A disposable acoustofluidic platform was developed for nano/microparticle separation with high versatility, precision, and biocompatibility.

An acoustofluidic chip can liquefy stool samples in a continuous flow.

An Arduino based control system enables operation of acoustofluidic devices at the point-of-care.

Due to the practical demand in many fields, room-temperature photodetectors in mid/long-wavelength and terahertz ranges have attracted much attention. Photothermoelectric (PTE) detectors based on photothermal conversion and thermoelectric effect can realize ultra-broadband detection of a photon without external bias. In recent years, two-dimensional (2D) materials open up revolutionary opportunities in rapid and sensitive photodetection by virtue of their remarkable electronic and optical properties. Here, we provide a brief review of state-of-the-art photodetectors based on PTE effect and 2D materials. It is worth noting that emerging PTE detectors based on 2D materials, including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), black phosphorus (BP) and MXenes, are proposed systematically. Next, we will discuss the existing challenges and prospects in PTE detectors, followed by a conclusion of this review.

An acoustofluidic platform is developed to synthesize high-molecular-weight polymeric nanoparticles in a size- and structure-controlled manner, while eliminating polymer aggregation within the microchannel.

The development of photothermoelectric (PTE) detectors has drawn much attention and is a hot research topic because of their superiority of converting broadband terahertz to mid-infrared radiation energy without any bias support in ambient conditions. However, earlier work in PTE detectors is complicated by a sophisticated fabrication process, uncontrollable formation, poor flexibility, and intractable material instability. Herein, we apply doped polyaniline (PANI)/graphene composites on poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrates to propose a new type of PTE detectors. The facile fabrication process, involving tip sonification and magnetic stirring, enhances the dispersion of homogeneously aqueous graphene. Besides the uniformity of the composite, the bias-free photodetector exhibits its highly sensitive responsivity by tuning the graphene concentration, achieving a peak detectivity of 6.8 × 10 7 cm Hz 1/2 W −1 and responsivity of 2.5 V W −1 . In addition, various bending radii (−1.5 to 1.5 cm) and more than 300 multiple bending cycles demonstrate remarkable flexibility of the doped-PANI/graphene composite. We further simulate human interactions by setting fingers 3−5 mm away from detectors and moving fingertips along the perpendicular direction toward the detector in multiple attempts to exhibit a rapid, high-performance photovoltage response of 10 μV. Overall, the striking doped-PANI/graphene composite PTE detectors manifest satisfactory broadband detectivity and provide insights into abundant applications in nondestructive health monitors, future optical detectors, and wearable Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

In the 21st century, photovoltaic (PV) is an emerging renewable energy source. According to its low production cost, organic solar cells (OSCs) exhibit huge potential in the commercialization market. Low-dimensional carbon nanomaterials with superb electronic, optical, mechanical properties have been proposed to serve as different functions in organic solar cells. In this paper, we systematically summarize the progress of carbon nanotube (CNT)- and graphene-based OSCs, including the photoactive, electrode and interfacial layers. It concludes that CNTs and graphene can play a crucial role in OSCs. Also, this review provides a summary and outlook on improving the performance of OSCs. At present, the device is in the direction of the hybrid system, high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and long lifetimes.

Correction for ‘On-chip stool liquefaction via acoustofluidics’ by Shuaiguo Zhao et al., Lab Chip, 2019, 19, 941–947, DOI: 10.1039/C8LC01310A.