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Wearable Intrinsically Soft, Stretchable, Flexible Devices for Memories and Computing. SENSORS 2018; 18:s18020367. [PMID: 29382050 PMCID: PMC5855892 DOI: 10.3390/s18020367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
A recent trend in the development of high mass consumption electron devices is towards electronic textiles (e-textiles), smart wearable devices, smart clothes, and flexible or printable electronics. Intrinsically soft, stretchable, flexible, Wearable Memories and Computing devices (WMCs) bring us closer to sci-fi scenarios, where future electronic systems are totally integrated in our everyday outfits and help us in achieving a higher comfort level, interacting for us with other digital devices such as smartphones and domotics, or with analog devices, such as our brain/peripheral nervous system. WMC will enable each of us to contribute to open and big data systems as individual nodes, providing real-time information about physical and environmental parameters (including air pollution monitoring, sound and light pollution, chemical or radioactive fallout alert, network availability, and so on). Furthermore, WMC could be directly connected to human brain and enable extremely fast operation and unprecedented interface complexity, directly mapping the continuous states available to biological systems. This review focuses on recent advances in nanotechnology and materials science and pays particular attention to any result and promising technology to enable intrinsically soft, stretchable, flexible WMC.
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Call TP, Carey T, Bombelli P, Lea-Smith DJ, Hooper P, Howe CJ, Torrisi F. Platinum-free, graphene based anodes and air cathodes for single chamber microbial fuel cells. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY. A 2017; 5:23872-23886. [PMID: 29456857 PMCID: PMC5795293 DOI: 10.1039/c7ta06895f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) exploit the ability of microorganisms to generate electrical power during metabolism of substrates. However, the low efficiency of extracellular electron transfer from cells to the anode and the use of expensive rare metals as catalysts, such as platinum, limit their application and scalability. In this study we investigate the use of pristine graphene based electrodes at both the anode and the cathode of a MFC for efficient electrical energy production from the metabolically versatile bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009. We achieve a volumetric peak power output (PV) of up to 3.51 ± 0.50 W m-3 using graphene based aerogel anodes with a surface area of 8.2 m2 g-1. We demonstrate that enhanced MFC output arises from the interplay of the improved surface area, enhanced conductivity, and catalytic surface groups of the graphene based electrode. In addition, we show a 500-fold increase in PV to 1.3 ± 0.23 W m-3 when using a graphene coated stainless steel (SS) air cathode, compared to an uncoated SS cathode, demonstrating the feasibility of a platinum-free, graphene catalysed MFCs. Finally, we show a direct application for microwatt-consuming electronics by connecting several of these coin sized devices in series to power a digital clock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby P Call
- Department of Biochemistry , University of Cambridge , Hopkins Building, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road , Cambridge , CB2 1QW , UK . ; ; Tel: +44 (0)1223 333688
| | - Tian Carey
- Cambridge Graphene Centre , Department of Engineering , University of Cambridge , 9 JJ Thomson Avenue , Cambridge , CB3 0FA , UK . ; ; Tel: +44 (0)1223 332803
| | - Paolo Bombelli
- Department of Biochemistry , University of Cambridge , Hopkins Building, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road , Cambridge , CB2 1QW , UK . ; ; Tel: +44 (0)1223 333688
| | - David J Lea-Smith
- Department of Biochemistry , University of Cambridge , Hopkins Building, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road , Cambridge , CB2 1QW , UK . ; ; Tel: +44 (0)1223 333688
| | - Philippa Hooper
- Cambridge Graphene Centre , Department of Engineering , University of Cambridge , 9 JJ Thomson Avenue , Cambridge , CB3 0FA , UK . ; ; Tel: +44 (0)1223 332803
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology , University of Cambridge , Philippa Fawcett Drive , Cambridge , CB3 0AS , UK
| | - Christopher J Howe
- Department of Biochemistry , University of Cambridge , Hopkins Building, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road , Cambridge , CB2 1QW , UK . ; ; Tel: +44 (0)1223 333688
| | - Felice Torrisi
- Cambridge Graphene Centre , Department of Engineering , University of Cambridge , 9 JJ Thomson Avenue , Cambridge , CB3 0FA , UK . ; ; Tel: +44 (0)1223 332803
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