Unidirectional arrays of vertically standing graphenes in reactive plasmas

The possibility for the switch-over of the growth mode from a continuous network to unidirectional arrays of well-separated, self-organized, vertically oriented graphene nanosheets has been demonstrated using a unique, yet simple plasma-based approach. The process enables highly reproducible, catalyst-free synthesis of arrays of graphene nanosheets with reactive open graphitic edges facing upwards. Effective control over the nanosheet length, number density, and the degree of alignment along the electric field direction is achieved by a simple variation of the substrate bias. These results are of interest for environment-friendly fabrication of next-generation nanodevices based on three-dimensional, ordered self-organized nanoarrays of active nanostructures with very large surface areas and aspect ratios, highly reactive edges, and controlled density on the substrate. Our simple and versatile plasma-based approach paves the way for direct integration of such nanoarrays directly into the Si-based nanodevice platform.     

Colorimetric quantification of aqueous hydrogen peroxide in the DC plasma-liquid system

The quantification of hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_2) generated in the plasma-liquid interactions is of great importance, since the H_2O_2 species is vital for the applications of the plasma-liquid system.Herein, we report on in situ quantification of the aqueous H_2O_2(H_2O_2 aq) using a colorimetric method for the DC plasma-liquid systems with liquid as either a cathode or an anode. The results show that the H_2O_2 aqyield is 8–12 times larger when the liquid acts as a cathode than when the liquid acts as an anode. The conversion rate of the gaseous OH radicals to H_2O_2 aqis 4–6 times greater in the former case. However, the concentrations of dissolved OH radicals for both liquid as cathode and anode are of the same order of tens of n M.     

Function-Targeted Lanthanide-Anchored Polyoxometalate–Cyclodextrin Assembly: Discriminative Sensing of Inorganic Phosphate and Organophosphate

Polyoxometalate (POM) clusters containing lanthanide ion (LnPOM) possess excellent luminescence features, but the envisaged applications are hindered by the challenges in integration into functional architectures. Herein, a novel cross-linked cyclodextrin (CL-CD) and LnPOM composite is developed and applied for discriminative detection of inorganic and organic phosphate phases. For inorganic phosphates, a ratiometric fluorescence response is demonstrated with excellent selectivity, and anti-interference ability in complex analyte mixtures. The outstanding performance is attributed to the high affinity of POM and distinct interactions between La³⁺ and Eu³⁺ with the phosphate. For organophosphates, a “signal-off” fluorescence response for p-nitrophenyl-substituted organophosphates is discovered due to the encapsulation of nitrophenyl group into the hydrophobic cavity of CD that enhances the interactions between POM and p-nitrophenyl phosphate. The discriminative responses of CL-CD–LnPOM to inorganic phosphates and organophosphates bring new insights into POM-based fluorescence probes for the detection of inorganic and organic phases based on the intrinsic structural difference between the phosphate analogs.     

Highly Conductive,Scalable, and Machine Washable Graphene‐Based E‐Textiles for Multifunctional Wearable Electronic Applications

Graphene‐based textiles show promise for next‐generation wearable electronic applications due to their advantages over metal‐based technologies. However, current reduced graphene oxide (rGO)‐based electronic textiles (e‐textiles) suffer from poor electrical conductivity and higher power consumption. Here, highly conductive, ultraflexible, and machine washable graphene‐based wearable e‐textiles are reported. A simple and scalable pad?dry?cure method with subsequent roller compression and a fine encapsulation of graphene flakes is used. The graphene‐based wearable e‐textiles thus produced provide lowest sheet resistance (≈11.9 Ω sq^?1) ever reported on graphene e‐textiles, and highly conductive even after 10 home laundry washing cycles. Moreover, it exhibits extremely high flexibility, bendability, and compressibility as it shows repeatable response in both forward and backward directions before and after home laundry washing cycles. The scalability and multifunctional applications of such highly conductive graphene‐based wearable e‐textiles are demonstrated as ultraflexible supercapacitor and skin‐mounted strain sensors.     

Development of a battery-operated floating-electrode dielectric barrier discharge plasma device and its characteristics

In this work, a portable floating-electrode dielectric barrier discharge(FE-DBD) device is designed with a rechargeable battery as the power supply. The characteristics of the FE-DBD with a metal electrode and human hand are studied and compared. The human contact safety is verified by calculating the current through the human body based on the equivalent circuit model. Escherichia coli inactivation experiments confirm the efficacy of the FE-DBD device in the envisaged applications.     

Biowaste-Derived,Self-Organized Arrays of High-Performance 2D Carbon Emitters for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

Low-cost flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with nanoemitter material from waste open up new opportunities for sustainable technology. The common emitter materials generated from waste are carbon dots (CDs). However, these have poor luminescent properties. Further solid-state emission quenching makes application in display devices challenging. Here, flexible and rigid OLED devices are demonstrated using self-assembled 2D arrays of CDs derived from waste material, viz., human hair. High-performance CDs with a quantum yield (QY) of 87%, self-assembled into 2D arrays, are achieved by improving the crystallinity and decreasing the CDs' size distribution. The CD island array exhibits ultrahigh hole mobility (≈10⁻¹ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹) and significant reduction in solid-state emission quenching compared to pristine CDs; hence, it is used here as an emitting layer in both indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass and ITO-coated flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrate OLED devices, without any hole-injection layer. The flexible OLED device exhibits a stable, voltage-independent blue/cyan emission with a record maximum luminescence of 350 cd m⁻², whereas the OLED device based on the rigid glass substrate shows a maximum luminescence of 700 cd m⁻². This work sets up a platform to develop next-generation OLED displays using CD emitters derived from the biowaste material.     

Effect of hydrophilicity of carbon nanotube arrays on the release rate and activity of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2

Novel nanostructures such as vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays have received increasing interest as drug delivery carriers. In the present study, two CNT arrays with extreme surface wettabilities are fabricated and their effects on the release of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) are investigated. It is found that the superhydrophilic arrays retained a larger amount of rhBMP-2 than the superhydrophobic ones. Further use of a poloxamer diffusion layer delayed the initial burst and resulted in a greater total amount of rhBMP-2 released from both surfaces. In addition, rhBMP-2 bound to the superhydrophilic CNT arrays remained bioactive while they denatured on the superhydrophobic surfaces. These results are related to the combined effects of rhBMP-2 molecules interacting with poloxamer and the surface, which could be essential in the development of advanced carriers with tailored surface functionalities.     

Plasma effects in semiconducting nanowire growth

Three case studies are presented to show low-temperature plasma-specific effects in the solution of (i) effective control of nucleation and growth; (ii) environmental friendliness; and (iii) energy efficiency critical issues in semiconducting nanowire growth. The first case (related to (i) and (iii)) shows that in catalytic growth of Si nanowires, plasma-specific effects lead to a substantial increase in growth rates, decrease of the minimum nanowire thickness, and much faster nanowire nucleation at the same growth temperatures. For nucleation and growth of nanowires of the same thickness, much lower temperatures are required. In the second example (related to (ii)), we produce Si nanowire networks with controllable nanowire thickness, length, and area density without any catalyst or external supply of Si building material. This case is an environmentally-friendly alternative to the commonly used Si microfabrication based on a highly-toxic silane precursor gas. The third example is related to (iii) and demonstrates that ZnO nanowires can be synthesized in plasma-enhanced CVD at significantly lower process temperatures than in similar neutral gas-based processes and without compromising structural quality and performance of the nanowires. Our results are relevant to the development of next-generation nanoelectronic, optoelectronic, energy conversion and sensing devices based on semiconducting nanowires.