Paper-based supercapacitors (SCs), a novel and interesting group of flexible energy storage devices, are attracting more and more attention from both industry and academia. Cellulose papers with a unique porous bulk structure and rough and absorptive surface properties enable the construction of paper-based SCs with a reasonably good performance at a low price. The inexpensive and environmentally friendly nature of paper as well as simple fabrication techniques make paper-based SCs promising candidates for the future ‘green’ and ‘once-use-and-throw-away’ electronics. This review introduces the design, fabrication and applications of paper-based SCs, giving a comprehensive coverage of this interesting field. Challenges and future perspectives are also discussed.

Flexible supercapacitors based on paper substrates: a new paradigm for low-cost energy storage.

Au contacts. The B-FTS approach exhibits the unique feature of ultra-rapid growth of ZnO nanotetrapods within few milliseconds and simultaneously in situ bridging electrical contacts. These bridging nanotetrapods were directly integrated on a chip and demonstrated signifi cantly improved performances as a UV photodetector. Comparison of the UV photodetectors performances built from interpenetrating ZnO nano-microstructures fabricated by B-FTS and C-FTS techniques are presented. Fastest response/recovery time constant (≈32 ms) under 365 nm UV light irradiation of B-FTS-made photodetectors (on/off ratio ≈4.5 ◊ 10 3 at 2.4 V) is reported. Different type of nanojunctions formed between neighbor nanowires or nanotetrapods (with ‘arm’ thickness <50 nm) could be the reason for such improved characteristics. The role of nanojunctions in fast UV photodetectors from networked ZnO nanowires and nanotetrapods is discussed. On the basis of the rapid B-FTS fabrication process and fast UV photodetection capabilities, such networked ZnO nanotetrapods can be potential candidates for various nanosensor applications.

Rapid fabrication technique for interpenetrated ZnO nanotetrapod networks for fast UV sensors.

Paper has been present in the world of analytical chemistry for centuries, but it seems that just a few years back it was rediscovered as a valuable substrate for sensors. We can easily list some of the countless advantages of this simple cellulosic substrate, including mechanical properties, three-dimensional fibrous structure, biocompatibility and biodegradability, easiness of production and modification, reasonable price, and availability all over the world. Those characteristics make paper a first-choice substrate for disposable sensors and integrated sensing platforms. Nowadays, numerous examples of paper-based sensors are being presented in the literature. This review describes some of the most prominent examples classifying them by type of detection: optical (colorimetric, fluorescence, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and transmittance methods) and electrochemical (voltammetric, potentiometric, and conductivity-based methods). We take a closer look at recent advances in immunoassays fabricated on paper, excluding simple lateral flow tests assembled on nitrocellulose. This review also summarizes the main advantages and disadvantages of the use of paper as a substrate for sensors, as well as its impact on their performance and application, presents a short history of paper in analytical chemistry, and discusses fabrication methods and available sources of paper.

Sensing approaches on paper-based devices: a review

Functional electrical devices have promising potentials in structural health monitoring system, human-friendly wearable interactive system, smart robotics, and even future multifunctional intelligent room. Here, a low-cost fabrication strategy to efficiently construct highly sensitive graphite-based strain sensors by pencil-trace drawn on flexible printing papers is reported. The strain sensors can be operated at only two batteries voltage of 3 V, and can be applied to variously monitoring microstructural changes and human motions with fast response/relaxation times of 110 ms, a high gauge factor (GF) of 536.6, and high stability >10 000 bending–unbending cycles. Through investigation of service behaviors of the sensors, it is found that the microcracks occur on the surface of the pencil-trace and have a major influence on the functions of the strain sensors. These performances of the strain sensor attain and even surpass the properties of recent strain sensing devices with subtle design of materials and device architectures. The pen-on-paper (PoP) approach may further develop portable, environmentally friendly, and economical lab-on-paper applications and offer a valuable method to fabricate other multifunctional devices.

Flexible and Highly Sensitive Strain Sensors Fabricated by Pencil Drawn for Wearable Monitor

The study of electrochemical behavior of bioactive molecules has become one of the most rapidly developing scientific fields. Biotechnology and biomedical engineering fields have a vested interest in constructing more precise and accurate voltammetric/amperometric biosensors. One rapidly growing area of biosensor design involves incorporation of carbon-based nanomaterials in working electrodes, such as one-dimensional carbon nanotubes, two-dimensional graphene, and graphene oxide. In this review article, we give a brief overview describing the voltammetric techniques and how these techniques are applied in biosensing, as well as the details surrounding important biosensing concepts of sensitivity and limits of detection. Building on these important concepts, we show how the sensitivity and limit of detection can be tuned by including carbon-based nanomaterials in the fabrication of biosensors. The sensing of biomolecules including glucose, dopamine, proteins, enzymes, uric acid, DNA, RNA, and H2O2 traditionally employs enzymes in detection; however, these enzymes denature easily, and as such, enzymeless methods are highly desired. Here we draw an important distinction between enzymeless and enzyme-containing carbon-nanomaterial-based biosensors. The review ends with an outlook of future concepts that can be employed in biosensor fabrication, as well as limitations of already proposed materials and how such sensing can be enhanced. As such, this review can act as a roadmap to guide researchers toward concepts that can be employed in the design of next generation biosensors, while also highlighting the current advancements in the field.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acsnano.5b05690

Engineered Carbon-Nanomaterial-Based Electrochemical Sensors for Biomolecules

In this article, the electroluminescence (EL) spectra of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanotubes/p-GaN light emitting diodes (LEDs) annealed in different ambients (argon, air, oxygen, and nitrogen) have been investigated. The ZnO nanotubes by aqueous chemical growth (ACG) technique on p-GaN substrates were obtained. The as-grown ZnO nanotubes were annealed in different ambients at 600°C for 30 min. The EL investigations showed that air, oxygen, and nitrogen annealing ambients have strongly affected the deep level emission bands in ZnO. It was concluded from the EL investigation that more than one deep level defect is involved in the red emission appearing between 620 and 750 nm and that the red emission in ZnO can be attributed to oxygen interstitials (Oi) appearing in the range from 620 nm (1.99 eV) to 690 nm (1.79 eV), and to oxygen vacancies (Vo) appearing in the range from 690 nm (1.79 eV) to 750 nm (1.65 eV). The annealing ambients, especially the nitrogen ambient, were also found to greatly influence the color-rendering properties and increase the CRI of the as - grown LEDs from 87 to 96.

/pdf/the-origin-of-the-red-emission-in-n-zno-nanotubes-p-gan-1kcx2ltmgh.pdf

The origin of the red emission in n-ZnO nanotubes/p-GaN white light emitting diodes

Many applications require a low-cost and large-scale mode of flexible electronics with reasonably high photoresponse that can be detected without high precision measurement systems. We demonstrate ...

/pdf/screen-printed-zno-ultraviolet-photoconductive-sensor-on-3v8p5iujl1.pdf

Screen printed ZnO ultraviolet photoconductive sensor on pencil drawn circuitry over paper

Relatively long (30 µm) high quality ZnO nanowires (NWs) were grown by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) technique. Schottky diodes of single NW were fabricated by putting single ZnO NW across Au and Pt electrodes. A device with ohmic contacts at both the sides was also fabricated for comparison. The current-voltage (I-V) measurements for the Schottky diode show clear rectifying behavior and no reverse breakdown was seen down to -5 V. High current was observed in the forward bias and the device was found to be stable up to 12 V applied bias. The Schottky barrier device shows more sensitivity, lower dark current, and much faster switching under pulsed UV illumination. Desorption and re-adsorption of much smaller number of oxygen ions at the Schottky junction effectively alters the barrier height resulting in a faster response even for very long NWs. The NW was treated with oxygen plasma to improve the switching. The photodetector shows high stability, reversibility, and sensitivity to UV light. The results imply that single ZnO NW Schottky diode is a promising candidate for fabricating UV photodetectors.

/pdf/single-nanowire-based-uv-photodetectors-for-fast-switching-vdvpanyd6s.pdf

Single nanowire-based UV photodetectors for fast switching

Recent progress on the growth of zinc oxide (ZnO), copper oxide (CuO) and graphene nanosheets is presented and discussed. We here restrict the discussion to the hydrothermal low temperature growth regime. In view of this the most critical and important parameters for obtaining nanostructures with desired morphology are discussed and presented. Among all parameters, the temperature and the pH during growth were chosen due to their strong role in affecting the produced nanostructures. The application of this method to non-conventional substrates e.g. paper, is demonstrated. Different devices are fabricated using the grown material and their performance is discussed.

Kamran ul Hasan

Papers

The origin of the red emission in n-ZnO nanotubes/p-GaN white light emitting diodes

Screen printed ZnO ultraviolet photoconductive sensor on pencil drawn circuitry over paper

Single nanowire-based UV photodetectors for fast switching

Recent progress on growth and device development of ZnO and CuO nanostructures and graphene nanosheets

A Miniature Graphene-based Biosensor for Intracellular Glucose Measurements