Electric Double-Layer Gating of Two-Dimensional Field-Effect Transistors Using a Single-Ion Conductor.

Electric double-layer (EDL) gating using a custom-synthesized polyester single-ion conductor (PE400-Li) is demonstrated on two-dimensional (2D) crystals for the first time. The electronic properties of graphene and MoTe2 field-effect transistors (FETs) gated with the single-ion conductor are directly compared to a poly(ethylene oxide) dual-ion conductor (PEO:CsClO4). The anions in the single-ion conductor are covalently bound to the backbone of the polymer, leaving only the cations free to form an EDL at the negative electrode and a corresponding cationic depletion layer at the positive electrode. Because the cations are mobile in both the single- and dual-ion conductors, a similar enhancement of the n-branch is observed in both graphene and MoTe2. Specifically, the single-ion conductor decreases the subthreshold swing in the n-branch of the bare MoTe2 FET from 5000 to 250 mV/dec and increases the current density and on/off ratio by two orders of magnitude. However, the single-ion conductor suppressed the p-branch in both the graphene and the MoTe2 FETs, and finite element modeling of ion transport shows that this result is unique to single-ion conductor gating in combination with an asymmetric gate/channel geometry. Both the experiments and modeling suggest that single-ion conductor-gated FETs can achieve sheet densities up to 1014 cm-2, which corresponds to a charge density that would theoretically be sufficient to induce several percent strain in monolayer 2D crystals and potentially induce a semiconductor-to-metal phase transition in MoTe2.

Elastomeric Conducting Polyaniline Formed Through Topological Control of Molecular Templates.

A strategy for creating elastomeric conducting polyaniline networks is described. Simultaneous elastomeric mechanical properties (E < 10 MPa) and electronic conductivities (σ > 10 S cm(-1)) are achieved via molecular templating of conjugated polymer networks. Diblock copolymers with star topologies processed into self-assembled elastomeric thin films reduce the percolation threshold of polyaniline synthesized via in situ polymerization. Block copolymer templates with star topologies produce elastomeric conjugated polymer composites with Young's moduli ranging from 4 to 12 MPa, maximum elongations up to 90 ± 10%, and electrical conductivities of 30 ± 10 S cm(-1). Templated polyaniline films exhibit Young's moduli up to 3 orders of magnitude smaller compared to bulk polyaniline films while preserving comparable bulk electronic conductivity. Flexible conducting polymers have prospective applications in devices for energy storage and conversion, consumer electronics, and bioelectronics.

Multifunctional Hydrogels with Reversible 3D Ordered Macroporous Structures.

Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous (3DOM) hydrogels prepared by colloidal crystals templating display highly reversible shape memory properties, as confirmed by indirect electron microscopy imaging of their inverse replicas and direct nanoscale resolution X-ray microscopy imaging of the hydrated hydrogels. Modifications of functional groups in the 3DOM hydrogels result in various materials with programmed properties for a wide range of applications.

Biologically derived soft conducting hydrogels using heparin-doped polymer networks.

The emergence of flexible and stretchable electronic components expands the range of applications of electronic devices. Flexible devices are ideally suited for electronic biointerfaces because of mechanically permissive structures that conform to curvilinear structures found in native tissue. Most electronic materials used in these applications exhibit elastic moduli on the order of 0.1-1 MPa. However, many electronically excitable tissues exhibit elasticities in the range of 1-10 kPa, several orders of magnitude smaller than existing components used in flexible devices. This work describes the use of biologically derived heparins as scaffold materials for fabricating networks with hybrid electronic/ionic conductivity and ultracompliant mechanical properties. Photo-cross-linkable heparin-methacrylate hydrogels serve as templates to control the microstructure and doping of in situ polymerized polyaniline structures. Macroscopic heparin-doped polyaniline hydrogel dual networks exhibit impedances as low as Z = 4.17 Ω at 1 kHz and storage moduli of G' = 900 ± 100 Pa. The conductivity of heparin/polyaniline networks depends on the oxidation state and microstructure of secondary polyaniline networks. Furthermore, heparin/polyaniline networks support the attachment, proliferation, and differentiation of murine myoblasts without any surface treatments. Taken together, these results suggest that heparin/polyaniline hydrogel networks exhibit suitable physical properties as an electronically active biointerface material that can match the mechanical properties of soft tissues composed of excitable cells.

Light-controllable reflection wavelength of blue phase liquid crystals doped with azobenzene-dimers.

A new series of azobenzene-dimers were synthesized and doped into the blue phase liquid crystals to broaden the temperature range of BPs. It is found that not only can the reflection wavelength of BPI be reversibly controlled but BPI can also be transformed into the cholesteric phase owing to isomerization of azobenzene induced by light.

[Immobilization of lignin peroxidase on spherical mesoporous material].

The spherical mesoporous particles with two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal mesopores in diameter up to 11.6 nm was fabricated in acetic acid/sodium buffer solution (pH = 3.5) by using tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) as silica source, Pluronic P123 as template and 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene (TIPB) as swelling agent. Then the mesoporous particles were employed as carriers for the immobilization of lignin peroxidase (LiP). The effect of immobilization time, the amount of added enzyme on the immobilized enzyme amount and activities were investigated. The characteristic and stability of immobilized LiP were also studied. The results showed that, as the mass ratio of enzyme (E) and mesoporous material (MS) was 76.8 mg/g,immobilizing time was 12 h, the largest immobilized enzyme amount (8.87 mg/g) and highest apparent activity (41.45 U/mg) of immobilization LiP were achieved. Comparing with free LiP, the optimum pH and temperature of the immobilized LiP were almost the same, while whose pH stability and thermal stability were significantly improved. No obvious activity loss was observed for the immobilized LiP after 7 weeks storage at 4 degrees C. After 6 times of usage, almost 30% of the initial activity could still remain.

Fe2(SO4)3 as a binary oxidant and dopant to thin polyaniline nanowires with high conductivity.

This article exposes a facial approach to self-assemble polyaniline (PANI) nanowires with thin diameter (approximately 10 nm) and high room-temperature conductivity (approximately 10(0) S/cm) by using Fe(2)(SO(4))(3) as a binary oxidant and dopant. The new method not only saves hard templates and postprocess of template removal but also simplifies the reagent. Formation yield, diameter, and room-temperature conductivity of the nanowires are affected by the molar ratios of Fe(2)(SO(4))(3) to aniline. The low redox potential of Fe(2)(SO(4))(3) not only results in a thinner diameter and higher room-temperature conductivity (10(0) S/cm) of the nanowires but also shows a much weaker temperature dependence of resistivity and smaller characteristic Mott temperature (T(0) = 2.5 x 10(3) K).

Electromagnetic functionalized cage-like polyaniline composite nanostructures.

Novel cage-like and electromagnetic functional polyaniline (PANI)/CoFe2O4 composite nanostructures, in which the self-assembled PANI nanofibers (approximately 15 nm in diameter) entwined around the octahedral CoFe2O4 magnet acting as the nucleation site or template, were successfully prepared by FeCl3 as either oxidant and dopant via a self-assembly process. The coordination effect of the magnet as a nucleation site or template and the magnetic interaction between the PANI nanofibers and CoFe2O4 as a driving force results in such cage-like nanostructures. The cage-like composite nanostructures not only have high conductivity (sigmamax approximately 5.2 S/cm), but also show a typical ferromagnetic behavior.