Search

In recent years, stimuli-responsive poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) have attracted great attention. The stimuli-dependent properties, particularly the electrical properties, of multiresponsive PILs incorporating functionalized nanoparticles, however, have been less investigated. In this work, we present the synthesis, characterization, and application of PIL films incorporating pH- and thermoresponsive hybrid materials composed of gold nanoparticles functionalized with poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (Au@PDMAEMA). The Au@PDMAEMA nanoparticles exhibit distinct responsiveness to changes in environmental pH and temperature, thereby altering the electrical properties of the PIL films blended with responsive gold nanoparticles (PIL w/Au). This research not only fills a gap in the study of electrical properties of multiresponsive nanoparticle-incorporated PILs but also extends the potential applications of PILs in various fields, including smart sensors and electronic devices.

Area-selective atomic layer deposition (AS-ALD) has drawn significant attention in the past decade because of the potential applications in bottom-up processing, which enables fabricating nanostructures at the atomic level without multiple patterning and lithographic processing that could easily cause alignment issues. Although AS-ALD has been demonstrated using various self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), it is still challenging to develop wet SAM deposition for AS-ALD that is suitable for industrial and semiconductor processes. In this work, we demonstrate highly effective AS-ALD of Al2O3on Co/SiO2patterned wafers using fluorinated thiol in both solution and vapor phase. Compared with conventional SAMs using alky-thiols, the fluorinated-thiol SAMs demonstrate greater blocking ability against ALD precursors owing to excellent hydrophobicity. Furthermore, much shorter deposition times can be achieved in vaporizable fluorinated thiol molecules, improving processing throughput and productivity. Most importantly, the SAM regeneration and redosing processes can further enhance the selectivity of AS-ALD, opening a promising avenue to realize the bottom-up approach in practical semiconductor applications.

Splenic artery pseudoaneurysm (SAP) is a rare but potentially fatal complication of acute pancreatitis. We present a 67‐year‐old female with ruptured SAP as a complication of acute pancreatitis. The patient had mild clinical symptoms on admission, thus was difficult to identify for severe complications. However, she had experienced two episodes of hypovolemic shock on the 10th day after admission. Abdominal computer tomography scan and angiography revealed evidence of splenic artery injury possibly due to acute pancreatitis. The patient underwent transcatheter embolization of splenic artery and total spleen. However, she was still hemodynamically unstable and eventually expired due to severe sepsis. This case raised our clinical awareness of SAP as a rare but life‐threatening complication of acute pancreatitis even in patients with short clinical courses and initially mild symptoms. SAP should be kept in mind during image study or in hemodynamically unstable cases of acute pancreatitis.

In the past two decades, Rayleigh‐instability transformation of polymers confined in cylindrical nanopores has been actively studied, which is a feasible way to manipulate the morphologies of polymer nanostructures. The applications of Rayleigh‐instability‐induced morphologies, however, are highly limited because of the usage of pure polymers. In this work, we investigate the Rayleigh‐instability‐induced transformation of gold nanoparticle/polystyrene (AuNPs@PS) hybrid materials confined in the nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. The AuNPs@PS hybrid materials are then introduced into the nanopores of the AAO templates by the solution wetting method to obtain the AuNPs@PS nanotubes. Upon thermal annealing, the AuNPs@PS nanotubes undergo the Rayleigh‐instability‐induced transformation. Four morphologies are determined, including the nanotube structures, the undulated structures, the Rayleigh‐instability‐induced structures, and the nanorod structures. To further investigate the effect of the molecular weights of PS, we construct the morphology diagrams by determining the morphologies of the AuNPs@PS hybrid nanostructures at different annealing temperatures and times. The morphology transformation rates increase with the annealing temperatures, and the hybrid materials with PS of higher molecular weights exhibit slower dynamics. This research provides useful strategies to fabricate AuNPs@PS with different morphologies and offers a deeper understanding of the Rayleigh‐instability transformation of nanomaterials under confined environments. Weinvestigate the Rayleigh‐instability‐induced transformation of goldnanoparticle/polystyrene (AuNPs@PS) hybrid materials confined in the nanoporesof anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. The AuNPs@PS hybrid materials arethen introduced into the nanopores of the AAO templates by the solution wettingmethod to obtain the AuNPs@PS nanotubes. Upon thermal annealing, the AuNPs@PSnanotubes undergo the Rayleigh‐instability‐induced transformation and fourmorphologies are obtained.