Mechanically tunable metamaterials terahertz dual-band bandstop filter

We experimentally demonstrate a mechanically tunable metamaterials terahertz（THz） dual-band bandstop filter. The unit cell of the filter contains an inner aluminum circle and an outside aluminum Ohm-ring on high resistance silicon substrate. The performance of the filter is simulated by finite-integration-time-domain（FITD） method. The sample is fabricated using a surface micromachining process and experimentally demonstrated using a THz time-domain-spectroscopy（TDS） system. The results show that, when the incident THz wave is polarized in y-axis, the filter has two intensive absorption peaks locating at 0.71 THz and 1.13 THz, respectively. The position of the high-frequency absorption peak and the amplitude of the low-frequency absorption peak can be simultaneously tuned by rotating the sample along its normal axis.The tunability of the high-frequency absorption peak is due to the shift of resonance frequency of two electrical dipoles,and that of the low-frequency absorption peak results from the effect of rotationally induced transparent. This tunable filter is very useful for switch, manipulation, and frequency selective detection of THz beam.

Highly Flexible and Broad‑Range Mechanically Tunable All‑Wood Hydrogels with Nanoscale Channels via the Hofmeister Effect for Human Motion Monitoring

Wood-based hydrogel with a unique anisotropic structure is an attractive soft material,but the presence of rigid crystalline cellulose in natural wood makes the hydrogel less flexible.In this study,an all-wood hydrogel was constructed by cross-linking cellulose fibers,polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)chains,and lignin molecules through the Hofmeister effect.The all-wood hydrogel shows a high tensile strength of 36.5 MPa and a strain up to~438%in the longitudinal direction,which is much higher than its tensile strength(~2.6 MPa)and strain(~198%)in the radial direction,respectively.The high mechanical strength of all-wood hydrogels is mainly attributed to the strong hydrogen bonding,physical entanglement,and van der Waals forces between lignin molecules,cellulose nanofibers,and PVA chains.Thanks to its excellent flexibility,good conductivity,and sensitivity,the all-wood hydrogel can accurately distinguish diverse macroscale or subtle human movements,including finger flexion,pulse,and swallowing behavior.In particular,when“An Qi”was called four times within 15 s,two variations of the pronunciation could be identified.With recyclable,biodegradable,and adjustable mechanical properties,the all-wood hydrogel is a multifunctional soft material with promising applications,such as human motion monitoring,tissue engineering,and robotics materials.

Customizable design ofmultiple-biomolecule delivery platform for enhanced osteogenic responses via‘tailored assembly system’

Porous titanium(Ti)scaffolds have been extensively utilized as bone substitute scaffolds due to their superior biocompatibility and excellent mechanical properties.However,naturally formed TiO2 on the surface limits fast osseointegration.Different biomolecules have been widely utilized to overcome this issue;however,homogeneous porous Ti scaffolds could not simultaneously deliver multiple biomolecules that have different release behaviors.In this study,functionally graded porous Ti scaffolds(FGPTs)with dense inner and porous outer parts were fabricated using a two-body combination and densification procedure.FGPTs with growth factor(BMP-2)and antibiotics(TCH)exhibited suitable mechanical properties as bone substituting material and presented good structural stability.The release of BMP-2 was considerably prolonged,whereas the release of TCH was comparable to that of homogenous porous titanium scaffolds(control group).The osteogenic differentiation obtained using FGPTs was maintained due to the prolonged release of BMP-2.The antimicrobial properties of these scaffolds were verified using S.aureus in terms of prior release time.In addition,various candidates for graded porous Ti scaffolds with altered pore characteristics were presented.

Tunable passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser with mechanically exfoliated GaSe saturable absorber

A tunable passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser using few-layer gallium selenide（GaSe） as a saturable absorber（SA） is demonstrated.The few-layer GaSe SA,which is fabricated by the mechanical exfoliation method,is able to generate a Q-switched fiber laser that has a maximum repetition rate of 92.6 kHz and a minimum pulsed width of 2.3 μs.The highest pulse energy exhibited by the generated pulse is 18.8 nJ with a signal to noise ratio of ~40 dB.The tunability of the proposed laser covers from 1042 to 1082 nm,giving a tuning range of 40 nm.

Extracellular magnetic labeling of biomimetic hydrogel-induced human mesenchymal stem cell spheroids with ferumoxytol for MRI tracking

Labeling of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles(SPIONs)has emerged as a potential method for magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)tracking of transplanted cells in tissue repair studies and clinical trials.Labeling of MSCs using clinically approved SPIONs(ferumoxytol)requires the use of transfection reagents or magnetic field,which largely limits their clinical application.To overcome this obstacle,we established a novel and highly effective method for magnetic labeling of MSC spheroids using ferumoxytol.Unlike conventional methods,ferumoxytol labeling was done in the formation of a mechanically tunable biomimetic hydrogel-induced MSC spheroids.Moreover,the labeled MSC spheroids exhibited strong MRI T2 signals and good biosafety.Strikingly,the encapsulated ferumoxytol was localized in the extracellular matrix(ECM)of the spheroids instead of the cytoplasm,minimizing the cytotoxicity of ferumoxytol and maintaining the viability and stemness properties of biomimetic hydrogel-induced MSC spheroids.This demonstrates the potential of this method for post-transplantation MRI tracking in the clinic.

Regulating the formation ability and mechanical properties of high-entropy transition metal carbides by carbon stoichiometry

Tremendous efforts have been dedicated to promote the formation ability of high-entropy transition metal carbides.However,the majority of methods for the synthesis of high-entropy transition metal carbides still face the challenges of high temperature,low efficiency,additional longtime post-treatment and uncontrollable properties.To cope with these challenges,high-entropy transition metal carbides with regulatable carbon stoichiometry(HE TMC)were designed and synthesized,achieving improved ability for single phase solid solutions formation,promoting of sintering and controllable mechanical properties.Two typical composition series,i.e.,easily synthesized(ZrHfTaNb)C(ZHTNC)and difficultly synthesized(Zr_(0.25)Hf_(0.25)Ta_(0.25)Ti_(0.25))C(ZHTTC)are selected to demonstrate the promoting formation ability of single phase solid solutions from carbon stoichiometry deviations.Single phase high-entropy ZHTTC,which has been proven difficult in forming a single phase solid solution,can be prepared with the decrease of C/TM ratio under 2000℃;while the high-entropy ZHTNC,which has been proven easy in forming a single phase solid solution,can be synthesized at lower temperatures with the decrease of C/TM ratio.The synergistic effect of entropy stabilization and reduced chemical bond strength gaining from carbon stoichiometry deviations is responsible for the formation of single phase solid solutions and the promoted sintering of HE TMC.For example,the relative density of bulk(ZrHfTaNb)C(SPS-ZHTNC)increases from 90.98%to 94.25%with decreasing the C/TM atomic ratio from 0.9 to 0.74.More importantly,the room temperature flexural strength,fracture toughness and brittleness index of SPS-ZHTNCcan be tuned in the range of 384 MPa–419 MPa,4.41 MPam–4.73 MPamand 3.679μm–4.083μm,respectively.Thus,the HE TMCprepared by adjusting the ratio of carbon to refractory transition metal oxides have great potential for achieving low temperature synthesis,promoted sintering and tunable properties.

Three-dimensional meta-architecture with programmable mechanical properties

Artificial metamaterials have attracted widespread attention of research communities due to their anomalous physical properties compared to those of conventional materials.In this study,we designed a three-dimensional(3D)lightweight metaarchitecture consisting of 6-connected anti-chiral honeycombs.The mechanical properties(e.g.Young’s modulus,compression strength,and Poisson’s ratio)of the proposed meta-architecture could be programmed by adjusting a series of geometric parameters,as shown through numerical simulations.Moreover,an optically sensitive polymer-based 3D meta-architecture with 6-connected anti-chiral features was constructed by the stereolithography method.Owing to the regulation of the negative Poisson’s ratio,3D meta-architecture achieved a greater ductility under compression than those of traditional truss structures while retaining a relatively high strength and low density.Compression experiments validated the excellent tunability of the mechanical properties of the proposed 3D 6-connected antichiral structure.The results suggest the promising applications of this structure in lightweight aircraft,vibration isolation,and mechanical sensors.