Publications

Stretchable, transparent nanogenerator enabled by ionic hydrogel converts motion energy into electricity and senses touch pressure.

Nanoribbons of Cu(OH)2 have been synthesized by coordination self-assembly in solution. Techniques of XRD, TEM, HRTEM, SEM, ED, EDX, and XPS have been used to characterize the morphology, structure, and composition of the nanoribbons. The Cu(OH)2 nanoribbons are 20−100 nm in width, several nm in thickness, and up to 100 μm in length. The basic building blocks of the coordination self-assembly are the square planar complexes of Cu2+, which are continuously supplied in a controlled manner from the Cu2S nanowires. NH3 serves as a molecular transporter in the nanoribbon assembly process. The advantages of our method for the nanoribbon synthesis lie in the low temperature and mild reaction conditions, which permit large scale production at low cost.

Abstract Memristor‐based architectures have shown great potential for developing future computing systems beyond the era of von Neumann and Moore's law. However, the monotonous electrical input for dynamic resistance regulation limits the developments of memristors. Here, a concept of a photon‐memristive system, which realizes memristance depending on number of photons (optical inputs), is proposed. A detailed theoretical derivation is performed and the memristive characteristics, as stimulated by the optical inputs based on a hybrid system, consisting of a low‐dimension photoelectric semiconductor and a ferroelectric substrate are determined. The photon‐memristive system is also suitable for nonvolatile photonic memory since it possesses three or more‐bit data storage, desirable resistance‐change space, and an ON/OFF ratio of nearly 10 7 . The integrated circuit based on several photon‐memristive systems also realizes available photon‐triggered in‐memory computing. The photon‐memristive system expands the definition of memristors and emerges as a new data storage cell for future photonic neuromorphic computational architectures.

Owing to the anisotropic property and small output signals of the piezoelectric nanogenerators (NGs) and the influence of the measurement system and environment, identification of the true signal generated by the NG is critical. We have developed three criteria: Schottky behavior test, switching-polarity tests, and linear superposition of current and voltage tests. The 11 tests can effectively rule out the system artifacts, whose sign does not change with the switching measurement polarity, and random signals, which might change signs but cannot consistently add up or cancel out under designed connection configurations. This study establishes the standards for designing and scale up of integrated nanogenerators.

Abstract The sustainable operation of marine Internet of Things (IoT), as a critical enabler for marine resource utilization, is hindered by the lack of robust energy solutions capable of powering advanced functionalities in unpredictable oceanic environments. Here, a self‐sustainable, highly reliable triboelectric nanogenerator system is presented that synergizes a non‐contact architecture with dynamic charge supplementation and multiphase electrode design to overcome persistent limitations in durability, energy storage, and water wave adaptability. The system achieves a 3‐fold enhancement in output charge with 97% performance retention over 20 million cycles—5.2 times more durable than state‐of‐the‐art counterparts. A chaotic double‐pendulum structure further broadens operational bandwidth to 0.4–1.0 Hz with the charge accumulation rate of 4.6 times, enabling record‐breaking average power density of 13.53 W m −3 Hz −1 . Furthermore, an adaptive ultralow‐powered (244 nW) integrated management circuit with on‐demand direct current supply functionality ensures a 394‐fold energy storage speed, successfully sustaining real‐time GPS communication and water quality monitoring in autonomous buoys. This work establishes a scalable, maintenance‐free paradigm for marine energy harvesting, directly addressing the energy paradox in IoT deployment while advancing sustainable resource management and climate resilience strategies.

Contact-electro-catalysis (CEC) has been recently proposed for the effective degradation of methyl orange, but the reactivity of catalysts in the CEC process needs further investigation. Here, we have used dielectric films, such as fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), modified by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching with argon, to replace the previously employed micro-powder due to their potential scalability, facile recycling process, and possible lower generation of secondary pollution. It has been found that ICP creates cone-like micro/nano structures on the surface, and thus changes the contact angle and specific surface area. The value of the contact angle varies non-linearly with etching time and attains a maximum after 60 seconds of etching. Concurrently, an increased electron transfer is observed, as well as an enhanced degradation efficiency, thus suggesting a special role of the surface structure. Finally, KPFM measurements show a lower electron affinity at the summit of the nanocones. This observation suggests that the structures are endowed with higher charge transfer ability. In addition, this film-based CEC has been observed in several polymer materials, such as PET, PTFE, and PVC. We view this work as a stepping stone to develop CEC into scalable applications, based on film technologies.

In this work, by employing halogen elements (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine) as dopant we demonstrate a unique strategy to enhance the output performance of ZnO-based flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators. For a halogen-doped ZnO nanowire film, dopants and doping concentration dependent lattice strain along the ZnO c-axis are established and confirmed by the EDS, XRD, and HRTEM analysis. Although lattice strain induced charge separation was theoretically proposed, it has not been experimentally investigated for wurtzite structured ZnO nanomaterials. Tuning the lattice strain from compressive to tensile state along the ZnO c-axis can be achieved by a substitution of halogen dopant from fluorine to other halogen elements due to the ionic size difference between dopants and oxygen. With its focus on a group of nonmetal element induced lattice strain in ZnO-based nanomaterials, this work paves the way for enhancing the performance of wurtzite-type piezoelectric semiconductor nanomaterials via lattice strain strategy which can be employed to construct piezoelectric nanodevices with higher efficiency in a cost-effective manner.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) naturally have the capability of high voltage output to breakdown gas easily. Here we present a concept of triboelectric microplasma by integrating TENGs with the plasma source so that atmospheric-pressure plasma can be powered only by mechanical stimuli. Four classical atmospheric-pressure microplasma sources are successfully demonstrated, including dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), atmospheric-pressure non-equilibrium plasma jets (APNP-J), corona discharge, and microspark discharge. For these types of microplasma, analysis of electric characteristics, optical emission spectra, COMSOL simulation and equivalent circuit model are carried out to explain transient process of different discharge. The triboelectric microplasma has been applied to patterned luminescence and surface treatment successfully as a first-step evaluation as well as to prove the system feasibility. This work offers a promising, facile, portable and safe supplement to traditional plasma sources, and will enrich the diversity of plasma applications based on the reach of existing technologies.