Multifunctional Electronic Devices Research Articles

Highly stretchable, adhesive, and biocompatible hydrogel platforms of tannic acid functionalized spherical nanocellulose for strain sensors

The development of multifunctional wearable electronic devices has received considerable attention because of their attractive applications. However, integrating multifunctional abilities into one component remains a challenge. To address this, we have developed a tannic acid-functionalized spherical nanocellulose/polyvinyl alcohol composite hydrogel using borax as a crosslinking agent for strain-sensing applications. The hydrogel demonstrates improved mechanical and recovery strengths and maintains its mechanical strength under freezing conditions. The hydrogels show ultra-stretching, adhesive, self-healing, and conductive properties, making them ideal candidates for developing strain-based wearable devices. The hydrogel exhibits good sensitivity with a 4.75 gauge factor. The cytotoxicity of the developed hydrogels was monitored with human dermal fibroblast cells by WST-8 assay in vitro. The antibacterial potential of the hydrogels was evaluated using Escherichia coli. The hydrogels demonstrate enhanced antibacterial ability than the control. Therefore, the developed multifunctional hydrogels with desirable properties are promising platforms for strain sensor devices.

Optoelectronic Resistive Memory Based on Lead‐Free Cs2AgBiBr6 Double Perovskite for Artificial Self‐Storage Visual Sensors

AbstractMimicking the human visual memory system has attractive prospects in the field of artificial vision. However, the prominent challenge of realizing human visual memory is how to detect and store image information at the same time, which demands a multifunctional electronic device that can sense and memorize image information like the brain. In this work, simple two‐terminal optoelectronic resistive random access memory (ORRAM) devices are demonstrated based on lead‐free Cs2AgBiBr6 perovskite, exhibiting a unique optoelectronic resistive characteristic that can be reset by UV light illumination. A proof‐of‐concept artificial self‐storage visual system based on the ORRAM is constructed, which shows similar reinforcement learning and memory forgetting functions to the human visual memory system, and realizes the integrated functions of image sensing and memory for a long‐term retention time (>6000 s). Theoretical calculations indicate that UV light illumination will induce the annihilation of Br defects and cause the fracture of conductive filaments, resulting in the optical RESET phenomenon. Furthermore, by integrating with perovskite solar cells, an all‐optically controlled universal implication logic gate is constructed. This work provides an important step toward the mimicry of human visual memory and the multifunctional artificial visual integration of perception and storage.

Multifunctional flexible conductive filament for human motion detection and electrothermal

Highly sensitive wearable e-textiles play an important role in flexible sensors and next-generation personalized electronics with application potential in human physiological monitoring, environmental monitoring, and electronic skin. Here, a scalable and simple strategy for preparing liquid metal (LM)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs)@Ecoflex (LCEF) coaxial conductive filaments were fabricated by wet spinning. The electro-mechanical response behaviors of LCEF sensors were explored to evaluate their sensitivity and stability. The results demonstrated that the filament strain sensors could be used for monitoring both large and subtle human motions. Besides, the LCEF fabrics as a large-area flexible heater exhibited efficient electrothermal response, evidenced by achieving a temperature of over 112.1 °C upon applying a voltage of 12 V with 52.6 °C obtained on the fabrics within 42 s. This work may shed lights on scalable fabrication of flexible strain sensors and electrothermal devices which pave the way for the development of multifunctional wearable electronic devices.

Self-Healing, Thermadapt Triple-Shape Memory Ionomer Vitrimer for Shape Memory Triboelectric Nanogenerator.

Benefiting from the associative exchange reaction, vitrimers could be deformed to various shapes while maintaining the integrity of the network, thus being regarded as promising candidates for shape memory polymers. However, it is still a challenge to design the highly desired smart electronic devices with triple and multishape memory performances through a facile method. Here, a novel dual-cross-linked poly(acrylonitrile-co-butyl acrylate-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-zinc methacrylate) (Zn-PABHM) copolymer was developed via a facile and one-pot free radical polymerization strategy. Ionic cross-linking, the transcarbamoylation reaction, and glass transition were used to fix the permanent shape and two temporary shapes of the obtained ionomer vitrimer, respectively. The thermomechanical and stress relaxation performances of Zn-PABHM vitrimer can be customized by tuning the proportion of the chemical cross-linking and physical cross-linking knots. Furthermore, the Zn-PABHM was employed to construct a shape memory triboelectric nanogenerator, which demonstrates distinctive performance and tunable electrical outputs (37.4-96.0 V) due to variable contact areas enabled by triple shape memory effects. Consequently, the triple-shape memory ionomer vitrimer obtained via a facile and one-pot synthetic strategy has great potential in smart multifunctional electronic devices.

Stable reconfiguring, high-density memory and synaptic characteristics in Sn alloyed CsPbI3 perovskite based resistive switching device

In search of efficient data storage devices, the need of the hour demands novel materials that can offer superior speed, low power consumption and reproducibility. Here, we have chosen a halide perovskite material for the development of reconfigurable memory properties. A metal-insulator-metal structure comprising of Au/α-CsPbI3/ITO has been fabricated to realize non-volatile memory characteristics. However, the active cubic phase of CsPbI3 is not stable at room temperature if not shielded properly as found in literature. To minimize the effect of passivation and interface reaction, the CsPbI3 was alloyed with Sn at the Pb-site. The substitution resulted in stable phase of α-CsPbI3 at room temperature due to increase in tolerance factor. Thus, the device with 10 % Sn alloyed perovskite shows reliable and uniform resistive switching behavior with high ON/OFF ratio (>104), low operating voltage (<0.5 V) along with multi-bit operation capability. On the hand, the device with orthorhombic structure, i.e. δ-CsPbI3 failed to demonstrate any significant switching behavior with the similar operating voltages. Such discrepancy in device mechanism could be attributed to the structural dissimilarity between the two phases, where migration of ions/vacancies holds prime role. Finally, the change in device resistance was postulated by valance change mechanism (VCM), which was validated by conducting atomic force microscopy (c-AFM). This switching mechanism and low OFF state current of the device were utilized to emulate synaptic characteristics in the device consuming very low energy and pave the way for the development of next-generation multi-functional electronic devices.

Multifunctional ultrastretchable and ultrasoft electronics enabled by uncrosslinked polysiloxane elastomers patterned with rheologically modified liquid metal electrodes: Beyond current soft and stretchable electronics

The exploration and identification of new polymeric materials that can serve as components for soft and stretchable electronic devices complying with various demands such as ultrasoftness, ultrastretchability and skin conformality, has attracted much attention. In this study, a commercially available silicone elastomer, ExSil 100, which exhibits ultrastretchability, ultrasoftness and characteristic surface adhesion due to uncrosslinked highly entangled polymeric chains, has been used for the first time to fabricate soft and stretchable electronics. Liquid metals are compelling electrodes because they can maintain electrical conductivity when strained. Although elastomers with microchannels are typically used to create soft devices by injecting liquid metal into the channels, the resulting topographic structures of ExSil 100 are prone to collapse owing to the ultrasoftness of the elastomer. The oxidized liquid metal, which showed excellent wetting behavior, was therefore patterned by forced wetting through stencils onto the substrate. The desirable properties of the elastomer have thus been synergistically harnessed with the “infinite stretchability” of the liquid metal to fabricate a variety of multifunctional electronic devices, illustrating successful utilization of this system in the field of soft and stretchable electronics.

Biological Hair-Inspired AgNWs@Au-Embedded Nafion Electrodes with High Stability for Self-Powered Ionic Flexible Sensors.

Ionic flexible sensors (IFS) usually consist of an ionomer matrix and two conductive electrodes, the failure of which mostly originates from interfacial debonding between matrix and electrode layers. To improve electrode's adhesion and impedance matching with matrix, polymer binder or plasmonic heating technology is used to enhance the adhesion of electrodes, but there are technical challenges such as high resistance and harsh conditions. Herein, inspired by biological hair, we proposed a reliable and facile method to form AgNWs@Au-embedded Nafion flexible electrodes (AN FEs) for IFS without rigorous temperature and harsh conditions. Through integrating the spraying and electrodepositing Au method, we achieved that the AgNWs are partly embedded in the matrix layer for forming the embedded layer, similar to the root of biological hair, which is used to fix the FEs and collect the ion charges. The other parts of AgNWs exposed on the surface form the conductive mesh layer for transmitting the signal, analogous to the tip of biological hair. Compared with other AgNWs FEs, AN FEs exhibit high adhesion (∼358 kPa) and low sheet resistance (∼ 3.7 Ω/□), and high stabilities after 100 washing cycles, 200 s H2O2 corrosion or 1500s HCl corrosion. A self-powered IFS prepared by AN FEs can achieve dual sensing of mechanical strain and ambient humidity and still has promising sensing performance after being exposed to air for 2 months, which further indicates potential applications of the prepared FEs in next-generation multifunctional flexible electronic devices.

Interface-Driven Multiferroicity in Cubic BaTiO3-SrTiO3 Nanocomposites.

Perovskite multiferroics have drawn significant attention in the development of next-generation multifunctional electronic devices. However, the majority of existing multiferroics exhibit ferroelectric and ferromagnetic orderings only at low temperatures. Although interface engineering in complex oxide thin films has triggered many exotic room-temperature functionalities, the desired coupling of charge, spin, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom often imposes stringent requirements on deposition conditions, layer thickness and crystal orientation, greatly hindering their cost-effective large-scale applications. Herein, we report an interface-driven multiferroicity in low-cost and environmentally friendly bulk polycrystalline material, namely cubic BaTiO3-SrTiO3 nanocomposites which were fabricated through a simple, high-throughput solid-state reaction route. Interface reconstruction in the nanocomposites can be readily controlled by the processing conditions. Coexistence of room-temperature ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity, accompanying a robust magnetoelectric coupling in the nanocomposites, was confirmed both experimentally and theoretically. Our study explores the 'hidden treasure at the interface' by creating a playground in bulk perovskite oxides, enabling a broad range of applications that are challenging with thin films, such as low-power-consumption large-volume memory and magneto-optic spatial light modulator.

Engineered gelatin-based conductive hydrogels for flexible wearable electronic devices: Fundamentals and recent advances

With the fast and ever-growing development of multifunctional wearable intelligent electronic devices (WEDs), the ideal building block materials for the fabrication of WEDs should be naturally abundant with characteristics such as green and non-toxic, excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and sanitation property. Gelatin is denatured collagen from natural connective tissue that mimics components of the native extracellular matrix regarding its biomimetic primary structure and chemical composition. Recently, gelatin-based conductive hydrogels (GC-Gels) are considered promising materials for developing flexible wearable sensors due to their unique porous structure and excellent application performances. This review first provides a comprehensive overview of the preparation, composition, structure, and properties of gelatin, followed by the current development status and progress of GC-Gels as well as GC-Gels-based flexible wearable devices with different structures and functions. Finally, the possible challenges and suggestions for the future development of GC-Gels-based flexible wearable devices are provided. This review is expected to promote and inspire the emerging applications of gelatin, its derivatives, and even other natural raw materials as sustainable advanced materials for WEDs.

Anti-bacterial and multi-functional smart wearable sensor based on organo-hydrogel for diagnosis of the anterior cruciate ligament injuries, and sensing glove for rehabilitation of joints motion

Stretchable multi-functional electronic skin devices capable of interface with parts of human body and/or internal organs to diagnose the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and rehabilitation of human joint motion are attractive candidates for next-generation wearables biomedical devices, soft robots, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Such devices need to be of excellent mechanical property, anti-freezing, antibacterial, biocompatible to be comfortable to wear for long term usage and accommodate strains from repeated movement and prevent skin irritation. To address this need, we introduced conductive organo-hydrogels based on silver quantum dots (COH@AgQDs) as multi-functional stretchable sensor with outstanding high-performance diagnostic capabilities. We demonstrated a prototype from the developed sensors integrated into a wirelessly Arduino board and a smartphone was selected to transmit data which offers promising wireless system for rehabilitation after surgeries. Additionally, the developed device has ability to differentiate between ACL injury and healthy knee with different pattern shapes and high sensitivity. Moreover, the flexible sensor can inhibit the growth of bacteria (Escherichia coli (E-coli)) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and protect human health for long-term use. It exhibited outstanding anti-freezing property (−53 °C), antibacterial, self-healing, robust mechanical property (strain 420% at stress 96 kPa), and high linearity.

Mechanical Gradients Enable Highly Stretchable Electronics Based on Nanofiber Substrates.

Stretchable electronics play a pivotal role in the age of information and intelligence. Integrated circuit components are an integral part of high-performance and multifunctional stretchable electronic devices. Therefore, it is an ideal design concept for stretchable electronic devices to not only ensure the reliability of the connection between rigid inorganic electronic components and stretchable circuits but also maintain the stretchability of the device. In this work, we constructed a mechanical gradient strategy to fabricate high-performance stretchable electronic devices. Briefly, polyvinyl alcohol glue is used to fix integrated circuits on stretchable circuits, which are fabricated by printing liquid metal on a thermoplastic polyurethane nanofiber membrane. The strategy of integrated circuits (rigid)-polyvinyl alcohol glue (high elastic modulus)-thermoplastic polyurethane nanofiber membrane (low elastic modulus)-liquid metal (liquid) realizes the strain gradient during the stretching process of the device, thus ensuring the stability and reliability. Moreover, we explored the mechanism through experiments and finite element analysis. The flexible electronic devices fabricated by this scheme are not only ultra-stretchable (900%) but also have good stability and comfort. As proof, the application in stretchable sensors, human-computer interaction devices, and displays was realized.

A Vis‐SWIR Photonic Synapse with Low Power Consumption Based on WSe2/In2Se3 Ferroelectric Heterostructure

AbstractNeuromorphic visual sensory and memory systems that can sense, learn and memorize optical information have great potential in many areas such as image recognition and autonomous driving. However, most current artificial neuromorphic vision technology is suffering from large power consumptions (&gt;100 pJ per switching), high circuitry complexity, and difficulty in miniaturization due to the physical separation of the optic sensing, processing, and memory units. Here, a photonic neuromorphic device based on WSe2/In2Se3 van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure is developed to meet the requirements of high‐performance photonic synapse devices. Owing to the optically controlled ferroelectric polarization switching, the device shows light‐tunable synaptic functions. For the first time, the light‐stimulated synaptic behavior extends from visible light to short‐wavelength infrared region (up to 1800 nm). Taking advantage of the ultra‐low dark current of the heterojunction, the power consumption of the photonic synapse can be as low as 258 fJ per switching under a bias of −0.1 V, comparable to biological synapses. These findings demonstrate a novel photonic synapse, deepen the understanding of light‐controlled polarization switching in semiconducting ferroelectric materials, and open up new application fields in multifunctional electronic and photonic devices based on 2D ferroelectric vdW heterostructures.

Tailoring the electronic and optical properties of ZrS2/ZrSe2 vdW heterostructure by strain engineering

Under framework of first-principles calculation, we construct ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructure and explore the effects of the uniaxial and biaxial strains on its electronic and optical properties. Band structure shows the unstrained ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructure has a type-II band alignment. The large binding energy and small interface distance indicate there is a chemical combination between ZrS2 and ZrSe2 layers beyond the van der Waals interaction. Due to the redistribution of charge, a built-in electric field from ZrSe2 to ZrS2 is formed on the interface of the ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructure. In addition, constructing the ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructure can enhance light absorption intensity. Then we investigate the effects of uniaxial and biaxial strains in the range of −8%∼8% on the electronic and optical properties of the ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructure. The band gap of the ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructure increases (decreases) with the increase of tensile (compressive) strain, this tunable band gap shows its potential applications in electronic devices. The band type is very sensitive to strain, because the type-II alignment can be converted to type-I alignment. In addition, under uniaxial (−4% and −2%) and biaxial (−2%) compressive strains, a red-shift phenomenon is occurred compared to the unstrained ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructure, indicating the better optical gas sensitivity and can be used in infrared light detectors. These findings make possible the application of two-dimensional ZrS2/ZrSe2 heterostructure in multifunctional electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Design of ultranarrow-bandgap acceptors for efficient organic photovoltaic cells and highly sensitive organic photodetectors

The fabrication of multifunctional electronic devices based on the intriguing natures of organic semiconductors is crucial for organic electronics. Ultranarrow-bandgap materials are in urgent demand for fabricating high-performance organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells and highly sensitive near-infrared organic photodetectors (OPDs). By combining alkoxy modification and an asymmetric strategy, three narrow-bandgap electronic acceptors (BTP-4F, DO-4F, and QO-4F) were synthesized with finely tuned molecular electrostatic potential (ESP) distributions. Through the careful modulation of electronic configurations, the optical absorption onsets of DO-4F and QO-4F exceeded 1 μm. The experimental and theoretical results suggest that the small ESP of QO-4F is beneficial for achieving a low nonradiative voltage loss, while the large ESP of BTP-4F can help obtain high exciton dissociation efficiency. By contrast, the asymmetric acceptor DO-4F with a moderate ESP possesses balanced voltage loss and exciton dissociation, yielding the best power conversion efficiency of 13.6% in the OPV cells. OPDs were also fabricated based on the combination of PBDB-T:DO-4F, and the as-fabricated device outputs a high shot-noise-limited specific detectivity of 3.05 × 1013 Jones at 850 nm, which is a very good result for near-infrared OPDs. This work is anticipated to provide a rational way of designing high-performance ultranarrow-bandgap organic semiconductors by modulating the molecular ESP.

Spin Ordering Induced Broadband Photodetection Based on Two-Dimensional Magnetic Semiconductor α-MnSe.

Two‐dimensional (2D) magnetic semiconductors are considered to have great application prospects in spintronic logic devices, memory devices, and photodetectors, due to their unique structures and outstanding physical properties in 2D confinement. Understanding the influence of magnetism on optical/optoelectronic properties of 2D magnetic semiconductors is a significant issue for constructing multifunctional electronic devices and implementing sophisticated functions. Herein, the influence of spin ordering and magnons on the optical/optoelectronic properties of 2D magnetic semiconductor α‐MnSe synthesized by space‐confined chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is explored systematically. The spin‐ordering‐induced magnetic phase transition triggers temperature‐dependent photoluminescence spectra to produce a huge transition at Néel temperature (T N ≈ 160 K). The magnons‐ and defects‐induced emissions are the primary luminescence path below T N and direct internal 4 aT1g→6A1g transition‐induced emissions are the main luminescence path above T N . Additionally, the magnons and defect structures endow 2D α‐MnSe with a broadband luminescence from 550 to 880 nm, and an ultraviolet–near‐infrared photoresponse from 365 to 808 nm. Moreover, the device also demonstrates improved photodetection performance at 80 K, possibly influenced by spin ordering and trap states associated with defects. These above findings indicate that 2D magnetic semiconductor α‐MnSe provides an excellent platform for magneto‐optical and magneto‐optoelectronic research.

Dual‐Gate Graphene/h‐BN/GaSe Metal–Insulator–Semiconductor Field‐Effect Transistor (MISFET)

2D transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) and dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are promising candidates for next‐generation electronic devices and sensors. Herein, the fabrication and characterizations of back‐gated Si/SiO2/GaSe‐based (GaSe: gallium selenide) metal–oxide–semiconductor field‐effect transistors (MOSFETs) and top‐gated Gr/h‐BN/GaSe‐based (h‐BN: hexagonal boron nitride) metal–insulator–semiconductor field‐effect transistors (MISFETs) with a common active layer (GaSe) are reported. The morphological, electrical, and optoelectronic properties are investigated, and the device is found to exhibit p‐type behavior with good electrical tunability. At a laser power of 1.147 μW, the device exhibits a photoresponsivity of 90 mA W−1, ION/IOFF ratios exceeding 104, and long decay times. These promising experimental results can promote the application of GaSe‐based MISFETs in multifunctional electronic devices.

An Overview of Soft Open Points in Electricity Distribution Networks

Soft open points (SOPs) are power electronic devices that are usually placed at normally open points of electricity distribution networks to provide flexible power control to the networks. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of both academic research and industrial practice on SOPs in electricity distribution networks. The topologies of SOPs as multi-functional power electronic devices are identified and compared, which include back-to-back voltage source converters, multi-terminal voltage source converters, unified power flow controllers, and direct AC-to-AC modular multilevel converters. The academic research is reviewed in three aspects, i.e., benefit quantification, control, and optimal siting and sizing of SOPs. The benefit quantification indices are categorized into feeder load balancing, voltage profile improvement, power losses reduction, three-phase balancing and DG hosting capacity enhancement. The control of SOPs is summarized as a three-level control structure, where the system-level and converter-level control are further discussed. For optimal siting and sizing of SOPs, problem formulation and solution methods are analyzed. Besides the academic research, practical industrial projects of SOPs worldwide are also summarized. Finally, opportunities of research and industrial application of SOPs are discussed.

Yb/WO3/Ga2S3/Au multifunctional electronic hybrid devices fabricated as tunneling diodes, MOSFETS, microwave resonators and 5G band pass/reject filters

Herein, Tungsten trioxide-gallium sulfide heterojunctions which are prepared by the thermal evaporation technique under a vacuum pressure of 10-5 mbar are employed as active media to fabricate a multifunctional device. The WO3/Ga2S3 (WG) heterojunctions which are deposited onto Yb substrates and top contacted with Au pads of areas of 1.5× 10 −2 cm2 displayed electronic hybrid device structure composed of two Schottky arms connected to a 𝑝𝑛 junction. The constructed Yb/WG/Au devices showed tunneling diode characteristics with current conduction dominated by thermionic emission and quantum mechanical tunneling. In additions, the capacitance-voltage characteristic curves indicated the formation of PMOS and NMOS under reverse and forwards biasing conditions demonstrating a metal oxide semiconductor fields effect (MOSFET) transistor characteristics. Moreover, the impedance spectroscopy tests on the devices have shown that the device can perform as tunable microwave resonator suitable for 5G technologies. The resonator showed frequency based capacitance tunability and displayed microwave band pass/reject filter characteristics. The microwave cutoff frequency of the Yb/WG/Au band filters reaches 9.65 GHz with voltage standing wave ratios of 1.06 and return loss factor of ~29 dB.

Natural rubber toughened carbon nanotube buckypaper and its multifunctionality in electromagnetic interference shielding, thermal conductivity, Joule heating and triboelectric nanogenerators

• Natural rubber toughened carbon nanotube buckypaper (NR-BP) was fabricated. • The NR-BP showed excellent electrical conductivity and flexibility simultaneously. • The NR-BP exhibited excellent EMI SE, TC, Joule heating and TENGs performances. • The work provides a new strategy for preparing multifunctional electronic devices. Flexible, lightweight, high-performance, and multifunctional characteristics are greatly desirable for next-generation wearable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials. In this work, a new kind of multifunctional natural rubber (NR) toughened carbon nanotube (CNT) buckypaper (NR-BP) with excellent comprehensive performance was fabricated by vacuum filtration of CNT/NR mixture dispersion. Due to the crosslinking of NR particles in CNT entanglement networks, the mechanical properties of NR-BP were improved profoundly while the conductivity had not been reduced significantly. When the NR content in NR-BP increased from 14.3 to 50 wt%, the tensile strength increased from 5.73 to 13.19 MPa, the fracture strain increased from 15.80 to 191.23%, and the conductivity reduced from 34.48 to 21.74 S/cm. The corresponding EMI shielding efficiency (EMI SE) and the specific EMI SE value (SSE/t) of the NR-BP with the thickness of 50 μm was 31.9–28.3 dB and 8504–6232 dB·cm 2 /g in C-band range, respectively. The EMI SE of NR-BP remained basically unchanged after repeated 180° folding for 5000 times due to the excellent toughness. Besides EMI shielding performance, NR-BP’s thermal conductivity (TC) and its application as Joule heating and flexible electrode for Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) were investigated. This work provides a new strategy for the preparation of multifunctional wearable electronic devices..

Precise orientation control of a liquid crystal organic semiconductor via anisotropic surface treatment

We report a three-dimensional (3D) molecular orientation control of a liquid crystal organic semiconductor (LC-OSC) based on the long-range ordering characteristic of an LC material. To this end, a synthetic LC-OSC molecule, MeOPh-BTBT-C8, with a fluidic nematic (N) phase that is essential for alignment control over a large area and a smectic E (SmE) phase showing high ordering, was prepared. A simple flipping of a sandwich cell made of the LC-OSC material between the top and bottom substrates that have uniaxial–planar degenerated alignment as well as crossed rubbing directions responds to the given surface anchoring condition and temperature gradient. Optical observation of the alignment-controlled LC-OSC was carried out by polarized optical microscopy (POM), and the corresponding charge carrier mobility was also measured by fabricating organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Our platform offers a facile approach for multidirectional and multifunctional organic electronic devices using the stimulus–response characteristics of LC materials.