Advances of phononics in 2012-2022

Due to its great potential applications in thermal management,heat control,and quantum information,phononics has gained increasing attentions since the first publication in Rev.Mod.Phys.841045(2012).Many theoretical and experimental progresses have been achieved in the past decade.In this paper,we first give a critical review of the progress in thermal diodes and transistors,especially in classical regime.Then,we give a brief introduction to the new developing research directions such as topological phononics and quantum phononics.In the third part,we discuss the potential applications.Last but not least,we point out the outlook and challenges ahead.

Tuning ferroelectricity of polymer blends for flexible electrical energy storage applications

Ferroelectric polymers are the mainstay of advanced flexible electronic devices.How to tailor the ferroelectric polymer films for various applications via simple processing approaches is challenging.Here we demonstrate the tuning of ferroelectric responses can be achieved in polymer blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene)(P(VDF-TrFE))and polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA)prepared via a simple two-step process.The proposed two-step process endows the polymer blends with a random distribution of P(VDF-TrFE)crystalline phase,hence decoupling the coherent ferroelectric domain interactions between continuous ordered crystalline phases that ubiquitously existed in common P(VDF-TrFE)film.The incorporation of the miscible non-crystalline PMMA chains with low-polarity results in reversal dipoles and a transition from ferroelectric to antiferroelectric-like behavior,overcoming the trade-off between the polarization and depolarization fields.In particular,resultant excellent mechanical and electrical properties of the polymer blend films give rise to remarkably improved breakdown strength and energy storage performance,surpassing P(VDF-TrFE)and commercial biaxial-oriented polypropylene films.This work provides a simple and effective strategy to tailor the ferroelectric response of polymeric materials with great potential for flexible electrical energy storage applications.

Graphene/SiC-coated textiles with excellent electromagnetic interference shielding,Joule heating,high-temperature resistance,and pressure-sensing performances

Multifunctional,wearable,and durable textiles integrated with smart electronics have attracted tremendous attention.However,it remains a great challenge to balance new functionalities with high-temperature stability.Herein,textile-based pressure sensors with excellent electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding,Joule heating,and high-temperature resistance were fabricated by constructing graphene/SiC(G/SiC)heterostructures on carbon cloth via laser chemical vapor deposition(LCVD).The resultant textiles exhibited excellent EMI efficiency of 74.2 dB with a thickness of 0.45 mm,Joule heating performance within a low working voltage(V)range of 1-3 V,and fast response time within 20 s.These properties arose from multiple reflections,interfacial polarization,and high conductivity due to the numerous amounts of nanoscale G/SiC heterostructures.More importantly,G/SiC/carbon fibers(CFs)demonstrated well high-temperature resistance with a heat resistance index(THri)of 380.2 C owing to the protection of a coating layer on the CFs upon oxidation.Meanwhile,the G/SiC/CFs presented good pressure-sensing performance with high sensitivity(S)of 52.93 kPal,fast response time of 85 ms,and a wide pressure range of up to 186 kPa.These features imply the potential of the G/SiC/CFs as efficient EMI shielding,electrical heater,and piezoresistive sensor textiles.

Designing polymer nanocomposites with high energy density using machine learning

Addressing microstructure-property relations of polymer nanocomposites is vital for designing advanced dielectrics for electrostatic energy storage.Here,we develop an integrated phase-field model to simulate the dielectric response,charge transport,and breakdown process of polymer nanocomposites.Subsequently,based on 6615 high-throughput calculation results,a machine learning strategy is schemed to evaluate the capability of energy storage.We find that parallel perovskite nanosheets prefer to block and then drive charges to migrate along with the interfaces in x-y plane,which could significantly improve the breakdown strength of polymer nanocomposites.To verify our predictions,we fabricate a polymer nanocomposite P(VDF-HFP)/Ca_(2)Nb_(3)O_(10),whose highest discharged energy density almost doubles to 35.9 J cm^(−3) compared with the pristine polymer,mainly benefit from the improved breakdown strength of 853 MVm^(−1).This work opens a horizon to exploit the great potential of 2D perovskite nanosheets for a wide range of applications of flexible dielectrics with the requirement of high voltage endurance.

High discharged energy density of polymer nanocomposites induced by Nd-doped BaTiO_(3)nanoparticles

A flexible polymer nanocomposite has been developed via introducing Nd-doped BaTiO_(3)nanoparticles into the poly(vinylidene fluoride).This nanocomposite delivers a discharged energy density up to 12.5 J/cm^(3)under an electric field of 420 kV/mmwith only a small loading of 1 vol.%Nd-BaTiO_(3).High discharged energy density,mechanical flexibility,light weight,ease fabrication and low cost makes it attractive for advanced microelectronics and electrical power systems.Our results demonstrate that ceramics with giant dielectric permittivity as viable fillers for polymer nanocomposite dielectrics with higher energy density.

Flexible high-performance microcapacitors enabled by all-printed two-dimensional nanosheets

Chemically exfoliated nanosheets have exhibited great potential for applications in various electronic devices.Solution-based processing strategies such as inkjet printing provide a low-cost,environmentally friendly,and scalable route for the fabrication of flexible devices based on functional inks of twodimensional nanosheets.In this study,chemically exfoliated high-k perovskite nanosheets(i.e.,Ca_(2)Nb_(3)O_(10)and Ca_(2)NaNb_(4)O_(13))are well dispersed in appropriate solvents to prepare printable inks,and then,a series of microcapacitors with Ag and graphene electrodes are printed.The resulting microcapacitors,Ag/Ca_(2)Nb_(3)O_(10)/Ag,graphene/Ca_(2)Nb_(3)O_(10)/graphene,and graphene/Ca_(2)NaNb_(4)O_(13)/graphene,demonstrate high capacitance densities of 20,80,and 150 nF/cm^(2) and high dielectric constants of 26,110.and 200,respectively.Such dielectric enhancement in the microcapacitors with graphene electrodes is possibly attributed to the dielectric/graphene interface.In addition,these microcapacitors also exhibit good insulating performance with a moderate electrical breakdown strength of approximately 1 MV/cm,excellent flexibility,and thermal stability up to 200℃.This work demonstrates the potential of high-k perovskite nanosheets for additive manufacturing of flexible high-performance dielectric capacitors.