Cellulose Nanofibrils Enhanced,Strong, Stretchable,Freezing‐Tolerant Ionic Conductive Organohydrogel for Multi‐Functional Sensors

To date, ionic conducting hydrogel attracts tremendous attention as an alternative to the conventional rigid metallic conductors in fabricating flexible devices, owing to their intrinsic characteristics. However, simultaneous realization of high stiffness, toughness, ionic conductivity, and freezing tolerance through a simple approach is still a challenge. Here, a novel highly stretchable (up to 660%), strong (up to 2.1 MPa), tough (5.25 MJ m^?3), and transparent (up to 90%) ionic conductive (3.2 S m^?1) organohydrogel is facilely fabricated, through sol–gel transition of polyvinyl alcohol and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) in dimethyl sulfoxide‐water solvent system. The ionic conductive organohydrogel presents superior freezing tolerance, remaining flexible and conductive (1.1 S m^?1) even at ?70 °C, as compared to the other reported anti‐freezing ionic conductive (organo)hydrogel. Notably, this material design demonstrates synergistic effect of CNFs in boosting both mechanical properties and ionic conductivity, tackling a long‐standing dilemma among strength, toughness, and ionic conductivity for the ionic conducting hydrogel. In addition, the organohydrogel displays high sensitivity toward both tensile and compressive deformation and based on which multi‐functional sensors are assembled to detect human body movement with high sensitivity, stability, and durability. This novel organohydrogel is envisioned to function as a versatile platform for multi‐functional sensors in the future.     

Recent Advances of Cell Membrane‐Coated Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications

Surface modification of nanomaterials is essential for their biomedical applications owing to their passive immune clearance and damage to reticuloendothelial systems. Recently, a cell membrane‐coating technology has been proposed as an ideal approach to modify nanomaterials owing to its facile functionalized process and good biocompatibility for improving performances of synthetic nanomaterials. Here, recent advances of cell membrane‐coated nanomaterials are reviewed based on the main biological functions of the cell membrane in living cells. An overview of the cell membrane is introduced to understand its functions and potential applications. Then, the applications of cell membrane‐coated nanomaterials based on the functions of the cell membrane are summarized, including physical barrier with selective permeability and cellular communication via information transmission and reception processes. Finally, perspectives of biomedical applications and challenges about cell membrane‐coated nanomaterials are discussed.     

Engineering Surface Atomic Architecture of NiTe Nanocrystals Toward Efficient Electrochemical N2 Fixation

Efficient N₂ fixation at ambient condition through electrochemical processes has been regarded as a promising alternative to traditional Haber–Bosch technology. Engineering surface atomic architecture of the catalysts to generate desirable active sites is important to facilitate electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) while suppressing the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction. Herein, nickel telluride nanocrystals with selectively exposed {001} and {010} facets are synthesized by a simple process, realizing the manipulation of surface chemistry at the atomic level. It is found that the catalysts expose the {001} facets coupled with desirable Ni sites, which possess high Faraday efficiency of 17.38 ± 0.36% and NH₃ yield rate of 33.34 ± 0.70 μg h^?1 mg^?1 at ‐0.1 V vs RHE, outperforming other samples enclosed by {010} facets (8.56 ± 0.22%, 12.78 ± 0.43 μg h^?1 mg^?1). Both experimental results and computational simulations reveal that {001} facets, with selectively exposed Ni sites, guarantee the adsorption and activation of N₂ and weaken the binding for *H species. Moreover, the enhanced reduction capacity and accelerated charge transfer kinetics also contribute the superior NRR performance of {001} facets. This work presents a novel strategy in designing nonprecious NRR electrocatalyst with exposed favorable active sites.     

A Polymer/Carbon‐Nanotube Ink as a Boron‐Dopant/Inorganic‐Passivation Free Carrier Selective Contact for Silicon Solar Cells with over 21% Efficiency

Traditional silicon solar cells extract holes and achieve interface passivation with the use of a boron dopant and dielectric thin films such as silicon oxide or hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Without these two key components, few technologies have realized power conversion efficiencies above 20%. Here, a carbon nanotube ink is spin coated directly onto a silicon wafer to serve simultaneously as a hole extraction layer, but also to passivate interfacial defects. This enables a low‐cost fabrication process that is absent of vacuum equipment and high‐temperatures. Power conversion efficiencies of 21.4% on an device area of 4.8 cm² and 20% on an industrial size (245.71 cm²) wafer are obtained. Additionally, the high quality of this passivated carrier selective contact affords a fill factor of 82%, which is a record for silicon solar cells with dopant‐free contacts. The combination of low‐dimensional materials with an organic passivation is a new strategy to high performance photovoltaics.     

A compact LTCC-based Ku-band transmitter module

Presents design, implementation, and measurement of a three-dimensional (3-D)-deployed RF front-end system-on-package (SOP) in a standard multi-layer low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology. A compact 14 GHz GaAs MESFET-based transmitter module integrated with an embedded bandpass filter was built on LTCC 951AT tapes. The up-converter MMIC integrated with a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) exhibits a measured up-conversion gain of 15 dB and an IIP3 of 15 dBm, while the power amplifier (PA) MMIC shows a measured gain of 31 dB and a 1-dB compression output power of 26 dBm at 14 GHz. Both MMICs were integrated on a compact LTCC module where an embedded front-end band pass filter (BPF) with a measured insertion loss of 3 dB at 14.25 GHz was integrated. The transmitter module is compact in size (400 /spl times/ 310 /spl times/ 35.2 mil/sup 3/), however it demonstrated an overall up-conversion gain of 41 dB, and available data rate of 32 Mbps with adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) of 42 dB. These results suggest the feasibility of building highly SOP integrated RF front ends for microwave and millimeter wave applications.     

CW operation and threshold characteristics of all-monolithic InAlGaAs 1.55-/spl mu/m VCSELs grown by MOCVD

We demonstrate an all-monolithic metal-organic chemical vapor epitaxy (MOCVD)-grown 1.55-/spl mu/m vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser operating continuous wave up to 35/spl deg/C. The structure is based on the InAlGaAs-InP material system grown by a single step of MOCVD. Wet oxidation of a strained In/sub 0.4/Al/sub 0.6/As layer is used for the current confinement. The threshold current, threshold voltage and the external quantum efficiency at room temperature are about 1.6 mA, 2.3 V, and 5.4%, respectively.     

IMPROVED ACCURACY AND ROUGHNESS MEASURES FOR ROUGH SETS

Accuracy and roughness, proposed by Pawlak(1982), might draw a conclusion inconsistent with our intuition in some cases. This letter analyzes the limitations in these measures and proposes improved accuracy and roughness measures based on information theory.     

选择外延MOCVD研制DFB激光器和模斑转换器集成器件

研究了利用选择外延生长的InGaAsP材料的厚度增强因子和带隙波长的性质,最大的厚度增强因子为2.9.利用选择外延技术研制的DFB激光器和模斑转换器的集成器件,阈值为10.8mA-在60mA下输出功率为10mW,边模抑制比为35.8dB,垂直方向上的远场发散角从34°减少到9°,垂直方向上的1dB偏调容差为3.4μm.     

Terahertz Wave Polarization Beam Splitter Using Asymmetrical Coupler

This study has proposed and numerically demonstrated a compact terahertz wave polarization beam splitter. The splitter is built by using a asymmetrical directional coupler consisting of a bend waveguide and a slot bend waveguides and achieves a high extinction ratio of 24.88 dB and 16.55 dB for cross and through ports. The optimal coupling region length is found to be 26 μm. By using such a polarization beam splitter, the size of the terahertz wave system could be reduced significantly. The simulation results show that the designed polarization beam splitter can split TEand TM-polarized terahertz wave into different propagation directions with high efficiency over the terahertz wave frequency range from 9.40 THz to 9.65 THz. The device obtained is readily used for a polarization diversity terahertz wave integrated circuit field, particularly for platforms with slot waveguide.