidity sensing and power generation, which is fabricated by copper adhesive tape (as positive electrode), lithium chloride (LiCl) active layer (for adsorption and conduction), and aluminum adhesive tape (as negative electrode) on the ceramic substrate. By regulating the concentration of the LiCl, 1.0 mol/L LiCl-based PBD can be developed as a humidity sensor, which exhibits a sensitivity of 4.86 mV/RH and good linearity in a wide detection range (10.9%−91.5% relative humidity) at room temperature (25 °C). Moreover, 2.0 mol/L LiCl-based PBD can be developed as a power generator due to its high output of 0.55 V. Finally, multifunctional applications (such as respiratory monitoring, non-contact switch, lighting light-emitting diode (LED)) of the PBDs are demonstrated. This work not only provides a facile avenue to develop dual-function devices, but also exhibits a great potential in self-powered humidity sensors. • A primary battery-based device (PBD) is proposed with low cost and simple process. • The PBD exhibits dual functions of humidity sensing and power generation. • As a sensor, the PBD shows a wide detection range, good linearity and repeatability. • The primary battery-based sensor shows potential in multifunctional applications.

A self-powered dual-functional hybrid Cu2O/SiNWs heterojunction with applications in broadband photodetectors and ozone gas sensors

Dual-functional sensors can replace two or more individual sensors in a platform so they decrease the system area. However, these devices have a major limitation in that they feature high power consumption. A self-powered dual-functional device that detects broadband light detecting and senses ozone (O 3 ) is reported. The device architecture features a solution-processed Cu 2 O thin film that covers silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays to form a heterojunction. The hybrid Cu 2 O/SiNWs heterojunction structure allows light trapping and gas adsorption because it has a large specific interface area. The proposed device generates an open-circuit voltage of 0.36 V when illuminated using visible-light and can be used to detect various concentrations of O 3 with excellent selectivity and long-term stability. This Cu 2 O/SiNW heterojunction structure shows that capability to develop self-powered dual-functional sensors in the future. • A self-powered dual-functional device with a hybrid Cu 2 O/SiNWs heterojunction is fabricated to detect broadband light and sense O 3 gas. • Upon exposure to 5 ppm O 3 , V oc increases from 0.36 V to 0.53 V, so it can be used to measure different O 3 concentrations. • The device acting as a photodetector exhibits a relatively high responsivity (0.13 A/W) with fast response speed (< 50 ms). • The device serving as a gas sensor exhibits a relatively high gas response (47%) at zero bias.

Study on double-layer adjustable metalens based on phase change material Sb2S3

Based on double-layer Sb2S3 material, a method is proposed to realize adjustable metalens at 1.31 μm using geometric phase to regulate the incident beam. Different functions are realized by changing different states of Sb2S3. In design 1, the lower layer of phase change material is set as a half-wave plate in the amorphous and crystalline states, and the upper layer can be switched between half-wave plate and full-wave plate when it is in the two states so that the focal length of the metalens can be switched between F1 and F2. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) is close to the diffraction limit, and the focus efficiency can reach 69%. In design 2, the upper layer is always in the amorphous state with the high transmittivity. An optical switch is realized when the lower layer is used as a half-wave plate with the transmittivity close to 0 in the crystalline state. At the same time, a bifocal metalens with the focusing efficiency of 62% can be realized when the lower layer is used as a half-wave plate with the high transmittivity in the amorphous state. By adjusting the material crystallization rate, bifocal metalens with various intensities are realized. Our design has great potential in optical imaging, scanners that combine beam switches and lenses, and dual-function devices.

Enhanced electrochromic capacity performances of hierarchical MnO2-polyaniline/PEDOT:PSS/Ag@Ni nanowires cathode for flexible and rechargeable electrochromic Zn-Ion battery

A dual-functional device of rechargeable electrochromic Zn-ion battery (EZiB) with advanced electrochromic and energy-storage characteristics has gained numerous attention in transparent energy-saving smart electronics. This study develops a novel enhanced electrochromic capacity electrode of hierarchical MnO2-polyaniline (PANi) hybrid assembled on transparent PEDOT:PSS/core@shell silver@nickel nanowires (Ag@Ni NWs) thin film for EZiB fabrication. The flexible fabricated EZiB device shows remarkable electrochemical performance with a high area capacity of 0.127 mA h cm−2 at a current density of 0.072 mA cm−2, good optical contrast (∼67.3%), and prospective stability with 400 cycle continous working. In addition, it also exhibits an effective electrochromism with multi-color properties at different charged/discharged states, such as dark bluish-violet at +1.8 V, dark bluish-green at +1.5 V, dark green at +1.2 V, light green at +0.8 V, and transparent at +0.3 V discharged state. The achieved results highlight the viability of the hierarchical MnO2-PANi/PEDOT:PSS/Ag@Ni NWs thin film as a potential electrochromic cathode material for the development of dual-functional EZiB device.

Design and control of a dual-function device with simultaneous DVR and FCL capability

Design and control of a dual-function device with simultaneous DVR and FCL capability

Facile Preparation of Dual Functional Wearable Devices Based on Hindered Urea Bond-Integrated Reprocessable Polyurea and AgNWs

With the advancement of material science and electronic technology, wearable devices have been integrated into daily lives, no longer just a stirring idea in science fiction. In the future, robust multifunctionalized wearable devices with low cost and long-term service life are urgently required. However, preparing multifunctional wearable devices robust enough to resist harsh conditions using a commercially available raw material through a simple process still remains challenging. In this work, reprocessable polyurea (HUBTPU) with a hard segment of hindered urea bonds (HUBs) and a soft segment of polyether is synthesized via a facile one-pot method. The robust dual functional wearable devices were obtained by simply spray-coating silver nanowires (AgNWs) on HUBTPU elastomer substrates. Due to the dynamic combination and decomposition of the HUBs and hydrogen bonds at 130 °C, the robust elastomer demonstrates favorable adhesion to various substrates. Especially, the partially embedded AgNW structure is also achieved by using ethanol as a spray solvent. The adhesion of HUBTPU substrates and embedded structure leads to stronger interfacial adhesion and stability compared to non-adhesive substrates. The as-obtained HUBTPU electrodes are able to be heated to 115 °C by applying a low voltage and sensing the strain deformation caused by human movement, which means that the electrodes are endowed with both electrical heating capability and strain sensing functionality. Therefore, this strategy reveals a potential way to prepare multifunctional wearable devices using other conductive particles and adhesive functional polymer substrates.

Low-Profile Wideband Microstrip Antenna Integrated With Solar Cells

A wideband microstrip antenna with a low profile is reported for green civilian wireless communication. This design employs 12 solar cells for photovoltaic generation and mobile communications. The solar-cell layout is suitable for practical applications. Based on this deployment of solar cells, the radiation structure integrated with solar cells is formulated. With the dual-aperture coupling method, a broadband performance of 54.8% has been achieved with a low profile of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.068\lambda _{0}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> , where <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda _{0}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is the free space wavelength at the center frequency of 2.3 GHz. More than 60% of the total area is covered by solar cells, so its ability for photovoltaic generation is improved effectively. The proposed dual-function device can offer an enhanced ability of photovoltaic generation and broadband performance with a low-profile structure.

Lamella self-assembled Cu-doped NiO nanosheet arrays for dual-function devices with balanced electrochromic and energy storage performance

In this study, a novel bifunctional lamella self-assembled nanosheet arrays of Cu-doped NiO electrode was hydrothermally synthesized to improve and balance its electrochromic-energy storage performance. When Cu doping amount was 1%, the as-prepared nanostructured electrode exhibited both excellent electrochromic properties including large optical modulation (77.1% at 550 nm) and long stability (98.3% retention of maximum optical modulation after 4000 cycles), and good capacitive properties, especially high area specific capacitance (94.7 mF/cm2 at 0.2 mA/cm2) as well as excellent capacitance stability (100% at 50 mV/s for 2000 cycles; 80.6% retention at 0.8 mA/cm2 for 5000 cycles). These excellent properties may benefit from the large active specific surface area and low charge transport resistance. Meanwhile, the self-assembled structure and cross-linked nanosheets optimize the structural stability of the film. Notably, an electrochromic-energy storage device (EESD) was constructed and demonstrated excellent electrochromic-energy storage performance. In charging process, two integrated EESDs in series turned into dark brown and an LED was lit up. While, in discharging process, the EESD gradually became colorless and the LED went out. This study may point out the direction for developing new visualized energy storage devices.

Recent progress on electrochemical (bio)sensors based on aptamer-molecularly imprinted polymer dual recognition

Antibodies have been the dominant receptors used to construct biosensors and bioassays owing to their intrinsically excellent antigen specificity and affinity. Despite their wide applications, antibodies suffer from many drawbacks such as high costs, poor stability, limited availability, and stringent storage conditions. Over the last three decades, aptamers and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have emerged as alternative synthetic receptors to substitute antibodies in biosensors and bioassays due to their specific conformational and binding relationships to analytes and selectivity similar to that of natural counterparts. More recently, aptamers and MIPs have been combined as a hybrid system that combines both of these synthetic recognition elements to detect various analytes such as small molecules, proteins, and viruses, utilizing their desired properties and complementing each other's limitations. Due to the overall low-cost, high sensitivity, miniaturization compatibility, and portability of electrochemical sensors, this review focuses on the recent progress of electrochemical (bio)sensors based on aptamer-MIP (AptaMIP) dual receptors since the first one reported in 2016. Three design strategies of AptaMIP-based electrochemical sensors with related works are summarized and discussed in detail, including aptamer embedded in MIP as a hybrid receptor, aptamer and MIP dual-functional areas-based microfluidic device, and MIP/Target/aptamer sandwich assay. For each strategy, sensor configurations, transducing mechanisms, strengths and limitations are discussed.

A novel flexible dual-functional energy storage device with switchability based on NiCo2S4-x

The demands for new energy storage systems capable of providing power for various wearable electronic devices are generating more research interest. Herein, we develop a universal and effective strategy to integrate Zn ion battery (ZIB) and asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) into one flexible energy storage device, which can switch between high energy density and high-power density without interfering with each other. The NiCo2S4-x nanosheet arrays with sulfur deficiency grown on carbon cloth substrate are used as efficient cathode for ZIB and ASC. The designed flexible ZIB delivers an energy density of up to 464.2 Wh kg−1, while the assemble flexible ASC provides a maximum power density of 8001.2 W kg−1. Subsequently, a flexible dual-functional three-electrode energy storage device (TEESD) is fabricated by a general stacking strategy. As proof-of-concept demonstrations, two flexible dual-functional TEESDs can switch between ZIB and ASC to power a digital watch and light LED thanks to the common cathode. In addition, the integrated TEESDs exhibits superior electrochemical stability and performance durability, which is beneficial for the practical applications in flexible and wearable devices. The general strategy disclosed herein is expected to shine new light into the development of advanced flexible electronics and wearable energy textiles.

Designing a dual-function skin-stretching device with 3D printing for mechanotransduction analysis and scar prevention: A preliminary study

Developing a dual-function skin-stretching device is beneficial for skin mechanotransduction analysis and wound healing applications. In this study, a dual-function skin-stretching device was designed based on three-dimensional (3D) printing, which can be fixed on rat skin for skin stretching and tension-relieving tests. During the skin stretching assay, a piece of skin was pulled outward by applying a mechanical load, the magnitude of which could be studied by force analysis. In the tension-relieving assay, skin wound edges could be pulled to the opposite side to accelerate wound closure. The skin-stretching device could exert forces of varying magnitudes (0.0042–0.0113 N) on the skin, leading to variations in the histological features of the skin epithelium. Western blot indicated that the protein levels of the mechanosensitive molecule yes-associated protein (YAP) were positively associated with the mechanical strength exerted on the skin. The tension-relieving assay demonstrated that the scores and cross-sectional size of skin scars decreased by fixing the skin-stretching device to the skin. Collectively, we developed a skin-stretching device that could potentially exert a dual force on rat skin, providing a potential method to analyze the molecular mechanism of mechanotransduction during stretch-induced skin growth and promote skin wound healing with a minor scar.

Pseudocapacitive and dual-functional electrochromic Zn batteries

The similarity in electrochemical mechanisms in electrochromic and energy storage devices has inspired explorations of dual-functional devices. However, complementary dual-functional devices often neglect charge balance and suffer from unsatisfactory capacity. Here, electrochemically deposited NiO was balanced by Zn anode, constructing an electrochromic Zn battery (EZB) in both aqueous mild (ZnCl2) and alkaline (KOH) electrolytes. With well-adjusted electrochemical deposition condition, nanoporous instead of dense NiO film was obtained, manifesting faster switching for electrochromism and higher capacity for charge storage. In addition, the alkaline EZB outperforms the mild counterpart, due to the formation of larger content of Ni3+ species upon oxidation. The alkaline EZB harvests areal capacity of 20 mAh/m2 at 0.02 mA/cm2 and high-rate performance (17.1 mAh/m2 at 0.2 mA/cm2) for energy storage, while achieving optical contrast of 36%, high transmittance at clear state (>90%), fast switching time (tb = 5.3s, tc = 1.9s), and excellent switching stability (no contrast degradation after 2000 cycles) for electrochromism. A 5∗5 cm2 charged alkaline NiO//Zn EZB can power a timer for more than 30 min, accompanied by a gradual bleaching process, demonstrating the outstanding dual functionalities. This work presents the construction of excellent dual-functional EZB.

Dual‐function electrochromic supercapacitor with graphene electrode

In order to the immense demand for the development of energy-storage systems, layer-optimized graphene and chemically modified poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) were utilized as the electrode and electrochemical material, respectively, to fabricate a device that exhibited electrochromic and supercapacitive functions. The electrochemical properties of the device with the graphene electrode were compared with those of a similar device with ITO as the electrode, and a remarkable synergetic effect was observed in the former, likely owing to strong π-π interactions between graphene and PEDOT:PSS. The colored and bleached transmittances of the device with the graphene electrode were 20.6% and 59.3%, respectively, at a wavelength of 650 nm, which are indicative of its electrochromic behavior. Furthermore, the galvanostatic charge/discharge curves, which are indicative of the electrochemical-energy-storage performances, were in good agreement with the clearly visible transmittance change of the device. The device with the graphene electrode exhibited a maximum areal capacitance of 1.08 mF cm−2 at a current density of 0.001 mA cm−2, which was higher than that of the ITO-based electrode. Our approach for fabricating graphene devices with modified PEDOT:PSS could be helpful in designing dual-function devices for promising electrochromic energy-storage platforms.

Resistive switching and photovoltaic response characteristics for the BaTiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 heterostructure

Recently, perovskite compounds with ABX3 structures have been attracting increasing attention because of their excellent properties and their potential for applications in fields such as optoelectronics and memory devices. In this Letter, we introduce a BaTiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 (BTO/NSTO) heterostructure that displays both resistive switching and photovoltaic response characteristics. As a dual-function device, our heterostructure device not only exhibits bipolar resistive switching behavior with a switching ratio of up to 103 without any forming process but also shows a tunable photovoltage effect with an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of approximately 0.38 V. In addition, a high-resistance state and a low-resistance state of the device can be modulated by light illumination. This photo-modulation mechanism is revealed and shows that resistive switching can be attributed to migration of photogenerated carriers and charge trapping/detrapping caused by ferroelectric polarization reversal, which changes depletion layer characteristics at the BTO/NSTO interface. This work may help to provide an understanding of multifunctional characteristics of the BTO/NSTO heterostructure and will pave the way toward practical applications of this heterostructure in memory and optoelectronic devices.

Dynamically tunable broadband absorber/reflector based on graphene and VO2 metamaterials.

We propose a difunctional tunable broadband absorber/reflector consisting of a periodic cross-shaped graphene array and a vanadium dioxide (VO2) layer. When VO2 reflects the properties of metal, the proposed dual-function device is used as a reflector; when VO2 reflects the nature of the dielectric, the difunctional device will be used as an absorber. The simulation results indicate that more than 90% absorption bandwidth can be available in the absorber in the frequency range of 56.1-59.0 THz, up to 100%. Moreover, over 80% absorption can be achieved over the frequency range of 88.5 to 90.2 THz. In addition, the bandwidth and absorption of the metamaterial absorber can be dynamically changed because of the Fermi energy level in graphene and the temperature tunability of VO2. The proposed device can be applied to manufacturing infrared spectrophotometers, on-dispersive infrared photometers, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometers. Therefore, it has potential application in the field of environmental monitoring.

Dual-functional hybrid ZnSnO/Graphene nanocomposites with applications in high-performance UV photodetectors and ozone gas sensors

Dual-functional metal oxide semiconductors that can detect the values of two different physical quantities, such as light intensity and gas concentration, have been the subject of many studies because they are used in the Internet of Things (IoT). However, the opposite sensing mechanisms for photons and gas molecules pose challenges for material design. In this study, we developed a dual-functional sensor that uses hybrid amorphous ZnSnO (a-ZTO)/graphene nanosheet (GNS) composite films. GNSs were incorporated into a-ZTO films so that the recombination process for photo-generated electron/hole pairs was suppressed owing to the favorable band alignment at the ZTO/GNS interface. The a-ZTO/GNS dual-functional sensor had a responsivity of 26.39 A/W at 350 nm and exhibited a fast response speed, with a rise time of 0.71 s and a decay time of 0.95 s. ZTO/GNS nanocomposite film also featured a smaller cluster size so that more electrons were produced for the chemical reaction of gas. Under UV illumination of 10 mW/cm 2 , the dual-functional sensor exhibited a gas response of 12.8, against a 5-ppm concentration of ozone gas. These results demonstrate that this dual-functional device can serve as not only a high-performance UV photodetector but also a highly sensitive gas sensor.

Rancang Bangun Pencuci Tangan Berbasis Water Level Control di Pesantren Darul Muttaqin Kabupaten Sinjai

Washing hands using soap is one of the three main movements of an effective health protocol to mitigate the transmission of Covid-19 and other infectious diseases. To apply this protocol, Darul Muttaqin Islamic Boarding School as a partner of this activity lacks of physical infrastructure to support and encourage the habit of washing hands in the community. This program is directed at procuring hand washing equipment with a water level control and an integrated disposal system at the site. The form and stages of the program are formulated based on intensive discussions with the partners. The hand washing equipment has been produced in the design and the manufacturing stage. The design stages include the model design, the dimension determinations, and the budget plan calculation. While the manufacturing stages include the manufacture of the structure, installation of reservoirs and accessories, electrical installations, and installation of drainage and sewer lines. The dual-function hand washing device is an output product of this program which has been handed over to partners to be used as best as possible by the students.

Fabrication of dual-functional electrochromic smart window based on low-cost hybrid transparent electrode coated with a solution-processable polymer

A cost-effective dual-functional polymeric electrochromic device using hybrid transparent electrodes promises to replace the traditional ITO-based smart windows in modern infrastructures and automobile industries.

Dual-Functional Device Based on Cb/Pvdf@Bfp for Solar-Driven Water Purification and Water-Induced Electricity Generation

Dual-Functional Device Based on Cb/Pvdf@Bfp for Solar-Driven Water Purification and Water-Induced Electricity Generation

Electrically Controlled Neurochemical Delivery from Microelectrodes for Focal and Transient Modulation of Cellular Behavior.

Electrically controlled drug delivery of neurochemicals and biomolecules from conducting polymer microelectrode coatings hold great potentials in dissecting neural circuit or treating neurological disorders with high spatial and temporal resolution. The direct doping of a drug into a conducting polymer often results in low loading capacity, and the type of molecule that can be released is limited. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) doped with sulfonated silica nanoparticles (SNP) has been developed as a more versatile platform for drug delivery. In this work, we demonstrate that neurochemicals with different surface charge, e.g., glutamate (GLU), gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine (DA), 6,7-Dinitroquinoxaline- 2,3-dione (DNQX) and bicuculline, can be, respectively, incorporated into the SNP and electrically triggered to release repeatedly. The drug loaded SNPs were incorporated in PEDOT via electrochemical deposition on platinum microelectrodes. After PEDOT/SNP(drug) coating, the charge storage capacity (CSC) increased 10-fold to 55 ± 3 mC/cm2, and the impedance at 1 kHz was also reduced approximately 6-fold. With the aid of a porous SNP, the loading capacity and number of releases of GLU was increased >4-fold and 66-fold, respectively, in comparison to the direct doping of PEDOT with GLU (PEDOT/GLU). The focal release of GLU and GABA from a PEDOT/SNP (drug) coated microelectrode were tested in cultured neurons using Ca imaging. The change in fluo-4 fluorescence intensity after electrically triggered GLU (+6.7 ± 2.9%) or GABA (−6.8 ± 1.6%) release indicated the successful modulation of neural activities by neurotransmitter release. In addition to activating neural activities, glutamate can also act on endothelial cells to stimulate nitric oxide (NO) release. A dual functional device with two adjacent sensing and releasing electrodes was constructed and we tested this mechanism in endothelial cell cultures. In endothelial cells, approximately 7.6 ± 0.6 nM NO was detected in the vicinity of the NO sensor within 6.2 ± 0.5 s of GLU release. The rise time of NO signal, T0–100, was 14.5 ± 2.2 s. In summary, our work has demonstrated (1) a platform that is capable of loading and releasing drugs with different charges; (2) proof of concept demonstrations of how focal release of drugs can be used as a pharmacological manipulation to study neural circuitry or NO’s effect on endothelial cells.