Three-dimensional Multilayered Structure Research Articles

Emerging Trends of Nanofibrous Piezoelectric and Triboelectric Applications: Mechanisms, Electroactive Materials, and Designed Architectures.

Over the past few decades, significant progress in piezo-/triboelectric nanogenerators (PTEGs) has led to the development of cutting-edge wearable technologies. Nanofibers with good designability, controllable morphologies, large specific areas, and unique physicochemical properties provide a promising platform for PTEGs for various advanced applications. However, the further development of nanofiber-based PTEGs is limited by technical difficulties, ranging from materials design to device integration. Herein, the current developments in PTEGs based on electrospun nanofibers are systematically reviewed. This review begins with the mechanisms of PTEGs and the advantages of nanofibers and nanodevices, including high breathability, waterproofness, scalability, and thermal-moisture comfort. In terms of materials and structural design, novel electroactive nanofibers and structure assemblies based on 1D micro/nanostructures, 2D bionic structures, and 3D multilayered structures are discussed. Subsequently, nanofibrous PTEGs in applications such as energy harvesters, personalized medicine, personal protective equipment, and human-machine interactions are summarized. Nanofiber-based PTEGs still face many challenges such as energy efficiency, material durability, device stability, and device integration. Finally, the research gap between research and practical applications of PTEGs is discussed, and emerging trends are proposed, providing some ideas for the development of intelligent wearables.

A Study on the Design Method of Hybrid MOSFET-CNTFET Based SRAM – A Secondary Publication

More than 10,000 carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNTFETs) have been successfully integratedinto one semiconductor chip using conventional semiconductor design procedures and manufacturing processes. Thesetransistors offer advantages such as high carrier mobility, large saturation velocity, low intrinsic capacitance, flexibility, andtransparency. The three-dimensional multilayer structure of the CNTFET semiconductor chip, along with ongoing researchin CNTFET manufacturing processes, increases the potential for creating a hybrid MOSFET-CNTFET semiconductorchip. This chip combines conventional metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and CNTFETs inone integrated system. This paper discusses a methodology to design 6T binary static random-access memory (SRAM)using a hybrid MOSFET-CNTFET. This paper introduces a method for designing a hybrid MOSFET-CNTFET SRAMby leveraging existing MOSFET SRAM or CNTFET SRAM design approaches. Additionally, this paper compares itsperformance with conventional MOSFET SRAM and CNTFET SRAM designs.

Hollow Structure Co1-xS/3D-Ti3C2Tx MXene Composite for Separator Modification of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The commercial application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries has faced obstacles, including challenges related to low sulfur utilization, structural degradation resulting from electrode volume expansion, and migration of polysulfide lithium (LiPSs). Herein, Co1-xS/3D-Ti3C2Tx composites with three-dimensional (3D) multilayered structures are used as separator modification materials for Li-S batteries to solve these problems. The multilevel layered structure of Co1-xS/3D-Ti3C2Tx establishes an efficient electron and Li+ transfer path, alleviates the volume change during the battery charge-discharge process, and enhances the stability of the structure. In addition, the battery assembled with the modified separator shows excellent discharge capacity and cycle stability at 0.5 C and could maintain a high discharge capacity after 500 cycles. This work provides a method for designing highly dispersed metal sulfide nanoparticles on MXenes and extends the application of MXenes-based composites in electrochemical energy storage.

Fabrication PANI/NiMn/NMP composite via electrodeposition with an activated process of converse voltage for energy storage

Growing active materials on conductive substrates and constructing three-dimensional structures are indispensable to prepare high energy density supercapacitors. Here, the composite material PANI/NiMn/NMP with a three-dimensional multi-layer structure and polyaniline as the interlayer was prepared on carbon cloth substrate by electrochemical deposition method. The interlayer of polyaniline strengthens the interface between the active material and the conductive substrate, which can effectively improve the cycle stability of the prepared integrated electrode. And the three-dimensional array structure provides abundant active sites and promotes the rapid transport of ions and electrons. NiMn-LDH that has been treated with electrochemical activation and the coating of NiMn phosphate with high conductivity can effectively improve the specific capacitance and cycling stability of the electrode material. The test results show that PANI/NiMn/NMP has high specific capacitance (2013 F g−1) and good cycling stability (retaining 87.38 % of the initial capacity after 5000 cycles). Furthermore, the asymmetric supercapacitor obtained by assembling PANI/NiMn/NMP and activated carbon has an energy density of 41.23 W h kg−1 at a power density of 673.2 W kg−1.

Localized manipulation of spoof surface acoustic skyrmions with deep-subwavelength gradient structures

Skyrmions with stable vector field configurations have produced various derivatives with various topological textures, such as the Néel type, Bloch type, anti-type, and higher-order Néel type. Here, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that the vector field configuration of Néel-type skyrmionic modes can be locally manipulated using gradient grooves in a deep-subwavelength three-dimensional multilayer cylindrical structure. We experimentally observe that the skyrmionic modes can be contracted or expanded to manipulate the distribution of the velocity vectors by tuning the groove depth gradient along the structural radius, which is robust against structural deformations and defects. This type of controllable acoustic skyrmion provides new dimensions for advanced sound information processing, transportation, and data storage in compact structures.

Facile preparation and properties of high nitrogen-containing Fe/Co/N co-doped three-dimensional graphene bifunctional oxygen catalysts for zinc air battery

Fe/Co/N co-doped multi-channel interpenetrating three-dimensional graphene catalyst (FeCo–N-3D-HG) with good oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic performances is prepared by a facile method, using poly (2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI), iron salt, cobalt salt and nanometer CaCO3 (template). ABPBI forms a complex with iron and cobalt ions and the complex is coated on the surface of CaCO3. The pyrolysis process is carried out in an Ar gas protection, the template is removed by acid to obtain FeCo–N-3D-HG. The results show that FeCo–N-3D-HG is three-dimensional multi-layered graphene structure with multi-channels. The catalytic performance of ORR (E1/2 = 0.860 V vs RHE) is better than 20 wt% Pt/C in O2 saturated 0.1 M KOH electrolyte. The catalyst also shows similar OER performance with the RuO2 in 1 M KOH solution. The prepared zinc-air battery exhibits outstanding peak power density (261.7 mW cm−2), preeminent specific capacity (760.1 mAh g−1), and good cycle durability (150 h).

Cu2S@NiFe layered double hydroxides nanosheets hollow nanorod arrays self-supported oxygen evolution reaction electrode for efficient anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer

Herein, we prepared highly active self-supported Cu2S@NiFe layered double hydroxides nanosheets (LDHs) oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrode (Cu2S@NiFe LDHs/Cu foam) with three-dimensional (3D) multilayer hollow nanorod arrays structure, which is composed of the outer layer (two-dimensional (2D) NiFe LDHs) and the inner layer (one-dimensional (1D) Cu2S hollow nanorod arrays). The unique structure of NiFe LDHs and Cu2S hollow nanorod composites can expose more active sites, and simultaneously promote electrolyte penetration and gas release during the water electrolysis process. Thus, the Cu2S@NiFe LDHs/Cu foam electrode exhibits a significant OER performance, with the overpotentials of 230 and 286 mV at 50 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively. Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE) with the prepared electrode can attain a voltage of 1.56 V at the current density of 0.50 A cm−2, showing a good performance that is comparable to the-state-of-the-art AEMWE in 1 M KOH. In addition, the AEMWE can be run for 300 h at the current density of 0.50 A cm−2. The high performance and good stability of AEMWE are attributed to the special structure of the OER electrode, which can prevent the agglomeration of nanosheets and thus expose more active sites at the edge of the nanosheets.

Efficient Rigorous Coupled-Wave Analysis Simulation of Mueller Matrix Ellipsometry of Three-Dimensional Multilayer Nanostructures.

Mueller matrix ellipsometry (MME) is a powerful metrology tool for nanomanufacturing. The application of MME necessitates electromagnetic computations for inverse problems of metrology determination in both the conventional optimization process and the recent neutral network approach. In this study, we present an efficient, rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) simulation of multilayer nanostructures to quantify reflected waves, enabling the fast simulation of the corresponding Mueller matrix. Wave propagations in the component layers are characterized by local scattering matrices (s-matrices), which are efficiently computed and integrated into the global s-matrix of the structures to describe the optical responses. The performance of our work is demonstrated through three-dimensional (3D) multilayer nanohole structures in the practical case of industrial Muller matrix measurements of optical diffusers. Another case of plasmonic biosensing is also used to validate our work in simulating full optical responses. The results show significant numerical improvements for the examples, demonstrating the gain in using the RCWA method to address the metrological studies of multilayer nanodevices.

Dislocation singularities in layered magneto-electro-elastic plates

A general and unified theory is formulated to investigate static and time-harmonic field solutions induced by dislocation loops and dislocation arrays in three-dimensional multilayered structures. Each homogeneous plate consists of an orthotropic magneto-electro-elastic material including nonlocal effects. While the nonlocal constitutive relations with multi-phase coupling are treated by means of the original Eringen model using a Helmholtz-type operator, the field expressions are based on the mathematically elegant and computationally powerful Stroh formalism in matrix form, consistently combined with double Fourier series expansions and the dual variable and position technique to propagate the extended solutions among the different layers of the multilayered systems. The time-harmonic dislocation loops are represented by a discontinuity in the prescribed elastic displacement, electric potential, and magnetic potential on arbitrarily-located rectangular and elliptical surfaces in the multilayered structures, while the dislocation arrays are composed of infinitely long, straight and uniformly spaced parallel dislocations with the same local Burgers vectors. The new field solutions are first validated against existing frameworks limited to static and local elasticity theory of these two types of extrinsic and intrinsic dislocations, and subsequently applied to analyze several unexplored effects on the dislocation-induced magneto-electro-elastic fields, namely the material anisotropy, interaction with internal heterophase interfaces, multi-phase coupling, nonlocal core-spreading parameter, finite-valued driving forces, vibration frequency, and stacking sequences. The numerical outcomes indicate that each effect is significant and neglecting any one of them leads to an erroneous prediction on the extrinsic and intrinsic dislocation-induced response, thus providing a suitable route for the design of advanced magneto-electro-elastic fabrication devices for energy harvesting applications.

Evaluation of Modeled Hyperspectral Infrared Spectra Against All-Sky AIRS Observations Using Different Cloud Overlap Schemes.

Hyperspectral infrared sounding contains information about clouds, which plays an important role in modulating Earth's climate. However, there is a great deal of uncertainty in modeling the radiative effect of clouds due to its complex dependence on various parameters. Therefore, cloudy scenarios are often neglected in retrievals of infrared spectral measurements and in data assimilation. One‐dimensional radiative transfer (RT) models have a limited capability to represent the cloud three‐dimensional multilayer structure. This issue is typically resolved by using a multiple independent column approach, which is computationally demanding. Therefore, it is necessary to find a balance between computational speed and accuracy for infrared RT all‐sky radiance simulations. In this study, we utilize the Community Radiative Transfer Model with four different cloud overlap schemes and compare against observations made by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) using a statistical metric called the first Wasserstein distance. Our results show that the average cloud overlap scheme performs the best and successfully predicts the overall probability distribution of brightness temperature over nonfrozen oceans for a wide range of wavelengths. The mean absolute differences are less than 0.7 K for 846 selected AIRS channels between 790 cm−1 and 1231 cm−1.

Ti3C2Tx-coated diatom frustules-derived porous SiO2 composites with high EMI shielding and mechanical properties

Effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials have garnered substantial interest for their efficacy in attenuating electromagnetic wave energy, ensuring data confidentiality, ensuring the operational stability of fragile electronic systems. To begin, artificially cultured diatom frustules (DF)-derived porous silica (DFPS) skeletons were constructed as templates in this study. Porous ceramics hot-pressed at 800 °C displayed a high compressive strength with a high specific surface area due to their three-dimensional (3D) multilayered and porous structures. Then, mechanically robust Ti3C2Tx/DFPS composites with exceptional EMI shielding performance were fabricated by immersing porous DF-based ceramics into Ti3C2Tx solutions and annealing in an argon environment to increase the materials’ shielding efficiency (SE). The EMI SE of composites hot-pressed at 800 °C achieved the maximum EMI SE of 43.2 dB in the X-band and a compressive strength of 67.5 MPa, establishing a hitherto unreported balance of mechanical characteristics and shielding performance. Prolonged transmission paths, multiple dissipation, scattering and reflection of electromagnetic energy were achieved using a well-maintained hierarchical porous silica framework decorated with MXene, with adsorption caused by surface MXene serving as the primary shielding mechanism for the composites. Due to their superior overall performance, MXene/DFPS EMI shielding composites have a bright future in the aircraft sector as delicate electronic device components.

One-step preparation of polyaniline-modified three-dimensional multilayer graphene supported PtFeOx for methanol oxidation

In this paper, RGO/PANI/Pt@FeOx with a three-dimensional multilayer structure is successfully prepared by the one-pot method, in which the introduction of PANI prevents GO from agglomerating, and also plays a crucial supporting role in the three-dimensional multilayer structure. SEM and TEM images confirm that the catalyst has a three-dimensional multilayer structure, and Pt nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed on the surface of PANI/RGO, with an average particle size of 3.2 nm. The electrochemical evaluation clearly shows that the mass activity of 3D multilayer RGO/PANI/Pt@FeOx (1.573 Amg−1Pt) is three times than that of Pt/C. After 3600 s, it retained mass activity is seven times than that of Pt/C. In addition, 3D multilayer RGO/PANI/Pt@FeOx catalyst has better CO tolerance than Pt-RGO/PANI, Pt/C and Pt-RGO. These results mainly originate from that the three-dimensional multilayer structure provides a larger specific surface area, N species in PANI can be conducive to the uniform dispersion of platinum, and the existence of FeOx improves the catalytic efficiency of Pt and the rate of water splitting due to bi-functional mechanism, consequently enhancing the CO tolerance of catalyst. Thereby, 3D multilayer RGO/PANI/Pt@FeOx can be utilized as a promising methanol oxidation catalyst.

МЕТОДОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ АСПЕКТЫ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ СОСТАВА БИОПЛЕНОК in vitro, ex vivo, in vivo

The article presents the general patterns of formation of a three-dimensional multilayer heterogeneous structure biofilms in vitro, ex vivo, in vivo. It was found, that the mass fraction of cells of biofilms was 86,8-91,4%, of the matrix – 8,9-13,2%, which is due to the structure of the cell wall of microorganisms synthesizing the extracellular matrix. The advantages of transmission and scanning electron microscopy are the visualization of L-shapes and the quantitative assessment of the diameter, perimeter, height, area, volume and chemical composition of cells and the extracellular matrix of microorganisms. Laser modulation interference microscopy made it possible to study biofilms in real time without fixing and staining microorganisms; phase-contrast microscopy – intrapopulation and interpopulation interactions depending on changes in the pH of the environment, oxygen content and other chemical and physical factors. Fluorescent microscopy is a promising method for detection of non-culturable viable cells of microorganisms. The use a modified Gram stain, the use of solution of «Crocus sativus» made it possible to differentiate gram-negative and gram-positive microorganisms and to assess the degree of repair of tissue. The developed new methodological approach made it possible to scientifically substantiate and experimentally confirm the effectiveness of the use of nutrient media containing components for the repair of the cell wall of microorganisms.

3D-printed flexible, multilayered ceramic-polymer composite grid with integrated structural-self-sensing function

Piezo-polymer is widely used for pressure sensors or electromechanical transducers; and normally, it is simply designed and prepared into thin film as a force-sensing element integrated in smart structures or robots. In this paper, we report a flexible, three-dimensional multilayer composite grid complex structure containing inside electrode layers prepared totally based on direct-writing 3D printing method. The composite material is composed of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer matrix and 0.55Pb (Ni1/3Nb2/3) O3-0.135PbZrO3- 0.315PbTiO3 (PNN-PZT) piezoelectric ceramic particles coated with Ag and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (1 wt% of the Ag@PNN-PZT ceramic powders). The 3D-printed composite grid exhibits both large piezoelectric effect (with an effect piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of 21 pC/N) and qualified mechanical performances, such as a large failure tensile strain of 150% and tensile stress of 2.2 MPa. Under a dynamic compression stress of 0.125 MPa at 3.5 Hz, a 3D-printed 7-layer composite grid (550 μm in thickness) with internal electrode layers inside could produce output voltage peak of 3 V accompanying with a peak current of 0.7 μA. In comparison with a single layer composite grid, its peak output current shows a 7-time increase, although its peak output voltage keeps unchanged under the same compression stress. This work shows that the 3D-printed multilayer composite grid exhibits the integrated structural-self-sensing function, which will bring great benefits to future artificial muscle in robots and other flexible intelligent structures.

Fabrication of Three-Dimensional Multilayer Structures of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Based on the Plasmonic Carbonization.

We developed a complex three-dimensional (3D) multilayer deposition method for the fabrication of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) using vacuum filtration and plasmonic carbonization without lithography and etching processes. Using this fabrication method, SWCNTs can be stacked to form complex 3D structures that have a large surface area relative to the unit volume compared to the single-plane structure of conventional SWCNTs. We characterized 3D multilayer SWCNT patterns using a surface optical profiler, Raman spectroscopy, sheet resistance, scanning electron microscopy, and contact angle measurements. Additionally, these carbon nanotube (CNT) patterns showed excellent mechanical stability even after elastic bending tests more than 1000 times at a radius of 2 mm.

Quick self-assembly of bio-inspired multi-dimensional well-ordered structures induced by ultrasonic wave energy.

Bottom-up self-assembly of components, inspired by hierarchically self-regulating aggregation of small subunits observed in nature, provides a strategy for constructing two- or three-dimensional intriguing biomimetic materials via the spontaneous combination of discrete building blocks. Herein, we report the methods of ultrasonic wave energy-assisted, fast, two- and three-dimensional mesoscale well-ordered self-assembly of microfabricated building blocks (100 μm in size). Mechanical vibration energy-driven self-assembly of microplatelets at the water-air interface of inverted water droplets is demonstrated, and the real-time formation process of the patterned structure is dynamically explored. 40 kHz ultrasonic wave is transferred into microplatelets suspended in a water environment to drive the self-assembly of predesigned well-ordered structures. Two-dimensional self-assembly of microplatelets inside the water phase with a large patterned area is achieved. Stable three-dimensional multi-layered self-assembled structures are quickly formed at the air-water interface. These demonstrations aim to open distinctive and effective ways for new two-dimensional surface coating technology with autonomous organization strategy, and three-dimensional complex hierarchical architectures built by the bottom-up method and commonly found in nature (such as nacre, bone or enamel, etc.).

Hydro-thermal synthesis of SnO2@hard-carbon ultrafine composites for anodic performances in lithium-ion batteries

Preparation of nano-structured SnO2@HC composites is an effective strategy to develop advanced tin-based anode materials for Li-ion batteries. In this study, cellulose with three-dimensional multi-layer structure was chosen as hard carbon source. An ultrafine composite of SnO2 and hard carbon, SnO2@HC, was prepared by hydro-thermal method. X Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), N2 adsorption–desorption technique, and electrochemical characterization were used to illustrate the microstructure, surface composition, pore features, and electrochemical performance of this composite. Results showed that in-situ growth of 3–5 nm SnO2 dots anchored on hard carbon particles formed a stable structure with abundant micropores and mesopores, which showed its good rate and cycle performance. The capacity stabilized at about 300 mAh/g after 10 cycles, at the current density of 200 mA/g. For the composite with Sn4+ to C molar ratio of 0.2:1, the discharge capacity was greater than 600 mAh/g at the current density of 50 mA/g, and 160 mAh/g capacity was released at 2 A/g.

Electronic Blood Vessel

Summary Advances in bioelectronics have great potential to address unsolved biomedical problems in the cardiovascular system. By using poly(L-lactide-co-ϵ-caprolactone), which encapsulates liquid metal to make flexible and biodegradable electrical circuitry, we develop an electronic blood vessel that can integrate flexible electronics with three layers of blood-vessel cells, to mimic and go beyond the natural blood vessel. It can improve the endothelialization process through electrical stimulation and can enable controlled gene delivery into specific parts of the blood vessel via electroporation. The electronic blood vessel has excellent biocompatibility in the vascular system and shows great patency 3 months post-implantation in a rabbit model. The electronic blood vessel would be an ideal platform to enable diagnostics and treatments in the cardiovascular system and can greatly empower personalized medicine by creating a direct link of the vascular tissue-machine interface.

A novel and facile-to-synthesize three-dimensional honeycomb-like nano-Fe3O4@C composite: Electromagnetic wave absorption with wide bandwidth

The three-dimensional honeycomb-like nano-Fe3O4@C (HcFe3O4@C) composite and the three-dimensional honeycomb-like porous carbon (HcC) were prepared through a two-step colloidal template method. The HcFe3O4@C composite material shows a three-dimensional multilayer honeycomb-like structure with a uniform pore diameter of 100 nm, while the HcFe3O4@C composite exhibits enhanced absorbing properties with a low Fe3O4 content(28.95%).HcFe3O4@C composite display an optimal reflection loss (RL) value of −46.4 dB at 9.6 GHz at a thin thickness of 3.5 mm, and a wide absorption bandwidth of 5.04 GHz. These enhanced EM wave absorption performances are attributed to the synergistic effects of Fe3O4 and carbon as well as the structural advantages, such as multiple reflections of electromagnetic waves in the three-dimensional honeycomb structure and interface polarization caused by Fe3O4 nanoparticles and carbon layer. The work herein reported provides a new route for preparing ferrite-carbon based absorbers with honeycomb-like nanostructures.

Three-Dimensional Hierarchical Porous Carbon Cathode Derived from Waste Tea Leaves for the Electrocatalytic Degradation of Phenol.

Tea leaves have been explored as an economically viable and environmentally friendly source of biomass carbon. Tea leaf porous carbon (TPC) with a three-dimensional (3D) structure was prepared by a potassium hydroxide pretreatment and high-temperature calcination method, and the preparation process was simple and self-templating. The prepared TPC has a large specific surface area (1620.05 m2 g-1), three-dimensional multilayer pore structure, uniform pore size, and high oxygen content (15.51%). Both the calcination temperature and the activation level have an effect on the structure and performance of the TPC. The TPC electrode can generate a large amount of hydrogen peroxide in the initial stage of the degradation process, thereby increasing the amount of hydroxyl radicals generated and removing organic pollutants. Therefore, phenol was used to test the degradation effects and evaluate the degradation performance of TPC. Under suitable degradation conditions, TPC-800-2 showed a 95.41% degradation rate after 120 min of degradation, which is superior to that of other calcination temperatures and activation levels. The removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand after 180 min was 90.0% and showed good stability after being used 20 times. Our work illustrates that a simple, high-performance self-templating synthetic strategy for producing novel 3D-TPC from biomass sources can play a significant role in the actual wastewater treatment of other biomass materials.