Notably, many significant breakthroughs for a new generation of supercapacitors have been reported in recent years, related to theoretical understanding, material synthesis and device designs. Herein, we summarize the state-of-the-art progress toward mechanisms, new materials, and novel device designs for supercapacitors. Firstly, fundamental understanding of the mechanism is mainly focused on the relationship between the structural properties of electrode materials and their electrochemical performances based on some in situ characterization techniques and simulations. Secondly, some emerging electrode materials are discussed, including metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), MXenes, metal nitrides, black phosphorus, LaMnO3, and RbAg4I5/graphite. Thirdly, the device innovations for the next generation of supercapacitors are provided successively, mainly emphasizing flow supercapacitors, alternating current (AC) line-filtering supercapacitors, redox electrolyte enhanced supercapacitors, metal ion hybrid supercapacitors, micro-supercapacitors (fiber, plane and three-dimensional) and multifunctional supercapacitors including electrochromic supercapacitors, self-healing supercapacitors, piezoelectric supercapacitors, shape-memory supercapacitors, thermal self-protective supercapacitors, thermal self-charging supercapacitors, and photo self-charging supercapacitors. Finally, the future developments and key technical challenges are highlighted regarding further research in this thriving field.

Latest advances in supercapacitors: from new electrode materials to novel device designs.

Bio-integrated wearable systems can measure a broad range of biophysical, biochemical, and environmental signals to provide critical insights into overall health status and to quantify human performance. Recent advances in material science, chemical analysis techniques, device designs, and assembly methods form the foundations for a uniquely differentiated type of wearable technology, characterized by noninvasive, intimate integration with the soft, curved, time-dynamic surfaces of the body. This review summarizes the latest advances in this emerging field of “bio-integrated” technologies in a comprehensive manner that connects fundamental developments in chemistry, material science, and engineering with sensing technologies that have the potential for widespread deployment and societal benefit in human health care. An introduction to the chemistries and materials for the active components of these systems contextualizes essential design considerations for sensors and associated platforms that appear in f...

Bio-Integrated Wearable Systems: A Comprehensive Review

Hydrogel Adhesion: A Supramolecular Synergy of Chemistry, Topology, and Mechanics

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers are the polymers with the highest dielectric constants and electroactive responses, including piezoelectric, pyroelectric and ferroelectric effects. This semicrystalline polymer can crystallize in five different forms, each related to a different chain conformation. Of these different phases, the β phase is the one with the highest dipolar moment and the highest piezoelectric response; therefore, it is the most interesting for a diverse range of applications. Thus, a variety of processing methods have been developed to induce the formation of the polymer β phase. In addition, PVDF has the advantage of being easily processable, flexible and low-cost. In this protocol, we present a number of reproducible and effective methods to produce β-PVDF-based morphologies/structures in the form of dense films, porous films, 3D scaffolds, patterned structures, fibers and spheres. These structures can be fabricated by different processing techniques, including doctor blade, spin coating, printing technologies, non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS), temperature-induced phase separation (TIPS), solvent-casting particulate leaching, solvent-casting using a 3D nylon template, freeze extraction with a 3D poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) template, replica molding, and electrospinning or electrospray, with the fabrication method depending on the desired characteristics of the structure. The developed electroactive structures have shown potential to be used in a wide range of applications, including the formation of sensors and actuators, in biomedicine, for energy generation and storage, and as filtration membranes.

Electroactive poly(vinylidene fluoride)-based structures for advanced applications.

Emerging Technologies of Flexible Pressure Sensors: Materials, Modeling, Devices, and Manufacturing

Materials and systems that statically reflect radiation in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum underpin the performance of many entrenched technologies, including building insulation, energy-conserving windows, spacecraft components, electronics shielding, container packaging, protective clothing, and camouflage platforms. The development of their adaptive variants, in which the infrared-reflecting properties dynamically change in response to external stimuli, has emerged as an important unmet scientific challenge. By drawing inspiration from cephalopod skin, we developed adaptive infrared-reflecting platforms that feature a simple actuation mechanism, low working temperature, tunable spectral range, weak angular dependence, fast response, stability to repeated cycling, amenability to patterning and multiplexing, autonomous operation, robust mechanical properties, and straightforward manufacturability. Our findings may open opportunities for infrared camouflage and other technologies that regulate infrared radiation.

Adaptive infrared-reflecting systems inspired by cephalopods.

Soft, mechanically deformable materials and systems that can, on demand, manipulate light propagation within both the visible and infrared (IR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum are desirable for applications that include sensing, optoelectronics, robotics, energy conservation, and thermal management. However, the development of such technologies remains exceptionally difficult, with relatively few examples reported to date. Herein, this challenge is addressed by engineering cephalopod-inspired adaptive camouflage platforms with multispectral functionality. First, stretchable copolymer membranes that feature outstanding unstrained protonic conductivities of up to ≈90 mS cm-1 , demonstrate increases of ≈80% in their conductivities at strains of 200%, and exhibit no loss in electrical performance even under extreme elongations of 500% are described. Next, the membranes are used for the fabrication of mechanically and electrically actuated camouflage devices that function over an unprecedented spectral window; can simultaneously modulate their visible and IR specular-to-diffuse transmittance ratios by >3000-fold and >4-fold, respectively; feature rapid response times of ≈0.6 s; and exhibit good performance after repeated actuation. These findings may afford new scientific and technological opportunities not only for adaptive optics and photonics but also for any platform that can benefit from simultaneously controlling visible light and heat.

Stretchable Cephalopod-Inspired Multimodal Camouflage Systems.

We have developed a highly sensitive flexible pressure sensor based on a piezopolymer and silver nanowires (AgNWs) composite. The composite nanofiber webs are made by electrospinning mixed solutions of poly(inylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and Ag NWs in a cosolvent mixture of dimethyl formamide and acetone. The diameter of the fibers ranges from 200 nm to 500 nm, as demonstrated by SEM images. FTIR and XRD results reveal that doping Ag NWs into PVDF greatly enhances the content of β phase in PVDF. This β phase increase can be attributed to interactions between the Ag NWs and the PVDF matrix, which forces the polymer chains to be embedded into the β phase crystalline. The sensitivity of the pressure sensors agrees well with the FTIR and XRD characteristics. In our experiments, the measured sensitivity reached up to 30 pC/N for the nanofiber webs containing 1.5 wt% Ag NWs, which is close to that of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE), (77/23)]. This study may provide a new method of fabricating high performance flexible sensors at relatively low cost compared with sensors based on [P(VDF-TrFE), (77/23)].

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/14/6/9889/pdf

Sensitivity of Pressure Sensors Enhanced by Doping Silver Nanowires

A facile method is introduced for preparation of porous self-polarized piezoelectric thin films (100–300 nm) by depositing polyvinylidene fluoride solution onto the surface of an aqueous solution. A polar β crystalline phase enhancement is realized with the addition of sodium chloride into the aqueous solution. Fully saturated piezoresponse hysteresis loops and out-of-plane piezoresponse phase images imply the high piezoelectricity and self-polarized property of the as-prepared films. Also, we fabricate a device and evaluate its performance. A high sensitivity of 52.2 pC N−1 and an electric output of over 24 V and 16 μA are revealed. Therefore, we provide a convenient and low cost approach to obtain self-polarized piezoelectric films with an enhanced polar β crystalline phase and create a dual functional device for pressure sensing and electricity generation.

Self-polarized piezoelectric thin films: preparation, formation mechanism and application

We firstly introduced physically-prepared compliant polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel electrodes as a promising supplement in dielectric elastomer actuators. They demonstrated significant actuating performance under over 5 kV with the mechanism of ion migration. The hydrogel electrodes contain about 90 wt% water, which ensures structural compliance during actuation. Compared with electronic electrodes, our all-polymeric actuators fabricated with hydrogel electrodes exhibited excellent consecutive working stability over 2960 cycles. The actuation was influenced by applied voltage, ramp speed, electrode elastic modulus and water content. A maximum areal strain over 78 % was achieved at 3.5 kV. Tunable transparency, good biocompatibility, long lifetime, low cost and facile fabrication make polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel electrodes another promising candidate in the fields of sensors, artificial muscles and optical applications.

Chengyi Xu

Papers

Adaptive infrared-reflecting systems inspired by cephalopods.

Stretchable Cephalopod-Inspired Multimodal Camouflage Systems.

Sensitivity of Pressure Sensors Enhanced by Doping Silver Nanowires

Self-polarized piezoelectric thin films: preparation, formation mechanism and application

A novel dielectric elastomer actuator based on compliant polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel electrodes