The advent of electrochromic aqueous batteries represents a promising trend in the development of smart and environmentally friendly energy storage devices. However, it remains a great challenge to integrate electrochromic, flexible, and patterned features into a single battery unit through a simple operation. Herein, an entirely new class of hetero-polyacid-based underwater adhesives is designed and synthesized by combining the redox properties of hetero-polyacids and the water-resistant binding of adhesives in single system. The hybrid underwater adhesives not only serve as printable electrode coatings in aqueous solution but also offer unique electrochromic feature for guiding the convenient fabrication of self-powered electrochromic aqueous battery. The reversible discharging and H 2 O 2 assistant charging behavior is also demonstrated. This kind of wet and electrochromic adhesive with excellent toleration of mechanical deformation offers great promise in developing flexible and smart energy storage configuration, which provides a user-device interface platform allowing one to evaluate the battery's charging state based on the naked eye-visible change in color.
The
fabrication of peptide assemblies to mimic the functions of
natural proteins represents an intriguing aim in the fields of soft
materials. Herein, we present a kind of novel peptide-based adhesive
coacervate for the exploration of the environment-responsive underwater
adhesion. Adhesive coacervates are designed and synthesized by self-assembled
condensation of a tripeptide and polyoxometalates in aqueous solution.
Rheological measurements demonstrate that the adhesive coacervates
exhibit shear thinning behavior, which allows them to be conveniently
delivered for interfacial spreading through a narrow gauge syringe
without high pressure. The complex coacervates are susceptible to
pH and metal ions, resulting in the occurrence of a phase transition
from the fluid phase to the gel state. Scanning electron microscopy
demonstrates that the microscale structures of the gel-like phases
are composed of interconnected three-dimensional porous networks.
The rheological study reveals that the gel-like assemblies exhibited
mechanical stiffness and self-healing properties. Interestingly, the
gel-like samples show the capacity to adhere to various wet solid
substrates under the waterline. The adhesion strength of the peptide-based
gel is quantified by lap shear mechanical analysis. The fluid coacervate
is further exploited in the preparation of “on-site”
injectable underwater adhesives triggered by environmental factors.
This finding is exciting and serves to expand our capability for the
fabrication of peptide-based underwater adhesives in a controllable
way.
A 2D dissipative system is initiated by photo-powered trans-to-cis isomerization of azobenzene, which usually results in the collapse of ordered assemblies.
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.