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Flexible strain sensors with significant extensibility, stability, and durability are essential for public healthcare due to their ability to monitor vital health signals noninvasively. However, thus far, the conductive networks have been plagued by the inconsistent interface states of the conductive components, which hampered the ultimate sensitivity performance. Here, we demonstrate structurally integrated 3D conductive networks-based flexible strain sensors of hybrid Ag nanorods/nanoparticles(AgNRs/NPs) by combining a droplet-based aerosol jet printing(AJP) process and a feasible transfer process. Structurally integrated 3D conductive networks have been intentionally developed by tweaking droplets deposition behaviors at multi-scale for efficient hybridization and ordered assembly of AgNRs/NPs. The hybrid AgNRs/NPs enhance interfacial conduction and mechanical properties during stretching. In a strain range of 25%, the developed sensor demonstrates an ideal gauge factor of 23.18. When real-time monitoring of finger bending, arm bending, squatting, and vocalization, the fabricated sensors revealed effective responses to human movements. Our findings demonstrate the efficient droplet-based AJP process is particularly capable of developing advanced flexible devices for optoelectronics and wearable electronics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To satisfy the functional requirements for next‐generation electronic and optoelectronic devices, diverse protocols have thus been developed for preparing transparent flexible electrodes (TFEs) of metallic nanowires with high flexibility and conductivity, while flexible electrodes with 3D configuration have become a burgeoning frontier. Herein, an innovative 3D network of silver nanorod–nanoparticle hybrids (Ag NNH) is realized by a facile aerosol jet printing (AJP) technique. A dynamic assembly mechanism based on the AJP of silver nanowires (AgNWs) ink is proposed, suggesting a favorable evaporation‐induced migration and assembly process along with the coalescence of deposited droplets. The initially formed Ag NNH random network optimizes the wettability, spreading, and pinning of the droplets, shaping the consecutive deposition behavior of the aerosol droplets for constructing the 3D Ag NNH networks. Planar micro‐supercapacitor (MSC) devices are developed using the Ag NNH network as flexible microelectrode, and a competitive areal capacitance performance has been demonstrated in comparison with other Ag‐based devices. It is envisioned that the as‐developed approach will provide an optional approach for developing future electronic and optoelectronic devices with fascinating hierarchical features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D MXene has attracted tremendous attention for developing high‐performance energy storage devices regarding its good metallicity and relatively large accessible surface area. However, the electrochemical performance of MXene‐related devices was hindered due to the pronounced self‐stacking characteristic of MXene. Herein, a convenient aerosol jet printing (AJP) process is developed for the synthesis of MXene nanospheres with crumpled and eccentric structures by modulating the migration and assembly of MXene nanosheets on heat substrate. The existing temperature gradient between the apex and the edge of the deposited droplet causes thermocapillary flows carrying MXene nanosheets toward the edge and the MXene nanosheets are further shaped and assembled along the droplet surface during the solvent evaporation. Interdigital microelectrodes of crumpled MXene nanospheres are tentatively developed for electrochemical performance characterization, a competitive areal capacitance performance is demonstrated in comparison with other MXene‐based devices. Importantly, this work highlights the great potential of the AJP technique for developing functional devices with fascinating hierarchical features as well as further extending applications in miniaturized and intelligent microelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When utilized in energy devices, the restacking tendency of MXene Ti 3 C 2 T x inhibits its electrochemical performance. Using aerosol jet printing (AJP) technology, hybrid Ti 3 C 2 T x /C nanospheres are synthesized with C nanoparticle-bonded MXene nanosheets, and the restacking of MXene nanosheets is blocked efficiently. The formation mechanism for hybrid Ti 3 C 2 T x /C nanospheres has been hypothesized, and the Ti 3 C 2 T x /C is anticipated to assemble and shape along the droplet surface in tandem with the Marangoni flow within the droplet. The planar microsupercapacitor devices generated from these hybrid spherical nanostructures with increased interlayer spacing exhibit exceptional areal capacitance performance. This concept offers a straightforward and effective method for constructing 3D-structured MXene with suppressed self-stacking for diverse high-performance micro energy storage devices., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wu, Lin, Zhang, Zhao, Fan, Lu, Wang, Cao and Gu.)

Additive manufacturing techniques have revolutionized the field of fabricating micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) with a high degree of pattern and geometry flexibility. However, traditional additive manufacturing processes are based on the functionality of microstructural modulation, which is essential for device performance. Herein, Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene was chosen to report a convenient aerosol jet printing (AJP) process for the in situ curling and alignment of MXene nanosheets. The aerosol droplet provides a microscale regime for curling MXene monolayers while their alignment is performed by the as-generated directional stress derived from the quasi-conical fiber array (CFA)-guided parallel droplet flow. Interdigital microelectrodes were further developed with the curled MXene and a satisfying areal capacitance performance has been demonstrated. Importantly, the AJP technique holds promise for revolutionizing additive manufacturing techniques for fabricating future smart microelectronics and devices not only in the microscale but also in the nanoscale., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)