| 1. |
- Brooke, Robert, 1989-, et al.
(author)
-
Greyscale and paper electrochromic polymer displays by UV patterning
- 2019
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In: Polymers. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-4360. ; 11:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Electrochromic devices have important implications as smart windows for energy efficient buildings, internet of things devices, and in low-cost advertising applications. While inorganics have so far dominated the market, organic conductive polymers possess certain advantages such as high throughput and low temperature processing, faster switching, and superior optical memory. Here, we present organic electrochromic devices that can switch between two high-resolution images, based on UV-patterning and vapor phase polymerization of poly(3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene) films. We demonstrate that this technique can provide switchable greyscale images through the spatial control of a UV-light dose. The color space was able to be further altered via optimization of the oxidant concentration. Finally, we utilized a UV-patterning technique to produce functional paper with electrochromic patterns deposited on porous paper, allowing for environmentally friendly electrochromic displays.
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| 2. |
- Brooke, Robert, 1989-, et al.
(author)
-
Nanocellulose and PEDOT:PSS composites and their applications
- 2023
-
In: Polymer Reviews. - : Taylor and Francis Ltd.. - 1558-3724 .- 1558-3716. ; :2, s. 437-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The need for achieving sustainable technologies has encouraged research on renewable and biodegradable materials for novel products that are clean, green, and environmentally friendly. Nanocellulose (NC) has many attractive properties such as high mechanical strength and flexibility, large specific surface area, in addition to possessing good wet stability and resistance to tough chemical environments. NC has also been shown to easily integrate with other materials to form composites. By combining it with conductive and electroactive materials, many of the advantageous properties of NC can be transferred to the resulting composites. Conductive polymers, in particular poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene:poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), have been successfully combined with cellulose derivatives where suspensions of NC particles and colloids of PEDOT:PSS are made to interact at a molecular level. Alternatively, different polymerization techniques have been used to coat the cellulose fibrils. When processed in liquid form, the resulting mixture can be used as a conductive ink. This review outlines the preparation of NC/PEDOT:PSS composites and their fabrication in the form of electronic nanopapers, filaments, and conductive aerogels. We also discuss the molecular interaction between NC and PEDOT:PSS and the factors that affect the bonding properties. Finally, we address their potential applications in energy storage and harvesting, sensors, actuators, and bioelectronics. © 2022 The Author(s).
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| 3. |
- Chen, Shangzhi, et al.
(author)
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Redox-tunable structural colour images by UV-patterned conducting polymer nanofilms on metal surfaces
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Precise manipulation of light-matter interaction has enabled a wide variety of approaches to create bright and vivid structural colours. Techniques utilizing photonic crystals, Fabry-Pérot cavities, plasmonics, or high-refractive index dielectric metasurfaces have been studied for applications ranging from optical coatings to reflective displays. However, complicated fabrication procedures for sub-wavelength nanostructures, limited active areas, and inherent absence of tunability of these approaches significantly impede their further development towards flexible, large-scale, and switchable devices compatible with facile and cost-effective production. Herein, we present a simple and efficient method to generate structural colours based on nanoscale conducting polymer films prepared on metallic surfaces via vapour phase polymerization and ultraviolet (UV) light patterning. Varying the UV dose enables synergistic control of both nanoscale film thickness and polymer permittivity, which generates controllable colours from violet to red. Together with greyscale photomasks this enables fabrication of high-resolution colour images using single exposure steps. We further demonstrate spatiotemporal tuning of the structurally coloured surfaces and images via electrochemical modulation of the polymer redox state. The simple structure, facile fabrication, wide colour gamut, and dynamic colour tuning make this concept competitive for future multi-functional and smart displays.
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| 4. |
- Edberg, Jesper, et al.
(author)
-
Electrochemical circuits from 'cut and stick' PEDOT : PSS-nanocellulose composite
- 2017
-
In: Flexible and Printed Electronics. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 2058-8585. ; 2:4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report a flexible self-standing adhesive composite made from PEDOT:PSS and nanofibrillated cellulose. The material exhibits good combined mechanical and electrical characteristics (an elastic modulus of 4.4 MPa, and an electrical conductivity of 30 S cm(-1)). The inherent self-adhesiveness of the material enables it to be laminated and delaminated repeatedly to form and reconfigure devices and circuits. This modular property opens the door for a plethora of applications where reconfigurability and ease-of-manufacturing are of prime importance. We also demonstrate a paper composite with ionic conductivity and combine the two materials to construct electrochemical devices, namely transistors, capacitors and diodes with high values of transconductance, charge storage capacity and current rectification. We have further used these devices to construct digital circuits such as NOT, NAND and NORlogic.
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| 5. |
- Isacsson, Patrik, 1991-
(author)
-
Materials Design for Paper Electrodes : A Papermaking Perspective on Electrode Fabrication
- 2024
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The electrification and digitalization of our society has propelled the demand for energy storage solutions. High-end technologies have been developed to satisfy the requirements of demanding applications, such as electromobility and portable consumer electronics, which also increasingly find markets for less demanding applications. These markets include grid and domestic energy storage, as well as Internet of Things (IoT). However, using high-end technologies for low-end applications is a waste of resources that puts unnecessary stress on the supply lines. Thus, more low-cost cost and environmentally friendly alternative technologies are sought, among which renewable biobased materials derived from agriculture and forestry play a prominent role.The dominant chemical constituents in plants, cellulose and lignin, exhibit some intriguing electrochemical and colloidal properties. Cellulose has been found to efficiently stabilize various electronic materials, whereas lignin can be used as an electronic material itself. Lignocellulosic materials also open for papermaking as an alternative manufacturing approach. Taking the step to using papermaking methods is, however, a bit far from the technology readiness level, as the vast majority of the research on paper electrodes is based on nanocellulose. The material properties of such nanopapers are indeed extraordinary, but the lack of large-scale production methods for nanopapers is a serious challenge.To circumvent this obstacle and find a shortcut to the realization of paper electrodes, this thesis has turned to conventional papermaking techniques. Fibres are essentially different to nanofibrils by their difference in size, and the papermaking process requires careful composition of the formulations. Thus, as the research on nanopaper electrodes cannot be directly translated into conventional papermaking techniques, this calls for separate studies on fibre-based systems.This thesis is based on four separate works carried out by an explorative approach, where different kinds of paper electrodes have been investigated with touchdowns in example applications. Based on these studies, general knowledge has been concluded. This has been summarized by four important aspects for materials design of paper electrodes:Colloidal Systems. The paper electrode formulations exhibit both familiar and unfamiliar colloidal interactions. Established wet-end chemistry including charge balance control and electrostatic interactions remain important in parallel with unconventional behaviours. Exfoliated graphite forms water-stable coatings around pulp fibres and exhibit auto-retention mechanism(s). The conducting polymer system PEDOT:PSS, which can adsorb to chemical pulp fibres, does not exhibit affinity to chemi-thermomechanical pulp.Percolating Networks. Cellulosic fibres constitute an insulative matrix, in which efficient percolating conductive networks must be formed. The way a conducting additive is introduced, as well as the morphology of the additive, is important. Combining conducting polymers with nanocarbons is a promising concept for material-efficient networks. For a filler used as an electrode active material, it is important to acknowledge whether it is electronically conductive or not. A higher amount of conductive additives is required for insulative electrode active materials than for those with internal conductivity.Lignin Electrochemistry. Residual lignin present in softwood pulps, in both mechanical and chemical pulps, is electrochemically active. This can either be wanted or unwanted depending on application. Fines differ from fibres in terms of electrochemical stability and oxidative activity. Substantial competing electrochemical reactions occur, which might be related to the electrochemical stability.Mechanical Properties. Percolating conductive networks require high interconnectivity, which entails a cross-linked structure. This brings increased stiffness to the papers, which can be observed both for exfoliated graphite as a filler as well as for papers impregnated with PEDOT:PSS.Based on the four aspects described above, prospects for a few paper electrode applications have been reviewed. The prospects are mixed, each with their own challenges and opportunities which requires further research and development. While this thesis can conclude that we have not yet reached the point where paper electrodes can be realized, it certainly paves the way to get there.
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| 6. |
- Isacsson, Patrik, et al.
(author)
-
Production of energy-storage paper electrodes using a pilot-scale paper machine
- 2022
-
In: Journal of Materials Chemistry A. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2050-7488 .- 2050-7496. ; 10:40, s. 21579-21589
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The global efforts in electrifying our society drive the demand for low-cost and sustainable energy storage solutions. In the present work, a novel material concept was investigated to enable fabrication of several 10 meter-long rolls of supercapacitor paper electrodes on a pilot-scale paper machine. The material concept was based on cationized, cellulose-rich wood-derived fibres, conducting polymer PEDOT:PSS, and activated carbon filler particles. Cationic fibres saturated with anionic PEDOT:PSS provide a conducting scaffold hosting the activated carbon, which functions as the active charge-storage material. The response from further additives was systematically investigated for several critical paper properties. Cellulose nanofibrils were found to improve mechanical properties, while carbon black enhanced both the conductivity and the storage capacity of the activated carbon, reaching a specific capacitance of 67 F g−1. This pilot trial shows that “classical” papermaking methods are fit for the purpose and provides valuable insights on how to further advance bio-based energy storage solutions for large-scale applications.
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| 7. |
- Jafari, Mohammad Javad, 1984-
(author)
-
Application of Vibrational Spectroscopy in Organic Electronics
- 2017
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The rapid technological developments enforce us to live in an increasingly electronic world, and the revolutionary usage of conjugated polymers in electronics in the late 1970s accelerated these developments, based on the unique characteristics of conjugated polymers, such as low cost, easy processing, mechanical flexibility, large-area application and compatibility with a variety of substrates. Organic electronic devices are commercially available in the form of, for example, solar cells, transistors, and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Scientists work on electroactive polymers to enhance their chemical, electrical and mechanical properties, to improve parameters such as charge carrier mobility and doping capacity, in order to reach acceptable efficiency and stability to fabricate organic electronic devices. A comprehensive understanding of the changes in chemical structure, in response to external factors such as applied potential and temperature gradients, which can disturb the chemical equilibrium of the constituent materials, and of the conduction mechanisms of the operating devices, can help to enhance the performance of organic electronics devices. Vibrational spectroscopy is a powerful analytical method for in-situ monitoring of such chemical or electrochemical reactions and associated structural changes of conjugated polymers in a working device.In this thesis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been used to study the structural changes in electroactive organic materials, in response to chemical or electrochemical reactions, and to study electrical and thermal conduction mechanisms in different organic electronic devices. FTIR microscopy was used to approach a realistic conduction mechanism by time-resolved chemical imaging of active materials in planar light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs), investigated as an alternative to organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). These chemical images are used for in-situ mapping of anion density profiles, polymer doping, and dynamic junction formation in the active layer under an applied bias. Results confirm the electrochemical doping model and help the systematic improvement of function and manufacture of LECs. Mixed ion-electron polymeric conductor materials such as PEDOT-PSS are used as active materials in organic thermoelectric generators (OTEGs), where charge carrier transport through the active layer promotes internal electrochemical reactions under a temperature gradient. FTIR microscopy and FTIR-attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR) were used to study thermoelectric and electrical properties of the conducting polymers. Recently, electrochemical supercapacitors have emerged as an alternative to conventional batteries, and polymeric materials are used to design polymer electrodes for renewable energy storage. To understand the charge transfer and structural changes of the polymer during the redox reaction, we have used FTIR-ATR as a tool for the in-situ spectroelectrochemical study of redox states in polypyrrole/lignin composites; we clarified the structural changes in the materials during charging and discharging of the composite. In further work, FTIR-ATR was also used for in-situ spectroelectrochemical studies of PEDOT:Cl, to monitor the effects of dissolved oxygen on PEDOT:Cl films, which are used as electrodes in renewable energy technologies. Further, time-resolved oxygen reduction reactions of PEDOT:Cl have been studied via polarization-modulation infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRAS) to reveal chemical changes in electrochemically doped PEDOT upon exposure to oxygen.Taken together, these studies provide an advancement in the use of infrared spectroscopy as a tool to understand electroactive materials under wet conditions, and have provided detailed chemical and electrochemical information of materials and devices under operation, that is not easily accessible with other methods.
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| 8. |
- Mastantuoni, Gabriella G., et al.
(author)
-
In Situ Lignin Sulfonation for Highly Conductive Wood/Polypyrrole Porous Composites
- 2023
-
In: Advanced Materials Interfaces. - : Wiley. - 2196-7350. ; 10:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To address the rising need of sustainable solutions in electronic devices, the development of electronically conductive composites based on lightweight but mechanically strong wood structures is highly desirable. Here, a facile approach for the fabrication of highly conductive wood/polypyrrole composites through top-down modification of native lignin followed by polymerization of pyrrole in wood cell wall. By sodium sulfite treatment under neutral condition, sulfonated wood veneers with increased porosity but well-preserved cell wall structure containing native lignin and lignosulfonates are obtained. The wood structure has a content of sulfonic groups up to 343 µmol g−1 owing to in situ sulfonated lignin which facilitates subsequent oxidative polymerization of pyrrole, achieving a weight gain of polypyrrole as high as 35 wt%. The lignosulfonates in the wood structure act as dopant and stabilizer for the synthesized polypyrrole. The composite reaches a high conductivity of 186 S m−1 and a specific pseudocapacitance of 1.71 F cm−2 at the current density of 8.0 mA cm−2. These results indicate that tailoring the wood/polymer interface in the cell wall and activating the redox activity of native lignin by sulfonation are important strategies for the fabrication of porous and lightweight wood/conductive polymer composites with potential for sustainable energy applications.
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| 9. |
- Say, Mehmet Girayhan, 1992-
(author)
-
Hybrid Materials for Wearable Electronics and Electrochemical Systems
- 2022
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Flexible electronic systems such as wearable devices, sensors and electronic skin require power sources and sensing units that are mechanically robust, operational at low bending radius, and environmentally friendly. Recently, there has been an enormous interest in active materials such as thin film semiconductors, conductive polymers, and ion-electron conductors. These materials can be deposited with both printing and microfabrication techniques onto the flexible substrates such as plastics and paper. In addition, paper-based composites with nanofibrillated cellulose are favorable due to their mechanical strength, porosity, and solution-processability. Printing of such systems enables mass-production of large area electrochemical devices i.e., batteries, supercapacitors and fuel cells. Moreover, designing ultrathin devices for such concepts are promising for implantable and skin-like conformable electronics.The aim of this thesis is the development of flexible electronic devices where, both organic and inorganic materials are explored, and examples of smart packaging and wearable electronics are demonstrated. Within the thesis, two different fabrication approaches are presented to achieve flexible electronics: (1) fabrication of porous paper electrodes for printable, wearable supercapacitor applications, where our efforts towards sustainable solutions for energy storage and (2) development of ultraflexible devices for electronic skin and implantable electronics to attain miniaturized, ultrathin device concepts. Overall, high performance electronic devices and demonstrators shown here have a significant impact on portable hybrid systems and flexible electronics applications.
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| 10. |
- Say, Mehmet Girayhan, 1992-, et al.
(author)
-
Ultrathin Paper Microsupercapacitors for Electronic Skin Applications
- 2022
-
In: Advanced Materials Technologies. - : John Wiley and Sons Inc. - 2365-709X. ; 7:8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ultrathin devices are rapidly developing for skin-compatible medical applications and wearable electronics. Powering skin-interfaced electronics requires thin and lightweight energy storage devices, where solution-processing enables scalable fabrication. To attain such devices, a sequential deposition is employed to achieve all spray-coated symmetric microsupercapacitors (μSCs) on ultrathin parylene C substrates, where both electrode and gel electrolyte are based on the cheap and abundant biopolymer, cellulose. The optimized spraying procedure allows an overall device thickness of ≈11 µm to be obtained with a 40% active material volume fraction and a resulting volumetric capacitance of 7 F cm−3. Long-term operation capability (90% of capacitance retention after 104 cycles) and mechanical robustness are achieved (1000 cycles, capacitance retention of 98%) under extreme bending (rolling) conditions. Finite element analysis is utilized to simulate stresses and strains in real-sized μSCs under different bending conditions. Moreover, an organic electrochromic display is printed and powered with two serially connected μ-SCs as an example of a wearable, skin-integrated, fully organic electronic application. © 2022 The Authors.
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| 11. |
- Shiran Chaharsoughi, Mina, 1986-, et al.
(author)
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Hybrid Plasmonic and Pyroelectric Harvesting of Light Fluctuations
- 2018
-
In: Advanced Optical Materials. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 2162-7568 .- 2195-1071.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- State-of-the-art solar energy harvesting systems based on photovoltaic technology require constant illumination for optimal operation. However, weather conditions and solar illumination tend to fluctuate. Here, a device is presented that extracts electrical energy from such light fluctuations. The concept combines light-induced heating of gold nanodisks (acting as plasmonic optical nanoantennas), and an organic pyroelectric copolymer film (poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-trifluoroethylene)), that converts temperature changes into electrical signals. This hybrid device can repeatedly generate current pulses, not only upon the onset of illumination, but also when illumination is blocked. Detailed characterization highlights the key role of the polarization state of the copolymer, while the copolymer thickness has minor influence on performance. The results are fully consistent with plasmon-assisted pyroelectric effects, as corroborated by combined optical and thermal simulations that match the experimental results. Owing to the tunability of plasmonic resonances, the presented concept is compatible with harvesting near infrared light while concurrently maintaining visible transparency.
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| 12. |
- Tran, Van Chinh, et al.
(author)
-
Electrical current modulation in wood electrochemical transistor
- 2023
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 120:118
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The nature of mass transport in plants has recently inspired the development of low-cost and sustainable wood-based electronics. Herein, we report a wood electrochemical transistor (WECT) where all three electrodes are fully made of conductive wood (CW). The CW is prepared using a two-step strategy of wood delignification followed by wood amalgamation with a mixed electron-ion conducting polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). The modified wood has an electrical conductivity of up to 69 Sm−1 induced by the formation of PEDOT:PSS microstructures inside the wood 3D scaffold. CW is then used to fabricate the WECT, which is capable of modulating an electrical current in a porous and thick transistor channel (1 mm) with an on/off ratio of 50. The device shows a good response to gate voltage modulation and exhibits dynamic switching properties similar to those of an organic electrochemical transistor. This wood-based device and the proposed working principle demonstrate the possibility to incorporate active electronic functionality into the wood, suggesting different types of bio-based electronic devices.
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| 13. |
- Tran, Van Chinh, 1990-
(author)
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Wood Templated Organic Electronics
- 2023
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In today’s digital era, electronics are integral to most activities in our daily lives, offering swift and global communication, powerful data processing tools, and advanced sensor devices. However, there are drawbacks to the exponentially growing demand for electronics, such as the depletion of fossil resources, and the complexities surrounding recycling electronic waste (E-waste). As we gradually step into the era of sustainability, it is necessary to explore alternative resources and develop greener electronic technologies. For this purpose, organic electronics (OE) has emerged as an interesting alternative, owning to its potential for low-energy fabrication and use of organic materials composed of Earth-abundant elements.The term "organic electronics" has been used widely to refer to electrical devices crafted from organic materials, typically semiconducting polymers (sCPs). This arises from the fact that most developed OE devices such as solar cells, transistors, supercapacitors, and batteries are centered around such materials. Along with the development of different semiconducting polymer varieties, materials from various natural resources have also been explored for devices’ electrodes, binders, and electrolytes. Among them, materials from the forest have emerged as abundant, renewable, and valuable options. For many years, wood has been tailored and utilized as a device template, while its components including cellulose fibrils and lignin have been widely used as structural or active components in OE. Lignin has now become an important electrode and electrolyte active material in energy storage devices.This thesis presents new approaches and findings in the utilization of wood and lignin as active components in different OE applications. The thesis centers around two primary themes, in which the first involves the development and utilization of conductive wood (CW), containing lignin, and lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) for supercapacitors and battery applications. The second theme focuses on developing and employing conductive wood as an active electrode in the creation of a wood electrochemical transistor. Within the first theme, I have uncovered the potential of storing electricity in wood utilizing its redox-active component, native lignin. The discovery is reinforced by the successful employment of LNPs as active materials in an organic battery. Within the second theme, I have demonstrated the world's first wooden transistor, characterized its electronic performance, and discussed the pretreatment procedure of the wood substrate that is necessary for achieving a working device. This thesis is anticipated to contribute to new and valuable knowledge for encouraging the development of low-cost and sustainable OE in the future.
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| 14. |
- Wang, Xin, et al.
(author)
-
Upscalable ultra thick rayon carbon felt based hybrid organic-inorganic electrodes for high energy density supercapacitors
- 2022
-
In: Energy Storage. - : John Wiley and Sons Inc. - 2578-4862. ; 4:5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Low weight, small footprint, and high performances are essential requisites for the implementation of energy storage devices within consumer electronics. One way to achieve these goals is to increase the thickness of the active material layer. In this work, carbonized and graphitized rayon felt, a cellulose-derived material, is used as a three-dimensional current collector scaffold to enable the incorporation of large amount of active energy storage materials and ionic liquid-based gel electrolyte in the supercapacitor devices. PEDOT:PSS, alone or in combination with active carbon, has been used as the active material. Three-dimensional supercapacitors with high per unit area capacitance (more than 1.1 F/cm2) have been achieved owing to the loading of large amount of active material in the felt matrix. Areal energy density of more than 101 μWh/cm2 and areal power density of more than 5.9 mW/cm2 have been achieved for 0.8 V operating voltage at a current density of 1 mA/cm2. A nanographite material was found to be beneficial in reducing the internal serial resistance of the supercapacitor to lower than 1.7 Ω. Furthermore, it was shown that even after 2000 times cycling test, the devices could still retain its performance with at least 88% coulombic efficiency for all the devices. All the materials are readily available commercially, environmentally sustainable and the process can potentially be upscaled with industrial process. © 2022 The Authors.
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| 15. |
- Willfahrt, Andreas, 1977-
(author)
-
Screen Printing Technology for Energy Devices
- 2019
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The technical application of screen and stencil printing has been state of the art for decades. As part of the subtractive production process of printed circuit boards, for instance, screen and stencil printing play an important role. With the end of the 20th century, another field has opened up with organic electronics. Since then, more and more functional layers have been produced using printing methods. Printed electronics devices offer properties that give almost every freedom to the creativity of product development. Flexibility, low weight, use of non-toxic materials, simple disposal and an enormous number of units due to the production process are some of the prominent keywords associated with this field.Screen printing is a widely used process in printed electronics, as this process is very flexible with regard to the materials that can be used. In addition, a minimum resolution of approximately 30 µm is sufficiently high. The ink film thickness, which can be controlled over a wide range, is an extremely important advantage of the process. Depending on the viscosity, layer thicknesses of several hundred nanometres up to several hundred micrometres can be realised.The conversion and storage of energy became an increasingly important topic in recent years. Since regenerative energy sources, such as photovoltaics or wind energy, often supply energy intermittently, appropriate storage systems must be available. This applies to large installations for the power supply of society, but also in the context of autarkic sensors, such as those used in the Internet of Things or domestic/industrial automation. A combination of micro-energy converters and energy storage devices is an adequate concept for providing energy for such applications.In this thesis the above mentioned keywords are addressed and the feasibility of printed thermoelectric energy converters and supercapacitors as energy storage devices are investigated. The efficiency of thermoelectric generators (TEG) is low, but in industrial environments, for example, a large amount of unused low temperature heat energy can be found. If the production costs of TEGs are low, conversion of this unused heat energy can contribute to increasing system efficiency.Additionally, printing of supercapacitor energy storage devices increases the usability of the TEG. It is appropriate to use both components as complementary parts in an energy system.
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| 16. |
- Yang, Hongli, 1992-, et al.
(author)
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Cross-Linked Nanocellulose Membranes for Nanofluidic Osmotic Energy Harvesting
- 2022
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In: ACS Applied Energy Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2574-0962. ; 5:12, s. 15740-15748
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Osmotic energy generated from the salinity gradient is a kind of clean and renewable energy source, where the ion-exchange membranes play a critical role in its operation. The nanofluidic technique is emerging to overcome the limitations of high resistance and low mass transport of traditional ion-exchange membranes and thus improve osmotic power conversion. However, the currently reported nanofluidic materials suffer from high cost and complicated fabrication processes, which limits their practical application. Here, we report low-cost nanocellulose membranes that can be facilely prepared by a chemical cross-linking approach. The obtained membranes exhibit excellent ion transport characteristics as high-performance nanofluidic osmotic power generators. The control of cross-linker dosage enables the simultaneous tunability of the surface charge density and size of nanofluidic channels created between the interwoven cellulose nanofibrils. The maximum osmotic power generated by the membrane is reached when the cross-linker weight content is 20 wt %. Furthermore, the cross-linked nanocellulose membranes exhibit long-term working stability in osmotic energy harvesting under a wide range of pH values (3.2-9.7). This nanocellulose membrane derived from green and sustainable natural materials demonstrates a promising potential for renewable osmotic energy harvesting.
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| 17. |
- Yang, Hongli, 1992-
(author)
-
Ion Transport in Cross-linked Nanocellulose Membranes
- 2023
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Ion-selective membranes, which allow ions with a certain charge and/or size to pass through while blocking other ions, have attracted much attention due to their diverse applications and outstanding roles in overcoming problems related to energy. In addition to the performance, the financial cost and renewability of materials are equally significant in the development of these membranes. Commonly, ion-selective membranes are prepared from traditional synthetic polymers that have put a heavy burden on the environment. Therefore, exploring low-cost, environment-friendly materials as the substitution of traditional polymers for ion-selective membranes will be beneficial from a sustainable perspective.Nanocellulose is a promising candidate for the next generation of ionic membranes due to its unique chemical structure and suitable physical dimensions. Furthermore, it can be produced from cellulose, which is the most abundant biopolymer on earth. Nanocellulose has many hydroxyl groups that provide many possibilities to introduce ion-functionalized groups on the cellulose chain through chemical treatment and modification. In addition, the physical entanglement of cellulose nanofibrils can generate a nanoscale porous structure that improves the ion permselectivity of membranes and provides a strong network that enhances the toughness of membranes. Among the disadvantages of nanocellulose-based products is poor wet stability due to the swelling induced by their hydrophilicity. This problem can be effectively solved using covalent cross-linking.This thesis aims to develop nanocellulose-based ionic membranes with excellent ionic transport properties as well as good wet stability and to explore their potential applications. First, the nanocellulose membranes cross-linked by 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) were developed. The relationship between the amount of cross-linker and the membranes’ pore size, charge density, and ionic transport properties was demonstrated. Based on the above fundamental understanding of the membranes’ performance, especially ion conductivity, and selectivity, their performance was then investigated in two potential applications, including osmotic power generators and redox flow batteries. Finally, the original cross-linked membrane, which is negatively charged, was combined with a corresponding membrane with positive surface charges to obtain bipolar membranes, which can be used for rectification. The properties of these bipolar membranes were investigated, with the conclusion that they can be used as an ionic diode under certain conditions.
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| 18. |
- Zabihipour, Marzieh, et al.
(author)
-
High-Gain Logic Inverters based on Multiple Screen-Printed Organic Electrochemical Transistors
- 2022
-
In: Advanced Materials Technologies. - : John Wiley and Sons Inc. - 2365-709X. ; 7:10, s. 2101642-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Organic electronic circuits based on organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are attracting great attention due to their printability, flexibility, and low voltage operation. Inverters are the building blocks of digital logic circuits (e.g., NAND gates) and analog circuits (e.g., amplifiers). However, utilizing OECTs in electronic logic circuits is challenging due to the resulting low voltage gain and low output voltage levels. Hence, inverters capable of operating at relatively low supply voltages, yet offering high voltage gain and larger output voltage windows than the respective input voltage window are desired. Herein, inverters realized from poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate-based OECTs are designed and explored, resulting in logic inverters exhibiting high voltage gains, enlarged output voltage windows, and tunable switching points. The inverter designs are based on multiple screen-printed OECTs and a resistor ladder, where one OECT is the driving transistor while one or two additional OECTs are used as variable resistors in the resistor ladder. The inverters’ performances are investigated in terms of voltage gain, output voltage levels, and switching point. Inverters, operating at +/−2.5 V supply voltage and an input voltage window of 1 V, that can achieve an output voltage window with ∼110% increment and a voltage gain up to 42 are demonstrated. © 2022 The Authors.
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| 19. |
- Zabihipour, Marzieh, 1985-
(author)
-
Organic Electrochemical Transistors for Printed Digital Circuits
- 2024
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Organic electronics enables cost-effective production of flexible electronic devices with high throughput and easy processing compared to the conventional electronics. Organic electronics, therefore, has the potential to realize various innovative applications on a large scale, for example, flexible displays, smart windows, solar cells, electronic skin and implantable medical devices.Many of the materials employed in the field of organic electronics can be processed from chemical solutions. This allows for making various types of inks and hence the possibility to use the traditional high-volume printing methods such as screen printing, inkjet printing and gravure printing for fabricating organic electronic devices on different surfaces. Screen printing has advantages over the other methods in terms of the range of ink viscosity, resolution, and controllable thickness of dry ink film.For various applications envisioned for an integration of printed organic electronics with other technology platforms, a prolonged lifetime and low power consumption are desired. This requires an optimized design of the electronic components and circuits so that they can operate at reduced voltages to guarantee both the long lifetime and the low power consumption. This thesis focuses on designing fully screen printed vertically stacked organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) and OECT-based circuits operating at low supply voltages and at the same time delivering high gain and low power consumption with long lifetime. The OECTs and OECT-based circuits employ poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT:PSS) as the organic polymer in their channel. The multi-layered OECTs have a small footprint with a high manufacturing yield and performance uniformity across the printed area, making them suitable for complex printed circuits. Furthermore, various inverter designs based on the reliable and reproducible OECTs are developed and explored to target circuits that can perform at relatively low supply voltages, yet offering improved performance.
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