Strategy For Fabrication Research Articles

Liquid-Phase Fabrication of Janus 2D Materials: Defect-Rich MoS2 Ultrathin Layers Asymmetrically Decorated with Au Nanoparticles.

Asymmetrically decorated nanoparticles (NPs), also known as "Janus nanoparticles", possess at least two differently functionalized surfaces. This coexistence results in novel features that surpass the inherited benefits of the initial counterparts. Despite significant advances in spherical morphologies, research on Janus two-dimensional (2D) materials is limited, as fabrication strategies primarily focus on dry deposition techniques. To produce Janus 2D materials in large quantities, solution-based techniques are proposed. However, this approach remains largely unexplored for 2D materials other than graphene and its derivatives, and it yields Janus 2D materials in very low amounts. This study develops a liquid-phase fabrication strategy for the asymmetric decoration of MoS2 ultrathin layers with gold nanoparticles. This approach builds on previous advances in the asymmetric functionalization of spherical nanoparticles, using SiO2 microbeads as a masking template. Interestingly, the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the processed material is unusually dominated by the B exciton emission. The reported versatile method has proven to be scalable, enabling the production of 2D Janus flakes in appreciable quantities, whether as 1T or 2H-polytypes. Overall, the novel synthetic strategy is highly adaptable and can be extended to a variety of other 2D materials and functionalizing agents.

Comparison of ultrasound and high-pressure homogenization emulsification: A promising fabrication strategy for total nutritional double emulsion-based product enriched with low-molecular-weight oyster peptides

Comparison of ultrasound and high-pressure homogenization emulsification: A promising fabrication strategy for total nutritional double emulsion-based product enriched with low-molecular-weight oyster peptides

Making aerogel films like playing LEGO: A universal fabrication strategy for Kevlar based aerogel films with arbitrarily designed functions

Making aerogel films like playing LEGO: A universal fabrication strategy for Kevlar based aerogel films with arbitrarily designed functions

Advanced functional polymer materials for biomedical applications

AbstractPolymer structures are essential in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to form intricate structures on micro‐ to nanometer scales. This review, emphasizing electrospinning and phase inversion techniques, examines the fabrication strategies and chemical design of polymer structures for biomedical use. Electrospinning, particularly needleless electrospinning, produces nanofibres with high porosity and flexibility and is widely applied in tissue engineering and drug delivery. Phase inversion, including thermal, nonsolvent‐, vapor‐ and evaporation‐induced phase separation, allows precise control over polymer properties but faces challenges in terms of cooling rates and solvent characteristics. Chemical design through doping, functionalization, cross‐linking and copolymerization enhances the biocompatibility, biodegradability and mechanical properties of polymers, facilitating advanced applications in drug delivery, tissue scaffolding and biosensors. Advanced functional polymers are revolutionizing biomedical fields, offering innovative solutions for therapeutic medicine delivery, disease detection, diagnostics, and regenerative medicine. Despite remarkable progress, challenges, such as scalability, cost‐effectiveness, and environmental impact, persist. This review underscores the transformative potential of advanced polymer materials in medical treatments and advocates for continuous research and interdisciplinary collaboration to overcome existing challenges and fully exploit the capabilities of these materials in improving patient care and medical outcomes. Future perspectives highlight enhancing precision control mechanisms, integrating phase inversion with other techniques and developing large‐scale production methods to advance the field further.

A Global Snapshot of 3D-Printed Buildings: Uncovering Robotic-Oriented Fabrication Strategies

This paper aims to provide a global snapshot of concrete 3D-printed buildings and to uncover robotic-oriented large-scale fabrication strategies. Therefore, an extensive internet search and literature review was carried out to investigate 3D-printed buildings. In this study, 154 construction projects with 204 buildings were systematically recorded and evaluated from 2013 up to 2023. Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach and a comparative case study analysis, a total of 88 3D-printed buildings were first evaluated descriptively. Thereafter, different existing printing strategies for in situ, on-site, and off-site production were identified, using an iterative approach. In addition to the geographical distribution, the descriptive evaluation also showed the key players as drivers for the spread of the 3D-printing technology and the correlations between printer type, fabrication strategy, and the building size. With regard to the printing strategy, three different approaches for in situ and off-site fabrication can be defined, depending on the printer types and their characteristics (work size and mobility): print-in-one-go, horizontal or vertical segmentation, and the multi-element vs. full-scaled wall strategy. However, the study showed that the data quality was sometimes difficult due to a lack of information and essential details of the printing process and segmentation.

Bioinspired Hydro- and Hydrothermally Responsive Tubular Soft Actuators.

Soft actuators made of thermoresponsive polymers have great potential for intelligent robotics and biomedical devices due to their reversible deformation capability in response to temperature fluctuations. However, they are constrained by a predefined phase transition temperature, limited directional deformation, and nonbiocompatible formulations, thereby restricting their practical utility. Herein a new biomimicry approach is presented to overcome these limitations by developing hydro- and hydrothermally responsive soft actuators made of biocompatible and pliable materials i.e. cotton yarn and polyurethane. We mimic the tubular shape of elephant trunks with their unique muscle orientation by embedding a helical cotton yarn within a hydrophilic polyurethane tube, followed by targeted surface patterning. Unlike the narrow-range shape morphing across the phase transition temperature boundary of typical thermoresponsive hydrogel actuators, we harness hydrothermal stiffness variations in polyurethane to obtain consistent morphing capabilities over a much wider temperature range. The developed actuators can perform versatile activities such as linear, bending, curvilinear, and rotating movements, overcoming the unidirectional motion limitations of conventional soft actuators. The cell viability assay on the building block materials also confirms the high biocompatibility of the actuators. The reported facile fabrication strategy provides new insights for designing complex yet free-standing soft actuators from readily available supple materials.

A Review for Design, Mechanism, Fabrication, and Application of Magnetically Responsive Microstructured Functional Surface

Abstract Magnetically responsive microstructured functional surface (MRMFS), capable of dynamically and reversibly switching the surface topography under magnetic actuation, provide a wireless, noninvasive, and instantaneous way for accurate control of microscale engineered surface. In the last decade, many studies have been conducted to design and optimize MRMFSs for diverse applications, and great progresses have been accomplished. This review comprehensively presents recent advancements and the potential prospects in MRMFSs. We firstly classify MRMFSs into 1D linear array MRMFSs, 2D planar array MRMFSs, and dynamic self-assembly MRMFSs based on their morphology. Subsequently, an overview of three deformation mechanisms including magnetically actuated bending deformation, magnetically driven rotational deformation, and magnetically induced self-assembly deformation are provided. Four main fabrication strategies employed to create MRMFSs are summarized including replica molding, magnetization-induced self-assembly, laser cutting, and ferrofluid-infused method. Furthermore, the applications of MRMFS in droplet manipulation, solid transport, information encryption, light manipulation, triboelectric nanogenerators, and soft robotics are presented. Finally, the current challenges that limit the practical applications of MRMFSs are discussed, and the future development of MRMFSs is proposed.

An effective strategy for the continuous fabrication of melt‐spun sea‐island bicomponent fibers with structural regulation via stretching

AbstractControlling viscosity in bicomponent melt spinning is crucial for ensuring spinnability and interfacial stability. However, the significant difference in viscosity between PPS and CoPET poses a challenge to establishing the CoPET‐PPS sea‐island melt spinning system. Herein, the viscosity of PPS is regulated by blending high melt index PPS with spinning grade PPS, resulting in a viscosity ratio of CoPET to PPS over 0.5, thereby demonstrating the good spinnability of the CoPET‐PPS spinning system. The mathematical models for velocity, shear rate, and pressure distribution of CoPET‐PPS melts within the sea‐island spinning assembly are developed using Polyflow software, providing theoretical analysis for sea‐island melt spinning. CoPET‐PPS sea‐island bicomponent fibers are successfully fabricated via the facile bicomponent melt spinning technique, guided by the results of capillary rheology and simulation analysis. In addition, the condensed state structure and mechanical properties of CoPET‐PPS sea‐island fibers are significantly enhanced with increasing draw ratios. This straightforward strategy, combined with experimental and numerical simulations, is anticipated to effectively improve the spinnability of multicomponent melt spinning, especially in cases of significant viscosity differences between polymers.Highlights The CoPET‐PPS spinning system was constructed by regulating PPS viscosity. The distribution of the CoPET‐PPS melt in the spinneret holes was simulated. CoPET‐PPS fibers were fabricated based on rheology and simulation results. The mechanical properties of CoPET‐PPS fibers improve with higher draw ratios.

Tight focusing of fractional-order topological charge vector beams by cascading metamaterials and metalens

Vector beams have attracted widespread attention because of their unique optical properties; in particular, their combination with tight focusing can produce many interesting phenomena. The rise of 3D printing technology provides more possibilities for exploration. In this work, a cascading method involving a metamaterial and a metalens is used to generate a tightly focused field of vector beams in the terahertz band, which is prepared via 3D printing. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, a series of metamaterial modules capable of generating states of different orbital angular momentum are proposed by cascading with a metalens. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results, fully verifying the feasibility of the scheme. The proposed design and fabrication strategy provides a new idea for the tight focusing of terahertz vector beams.

Electrospun fine-diameter polyimide nanofiber membranes via metal wire-based needle-free technique for high-efficiency PM0.3 filtration at high-temperature

Polyimide (PI) nanofiber materials have garnered attention in the field of high-temperature filtration due to their exceptional thermal stability. Enhancing their filtration efficiency for fine particulate matter (PM2.5–0.3) and exploring their performance limits under high-temperature conditions are crucial for high-temperature filtration applications. In this study, a metal wire-based needle-free electrospinning technique was employed to electrospin polyimide (PI) material, successfully fabricating nanofiber membranes with an average fiber diameter of 122 nm within just 10 min at an elevated electrospinning voltage of 80 kV (electric field:333.33 kV/m). The Fine-diameter PI nanofiber membrane achieved a filtration efficiency of 99.99 % for PM0.3 and operated at a low resistance of 189.18 Pa. After continuous treatment at a high temperature of 390 °C for one hour, the Fine-diameter PI nanofiber membrane still maintained a filtration efficiency of 99.96 % for PM0.3 and was capable of completely filtering PM2.5. This demonstrates the excellent stability and reliability of the Fine-diameter PI nanofiber membrane under extreme temperature conditions. Additionally, the membrane exhibited outstanding hydrophobic properties, with a static contact angle of 130 ± 3°, aiding in maintaining its filtration performance in humid environments. The Fine-diameter PI nanofiber membrane developed in this study offers a novel fabrication strategy for PM filtration in high-temperature environments and provides new insights into its limit performance.

One-pot fabrication of bio-inspired shape-morphing bilayer structures

Soft bilayer structures capable of shape morphing in response to external stimuli have been commonly adopted in the design of soft robots, flexible electronics and many other smart systems. However, existing methods to fabricate such structures generally require multiple steps and may end up a weak interface between the two layers. Here, we report a one-pot fabrication strategy to generate elastomer-based shape-morphing bilayer structures with a seamless interface. Our strategy leverages on a recently developed bioinspired polymer-NaCl particle composite system which can undergo significant osmotic swelling in water. Bilayer structures are readily formed after the precipitation of NaCl particles in liquid polymers under gravity and the crosslinking of the polymers. The shape-morphing behavior of the fabricated bilayer structures can be well controlled by tuning the particle precipitation kinetics, NaCl content, and crosslinking level of the polymer matrix. More importantly, the bilayer structures fabricated using this strategy exhibit more complex shape-morphing responses than typical bilayer structures. Considering the wide applicability of NaCl particle-induced osmotic swelling of polymer composites, our one-pot bilayer formation strategy will greatly benefit many shape-morphing applications with a simplified fabrication workflow and enhanced configurational versatility.

One-pot microfluidic fabrication of micro ceramic particles

In the quest for miniaturization across technical disciplines, microscale ceramic blocks emerge as pivotal components, with performance critically dependent on precise scales and intricate shapes. Sharp-edged ceramic microparticles, applied from micromachining to microelectronics, require innovative fabrication techniques for high-throughput production while maintaining structural complexity and mechanical integrity. This study introduces a “one-pot microfluidic fabrication” system incorporating two device fabrication strategies, “groove & tongue” and sliding assembling, achieving an unprecedented array of microparticles with diverse, complex shapes and refined precision, outperforming traditional methods in production rate and quality. Optimally designed sintering profiles based on derivative thermogravimetry enhance microparticles’ shape retention and structural strength. Compression and scratch tests validate the superiority of microparticles, suggesting their practicability for diverse applications, such as precise micromachining, sophisticated microrobotics and delicate microsurgical tools. This advancement marks a shift in microscale manufacturing, offering a scalable solution to meet the demanding specifications of miniaturized technology components.

Electrospun Smart Hybrid Nanofibers for Multifaceted Applications.

Smart electrospun hybrid nanofibers represent a cutting-edge class of functional nanostructured materials with unique collective properties. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the applications of smart electrospun hybrid nanofibers in the fields of energy, catalysis, and biomedicine. Electrospinning is a powerful tool to fabricate different types of nanofibers' morphologies with precise control over structure and compositions. Through the incorporation of various functional components, such as nanoparticles, nanomoieties, and biomolecules, into the (co)polymer matrix, nanofibers can be tailored into smart hybrid materials exhibiting responsiveness to external stimuli such as temperature, pH, or light among others. Herein recent advancements in fabrication strategies for electrospun smart hybrid nanofibers are discussed, focusing on different electrospinning tools aimed at tailoring and developing smart hybrid nanofibers. These strategies include surface functionalization, doping, and templating, which enable fine-tuning of mechanical strength, conductivity, and biocompatibility. The review explores the challenges and recent progress in the development of smart hybrid nanofibers. Issues such as scalability, reproducibility, biocompatibility, and environmental sustainability are identified as key for improvement. Furthermore, the applications of smart nanofibers in biomedicine, environment, energy storage, and smart textiles underscore their potential to address the challenges in development of nanostructured materials for emerging technologies.

Flexible yet Durable Microneedle Electrodes Based on Nanowire-Embedded Polyimide for Precise Wearable Electrophysiological Monitoring.

A precise recording of electrophysiological signals requires high-performance flexible bioelectrodes to build a robust skin interface. The past decade has witnessed encouraging progress in the development of elastomeric electrodes for wearable electrophysiological monitoring; however, it remains challenging to achieve excellent flexibility, conformal contact, and high durability simultaneously. Herein, we report on an effective method to fabricate flexible yet durable microneedle electrodes (MEs) based on vertically aligned gold nanowires (Au NWs) embedded polyimide (PI), which meet the above three design requirements. The Au NWs embedded PI MEs could build conformal contact with human skin and maintain electrical stability with minimal contact impedance by effectively penetrating the stratum corneum of the skin. In comparison studies, we found our MEs outperformed conventional gel or elastomeric soft electrodes. We further integrated the vertical Au-NW MEs into a wearable healthcare system and achieved wireless real-time recordings of electromyography (EMG) and electrocardiography (ECG) with high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and low motion artifacts. Our fabrication strategy opens a new route to improve the durability and reliability of emerging nanomaterial-based soft bioelectrodes for long-term wearable healthcare applications.

Visible-Light-Driven Oxidation of Benzene to Phenol with O2 over Photoinduced Oxygen-Vacancy-Rich WO3.

Direct photocatalytic conversion of benzene to phenol with O2 is a green alternative to the traditional synthesis. The key is to find an effective photocatalyst to do the trick. Defect engineering of semiconductors with oxygen vacancies (OVs) is an emerging strategy for catalyst fabrication. OVs can trap electrons to promote charge separation and serving as adsorption sites for O2 activation. However,randomly distribution of OVs on the semiconductor surface often results in mismatching the charge carrier dynamics under irradiation, thus failing to fulfill the unique advantages of OVs for photoredox functions. Herein, we demonstrate that abundant OVs can be facilely generated and precisely located adjacent to the reductive sites on reducible oxide semiconductors such as tungsten oxide (WO3) via a simple photochemistry strategy. Such photoinduced OVs are well suited for photocatalytic benzene oxidation with O2 as they readily capture photogenerated electrons from the reductive sites of WO3 to activate adsorbed O2. 18O-labeling experiments further confirm that the OVs also facilitate the integration of oxygen atoms from O2 into phenol, revealing in detail the pathway for photocatalytic benzene hydroxylation. This study demonstrates that the photochemistry approach is an appealing strategy for the synthesis of high-performance OVs-rich photocatalysts for solar-induced chemical conversion.

Visible‐Light‐Driven Oxidation of Benzene to Phenol with O2 over Photoinduced Oxygen‐Vacancy‐Rich WO3

Direct photocatalytic conversion of benzene to phenol with O2 is a green alternative to the traditional synthesis. The key is to find an effective photocatalyst to do the trick. Defect engineering of semiconductors with oxygen vacancies (OVs) is an emerging strategy for catalyst fabrication. OVs can trap electrons to promote charge separation and serving as adsorption sites for O2 activation. However, randomly distribution of OVs on the semiconductor surface often results in mismatching the charge carrier dynamics under irradiation, thus failing to fulfill the unique advantages of OVs for photoredox functions. Herein, we demonstrate that abundant OVs can be facilely generated and precisely located adjacent to the reductive sites on reducible oxide semiconductors such as tungsten oxide (WO3) via a simple photochemistry strategy. Such photoinduced OVs are well suited for photocatalytic benzene oxidation with O2 as they readily capture photogenerated electrons from the reductive sites of WO3 to activate adsorbed O2. 18O‐labeling experiments further confirm that the OVs also facilitate the integration of oxygen atoms from O2 into phenol, revealing in detail the pathway for photocatalytic benzene hydroxylation. This study demonstrates that the photochemistry approach is an appealing strategy for the synthesis of high‐performance OVs‐rich photocatalysts for solar‐induced chemical conversion.

3D PRINTING WITH NATURAL MATERIALS IN CIVIL CONSTRUCTION

The construction industry has experienced a number of transformations due to the use of digitalization and automation. Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, is a current example. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of natural materials based on soil applied to 3D printing technology, with a focus on the thermal performance of buildings. A exploratory literature review was used to identify applied research that has explored these materials. The data obtained was systematized in a comparative table to identify the main strategies used. The analysis of applied research indicates that construction using 3D printing with materials based on soil is promising, taking advantage of the soil's natural thermal insulation properties and being able to incorporate parametric design and digital fabrication strategies to create complex, customized solutions for different contexts.

Flexible and Transparent Electrovibration-Based Haptic Display with Low Driving Voltage.

Electrovibration haptic technology, which provides tactile feedback to users by swiping the surface with a finger via electroadhesion, shows promise as a haptic feedback platform for displays owing to its simple structure, ease of integration with existing displays, and simple driving mechanism. However, without electrical grounding on a user's body, the frequent requirement of a high driving voltage near 50 V limits the use of electrovibration haptic technology in practical display applications. This study introduces materials and fabrication strategies that considerably reduce the driving voltage. We used a transparent poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) thin film deposited on transparent conductive polymers through a simple spin-coating process, thereby enabling easy integration with existing display technologies. The high dielectric constant characteristics of PVDF enabled the production of tactile cues at low voltages (approximately 15 V), which are within the safety limits of common electronics. We verified the feasibility of our electrovibration haptic feedback system on the basis of the absolute threshold voltage through two-alternative forced choice psychological tests. The results revealed that the PVDF dielectric layer exhibited a relatively lower absolute threshold than commonly used polymer films, which possess a relatively lower dielectric constant. To validate the tactile attributes, a Likert five-point scale survey was conducted, considering flat, concave, and convex curvatures. The results indicated that our haptic device can render diverse surface textures, such as "hairy" and "groovy", on the fingertips through the control of applied pulse width modulated voltage signals.

Hierarchical nickel phosphide/carbon nanofibers for high performance pseudocapacitors

Nickel phosphide (Ni3P)/Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with controllable sizes and morphologies are synthesized using micro arc oxidation method combined with thermochemical vapor deposition, with adjustment of different annealing temperatures to control the dimension of CNFs. In this study, we report the in situ formation of transition metal phosphide nanoparticles through the conversion of 1D Ni5TiO7 nanowires. This fabrication strategy ensures the high growth density of CNFs. The initially formed Ni3P nanoparticles boost the catalytic growth of CNFs, which feature a high specific surface area and excellent conductivity. Together with redox electrolyte, the specific capacitance of Ni3P/CNFs based pseudocapacitor (PC) is 114.6 mF cm−2 at a scan rate of 10 mV s−1 and maintains 95.0 % of initial capacity after 10,000 cyclic charging/discharging test. Moreover, such composite based symmetric PCs offer an energy density of as high as 31.6 Wh kg−1 accompanied with a power density of 10.3 kW kg−1. The performance of formed PC devices is comparable to market-available (Li-/Na-) batteries. Therefore, Ni3P/CNFs composite film is a suitable capacitor electrode material for constructing high performance symmetric carbon material based PCs.

Tailoring iron MOF/carbon nanotube composites as flow electrodes for high-performance capacitive deionization

Capacitive deionization techniques are of interest in water treatment technology due to their low cost, excellent efficiency, and environmental friendliness. Currently, metal–organic frameworks are highly impactful candidates for use as electrode materials in electrochemistry. It provides a large pore volume, good chemical stability, and a high specific surface area. Tuning metal–organic frameworks with carbon materials will have a good impact on electrode materials with increasing performance. This study shows a facile and effective strategy for arranging flow capacitive desalination technology for salt removal. The conducting network of Fe-MOF/CNTs provides rapid electron transport and offers a high diffusion length of ions. This material exhibited excellent desalination performance, with a high salt adsorption of 80.575 mg/g at 1.6 V at an initial NaCl concentration of 1000 mg/L. Overall, the facile method and fabrication strategy greatly advances water treatment applications.