Metal–elastomer nanostructures for tunable SERS and easy microfluidic integration

Lamberti, Andrea; Virga, Alessandro; Angelini, Angelo; Ricci, Alessandro; Descrovi, Emiliano; Cocuzza, Matteo; Giorgis, Fabrizio

doi:10.1039/c4ra12168f

Cited by 40 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(42 reference statements)

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“…Interestingly, a cellulose fibre-based photoanode and a nanoscale microfibrillated cellulose-based biopolymer electrolyte were successfully prepared and used in DSSCs, and the devices produced a PCE of 3.55% under 1 Sun irradiation. 192 Owing to features such as high flexibility, transparency 193 and easy-to-process polymer thermoplasticity 194 poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) membranes were used as top-and bottom-sealing substrates to replace glass/metals. A light-cured polymer-based flexible DSSC with a patterned ''Fakir''-shaped super-hydrophobic architecture on the external side (shown in Fig.…”

Section: Conductive Substratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells

et al. 2017

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Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are regarded as prospective solar cells for the next generation of photovoltaic technologies and have become research hotspots in the PV field. The counter electrode, as a crucial component of DSSCs, collects electrons from the external circuit and catalyzes the redox reduction in the electrolyte, which has a significant influence on the photovoltaic performance, long-term stability and cost of the devices. Solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, as well as the structure, principle, preparation and characterization of counter electrodes are mentioned in the introduction section. The next six sections discuss the counter electrodes based on transparency and flexibility, metals and alloys, carbon materials, conductive polymers, transition metal compounds, and hybrids, respectively. The special features and performance, advantages and disadvantages, preparation, characterization, mechanisms, important events and development histories of various counter electrodes are presented. In the eighth section, the development of counter electrodes is summarized with an outlook. This article panoramically reviews the counter electrodes in DSSCs, which is of great significance for enhancing the development levels of DSSCs and other photoelectrochemical devices.

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Section: Conductive Substratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells

et al. 2017

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“…Indeed, contrary to the standard silicon‐based electronics, stretchable devices allow easy conformal integration into deformable systems and can adapt to different shapes and surfaces. Up to now, huge efforts have been devoted to developing flexible devices for different applications, such as tactile sensors, molecular sensors and pH sensors, actuators, photodetectors, solar cells, piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators, and other flexible systems . However, such wearable and skin‐like systems need to be self‐powered and the development of stretchable energy storage devices still remains very challenging.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Highly Stretchable Supercapacitor Using Laser‐Induced Graphene Electrodes onto Elastomeric Substrate

Lamberti

Clerici

Fontana

et al. 2016

Advanced Energy Materials

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(polyimide and polyetherimide) [ 20 ] that cannot provide the suitable mechanical properties required for stretchable energystorage devices.Herein we report a simple method to transfer the LIG porous layer obtained onto polyimide sheet to a transparent and elastomeric substrate such as PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane). Morphology and chemical-physical properties of the obtained material were deeply characterized by electron microscopy investigation, contact angle measurements and vibrational spectroscopy analysis. The as-fabricated electrodes were assembled into symmetric electrical double-layer supercapacitors and, thanks to the intrinsic mechanical properties of PDMS, the retention of energy-storage performance under bending and stretching conditions was demonstrated.The fabrication process of the LIG/PDMS electrodes is described in the experimental section (see also Supporting Information) and schematically represented in Figure 1 a-d: porous LIG pattern was obtained by a direct writing of polyimide sheet using a nanosecond CO 2 laser (a); afterward the PDMS was poured onto the written sample and the air was evacuated by a vacuum step in order to allow the full infi ltration of PDMS into the 3D network (b); after a thermal curing at 80 °C for 1 h the LIG/PDMS slide was manually peeled off from the polyimide sheet (c,d). The resulting composite material take advantage of the unique mechanical properties typical of elastomers (Figure 1 e) and of the good electrical conductivity and high surface area intrinsically present in LIG structures. Figure 1 f,g show the transparency of a logo pattern written on polyimide foil and then transferred onto PDMS slice respectively. The preservation of the electric conduction was tested by using LIG/PDMS composite to close a circuit (powering a green LED) as shown in Figure 1 h and by electrical measurements. Current-voltage characteristics shown in Figure S1 (Supporting Information) were recorded on the LIG/PDMS sample subjected to stretching in the range 0%-50%, confi rming the good maintenance of electrical properties.FESEM characterization was used to assess the morphology of the LIG sample before and after transfer onto PDMS substrate. Figure 2 a,b show the characteristic 3D foam-like structure of the laser-written LIG sample, which is composed of multilayer graphene walls. The holey foam-like structure, which is a result of the emission of gases during the irradiation process, [ 20,21 ] is actually well suited for both infi ltration with PDMS and impregnation with the electrolyte for supercapacitor application. Figure 2 c presents a cross-sectional view of a LIG sample after it is successfully transferred onto a PDMS substrate through the cast-and-peel process. Thanks to the effective infi ltration of PDMS, the LIG shows good adhesion to the underlying fl exible substrate. Moreover, as shown in Figure 2 d-f, a 3D structure of interconnected multilayer The fi eld of wearable electronics has been evolving very rapidly in the last few years due to the increasing demand for fl exi...

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“…The fi rst innovation introduced in the present work lies in the DSC architecture: poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) membranes were used to replace glass/metals as top-and bottom-sealing substrates as well as a separator for the electrodes. PDMS is highly fl exible and transparent [ 15 ] and it is the most used material in microfl uidics, as it is a cost-effective and easy-to-process alternative to the thermoplastic polymer usually employed. [ 16 ] Another well-known and highly benefi cial property of PDMS is its gas permeability.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Floating, Flexible Polymeric Dye‐Sensitized Solar‐Cell Architecture: The Way of Near‐Future Photovoltaics

Bella

Lamberti

Bianco

et al. 2016

Adv Materials Technologies

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dedicated to the installation of photovoltaic panels (mainly silicon-based), usually outside large urban areas. This installation impacts on land designated for agriculture, green areas, and pastures, which has forcedly ignited the debate of land use for energy versus food; [ 4 ] the latter is a wellknown source of controversy in the biofuels fi eld.A brilliant and feasible solution to conserve precious land and water has recently been identifi ed in the so-called "offshore renewable technologies"; this concept is already well-established in the windenergy community. [ 5 ] In the same way, the concept of fl oating photovoltaics (FPV) has been proposed for commercial electricity generation, and a fi rst examination of the state of the art was proposed by Trapani et al. [ 6a ] FPV systems, usually installed in reservoirs, ponds, or canals used mainly for irrigation purposes, are an emerging option that may be attractive, particularly because of a couple of truly important advantages: the reduction in water evaporation from the reservoir and the decreased algal growth, [ 7 ] both due to the reduction in sunlight penetration through the water body. Another interesting aspect lies in the cooling effect offered by the surrounding water to the silicon panels, which often suffer from pronounced effi ciency decrease upon overheating. [ 8 ] FPV systems must also endure mechanical stress caused by fl ood-tides, strong waves, and wind: to this end, a few fl exible thin-fi lm architectures were proposed to generate electricity. [ 6a ] With respect to groundmounted PV stations, fl oating systems require different solutions to use and store their generated power. Two approaches were proposed: [ 6 ] The fi rst (and most common) involves the construction of fl oating structures in the proximity of the mainland, with an anchor cable that retains the photovoltaic plant and connects the solar panels to the storage unit or the grid on the mainland. The second approach (more futuristic, but a few prototypes are under construction) regards the design of "smart" fl oating farms/villages, [ 6b ] i.e., completely independent fl oating units designed to operate offshore. In these structures, lighting, air conditioning, and desalination equipment are solar powered.However, FPV technology is not at all mature, and several drawbacks can be outlined. First of all, FPV systems are generally large and opaque, which is highly detrimental to the aquatic fl ora and fauna living below the fl oating platforms; an environmental impact assessment that outlines the potential hazards for the ecosystem was not reported so far. The outward

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Metal–elastomer nanostructures for tunable SERS and easy microfluidic integration

Abstract: Stretchable plasmonic nanostructures constituted by Ag nanoparticles on flexible elastomeric matrices are synthesized and used as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates.

Cited by 40 publications

References 41 publications

Counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells

Counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells

A Highly Stretchable Supercapacitor Using Laser‐Induced Graphene Electrodes onto Elastomeric Substrate

Floating, Flexible Polymeric Dye‐Sensitized Solar‐Cell Architecture: The Way of Near‐Future Photovoltaics

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