Nanopatterning Induced Si Doping in Amorphous Ga2O3 for Enhanced Electrical Properties and Ultra-Fast Photodetection

Ga2O3 has emerged as a promising material for the wide-bandgap industry aiming at devices beyond the limits of conventional silicon. Amorphous Ga2O3 is widely being used for flexible electronics, but suffers from very high resistivity. Conventional methods of doping like ion implantation require high temperatures post-processing, thereby limiting their use. Herein, an unconventional method of doping Ga2O3 films with Si, thereby enhancing its electrical properties, is reported. Ion-beam sputtering (500 eV Ar+) is utilized to nanopattern SiO2-coated Si substrate leaving the topmost part rich in elemental Si. This helps in enhancing the carrier conduction by increasing n-type doping of the subsequently coated 5 nm amorphous Ga2O3 films, corroborated by room-temperature resistivity measurement and valence band spectra, respectively, while the nanopatterns formed help in better light management. Finally, as proof of concept, metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photoconductor devices fabricated on doped, rippled films show superior properties with responsivity increasing from 6 to 433 mA W-1 while having fast detection speeds of 861 µs/710 µs (rise/fall time) as opposed to non-rippled devices (377 ms/392 ms). The results demonstrate a facile, cost-effective, and large-area method to dope amorphous Ga2O3 films in a bottom-up approach which may be employed for increasing the electrical conductivity of other amorphous oxide semiconductors as well.

Acoustofluidics-Assisted Coating of Microparticles

Microparticles have been applied in many areas, ranging from drug delivery, diagnostics, cosmetics, personal care, and the food industry to chemical and catalytic reactions, sensing, and environmental remediation. Coating further provides additional functionality to the microparticles, such as controlled release, surface modification, bio-fouling resistance, stability, protection, etc. In this study, the conformal coating of microparticles with a positively charged polyelectrolyte (polyallylamine hydrochloride, PAH) by utilizing an acoustofluidic microchip was proposed and demonstrated. The multiple laminar streams, including the PAH solution, were formed inside the microchannel, and, under the traveling surface acoustic wave, the microparticles traversed through the streams, where they were coated with PAH. The results showed that the coating of microparticles can be achieved in a rapid fashion via a microfluidic approach compared to that obtained by the batch method. Moreover, the zeta potentials of the microparticles coated via the microfluidic approach were more uniform. For the unfunctionalized microparticles, the charge reversal occurred after coating, and the zeta potential increased as the width of the microchannel or the concentration of the PAH solution increased. As for the carboxylate-conjugated microparticles, the charge reversal again occurred after coating; however, the magnitudes of the zeta potentials were similar when using the microchannels with different widths or different concentrations of PAH solution.

Graphene Metamaterial 3D Conformal Coating for Enhanced Light Harvesting

Silicon (Si) photovoltaic devices present possible avenues for overcoming global energy and environmental challenges. The high reflection and surface recombination losses caused by the Si interface and its nanofabrication process are the main hurdles for pursuing a high energy conversion efficiency. However, recent advances have demonstrated great success in improving device performance via proper Si interface modification with the optical and electrical features of two-dimensional (2D) materials. Firmly integrating large-area 2D materials with 3D Si nanostructures with no gap in between, which is essential for optimizing device performance, has rarely been achieved by any technique due to the complex 3D morphology of the nanostructures. Here we propose the concept of a 3D conformal coating of graphene metamaterials, in which the 2D graphene layers perfectly adapt to the 3D Si curvatures, leading to a universal 20% optical reflection decrease and a 60% surface passivation improvement. In a further application of this metamaterial 3D conformal coating methodology to standard Si solar cells, an overall 23% enhancement of the solar energy conversion efficiency is achieved. The 3D conformal coating strategy could be readily extended to various optoelectronic and semiconductor device systems with peculiar performance, offering a pathway for highly efficient energy-harvesting and storage solutions.

Electric current-assisted manipulation of liquid metals using a stylus at micro-and nano-scales

A novel methodology, based on wetting and electromigration, for transporting liquid metal, over long distances, at micro-and nano-scale using a stylus is reported. The mechanism is analogous to a dropper that uses 'suction and release' actions to 'collect and dispense' liquid. In our methodology, a stylus coated with a thin metal film acts like the dropper that collects liquid metal from a reservoir upon application of an electric current, holds the liquid metal via wetting while carrying the liquid metal over large distances away from the reservoir and drops it on the target location by reversing the direction of electric current. Essentially, the working principle of the technique relies on the directionality of electromigration force and adhesive force due to wetting. The working of the technique is demonstrated by using an Au-coated Si micropillar as the stylus, liquid Ga as the liquid metal to be transported, and a Kleindiek-based position micro-manipulator to traverse the stylus from the liquid reservoir to the target location. For demonstrating the potential applications, the technique is utilized for closing a micro-gap by dispensing a minuscule amount of liquid Ga and conformally coating the desired segment of the patterned thin films with liquid Ga. This study confirms the promising potential of the developed technique for reversible, controlled manipulation of liquid metal at small length scales.

Polyacrylonitrile-Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based Composite Gel-Polymer Electrolyte for All-Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries

The three-dimensional (3D) structure of batteries nowadays obtains a lot of attention because it provides the electrodes a vast surface area to accommodate and employ more active material, resulting in a notable increase in areal capacity. However, the integration of polymer electrolytes to complicated three-dimensional structures without defects is appealing. This paper presents the creation of a flawless conformal coating for a distinctive 3D-structured NiO/Ni anode using a simple thermal oxidation technique and a polymer electrolyte consisting of three layers of PAN-(PAN-PVA)-PVA with the addition of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles as nanofillers. Such a composition with a unique combination of polymers demonstrated superior electrode performance. PAN in the polymer matrix provides mechanical stability and corrosion resistance, while PVA contributes to excellent ionic conductivity. As a result, NiO/Ni@PAN-(PAN-PVA)-PVA with 0.5 wt% Al₂O₃ NPs configuration demonstrated enhanced cycling stability and superior electrochemical performance, reaching 546 mAh g^-1 at a 0.1 C rate.

Direct Contraction Force Measurements of Engineered Cardiac Tissue Constructs With Inotropic Drug Exposure

Contractility is one of the most crucial functions of the heart because it is directly related to the maintenance of blood perfusion throughout the body. Both increase and decrease in contractility may cause fatal consequences. Therefore, drug discovery would benefit greatly from reliable testing of candidate molecule effects on contractility capacity. In this study, we further developed a dual-axis piezoelectric force sensor together with our human cell–based vascularized cardiac tissue constructs for cardiac contraction force measurements. The capability to detect drug-induced inotropic effects was tested with a set of known positive and negative inotropic compounds of isoprenaline, milrinone, omecamtiv mecarbil, propranolol, or verapamil in different concentrations. Both positive and negative inotropic effects were measurable, showing that our cardiac contraction force measurement system including a piezoelectric cantilever sensor and a human cell–based cardiac tissue constructs has the potential to be used for testing of inotropic drug effects.

Toward Highly Stable Anode for Secondary Batteries: Employing TiO2 Shell as Elastic Buffering Marix for FeOx Nanoparticles

Transition metal oxides are considered promising anode materials for next-generation lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries (LIBs and SIBs) because of their high theoretical capacities; however, their practical application is limited by the detrimental large volume expansion that occurs upon cycling. In this work, a rationally designed TiO₂ @Fe@FeO_x nanocomposite encapsulated by a TiO₂ shell with unique core-shell structure is synthesized and exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance as an anode in LIBs and SIBs. The nanocomposite exhibits a reversible capacity of 619.2 mAh g^-1 at 1 A g^-1 with a coulombic efficiency over 99.5% after 1000 cycles when used as a LIB anode. The nanocomposite also exhibits superior sodium storage performance (267 mAh g^-1 at 50 mA g^-1 , capacity retention of 65.4% after 1000 cycles at 200 mA g^-1 ). The TiO₂ shell serves as a strong conformal layer and soft matrix that can tolerate the volume expansion and maintain the structural integrity of the anode during discharging and charging. Moreover, the open active diffusion channels of the shell contribute to high ion diffusivity and improved ionic, and electronic diffusion. These findings indicate that adoption of TiO₂ coating is an effective strategy to optimize the electrochemical performance of transition metal oxide anode materials.

Silver Nanowire Networks: Ways to Enhance Their Physical Properties and Stability

Silver nanowire (AgNW) networks have been intensively investigated in recent years. Thanks to their attractive physical properties in terms of optical transparency and electrical conductivity, as well as their mechanical performance, AgNW networks are promising transparent electrodes (TE) for several devices, such as solar cells, transparent heaters, touch screens or light-emitting devices. However, morphological instabilities, low adhesion to the substrate, surface roughness and ageing issues may limit their broader use and need to be tackled for a successful performance and long working lifetime. The aim of the present work is to highlight efficient strategies to optimize the physical properties of AgNW networks. In order to situate our work in relation to existing literature, we briefly reported recent studies which investigated physical properties of AgNW networks. First, we investigated the optimization of optical transparency and electrical conductivity by comparing two types of AgNWs with different morphologies, including PVP layer and AgNW dimensions. In addition, their response to thermal treatment was deeply investigated. Then, zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin oxide (SnO2) protective films deposited by Atmospheric Pressure Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (AP-SALD) were compared for one type of AgNW. We clearly demonstrated that coating AgNW networks with these thin oxide layers is an efficient approach to enhance the morphological stability of AgNWs when subjected to thermal stress. Finally, we discussed the main future challenges linked with AgNW networks optimization processes.

Strong Coupling Between Plasmons and Molecular Excitons in Metal-Organic Frameworks

This Letter describes strong coupling of densely packed molecular emitters in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and plasmonic nanoparticle (NP) lattices. Porphyrin-derived ligands with small transition dipole moments in an ordered MOF film were grown on Ag NP arrays. Angle-resolved optical measurements of the MOF-NP lattice system showed the formation of a polariton that is lower in energy and does not cross the uncoupled MOF Q₁ band. Modeling predicted the upper polariton energy and a calculated Rabi splitting of 110 meV. The coupling strength was systematically controlled by detuning the plasmon energy by changing the refractive index of the solvents infiltrating the MOF pores. Through transient absorption spectroscopy, we found that the lower polariton decays quickly at shorter time scales (<500 ps) and slowly at longer times because of energy transfer from the upper polariton. This hybrid system demonstrates how MOFs can function as an accessible excitonic material for polariton chemistry.

Insulative Ion-Conducting Lithium Selenide as the Artificial Solid-Electrolyte Interface Enabling Heavy-Duty Lithium Metal Operations

The deployment of Li metal batteries has been significantly tethered by uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth, especially in heavy-duty operations. Herein, we implement an in situ surface transformation tactic exploiting the vapor-phase solid-gas reaction to construct an artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) of Li₂Se on Li metal anodes. The conformal Li₂Se layer with high ionic diffusivity but poor electron conductivity effectively restrains the Li/Li⁺ redox conversion to the Li/Li₂Se interface, and further renders a smooth and chunky Li deposition through homogenized Li⁺ flux and promoted redox kinetics. Consequently, the as-fabricated Li@Li₂Se electrodes demonstrate superb cycling stability in symmetric cells at both high capacity and current density. The merits of inhibited dendrite growth and side reactions on the stabilized Li@Li₂Se anode are further manifested in Li-O₂ batteries, greatly extending the cycling stability and energy efficiency.

Controlled Release Utilizing Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposited (iCVD) of Polymeric Nanolayers

This review will focus on the controlled release of pharmaceuticals and other organic molecules utilizing polymeric nanolayers grown by initiated chemical vapor deposited (iCVD). The iCVD layers are able conform to the geometry of the underlying substrate, facilitating release from one- and two-dimensional nanostructures with high surface area. The reactors for iCVD film growth can be customized for specific substrate geometries and scaled to large overall dimensions. The absence of surface tension in vapor deposition processes allows the synthesis of pinhole-free layers, even for iCVD layers <10 nm thick. Such ultrathin layers also provide rapid transport of the drug across the polymeric layer. The mild conditions of the iCVD process avoid damage to the drug which is being encapsulated. Smart release is enabled by iCVD hydrogels which are responsive to pH, temperature, or light. Biodegradable iCVD layers have also be demonstrated for drug release.

Conformal Coating of Powder by Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition on Vibrating Substrate

Encapsulation of pharmaceutical powders within thin functional polymer films is a powerful and versatile method to modify drug release properties. Conformal coating over the complete surface of the particle via chemical vapor deposition techniques is a challenging task due to the compromised gas–solid contact. In this study, an initiated chemical vapor deposition reactor was adapted with speakers and vibration of particles was achieved by playing AC/DC’s song “Thunderstruck” to overcome the above-mentioned problem. To show the possibilities of this method, two types of powder of very different particle sizes were chosen, magnesium citrate (3–10 µm, cohesive powder) and aspirin (100–500 µm, good flowability), and coated with poly-ethylene-glycol-di-methacrylate. The release curve of coated magnesium citrate powder was retarded compared to uncoated powder. However, neither changing the thickness coating nor vibrating the powder during the deposition had influence on the release parameters, indicating, that cohesive powders cannot be coated conformally. The release of coated aspirin was as well retarded as compared to uncoated aspirin, especially in the case of the powder that vibrated during deposition. We attribute the enhancement of the retarded release to the formation of a conformal coating on the aspirin powder.

Vertically-Aligned Multi-Walled Carbon Nano Tube Pillars with Various Diameters under Compression: Pristine and NbTiN Coated

In this paper, the compressive stress of pristine and coated vertically-aligned (VA) multi-walled (MW) carbon nanotube (CNT) pillars were investigated using flat-punch nano-indentation. VA-MWCNT pillars of various diameters (30-150 µm) grown by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition on silicon wafer. A conformal brittle coating of niobium-titanium-nitride with high superconductivity temperature was deposited on the VA-MWCNT pillars using atomic layer deposition. The coating together with the pillars could form a superconductive vertical interconnect. The indentation tests showed foam-like behavior of pristine CNTs and ceramic-like fracture of conformal coated CNTs. The compressive strength and the elastic modulus for pristine CNTs could be divided into three regimes of linear elastic, oscillatory plateau, and exponential densification. The elastic modulus of pristine CNTs increased for a smaller pillar diameter. The response of the coated VA-MWCNTs depended on the diffusion depth of the coating in the pillar and their elastic modulus increased with pillar diameter due to the higher sidewall area. Tuning the material properties by conformal coating on various diameter pillars enhanced the mechanical performance and the vertical interconnect access (via) reliability. The results could be useful for quantum computing applications that require high-density superconducting vertical interconnects and reliable operation at reduced temperatures.

Promoting Dendrimer Self-Assembly Enhances Covalent Layer-by-Layer Encapsulation of Pancreatic Islets

For type 1 diabetics, islet transplantation can induce beneficial outcomes, including insulin independence and improved glycemic control. The long-term function of the grafted tissue, however, is challenged by host inflammatory and immune responses. Cell encapsulation can decrease detrimental host responses to the foreign implant, but standard microencapsulation imparts large transplant volumes and impaired metabolite and nutrient diffusion. To mitigate these effects, we developed an efficient covalent Layer-by-Layer (cLbL) approach for live-cell nanoencapsulation, based on oppositely charged hyperbranched polymers functionalized with complementary Staudinger ligation groups. Reliance on cationic polymers for cLbL, however, is problematic due to their poor biocompatibility. Herein, we incorporated the additional feature of supramolecular self-assembly of the dendritic polymers to enhance layer uniformity and decrease net polymer charge. Functionalization of poly (amino amide) (PAMAM) with triethoxysilane decreased polymer charge without compromising the uniformity and stability of resulting nanoscale islet coatings. Encapsulated pancreatic rat islets were viable and functional. The implantation of cLbL islets into diabetic mice resulted in stable normoglycemia, at equivalent dosage and efficiency as uncoated islets, with no observable alterations in cellular engraftment or foreign body responses. By balancing multi-functionality and self-assembly, nano-scale and stable covalent layer-by-layer polymeric coatings could be efficiently generated onto cellular organoids, presenting a highly adaptable platform for broad use in cellular transplantation.

Stabilizing Metallic Iron Nanoparticles by Conformal Graphitic Carbon Coating for High-Rate Anode in Ni-Fe Batteries

Nickel-iron (Ni-Fe) batteries are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage due to their high safety and low cost. However, their power density and cycling efficiency remain limited by the poor kinetics of the Fe anode. Herein, we report high-performance Fe anodes based on active Fe nanoparticles conformally coated with carbon shells, which were synthesized from low-cost precursors using a scalable process. Such core-shell structured C-Fe anodes offer high electrochemical activity and stability. Specifically, a high specific capacity of 208 mAh g^-1 at a current density of 1 A g^-1 (based on the total weight of Fe and C) and a capacity retention of 93% after 2000 cycles at 4 A g^-1 can be achieved. When coupled with a Ni cathode, such a full cell battery can deliver a high energy density of 101.0 Wh kg^-1 at power density of 0.81 kW kg^-1 and 51.6 Wh kg^-1 at 8.2 kW kg^-1 (based on the mass of the electrode materials), among the best energy and power performance among Ni-Fe batteries reported results. Thus, this work may provide an effective and scalable route toward high-performance anodes for high-power and long-life Ni-Fe batteries.

Conformal Coating of Stem Cell-Derived Islets for β Cell Replacement in Type 1 Diabetes

The scarcity of donors and need for immunosuppression limit pancreatic islet transplantation to a few patients with labile type 1 diabetes. Transplantation of encapsulated stem cell-derived islets (SC islets) might extend the applicability of islet transplantation to a larger cohort of patients. Transplantation of conformal-coated islets into a confined well-vascularized site allows long-term diabetes reversal in fully MHC-mismatched diabetic mice without immunosuppression. Here, we demonstrated that human SC islets reaggregated from cryopreserved cells display glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in vitro. Importantly, we showed that conformally coated SC islets displayed comparable in vitro function with unencapsulated SC islets, with conformal coating permitting physiological insulin secretion. Transplantation of SC islets into the gonadal fat pad of diabetic NOD-scid mice revealed that both unencapsulated and conformal-coated SC islets could reverse diabetes and maintain human-level euglycemia for more than 80 days. Overall, these results provide support for further evaluation of safety and efficacy of conformal-coated SC islets in larger species.

Rational Design of the Robust Janus Shell on Silicon Anodes for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries

The high-capacity silicon anode is regarded as a promising electrode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. Unfortunately, its practical application is still severely hindered by electrode fracture and unstable solid electrolyte interphase during cycling. Herein, we design a structure of encapsulating silicon in a robust "janus shell", in which an internal graphene shell with sufficient void space is used to absorb the mechanical stress induced by volume expansion, and the conformal carbon outer shell is introduced to strongly bond the loosely stacked graphene shell and simultaneously seal the nanopores on the surface. With the ultrastable janus carbon shell, the excellent structural integrity of the electrode and stable solid electrolyte interphase layer could be effectively preserved, resulting in an impressive cycling behavior. Indeed, the as-synthesized anodes demonstrate superior cycle stability and excellent rate performance, delivering a high reversible capacity of 1416 mA h g^-1 at a current density of 0.2 A g^-1 and 852 mA h g^-1 at a high current density of 5 A g^-1. Remarkably, the superior capacity retention of 88.5% could be achieved even after 400 cycles at a high current density of 2 A g^-1. More importantly, this work opens up a novel avenue to address high-capacity anodes with a large volume change.

Spatially defined molecular emitters coupled to plasmonic nanoparticle arrays

This paper describes how metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) conformally coated on plasmonic nanoparticle arrays can support exciton-plasmon modes with features resembling strong coupling but that are better understood by a weak coupling model. Thin films of Zn-porphyrin MOFs were assembled by dip coating on arrays of silver nanoparticles (NP@MOF) that sustain surface lattice resonances (SLRs). Coupling of excitons with these lattice plasmons led to an SLR-like mixed mode in both transmission and transient absorption spectra. The spectral position of the mixed mode could be tailored by detuning the SLR in different refractive index environments and by changing the periodicity of the nanoparticle array. Photoluminescence showed mode splitting that can be interpreted as modulation of the exciton line shape by the Fano profile of the surface lattice mode, without requiring Rabi splitting. Compared with pristine Zn-porphyrin, hybrid NP@MOF structures achieved a 16-fold enhancement in emission intensity. Our results establish MOFs as a crystalline molecular emitter material that can couple with plasmonic structures for energy exchange and transfer.

Bottom-Up Synthesis and Mechanical Behavior of Refractory Coatings Made of Carbon Nanotube-Hafnium Diboride Composites

We use aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) forests as scaffolds to deposit hafnium diboride (HfB₂) and fabricate millimeter-thick ultrahigh-temperature composite coating. HfB₂ has a melting temperature of 3250 °C, which makes it an attractive candidate for applications requiring operation in extreme environments. Compared to typical refractory HfB₂ processing, which requires temperatures exceeding 1500 °C, we use conformal HfB₂ chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to coat CNT forests at a low temperature of 200 °C. During this process, nanometer-thin HfB₂ films grow on the CNT surface and uniformly fill tall CNT forests, thus transforming nanometer film deposition to a scalable HfB₂ coating technology. The conformal HfB₂ coating process uses static (S-) CVD, where the precursor is fed into a closed system, enabling highly conformal coating and economically efficient utilization of the HfB₂ precursor reaching 85%. The modulus and compressive strength of the composites are measured using flat-punch indentation of micropillars having various coating thickness. Filling the CNTs with HfB₂ strengthens their node morphology and effectively enhances the mechanical properties. We study the nonlinear behavior of the material to extract a unique modulus value that describes the stress-strain response at any applied compression. At the highest HfB₂ coating thickness of 45 nm, the solid fraction is increased from 2% for the bare CNTs to 36% for the composite; the modulus and strength reach 107 and 1.5 GPa, respectively. An analytical model is used to explain the mechanism of the measured structure-mechanical property scaling. Finally, the process is used to fabricate CNT-HfB₂ films having 1.7 mm height, a centimeter square area, and only 5.8 × 10^-6 nm/nm thickness gradient to demonstrate the potential for scalability.

Synthesis of Thin-Film Metal Pyrites by an Atomic Layer Deposition Approach

Late 3d transition metal disulfides (MS₂ , M=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) can crystallize in an interesting cubic-pyrite structure, in which all the metal cations are in a low-spin electronic configuration with progressive increase of the e_g electrons for M=Fe-Zn. These metal pyrite compounds exhibit very diverse and intriguing electrical and magnetic properties, which have stimulated considerable attention for various applications, especially in cutting-edge energy conversion and storage technologies. The synthesis of the metal pyrites is certainly very important, because highly controllable, reproducible, and reliable synthesis methods are virtually essential for both fundamental materials research and practical engineering. In this Concept, a new approach of (plasma-assisted) atomic layer deposition (ALD) to synthesize the thin-film metal pyrites (FeS₂ , CoS₂ , NiS₂ ) is introduced. The ALD synthesis approach allows for atomic-precision control over film composition and thickness, excellent film uniformity and conformality, and superior process reproducibility, and therefore it is of high promise for uniformly conformal metal pyrite thin-film coatings on complex 3D structures in general. Details and implications of this ALD approach are discussed in this Concept, mainly from a conceptual perspective, and it is envisioned that, with this new ALD synthesis approach, a significant amount of new studies will be enabled on both the fundamentals, and novel applications of the metal pyrite materials.

Stability Enhancement of Silver Nanowire Networks with Conformal ZnO Coatings Deposited by Atmospheric Pressure Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition

Silver nanowire (AgNW) networks offer excellent electrical and optical properties and have emerged as one of the most attractive alternatives to transparent conductive oxides to be used in flexible optoelectronic applications. However, AgNW networks still suffer from chemical, thermal, and electrical instabilities, which in some cases can hinder their efficient integration as transparent electrodes in devices such as solar cells, transparent heaters, touch screens, and organic light emitting diodes. We have used atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition (AP-SALD) to fabricate hybrid transparent electrode materials in which the AgNW network is protected by a conformal thin layer of zinc oxide. The choice of AP-SALD allows us to maintain the low-cost and scalable processing of AgNW-based transparent electrodes. The effects of the ZnO coating thickness on the physical properties of AgNW networks are presented. The composite electrodes show a drastic enhancement of both thermal and electrical stabilities. We found that bare AgNWs were stable only up to 300 °C when subjected to thermal ramps, whereas the ZnO coating improved the stability up to 500 °C. Similarly, ZnO-coated AgNWs exhibited an increase of 100% in electrical stability with respect to bare networks, withstanding up to 18 V. A simple physical model shows that the origin of the stability improvement is the result of hindered silver atomic diffusion thanks to the presence of the thin oxide layer and the quality of the interfaces of hybrid electrodes. The effects of ZnO coating on both the network adhesion and optical transparency are also discussed. Finally, we show that the AP-SALD ZnO-coated AgNW networks can be effectively used as very stable transparent heaters.

Effects of Conformal Nanoscale Coatings on Thermal Performance of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes

The high aspect ratio and the porous nature of spatially oriented forest-like carbon nanotube (CNT) structures represent a unique opportunity to engineer a novel class of nanoscale assemblies. By combining CNTs and conformal coatings, a 3D lightweight scaffold with tailored behavior can be achieved. The effect of nanoscale coatings, aluminum oxide (Al₂ O₃ ) and nonstoichiometric amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC), on the thermal transport efficiency of high aspect ratio vertically aligned CNTs, is reported herein. The thermal performance of the CNT-based nanostructure strongly depends on the achieved porosity, the coating material and its infiltration within the nanotube network. An unprecedented enhancement in terms of effective thermal conductivity in a-SiC coated CNTs has been obtained: 181% compared to the as-grown CNTs and Al₂ O₃ coated CNTs. Furthermore, the integration of coated high aspect ratio CNTs in an epoxy molding compound demonstrates that, next to the required thermal conductivity, the mechanical compliance for thermal interface applications can also be achieved through coating infiltration into foam-like CNT forests.

Additive Mixing and Conformal Coating of Noniridescent Structural Colors with Robust Mechanical Properties Fabricated by Atomization Deposition

Artificial structural colors based on short-range-ordered amorphous photonic structures (APSs) have attracted great scientific and industrial interest in recent years. However, the previously reported methods of self-assembling colloidal nanoparticles lack fine control of the APS coating and fixation on substrates and poorly realize three-dimensional (3D) conformal coatings for objects with irregular or highly curved surfaces. In this paper, atomization deposition of silica colloidal nanoparticles with poly(vinyl alcohol) as the additive is proposed to solve the above problems. By finely controlling the thicknesses of APS coatings, additive mixing of noniridescent structural colors is easily realized. Based on the intrinsic omnidirectional feature of atomization, a one-step 3D homogeneous conformal coating is also readily realized on various irregular or highly curved surfaces, including papers, resins, metal plates, ceramics, and flexible silk fabrics. The vivid coatings on silk fabrics by atomization deposition possess robust mechanical properties, which are confirmed by rubbing and laundering tests, showing great potential in developing an environmentally friendly coloring technique in the textile industry.

Wavelength-Selective Three-Dimensional Thermal Emitters via Imprint Lithography and Conformal Metallization

Metallic photonic crystals (MPCs) exhibit wavelength-selective thermal emission enhancements and are promising thermal optical devices for various applications. Here, we report a scalable fabrication strategy for MPCs suitable for high-temperature applications. Well-defined double-layer titanium dioxide (TiO₂) woodpile structures are fabricated using a layer-by-layer soft-imprint method with TiO₂ nanoparticle ink dispersions, and the structures are subsequently coated with high purity, conformal gold films via reactive deposition from supercritical carbon dioxide. The resulting gold-coated woodpile structures are effective MPCs and exhibit emissivity enhancements at a selective wavelength. Gold coatings deposited using a cold-wall reactor are found to be smoother and result in a greater thermal emission enhancement compared to those deposited using a hot-wall reactor.

Atomic Layer Deposition of Nickel Carbide from a Nickel Amidinate Precursor and Hydrogen Plasma

A new atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for depositing nickel carbide (Ni₃C _x) thin films is reported, using bis( N, N'-di- tert-butylacetamidinato)nickel(II) and H₂ plasma. The process shows a good layer-by-layer film growth behavior with a saturated film growth rate of 0.039 nm/cycle for a fairly wide process temperature window from 75 to 250 °C. Comprehensive material characterizations are performed on the Ni₃C _x films deposited at 95 °C with various H₂ plasma pulse lengths from 5 to 12 s, and no appreciable difference is found with the change of the plasma pulse length. The deposited Ni₃C _x films are fairly pure, smooth, and conductive, and the x in the nominal formula of Ni₃C _x is approximately 0.7. The ALD Ni₃C _x films are polycrystalline with a rhombohedral Ni₃C crystal structure, and the films are free of nanocrystalline graphite or amorphous carbon. Last, we demonstrate that, by using this ALD process, highly uniform Ni₃C _x films can be conformally deposited into deep narrow trenches with an aspect ratio as high as 20:1, which thereby highlights the broad and promising applicability of this process for conformal Ni₃C _x film coatings on complex high-aspect-ratio 3D architectures in general.

Conformal Coating of Co/N-Doped Carbon Layers into Mesoporous Silica for Highly Efficient Catalytic Dehydrogenation-Hydrogenation Tandem Reactions

To maximize the utilizing efficiency of cobalt (Co) and optimize its catalytic activity and stability, engineering of size and interfacial chemical properties, as well as controllable support are of ultimate importance. Here, the concept of coating uniform thin Co/N-doped carbon layers into the mesopore surfaces of mesoporous silica is proposed for heterogeneous aqueous catalysis. To approach the target, a one-step solvent-free melting-assisted coating process, i.e., heating a mixture of a cobalt salt, an amino acid (AA), and a mesoporous silica, is developed for the synthesis of mesoporous composites with thin Co/N-doped carbon layers uniformly coated within mesoporous silica, high surface areas (250-630 m² g^-1 ), ordered mesopores (7.0-8.4 nm), and high water dispersibility. The strong silica/AA adhesive interactions and AA cohesive interactions direct the uniform coating process. The metal/N coordinating, carbon anchoring, and mesopore confining lead to the formation of tiny Co nanoclusters. The carbon intercalation and N coordination optimize the interfacial properties of Co for catalysis. The optimized catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance for tandem hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and dehydrogenation of NaBH₄ with well-matched reaction kinetics, 100% conversion and selectivity, high turnover frequencies, up to ≈6.06 mol_nitrobenzene mol_Co^-1 min^-1 , the highest over transition-metal catalysts, and excellent stability and magnetic separability.

Wet-Chemical Synthesis of 3D Stacked Thin Film Metal-Oxides for All-Solid-State Li-Ion Batteries

By ultrasonic spray deposition of precursors, conformal deposition on 3D surfaces of tungsten oxide (WO₃) negative electrode and amorphous lithium lanthanum titanium oxide (LLT) solid-electrolyte has been achieved as well as an all-solid-state half-cell. Electrochemical activity was achieved of the WO₃ layers, annealed at temperatures of 500 °C. Galvanostatic measurements show a volumetric capacity (415 mAh·cm⁻³) of the deposited electrode material. In addition, electrochemical activity was shown for half-cells, created by coating WO₃ with LLT as the solid-state electrolyte. The electron blocking properties of the LLT solid-electrolyte was shown by ferrocene reduction. 3D depositions were done on various micro-sized Si template structures, showing fully covering coatings of both WO₃ and LLT. Finally, the thermal budget required for WO₃ layer deposition was minimized, which enabled attaining active WO₃ on 3D TiN/Si micro-cylinders. A 2.6-fold capacity increase for the 3D-structured WO₃ was shown, with the same current density per coated area.

Thermal Performance Study of Composite Phase Change Material with Polyacrylicand Conformal Coating

The composite PCM was prepared by blending polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and myristic acid (MA) in different weight percentages. The MA and PMMA were selected as PCM and supporting material, respectively. As liquid MA may leak out during the phase transition, this study proposes the use of two coatings, namely a polyacrylic coating and a conformal coating to overcome the leakage problem. Both coatings were studied in terms of the leakage test, chemical compatibility, thermal stability, morphology, and reliability. No leakage was found in the PCMs with coatings compared to those without under the same proportions of MA/PMMA, thus justifying the use of coatings in the present study. The chemically compatibility was confirmed by FTIR spectra: the functional groups of PCMs were in accordance with those of coatings. DSC showed that the coatings did not significantly change the melting and freezing temperatures, however, they improved the thermal stability of composite PCMs as seen in TGA analysis. Furthermore, the composite PCMs demonstrated good thermal reliability after 1000 times thermal cycling. The latent heat of melting reduced by only 0.16% and 1.02% for the PCMs coated with conformal coating and polyacrylic coating, respectively. Therefore, the proposed coatings can be considered in preparing fatty acid/PMMA blends attributed to the good stability, compatibility and leakage prevention.

Polymer Thin Films and Surface Modification by Chemical Vapor Deposition: Recent Progress

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polymerization uses vapor phase monomeric reactants to synthesize organic thin films directly on substrates. These thin films are desirable as conformal surface engineering materials and functional layers. The facile tunability of the films and their surface properties allow successful integration of CVD thin films into prototypes for applications in surface modification, device fabrication, and protective films. CVD polymers also bridge microfabrication technology with chemical and biological systems. Robust coatings can be achieved via CVD methods as antifouling, anti-icing, and antihydrate surfaces, as well as stimuli-responsive or biocompatible polymers and novel nanostructures. Use of low-energy input, modest vacuum, and room-temperature substrates renders CVD polymerization compatible with thermally sensitive substrates and devices. Compared with solution-based methods, CVD is particularly useful for insoluble materials, such as electrically conductive polymers and controllably crosslinked networks, and has the potential to reduce environmental, health, and safety impacts associated with solvents. This review discusses the relevant background and selected applications of recent advances by two methods that display and use the high retention of the organic functional groups from their respective monomers, initiated CVD (iCVD) and oxidative CVD (oCVD) polymerization.

A Stretchable Graphitic Carbon/Si Anode Enabled by Conformal Coating of a Self-Healing Elastic Polymer

A high-capacity stretchable graphitic carbon/Si foam electrode is enabled by a conformal self-healing elastic polymer coating. The composite electrode exhibits high stretchability (up to 88%) and endures 1000 stretching-releasing cycles at 25% strain with detrimental resistance increase. Meanwhile, the electrode delivers a high reversible specific capacity of 719 mA g(-1) and good cycling stability with 81% capacity retention after 100 cycles.

Ultrasmooth Polydopamine Modified Surfaces for Block Copolymer Nanopatterning on Flexible Substrates

Nature has engineered universal, catechol-containing adhesives which can be synthetically mimicked in the form of polydopamine (PDA). In this study, PDA was exploited to enable the formation of block copolymer (BCP) nanopatterns on a variety of soft material surfaces. While conventional PDA coating times (1 h) produce a layer too rough for most applications of BCP nanopatterning, we found that these substrates could be polished by bath sonication in a weakly basic solution to form a conformal, smooth (root-mean-square roughness ∼0.4 nm), and thin (3 nm) layer free of large prominent granules. This chemically functionalized, biomimetic layer served as a reactive platform for subsequently grafting a surface neutral layer of poly(styrene-random-methyl methacrylate-random-glycidyl methacrylate) to perpendicularly orient lamellae-forming poly(styrene-block-methyl methacrylate) BCP. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy observations confirmed that a BCP nanopattern on a poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrate was not affected by bending with a radius of ∼0.5 cm. This procedure enables nondestructive, plasma-free surface modification of chemically inert, low-surface energy soft materials, thus overcoming many current chemical and physical limitations that may impede high-throughput, roll-to-roll nanomanufacturing.

Titanium Oxynitride Nanoparticles Anchored on Carbon Nanotubes as Energy Storage Materials

Sub-8 nm titanium oxynitride (TiON) nanoparticles were uniformly formed on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by annealing amorphous TiO2 (a-TiO2) conformally coated CNTs (CNTs/a-TiO2) at 600 °C in ammonia gas. The novel CNTs/TiON nanocomposite was systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging (HRTEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (STEM-EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that Ti, O, and N are homogeneously distributed in TiON nanoparticles. The specific capacitance of CNTs/TiON exhibits 187 F g(-1) at a current density of 0.5 A g(-1), which is much higher than that of CNTs (33.4 F g(-1)) and CNTs/TiO2 (83.4 F g(-1)) obtained by annealing CNTs/a-TiO2 at 450 °C in nitrogen gas. CNTs/TiON also exhibits enhanced cycle durability, which enables it to be considered as a promising candidate for supercapacitors.

One-step electrochemical growth of a three-dimensional Sn-Ni@PEO nanotube array as a high performance lithium-ion battery anode

Various well-designed nanostructures have been proposed to optimize the electrode systems of lithium-ion batteries for problems like Li(+) diffusion, electron transport, and large volume changes so as to fulfill effective capacity utilization and increase electrode stability. Here, a novel three-dimensional (3D) hybrid Sn-Ni@PEO nanotube array is synthesized as a high performance anode for a lithium-ion battery through a simple one-step electrodeposition for the first time. Superior to the traditional stepwise synthesis processes of heterostructured nanomaterials, this one-step method is more suitable for practical applications. The electrode morphology is well preserved after repeated Li(+) insertion and extraction, indicating that the positive synergistic effect of the alloy nanotube array and 3D ultrathin PEO coating could authentically optimize the current volume-expansion electrode system. The electrochemistry results further confirm that the superiority of the Sn-Ni@PEO nanotube array electrode could largely boost durable high reversible capacities and superior rate performances compared to a Sn-Ni nanowire array. This proposed ternary hybrid structure is proven to be an ideal candidate for the development of high performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Bioorthogonal layer-by-layer encapsulation of pancreatic islets via hyperbranched polymers

Encapsulation of viable tissues via layer-by-layer polymer assembly provides a versatile platform for cell surface engineering, with nanoscale control over the capsule properties. Herein, we report the development of a hyperbranched polymer-based, ultrathin capsule architecture expressing bioorthogonal functionality and tailored physiochemical properties. Random carbodiimide-based condensation of 3,5-dicarboxyphenyl glycineamide on alginate yielded a highly branched polysaccharide with multiple, spatially restricted, and readily functionalizable terminal carboxylate moieties. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was utilized to link azido end groups to the structured alginate. Together with a phosphine-functionalized poly(amidoamine) dendrimer, nanoscale layer-by-layer coatings, covalently stabilized via Staudinger ligation, were assembled onto solid surfaces and pancreatic islets. The effects of electrostatic and/or bioorthogonal covalent interlayer interactions on the resulting coating efficiency and stability, as well as pancreatic islet viability and function, were studied. These hyperbranched polymers provide a flexible platform for the formation of covalently stabilized, ultrathin coatings on viable cells and tissues. In addition, the hyperbranched nature of the polymers presents a highly functionalized surface capable of bioorthogonal conjugation of additional bioactive or labeling motifs.

Thrombosis and inflammation in intraportal islet transplantation: a review of pathophysiology and emerging therapeutics

With the inception of the Edmonton Protocol, intraportal islet transplantation (IPIT) has re-emerged as a promising cell-based therapy for type 1 diabetes. However, current clinical islet transplantation remains limited, in part, by the need to transplant islets from 2-4 donor organs, often through several separate infusions, to reverse diabetes in a single patient. Results from clinical islet transplantation and experimental animal models now indicate that the majority of transplanted islets are destroyed in the immediate post-transplant period, a process largely facilitated by deleterious inflammatory responses triggered by islet-derived procoagulant and proinflammatory mediators. Herein, mechanisms that underlie the pathophysiology of thrombosis and inflammation in IPIT are reviewed, and emerging approaches to improve islet engraftment through attenuation of inflammatory responses are discussed.