This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, Republic of China through Grant No. 101-2113-M-001-006-MY3.

1. Preparation of TCDAP12
<ol>
	<li>Synthesize TCDAP by following literature procedures13.</li>
	<li>Purify the TCDAP product by the temperature-gradient sublimation method, with the three temperature zones set at 340, 270, and 250 &#176;C, respectively, under a vacuum pressure of 10-6 Torr12,14.</li>
</ol>
2. Grow Single Crystals of TCDAP Using a Physical Vapor Transfer (PVT) System14
<ol>
	<li>Put the TCDAP sample at one end of a boat (5 cm long) and load the boat into a glass inner tube (15 cm long with a diameter of 1.2 cm).</li>
	<li>Load the inner tube into a longer glass tube (83 cm long and 2 cm in diameter) and push it in to about 17 cm from the opening.</li>
	<li>Load the long glass tube into a copper tube (60 cm long and 2.5 cm in diameter) horizontally fixed on a rack; make sure the boat of TCDAP is located in the middle of the heating area defined by a heating band around the copper tube.</li>
	<li>Purge the PVT system with helium gas at a flow rate of 30 cc/min, and then turn on the transformer to heat up the heating band to 310 &#176;C; maintain at this temperature for two days.</li>
	<li>After cooling the system to room temperature, collect the crystals from the inner tube.</li>
</ol>
3. Device Fabrication
<ol>
	<li>Put a 200-&#181;m-thick, transparent, pre-cut PET substrate (2 cm x 1 cm) into a vial and clean it by sonication in detergent solution, deionized water, and acetone, in sequence, for 30 min each. Dry the substrate by nitrogen flow.</li>
	<li>Place double-sided tape on the PET substrate.</li>
	<li>Examine the crystals under a stereomicroscope. Select good quality, shining crystals with a dimension of ~5 mm x ~0.03 mm for device fabrication. Place a needle-like TCDAP crystal parallel with the length of the PET substrate on the double-sided tape and fix it securely.</li>
	<li>Under a stereomicroscope, apply water-based colloidal graphite through a microliter syringe needle in a line (several mm) that extends from the two ends of the crystal acting as the source and drain. Wait for about 30 min for the colloidal graphite to dry and measure the distance between the two graphite spots under an optical microscope to determine the exact channel length (keep it at 0.6-1 mm).</li>
	<li>Use carbon conductive tape to fix the PET substrate on a microscopic slide. Place the slide near the end of the pyrolysis tube of the deposition chamber.</li>
	<li>Weigh 0.5 g of the precursor of the dielectric insulator, [2.2]paracyclophane, and place it near the inlet of the pyrolysis tube.</li>
	<li>Pump down the system to a vacuum of 10-2 Torr. Pre-heat the pyrolysis zone near the center of the tube up to a pre-set temperature of 700 &#176;C and maintain at this temperature.</li>
	<li>Heat up the [2.2]paracyclophane sample to 150 &#176;C. The vapors of the precursor will pass through the pyrolysis zone to give the monomers, which will condense near the end of the pyrolysis tube to polymerize.</li>
	<li>Let the pyrolysis/polymerization reaction continue for 2 hr.</li>
	<li>Cool down the system and take out the samples from the pyrolysis tube.</li>
	<li>Determine the thickness of the deposited dielectric layer by measuring the step height of the layer and substrate using a profilometer according to the manufacturer&#39;s instructions.</li>
	<li>Apply isopropanol-based colloidal graphite through a microliter syringe needle in a line on the back of the dielectric layer above the crystal to serve as the gate electrode.</li>
</ol>
4. Measure the Performance of the Device
<ol>
	<li>Use the scalpel to cut a hole through the polymeric dielectric film above the source/drain electrode area in order to expose the electrodes underneath for connection.</li>
	<li>With the help of a stand and clamps, bring the electrode probes from the Parameter Analyzer into contact with the source/drain/gate electrodes. Record the I-V characteristics at different gate potentials according to the manufacturer&#39;s instructions. 
	Note: Here, the gate potentials are set from -60 V to 60 V at 15 V steps.</li>
</ol>
5. Bending Experiments
<ol>
	<li>To measure the properties in the tensile state, wrap the backside of the flexible PET substrate around cylinders of different radii (14.0 mm, 12.4 mm, 8.0 mm, and 5.8 mm) and fix the PET substrate to the cylinder on four sides with vacuum tape.</li>
	<li>Connect the probes to the source/drain/gate electrodes and measure the I-V characteristics at different gate potentials as described in 4.2.</li>
	<li>To measure in the compressive state, wrap half of the front side of the PET substrate around the end of a cylinder, such that the crystal/source/drain/gate electrodes are facing the cylinder and yet are still exposed. Fix the PET substrate on the cylinder with vacuum tape (see Fig. 5).</li>
	<li>Connect the probes to the source/drain/gate electrodes and measure the I-V characteristics at different gate potentials as described in 4.2. 
	NOTE: A cross-sectional illustration of the device structure is shown in Fig. 1.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Sekitani, T., Zschieschang, U., Klauk, H., Someya, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Flexible+Organic+Transistors+and+Circuits+with+Extreme+Bending+Stability.">Flexible Organic Transistors and Circuits with Extreme Bending Stability.</a> Nat. Mater. 9, 1015-1022 (2010).</li><li>Yang, Y., Ruan, G., Xiang, C., Wang, G., Tour, J. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Flexible+Three-Dimensional+Nanoporous+Metal-Based+Energy+Devices.">Flexible Three-Dimensional Nanoporous Metal-Based Energy Devices.</a> J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136, 6187-6190 (2014).</li><li>Zhan, Y., Mei, Y., Zheng, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Materials+Capability+and+Device+Performance+in+Flexible+Electronics+for+the+Internet+of+Things.">Materials Capability and Device Performance in Flexible Electronics for the Internet of Things.</a> J. Mater. Chem. C. 2, 1220-1232 (2014).</li><li>Zhang, L., Wang, H., Zhao, Y., Guo, Y., Hu, W., Yu, G., Liu, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Substrate-Free+Ultra-Flexible+Organic+Field-Effect+Transistors+and+Five-Stage+Ring+Oscillators.">Substrate-Free Ultra-Flexible Organic Field-Effect Transistors and Five-Stage Ring Oscillators.</a> Adv. Mater. 25, 5455-5460 (2013).</li><li>Jedaa, A., Halik, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Toward+Strain+Resistant+Flexible+Organic+Thin+Film+Transistors.">Toward Strain Resistant Flexible Organic Thin Film Transistors.</a> Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, (2009).</li><li>Nomura, K., Ohta, H., Takagi, A., Kamiya, T., Hirano, M., Hosono, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Room-Temperature+Fabrication+of+Transparent+Flexible+Thin-Film+Transistors+Using+Amorphous+Oxide+Semiconductors.">Room-Temperature Fabrication of Transparent Flexible Thin-Film Transistors Using Amorphous Oxide Semiconductors.</a> Nature. 432, 488-492 (2004).</li><li>Sekitani, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Bending+Experiment+on+Pentacene+Field-Effect+Transistors+on+Plastic+Films.">Bending Experiment on Pentacene Field-Effect Transistors on Plastic Films.</a> Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 073511 (2005).</li><li>Tseng, C. -. W., Huang, D. -. C., Tao, Y. -. 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A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Physical+Vapor+Growth+of+Centimeter-Sized+Crystals+of+&#913;-Hexathiophene.">Physical Vapor Growth of Centimeter-Sized Crystals of &#913;-Hexathiophene.</a> J. Cryst. Growth. 182, 416-427 (1997).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

In this experiment, a number of parameters affect the successful measurement of the field-effect mobility. Firstly, the single crystal should be large enough to be fabricated into a field-effect device for property measurement. The physical vapor transfer (PVT) method is the one that allows larger crystals to be grown. By adjusting the temperature and the flow rate of the carrier gas, crystals of sizes up to half a centimeter can be obtained. Secondly, the choice of a single crystal is important. An apparent single cryst...

Soft electronic devices, such as sensors, displays, and wearable electronics, are currently being designed and researched more actively, and many have even been launched in the market in recent years1,2,3,4. Organic semiconducting materials play an important role in these electronic devices due to their inherent advantages, including low development cost, the ability to be prepared in solution or at low temperatures, and, in particular, their flexibility when compared to inorganic semiconductors5,6. One special consideration for these electronics is that they will be subjected to frequent bending. Bending introduces strain in the components and the materials within the device. A stable and consistent performance is required as such devices are bent. Transistors are a vital component in most of these electronics, and their performance under bending is of interest. A number of studies have addressed this performance issue by bending organic thin film transistors7,8. While the changes in conductance upon bending may be attributed to the changes in spacing between the grains in a polycrystalline thin film, a more fundamental question to ask is whether the conductance may change within a single crystal upon bending. It is well accepted that charge transport between organic molecules depends strongly on electronic coupling between molecules and the reorganization energy involved in the interconversion between the neutral and charged states9. Electronic coupling is highly sensitive to the distance between neighboring molecules and to the overlap of frontier molecular orbitals. The bending of a well-ordered crystal introduces strain and may change the relative position of molecules within the crystal. This can be tested with a single crystal-based field-effect transistor. One report used single crystals of rubrene on a flexible substrate to study the effect of crystal thickness upon bending10. Devices with copper phthalocyanine nanowire crystals prepared on a flat substrate were shown to have a higher mobility upon bending11. However, the properties for an FET device bent in different directions have not been explored.
The molecule 5,7,12,16-tetrachloro-6,13-diazapentacene (TCDAP) is an n-type semiconductor material12. The crystal of TCDAP has a monoclinic packing motif with shifted&#160;&#960;-&#960; stacking between neighboring molecules along the a axis of the unit cell at a cell length of 3.911 &#197;. The crystal grows along this packing direction to give long needles. The maximum n-type field-effect mobility measured along this direction reached 3.39 cm2/V&#183;sec. Unlike many organic crystals that are brittle and fragile, TCDAP crystal is found to be highly flexible. In this work, we used TCDAP as the conducting channel and prepared the single crystal field-effect transistor on a flexible substrate of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Mobility was measured for the crystal on a flat substrate, with the device bent toward the flexible substrate (downward) or bent toward the gate/dielectric side (upward). I-V data were analyzed based on changes in the stacking/coupling distance among the neighboring molecules.

<table><tbody><tr><td>Colloidal Graphite (water-based)</td><td>TED PELLA,INC</td><td>NO.16053</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Colloidal Graphite (IPA-based)</td><td>TED PELLA,INC</td><td>NO.16051</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>[2.2]Paracyclophane, 99%</td><td>Alfa Aesar</td><td>1633-22-3</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>polyethylene terephthalate</td><td>Uni-Onward</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mini-Mite 1,100 &amp;deg;C Tube Furnaces (Single Zone)</td><td>Thermo Scientific</td><td>TF55030A</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Agilent 4156C Precision Semiconductor Parameter</td><td>Keysight</td><td>HP4156</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

effect of bending on the electrical characteristics of flexible organic single crystal-based field-effect transistors

The charge transport in an organic semiconductor depends highly on the molecular packing in the crystal, which influences the electronic coupling immensely. However, in soft electronics, in which organic semiconductors play a critical role, the devices will be bent or folded repeatedly. The effect of bending on the crystal packing and thus the charge transport is crucial to the performance of the device. In this manuscript, we describe the protocol to bend a single crystal of 5,7,12,16-tetrachloro-6,13-diazapentacene (TCDAP) in the field-effect transistor configuration and to obtain reproducible I-V characteristics upon bending the crystal. The results show that bending a field-effect transistor prepared on a flexible substrate results in nearly reversible yet opposite trends in charge mobility, depending on the bending direction. The mobility increases when the device is bent toward the top gate/dielectric layer (upward, compressive state) and decreases when bent toward the crystal/substrate side (downward, tensile state). The effect of bending curvature was also observed, with greater mobility change resulting from higher bending curvature. It is suggested that the intermolecular &#960;-&#960; distance changes upon bending, thereby influencing the electronic coupling and the subsequent carrier transport ability.

The single crystal XRD analysis reveals that TCDAP is an extended &#960; system with molecules packing along the a axis. Fig. 2 shows the scan pattern by powder XRD for a TCDAP crystal. A series of sharp peaks are observed, corresponding only to the family of (0,k,&#8467;) planes, by comparing with the powder diffraction pattern of the crystal. This would imply that the crystal structure is oriented as shown in Fig. 3.
<p class="jove_content"...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Effect of Bending on the Electrical Characteristics of Flexible Organic Single Crystal-based Field-effect Transistors at JoVE.com

Effect of Bending on the Electrical Characteristics of Flexible Organic Single Crystal-based Field-effect Transistors

This manuscript describes the bending process of an organic single crystal-based field-effect transistor to maintain a functioning device for electronic property measurement. The results suggest that bending causes changes in the molecular spacing in the crystal and thus in the charge hopping rate, which is important in flexible electronics.

The charge transport in an organic semiconductor depends highly on the molecular packing in the crystal, which influences the electronic coupling ...

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Engineering

8.0K Views.  Academia Sinica.  Dit manuscript beschrijft het buigproces van een organisch monokristallijn gebaseerde veldeffecttransistor een functionerende inrichting voor het meten van de eigenschappen elektronische handhaven. De resultaten suggereren dat veroorzaakt buiging in molecuulstructuur tussenruimte in het kristal en dus de lading hopdosering, wat belangrijk is in flexibele elektronica. 

Video: Effect of Bending on the Electrical Characteristics of Flexible Organic Single Crystal-based Field-effect Transistors

Concurrent Quantitative Conductivity and Mechanical Properties Measurements of Organic Photovoltaic Materials using AFM

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials are inherently inhomogeneous at the nanometer scale. Nanoscale inhomogeneity of OPV materials affects performance of photovoltaic devices. Thus, understanding of spatial variations in composition as well as electrical properties of OPV materials is of paramount importance for moving PV technology forward.1,2 In this paper, we describe a protocol for quantitative measurements of electrical and mechanical properties of OPV materials with sub-100 nm resolution. Currently, materials properties measurements performed using commercially available AFM-based techniques (PeakForce, conductive AFM) generally provide only qualitative information. The values for resistance as well as Young's modulus measured using our method on the prototypical ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PC61BM system correspond well with literature data. The P3HT:PC61BM blend separates onto PC61BM-rich and P3HT-rich domains. Mechanical properties of PC61BM-rich and P3HT-rich domains are different, which allows for domain attribution on the surface of the film. Importantly, combining mechanical and electrical data allows for correlation of the domain structure on the surface of the film with electrical properties variation measured through the thickness of the film.

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials are inherently inhomogeneous at the nanometer scale. Nanoscale inhomogeneity of OPV materials affects performance of photovoltaic devices. In this paper, we describe a protocol for quantitative measurements of electrical and mechanical properties of OPV materials with sub-100 nm resolution.

Organic photovoltaic  (OPV) materials are inherently inhomogeneous at the nanometer scale. Nanoscale  inhomogeneity of OPV materials affects performance ...

Strain Sensing Based on Multiscale Composite Materials Reinforced with Graphene Nanoplatelets

The electrical response of NH2-functionalized graphene nanoplatelets composite materials under strain was studied. Two different manufacturing methods are proposed to create the electrical network in this work: (a) the incorporation of the nanoplatelets into the epoxy matrix and (b) the coating of the glass fabric with a sizing filled with the same nanoplatelets. Both types of multiscale composite materials, with an in-plane electrical conductivity of ~10-3 S/m, showed an exponential growth of the electrical resistance as the strain increases due to distancing between adjacent functionalized graphene nanoplatelets and contact loss between overlying ones. The sensitivity of the materials analyzed during this research, using the described procedures, has been shown to be higher than commercially available strain gauges. The proposed procedures for self-sensing of the structural composite material would facilitate the structural health monitoring of components in difficult to access emplacements such as offshore wind power farms. Although the sensitivity of the multiscale composite materials was considerably higher than the sensitivity of metallic foils used as strain gauges, the value reached with NH2 functionalized graphene nanoplatelets coated fabrics was nearly an order of magnitude superior. This result elucidated their potential to be used as smart fabrics to monitor human movements such as bending of fingers or knees. By using the proposed method, the smart fabric could immediately detect the bending and recover instantly. This fact permits precise monitoring of the time of bending as well as the degree of bending.

The integration of conductive nanoparticles, such as graphene nanoplatelets, into glass fiber composite materials creates an intrinsic electrical network susceptible to strain. Here, different methods to obtain strain sensors based on the addition of graphene nanoplatelets into the epoxy matrix or as a coating on glass fabrics are proposed.

The electrical response of NH2-functionalized graphene nanoplatelets composite materials under strain was studied. Two different manufacturing methods are ...

Sensing of Barrier Tissue Disruption with an Organic Electrochemical Transistor

The gastrointestinal tract is an example of barrier tissue that provides a physical barrier against entry of pathogens and toxins, while allowing the passage of necessary ions and molecules. A breach in this barrier can be caused by a reduction in the extracellular calcium concentration. This reduction in calcium concentration causes a conformational change in proteins involved in the sealing of the barrier, leading to an increase of the paracellular flux. To mimic this effect the calcium chelator ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N&#39;,N&#39;-tetra acetic acid (EGTA) was used on a monolayer of cells known to be representative of the gastrointestinal tract. Different methods to detect the disruption of the barrier tissue already exist, such as immunofluorescence and&#160;permeability assays. However, these methods are time-consuming and costly and not suited to dynamic or high-throughput measurements. Electronic methods for measuring barrier tissue integrity also exist for measurement of the transepithelial resistance (TER), however these are often costly and complex. The development of rapid, cheap, and sensitive methods is urgently needed as the integrity of barrier tissue is a key parameter in drug discovery and pathogen/toxin diagnostics. The organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) integrated with barrier tissue forming cells has been shown as a new device capable of dynamically monitoring barrier tissue integrity. The device is able to measure minute variations in ionic flux with unprecedented temporal resolution and sensitivity, in real time, as an indicator of barrier tissue integrity. This new method is based on a simple device that can be compatible with high throughput screening applications and fabricated at low cost.

The Organic Electrochemical Transistor is integrated with live cells and used to monitor ion flux across the gastrointestinal epithelial barrier. In this study, an increase in ion flux, related to disruption of tight junctions, induced by the presence of the calcium chelator EGTA (ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetra acetic acid), is measured.

The gastrointestinal tract is an example of barrier tissue that provides a physical barrier against entry of pathogens and toxins, while allowing the ...

Bioengineering

Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light

A strategy based on doped liquid crystalline networks is described to create mechanical self-sustained oscillations of plastic films under continuous light irradiation. The photo-excitation of dopants that can quickly dissipate light into heat, coupled with anisotropic thermal expansion and self-shadowing of the film, gives rise to the self-sustained deformation. The oscillations observed are influenced by the dimensions and the modulus of the film, and by the directionality and intensity of the light. The system developed offers applications in energy conversion and harvesting for soft-robotics and automated systems.
The general method described here consists of creating free-standing liquid crystalline films and characterizing the mechanical and thermal effects observed. The molecular alignment is achieved using alignment layers (rubbed polyimide), commonly used in the display manufacturing industry. To obtain actuators with large deformation, the mesogens are aligned and polymerized in a splay/bend configuration, i.e., with the director of the liquid crystals (LCs) going gradually from planar to homeotropic through the film thickness. Upon irradiation, the mechanical and thermal oscillations obtained are monitored with a high-speed camera. The results are further quantified by image analysis using an image processing program.

The goal of the protocol is to create liquid crystalline polymer films that can mechanically oscillate under continuous light irradiation. We describe in great detail the conception of free-standing films, from the liquid crystal alignment method to the photo-actuation. The experimental protocol applied to prepare this material is broadly applicable.

A strategy based on doped liquid crystalline networks is described to create mechanical self-sustained oscillations of plastic films under continuous ...

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS2 Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

A method of carrier number control by electrolyte gating is demonstrated. We have obtained WS2 thin flakes with atomically flat surface via scotch tape method or individual WS2 nanotubes by dispersing the suspension of WS2 nanotubes. The selected samples have been fabricated into devices by the use of the electron beam lithography and electrolyte is put on the devices. We have characterized the electronic properties of the devices under applying the gate voltage. In the small gate voltage region, ions in the electrolyte are accumulated on the surface of the samples which leads to the large electric potential drop and resultant electrostatic carrier doping at the interface. Ambipolar transfer curve has been observed in this electrostatic doping region. When the gate voltage is further increased, we met another drastic increase of source-drain current which implies that ions are intercalated into layers of WS2 and electrochemical carrier doping is realized. In such electrochemical doping region, superconductivity has been observed. The focused technique provides a powerful strategy for achieving the electric-filed-induced quantum phase transition.

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS2 Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

Here, we present a protocol to control the carrier number in solids by using the electrolyte.

A method of carrier number control by electrolyte gating is demonstrated. We have obtained WS2 thin flakes with atomically flat surface via scotch tape ...

A Fabrication and Measurement Method for a Flexible Ferroelectric Element Based on Van Der Waals Heteroepitaxy

Flexible non-volatile memories have received much attention as they are applicable for portable smart electronic device in the future, relying on high-density data storage and low-power consumption capabilities. However, the high-quality oxide based nonvolatile memory on flexible substrates is often constrained by the material characteristics and the inevitable high-temperature fabrication process. In this paper, a protocol is proposed to directly grow an epitaxial yet flexible lead zirconium titanate memory element on muscovite mica. The versatile deposition technique and measurement method enable the fabrication of flexible yet single-crystalline non-volatile memory elements necessary for the next generation of smart devices.

In this paper, we present a protocol to directly grow an epitaxial yet flexible lead zirconium titanate memory element on muscovite mica.

Flexible non-volatile memories have received much attention as they are applicable for portable smart electronic device in the future, relying on ...

Measuring Magnetically-Tuned Ferroelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystals

Materials showing coupling phenomena between magnetism and (ferro)electricity, i.e., magnetoelectric effects, have attracted a great deal of attention due to their potential applications for future device technologies such as sensors and storage. However, conventional approaches, which usually utilize materials containing magnetic metal ions (or radicals), have a major problem: only a few materials have been found to show the coupling phenomena at room temperature. Recently, we proposed a new approach to achieve room-temperature magnetoelectrics. In contrast to conventional approaches, our alternative proposal focuses on a completely different material, a &#34;liquid crystal&#34;, free from magnetic metal ions. In such liquid crystals, a magnetic field can be utilized to control the orientational state of constituent molecules and the corresponding electric polarization through magnetic anisotropy of the molecules; it is an unprecedented mechanism of the magnetoelectric effect. In this context, this paper provides a protocol to measure ferroelectric properties induced by a magnetic field, that is, the direct magnetoelectric effect, in a liquid crystal. With the method detailed here, we successfully detected magnetically-tuned electric polarization in the chiral smectic C phase of a liquid crystal at room temperature. Taken together with the flexibility of constituent molecules, which directly affects the magnetoelectric responses, the introduced method will serve to allow liquid crystal cells to acquire more functions as room-temperature magnetoelectrics and associated optical materials.

In this report, we present a protocol to examine direct magnetoelectric effects, i.e., induction of ferroelectric polarization by applying magnetic fields, in liquid crystals. This protocol provides a unique approach, supported by the softness of liquid crystals, to achieve room-temperature magnetoelectrics.

Materials showing coupling phenomena between magnetism and (ferro)electricity, i.e., magnetoelectric effects, have attracted a great deal of attention due ...

High-Contrast and Fast Photorheological Switching of a Twist-Bend Nematic Liquid Crystal

Smart viscoelastic materials that respond to specific stimuli are one of the most attractive classes of materials important to future technologies, such as on-demand switchable adhesion technologies, actuators, molecular clutches, and nano-/microscopic mass transporters. Recently it was found that through a special solid-liquid transition, rheological properties can exhibit significant changes, thus providing suitable smart viscoelastic materials. However, designing materials with such a property is complex, and forward and backward switching times are usually long. Therefore, it is important to explore new working mechanisms to realize solid-liquid transitions, shorten the switching time, and enhance the contrast of rheological properties during switching. Here, a light-induced crystal-liquid phase transition is observed, which is characterized by means of polarizing light microscopy (POM), photorheometry, photo-differential scanning calorimetry (photo-DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The light-induced crystal-liquid phase transition presents key features such as (1) fast switching of crystal-liquid phases for both forward and backward reactions and (2) a high contrast ratio of viscoelasticity. In the characterization, POM is advantageous in offering information on the spatial distribution of LC molecule orientations, determining the type of liquid crystalline phases appearing in the material, and studying the orientation of LCs. Photorheometry allows measurement of a material&#8217;s rheological properties under light stimuli and can reveal the photorheological switching properties of materials. Photo-DSC is a technique to investigate thermodynamic information of materials in darkness and under light irradiation. Lastly, XRD allows studying of microscopic structures of materials. The goal of this article is to clearly present how to prepare and measure the discussed properties of a photorheological material.

This protocol demonstrates the preparation of a photorheological material that exhibits a solid phase, various liquid crystalline phases, and an isotropic liquid phase by increasing temperature. Presented here are methods for measuring the structure-viscoelasticity relationship of the material.

Smart viscoelastic materials that respond to specific stimuli are one of the most attractive classes of materials important to future technologies, such ...

Chemistry

The Effect of Anodization Parameters on the Aluminum Oxide Dielectric Layer of Thin-Film Transistors

Aluminum-oxide (Al2O3) is a low cost, easily processable and high dielectric constant insulating material that is particularly appropriate for use as the dielectric layer of thin-film transistors (TFTs). Growth of aluminum-oxide layers from anodization of metallic aluminum films is greatly advantageous when compared to sophisticated processes such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) or deposition methods that demand relatively high temperatures (above 300 &#176;C) such as aqueous combustion or spray-pyrolysis. However, the electrical properties of the transistors are highly dependent on the presence of defects and localized states at the semiconductor/dielectric interface, which are strongly affected by the manufacturing parameters of the anodized dielectric layer. To determine how several fabrication parameters influence the device performance without performing all possible combination of factors, we used a reduced factorial analysis based on a Plackett-Burman design of experiments (DOE). The choice of this DOE permits the use of only 12 experimental runs of combinations of factors (instead of all 256 possibilities) to obtain the optimized device performance. The ranking of the factors by the effect on device responses such as the TFT mobility is possible by applying analysis of variance (ANOVA) to the obtained results.

Anodization parameters for growth of the aluminum-oxide dielectric layer of zinc-oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) are varied to determine the effects on the electrical parameter responses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is applied to a Plackett-Burman design of experiments (DOE) to determine the manufacturing conditions that result in optimized device performance.

Aluminum-oxide (Al2O3) is a low cost, easily processable and high dielectric constant insulating material that is particularly appropriate for use as the ...

A Simple and Scalable Fabrication Method for Organic Electronic Devices on Textiles

Today, wearable electronics devices combine a large variety of functional, stretchable, and flexible technologies. However, in many cases, these devices cannot be worn under everyday conditions. Therefore, textiles are commonly considered the best substrate to accommodate electronic devices in wearable use. In this paper, we describe how to selectively pattern organic electroactive materials on textiles from a solution in an easy and scalable manner. This versatile deposition technique enables the fabrication of wearable organic electronic devices on clothes.

In this paper, we present a protocol to selectively deposit organic materials on textiles, which allows for the direct integration of organic electronic devices with wearables. The fabricated devices can be fully integrated in textiles, respecting their mechanical appearance and enabling sensing capabilities.

Today, wearable electronics devices combine a large variety of functional, stretchable, and flexible technologies. However, in many cases, these devices ...

Effect of Bending on the Electrical Characteristics of Flexible Organic Single Crystal-based Field-effect Transistors

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