Pressure sensors should have an excellent sensitivity in the range of 0-20 kPa when applied in wearable applications. Traditional pressure sensors cannot achieve both a high sensitivity and a large working range simultaneously, which results in their limited applications in wearable fields. There is an urgent need to develop a pressure sensor to make a breakthrough in both sensitivity and working range. In this paper, a graphene-paper pressure sensor that shows excellent performance in the range of 0-20 kPa is proposed. Compared to most reported graphene pressure sensors, this work realizes the optimization of sensitivity and working range, which is especially suitable for wearable applications. We also demonstrate that the pressure sensor can be applied in pulse detection, respiratory detection, voice recognition, as well as various intense motion detections. This graphene-paper pressure sensor will have great potentials for smart wearable devices to achieve health monitoring and motion detection.

Various silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-decorated graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites (GO-Ag) have received increasing attention owing to their antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility; however, their aggregation in physiological solutions and the generally complex synthesis methods warrant improvement. This study aimed to synthesize a polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified and AgNP-decorated GO nanocomposite (GO-PEI-Ag) through a facile approach through microwave irradiation without any extra reductants and surfactants; its antimicrobial activity was investigated on Gram-negative/-positive bacteria (including drug-resistant bacteria) and fungi. Compared with GO-Ag, GO-PEI-Ag acquired excellent stability in physiological solutions and electropositivity, showing substantially higher antimicrobial efficacy. Moreover, GO-PEI-Ag exhibited particularly excellent long-term effects, presenting no obvious decline in antimicrobial activity after 1 week storage in physiological saline and repeated use for three times and the lasting inhibition of bacterial growth in nutrient-rich culture medium. In contrast, GO-Ag exhibited a >60% decline in antimicrobial activity after storage. Importantly, GO-PEI-Ag effectively eliminated adhered bacteria, thereby preventing biofilm formation. The primary antimicrobial mechanisms of GO-PEI-Ag were evidenced as physical damage to the pathogen structure, causing cytoplasmic leakage. Hence, stable GO-PEI-Ag with robust, long-term antimicrobial activity holds promise in combating public-health threats posed by drug-resistant bacteria and biofilms.

A conductive fibrous scaffold made of silk fibroin and graphene was developed using electrospinning technique. The 3% G/SF scaffolds showed improved electroactivity and mechanical properties. Moreover, they could support the cell growth in vitro.

A new series of pH-responsive Gemini surfactants with 2-pyrrolidone head groups, N,N′-dialkyl-N,N′-di(ethyl-2pyrrolidone)ethylenediamine (Di-C n P, where n = 6, 8 10, 12), were synthesized and characterized by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, ESI-MS, and elemental analysis. The surface activity and micellization behavior at acidic, neutral, and basic conditions were characterized by equilibrium surface tension and fluorescence techniques. It was found that the surface activity of Di-C n P depends on the pH of aqueous solutions due to the protonation state of surfactant molecules when pH was varied. The new compounds have lower cmc and γ cmc in comparison with that of m-2-m type conventional cationic Gemini surfactants and gluconamide-type nonionic Gemini surfactants. Fluorescence data confirm that micelles are formed when the concentration is above the cmc. Since micellization is of fundamental importance in surfactant applications such as solubilization, microemulsion, and related technologies, the significant difference in cmc at different pH of this new Gemini surfactant is employed to solubilize cyclohexane. The preliminary result indeed shows that the solubilization capacity of Di-C n P can be tuned by pH.

As a non-invasive therapeutic method without penetration-depth limitation, magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) under alternating magnetic field (AMF) is a clinically promising thermal therapy. However, the poor heating conversion efficiency and lack of stimulus–response obstruct the clinical application of magnetofluid-mediated MHT. Here, we develop a ferrimagnetic polyethylene glycol-poly(2-hexoxy-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane) (mPEG-b-PHEP) copolymer micelle loaded with hydrophobic iron oxide nanocubes and emodin (denoted as EMM). Besides an enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) contrast ability (r2 = 271 mM−1 s−1) due to the high magnetization, the specific absorption rate (2518 W/g at 35 kA/m) and intrinsic loss power (6.5 nHm2/kg) of EMM are dozens of times higher than the clinically available iron oxide nanoagents (Feridex and Resovist), indicating the high heating conversion efficiency. Furthermore, this composite micelle with a flowable core exhibits a rapid response to magnetic hyperthermia, leading to an AMF-activated supersensitive drug release. With the high magnetic response, thermal sensitivity and magnetic targeting, this supersensitive ferrimagnetic nanocomposite realizes an above 70% tumor cell killing effect at an extremely low dosage (10 μg Fe/mL), and the tumors on mice are completely eliminated after the combined MHT–chemotherapy.

Protonation state: A chemically simple amphiphile, bearing two amine functions with different pKas, exhibits an unusually rich spectrum of self‐assembly structures (see scheme).

Thermoacoustic effects were observed in 100-nm indium tin oxide (ITO) films. The sound emission from the ITO films was measured as a function of power, distance, and frequency. Significant flat and wide frequency responses occurred between 20 and 50 kHz. The sound pressure and efficiency were in good agreement with theoretical results. This indicates that a thermoacoustic effect exists in metal-oxide materials and that a large family of transparent electrode materials may exhibit similar properties. Using the ultrathin, transparent, and flexible characteristics, we showed promising applications of ITO sound source devices that were integrated with liquid crystal display screens.

A new family of gemini surfactants with pyrrolidinium head groups, 1,1 0 -(alkane-1, s-diyl)bis(1-dodecyl pyrrolidinium)bromide (C 12 -C s -C 12 PB, s ¼ 3,4,6,8,10,12,14,and 16), were synthesized. Their adsorption and micellization in aqueous solutions were investigated by various techniques such as equilibrium surface tension, fluorescence, and conductivity in detail. It was found that the effect of the spacer length on surfactant aggregation in aqueous solutions is similar to that of the well-known gemini surfactants with quaternary ammonium head groups (m-s-m), whereas the occupied limiting area per molecule (A min ) at the surface increases linearly with s rather than going through a maximum value at a medium value of s like that of m-s-m. The thermodynamic parameters suggest that the micellization of C 12 -C s -C 12 PB is an entropy driven process regardless of the spacer length s. Moreover, a second breakpoint appeared in both g-log c and I 1 /I 3 -c curves of C 12 -C 14 -C 12 PB and C 12 -C 16 -C 12 PB as the surfactant concentration increases, which can be attributed to the formation of larger aggregates.The morphology of the aggregates is confirmed by employing dynamic light scattering (DLS) and cryotransmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) techniques.