A multi-dimensional tactile perception system based on triboelectric sensors: towards intelligent sorting without seeing

arXiv preprint arXiv:2401.17154

Controlling the shape of deformable linear objects using robots and constraints provided by environmental fixtures has diverse industrial applications. In order to establish robust contacts with these fixtures, accurate estimation of the contact state is essential for preventing and rectifying potential anomalies. However, this task is challenging due to the small sizes of fixtures, the requirement for real-time performances, and the infinite degrees of freedom of the deformable linear objects. In this paper, we propose a real-time approach for estimating both contact establishment and subsequent changes by leveraging the dependency between the applied and detected contact force on the deformable linear objects. We seamlessly integrate this method into the robot control loop and achieve an adaptive shape control framework which avoids, detects and corrects anomalies automatically. Real-world experiments validate the robustness and effectiveness of our contact estimation approach across various scenarios, significantly increasing the success rate of shape control processes.

Batteries & Supercaps

A full series of variously lithiated graphite anodes material LixC6 (0<x<1) corresponding to a different state‐of‐charge (SOC) between 0 % and 100 % was collected from 18650‐type cylinder Li‐ion batteries, and the thermal structural behavior of these electrodes was mapped using ex situ high‐resolution X‐ray and neutron diffraction. Their structural behavior was analyzed over a broad temperature range. At high temperatures, a non‐reversible decomposition of the lithiated graphite anodes takes place, accompanied by a loss of intercalated lithium ions, forming novel phases such as LiF and Li2O strongly coupled to the degradation of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI). Complementary calorimetric measurements showed the strongly exothermic chemical reactions during the decomposition matching well to the collected diffraction data. Post mortem analysis applying scanning electron microscopy revealed …

Advanced Materials

Triboelectric nanogenerators offer an environmentally friendly approach to harvesting energy from mechanical excitations. This capability has made them widely sought‐after as an efficient, renewable, and sustainable energy source, with the potential to decrease reliance on traditional fossil fuels. However, developing triboelectric nanogenerators with specific output remains a challenge mainly due to the uncertainties associated with their complex designs for real‐life applications. Artificial intelligence‐enabled inverse design is a powerful tool to realize performance‐oriented triboelectric nanogenerators. This is an emerging scientific direction that can address the concerns about the design and optimization of triboelectric nanogenerators leading to a next generation nanogenerator systems. This perspective paper aims at reviewing the principal analysis of triboelectricity, summarizing the current challenges of …

arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.07635

Collaborative perception in automated vehicles leverages the exchange of information between agents, aiming to elevate perception results. Previous camera-based collaborative 3D perception methods typically employ 3D bounding boxes or bird's eye views as representations of the environment. However, these approaches fall short in offering a comprehensive 3D environmental prediction. To bridge this gap, we introduce the first method for collaborative 3D semantic occupancy prediction. Particularly, it improves local 3D semantic occupancy predictions by hybrid fusion of (i) semantic and occupancy task features, and (ii) compressed orthogonal attention features shared between vehicles. Additionally, due to the lack of a collaborative perception dataset designed for semantic occupancy prediction, we augment a current collaborative perception dataset to include 3D collaborative semantic occupancy labels for a more robust evaluation. The experimental findings highlight that: (i) our collaborative semantic occupancy predictions excel above the results from single vehicles by over 30%, and (ii) models anchored on semantic occupancy outpace state-of-the-art collaborative 3D detection techniques in subsequent perception applications, showcasing enhanced accuracy and enriched semantic-awareness in road environments.

IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics

Vision systems are the core element in industrial systems, such as intelligent transportation systems and inspection robots. However, undesired degradations caused by bad weather or low-end devices reduce the visibility of images. Image restoration aims to reconstruct a sharp image from a degraded counterpart and plays an important role in industrial systems. Recent transformer-based architectures leverage the self-attention unit and convolutions to model long-range dependencies and local connectivity, respectively, achieving promising performance for image restoration. However, these methods have quadratic complexity with respect to the input size. In addition, convolution operators are ineffective enough to recover the local details. This article presents a joint local and global representation learning framework for image restoration, called LoGoNet. Specifically, to enhance global contexts, we excavate the …

arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.18946

This paper presents an adaptive online learning framework for systems with uncertain parameters to ensure safety-critical control in non-stationary environments. Our approach consists of two phases. The initial phase is centered on a novel sparse Gaussian process (GP) framework. We first integrate a forgetting factor to refine a variational sparse GP algorithm, thus enhancing its adaptability. Subsequently, the hyperparameters of the Gaussian model are trained with a specially compound kernel, and the Gaussian model's online inferential capability and computational efficiency are strengthened by updating a solitary inducing point derived from new samples, in conjunction with the learned hyperparameters. In the second phase, we propose a safety filter based on high-order control barrier functions (HOCBFs), synergized with the previously trained learning model. By leveraging the compound kernel from the first phase, we effectively address the inherent limitations of GPs in handling high-dimensional problems for real-time applications. The derived controller ensures a rigorous lower bound on the probability of satisfying the safety specification. Finally, the efficacy of our proposed algorithm is demonstrated through real-time obstacle avoidance experiments executed using both a simulation platform and a real-world 7-DOF robot.

The growing popularity of the Internet of Things has led to increases in the need for renewable energy and sensor systems. Therefore, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have garnered significant attention as a novel form of energy production due to their lightweight nature, cost-effectiveness, high output, and versatility in terms of materials, low cost, and device configurations. TENGs have been studied for several uses, including self-powered sensing, biomedical, biomotion, healthcare monitoring, and robotic applications. The performance of TENG is drastically pretentious by the material because charge density (σ) is an inherent characteristic of the material. Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials possess robust charge-trapping capabilities, multifunctional structures, adjustable properties, and exceptional stability. These materials can be utilized or integrated as self-powered sensors of different kinds to …

IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles

Minerals serve as the cornerstone of contemporary societal infrastructure and diverse industries. However, the mining sector perennially confronts transportation challenges marked by elevated expenses, diminished efficiency, and significant environmental ramifications. Although autonomous driving has been accomplished in open scenarios, its development in specialized areas remains limited. The open-pit mine, one of the typical unstructured environments, presents several challenges, encompassing complex geological conditions, and strict requirements for intelligent algorithms. These factors create formidable barriers to the implementation of autonomous driving technology in mining areas. The utilization of Large Language Models (LLMs) provides indispensable insights for addressing these challenges. This article introduces an assistant-driven approach via LLMs to realize Mining 5.0, representing an …

Journal of Power Sources

Although the loss of Li inventory (LLI) is a common aging mechanism in Li-ion batteries, there are only few methods capable of comprehensive depth profiling within the bulk of the electrode to locate the residual Li. Two post-mortem analytical methods, which can be used to obtain quantified Li depth profiles to depths greater than 10 μm from the electrode surface are neutron depth profiling (NDP) and glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES). In this work, the validation of GD-OES using NDP by examining the Si/graphite anodes of cylindrical 21,700 cells is presented. One anode was in a pristine/fresh state, two anodes were aged to the state of health (SOH) 90% and 76% at 45 °C respectively, and suffered from heavy solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) growth, and the fourth anode was aged to SOH 60% at 0 °C and exhibited Li plating. It is demonstrated that Li plating leads to a faster sputter rate of …

ACS Applied Nano Materials

Because of the detrimental effects of excessive exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on human skin health, wearable UVR detectors have attracted more and more attention. Inspired by the artwork “Tian-tsui hair pin with flora decoration” from the Palace Museum, a reversible and photochromic peony-shaped hairpin is designed to realize the visualized detection of solar UV radiation. It is prepared via electrospinning a mixed solution containing thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) and Zn-MOF@WO3 onto microfiber nonwoven fabrics (MFNFs). Because of the enhanced UV responsive and photochromic capability from Zn-MOF@WO3 as well the excellent flexibility from TPUs and MFNFs, the obtained hairpin presents an excellent photoresponsive and wearable performance. When exposed to UV radiation from sunshine, the hairpin switches from white to light blue and finally to blue with radiation time. The …

Advanced Materials

The experimental replicability of highly efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is a persistent challenge faced by laboratories worldwide. Although trace impurities in raw materials can impact the experimental reproducibility of high‐performance PSCs, the in situ study of how trace impurities affect perovskite film growth is never investigated. Here, light is shed on the impact of inevitable water contamination in lead iodide (PbI2) on the replicability of device performance, mainly depending on the synthesis methods of PbI2. Through synchrotron‐based structure characterization, it is uncovered that even slight additions of water to PbI2 accelerate the crystallization process in the perovskite layer during annealing. However, this accelerated crystallization also results in an imbalance of charge‐carrier mobilities, leading to a degradation in device performance and reduced longevity of the solar cells. It is also found that …

Advanced Materials Technologies

Although natural evaporation absorbs substantial thermal energy from the ambient environment, efficiently utilizing this high‐entropy energy remains challenging. Here, the first water evaporation‐induced triboelectric nanogenerator is proposed. It only uses tap water to harvest low‐grade heat energy from the surroundings to convert it into electricity. The natural evaporation of the liquid can generate unintermittent electricity with an open‐circuit voltage of 382 V, a peak power of 0.42 mW, and three orders of magnitude enhancement up to 59.7 mJ mL−1 after consuming the same amount of tap water compared with the droplet‐based electricity generators. After which, the excellent power output lights 2 W LED and drives wearable electronic devices. This device also inhibits carbon steel materials' corrosion in solutions through the evaporation effect of the salt water on the spot. The present study provides novel …

arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.16449

This paper proposes a LiDAR-based goal-seeking and exploration framework, addressing the efficiency of online obstacle avoidance in unstructured environments populated with static and moving obstacles. This framework addresses two significant challenges associated with traditional dynamic control barrier functions (D-CBFs): their online construction and the diminished real-time performance caused by utilizing multiple D-CBFs. To tackle the first challenge, the framework's perception component begins with clustering point clouds via the DBSCAN algorithm, followed by encapsulating these clusters with the minimum bounding ellipses (MBEs) algorithm to create elliptical representations. By comparing the current state of MBEs with those stored from previous moments, the differentiation between static and dynamic obstacles is realized, and the Kalman filter is utilized to predict the movements of the latter. Such analysis facilitates the D-CBF's online construction for each MBE. To tackle the second challenge, we introduce buffer zones, generating Type-II D-CBFs online for each identified obstacle. Utilizing these buffer zones as activation areas substantially reduces the number of D-CBFs that need to be activated. Upon entering these buffer zones, the system prioritizes safety, autonomously navigating safe paths, and hence referred to as the exploration mode. Exiting these buffer zones triggers the system's transition to goal-seeking mode. We demonstrate that the system's states under this framework achieve safety and asymptotic stabilization. Experimental results in simulated and real-world environments have validated our framework's …

Nano Energy

Realization of multi-source energy harvesting with one single device would maximize power output. Thus, it is emerging as a promising strategy towards renewable energy generation and has attracted worldwide attention in the past decades. Capable of capturing mechanical energy that is ubiquitous in the ambient environment, triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) has been considered a novel yet effective source towards next-generation energy harvesting. In this work, a flexible hybrid energy harvester (HEH) is developed via the rational integration of autonomous self-healing TENG and high bending-stable lead sulfide quantum dot (PbS QD) solar cell, enabling independent electricity generation by two different mechanisms. The single-electrode mode TENG component with self-healing is realized by a polydimethylsiloxane/Triton X-100 (PDMS/TX100) mixture as the dielectric layer and the shared gold (Au …

IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems

To achieve more accurate perception performance, LiDAR and camera are gradually chosen to improve 3D object detection simultaneously. However, it is still a non-trivial task to build an effective fusion mechanism, and this is hindering the development of multi-modal based method. Especially, the mapping relationship construction between two modalities is far from fully explored. Canonical cross-modal mapping suffers from failure when the calibration matrix is incorrect, and it also greatly wastes the amount and density of RGB image information. This paper aims to extend the traditional one-to-one alignment relationship between LiDAR and camera. For all projected point clouds, we enhance their cross-modal mapping relationship through aggregating color-texture related feature and shape-contour related feature. Further, a mapping pyramid is proposed to leverage the semantic representation of the image …

Journal of Field Robotics

Both robot and hand‐eye calibration have been object of research for decades. While current approaches manage to precisely and robustly identify the parameters of a robot's kinematic model, they still rely on external devices such as calibration objects, markers and/or external sensors. Instead of trying to fit recorded measurements to a model of a known object, this paper treats robot calibration as an offline SLAM problem, where scanning poses are linked to a fixed point in space via a moving kinematic chain. As such, we enable robot calibration by using nothing but an arbitrary eye‐in‐hand depth sensor. To the authors' best knowledge the presented framework is the first solution to three‐dimensional (3D) sensor‐based robot calibration that does not require external sensors nor reference objects. Our novel approach utilizes a modified version of the Iterative Corresponding Point algorithm to run bundle …

Energy & Environmental Science

Controlling the motion of charge carriers in semiconductor materials is a fundamental strategy for achieving many functional devices, which is typically achieved by applying an external voltage source. Herein, using the electrostatic potential generated by a triboelectric material taken as a sliding “gate”, a functional current is generated across a semiconductor channel when the gate is moving in parallel to the dielectric surface. Systematic studies verify that the motion of the electrified “gate” induces the regional and dynamical doping of the semiconductor channel, thereby driving the carrier transport without applying an external voltage. This sliding-gated generator achieves mechanoelectric energy conversion based on the coupled triboelectrification effect and electrostatic field effect and is therefore termed as a field effect nanogenerator (FENG). It can output electrical currents with a waveform that follows well with …

arXiv preprint arXiv:2403.04149

Deep learning has achieved remarkable progress in various applications, heightening the importance of safeguarding the intellectual property (IP) of well-trained models. It entails not only authorizing usage but also ensuring the deployment of models in authorized data domains, i.e., making models exclusive to certain target domains. Previous methods necessitate concurrent access to source training data and target unauthorized data when performing IP protection, making them risky and inefficient for decentralized private data. In this paper, we target a practical setting where only a well-trained source model is available and investigate how we can realize IP protection. To achieve this, we propose a novel MAsk Pruning (MAP) framework. MAP stems from an intuitive hypothesis, i.e., there are target-related parameters in a well-trained model, locating and pruning them is the key to IP protection. Technically, MAP freezes the source model and learns a target-specific binary mask to prevent unauthorized data usage while minimizing performance degradation on authorized data. Moreover, we introduce a new metric aimed at achieving a better balance between source and target performance degradation. To verify the effectiveness and versatility, we have evaluated MAP in a variety of scenarios, including vanilla source-available, practical source-free, and challenging data-free. Extensive experiments indicate that MAP yields new state-of-the-art performance.

Advanced Materials Technologies

Wearable and implantable triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) convert mechanical energy to electricity in the daily movements of the human body. Self‐generated dynamic electric field or displacement current of TENGs can operate from micrometers to centimeters, which offers a key technology for TENG‐based therapy systems for precision medicine on both tissues and cells. TENGs have low‐current and high‐voltage properties, which reduce damage to normal tissues, and kill rapidly dividing cancer cells. In this work, the dynamic electric field from TENG directly inhibits the cellular proliferation behavior of cancer cells. The work paves a new way for the self‐generated electric field of TENG for cancer therapy.

Nano Energy

The fragmentation caused by cracks spreading along grain boundaries seriously deteriorates the cycling performance of high nickel (Ni ≥ 90%) layered cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In this study, heterogeneous nucleation was utilized to epitaxially grow LiNbO3 layer onto LiNi0.90Co0.05Mn0.05O2 (NCM90). Importantly, the LiNbO3 layer was compatible with the highly reactive surface of NCM90. The formation process of LiNbO3 solid embryos was calculated and discussed based on crystal solidification theory, and the distribution of solid embryos revealed thin zone crystallization and aggregation zone grain pinning. More interestingly, the surface stiffness and surface Young's modulus of the NCM90 were significantly enhanced, and the grain movement (fragmentation) caused by the non-uniform contraction of the unit cell was bound correspondingly at high cut-off voltages. Originating from the …

Nano Energy

We introduce a manufacturing concept of variable capacity energy harvesters consisting of macroporous springs integrated within a conducting silicone rubber and dielectric. Printing and polymerising emulsion templates resulted in macroporous spring elements, which were coated with conducting silicone rubber to maintain the active contact surface. By increasing size and number of these springs, the capacitance change of the energy harvesters during compression and recovery increased from 0.4 nF/cm2 to 0.8 nF/cm2. During cyclic loading with 30 N at 2 Hz, the energy harvesters with macroporous springs delivered a power density of 0.58 µW/cm2 at a bias voltage of 50 V, which was 25 times higher than the control without springs. The energy harvesters provided a constant power output over three hours of cyclic loading (21,600 cycles), indicating their structural stability and the durability of the …

Nano Energy

Quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) perovskite materials have attracted significant attention for application in light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) due to their unique optical characteristics and extraordinary performance. The inherent multi-quantum well structure will generate a strong quantum confinement effect which is beneficial for the blue emission. However, the efficiency and stability of the quasi-2D blue PeLEDs lag behind their red and green counterparts, which prevents the further commercial application of the PeLEDs. The performance of quasi-2D blue PeLEDs was limited on account of the inefficient phase distribution management, which causes an inefficient energy transfer and severe non-radiative recombination. Herein, we employ guanidine thiocyanate (GASCN) as the pre-deposited film at the bottom of the perovskite film to manage the phase distribution of the PBA2Csn−1PbnBr3n+1 quasi-2D perovskite …

Nano Energy

Current thermochromic smart windows based on lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior can achieve solar regulation and energy saving by modulating solar transmission at the cost of visibility at higher temperature. To tackle this issue, a new concept of smart window based on the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) characteristic of zwitterionic hydrogel has been developed, giving daytime luminous transparency, all day radiative cooling and nighttime privacy protection. This design rule is suitable for energy saving smart windows for regions where cooling demand is dominant. The UCST smart window panel provides moderate luminous transmission (Tlum) of 37.1% and low near-infrared transmission (TNIR) of 20.3% during the daytime, all day near unity long-wave infrared emissivity (ƐLWIR) of 0.96 facing outdoor to promote radiative cooling with outer space, low ƐLWIR 0.19 facing indoor to …

Nano Energy

LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) spinel cathode is a potential cathode material for high-power, low-cost lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its low raw material cost, high operating voltage and efficient lithium-ion transport channel. However, LNMO suffers from structural stability due to the two-phase-transformation during charge/discharge process, leading to poor cycling performance. To address the issues, we have constructed a homogeneous aggregated LNMO cathode with a multifaceted primary particle, namely the LNMO with single-crystal secondary particles (SSP LNMO). Ex situ and in situ characterizations including the synchrotron X-ray diffraction, the neutron diffraction and full pouch cell validated that the SSP LNMO exhibit a single solid-solution reactions with a restrained lattice evolution during the delithiation/ lithiation process. This is in contrast to the normal LNMO cathode, which demonstrates a significant two …

Nano Energy

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease with dopaminergic neurons loss, which induces dopamine reduction and body motion disorder. Traditional deep brain stimulation (DBS), which involves the implanting metal electrodes into the subcortical nucleus of the brain, has a huge risk of invasive surgery and low resolution. Here we present that pomegranate-like piezoelectric nanogenerators are able to efficiently transduce ultrasonic wave into electric power generation under ultrasound stimulation, which modulates intracellular calcium signaling and tyrosine hydroxylase levels to activate the neuron activity and process of deep-brain tissue in vitro and in vivo. Strikingly, after one-week nanogenerator-mediated neuromodulation, the damaged dopaminergic neurons in PD-zebrafish and mice were reversed with a decrease in α-synuclein aggregates and an increase in tyrosine hydroxylase for …

Nano Energy

This study introduces a general label-free drug screening platform with potential to support high-throughput drug screening for any protein target. Its innovation lies in quantifying the affinity of molecule-molecule interactions via voltage output variation, which achieves unprecedented selectivity and sensitivity. It combines computational analysis complemented by experimental substantiation with a solid-liquid triboelectric nanosensor. Owing to its high binding affinity, FKBP-rapamycin is used as a model system to demonstrate the platform's sensitivity. Subsequently, the research is extended to study drug interactions with an oncogenic protein ATG4B. The findings unveil the binding of S130 and Tioconazole to ATG4B, a critical cysteine protease involved in autophagy, while revealing that Dexamethasone does not bind ATG4B. This binding exerts a specific inhibitory effect on autophagic flux and triggers cancer cell …

Nano Energy

In the context of livestock farming, controlling dust within barns is vital for maintaining animal respiratory health, equipment longevity, and production efficiency. To address the challenges posed by high dust concentrations, ventilation systems with air filters and humidity controls have been introduced. However, their widespread adoption on family farms is hindered by their high costs, substantial energy consumption, and labor-intensive maintenance. To address this pressing issue, we propose a self-powered air purification system (SAPS) based on a wind-driven soft-contact triboelectric nanogenerator (SC-TENG), specifically tailored for deployment within livestock barns. Leveraging the low wear and strong charge-donating properties of rabbit hair as the triboelectric material, the SC-TENG efficiently harnesses low-speed wind energy near the ground, consistently generating a high voltage of ∼3000 V …

Nano Energy

During the past decade, Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENG) have demonstrated their potential as an energy harvesting and self-powered sensing technology for future wearable applications. Among various TENG architectures, knitted textile TENGs have become increasingly popular in recent times, as they provide advantages such as high electrical outputs, very good mechanical properties and excellent wearability. However, there is still a lack of understanding on how to engineer the knitting parameters to maximize the electrical output generation of knitted textile TENGs. Herein, for the first time, we bridge this gap by mapping the relationship between basic knit parameters and the fundamental TENG parameters which govern their electrical outputs. In this work, the loop length, yarn count, number of yarns per loop and the loop structure of a knitted textile TENG are empirically varied and its impact on the …

Nano Energy

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 is an effective approach to reduce and utilize CO2 for carbon neutral under mild conditions, meanwhile, the development of efficient and stable catalysts with large area and low cost is more conducive to the industrialization of CO2 electroreduction. The metal-oxide heterogeneous interface can promote the activation and conversion of CO2 due to the synergy effect between the metal and the oxide. Therefore, Cu/In2O3 electrodes are fabricated by magnetron sputtering in one step to achieve high selectivity of CO or CH3OH at different potentials. The highest Faradaic efficiency of CO is 78% at − 0.75 V, and unexpectedly, the Faradaic efficiency of CH3OH at − 0.55 V can reach 56%. The abundance of heterogeneous interfaces in Cu/In2O3 provides more active sites, reduces the work function and shifts the d‐band center upward. The catalytic performance was improved by …

Nano Energy

With the rapid advancement of the Internet of Things, a wide range of information interaction platforms have been developed to enhance the quality of life and work. Nevertheless, rigid batteries greatly limit its development, which requires frequent replacement or recharge. Thermoelectric generators (TEG) have emerged as an attractive form for energy suppliers owing to their ability to convert low-grade energy heat into sustainable electricity. Herein, we have implemented a flexible TEG-based multifunctional information interaction system, which utilizes body heat to enable information interaction through finger touch. To increase the efficiency of energy conversion, the flexible TEG achieves high performance by optimizing the filling factor and material thermal conductivity, leading to a normalized power density of 1.43 μW/cm2 K2. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, the system has been applied to food spoilage …

Nano Energy

Artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) aims to establish smart informative interactions between humans and devices. However, common pixelated sensing arrays in AIoT applications present problems, such as hard and brittle devices, intricate wiring, complex structures, signal transmission crosstalk, and low precision. Herein, we show an innovative solution called all-in-one intelligent semitransparent interactive nerve patch (AISI nerve patch), which is realized by an electrical double-layer parallel separation structure with homogeneous soft conductive materials. Multifunctionality of sensing, recognition, and transmission is integrated into the AISI nerve patch, while its total thickness can be limited to the microscale level. The AISI nerve patch possesses favorable semitransparency (transmittance of ∼80%), which enables the interactive area not only to be accurately identified but also not to affect aesthetics. High …

Nano Energy

Extreme frictional wear of triboelectric layers severely hinders long-term sustainability of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) for efficient ambient energy harvesting. The state-of-the-art solutions necessitate sophisticated structural designs and complex packaging constraints, impeding the feasibility of TENGs for practical applications. Herein, inspired by the structures and compositions of snake scales, a biomimetic composite (BC) film is fabricated as a wear-resistant triboelectric contact layer. The successful formation of disulfide bond-facilitated cross-linkage of cysteine proteins in the keratin-based BC film promotes excellent mechanical resilience and durability, thereby solving the material abrasion challenges associated with solid-solid triboelectric layers. The BC film, with toothed microstructure, exhibits improved charge transfer, low friction, and consistent long-term stable outputs compared to commercial films …

Nano Energy

The inherent dynamic behavior observed in 2D‐3D interfaces in perovskite solar cells (PSC), driven by ion diffusion and migration, poses a significant challenge in establishing a stable passivation and barrier interface that can fulfill the device's complete lifecycle requirements. In this work, we construct large sterically hindered one-dimensional (1D) perovskite crystals integrated with the perovskite surface and observed their evolution during accelerated aging for the first time. The results show that this strong interfacial bonding not only effectively passivates surface defects but also prevents interface reconstruction due to migration, even under elevated temperatures. Moreover, it serving as an effective barrier can significantly suppress the interdiffusion between the copper electrode and the perovskite layer. Resultantly, our approach attained a remarkable efficiency of 23.3% via a scalable coating process in FA0.3 …

Nano Energy

Due to the large volume expansion, the multiple issue of severe pulverized Si particles, irreversible damaged electrode structure, and incompatible solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), have greatly restricted the practical application of Si-based anodes. Herein, a neutral partially lithiated binder (PVA1-g-LiPAA3) is successfully synthesized and applied in high-loaded SiOx||Li, 200 mA h and 4 A h SiOx/graphite||LiCoO2 pouch cells. The rich netural -OH and -COOLi groups show strong interaction with the Si particles during long-term cycling processes. Neutral PVA1-g-LiPAA3 binder can induce the formation of a homogenous and stable “core-shell” SEI film on the SiOx anodes, forbidding the structural evolution and volume expansion. This -CF3-rich SEI film can also improve the ionic conductivity and accelerate the electrochemical kinetics reaction. Moreover, the integrity of fluid collection and polar ears can also be …

Nano Energy

The morphology regulation of active layer has an important role in the development of organic solar cells (OSCs), which can improve device performance and prolong device stability. Herein, we propose the commonly used donors building block, benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT), as a novel volatile solid additive into PM6:Y-series solar cells. BDT can be well mixed with accepter Y6 by molecular interaction. Therefore, compared with the control film, the BDT-processed film achieves improved aggregation and enhanced crystallinity. Owing to the synergetic effects on the phase separation and molecular arrangement, the device processed with BDT exhibits the significantly enhanced exciton dissociation, charge transfer and collection along with the suppressed bimolecular recombination. Consequently, the device based on PM6:Y6 with BDT-processing obtains the 17.91% power conversion efficiency (PCE) and …

Nano Energy

Strain engineering involves intentionally inducing lattice distortion in materials to manipulate their electronic and geometric properties, along with the accompanying bond strength between reactants and catalysts. This approach presents an appealing pathway to optimize catalytic performance. However, it confronts challenges in achieving precise control, scalability and controllable modulation of intermediate species’ adsorption and desorption. Herein, we report a dynamic strain engineering method achieved through ultrasonic cavitation-induced high and low-pressure cycles, enabling periodically adjustable adsorption/desorption properties while bypassing complex synthesis procedures. Illustrated using ZnO and CO2 piezo-reduction reaction as a demonstration, theoretical studies initially predict that adsorption of intermediates *COOH can be regulated within a specific range of strains. Under ultrasonic …

Nano Energy

The hybrid 2D/3D heterostructure, which synergistically combine the high surface area and superior surface properties of 2D materials with the volumetric advantages and mechanical stability of 3D materials, offer an efficient and unique platform for electronic, optoelectronic, and energy conversion applications. Although this structure offers numerous advantages, optimizing the performance of 2D/3D heterojunction devices still faces challenges such as interface control difficulty, doping uniformity, and scalability for mass production. To simplify and effectively optimize the performance of 2D/3D heterojunction devices, this study delves into the impact of the thickness of 2D Bi 2 Se 3 films on the performance of Bi 2 Se 3/GaN heterojunction photodetectors. In thinner Bi 2 Se 3 films, a higher surface defect density increases carrier recombination efficiency, while in thicker films, an increase in internal defects impedes …

Nano Energy

In an era marked by a growing demand for sustainable energy solutions and resilient disaster management systems, the convergence of innovative technologies holds the promise of addressing multifaceted challenges. This manuscript explores the multifunctional capabilities of the "smart maracas", a novel triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) designed to harvest mechanical energy and simultaneously serve as an earthquake sensor. The smart maracas is a striking example of the potential of TENGs to harness mechanical motion for practical applications. The device converts mechanical energy into electrical power through meticulous engineering, opening avenues for self-sustaining power sources in various domains. The manuscript outlines the device's structural design, working principle, and real-time applications, spanning bio-mechanical energy harvesting, vibrational energy scavenging, rotational energy …

Nano Energy

Versatile and recyclable conductive hydrogels with long-term environmental adaptability and mechanical stability have attracted tremendous attention in wearable smart electronics. Here, double-network (DN) polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/cellulose hydrogels were constructed after introducing a conductive rigid cellulose/Zn2+/Ca2+ network into a soft PVA/borax network. The resultant hydrogels possessed good mechanical and self-adhesive properties, along with transparency, recyclability, and remarkable resistance to freezing. They showed 30-day non-drying properties due to the presence of hygroscopic salts through a dynamic moisture adsorption and desorption process. Dehydrated hydrogels can return to their original states via self-regeneration under high relative humidity. Hydrogel-based strain sensors retained good sensitivity and a wide sensing range during the wide working temperature ranging from -40 °C …