Abstract: An ultraflat and ultralow-friction metallic glass thin film is fabricated. The metallic glass thin film is a binary alloy, wherein a content of one metal element of the binary alloy is between 45 atomic % and 64 atomic %. The metallic glass thin film has an atomically smooth surface with a surface roughness Ra less than 0.1 nm and a total height of profile Rt less than 0.15 nm; the friction coefficient is below 1×10?2. Due to the metallic glass thin film being treated by ion bombardment, the metallic glass thin film is thermally ultrastable.

Abstract: A method for preparing a high entropy alloy (HEA) structure includes the steps of: preparing an alloy by arc melting raw materials comprising five or more elements; drop casting the melted alloy into a cooled mold to form a bulk alloy; applying an external force against the bulk alloy to reshape the bulk alloy; and heat-treating the reshaped bulk alloy, wherein the bulk alloy is reshaped and/or heat-treated for manipulating the distribution of the microstructure therein. The present invention also relates to a high entropy alloy structure prepared by the method.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of in situ 4D printing of high-temperature materials including 3D printing a structure of an ink including a precursor. The structure is treated with controlled high energy flow to create a portion which has a different coefficient of thermal expansion/thermal shrinkage ratio. The structure is heated and the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion creates an interface stress to cause a selected level of deformation. Alternatively, two structures with different coefficients of expansion/thermal shrinkage ratio may be printed. Thermal treatment of the two structures creates an interface stress to cause a selected level of deformation.

Abstract: This invention relates to a zinc powder electrode formed on a MXene framework. The zinc powder anode formed on an MXene framework, referred to as an MXene@Zn electrode can act as an anode and/or cathode for an electrochemical cell or battery. As such, the present invention further relates to an electrode comprising MXene@Zn and a battery comprising such an electrode.

Abstract: An on-chip antenna comprising an electrically insulating substrate having first and second faces; a metal layer arranged on the second face; and, a dipole antenna structure arranged on the first face, the dipole antenna structure comprising a dipole antenna and a feed structure connected to the dipole antenna; the on-chip antenna being configured such that when the feed structure is fed with an electrical signal it operates simultaneously in (i) at least one dielectric resonator mode to function as a dielectric resonance antenna, and (ii) at least one dipole mode to function as a cavity backed dipole antenna.

Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical morphologies widely exist in natural and biomimetic materials, which impart preferential functions including liquid and mass transport, energy conversion, and signal transmission for various applications. While notable progress has been made in the design and manufacturing of various hierarchical materials, the state-of-the-art approaches suffer from limited materials selection, high costs, as well as low processing throughput. Herein, by harnessing the configurable elastic crack engineering-controlled formation and configuration of cracks in elastic materials, an effect normally avoided in various industrial processes, the present invention provides a facile and powerful technique to enable the faithful transfer of arbitrary hierarchical structures with broad material compatibility and structural and functional integrity.

Abstract: The present invention provides an integrated system of moisture removal, air purification, and air ventilation of the process air while some of the energy and resources required for operation of the system are self-sustained, or in some aspects the present system is self-regenerated such as heating and cooling of air and water exchanged among various elements/modules/members within the system or between the system and the surroundings, such that it becomes an all-time and all-round air dehumidifier, purifier and ventilator. Related method for removing air moisture from the surroundings using the present system is also provided.

Abstract: Received is a main program representing one Engineering Design Optimization Problem (EDOP), the EDOP including polynomial terms with product values. A number (N) of available parallel processors for parallel processing are identified. The main program is partitioned into N subprograms, N being a positive integer greater than one. The N subprograms have fewer overlapping product values between them compared to existing solutions, and the partitioning is prime-number based. Each of the available parallel processors then independently solve a unique subprogram of the N subprograms, resulting in N unique solutions. A best solution is automatically chosen from among the N unique solutions and the best solution is automatically applied to the EDOP.

Abstract: A method of making a magnetically-drivable microrobot that is suitable for carrying and delivering cells includes photo-curing a photo-curable material composition to form a body of the magnetically-drivable microrobot. The photo-curable material composition includes a degradable component, a structural component, a magnetic component, and a photo-curing facilitation composition including a photoinitiator component and a photosensitizer component.

Abstract: An interactive wearable device includes a ring body and a detector. The ring body includes a top insulating layer, a bottom insulating layer, and an intermediate insulating layer disposed in between the top and the bottom insulating layers. The detector includes a receiving electrode layer disposed in between the top and the intermediate insulating layers, a transmitting electrode layer disposed in between the intermediate and the bottom insulating layers, and a ground electrode layer embedding in the bottom insulating layer and electrically coupled to an electrical ground. The receiving electrode layer has a plurality of receiving electrode portions separated from each other and arranged in a matrix and along a curve path. The interactive wearable device is configured to analyze the movement event at least according to a variation of a data set in response to the movement event, measured by receiving electrode portions.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for forming piezoelectric films on surfaces of arbitrary morphologies. The method includes providing a sol for forming the piezoelectric film; spraying the sol onto the surface thereby forming a liquid film containing the sol on the surface; wiping the liquid film with a flattening tool for flattening the liquid film; drying the flattened liquid film thereby forming a gel layer; and annealing the gel layer thereby forming the piezoelectric film. The piezoelectric films with high uniformity and desired thickness can be formed on curved and even wrinkled surfaces by the present method.

Abstract: The present invention provides wideband millimeter-wave SIW-fed FPC filtering antenna comprising a partially reflecting surface (PRS) and a filtering source configured to radiate a millimeter-wavelength electromagnetic wave. The filtering source comprises a conductive reflecting plane configured to work with the PRS to form a Fabry-Perot cavity; radiating elements including a pair of shorted radiating patches electrically connected to a ground plane through a pair of probes; and a substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) feeding structure coupled to the pair of radiating patches through a coupling aperture. The SIW-fed FPC filtering antenna has the advantages of wider bandwidth, higher directivity/gain, reduced structural complexity, compact size and appropriate feeding type for millimeter-wave applications.

Abstract: A wearable device that is capable of harvesting kinetic energy from wrist motions using piezoelectric and/or electromagnetic energy harvesters is disclosed. A first part of the device is worn on the user and second part of the device is movable against the second part to accentuate the frequency of movements.

Abstract: A nano scale robotic system for single cell DNA sequencing of a strand of DNA positioned on a slide utilizes an atomic force microscope (AFM) having an end effector in the form of a cantilever with a tip. The AFM causes its cantilever tip to scan over the base pairs of the DNA strand. A pair of spaced-apart electrodes at the tip makes contact with opposite sides of the DNA strand and the current between bases of the DNA strand is measured by a current measurement system connected to the electrodes. An artificial intelligence-based data analytic system determines the DNA sequence based on the current from the current measuring system. The AFM tip is guided over the DNA strand by comparing compressed desired intensity local scan images and compressed actual intensity local scan images and using the difference to control the location of the tip.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of fabricating a catalytic reaction material. A solution of a carbon precursor compound and a noble metal precursor compound is prepared; the carbon precursor compound includes a salt component. The solution is recrystallized the solution to form recrystallized complexes including both the carbon precursor compound and the noble metal precursor compound. The recrystallized complexes are calcined to create a salt template for generation of two-dimensional carbon nanosheets embedding isolated noble metal atoms. Further calcining and washing decomposes the salt template to produce two two-dimensional carbon nanosheets embedding isolated noble metal atoms, each nanosheet having a thickness of approximately 1 to approximately 10 nanometers.

Abstract: An electronic sensing apparatus and a method of producing the electronic sensing apparatus includes a triboelectric generator encapsulated between a bottom substrate and a top encapsulation layer, wherein the triboelectric generator is arranged to generate a triboelectric sensing signal in response to a deformation of the bottom substrate and/or the top encapsulation layer.

Abstract: A guided-wave-driven metasurface antenna includes an input for receiving a guided wave; an output for outputting a free-space wave; and a spatial frequency mixer connected between the input and the output for converting the guided wave to the free-space wave. The spatial frequency mixer is implemented by a metasurface of the antenna. The superheterodyne metasurface can be fabricated with high accuracy using lithography step similar to conventional waveguides made by the well-established semiconductor processing technology, making their integration with PICs straightforward.

Abstract: An underwater vehicle for performing a variety of linear motions and turning motions with better stability and agility is disclosed. The underwater vehicle includes a main body, a front-drive mechanism, a rear-drive mechanism, and a steering assembly. The main body has a front end and a rear end, which defines a longitudinal axis extending from the front end to the rear end of the main body. The front-drive mechanism is connected to the main body to provide a forward propelling force in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis. The steering assembly is fixed to the rear end and coupled to the rear-drive mechanism. The steering assembly is configured to rotate the rear-drive mechanism with respect to the longitudinal axis by a body angle for providing a lateral force on the main body.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heat transferring device and a method for making thereof. The heat transferring device has a thermal conducting substrate and a porous layer. The thermal conducting substrate has a plurality of protrusions and concave bottom surfaces. The concave bottom surfaces are located between the protrusions. The porous layer is embedded between the protrusions. The present invention also provides a high temperature material transferring system comprising a cylindrical container and the heat transferring device disposed on the surface of the cylindrical container.

Abstract: A Raman detection system has a Raman spectrometer and a fixing light shielding stand. One end of the fixing light shielding stand is fixedly connected to the Raman spectrometer, and the other end is disposed with an entrance groove for a needle-like SERS probe to enter. A slot for fixing the needle-like SERS probe is formed at an end of the entrance groove, and the slot and the needle-like SERS probe match in shape and size. The Raman detection system has a fixing light shielding device with a dark color groove and a focal length. The groove can be used for limiting the rolling of the curved surface structure of the needle-like SERS probe. A laser can be focused on the curved surface more accurately by adjusting the distance from the instrument detector to the SERS probe.