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The seawater desalination and wastewater treatment by the interfacial solar steam generation (ISSG) technique is considered as a green, economical, sustainable, low‐energy‐consumption, and potential fresh water production strategy to solve the water shortage and energy crisis. Recently, efficient biomass‐based ISSGs (BISSGs) have been widely reported due to its efficient photothermal conversion efficiency and good hydrophilic performance. The BISSGs with efficient solar absorption and water transmission performance by design and optimization their various forms and structures and related photothermal properties is also significantly great for its scale application. This review highlights recent advancements in 3D BISSG systems, with a focus on the design and optimization of photothermal conversion materials and substrate materials. Then, the review also discusses the potential of biomass materials in BISSG applications, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for developing cost‐effective, efficient, and sustainable water purification technologies. Finally, the challenges and development prospects of the BISSG system in basic research and practical application will provide theoretical guidance for the further development of this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high‐frequency applications such as 5G‐6G communication, internet of things, automotive radar, and automated driver‐assistance systems, substrate materials excel as insulating layers owing to their superior dielectric properties. However, traditional methods for material development are often laborious and costly. To overcome these limitations, we employed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to predict the dielectric properties of these materials at frequencies exceeding 107 Hz. Specifically, we selected thermosetting polyphenylene oxide (m‐PPO) as the resin matrix and combined it with three crosslinking agents, respectively: triallyl cyanurate, triallyl isocyanurate, and trimethylallyl isocyanurate. Our overarching goal is to provide comprehensive insights into the development and enhancement of materials critical for high‐frequency electronic devices. We anticipate that this methodology will be widely adopted for the development of advanced substrate materials across various applications, with the objective of effectively screening crosslinkers. Highlights: Developed a simulation method to efficiently explore material scenarios for high‐frequency applications.Studied the dielectric properties of m‐PPO combined with three crosslinking agents at high frequencies.Successfully predicted dielectric properties using MD simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rational design and applications of MXene‐based materials have yielded remarkable progress in flexible sensors, including wearable devices, soft robots, and smart medical equipment. The emerging MXene and substrate materials can be precisely engineered to improve the mechanical properties and sensing sensitivity of the sensors, opening up a wider range of application possibilities for MXene‐based sensors. Therefore, a systematic and comprehensive review summarizing the progress of MXene‐based sensor research based on these backgrounds is necessary. First, we discuss the basic structure of MXene materials and introduce the flexible substrate materials for MXene‐based flexible sensors in detail. Then, we also discuss the different preparation methods of MXene‐based sensors, describe the classifications, and highlight the applications of MXene‐based flexible sensors in various scenarios. Finally, we identify the challenges that need to be overcome to accelerate the development of MXene‐based materials in flexible sensing. This review provides a comprehensive and systematic insight into MXene‐based flexible sensors and it is expected that this review will contribute to the development of higher performance MXene‐based flexible sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacuum-based deposition of optoelectronic thin films has a long-standing history. However, in the field of perovskite-based photovoltaics, these techniques are still not as advanced as their solution-based counterparts. Although high-efficiency vacuum-based perovskite solar cells reaching power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) above 20% are reported, the number of studies on the underlying physical and chemical mechanism of the co-evaporation of lead iodide and methylammonium iodide is low. In this study, the impact of one of the most crucial process parameters in vacuum processes--the substrate material--is studied. It is shown that not only the morphology of the co-evaporated perovskite thin films is significantly influenced by the surface polarity of the substrate material, but also the incorporation of the organic compound into the perovskite framework. Based on these studies, a selection guide for suitable substrate materials for efficient co-evaporated perovskite thin films is derived. This selection guide points out that the organic vacuum-processable hole transport material 2,2�€�,7,7�€�-tet ra(N,N-di-p-tolyl)amino-9,9-spirobifluorene is an ideal candidate for the fabrication of efficient all-evaporated perovskite solar cells, demonstrating PCEs above 19%. Furthermore, building on the insights into the formation of the perovskite thin films on different substrate materials, a basic crystallization model for co-evaporated perovskite thin films is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cantilever piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) is a popular choice to harvest energy for applications with natural or unnatural vibrations. Other than the choice of piezoelectric material, the substrate layer material also plays an important role to increase the energy harvesting in PEH. Earlier researches have emphasized on selecting a few substrate materials than all available in literature. However, we argue that the choice of the substrate material and its mechanical properties depend on the design of the PEH. We establish this fact by designing 20 different PEH models by varying the size of cantilever, substrate layer thickness, and types of the piezoelectric materials. These models are simulated in COMSOL with every known substrate material to select the best substrate material. We also propose a greedy approach to further increase the energy harvesting by optimizing the mechanical properties of the best substrate material. In all models, the best substrate material harvests at least 2 × more energy. The greedy approach increases energy harvesting in almost 50% of the models. Some of the substrate materials with optimized mechanical properties are reported in literature, however, this research opens up a discussion to manufacture new substrate materials to increase energy harvesting in PEH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical investigation on horizontally inhomogeneous rectangular microstrip antenna is presented here. The dielectric inhomogeneity is introduced by adding two different substrate materials side by side to increase the degrees of freedom by 2 (arm ratio and relative permittivity of newly added material). TE and TM both modes are used here for theoretical investigations. The transcendental equation is derived here to predict the resonant frequency for different modes. Closed‐form analytical expressions are also given to predict the far‐zone electric fields for different HEM modes. Theoretical results are compared with published results as found in the open literature, data obtained using commercially available numerical three‐dimensional electromagnetic simulator high‐frequency structure simulator, and the authors' own experimental data to show the accuracy of their theory. The additional horizontal dielectric segment gives more flexibility to the antenna designer, leading to wider tuning range over conventional homogeneous RMA. Advantages of this novel antenna structure are also discussed in detail. The authors' theory can be used (or extended) to investigate log‐periodic antenna using RMAs, fractal‐shaped RMAs etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cells are cultured on platforms made of a variety of materials with selected topographies during studies of cell response and behavior. Understanding the effects of substrates is essential for such applications as developing effective interfaces between body cells and implanted materials and devices. In this study, the effects of substrate surface properties on cell differentiation and alignment on C2C12 myoblasts cultured on conventional or fabricated polymeric cell culture substrates were investigated. Comparisons were made between cells cultured on tissue culture grade polystyrene (TCPS), glass, Permanox, and cured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. Fluorescent immunohistochemistry of cell markers was used to analyse the extent of differentiation. Alignment and guidance of cell growth and spread were studied using patterned platforms. Gratings were made on polystyrene (PS) and PDMS and differentiation was facilitated after 5 days by media exchange. Differences in cell morphology were observed between cells cultured on TCPS and PDMS substrates. Fully differentiated myotubes were observed in highest numbers on TCPS substrates and were non-detectable on PDMS substrates in the time frame of 144 h. Muscle cell alignment and their differentiation followed along the grating patterns on PS and elongated along the pattern length. On the other hand, on PDMS cells formed sheets of tissue and peeled from the substrate. We have revealed the potential for the combinations of surface materials and topography on cell behavior to induce accelerated differentiation and coordinated alignment. The results demonstrate that culture environment can be designed or engineered to modify or regulate muscle cell functions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 1638-1645, 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]