Search

This study presents a novel, green, and efficient way of preparing crosslinked aerogels from cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and alginate using non‐covalent chemistry. This new process can ultimately facilitate the fast, continuous, and large‐scale production of porous, light‐weight materials as it does not require freeze‐drying, supercritical CO2 drying, or any environmentally harmful crosslinking chemistries. The reported preparation procedure relies solely on the successive freezing, solvent‐exchange, and ambient drying of composite CNF‐alginate gels. The presented findings suggest that a highly‐porous structure can be preserved throughout the process by simply controlling the ionic strength of the gel. Aerogels with tunable densities (23–38 kg m−3) and compressive moduli (97–275 kPa) can be prepared by using different CNF concentrations. These low‐density networks have a unique combination of formability (using molding or 3D‐printing) and wet‐stability (when ion exchanged to calcium ions). To demonstrate their use in advanced wet applications, the printed aerogels are functionalized with very high loadings of conducting poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):tosylate (PEDOT:TOS) polymer by using a novel in situ polymerization approach. In‐depth material characterization reveals that these aerogels have the potential to be used in not only energy storage applications (specific capacitance of 78 F g−1), but also as mechanical‐strain and humidity sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report macroscopic electromagnetic devices made from conducting polymers. We compare their fundamental properties and device parameters with those of similar devices made from copper wires. By using self-standing supra-ampere conducting polymer wires, we are able to manufacture inductors that generate magnetic fields well over 1 G, and incorporate them in feedback LC oscillators operating at 8.65 MHz. Moreover, by utilizing the unique electrochemical functionality of conducting polymers, we demonstrate electrochemically-tunable electromagnets and electromagnetic chemical sensors. Our findings pave the way to lightweight electromagnetic technologies that can be processed (from water dispersions) using low-temperature protocols into flexible shapes and geometries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochromic displays based on conducting polymers exhibit higher contrasts and are cheaper, faster, more durable, and easier to synthesize as well as to process than their non-polymeric counterparts. However, current devices are typically based on thin electrochromic layers on top of a reflecting surface, which limits the thickness of the polymer layer to a few hundred nanometers. Here, we embed a light-scattering material within the electrochromic material to achieve a freestanding electrochromic paper-like electrode (50 to 500 μm). The device is based on a cellulose composite combining PEDOT:PSS as the electrochromic material and TiO2 nanoparticles as the reflecting material. Owing to the excellent refractive properties of TiO2, this nanocomposite is white in the neutral state and, when reduced, turns blue resulting in a color contrast around 30. The composite has a granular morphology and, as shown by AFM, an intermingling of TiO2 and PEDOT:PSS at the surface. Variation of the amount of TiO2 within the composite material is shown to result in a trade-off in optical and electrical properties. A proof-of-concept freestanding electrochromic device was fabricated by casting all layers successively to maximize the interlayer conformation. This freestanding device was found to be stable for over 100 cycles when ramped between 3 and −3 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) transform a heat flow into electricity. Thermoelectric materials are being investigated for electricity production from waste heat (co-generation) and natural heat sources. For temperatures below 200 °C, the best commercially available inorganic semiconductors are bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3)-based alloys, which possess a figure of merit ZT close to one. Most of the recently discovered thermoelectric materials with ZT>2 exhibit one common property, namely their low lattice thermal conductivities. Nevertheless, a high ZT value is not enough to create a viable technology platform for energy harvesting. To generate electricity from large volumes of warm fluids, heat exchangers must be functionalized with TEGs. This requires thermoelectric materials that are readily synthesized, air stable, environmentally friendly and solution processable to create patterns on large areas. Here we show that conducting polymers might be capable of meeting these demands. The accurate control of the oxidation level in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) combined with its low intrinsic thermal conductivity (λ=0.37 W m−1 K−1) yields a ZT=0.25 at room temperature that approaches the values required for efficient devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic transistors that use polyelectrolytes as gate insulators can be driven at very low voltages (<1 V). The low operating voltage is possible thanks to the formation of electric double layers upon polarization, which generates large electric fields at the critical interfaces in the device structure. In this work, we use a semiconducting blend (of a high electron affinity polymer and a low ionization potential one) in conjunction with a solid polyelectrolyte insulator to fabricate low-voltage ambipolar organic transistors. For both n- and p-channel operation, we use a polycation with readily mobile-yet large enough to limit bulk doping of the semiconductor-counterions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complementary circuits, processing digital signals, are a cornerstone of modern electronics. Such circuits require both p- and n-type transistors. Polyelectrolytes are used as gate insulators in organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) to establish an electric double layer capacitor upon gate bias that allows low operational voltages (<1 V). However, stable and low-voltage operating n-channel organic transistors have proven difficult to construct. Here, we report ultra-low voltage n-channel organic polymer-based transistors that are stable in ambient atmosphere. Our n-type OTFTs exhibit on/off ratios around 103 for an applied drain potential as low as 0.1 V. Since small ions are known to promote electrochemical reactions within the semiconductor's channel bulk and typically slow down the transistor, we use a solid polycationic gate insulator that suppresses penetration of anions into the n-channel semiconductor. As a result, our n-channel OTFTs switch on in under 5 ms and off in less than 1 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mixed ionic-electronic conductor based on nanofibrillated cellulose composited with poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythio-phene):-poly(styrene-sulfonate) along with high boiling point solvents is demonstrated in bulky electrochemical devices. The high electronic and ionic conductivities of the resulting nanopaper are exploited in devices which exhibit record values for the charge storage capacitance (1F) in supercapacitors and transconductance (1S) in electrochemical transistors.