With the rapid development of internet of things and wearable electronics, how to conveniently power uncountable sensors remains a huge challenge. Energy harvesting strategy is suggested to collect and convert environmental energies into electrical energy. Thereinto, piezoelectric polymers are utilized as flexible harvesters to convert mechanical energy. The latter widely distributes in both our daily

Pathogenic bacteria can proliferate rapidly on porous fabrics to form bacterial plaques/biofilms, resulting in potential sources of cross-transmissions of diseases and increasing cross-infection in public environments. Many works on antibacterial modification of cotton fabrics have been reported, while very few works were reported to endow poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabrics with non-leaching

Yarn-based strain sensors (YSSs) have shown great promising in the fabrication of wearable devices for their good comfortability and flexible designability. However, the false signals generated by the changes in the yarn structure of the YSSs are usually ignored. In this study, the generation, the characteristic, and the prediction of these signals were investigated. We recognized that these signals

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) membranes were prepared by 5 wt% UHMWPE/paraffin oil gels via thermally induced phase separation method and dried in air without significant collapse. The UHMWPE membranes were annealed at 110 °C for increasing the pores size in order to decrease the capillary forces. Furthermore, a new multiple stage extractant exchange drying (MSEED) technique was

Stimuli-responsive fusion and fission are widely observed in both bio-organizations and artificial molecular assemblies. Recently, Professor Gao’s group in Zhejiang University discovered and explained an interesting phenomenon that precisely reversible fusion and fission in a bundle of wet-spun graphene oxide fibers is possible. It provides a new model to uncover the dynamic assembly of macroscopic

Research in neuroscience and neuroengineering has attracted tremendous interest in the past decades. However, the complexity of the brain tissue, in terms of its structural, chemical, mechanical, and optical properties, makes the interrogation of biophysical and biochemical signals within the brain of living animals extremely challenging. As a viable and versatile tool for brain studies, optical fiber

The separator with excellent mechanical and thermal properties are highly required for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Therefore, it is crucial to develop novel nanofibrous membranes with enhanced mechanical strength and thermal stability. In this work, the fluorinated polyimide (FPI) was synthesized and blended with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to fabricate composite nanofibrous membranes (CNMs) via

As a promising energy storage device, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have received continuous attention due to their low-cost and environmental friendliness. However, the sluggish kinetics of Na ion usually makes SIBs hard to realize desirable electrochemical performance when compared to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The key to addressing this issue is to build up nanostructured materials which enable

For obtaining high-throughput production of nanofibers, the preparation mechanism of a self-made spherical section free surface electrospinning (SSFSE) using solution reservoirs with different depths was studied. The effects of the solution reservoir depth on the SSFSE process as well as the quality and yield of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers were investigated experimentally using high-speed camera

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have generated remarkable interests in a wide range of research fields due to their excellent electrical properties. However, achieving the CNTs arrangement with high quality in a short time remains a challenge. Herein we studied the in-situ assembly of CNTs based on macroscopic dielectrophoresis by using a centimeter scale electrode, which overcome the limitation of small size

Conducting fibers with improved properties and functionalities are needed for diverse applications. Here we report the fabrication of core/shell conductive Dacron fibers by dip-coating method through originating from multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) coated on polyester fibers. The annealing process was conducted to enhance interaction between the conductive shell and polyester core as well as

Electrode material has been cited as one of the most important determining factors in classifying an energy storage system’s charge storage mechanism, i.e., as battery-type or supercapacitive-type. In this paper, we show that along with the electrode material, the electrolyte also plays a role in determining the charge storage behaviour of the system. For the purpose of our research, we chose multi-elemental

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42765-021-00074-y

Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) have dominated the portable electric market over decades; however, the limited and unevenly distributed lithium resources induce concerns on their future large-scale applications. Increasing efforts have been endeavored on exploring post-Li ion batteries, such as Na-ion, K-ion, Al-ion and Mg-ion batteries, due to the high abundance of the corresponding elements in Earth

Shape memory polymer (SMP) is a kind of material that can sense and respond to the changes of the external environment, and its behavior is similar to the intelligent reflection of life. Electrospinning, as a versatile and feasible technique, has been used to prepare shape memory polymer fibers (SMPFs) and expand their structures. SMPFs show some advanced features and functions in many fields. In this

Green and environmentally friendly electrocatalytic nitrogen (N2) fixation to synthesize ammonia (NH3) is recognized as an effective method to replace the traditional Haber–Bosch process. However, the difficulties in N2 adsorption and fracture of hard N≡N bond still remain major challenges in electrocatalytic N2 reduction reactions (NRR). From the perspectives of enhancing N2 adsorption and providing

Piezoelectric materials are highly desirable for wearable electronics and energy harvesting. Piezoelectric PVDF/ZnO composite nanofibers are particularly desirable for their nontoxicity, breathability, and flexibility. Here, we investigated three methods of fabricating PVDF and ZnO composite nanofibers aimed at optimum piezoelectric responses. It was found, (1) adding ZnO nanorod as fillers within

Polypropylene (PP) membrane has been widely used in water purification and other fields owing to special pore structure, excellent mechanical properties and resistance to acids, alkalis and organic solvents. However, it is difficult for PP to introduce the hydrophilic chemical compositions for oil–water separation. Herein, superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic PP membranes were prepared by

Synchronous function of an ion-exchange polymer and carbon nanotube (CNT) leads to a splendid unipolar-stroke motion and superior actuation performance, in yarn artificial muscles. The ionic polymer proposed in this survey alters the zero potential to create a unipolar muscle (monotonical-stroke) behavior). This study is a great paradigm shift toward application of versatile systems and abundant, but

Flexible solar cells are one of the most significant power sources for modern on-body electronics devices. Recently, fiber-type or fabric-type photovoltaic devices have attracted increasing attentions. Compared with conventional solar cell with planar structure, solar cells with fiber or fabric structure have shown remarkable flexibility and deformability for weaving into almost any shape and assembling

Humidity sensors have become an essential need for improving daily life quality. Here, a novel humidity sensitive fiber was fabricated using the soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the core layer and the non-swellable polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF) embedded with a swellable MIL-88A as the outer layer. Noticeably, the PDMS fiber was chosen as a carrier due to its smoothness, softness and good tensile

In search of effective and stable bifunctional electrocatalyst for electrocatalytic water splitting is still a major challenge for the highly efficient H2 production. Here, we reported a facile strategy to design high-indexed Cu3Pd13S7 nanoparticles (NPs) in situ synthesized on the three-dimensional (3D) carbon nanofibers (CNFs) by combining electrospinning and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technology

The electro-thermal actuators (ETA) are smart devices that can convert electric energy into mechanical energy under electro-heating stimulation, showing great potential in the fields of soft robotics, artificial muscle and aerospace component. In this study, to build a low-voltage activating, fast responding ETA, a robust and flexible carbon nanotube film (CNTF) with excellent electrical and thermal

Fiber breakage is found to be a ubiquitous phenomenon during the thermal treatments for electrospun nanofibers, because of the presence of solvent molecules and unrelaxed assembly of polymer chains. Here a strengthening strategy is designed by introducing a pre-heating stage for the as-spun nanofibers. At a temperature above the polymer’s glass transition temperature, the chains can get sufficiently

Long-term in vivo monitoring of chemicals with implanted sensors has received considerable interests over the past decades owing to their significant contributions in reflecting health conditions and assistance in diagnosing diseases. However, the widely explored chemical sensors outside the body fail to meet the requirements of in vivo applications. This perspective reviews main challenges, recent

The required treatment and monitoring of contaminants in wastewater reinforces the development of low-cost adsorbents/chemosensors, introducing advantages relative to the detection/removal of toxic metals and dyes. Herein, it is reported a two-step process of fabrication of fluorescent carbon dots via the hydrothermal treatment of amino acids for the following encapsulation in electrospun fibers. The

Developing a scalable process is critical to manufacture conductive fabric for commercial applications. This paper describes a scalable coating process that is compatible with existing industrial finishing processes of fabrics. In this process, the fabric is continuously dipped in water-based metal salt and the reducing agent solution to impart conductive particles on the fiber surface. After 10 consecutive

Sodium-ion battery (SIB), one of most promising battery technologies, offers an alternative low-cost solution for scalable energy storage. Developing advanced electrode materials with superior electrochemical performance is of great significance for SIBs. Transition metal sulfides that emerge as promising anode materials have advantageous features particularly for electrochemical redox reaction, including

Disposable medical protective clothing for 2019-nCoV mainly consists of stacked layers with nanopore films, polymer coated nonwoven fabrics and melt-blown nonwoven fabrics against anti-microbial and anti-liquid penetration. However, such structures lack moisture permeability and breathability leading to an uncomfortable, stuffy wearing experience. Here, we propose a novel medical protective clothing

Textiles have proved to be very important materials to human beings since the time immemorial. And, fibers are the basic building units of these materials. In this perspective we substantiate the uniqueness and capability of nanofibers as active layers in face masks, to protect people against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This time-sensitive letter introduces the mechanisms based on which

Warp sizing is considered as the most important process of weaving preparation in the textile field. The quality of sized warp yarns is directly determined by the permeation and coating of sizing paste into/on warp yarns. However, many significant flaws of the current method of permeability and coating property of sizing paste, such as low accuracy and narrow variety adaptability for sizing agents

Wearable devices have received tremendous interests in human sweat analysis in the past few years. However, the widely used polymeric substrates and the layer-by-layer stacking structures greatly influence the cost-efficiency, conformability and breathability of the devices, further hindering their practical applications. Herein, we report a facile and low-cost strategy for the fabrication of a skin-friendly

Public health events caused by viruses pose a significant risk to humans worldwide. From December 2019 till now, the rampant novel 2019 coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2) has hugely impacted China and over world. Regarding a commendable means of protection, mask technology is relatively mature, though most of the masks cannot effectively resist the viral infections. The key material of the mask is a non-woven

The health benefits and sensing applications of curcumin-based systems depend on their prevailing photophysical and chemical properties at a specific environment—the characteristic low solubility of curcumin in water hinders high-dosage based applications. To circumvent this drawback, curcumin has been incorporated in hydrophobic environments in nanoscale. Herein, electrospun fibers of Eudragit L100

AbstractUsing Fiber as the based material for photocatalyst particles is favorable for their recovery, thereby avoiding the photocatalyst particles cause secondary pollution to water environment. In this work, the AgBr and Ag3PO4 photocatalyst particles were loaded onto the surface of chitosan fiber (CF) via chelation and in situ anion-exchange method. The photocatalytic results illustrated that the

AbstractThe analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) allows a noninvasive method of “real-time liquid biopsy” from the blood samples of cancer patients for the diagnosis of early-stage cancer, prognosis, and monitoring therapeutic response. In this study, we develop a simple, inexpensive, and reliable method that utilizes a small molecule peptide, the asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR), as a capture

The improvement of the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 nanofibers (NFs), prepared by electrospinning, is achieved by surface modification with the rhodizonic acid (RhA). The condensation reaction between hydroxyl groups from TiO2 NFs and RhA is accompanied by the red-shift of optical absorption due to interfacial charge transfer (ICT) complex formation. Crystal structure, morphology, and optical