Articles in 2019

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  • The adhesive lipo-hydrogel (A-LIP-PEG) fabricated by mixing PEG hydrogels and adhesive liposomes can be locally injected into the osteoporotic fracture and bone marrow cavity, where A-LIP-PEG can release adhesive liposomes based on the principle of electrostatic attraction to adhere to the bone injury area to promote bone reconstruction.

    • Lili Liu
    • Yi Xiang
    • Wenguo Cui
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Since the first report in 1970s, W–Cu composites have attracted extensive attentions owing to their outstanding integrated properties of high hardness, wear resistance and electrical conductivity and low thermal expansion coefficient. This article reviewed recent important progress in the fields of preparation, microstructural characterization, and mechanical and physical properties of W–Cu composites. Particularly, new technologies for microstructure refinement and strategies to enhance the comprehensive performance were summarized and evaluated. The future promising research issues, which may break though the bottleneck of existing performance level of W–Cu composites and facilitate the development of other refractory/non-ferrous metals based nanocomposites, were proposed.

    • Chao Hou
    • Xiaoyan Song
    • Zuoren Nie
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • In this work, the quantum Griffiths singularity (QGS) of superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) is discovered in TiO thin films with insulating normal states. A magnetic field-tuned SIT with a diverging dynamic critical exponent, the direct evidence of QGS, is observed in TiO thin films with different thicknesses. The critical magnetic field Hc tends to saturate at low temperature, different from the upturn trend of Hc in superconductor-metal transition (SMT) systems. The results extend the QGS scenario from SMT systems to SIT systems, and provide decisive clues to conclude that the QGS is a common feature of crystalline superconducting thin films.

    • Chao Zhang
    • Yunjie Fan
    • Xiaoguang Li
    ArticleOpen Access
  • A dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) which can provide reconfigurable 3D shape morphing was reported in this work. The reconfigurable actuator was fabricated by integrating the DEA with the ethyl cellulose (EC) paper. The mechanical actuation from the DEA under electrical bias was “instructed” by the origami EC paper to achieve designed shape changes. The crease patterns in the EC paper can be reprogrammed on demand, delivering alternative shape changes in the reconfigurable actuator. The strategy developed in this paper provides a promising approach to create sophisticated 3D shapes from DEAs without the requirement of complicated and bulky device architectures.

    • Jiangxin Wang
    • Shaohui Li
    • Pooi See Lee
    ArticleOpen Access
  • The Mo2N-CoO hollow heterostructures are designed synthesis by the nitridation of a hollow Co-Mo-O precursor from controllable reaction of ZIF-67 (Co source and template) with Na2MoO4 (Mo source and OH- source). The catalyst exhibits good HER performance with an overpotential of 65 mV at 10 mA cm−2 benefited from the combined virtues of hollow structure and heterojunction. The adjudication of MOFs makes current route promising toward the design of the transition metal-based catalyst for catalytic application.

    • Danni Su
    • Xiaomeng Zhang
    • Honggang Fu
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Organic molecular crystals (OMCs) are shown to be an ideal material for organic photosynaptic devices, which provide homophylic memory and transinformation functions of neurons by means of a unique photon-induced charge transfer effect. As a result, a proof-of-concept artificial image-perception system is demonstrated by integrating the OMC-based photosynapses on a flexible substrate.

    • Wei Deng
    • Xiujuan Zhang
    • Jiansheng Jie
    ArticleOpen Access
  • An efficient and resource-free pre-enrichment method using epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a polyphenolic biomolecule, has been developed, which enables to isolate and detect exosomal miRNA in human blood plasma samples. The system comprises three steps: (1) EGCG-mediated exosome aggregation, (2) filter-based exosome isolation, and (3) molecular beacon-based detection of target exosomal miRNA. Using blood samples from cancer patients, including those with gastric cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, our EGCG-assisted miRNA diagnostic system can detect levels of target miRNAs (miR-21, -27a, and -375) in exosomes correlated well with those in an open-geodatabase. Our study highlights the use of a bio-adhesive-mediated preparation method in clinical samples, which can effectively achieve sample isolation and enrichment for exosome-based molecular diagnostics.

    • Minjeong Jang
    • Giwoong Choi
    • Pilnam Kim
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Surface electromyography (sEMG) is widely used to analyze human movements, including athletic performance. Here, we develop a skin-contact patch consisting of kirigami-based stretchable wirings and conductive polymer nanosheet-based ultraconformable bioelectrodes that can detect sEMG signals from the palm muscle during baseball pitching. We observe differences in the activity of the palm muscle between different types of pitches—fastball and curveball. This sEMG measurement system will enable the analysis of motion in unexplored muscle areas, leading to a deeper understanding of muscular activity during performance in a wide range of sports and other movements.

    • Kento Yamagishi
    • Takenori Nakanishi
    • Toshinori Fujie
    ArticleOpen Access
  • The periodic domain pattern of BiFeO3 enables the anisotropic superconductivity in YBa2Cu3O7 − x. In this work, we introduce a design of periodic multiferroic domain patterns to create the anisotropic superconductivity. High TC can be found when we measured the resistance parallel to the domain wall direction and the broader transition with lower TC is found to be perpendicular to the domain walls. (a) and (b) the resistance versus temperature in YBa2Cu3O7 − x/BiFeO3 heterostructures with two different domain patterns 109° and 71°, respectively.

    • Yen-Lin Huang
    • Bo-Chao Huang
    • Ying-Hao Chu
    ArticleOpen Access
  • (a) Schematic illustration of volume (v) - Pressure (P) - Temperature (T) diagram of the metallic glass. The process of creating ultra-dense glassy state through the high-pressure heat treatment is described (A → B → C → D → E). (b) New type of ultra-dense anomalous metallic glass was confirmed to be created by density and electric resistivity measurements.

    • Rui Yamada
    • Yuki Shibazaki
    • Junji Saida
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Three-dimensional nanocup Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12–CoFe2O4 heterostructure film is obtained via a heavily Co, Fe co-doped ferroelectric Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 target during pulsed laser deposition. The unique 3D nanocup architecture beyond usual architectures enables reversible magnetoelectric switching of the multiferroic heterostructure film through overcoming leakage issues, as well as efficient interfacial strain coupling based on their structural benefits.

    • Hyunji An
    • Hyo Jin Hong
    • Sanghan Lee
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Inspired by the design philosophy of classical rebar steel-reinforced concrete in building industry, continuous Ti alloy reinforced aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) were architected for the first time by an original micro-casting process in this study. The yield strengths of present AMC samples reach 400~660 MPa, which are much higher than all the commercial or laboratorial cast Al-Si alloys (55~310 MPa). With the help of 3D printing technology, the present method makes it possible to “architect” the AMC like building a house, and reinforce the matrix at the designed position.

    • Chenwei Shao
    • Shuo Zhao
    • Robert O. Ritchie
    ArticleOpen Access
  • We reveal unusual electronic and structural changes of nano-crystalline CsPbBr3 at different temperatures. Using high-resolution spectroscopic ellipsometry, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, terahertz spectroscopy and supported by first-principles calculations, we find that a new dual structural phase is observed due to an effect of the material’s nano-crystalline nature. We also develop a method of determining the phase transitions within the material through the identification of optical transitions within the electronic structure and the comparison of experimental data and theoretical models. Our result shows the importance of the interplay between charge and lattice in determining structural and electronic properties of nano-crystalline materials.

    • T. J. Whitcher
    • L. C. Gomes
    • A. Rusydi
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Inspired by the rolling mechanism of the proboscis of a butterfly, a rollable electronics which can be rolled and unrolled on demand is developed. The rollable platform provides sufficient force which grips onto the entire target surface without destroying the target. Micro bio-objects are gripped by using the rollable platform and their tiny motions are successfully detected with the sensor on the platform. Furthermore, detecting pulse wave signals of the swine is successfully conducted by rolling up the rollable system around the blood vessel of swine, which result proves the feasibility of rollable platform as a biomedical device.

    • Gunhee Lee
    • Yong Whan Choi
    • Mansoo Choi
    ArticleOpen Access
  • The dual-adhesive and bioactive hydrogel ‍is designed and prepared for wound closure and wound healing by incorporation of bioglass into oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) hydrogel system, in which the multifunctional ions released from bioglass play a key role for the dual-adhessiveness to both tissues and implantable materials and bioactivity in enhancing angiogenesis during wound healing.

    • Long Gao
    • Yanling Zhou
    • Jiang Chang
    ArticleOpen Access
  • The inability to administer oxygen in a controlled and sustained manner into thick artificial tissues has attracted a growing interest towards the design and development of new functional biomaterials. Without a sufficient oxygen supply, tissues suffer from the effects of apoptosis and necrosis. Incorporation of oxygen-releasing materials into scaffolds can help address this challenge. This paper provides an overview of the recent developments and technological advances in engineering oxygen-releasing biomaterials to improve the viability and function of cells and prevent hypoxic tissue death. Recent advances in different types of oxygen-releasing materials, mechanisms of oxygen generation, and their applications are discussed.

    • Sanika Suvarnapathaki
    • Xinchen Wu
    • Gulden Camci-Unal
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • Stimulus-responsive hydrogels, with biocompatibility, sufficient water content, similarity to extracellular matrices, and responses to specific environmental stimuli, have recently received massive research interest for fabricating bioactuators. The potential of employing these hydrogels that respond to various stimuli (e.g., pH, temperature, light, electricity, and magnetic fields) for actuation purposes has been uncovered by their performances in biosensing, drug delivery, artificial muscle reconstruction, and cell microenvironment engineering. In this review, a material selection of stimulus-responsive hydrogels and a detailed discussion of recent advances in emerging biomedical applications of hydrogel-based bioactuators are proposed. Existing challenges and future prospects are noted as well.

    • Qiang Shi
    • Hao Liu
    • Feng Xu
    Review ArticleOpen Access
  • By developing a controlled synthesis approach, the PB@PCN nanohybrid with optimal thickness is obtained for tumor treatment and imaging. The core and shell of this multifunctional nanohybrid cooperate to achieve combined photothermal/photodynamic therapy of tumor. The PB@PCN nanohybrid is further camouflaged by tumor cell membrane to endow good immune evasion and active targeting ability.

    • Qian Cheng
    • Zi-Hao Li
    • Xian-Zheng Zhang
    ArticleOpen Access
  • Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) often suffer from time-dependent deformations due to their inherent viscoelastic properties. Herein, the viscoelastic effects were tuned through copolymerization between a polar crosslinker and a polyurethane acrylate DEA. With polar groups present in the crosslinker, the dielectric constant was effectively increased, achieving higher area strains compared to that exhibited by low viscoelastic elastomers such as silicone. Furthermore, improved dynamic response actuation performances were achieved with 90% of its maximum actuation obtained in less than 1 s while viscoelastic drifts were reduced to a negligible amount. These findings provide a facile approach to achieve rapid and stable DEAs.

    • Matthew Wei Ming Tan
    • Gurunathan Thangavel
    • Pooi See Lee
    ArticleOpen Access