In this paper, (Gd1−xYx)TaO4 ceramics had been fabricated by solid-phase synthesis reaction. Each sample was found to crystallize in a monoclinic phase by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The properties of (Gd1−xYx)TaO4 were optimized by adjusting the ratio of Gd/Y. (Gd1−xYx)TaO4 had a low high-temperature thermal conductivity (1.37–2.05 W·m−1·K−1), which was regulated by lattice imperfections. The phase transition temperature of the (Gd1−xYx)TaO4 ceramics was higher than 1500 °C. Moreover, the linear thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) were 10.5×10−6 K−1 (1200 °C), which was not inferior to yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) (11×10−6 K−1, 1200 °C). (Gd1−xYx)TaO4 had anisotropic thermal expansion. Therefore, controlling preferred orientation could minimize the TEC mismatch when (Gd1−xYx)TaO4 coatings were deposited on different substrates as thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). Based on their excellent properties, it is believed that the (Gd1−xYx)TaO4 ceramics will become the next generation of high-temperature thermal protective coatings.

Wearable fabric sensors have attracted enormous attention due to their huge potential in human health and activity monitoring, human–machine interaction and the Internet of Things (IoT). Among natural fabrics, bast fabric has the advantage of high strength, good resilience and excellent permeability. Laser engraving, as a high throughput, patternable and mask-free method, was demonstrated to fabricate fabric sensors. In this work, we developed a simplified, cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for engraving ramie fabric (a kind of bast fabric) directly by laser under an ambient atmosphere to prepare strain and humidity sensors. We used carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) to pretreat ramie fabric before laser engraving and gained laser-carbonized ramie fabrics (LCRF) with high conductivity (65 Ω sq−1) and good permeability. The strain and humidity sensors had high sensitivity and good flexibility, which can be used for human health and activity monitoring.

In recent years, laser engraving has received widespread attention as a convenient, efficient, and programmable method which has enabled high-quality porous graphene to be obtained from various precursors. Laser engraving is often used to fabricate the dielectric layer with a microstructure for capacitive pressure sensors; however, the usual choice of electrodes remains poorly flexible metal electrodes, which greatly limit the overall flexibility of the sensors. In this work, we propose a flexible capacitive pressure sensor made entirely of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and laser-induced graphene (LIG) derived from wood. The capacitive pressure sensor consisted of a flexible LIG/TPU electrode (LTE), an LIG/TPU electrode with a microhole array, and a dielectric layer of TPU with microcone array molded from a laser-engraved hole array on wood, which provided high sensitivity (0.11 kPa−1), an ultrawide pressure detection range (20 Pa to 1.4 MPa), a fast response (~300 ms), and good stability (>4000 cycles, at 0–35 kPa). We believe that our research makes a significant contribution to the literature, because the easy availability of the materials derived from wood and the overall consistent flexibility meet the requirements of flexible electronic devices.

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