Facilitated embedding of silver nanowires into conformally-coated iCVD polymer films deposited on cloth for robust wearable electronics.

We propose that a silver nanowire (AgNW)-embedded conducting film can be monolithically applied onto an arbitrary cloth with strong adhesion and environmental stability. We employ a vapor-phase method, initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), for conformal coating of a scaffold polymer film on the cloth. AgNWs are applied on the surface of iCVD polymer films, and the embedding of AgNWs is completed within only 20 s on heating the polymer-coated cloth to 70 °C. Crosslinking the copolymer at 120 °C renders the AgNW-embedded conducting films on the cloth not only thermally and chemically stable, but also mechanically robust. Moreover, when a hydrophobic encapsulating polymer layer is added on the AgNW-embedded film via iCVD, it substantially improves the stability of the cloth against thermal oxidation under hot and humid conditions, showing applicability of the technology to wearable electronics. With these robust conducting films, we demonstrate the fabrication of a waterproof cloth-based heater and circuit for a seven-segment display, thus, confirming the wide applicability of the technology developed in this study.

Extremely Robust and Patternable Electrodes for Copy-Paper-Based Electronics.

We propose a fabrication process for extremely robust and easily patternable silver nanowire (AgNW) electrodes on paper. Using an auxiliary donor layer and a simple laminating process, AgNWs can be easily transferred to copy paper as well as various other substrates using a dry process. Intercalating a polymeric binder between the AgNWs and the substrate through a simple printing technique enhances adhesion, not only guaranteeing high foldability of the electrodes, but also facilitating selective patterning of the AgNWs. Using the proposed process, extremely crease-tolerant electronics based on copy paper can be fabricated, such as a printed circuit board for a 7-segment display, portable heater, and capacitive touch sensor, demonstrating the applicability of the AgNWs-based electrodes to paper electronics.

An Electroactive, Tunable, and Frequency Selective Surface Utilizing Highly Stretchable Dielectric Elastomer Actuators Based on Functionally Antagonistic Aperture Control.

An active, frequency selective surface utilizing a silver-nanowire-coated dielectric elastomer with a butterfly-shaped aperture pattern is realized by properly exploiting the electroactive control of two antagonistic functions (stretching vs compression) on a patterned dielectric elastomer actuator.

Self-Supplied Nano-Fusing and Transferring Metal Nanostructures via Surface Oxide Reduction.

Here, we demonstrate that chemical reduction of oxide layers on metal nanostructures fuses junctions at nanoscale to improve the opto-electrical performance, and to ensure environmental stability of the interconnected nanonetwork. In addition, the reducing reaction lowers the adhesion force between metal nanostructures and substrates, facilitating the detachment of them from substrates. Detached metal nanonetworks can be easily floated on water and transferred onto various substrates including hydrophobic, floppy, and curved surfaces. Utilizing the detached metal nanostructures, semitransparent organic photovoltaics is fabricated, presenting the applicability of proposed reduction treatment in the device applications.

Left valsalva sinus aneurysm rupture into left atrium and aortic valve prolapse confirmed with transesophageal echocardiography.

We report a very rare case of left Valsalva sinus aneurysm rupture into left atrium in a 55-year-old man with severe aortic regurgitation caused by aortic valve prolapse. The Valsalva sinus aneurysm rupture was clearly visualized with transesophageal echocardiography performed to further delineate the aortic valve pathology. The 3-dimensional reconstruction of multislice computed tomography images nicely visualized the left Valsalva sinus aneurysm.