Electrothermal analysis of radiofrequency tissue ablation with injectable flexible electrodes considering bio-heat transfer

Flexible electrodes have been widely focused on in recent years due to their special mechanical properties,which can be directly integrated onto human soft tissues to actively take effects on human body or passively monitor human vital signs.These flexible electrodes provide a new routine to realize clinical treatment of accurate thermal ablation in the biological tissues via radiofrequency ablation(RFA).Meanwhile,accurately controlling of thermal field is very significant for the thermal ablation in the clinical therapeutics to prevent the healthy tissue from excessive burning.In this paper,both one-dimensional and two-dimensional axisymmetric analytical models for the electrothermal analysis of radiofrequency ablation considering bio-heat transfer are established,which are verified by finite element analysis(FEA)and in vitro experiments on pig skins.In the model,the electrical field and thermal field are both derived analytically to accurately predict the temperature rise in the biological tissues.Furthermore,parameters,such as the blood flow convection in living tissues and thickness of tissue,have obvious effects on the thermal field in the tissues.They may pave the theoretical foundation and provide guidance of RFA with flexible electrodes in the future.

Ionic Liquid-Enhanced Assembly of Nanomaterials for Highly Stable Flexible Transparent Electrodes

The controlled assembly of nanomaterials has demon-strated significant potential in advancing technological devices.However,achieving highly efficient and low-loss assembly technique for nanomate-rials,enabling the creation of hierarchical structures with distinctive func-tionalities,remains a formidable challenge.Here,we present a method for nanomaterial assembly enhanced by ionic liquids,which enables the fabrication of highly stable,flexible,and transparent electrodes featuring an organized layered structure.The utilization of hydrophobic and non-volatile ionic liquids facilitates the production of stable interfaces with water,effectively preventing the sedimentation of 1D/2D nanomaterials assembled at the interface.Furthermore,the interfacially assembled nanomaterial monolayer exhibits an alternate self-climbing behavior,enabling layer-by-layer transfer and the formation of a well-ordered MXene-wrapped silver nanowire network film.The resulting composite film not only demonstrates exceptional photoelectric performance with a sheet resistance of 9.4Ωsq^(-1) and 93%transmittance,but also showcases remarkable environmental stability and mechanical flexibility.Particularly noteworthy is its application in transparent electromagnetic interference shielding materials and triboelectric nanogenerator devices.This research introduces an innovative approach to manufacture and tailor functional devices based on ordered nanomaterials.

Recent advances in nanofiber-based flexible transparent electrodes

Flexible and stretchable transparent electrodes are widely used in smart display,energy,wearable devices and other fields.Due to the limitations of flexibility and stretchability of indium tin oxide electrodes,alternative electrodes have appeared,such as metal films,metal nanowires,and conductive meshes.However,few of the above electrodes can simultaneously have excellent flexibility,stretchability,and optoelectronic properties.Nanofiber(NF),a continuous ultra-long one-dimensional conductive material,is considered to be one of the ideal materials for high-performance transparent electrodes with excellent properties due to its unique structure.This paper summarizes the important research progress of NF flexible transparent electrodes(FTEs)in recent years from the aspects of NF electrode materials,preparation technology and application.First,the unique advantages and limitations of various NF materials are systematically discussed.Then,we summarize the preparation technology of various advanced NF FTEs,and point out the future development trend.We also discuss the application of NFs in solar cells,supercapacitors,electric heating equipments,sensors,etc,and analyze its development potential in flexible electronic equipment,as well as problems that need to be solved.Finally,the challenges and future development trends are proposed in the wide application of NF FTEs in the field of flexible optoelectronics.

Bifunctional flexible electrochromic energy storage devices based on silver nanowire flexible transparent electrodes

Flexible electrochromic energy storage devices(FECESDs)for powering flexible electronics have attracted considerable attention.Silver nanowires(AgNWs)are one kind of the most promising flexible transparent electrodes(FTEs)materials for the emerging flexible devices.Currently,fabricating FECESD based on AgNWs FTEs is still hindered by their intrinsic poor electrochemical stability.To address this issue,a hybrid AgNWs/Co(OH)_(2)/PEDOT:PSS electrode is proposed.The PEDOT:PSS could not only improve the resistance against electrochemical corrosion of AgNWs,but also work as functional layer to realize the color-changing and energy storage properties.Moreover,the Co(OH)_(2)interlayer further improved the color-changing and energy storage performance.Based on the improvement,we assembled the symmetrical FECESDs.Under the same condition,the areal capacitance(0.8 mF cm^(−2))and coloration efficiency(269.80 cm^(2)C−1)of AgNWs/Co(OH)_(2)/PEDOT:PSS FECESDs were obviously higher than AgNWs/PEDOT:PSS FECESDs.Furthermore,the obtained FECESDs exhibited excellent stability against the mechanical deformation.The areal capacitance remained stable during 1000 times cyclic bending with a 25 mm curvature radius.These results demonstrated the broad application potential of the AgNWs/Co(OH)_(2)/PEDOT:PSS FECESD for the emerging portable and multifunctional electronics.

Sugar transfer of nanomaterials and flexible electrodes

Nanomaterials with various dimensionalities(e.g.,nanowires,nanofilms,two-dimensional materials,and three-dimensional nanostructures)have shown great potential in the recent development of flexible electronics.Conventionally,organic solvents are inevitable while integrating nanomaterials onto flexible substrates,where polymer mediator-assisted transfer techniques are involved.This often damages the flexible substrate and thus hamper the large-scale application of nanomaterials.Here we report a method using watersoluble sugar as a mediator to facilely transfer nanomaterials onto rigid or flexible substrates.This method requires no organic solvent during transfer.More importantly,the morphology and properties of transferred nanomaterials,such as shape,microstructure,resistivity,and transmittance are well preserved on the target substrate.We believe that this universal and rapid transfer method can greatly advance the applications of nanomaterials in the field of flexible devices and beyond.

Microfibrillated Cellulose Based Ink for Eco-Sustainable Screen Printed Flexible Electrodes in Lithium Ion Batteries

Free organic solvent ink containing graphite, carboxymethyl cellulose and microfibrillated cellulose as active material, dispersing and binder, respectively, has been formulated to produce flexible and eco- sustainable electrodes for lithium ion batteries. Content ratio of components and dispersion protocol were tailored in order to have theological properties suitable for a large and cheap manufacturing process as well as screen printing. The bio-sourced printed electrodes exhibit a high porosity value of 70% that limits the electrochemical performances. However, the calendering process enhances electrode performances by increasing the reversible capacity from 85 until 315 mAh/g and reducing porosity to an optimal value of 34%. Moreover the introduction of 2% w/w of monofluoro-ethylene carbonate in the electrolyte reduced their reversible capacity loss of 11% in the printed electrode.

High loading carbon nanotubes deposited onto porous nickel yarns by solution imbibition as flexible wire-shaped supercapacitor electrodes

The deposition of active materials directly onto metal wires is a general strategy to prepare wire-shaped electrodes for flexible and wearable energy storage devices. However, it is still a critical challenge to coat active materials onto the aimed metal wires because of their smooth surface and small specific surface area. In this work, high porous nickel yarns（PNYs） was fabricated using commercial nylon yarns as templates through step-wise electroless plating, electroplating and calcination processes. The PNYs are composed of multiplied fibers with hollow tubular structure of 5–10 μm in diameter, allowing the imbibition of carbon nanotubes（CNTs） solution by a facile capillary action process. The prepared CNTs/PNY electrodes showed a typical electrochemical double layer capacitive performance and the constructed allsolid flexible wire-shaped symmetric supercapacitors provided a specific capacitance of 4.67 F/cm3 with good cycling stability at a current density of 0.6 A/cm3.

Stress release in high-capacity flexible lithium-ion batteries through nested wrinkle texturing of graphene

Flexible lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)are critical for the development of next-generation smart electronics.Conversion reaction-based electrodes have been considered promising to construct high energy-density flexible LIBs,which satisfy the ever-increasing demand for practical use.However,these electrodes suffer from inferior lithium-storage performance and structural instability during deformation and long-term lithiation/delithiation.These are caused by the sluggish reaction kinetics of active-materials and the superposition of responsive strains originating from the large lithiation-induced stress and applied stress.Here,we propose a stress-release strategy through elastic responses of nested wrinkle texturing of graphene,to achieve high deformability while maintaining structural integrity upon prolonged cycles within high-capacity electrodes.The wrinkles endow the electrode with a robust and flexible network for effective stress release.The resulting electrode shows large reversible stretchability,along with excellent electrochemical performance including high specific capacity,high-rate capability and long-term cycling stability.This strategy offers a new way to obtain high-performance flexible electrodes and can be extended to other energy-storage devices.

Recently advances in flexible zinc ion batteries

Flexible batteries are key component of wearable electronic devices.Based on the requirements of medical and primary safety of wearable energy storage devices,rechargeable aqueous zinc ion batteries(ZIBs)are promising portable candidates in virtue of its intrinsic safety,abundant storage and low cost.However,many inherent challenges have greatly hindered the development in flexible Zn-based energy storage devices,such as rigid current collector and/or metal anode,easily detached cathode materials and a relatively narrow voltage window of flexible electrolyte.Thus,overcoming these challenges and further developing flexible ZIBs are inevitable and imperative.This review summarizes the most advanced progress in designs and discusses of flexible electrode,electrolyte and the practical application of flexible ZIBs in different environments.We also exhibit the heart of the matter that current flexible ZIBs faces.Finally,some prospective approaches are proposed to address these key issues and point out the direction for the future development of flexible ZIBs.

Recent Progress of Electrode Materials for Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells

Flexible perovskite solar cells(FPSCs) have attracted enormous interest in wearable and portable electronics due to their high power-per-weight and low cost. Flexible and efficient perovskite solar cells require the development of flexible electrodes compatible with the optoelectronic properties of perovskite. In this review, the recent progress of flexible electrodes used in FPSCs is comprehensively reviewed. The major features of flexible transparent electrodes, including transparent conductive oxides, conductive polymer, carbon nanomaterials and nanostructured metallic materials are systematically compared. And the corresponding modification strategies and device performance are summarized. Moreover, flexible opaque electrodes including metal films, opaque carbon materials and metal foils are critically assessed. Finally, the development directions and difficulties of flexible electrodes are given.

MoO2 nanoparticles/carbon textiles cathode for high performance flexible Li-O2 battery

Conventional Li-O2 battery is hardly considered as a next-generation flexible electronics thus far,since it is inflexible,bulk,and limited by the absence of the adjustable cell configuration.Here,we report a binder-free and flexible electrode of x wt%MoO2 NPs/CTs(x=6,16,and 28).A cell with 16 wt% MoO2 NPs/CTs displays a good cyclability over 240 cycles with a low overpotential of 0.33 V on the 1st cycle at a constant current density of 0.2 mA cm-2,a considerable rate performance,a superior reversibility associated with the desired formation and degradation of Li2O2,and a high electrochemical stability even under stringent bending and twisting conditions.Our work represents a promising progress in the material development and architecture design of O2 electrode for flexible Li-O2 batteries.

Ultra-light and flexible pencil-trace anode for high performance potassium-ion and lithium-ion batteries

Engineering design of battery configurations and new battery system development are alternative approaches to achieve high performance batteries. A novel flexible and ultra-light graphite anode is fabricated by simple friction drawing on filter paper with a commercial 8 B pencil.Compared with the traditional anode using copper foil as current collector, this innovative current-collector-free design presents capacity improvement of over 200% by reducing the inert weight of the electrode. The as-prepared pencil-trace electrode exhibits excellent rate performance in potassium-ion batteries(KIBs), significantly better than in lithium-ion batteries(LIBs), with capacity retention of 66% for the KIB vs. 28% for the LIB from 0.1 to 0.5 A g^(-1). It also shows a high reversible capacity of ～230 mAh g^(-1) at 0.2 A g^(-1), 75% capacity retention over350 cycles at 0.4 A g^(-1)and the highest rate performance(based on the total electrode weight) among graphite electrodes for K+ storage reported so far.

Advanced flexible electrode materials and structural designs for sodium ion batteries

With the spectacular rise of wearable and portable electronics,flexible power supplying systems with robust mechanical flexibility and high energy storage performance under various mechanical deformation conditions are imperative to be needed.Sodium ion batteries(SIBs)with sustainable natural abundance,low cost and superb properties similar to equivalent lithium ion batteries(LIBs),which have shown significant potentials as energy source for flexible electronic devices.In this review,the recent advances in flexible electrode materials based on different types of conductive substrates are addressed and the strategies underlying rational design for flexible structures are highlighted,as well as their applications in flexible SIBs.The remaining key challenges in rational electrodes design are discussed,and perspectives for practical applications of flexible SIBs are proposed as general guidance for future research of high-performance flexible SIBs.

A novel flexible plasma array for large-area uniform treatment of an irregular surface

In this work,we demonstrate a flexible multi-pin plasma generator with movable electrodes,which can change the shape of the electrode array freely,and then provide a large-area uniform plasma for the treatment of surfaces of different shapes.Discharge characteristics including U-I waveforms and discharge images and sterilization performance under three different electrode configurations(flat-flat,flat-curve,curve-curve)are investigated.Very similar results are acquired between the flat-flat configuration and the curve-curve configuration,which is much better than that under flat-curve configuration.This flexible multi-pin plasma generator offers a simple method to treat different irregularly shaped surfaces uniformly with a single device.Moreover,this device provides a foundation for developing a self-adaption large-scale uniform plasma generator by further introducing automatic adjustment of the position of every electrode driven by motors with discharge current feedback in the following study.Thus it will promote the applications of atmospheric-pressure cold plasmas significantly.

High-efficiency stretchable organic light-emitting diodes based on ultra-flexible printed embedded metal composite electrodes

Stretchable organic light-emitting diodes(OLEDs)are important components for flexible/wearable electronics.However,the efficiency of the existing stretchable OLEDs is still much lower as compared with their rigid counterparts,one of the main reasons being the lack of ideal flexible transparent electrodes.Herein,we propose and develop a printed embedded metal composite electrode(PEMCE)strategy that enables the fabrication of ultra-thin,highly flexible transparent electrodes with robust mechanical properties.With the flexible transparent electrodes serves as the anodes,flexible/stretchable white OLEDs have been successfully constructed,achieving a current efficiency of up to 77.4 cd A^(-1)and a maximum luminance of 34787 cd m^(-2).The current efficiency of the resulting stretchable OLEDs is the highest ever reported for flexible/stretchable white OLEDs,which is about 1.2 times higher than that of the reference rigid devices based on ITO/glass electrodes.The excellent optoelectronic properties of the printed embedded transparent electrodes and the light extraction effect of the Ag-mesh account for the significant increase in current efficiency.Remarkably,the electroluminescence performance still retains~83%of the original luminance even after bending the device 2000 cycles at a radii of~0.5 mm.More importantly,the device can withstand tensile strains of up to~100%,and even mechanical deformation of 90%tensile strain does not result in a significant loss of electroluminescence performance with current efficiency and luminance maintained at over 85%.The results confirm that the PEMCE strategy is effective for constructing ultra-flexible transparent electrodes,showing great promise for use in a variety of flexible/stretchable electronics.

Sub-nanoscale Engineering of MoO_(2) Clusters for Enhanced Sodium Storage

Smart construction of battery-type anodes with high rate and good mechanical properties is significant for advanced sodium ion capacitors(SICs).Herein,a flexible film consisting of MoO_(2) subnanoclusters encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers(MoO_(2) SCs@N-CNFs)is designed and synthesized via electrospinning toward SICs as anodes.The strong N-Mo interaction guarantees the stable yet uniform dispersion of high loading MoO_(2) SCs(≈40 wt.%)in the flexible carbonaceous substrate.The sub-nanoscale effect of SCs restrains electrode pulverization and improves the Na+diffusion kinetics,rendering better pseudocapacitance-dominated Na+-storage properties than the nanocrystal counterpart.The MoO_(2) SCs@N-CNFs paper with mass loadings of 2.2–10.1 mg cm^(−2) can be directly used as free-standing anode for SICs,which exhibit high reversible gravimetric/areal capacities both in liquid and quasi-solid-state electrolytes.The assembled flexible SICs competitively exhibit exceptional energy density and cycling stability.More significantly,the sub-nanoscale engineering strategy here is promisingly generalized to future electrode design for other electrochemical energy-related applications and beyond.

Laser-induced graphene-coated wearable smart textile electrodes for biopotentials signal monitoring

This paper describes how to produce a wearable dry electrode at a reasonable cost and how to use it for the monitoring of biopotentials in electrocardiography.Smart textiles in wearable technologies have made a great advancement in the health care management and living standards of humans.Graphene was manufactured using the low-cost single-step process,laser ablation of polyimide,a commercial polymer.Graphene dispersions were made using solvent isopropyl alcohol which has low boiling point,nontoxicity,and environmental friendliness.After successive coating of the graphene dispersion on the cotton fabric to make it conductive,the sheet resistance of the resulting fabric dropped to 3% of its initial value.The laser-induced graphene(LIG)cotton dry electrodes thus manufactured are comparable to Ag/AgCl wet electrodes in terms of the skin-to-electrode impedance,measuring between 78.0 and 7.2 kΩ for the frequency between 40 Hz and 1 kHz.The LIG cotton electrode displayed a signal-to-noise ratio of 20.17 dB.Due to its comfort,simplicity,and good performance over a longer period of time,the textile electrode appears suited for medical applications.

Recent progress in graphene-based electrodes for flexible batteries

The emerging flexible electronic devices have stimulated the development of flexible batteries,in which flexible electrodes are indispensable components.Graphene,known for its excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical stability,can be used as an ideal flexible substrate.Recently,many efforts have been devoted to graphene-based electrodes for flexible batteries.Herein,this review summarizes recent advances in the development of graphene-based electrodes for various flexible batteries,including metal-ion batteries(ions of Li,Na,Zn,Al,etc.),lithiumsulfur batteries,and metal-air batteries(Li-and Zn-air batteries).Besides,major challenges and future developments of flexible batteries are also discussed.

Nanostructured porous polyaniline(PANI)coated carbon cloth(CC)as electrodes for flexible supercapacitor device

Nanostructured porous polyaniline(PANI)has been synthesized and coated simultaneously on a highly flexible and conductive carbon cloth(CC)substrate using a simple in-situ chemical oxidative polymerization technique.PANI coated CC(PANI-CC)based flexible electrodes were further used for the fabrication of flexible supercapacitor devices.For the comparison purpose,pure PANI has also been synthesized and tested for its electrochemical performance.The energy storage capacity of PANI and PANI–CC composite was investigated using electrochemical techniques like CV,GCD,and EIS in a potential range from 0 to 0.8 V in 1 M H_(2)SO_(4)electrolyte.PANI-CC flexible electrodes exhibited the highest specific capacitance of 691 F/g;whereas,pure PANI could only achieve 575 F/g of specific capacitance at 1 A/g.Composite also exhibited outstanding cyclic stability by recollecting 94%of its initial capacitance after 2000 GCD cycles.For actual implementation,a flexible supercapacitor device has been fabricated using stainless steel sheets and PANI-CC flexile electrodes.The energy storage performance of the PANI-CC flexible supercapacitor device was tested at several bending angles,which resulted in 72%of capacitance retention at a maximum bending angle of 140°compared to the capacitance obtained at an angle 0°(flat state).PANI-CC exhibited improved electrochemical performance than pure PANI due to the synergistic effect between PANI and CC.Here,CC helped in enhancing the conductivity and stability;whereas,PANI boosted the capacitance owing to its excellent porosity and fast pseudocapacitive charge storage response.

Fast ion diffusion alloy layer facilitating 3D mesh substrate for dendrite-free zinc-ion hybrid capacitors

Although aqueous zinc ion hybrid capacitors have advantageous integration of batteries and supercapacitors,they still suffer from the inherent problems of dendrite growth and interfacial side reactions on Zn anodes.Herein,a universal fast zinc-ion diffusion layer on a three-dimensional(3 D)mesh structure model is demonstrated to effectively improve Zn plating/stripping reversibility.The fast ion diffusion alloy layer accelerates the Zn^(2+)migration in an orderly manner to homogenize Zn^(2+)flux and overcomes the defects of the commercial mesh substrate,effectively avoiding dendrite growth and side reactions.Consequently,the proof-of-concept silver-zinc alloy modified stainless steel mesh delivers superb reversibility with the high coulombic efficiency over 99.4%at 4 mA cm^(-2)after 1600 cycles and excellent reliability of over 830 h at 1 mA cm^(-2),Its feasibility is also evidenced in commercial zinc ion hybrid capacitors with activated carbon as the cathode.This work enriches the fundamental comprehension of fast zinc-ion diffusion layer combined with a 3 D substrate on the Zn deposition and opens a universal approach to design advanced host for Zn electrodes in zinc ion hybrid capacitors.