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Stretchable ionogels have been considered as ideal materials for constructing flexible electronics. However, current ionogels suffer from the well-known trade-off between mechanical strength and conductivity. Here, we develop a simple strategy based on polymerization-induced phase separation to simultaneously enhance the mechanical performance and conductivity of the ionogels by randomly copolymerizing a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic monomer in a hydrophobic ionic liquid (IL). The polymerization process induced the formation of a bicontinuous network containing a polymer-rich phase and a solvent-rich phase. The polymer-rich domains with hydrogen bonds can bear loading, greatly improving the mechanical strength; meanwhile, the solvent-rich domains form conductive nanochannels to enhance the conductivity. The resulting copolymer ionogel is highly stretchable (500% strain), and the optimal fracture stress and conductivity are 0.29 MPa and 3.4 mS/cm, achieving 7.8- and 2.3-fold enhancements compared with that of the prepared homogeneous (pure PMEA) ionogel at the same IL content, respectively. Moreover, the ionogels also exhibit anti-swelling properties in various liquids and self-adhesiveness. Potential applications of this ionogel as a wearable sensor in a complex environment are further demonstrated.

Antiferroelectric (AFE) materials have attracted a great deal of attention owing to their high energy conversion efficiency and good tunability. Recently, an exotic two-dimensional AFE material, a β′-In2Se3 monolayer that could host atomically thin AFE nanostripe domains, has been experimentally synthesized and theoretically examined. In this work, we apply first-principles calculations and theoretical estimations to predict that light irradiation can control the nanostripe width of such a system. We suggest that an intermediate near-infrared light (below the bandgap) could effectively harness the thermodynamic Gibbs free energy and thermodynamic stability, and the AFE nanostripe width will gradually decrease. We also propose to use linearly polarized light above the bandgap to generate an AFE nanostripe-specific photocurrent, providing an all-optical pump–probe setup for such AFE nanostripe width phase transitions.

Microbial infections due to bacteria, viruses, and molds are a serious threat to both human life and the health of other organisms. To develop inexpensive, easy-to-prepare, efficient, and portable nano-antibacterial materials, as well as to explore the antibacterial prospects of cationic antibacterial agents, in this work, six different membrane materials were prepared by the electrostatic spinning method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). The materials were tested for antimicrobial properties using a modified AATCC100-200 test method. Under the most suitable spinning conditions, the doping amount of the cationic antimicrobial agent, CTAB, had the greatest influence on the antimicrobial performance. The antimicrobial performance of PCL/PEO/CS/CTAB0.4 was the highest among the prepared materials, with 83.7% effectiveness against S. aureus and 99.9% against E. coli. The antimicrobial performance was found to be stable. In our study, we determined the most suitable spinning ratio to prepare an inexpensive and efficient cationic antimicrobial agent. Biodegradable, high-antimicrobial-activity antimicrobial materials can be applied as films, and this new nanofiber material has shown great potential in wound dressings and as a mask material due to its remarkable antimicrobial efficiency.

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