As advancements in science and technology, such as the Internet of things, smart home systems, and automobile displays, become increasingly embedded in daily life, there is a growing demand for displays with customized sizes and shapes. This study proposes a pen drawing display technology that can realize a boardless display in any form based on the user’s preferences, without the usual restrictions of conventional frame manufacturing techniques. An advantage of the pen drawing method is that the entire complex fabrication process for the display is encapsulated in a pen. The display components, light-emitting layers, and electrodes are formed using felt-tip drawing pens that contain the required solutions and light-emitting materials. The morphology and thickness of each layer is manipulated by adjusting the drawing speed, number of drawing cycles, and substrate temperature. This study is expected to usher in the upcoming era of customized displays that can reflect individual user needs.
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), an optically transparent and inert material, is widely used in biological and semiconductor applications owing to its excellent chemical stability and moldability. This study proposes a thermally induced wet spinning method for the fabrication of long PDMS fibers with a constant width. PDMS is a thermoset polymer that undergoes chemical crosslinking when heated, and the thermally induced wet spinning process allows for the formation of fibers without a mold. A rapid thermal curing step was used to instantly solidify the thermoset polymer, where immediate chemical crosslinking of fluid PDMS solution was achieved upon contact with an oil coagulation bath at 180–230 °C. A rapid stretching process was applied to pull out and control the width of the fiber, and the PDMS was stretched at a rate of 1.2–12.5 m/min during the crosslinking process. The fabricated pristine PDMS fibers were transparent and maintained a crosslinked network with excellent mechanical strength. In addition, the PDMS fibers were functionalized with silica nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and pores to adjust their transparency/opacity, conductivity, and heat insulation properties, respectively, for various applications. The proposed thermally induced wet spinning method shows promise for overcoming the limitations of existing molding methods, in which the PDMS fibers cannot be lengthened. Furthermore, the process is environmentally friendly and economical owing to the use of edible canola oil, which reduces the volume of harmful solvents and additives during fiber production.
A halochromic sensor that can visually and quickly monitor the information regarding the exposure of harmful chemicals to the human body is highly valuable in the safety and industrial fields. A general halochromic sensor uses a hydrophilic matrix to increase its detection sensitivity by promoting the diffusion of foreign materials. However, it is difficult to maintain the reversibility, durability, and stability of the color change in the halochromic sensor due to the loss of halochromic dyes under continuous exposure to chemicals. This study investigates a hydrophobic halochromic aerogel sensor that is stable even when exposed to various external environments and reacts to both acids and bases. By embedding halochromic dyes in silica aerogels with a porous structure and hydrophobicity, the leaching of halochromic dyes can be prevented even when the aerogels are placed in aqueous solutions. Hydrophobic halochromic aerogels can detect vapors generated in acidic and basic solutions, and the color change in hydrophobic halochromic aerogels reacts stably even with repeated acid and base environmental changes, enabling accurate acid or base concentration detection. In addition, halochromic aerogels can be easily applied to various platforms because they can be combined with fabric, concrete blocks, pipes, and polymers such as polydimethylsiloxane to create composites. The halochromic aerogels derived in this study are expected to contribute to the development of color change sensors applicable to various work environments by greatly improving the color change reversibility, durability, and stability that are the most important characteristics of robust halochromic sensors.
Plastics are used in cover substrates for billboards, windows, large LED signboards, lighting devices, and solar panels because they are transparent and can be colored and shaped as desired. However, when plastic cover substrates installed in outdoor environments are constantly exposed to harsh conditions such as snow, rain, dust, and wind, their transparency deteriorates owing to watermarks and dust contamination. Herein, we investigated a simple dipping-press coating method that can impart hydrophobicity while maintaining the transparency, regardless of the plastic substrate type. A highly transparent and hydrophobic coating film was formed on a plastic substrate by a two-step process, as follows: (1) application of a polydimethylsiloxane–octadecylamine coating by a dipping process, and (2) embedding (1H,1H,2H,2H-heptadecafluorodec-1-yl) phosphonic acid–aluminum oxide nanoparticles by a thermal press process. The plastic substrates on which the highly transparent and hydrophobic coating film was formed showed 150° or higher hydrophobicity and 80% or higher visible light transparency. The coating method proposed herein can easily impart hydrophobicity and is compatible with any plastic substrate that must maintain prolonged transparency without contamination when exposed to adverse conditions.
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