Ingestible electronic devices are tools for exploring the condition of the gastrointestinal tract and adjacent organs without a burden on the patients. Making them safe requires that they be fabricated with harmless materials. In this study, we developed a capacitor using food materials for a wireless sensing component. As a safer approach, gelatin, an ingredient responsive to external stimuli, was selected as a substrate for deforming the device at the desired time. Gelatin experiences sol–gel changes near body temperature; however, it is instantly dissolved and is not suitable for long-term use in the body. Thus, to maintain its thermal responsiveness, we used a tangle of gel networks created by mixing gelatin and chitosan without cross-linking agents. Our search for the appropriate gel mixing ratio provided insights into the criteria for achieving slow sol–gel changes and how to improve the thermal durability. We transferred a sputtered gold film onto the gel films to produce electrodes and then made a capacitor by sandwiching a naturally dried sodium polyacrylate film between the electrodes. The resonance frequency measurement of RLC circuits in combination with commercial plane coils showed that the capacitor worked in the megahertz band and that it collapsed when immersed in hot water. Gastric acid detection was also achieved with this capacitor. This electronic part will contribute to the development of implanted or ingestible medical devices and a wide range of environmental sensors composed of natural ingredients.
Reduction of solar cell conversion efficiency by bird spoor or oil smoke is a common issue. Maintaining the surface of solar cells clean to retain the incident light is of utmost importance. In this respect, there has been growing interest in the area of superhydrophobicity for developing water repelling and self-cleaning surfaces. This effect is inspired by lotus leaves that have micro papillae covered with hydrophobic wax nanostructures. Superhydrophobic surfaces on transparent substrates have been developed for removing contaminants from solar cell surfaces. However, oil cannot be removed by superhydrophobic effect. In contrast, to prevent bird spoor, a highly oleophobic surface is required. In a previous study, we reported transparent-type fabrics comprising nanoparticles with a nano/micro hierarchical structure that ensured both oleophobicity and transparency. In the current study, we developed new highly oleophobic stripes that were constructed into semi-transparent oleophobic surfaces for solar cells. Solar cell performance was successfully maintained; the total transmittance was a key factor for determining conversion efficiency.
Gradient refractive index layered antireflection (GRIL-AR) films were fabricated using a layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly method. As a substrate, we chose indium tin oxide–polyethylene naphthalate (ITO–PEN; the refractive index of PEN is 1.77). We deposited the GRIL-AR films on the PEN side of ITO–PEN, and the refractive index was gradually decreased from 1.59 to 1.35 by alternating deposition cycles of SiO2 as a low-refractive-index material and TiO2 as a high-refractive-index material. In the LbL process, each material was movable because it was coated in wet conditions; this may have led to fabrication of the gradient refractive index. When poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) was compared with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), antireflection (AR) using PEI showed high abrasion durability because of the loopy structure of the polymer and a high polymer ratio in the film. With the drying process, the prepared film showed enhanced abrasion durability. GRIL-AR on ITO–PEN showed broad-band AR properties.
Ingestible electronics monitor biometric information from outside the body. Making them with harmless or digestible materials will contribute to further reducing the burden on the patient’s oral intake. Here, considering that the inductive part plays an important role in communications, we demonstrate a degradable inductor fabricated with harmless substances. Such a transient component must meet conflicting requirements for both operation and disassembly. Therefore, we integrated a substrate made of gelatin, a thermally degradable material, and a precision coil pattern made of edible gold or silver leaf. However, gelatin itself lost its initial shape easily due to quick sol–gel changes in physiological conditions. Thus, we managed the gelatin’s thermal responsiveness by using a tangle of gelatin/chitosan gel networks and genipin, an organic cross-linking agent, and gained insights into the criteria for developing transient devices with thermo-degradability. In addition, to compensate for the lack of water resistance and low conductivity of thin metal foils, we propose a laminated structure with oleogel (beeswax/olive oil). LCR resonance circuits, by connecting a commercial capacitor to the coil, worked wirelessly in the megahertz band and gradually degraded in a warm-water environment. The presented organic electronics will contribute to the future development of transient wireless communications for implantable and ingestible medical devices or environmental sensors with natural and harmless ingredients.
A liquid droplet in contact with a superhydrophobic surface can be used to collect dissolved trace materials after evaporating the solvent. This process effect enhances detection limits, but a liquid droplet easily rolls off a superhydrophobic surface. Keeping it at a specific collecting spot area is challenging. Here the means for controlling and capturing a liquid droplet on a superhydrophobic surface is demonstrated. To induce a liquid droplet to a collecting spot, its rolling direction was controlled by two superhydrophobic fabric guides. The liquid droplet was then captured by hydrophilic polymer and hydrophilic nanoparticles at the measuring spot. After removing the solvent, the trace compounds were evaluated with a colorimetric analysis visible to the naked eye.
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