Phase separation in films of phospholipids and conjugated polymers results in nanoassemblies because of a difference in the physicochemical properties between the hydrophobic polymers and the polar lipid heads, together with the comparable polymer side-chain lengths to lipid tail lengths, thus producing nanoparticles of conjugated polymers upon disassembly in aqueous media by the penetration of water into polar regions of the lipid heads.
We show that Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between a conjugated oligoelectrolyte based on distyrylstilbene (DSSN+) and Nile red can enhance photocurrent generation when the photoagents are assembled vertically on gold electrodes. DSSN+ and Nile red intercalated into phospholipid membranes of unilamellar vesicles were found to form a useful FRET system because of the solvatochromic properties of DSSN +, and the accompanying photophysical properties were suitable for FRET with Nile red. As a result, a FRET efficiency of 93−94% was achieved, as shown by steady-state and time-resolved spectra in vesicle solutions. When Nile red was tethered in a selfassembled monolayer of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) on gold electrodes and phospholipid-assembled DSSN+ was sequentially organized on the MUA layer, the anodic photocurrent increased notably, reaching about 815 nA/cm 2 by virtue of FRET between the vertically aligned dyes.
Sensitive
strain sensors (an important component of soft robotics,
wearable devices, and biomedical electronics) with high sensitivity,
stretchability, and long-term stability are still challenging. A sensitive,
stretchable, and sustainable sensor using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)
(PEDOT) coated cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) with poly(vinyl alcohol)/glycerol
(PVA/Gly) composite is proposed. The low cost and sustainable PEDOT
coated CNC with high aspect ratio lowered the electrical percolation
threshold that significantly improved the electrical conductivity
leading to better sensitivity (gauge factor = 21.25) compared to the
PEDOT applied film without CNC (gauge factor = 9.35). The exceptional
stretchability of up to 500% and a low Young’s modulus with
long-term stability exceeding 3 months are due to the glycerol plasticizer.
The fabricated sensors possessed outstanding real-time strain sensing
capability for a series of human motions, including complex joint
bending motions, subtle muscle motions, wrist pulse, and excellent
self-healing ability. This effective green strategy for preparing
a highly stretchable conductive composite addresses current limitations
in strain sensor preparation and offers a sustainable approach to
sensor design and development.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.