Enhancing the output power of a nanogenerator is essential in applications as a sustainable power source for wireless sensors and microelectronics. We report here a novel approach that greatly enhances piezoelectric power generation by introducing a p-type polymer layer on a piezoelectric semiconducting thin film. Holes at the film surface greatly reduce the piezoelectric potential screening ef...

Organic–inorganic hybrid co-polymer thin films were deposited on silicon(100) substrates under the several ratio of TEOS (tetraethoxysilane) against cyclohexene by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) method. Toluene and TEOS were utilized as organic and inorganic precursors each, and hydrogen and argon were also used as a bubbler and carrier gases, respectively. In order to compa...

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) hold great promise for regenerative medicine and transplantation therapy due to their self-renewal and pluripotent properties. We report that 2D thin film scaffolds composed of biocompatible polymer grafted carbon nanotubes (CNTs), can selectively differentiate human embryonic stem cells into neuron cells while maintaining excellent cell viability. According t...

Extensive studies on polymer thin films to date have revealed their interesting but unusual properties such as film thickness dependence of glass transition temperature Tg and thermal expansivity. Recent studies have shown that the lower Tg is not always related to the higher mobility in polymer thin films, which contradicts our current understanding of the glass transition process. In this wor...

Substantial in-plane crystallinity and dominant face-on stacking are observed in thin films of a high-mobility n-type rylene-thiophene copolymer. Spun films of the polymer, previously thought to have little or no order are found to exhibit an ordered microstructure at both interfaces, and in the bulk. The implications of this type of packing and crystalline morphology are discussed as they rela...

Structured surfaces give rise to novel and potentially useful properties such as controllable wettability and structural colour. Here, we demonstrate structured surfaces via reversible surface wrinkling in liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). A thin polymer film deposited on top of a shape-responsive LCE exhibits a reversible, periodic surface wrinkling pattern in response to temperature changes. ...

Gaining a detailed understanding of water transport behavior through ultra-thin polymer membranes is increasingly becoming necessary due to the recent interest in exploring applications such as water desalination using nanoporous membranes. Current techniques only measure bulk water transport rates and do not offer direct visualization of water transport which can provide insights into the micr...

Long-term, localized delivery of small molecules from a biodegradable thin film is challenging owing to their low molecular weight and poor charge density. Accomplishing highly extended controlled release can facilitate high therapeutic levels in specific regions of the body while significantly reducing the toxicity to vital organs typically caused by systemic administration and decreasing the ...

Today the rapid growth of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) applications in the automotive and aerospace industry has motivated many researches to perform life-cycle analyses of FRP structures. While its strength-to-weight ratio outperforms conventional metals, FRP is inherently heterogeneous and experiences complex failure modes, thus making them challenging for structural analysis and design. As...

This paper reports on the recent work carried out as part of the EU funded NanoMend project. The project seeks to develop integrated process inspection, cleaning, repair and control systems for thin films on flexible PV films. based on CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide CuInxGa (1-x)Se2). These films are fabricated on polymer film by the repeated deposition, and patterning, of thin layer mate...