Functionalized Fiber-Based Strain Sensors:Pathway to Next-Generation Wearable Electronics

Wearable strain sensors are arousing increasing research interests in recent years on account of their potentials in motion detection,personal and public healthcare,future entertainment,man-machine interaction,artificial intelligence,and so forth.Much research has focused on fiber-based sensors due to the appealing performance of fibers,including processing flexibility,wearing comfortability,outstanding lifetime and serviceability,low-cost and large-scale capacity.Herein,we review the latest advances in functionalization and device fabrication of fiber materials toward applications in fiber-based wearable strain sensors.We describe the approaches for preparing conductive fibers such as spinning,surface modification,and structural transformation.We also introduce the fabrication and sensing mechanisms of state-of-the-art sensors and analyze their merits and demerits.The applications toward motion detection,healthcare,man-machine interaction,future entertainment,and multifunctional sensing are summarized with typical examples.We finally critically analyze tough challenges and future remarks of fiber-based strain sensors,aiming to implement them in real applications.

Sustainable thermal energy harvest for generating electricity

Electricity is the lifeblood of modern society.However,the predominant source of electricity generation still relies on non-renewable fossil fuels,whose combustion releases greenhouse gases contributing to global warming.The increasing demand for energy and escalating environmental concerns necessitate proactive measures to develop innovative green energy technologies capable of both cooling the Earth and generating electricity.Here,we look forward to an interdisciplinary power system integrating solar absorbers,radiative coolers,and thermoelectric generators.This system can simultaneously harvest thermal energy from the sun and from cold space,thereby transforming the challenges posed by global warming into opportunities for the production of clean electricity.We underscore recent advancements in this field and address key challenges while also exploring forward-looking opportunities in the foreseeable future.The proposed integrated energy technology achieves uninterrupted power supply through the unrestricted capture of thermal energy,offering a robust alternative pathway for next-generation sustainable energy technologies.

Flexible,breathable,and reinforced ultra-thin Cu/PLLA porous-fibrous membranes for thermal management and electromagnetic interference shielding

Electromagnetic interference shielding and thermal management by wearable devices show great po-tential in emerging digital healthcare.Conventional metal films implementing the functions must sacri-fice either flexibility or permeability,which is far from optimal in practical applications.In this work,an ultra-thin(15μm),flexible,and porous Cu/PLLA fibrous membrane is developed by depositing cop-per particles on the polymer substrate.With novel acetone&heat treatment procedure,the mem-brane is considerably stronger while maintaining the porous fibre structure.Its fantastic breathabil-ity and super high electrical conductivity(9471.8130 S/cm)enable the composites to have fast electri-cal heating characteristics and excellent thermal conductivity for effective thermal management.Mean-while,the porous polymer substrate structure greatly enhances the diffusion of conductive substances and increases the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of the membranes(7797.98 dB cm^(2)/g at the H band and 8072.73 dB cm^(2)/g at the Ku band respectively).The composites present high flexibility,breathability,and strength with the functions of thermal management and electromag-netic shielding,showing great potential for future portable electronic devices and wearable integrated garments.

Nanophotonic catalytic combustion enlightens mid-infrared light source

The tunable mid-infrared source in a broad-spectrum heralds great scientific implications and remains a challenge.Nanolocalized catalytic combustion facilitates access to customizable infrared light sources.Here,we report on fabricating platinumalumina bilayer nano-cylinder arrays for methanol catalytic combustion,which enables them to act as an array of infrared point light sources,with wavelength tunable by controlling the flow rate of methanol/air mixture.We then propose a technique of integrating nanophotonic structures with catalytic combustion to engineer infrared light emission.We demonstrate a prototype of a topological photonic crystal catalyst array in which infrared emission can be enhanced significantly with highly vertical emission.This work establishes a framework of nanophotonic catalytic combustion for infrared light sources.

Adoptive cell transfer therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. This malignancy is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality. Novel approaches for prolonging the overall survival of patients with advanced HCC are urgently needed. The antitumor activities of adoptive cell transfer therapy (ACT), such as strategies based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and cytokine-induced killer cells, are more effective than those of traditional strategies. Currently, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy has achieved numerous breakthroughs in the treatment of hematological malignancies, including relapsed or refractory lymphoblastic leukemia and refractory large B-cell lymphoma? Nevertheless, this approach only provides a modest benefit in the treatment of solid tumors. The clinical results of CAR-T immunotherapy for HCC that could be obtained at present are limited. Some published studies have demonstrated that CAR-T could inhibit tumor growth and cause severe side effects. In this review, we summarized the current application of ACT, the challenges encountered by CAR-T technology in HCC treatment, and some possible strategies for the future direction of immunotherapeutic research.

Implantable nerve guidance conduits:Material combinations,multi-functional strategies and advanced engineering innovations

Nerve guidance conduits(NGCs)have attracted much attention due to their great necessity and applicability in clinical use for the peripheral nerve repair.Great efforts in recent years have been devoted to the development of high-performance NGCs using various materials and strategies.The present review provides a comprehensive overview of progress in the material innovation,structural design,advanced engineering technologies and multi functionalization of state-of-the-art nerve guidance conduits NGCs.Abundant advanced engineering technologies including extrusion-based system,laser-based system,and novel textile forming techniques in terms of weaving,knitting,braiding,and electrospinning techniques were also analyzed in detail.Findings arising from this review indicate that the structural mimetic NGCs combined with natural and synthetic materials using advanced manufacturing technologies can make full use of their complementary advantages,acquiring better biomechanical properties,chemical stability and biocompatibility.Finally,the existing challenges and future opportunities of NGCs were put forward aiming for further research and applications of NGCs.

A thermoelectric generator and water-cooling assisted high conversion efficiency polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic system

Solar energy has been increasing its share in the global energy structure. However, the thermal radiation brought by sunlight will attenuate the efficiency of solar cells. To reduce the temperature of the photovoltaic (PV) cell and improve the utilization efficiency of solar energy, a hybrid system composed of the PV cell, a thermoelectric generator (TEG), and a water-cooled plate (WCP) was manufactured. The WCP cannot only cool the PV cell, but also effectively generate additional electric energy with the TEG using the waste heat of the PV cell. The changes in the efficiency and power density of the hybrid system were obtained by real time monitoring. The thermal and electrical tests were performed at different irradiations and the same experiment temperature of 22°C. At a light intensity of 1000 W/m2, the steady-state temperature of the PV cell decreases from 86.8°C to 54.1°C, and the overall efficiency increases from 15.6% to 21.1%. At a light intensity of 800 W/m2, the steady-state temperature of the PV cell decreases from 70°C to 45.8°C, and the overall efficiency increases from 9.28% to 12.59%. At a light intensity of 400 W/m2, the steady-state temperature of the PV cell decreases from 38.5°C to 31.5°C, and the overall efficiency is approximately 3.8%, basically remain unchanged.

Waste Textile Reutilization Via a Scalable Dyeing Technology: A Strategy to Enhance Dyestuffs Degradation Efficiency

The rapid expansion of the fast fashion industry brings about environmental concerns such as dyestuffs-related water pollutions and waste textiles.Conventional wastewater-disposal strategies emphasize the optimization of photocatalytic activity to improve pollutant degradation efficiency,while the absorptivity,recyclability and sustainability of photocatalysts are always ignored.The overproduced textiles are still in urgent of being recycled and reutilized in eco-friendly approaches.In this work,a scalable dyeing technology is employed to achieve green and sustainable reutilization of waste textiles.The functionalized TiO2/reduced graphene oxide wool fabrics show excellent sustainability,remarkable adsorbing capacity and enhanced photocatalytic performance.By taking advantage of these properties,we develop an integrated strategy of nighttime adsorption and day-time photodegradation which could significantly optimize the dyestuffs degradation efficiency.The concept of waste textiles reutilization and wastewater treatment in this work provides practical potential for efficient and sustainable environmental remediation.

Flexible unimodal strain sensors for human motion detection and differentiation

Multiple strain sensors are required to identify individual forces/stresses on human joints and recognize how they work together in order to determine the motion’s direction and trajectory.However,current sensors cannot detect and differentiate the individual forces/stresses and their contributions to the motion from the sensors’electrical signals.To address this critical issue,we propose a concept of unimodal tension,bend,shear,and twist strain sensors with piezoelectric poly L-lactic acid films.We then construct an integrated unimodal sensor(i-US)using the unimodal sensors and prove that the i-US can detect and differentiate individual strain modes,such as tensioning,bending,shearing,and twisting in complex motion.To demonstrate the potential impact of unimodal sensors,we design a sleeve and a glove with the i-US that can capture wrist motions and finger movements.Therefore,we expect unimodal strain sensors to provide a turning point in developing motion recognition and control systems.