The low output current density of piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) severely restricts their application for ambient mechanical energy harvest. This has been a key challenge in the development of PENG. Here, to conquer this, based on a piezoelectric material with high piezoelectric coefficient (Sm-PMN-PT), a new design of PENG with a three-dimensional intercalation electrode (IENG) is proposed. By creating many boundary interfaces inside the piezoelectric material, the total amount of surface polarization charges increased, which contributes to an increased current density. The IENG can output a maximum peak shortcircuit current of 320 μA, and the corresponding current density 290 μA cm −2 is 1.93 and 1.61 times the record values of PENG and triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), respectively. It can also charge a 1 μF capacitor from 0 V to 8 V in 21 cycles, and the equivalent surface charge density 1690 μC m −2 is 1.35 times the record value of TENG.

Piezotronics with capacity of constructing adaptive and seamless interactions between electronics/machines and human/ambient are of value in Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and biomedical engineering. Here, we report a kind of highly sensitive strain sensor based on piezotronic tunneling junction (Ag/HfO2/n-ZnO), which utilizes the strain-induced piezoelectric potential to control the tunneling barrier height and width in parallel, and hence to synergistically modulate the electrical transport process. The piezotronic tunneling strain sensor has a high on/off ratio of 478.4 and high gauge factor of 4.8 × 105 at the strain of 0.10%, which is more than 17.8 times larger than that of a conventional Schottky-barrier based strain sensor in control group as well as some existing ZnO nanowire or nanobelt based sensors. This work provides in-depth understanding for the basic mechanism of piezotronic modulation on tunneling junction, and realizes the highly sensitive strain sensor of piezotronic tunneling junction on device scale, which has great potential in advanced micro/nano-electromechanical devices and systems.

The underwater superoleophobic surfaces play a significant role in anti-oil contamination, marine antifouling, etc. Inspired by the Gecko's feet and its self-cleaning property, a hierarchical structure composed of poly (acrylic acid) gel micro-brushes is designed by the liquid-infused method. This surface exhibits underwater superoleophobicity with very low oil adhesion. It is then modified with stimuli-responsive polymer nano-brushes via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization from the embedded initiator. The micro/nano-brush dual structural surfaces can switch the underwater oil adhesion between low and high while keeping the superoleophobicity. The antifouling properties against algae attachment under different mediums are also investigated to show a strong link between oleophobicity and antibiofouling property. The model surface will be very useful in directing the design of marine self-cleaning coatings to both living and non-living species.

A caterpillar-mimetic bilayer actuator is reported, based on a wrinkled polydimethylsiloxane elastomer decorated with a hydroresponsive polyelectrolyte brush. The actuator can fold ultrafast into complex three-dimensional structures upon a change in relative humidity of the surrounding air. The folding direction is determined by the geometry of the actuator, the orientation of the wrinkles, and the gradient in polymer height on the surface. And some unique structures such as helicoid and gradient can be obtained that are seldom reported in the case of bilayered devices. The adaptive bending movement is very fast, anisotropic, highly efficient, and reversible. When the environmental humidity is repeatedly cycled up and down, the small device walks on a surface with a roughness gradient, which is reminiscent of the muscle-like movements.