Porous metal electrodes enable efficient electrolysis of carbon capture solutions

Bicarbonate electrolysers convert carbon capture solutions into chemicals and fuels and bypass the need for energy-intensive CO2 recovery. Porous metal electrodes are more effective than composite carbon electrodes for this type of electrolyser.

Improving the charge injection in bottom contact organic transistor by carbon electrodes

The electrode/organic semiconductor interface in OFETs is critical to device performance. Traditional metal electrodes often produce unfavorable interfacial dipole when they are in contact with organic semiconductors, inducing a larger...

Comparative Study of the New Type Capping Layer for Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 Ferroelectric Film

The capping layers have great influences on the ferroelectricity of the Hf0.5Zr05O2 (HZO) film during annealing process. In this paper we compared the properties of the HZO film with two inorganic nonmetallic capping layers and no capping layer. The remnant (2Pr) of HZO films are 23.5 uC/cm2, 27.3 uC/cm2 and 20.3 uC/cm2 for no capping layer, Si3N4 capping layer and SiO2 capping layer, respectively. The capping layer can change the direction of the coercive filed shift even though the capacitors have the same metal electrodes.

A Hydrogel-Based Microfluidic Nerve Cuff for Neuromodulation of Peripheral Nerves

Implantable neuromodulation devices typically have metal in contact with soft, ion-conducting nerves. These neural interfaces excite neurons using short-duration electrical pulses. While this approach has been extremely successful for multiple clinical applications, it is limited in delivering long-duration pulses or direct current (DC), even for acute term studies. When the charge injection capacity of electrodes is exceeded, irreversible electrochemical processes occur, and toxic byproducts are discharged directly onto the nerve, causing biological damage. Hydrogel coatings on electrodes improve the overall charge injection limit and provide a mechanically pliable interface. To further extend this idea, we developed a silicone-based nerve cuff lead with a hydrogel microfluidic conduit. It serves as a thin, soft and flexible interconnection and provides a greater spatial separation between metal electrodes and the target nerve. In an in vivo rat model, we used this cuff to stimulate and record from sciatic nerves, with performance comparable to that of metal electrodes. Further, we delivered DC through the lead in an acute manner to induce nerve block that is reversible. In contrast to most metallic cuff electrodes, which need microfabrication equipment, we built this cuff using a consumer-grade digital cutter and a simplified molding process. Overall, the device will be beneficial to neuromodulation researchers as a general-purpose nerve cuff electrode for peripheral neuromodulation experiments.