Optorheological Characteristics of Photosynthetic Bacterium Suspension.

Understanding the rheological behavior of materials is of great importance in science. Here, we report a microscopic foundation for optorheology by manipulating the rheological feature through light. A new phenomenon is observed in the photosynthetic bacterial suspension, that the fluid viscosity changes by light-induced electrons. Type IV pili of photosynthetic bacteria is found, and it allows the electron to transport through the exterior of cells and changes the surface potential of cells, which causes an adjustment in the spatial arrangement of cells in the suspension. When an external electric field is applied, the electric dipole of the cells is induced and their dispersion is changed. The rheological properties are measured to evaluate the internal structure of the suspension depending on the light. The photoelectrons enhance the dispersion of the photosynthetic bacteria in the solution, thus leading to a significant increment in the viscosity. We envision that this discovery will provide new applications to the interface of optics, bioengineering, and rheology.

A Broadband Multiplex Living Solar Cell.

Developing renewable and sustainable energy sources is a compelling goal in materials science and engineering. In particular, natural photosynthesis with its infinite energy reservoir provides profound inspiration for energy conversion and storage systems. Here, we report a multiplex living solar cell that offers a drastic power enhancement by harnessing the broadband spectra of the visible wavelength range for photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria are embedded into a nanostructural complex composed of Au nanoparticles (NPs) and ZnO nanorods (NRs). This nanocomposite system is capable of not only generating excitons but also amplifying the photosynthetic performance of the cell via a far-field scattering effect in the broadband region of the light, resulting in multiplex energy harvesting with a peak power density of 6.15 mW/m2. We envision that this study will provide a strategic way to enhance the performance of biophotovoltaics, enabling efficient and durable energy generation.

Hydrodynamic Metamaterial Cloak for Drag-Free Flow.

Metamaterials engineered based on transformation optics have facilitated inaccessible manipulation of various physical phenomena. However, such metamaterials have not been introduced for flowing viscous matter. Here we propose a hydrodynamic metamaterial cloak that can conceal an object in two-dimensional creeping flow by guiding viscous forces. Coordinate transformation of fluidic space is implemented to calculate a tensoric viscosity based on a form invariance of Navier-Stokes equations. The hydrodynamic cloak with the viscosity tensor is numerically simulated to verify a fictitious fluidic empty space created in it. The corresponding metamaterial microstructure is systemically designed and fabricated in a microfluidic device. The experimental results reveal that a solid object amid the flow can be hydrodynamically hidden without entailing a disturbance in flow fields and experiencing a drag.

Gold-Nanocluster-Assisted Nanotransfer Printing Method for Metasurface Hologram Fabrication.

Given the development of nano/microscale patterning techniques, efforts are being made to use them for fabricating metasurfaces. In particular, by using abrupt phase discontinuities, it is possible to generate holographic images from two-dimensional nanoscale-patterned metasurfaces. However, the fabrication of metasurface holograms is hindered by the high costs and long fabrication time involved, because the process requires expensive equipment such as that for electron-beam lithography. Therefore, it is difficult to realize metasurface holograms in a fast and repetitive manner. In this study, we propose a method for fabricating metasurface holograms based on the nanotransfer printing of the desired nanoscale patterns, which is assisted by Au nanoclusters, while controlling the bonding energy based on the shape of the deposited Au layer. Robust covalent bonds are formed between the Si of the adhesive used and the O of the SiO2 layer in order to transfer the deposited Au onto the transparent substrate quickly. It was found that the fabricated metasurface hologram coincides with the one designed by computer-generated holography. The proposed method should lead to a significant breakthrough in the fabrication of holograms based on different types of metasurfaces at a low cost in a fast, repetitive manner with various metals.

Enhanced Plasmonic Particle Trapping Using a Hybrid Structure of Nanoparticles and Nanorods.

Plasmon-enhanced particle trapping was demonstrated using a hybrid structure of nanoparticles and nanorods. In order to intensify localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were deposited on zinc oxide nanorods (ZnONRs). The synergistic effect caused by the hybrid structure was identified experimentally. Numerical analysis revealed that the LSPR-induced photophysical processes such as plasmonic heating and near-field enhancement were improved by the existence of ZnONRs. The role of the ZnONR in enhancing the particle-trapping velocity was explored by examining the scattered electric field, Poynting vector, and temperature gradient over the nanostructures calculated from the simulation. It was found that polystyrene microparticles and Escherichia coli cells were successfully trapped by using the ZnONR/AuNP plasmonic structure. A relatively high dielectric constant and nanorod geometry of ZnO enabled the hybrid substrate to enhance trapping performance, compared with a control case fabricated using only gold nanoislands.

Programmable microfluidic logic device fabricated with a shape memory polymer.

Manipulation of particles in a microfluidic system is an important research subject in biomedical engineering. However, most conventional passive techniques for particle control have difficulties in integrating other functions into microfluidic channels. A unique microfluidic valve was proposed in this study for switchable particle control by employing a shape memory polymer (SMP). A microfluidic logic device can be programmed based on deformation of the SMP microchannel constructed on a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) film. Particles in a viscoelastic flow were focused at preferred equilibrium locations by the competition between inertia and elastic forces. The channel shape played an important role in determining those forces in the channel. Hydrodynamic behavior and shape recovery behavior of the SMP microchannel were modeled theoretically. It was confirmed that the particle valve prepared with the SMP implemented a programmable binary logic operation in the microfluidic channel.

Eco-friendly flame retardant nanocrystalline cellulose prepared via silylation.

Employing proper flame retardant materials is one of the most important fire safety guidelines when constructing buildings. Most flame retardants, however, contain halogen atoms that might become harmful gases to human body during combustion. We designed and fabricated an environmentally friendly flame retardant material with a superior performance for thermal insulation. Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was prepared using acid hydrolysis method, and its surface was chemically modified through silylation treatment. Various characteristics of the flame retardant material, such as morphology, chemical structure, thermal stability, and thermal conductivity were investigated. When a mass ratio of NCC to methyltrimethoxysilane was 1:5, the limiting oxygen index of the silylated NCC increased to 34% and a char yield of 80% was obtained. The silylation led to enhancement in the thermal stability of NCC and generation of the char residue. Chemical structure of the residual materials after combustion was investigated by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray differential photo spectroscopy.

Focusing manipulation of microalgae in a microfluidic device using self-produced macromolecules.

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) are self-produced biosynthetic macromolecules that have a three-dimensional architecture in bacterial biofilms and are mainly composed of a mixture of polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids. Compared with synthetic polymers, EPSs can have a long relaxation time due to their structural complexity. We exploited the non-Newtonian rheological behavior of EPSs extracted from Chlorella vulgaris with the help of cell focusing and particle focusing in confined microchannels. The microalgae showed a 'self-ordering' behavior in the 'self-secreted' substances. The EPSs were characterized and analyzed chemically and rheologically. In a microfluidic device, they enable outstanding particle focusing over a wide range of flow rates. This study can open an effective, unique pathway for applications of biomass related resources such as EPSs.

Carbon Nanotube Embedded Nanostructure for Biometrics.

Low electric energy loss is a very important problem to minimize the decay of transferred energy intensity due to impedance mismatch. This issue has been dealt with by adding an impedance matching layer at the interface between two media. A strategy was proposed to improve the charge transfer from the human body to a biometric device by using an impedance matching nanostructure. Nanocomposite pattern arrays were fabricated with shape memory polymer and carbon nanotubes. The shape recovery ability of the nanopatterns enhanced durability and sustainability of the structure. It was found that the composite nanopatterns improved the current transfer by two times compared with the nonpatterned composite sample. The underlying mechanism of the enhanced charge transport was understood by carrying out a numerical simulation. We anticipate that this study can provide a new pathway for developing advanced biometric devices with high sensitivity to biological information.

Covalent bonding-assisted nanotransfer lithography for the fabrication of plasmonic nano-optical elements.

Many high-resolution patterning techniques have been developed to realize nano- and microscale applications of electric devices, sensors, and transistors. However, conventional patterning methods based on photo or e-beam lithography are not employed to fabricate optical elements of high aspect ratio and a sub-100 nm scale due to the limit of resolution, high costs and low throughput. In this study, covalent bonding-assisted nanotransfer lithography (CBNL) was proposed to fabricate various structures of high resolution and high aspect ratio at low cost by a robust and fast chemical reaction. The proposed process is based on the formation of covalent bonds between silicon of adhesive layers on a substrate and oxygen of the deposited material on the polymer stamp. The covalent bond is strong enough to detach multiple layers from the stamp for a large area without defects. The obtained nanostructures can be used for direct application or as a hard mask for etching. Two nano-optical applications were demonstrated in this study, i.e., a meta-surface and a wire-grid polarizer. A perfect absorption meta-surface was generated by transferring subwavelength hole arrays onto a substrate without any post-processing procedures. In addition, a wire-grid polarizer with high aspect ratio (1 : 3) and 50 nm line width was prepared by the nano-transfer of materials, which were used as a hard mask for etching. Therefore, CBNL provides a means of achieving large-area nano-optical elements with a simple roll-to-plate process at low cost.

Multiple-Line Particle Focusing under Viscoelastic Flow in a Microfluidic Device.

Particles in a viscoelastic fluid are typically focused at the center and four corners of a rectangular channel because of the combination of fluid elasticity and inertia forces. In this study, we observe the transition between single-line and multiple-line particle focusing in a microfluidic device induced by the synergetic effect of inertia and viscoelasticity. The elastic and inertial forces acting on suspended particles are manipulated by controlling the concentration of dilute polymer solution and the flow rate of a fluid. The finding shows that the confinement effects determined by the channel aspect ratio and the inlet geometry lead to the multiple-line focusing of particles in the microfluidic channel due to the fluid elasticity and hydrodynamic behavior of the fluid. A microfluidic channel with high channel aspect ratio possesses broad minimal region of the elastic force across the channel, which generates a wide particle focusing band rather than a single particle focusing at the center. The multiple-line particle focusing occurs as the inertial force outweighs the elastic force, resulting in the particle migration toward the channel sidewalls.

Hydrodynamic fabrication of structurally gradient ZnO nanorods.

We studied a new approach where structurally gradient nanostructures were fabricated by means of hydrodynamics. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods were synthesized in a drag-driven rotational flow in a controlled manner. The structural characteristics of nanorods such as orientation and diameter were determined by momentum and mass transfer at the substrate surface. The nucleation of ZnO was induced by shear stress which plays a key role in determining the orientation of ZnO nanorods. The nucleation and growth of such nanostructures were modeled theoretically and analyzed numerically to understand the underlying physics of the fabrication of nanostructures controlled by hydrodynamics. The findings demonstrated that the precise control of momentum and mass transfer enabled the formation of ZnO nanorods with a structural gradient in diameter and orientation.

Ultra-high dispersion of graphene in polymer composite via solvent free fabrication and functionalization.

The drying process of graphene-polymer composites fabricated by solution-processing for excellent dispersion is time consuming and suffers from a restacking problem. Here, we have developed an innovative method to fabricate polymer composites with well dispersed graphene particles in the matrix resin by using solvent free powder mixing and in-situ polymerization of a low viscosity oligomer resin. We also prepared composites filled with up to 20 wt% of graphene particles by the solvent free process while maintaining a high degree of dispersion. The electrical conductivity of the composite, one of the most significant properties affected by the dispersion, was consistent with the theoretically obtained effective electrical conductivity based on the mean field micromechanical analysis with the Mori-Tanaka model assuming ideal dispersion. It can be confirmed by looking at the statistical results of the filler-to-filler distance obtained from the digital processing of the fracture surface images that the various oxygenated functional groups of graphene oxide can help improve the dispersion of the filler and that the introduction of large phenyl groups to the graphene basal plane has a positive effect on the dispersion.

Vacuum nanohole array embedded phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes.

Light extraction from organic light-emitting diodes that utilize phosphorescent materials has an internal efficiency of 100% but is limited by an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 30%. In this study, extremely high-efficiency organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) with an EQE of greater than 50% and low roll-off were produced by inserting a vacuum nanohole array (VNHA) into phosphorescent OLEDs (PhOLEDs). The resultant extraction enhancement was quantified in terms of EQE by comparing experimentally measured results with those produced from optical modeling analysis, which assumes the near-perfect electric characteristics of the device. A comparison of the experimental data and optical modeling results indicated that the VNHA extracts the entire waveguide loss into the air. The EQE obtained in this study is the highest value obtained to date for bottom-emitting OLEDs.

Vacuum nano-hole array embedded organic light emitting diodes.

We demonstrated a nano-hole array (NHA) embedded structure that was fabricated for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) using a robust reverse transfer process. The NHA structure is proposed in this study as a strategy for maximizing the diffraction strength of two dimensional photonic crystals (PCs) by engineering vacuum nano-holes inside a dielectric slab. The electroluminescence (EL) intensity of the OLED was improved by more than twice. Such an optical enhancement was evaluated by using the angular dependence of photoluminescence (PL). The FDTD simulation was carried out to optimize the NHA structure for extraction of the emission induced from both vertical and horizontal dipoles. We explored the effect of the NHA structure on the extraction improvement converted from waveguide mode by measuring EL intensities of the devices with a hemisphere lens. In addition, the transfer process employed in this study yielded extremely low surface roughness, and thus outstanding electrical characteristics.

Multiplex particle focusing via hydrodynamic force in viscoelastic fluids.

We introduce a multiplex particle focusing phenomenon that arises from the hydrodynamic interaction between the viscoelastic force and the Dean drag force in a microfluidic device. In a confined microchannel, the first normal stress difference of viscoelastic fluids results in a lateral migration of suspended particles. Such a viscoelastic force was harnessed to focus different sized particles in the middle of a microchannel, and spiral channel geometry was also considered in order to take advantage of the counteracting force, Dean drag force that induces particle migration in the outward direction. For theoretical understanding, we performed a numerical analysis of viscoelastic fluids in the spiral microfluidic channel. From these results, a concept of the 'Dean-coupled Elasto-inertial Focusing band (DEF)' was proposed. This study provides in-depth physical insight into the multiplex focusing of particles that can open a new venue for microfluidic particle dynamics for a concrete high throughput platform at microscale.

Fullerene embedded shape memory nanolens array.

Securing fragile nanostructures against external impact is indispensable for offering sufficiently long lifetime in service to nanoengineering products, especially when coming in contact with other substances. Indeed, this problem still remains a challenging task, which may be resolved with the help of smart materials such as shape memory and self-healing materials. Here, we demonstrate a shape memory nanostructure that can recover its shape by absorbing electromagnetic energy. Fullerenes were embedded into the fabricated nanolens array. Beside the energy absorption, such addition enables a remarkable enhancement in mechanical properties of shape memory polymer. The shape memory nanolens was numerically modeled to impart more in-depth understanding on the physics regarding shape recovery behavior of the fabricated nanolens. We anticipate that our strategy of combining the shape memory property with the microwave irradiation feature can provide a new pathway for nanostructured systems able to ensure a long-term durability.

Interaction analysis between binder and particles in multiphase slurries.

A multiphase slurry for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is prepared using an active material, a carbon conductive, a polymeric binder and a solvent, and its physicochemical characteristics is evaluated in this study. The polymer binder interacting with particles in the slurry plays a crucial role in constructing the internal configuration of slurry components. The internal structure and dispersion states of the slurry components, which affect battery fabrication processes such as coating and even determine the final performance of battery cells, are changed over time. Experimental measurements such as spectroscopic, rheological, morphological, and electrical tests are carried out. Morphological specimens are freeze-dried to fix the locations of the slurry components. The existence of a network structure (or flocculation) is verified by viscoelastic property measurements and morphological observations. Electrical properties of the slurry vary mainly depending on the dispersion state of the carbon conductive. In addition, the dispersity index is introduced as a new quantity representing the dispersion state of the slurry components.

Water droplet bouncing and superhydrophobicity induced by multiscale hierarchical nanostructures.

Superhydrophobicity of multiscale hierarchical structures and bouncing phenomenon of a water droplet on the superhydrophobic surface were studied. The multiscale hierarchical structures of carbon nanotube/ZnO and ZnO/carbon nanofiber were produced by the hydrothermal method. The multiscale hierarchical structure showed superhydrophobicity with a static contact angle (CA) larger than 160° due to increased air pockets in the Cassie-Baxter state. The water bouncing effect observed on the multiscale hierarchical nanostructure was explained by the free energy barrier (FEB) analysis and finite element simulation. The multiscale hierarchical nanostructure showed low FEBs which provoke high CA and bouncing phenomenon due to small energy dissipation toward receding and advancing directions.