Liquid Metal Grid Patterned Thin Film Devices Toward Absorption‑Dominant and Strain‑Tunable Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

The demand of high-performance thin-film-shaped deformable electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding devices is increasing for the next generation of wearable and miniaturized soft electronics.Although highly reflective conductive materials can effectively shield EMI,they prevent deformation of the devices owing to rigidity and generate secondary electromagnetic pollution simultaneously.Herein,soft and stretchable EMI shielding thin film devices with absorption-dominant EMI shielding behavior is presented.The devices consist of liquid metal(LM)layer and LM grid-patterned layer separated by a thin elastomeric film,fabricated by leveraging superior adhesion of aerosol-deposited LM on elastomer.The devices demonstrate high electromagnetic shielding effectiveness(SE)(SE_(T) of up to 75 dB)with low reflectance(SER of 1.5 dB at the resonant frequency)owing to EMI absorption induced by multiple internal reflection generated in the LM grid architectures.Remarkably,the excellent stretchability of the LM-based devices facilitates tunable EMI shielding abilities through grid space adjustment upon strain(resonant frequency shift from 81.3 to 71.3 GHz@33%strain)and is also capable of retaining shielding effectiveness even after multiple strain cycles.This newly explored device presents an advanced paradigm for powerful EMI shielding performance for next-generation smart electronics.

Long cycle-life aqueous Zn battery enabled by facile carbon nanotube coating on Cu current collector

As an alternative to Li-ion batteries,aqueous Zn batteries have gained attention due to the abundance of Zn metal,low reduction potential(-0.76 V vs.standard hydrogen electrode),and high theoretical capacity(820 mAh g^(-1))of multivalent Zn2+ion.However,the growth of Zn dendrites and the formation of irreversible surface reaction byproducts pose challenges for ensuring a long battery lifespan and commercialization.Herein,the Cu foil coated with a single-walled carbon nanotube(SWCNT)layer using a facile doctor blade casting method is utilized.The SWCNT-coated Cu foil demonstrates a significantly longer battery lifespan compared to the bare Cu in the half-cell tests.Through operando optical microscopy imaging,we are able to provide intuitive evidence that Zn deposition occurs between the carbon nanotube(CNT)coating and Cu substrate,in agreement with the computational results.Also,with various imaging techniques,the flat morphology and homogeneous distribution of Zn beneath the SWCNT layer are demonstrated.In addition,the full-cell using CNT-coated Cu exhibits a long cycle life compared to the control group,thereby demonstrating improved electrochemical performance with limited Zn for the cycling process.

Absorption-Dominant mmWave EMI Shielding Films with Ultralow Reflection using Ferromagnetic Resonance Frequency Tunable M-Type Ferrites

Although there is a high demand for absorption-dominant electromagnetic interference(EMI) shielding materials for 5G millimeter-wave(mmWave) frequencies, most current shielding materials are based on reflection-dominant conductive materials. While there are few absorption-dominant shielding materials proposed with magnetic materials, their working frequencies are usually limited to under 30 GHz. In this study, a novel multi-band absorption-dominant EMI shielding film with M-type strontium ferrites and a conductive grid is proposed. This film shows ultralow EMI reflection of less than 5% in multiple mmWave frequency bands with sub-millimeter thicknesses, while shielding more than 99.9% of EMI. The ultralow reflection frequency bands are controllable by tuning the ferromagnetic resonance frequency of M-type strontium ferrites and composite layer geometries. Two examples of shielding films with ultralow reflection frequencies, one for 39 and 52 GHz 5G telecommunication bands and the other for 60 and 77 GHz autonomous radar bands, are presented. The remarkably low reflectance and thinness of the proposed films provide an important advancement toward the commercialization of EMI shielding materials for 5G mmWave applications.

High efficiency and stable solid-state fiber dye-sensitized solar cells obtained using TiO_(2) photoanodes enhanced with metal organic frameworks

Solid-state fiber dye-sensitized solar cells(SS-FDSSCs) have been the subject of intensive attention and development in recent years. Although this field is only in its infancy, metal–organic frameworks(MOFs) are one such material that has been utilized to further improve the power conversion efficiency of solar cells. In this study, MOF-integrated DSSCs were shown to have potential in the development of solar cell devices with efficiency comparable to or better than that of conventional solar cells. The power conversion efficiency(PCE) of SS-FDSSCs was improved by embedding MOF-801 into a mesoporous-TiO_(2)(mp-TiO_(2)) layer, which was used as a photoanode in SS-FDSSCs, which are inherently flexible. The PCE of the MOF-integrated SS-FDSSCs was 6.50%, which is comparable to that of the reference devices(4.19%).The MOF-801 enhanced SS-FDSSCs decreased the series resistance(R_(s)) value, resulting in effective electron extraction with improved short-circuit current density(J_(SC)), while also increasing the shunt resistance(R_(sh)) value to prevent the recombination of photo-induced electrons. The result is an improved fill factor and, consequently, a higher value for the PCE.

Occurrence of anionic redox with absence of full oxidation to Ru^(5+) in high-energy P2-type layered oxide cathode

The anionic redox has been widely studied in layered-oxide-cathodes in attempts to achieve highenergy-density for Na-ion batteries(NIBs).It is known that an oxidation state of Mn^(4+) or Ru^(5+) is essential for the anionic reaction of O^(2-)/O~-to occur during Na^(+) de/intercalation.However,here,we report that the anionic redox can occur in Ru-based layered-oxide-cathodes before full oxidation of Ru^(4+)/Ru^(5+).Combining studies using first-principles calculation and experimental techniques reveals that further Na^(+) deintercalation from P2-Na_(0.33)[Mg_(0.33)Ru_(0.67)]O_(2) is based on anionic oxidation after 0.33 mol Na^(+) deintercalation from P2-Na_(0.67)[Mg_(0.33)Ru_(0.67)]O_(2) with cationic oxidation of Ru^(4+)/Ru^(4.5+).Especially,it is revealed that the only oxygen neighboring 2Mg/1 Ru can participate in the anionic redox during Na^(+) de/intercalation,which implies that the Na-O-Mg arrangement in the P2-Na_(0.33)[M9_(0.33)Ru_(0.67)]O_(2) structure can dramatically lower the thermodynamic stability of the anionic redox than that of cationic redox.Through the O anionic and Ru cationic reaction,P2-Na_(0.67)[Mg_(0.33)Ru_(0.67)]O_(2) exhibits not only a large specific capacity of~172 mA h g^(-1) but also excellent power-capability via facile Na^(+) diffusion and reversible structural change during charge/discharge.These findings suggest a novel strategy that can increase the activity of anionic redox by modulating the local environment around oxygen to develop high-energy-density cathode materials for NIBs.

Spray granulation of Fe and C nanoparticles and their impedance match for microwave absorption

The microwave absorbents of Fe and C nanoparticles as magnetic loss and dielectric loss material respectively were composited with the polyvinyl alcohol （PVA） as binder by spray granulation method, The electromagnetic parameters of Fe and C composite particles were analyzed by vector network. The complex permittivity and magnetic permeability of Fe and C composite particles matched well with increasing C nanoparticle content, and then the microwave loss property was improved. A minimum reflection loss （RL） of -42.7 dB at 3.68 GHz for a composite with 4.6 mm in thickness can be obtained when the content ratio of the C nanoparticles, the modified Fe nanoparticles and the PVA is 21：49：30 （Sample 3）.

Electrostabilized homogeneous dispersion of boron nitride nanotubes in wide-range of solvents achieved by surface polarity modulation through pyridine attachment

Boron nitride nanotubes(BNNTs)show exceptional physical properties including high mechanical strength and thermal conductivity;however,their applications have been restricted due to limited dispersibility in processing solvents.Here,a novel BNNT dispersion method with exceptional dispersibility in a wide range of solvents has been demonstrated by surtace polarity modulation through short-molecule pyridine attachment.Nitrogen atoms in pyridine are selectively bonded to electron-deficient boron atoms of the BNNT surface through Lewis acid-base reaction,which changes the surface polarity of BNNTs from neutral to negative.Re-dispersing pyridine-attached BNNTs(Py-BNNTs)create a thick and stable electronic double layer(EDL),resulting in uniform dispersion of BNNTs in solvents with an exceptional solubility parameter range of 18.5-48 MPa^1/2.The uniform dispersion of BNNTs is maintained even after the mixing with diverse polymers.Finally,composites incorporating uniformly-distributed BNNTs have been realized,and extraordinary property enhancements have been observed.The thermal conductivity of 20 wt.%Py-BNNT/epoxy composite has been significantly improved by 69.6%and the tensile strength of 2 wt.%Py-BNNT/PVA has been dramatically improved by 75.3%.Our work demonstrates a simple and facile route to dispersing BNNTs in diverse solvents,consequently leading to selective utlization of BNNT dispersed solvents in various application fields.

Effect of molybdenum on interfacial properties of titanium carbide reinforced Fe composite

This study shows that the mechanical strength of the composite of Fe matrix and titanium carbide(Ti C)ceramic particles is significantly enhanced with addition of molybdenum(Mo) atoms. Ti C reinforced Fe(Fe-0.2C-7Mn) composites with and without Mo were fabricated by a liquid pressing infiltration(LPI)process and the effect of Mo on interfacial properties of TiC–Fe composite was investigated using atomic probe tomography(APT) analysis, molecular dynamics(MD) simulations, first-principle density functional theory(DFT), and thermodynamic calculations. First, DFT calculations showed that total energies of the Mo-doped Ti C–Fe superlattices strongly depend on the position of Mo defects, and are minimized when the Mo atom is located at the TiC/Fe interface, supporting the probable formation of MoC-like interphase at the TiC/Fe interface region. Then, APT analysis confirmed the DFT predictions by finding that about6.5 wt.% Mo is incorporated in the Ti C–Fe(Mo) composite and that sub-micrometer thick(Ti,Mo)C interphase is indeed formed near the interface. The MD simulations show that Mo atoms migrate to the Mo-free TiC–Fe interface at elevated temperatures and the mechanical strength of the interface is considerably enhanced, which is in good agreement with experimental observations.