Laser-Induced Graphene:En Route to Smart Sensing

The discovery of laser-induced graphene(LIG) from polymers in 2014 has aroused much attention in recent years.A broad range of applications,including batteries,catalysis,sterilization,and separation,have been explored.The advantages of LIG technology over conventional graphene synthesis methods are conspicuous,which include designable patterning,environmental friendliness,tunable compositions,and controllable morphologies.In addition,LIG possesses high porosity,great flexibility,and mechanical robustness,and excellent electric and thermal conductivity.The patternable and printable manufacturing process and the advantageous properties of LIG illuminate a new pathway for developing miniaturized graphene devices.Its use in sensing applications has grown swiftly from a single detection component to an integrated smart detection system.In this minireview,we start with the introduction of synthetic efforts related to the fabrication of LIG sensors.Then,we highlight the achievement of LIG sensors for the detection of a diversity of stimuli with a focus on the design principle and working mechanism.Future development of the techniques toward in situ and smart detection of multiple stimuli in widespread applications will be discussed.

Current advancements on charge selective contact interfacial layers and electrodes in flexible hybrid perovskite photovoltaics

Perovskite-based photovoltaic materials have been attracting attention for their strikingly improved performance at converting sunlight into electricity.The beneficial and unique optoelectronic characteristics of perovskite structures enable researchers to achieve an incredibly remarkable power conversion efficiency.Flexible hybrid perovskite photovoltaics promise emerging applications in a myriad of optoelectronic and wearable/portable device applications owing to their inherent intriguing physicochemical and photophysical properties which enabled researchers to take forward advanced research in this growing field.Flexible perovskite photovoltaics have attracted significant attention owing to their fascinating material properties with combined merits of high efficiency,light-weight,flexibility,semitransparency,compatibility towards roll-to-roll printing,and large-area mass-scale production.Flexible perovskite-based solar cells comprise of 4 key components that include a flexible substrate,semi-transparent bottom contact electrode,perovskite(light absorber layer)and charge transport(electron/hole)layers and top(usually metal)electrode.Among these components,interfacial layers and contact electrodes play a pivotal role in influencing the overall photovoltaic performance.In this comprehensive review article,we focus on the current developments and latest progress achieved in perovskite photovoltaics concerning the charge selective transport layers/electrodes toward the fabrication of highly stable,efficient flexible devices.As a concluding remark,we briefly summarize the highlights of the review article and make recommendations for future outlook and investigation with perspectives on the perovskite-based optoelectronic functional devices that can be potentially utilized in smart wearable and portable devices.

A low-cost, printable, and stretchable strain sensor based on highly conductive elastic composites with tunable sensitivity for human motion monitoring

Strain sensors with high stretchability, broad strain range, high sensitivity, and good reliability are desirable, owing to their promising applications in electronic skins and human motion monitoring systems. In this paper, we report a high- performance strain sensor based on printable and stretchable electrically con- ductive elastic composites. This strain sensor is fabricated by mixing silver-coated polystyrene spheres （PS@Ag） and liquid polydimethylsiloxane （PDMS） and screen-printed to a desirable geometry. The strain sensor exhibits fascinating comprehensive performances, including high electrical conductivity （1.65 × 104 S/m）, large workable strain range （〉 80%）, high sensitivity （gauge factor of 17.5 in strain of 0%-10%, 6.0 in strain of 10%-60% and 78.6 in strain of 60%-80%）, inconspicuous resistance overshoot （〈 15%）, good reproducibility and excellent long-term stability （1,750 h at 85℃/85% relative humidity） for PS@Ag/PDMS-60, which only contains - 36.7 wt.% of silver. Simultaneously, this strain sensor provides the advantages of low-cost, simple, and large-area scalable fabrication, as well as robust mechanical properties and versatility in applications. Based on these performance characteristics, its applications in flexible printed electrodes and monitoring vigorous human motions are demonstrated, revealing its tremendous potential for applications in flexible and wearable electronics.

High-precision transfer-printing and integration of vertically oriented semiconductor arrays for flexible device fabrication

Flexible electronics utilizing single crystalline semiconductors typically require post-growth processes to assemble and incorporate the crystalline materials onto flexible substrates. Here we present a high-precision transfer-printing method for vertical arrays of single crystalline semiconductor materials with widely varying aspect ratios and densities enabling the assembly of arrays on flexible substrates in a vertical fashion. Complementary fabrication processes for integrating transferred arrays into flexible devices are also presented and characterized. Robust contacts to transferred silicon wire arrays are demonstrated and shown to be stable under flexing stress down to bending radii of 20 mm. The fabricated devices exhibit a reversible tactile response enabling silicon based, nonpiezoelectric, and flexible tactile sensors. The presented system leads the way towards high-throughput, manufacturable, and scalable fabrication of flexible devices.