Zhuomin Zhang

All Publications

• Water-Stable, Biodegradable, and Flexible Glycine-Based Piezoelectrics via Multi-Length-Scale Composite Engineering ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS Zhang, Z., Xu, Z., Shi, R., Kim, C., Patel, A., Dai, C., Feig, V. 2026

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adfm.78513

  View details for Web of Science ID 001877224000001

• Review A design framework for in situ-forming medical devices: From drug delivery to tissue regeneration and bioelectronics DEVICE Patel, A., Hellikson, K., Zhang, Z., Feig, V. 2026; 4 (7)

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.device.2026.101141

  View details for Web of Science ID 001827202800001

• Built-In Ion Pump Piezoionic Hydrogel Generator for Self-Powered Electrical Stimulation ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Yang, X., Zheng, Y., Hong, Y., Liu, S., Li, X., Wang, L., Zhang, Z., Lin, W., Chen, T., Liang, R., Wang, Z., Xu, X., Pan, Q., Wu, J., Yang, Z. 2026

  Abstract

  Piezoionic hydrogels are emerging as innovative smart materials for integrating biological and electronic functionalities in sensors, energy harvesters, and medical devices. However, a clear understanding of the relationship between mechanical microstructures and directional ion transport remains elusive. A significant limitation of existing hydrogel electronics is their ultralow voltage response. To address this knowledge gap, we systematically analyze the influence of structural characteristics on the electrical response of piezoionic hydrogels and introduce a material property termed "tortuosity." Guided by this concept, we develop an artificial ion pump (AIP) hydrogel, characterized by low tortuosity in ion transport pathways and anisotropic deformability, attributed to its modified surface polarity and aligned porous structure. The reduced tortuosity factor (reduced to 35%) provides ordered pathways for ion transportation, reducing random diffusion in the matrix and enhancing directional ion transport efficiency. Simultaneously, the aligned porous structure concentrates stress during mechanical deformation, improving stress transfer and amplification within the hydrogel. This promotes the relative displacement of mobile ions, thereby enhancing the piezoionic effect. Consequently, the new AIP hydrogel achieved over 20 times higher coefficient compared to its unoptimized counterpart. These findings provide valuable insights into the structure-performance correlation in piezoionic materials. What's more, in the peripheral nerve regulation experiment in mice, the AIP hydrogel generator demonstrated the ability to synchronize with physiological rhythms while effectively regulating neural activity. This capability highlights potential applications in implant devices for self-powered sensing and electrical stimulation.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsami.5c23169

  View details for Web of Science ID 001688946100001

  View details for PubMedID 41677206

• Design and Manufacturing of Piezoelectric Biomaterials for Bioelectronics and Biomedical Applications. Chemical reviews Zhang, Z., Wang, Z., Li, X., Zheng, Y., Yang, Z. 2025

  Abstract

  The piezoelectric effect enables the conversion between electrical and mechanical energy, making it essential across various fields. While synthetic piezoelectric ceramics and polymers are extensively utilized in electronics and biomedicine, their inherent rigidity, fragility, processing challenges, toxicity, and nondegradability limit their potential. In contrast, piezoelectric biomaterials offer a promising alternative for biomedical fields because of their natural biocompatibility, biodegradability, and environmental friendliness. However, weak piezoelectricity and challenges in large-scale fabrication hinder their applications. This paper critically reviews recent advances in piezoelectric biomaterials, focusing primarily on design strategies and manufacturing methods. We first summarize the principles, advantages, and categories of a variety of piezoelectric biomaterials. Next, we explore computational studies, highlight emerging approaches in molecular engineering and manufacturing, and examine their cutting-edge applications in bioelectronics and biomedicine. Additionally, we evaluate the effectiveness of various design and manufacturing approaches in enhancing piezoelectric performance, outlining their respective advantages and limitations. Finally, we discuss key challenges and provide insights into computational modeling, fabrication techniques, characterization methods, and biomedical applications to guide future research.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5c00399

  View details for PubMedID 41066187

• Self-charging and long-term face masks leveraging low-cost, biodegradable and sustainable piezoelectric nanofiber membrane NANO MATERIALS SCIENCE Wang, Z., Zhang, Z., Peng, Z., Yang, X., Li, X., Shan, Y., Liu, B., Xu, X., Gao, Y., Yang, Z. 2025; 7 (1): 113-122

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.nanoms.2024.02.012

  View details for Web of Science ID 001471089200001

• Stress-eliminated liquid-phase fabrication of colloidal films above the critical crack thickness NATURE COMMUNICATIONS Liu, S., Hong, Y., Hong, W., Zheng, Y., Yang, X., Li, X., Zhang, Z., Yan, X., Shan, Y., Lin, W., Peng, Z., Zhang, X., Yao, X., Wang, Z., Yang, Z. 2024; 15 (1): 10136

  Abstract

  The thickness of film materials is a critical factor influencing properties such as energy density, optical performance, and mechanical strength. However, the long-standing challenge of the intrinsic thermodynamic limit on maximum thickness often leads to detrimental cracking, compromising these desirable properties. In this study, we present an approach called the stress-eliminated liquid-phase fabrication (SELF) method. The SELF method eliminates the need for substrates to support the precursor solution used for film fabrication. We harness the intrinsic surface tension of the solution by confining it within specifically designed grids in a framework, forming suspended liquid bridges. This technique enables fabrication of crack-free ceramic films within a broad thickness range from 1 to 100 μm. Furthermore, the fabricated PZT films exhibit a high piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of 229 pC N-1. The customizable grids not only offer design freedom for film topologies but also facilitate the fabrication of diverse film arrays without the need for destructive cutting processes. Moreover, the freestanding nature of these films enhances their adaptability for MEMS processing, and the "capillary bridge" topology allows the PZT films to be used in ultrasound focusing transmitter, providing possibilities in the medical imaging.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-54412-w

  View details for Web of Science ID 001376827800017

  View details for PubMedID 39622795

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11612422

• Programmable and rapid fabrication of complex-shape ceramics NATURE COMMUNICATIONS Shan, Y., Li, X., Zhao, W., Yang, X., Wang, Y., Zhang, Z., Liu, S., Xu, X., Yang, Z. 2024; 15 (1): 9973

  Abstract

  Shaping of ceramics is crucial. Current techniques cannot easily and rapidly shape ceramics without weakening their properties, especially for piezoceramics. We present an ultrafast ceramic shaping method that leverages thermomechanical fields to deform and sinter ceramic powder compacts into complex-shaped ceramics. The shape-forming process hinges on: (1) the implementation of a precise thermal field to activate optimal deformability, and (2) the application of sufficient mechanical loads to guide deformation. We employ a programmable carbon-felt Joule heater that concurrently function as mechanical carriers, effectively transferring applied loads to the ceramic powder compacts. Using this ultrafast shaping and sintering (USS) method, we fabricate barium titanate (BT) piezoceramics in twisted shape, arch shape and with micropatterns. The USS method is energy-friendly (requiring approximately 1.06 kJ mm-3) and time-efficient (in several minutes level). Overall, the USS method offers an effective solution for shaping ceramics and extends them to 3D geometries with enhanced versatility.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-54393-w

  View details for Web of Science ID 001359289300013

  View details for PubMedID 39557886

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11574009

• One-step high-speed thermal-electric aerosol printing of piezoelectric bio-organic films for wirelessly powering bioelectronics SCIENCE ADVANCES Li, X., Zhang, Z., Zheng, Y., Liao, J., Peng, Z., Li, P., Yang, X., Yan, X., Hong, Y., Liu, S., Shan, Y., Khoo, B., Yang, Z. 2024; 10 (43): eadq3195

  Abstract

  Piezoelectric biomaterials hold a pivotal role in the progression of bioelectronics and biomedicine, owing to their remarkable electromechanical properties, biocompatibility, and bioresorbability. However, their technological potential is restrained by certain challenges, including precise manipulation of nanobiomolecules, controlling their growth across nano-to-macro hierarchy, and tuning desirable mechanical properties. We report a high-speed thermal-electric driven aerosol (TEA) printing method capable of fabricating piezoelectric biofilms in a singular step. Electrohydrodynamic aerosolizing and in situ electrical poling allow instantaneous tuning of the spatial organization of biomolecular inks. We demonstrate TEA printing of β-glycine/polyvinylpyrrolidone films, and such films exhibit the piezoelectric voltage coefficient of 190 × 10-3 volt-meters per newton, surpassing that of industry-standard lead zirconate titanate by approximately 10-fold. Furthermore, these films demonstrate nearly two orders of magnitude improvement in mechanical flexibility compared to glycine crystals. We also demonstrate the ultrasonic energy harvesters based on the biofilms, providing the possibility of wirelessly powering bioelectronics.

  View details for DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adq3195

  View details for Web of Science ID 001352185300011

  View details for PubMedID 39453993

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11506135

• Screening Vertically Polarized 2D Layered Materials with Giant Negative Longitudinal Piezoelectricity by Comprehensive Calculations and Experimental Characterizations ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS Chen, X., Wang, Z., Zhang, Z., Wu, W., Chai, Y., Gou, G., Yang, Z., Zeng, X. 2024; 34 (52)

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adfm.202410675

  View details for Web of Science ID 001291654100001

• Induced polarization imparts piezoelectricity in noncrystalline polymer films PHYSICAL REVIEW APPLIED Yan, X., Li, X., Long, Z., Peng, Z., Fu, J., Zhang, Z., Liu, S., Hong, Y., Li, Q., Zhang, S., Damjanovic, D., Yang, Z. 2024; 22 (1)

  View details for DOI 10.1103/PhysRevApplied.22.014077

  View details for Web of Science ID 001284571700004

• Enhancing Ultrasound Power Transfer: Efficiency, Acoustics, and Future Directions ADVANCED MATERIALS Zheng, Y., Zhang, Z., Zhang, Y., Pan, Q., Yan, X., Li, X., Yang, Z. 2025; 37 (23): e2407395

  Abstract

  Implantable medical devices (IMDs), like pacemakers regulating heart rhythm or deep brain stimulators treating neurological disorders, revolutionize healthcare. However, limited battery life necessitates frequent surgeries for replacements. Ultrasound power transfer (UPT) emerges as a promising solution for sustainable IMD operation. Current research prioritizes implantable materials, with less emphasis on sound field analysis and maximizing energy transfer during wireless power delivery. This review addresses this gap. A comprehensive analysis of UPT technology, examining cutting-edge system designs, particularly in power supply and efficiency is provided. The review critically examines existing efficiency models, summarizing the key parameters influencing energy transmission in UPT systems. For the first time, an energy flow diagram of a general UPT system is proposed to offer insights into the overall functioning. Additionally, the review explores the development stages of UPT technology, showcasing representative designs and applications. The remaining challenges, future directions, and exciting opportunities associated with UPT are discussed. By highlighting the importance of sustainable IMDs with advanced functions like biosensing and closed-loop drug delivery, as well as UPT's potential, this review aims to inspire further research and advancements in this promising field.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adma.202407395

  View details for Web of Science ID 001274743800001

  View details for PubMedID 39044603

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12160699

• 2D Reconfigurable Memory Device Enabled by Defect Engineering for Multifunctional Neuromorphic Computing ADVANCED MATERIALS Xia, Y., Lin, N., Zha, J., Huang, H., Zhang, Y., Liu, H., Tong, J., Xu, S., Yang, P., Wang, H., Zheng, L., Zhang, Z., Yang, Z., Chen, Y., Chan, H., Wang, Z., Tan, C. 2024; 36 (35): e2403785

  Abstract

  In this era of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things, emerging new computing paradigms such as in-sensor and in-memory computing call for both structurally simple and multifunctional memory devices. Although emerging two-dimensional (2D) memory devices provide promising solutions, the most reported devices either suffer from single functionalities or structural complexity. Here, this work reports a reconfigurable memory device (RMD) based on MoS2/CuInP2S6 heterostructure, which integrates the defect engineering-enabled interlayer defects and the ferroelectric polarization in CuInP2S6, to realize a simplified structure device for all-in-one sensing, memory and computing. The plasma treatment-induced defect engineering of the CuInP2S6 nanosheet effectively increases the interlayer defect density, which significantly enhances the charge-trapping ability in synergy with ferroelectric properties. The reported device not only can serve as a non-volatile electronic memory device, but also can be reconfigured into optoelectronic memory mode or synaptic mode after controlling the ferroelectric polarization states in CuInP2S6. When operated in optoelectronic memory mode, the all-in-one RMD could diagnose ophthalmic disease by segmenting vasculature within biological retinas. On the other hand, operating as an optoelectronic synapse, this work showcases in-sensor reservoir computing for gesture recognition with high energy efficiency.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adma.202403785

  View details for Web of Science ID 001267266400001

  View details for PubMedID 39007279

• A bioinspired surface tension-driven route toward programmed cellular ceramics NATURE COMMUNICATIONS Hong, Y., Liu, S., Yang, X., Hong, W., Shan, Y., Wang, B., Zhang, Z., Yan, X., Lin, W., Li, X., Peng, Z., Xu, X., Yang, Z. 2024; 15 (1): 5030

  Abstract

  The intriguing biomineralization process in nature endows the mineralized biological materials with intricate microarchitected structures in a facile and orderly way, which provides an inspiration for processing ceramics. Here, we propose a simple and efficient manufacturing process to fabricate cellular ceramics in programmed cell-based 3D configurations, inspired by the biomineralization process of the diatom frustule. Our approach separates the ingredient synthesis from architecture building, enabling the programmable manufacturing of cellular ceramics with various cell sizes, geometries, densities, metastructures, and constituent elements. Our approach exploits surface tension to capture precursor solutions in the architected cellular lattices, allowing us to control the liquid geometry and manufacture cellular ceramics with high precision. We investigate the geometry parameters for the architected lattices assembled by unit cells and unit columns, both theoretically and experimentally, to guide the 3D fluid interface creation in arranged configurations. We manufacture a series of globally cellular and locally compact piezoceramics, obtaining an enhanced piezoelectric constant and a designed piezoelectric anisotropy. This bioinspired, surface tension-assisted approach has the potential to revolutionize the design and processing of multifarious ceramic materials for structural and functional applications in energy, electronics and biomedicine.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-49345-3

  View details for Web of Science ID 001248267400001

  View details for PubMedID 38866735

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11169415

• Exploring the Mpemba effect: a universal ice pressing enables porous ceramics (feb, 10.1039/d3mh01869e, 2024) MATERIALS HORIZONS Yang, X., Shan, Y., Hong, Y., Zhang, Z., Liu, S., Yan, X., Gong, X., Zhang, G., Yang, Z. 2024; 11 (8): 2041-2042

  Abstract

  Correction for 'Exploring the Mpemba effect: a universal ice pressing enables porous ceramics' by Xiaodan Yang et al., Mater. Horiz., 2024, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d3mh01869e.

  View details for DOI 10.1039/d4mh90030h

  View details for Web of Science ID 001187728200001

  View details for PubMedID 38506055

• Exploring the Mpemba effect: a universal ice pressing enables porous ceramics MATERIALS HORIZONS Yang, X., Shan, Y., Hong, Y., Zhang, Z., Liu, S., Yan, X., Gong, X., Zhang, G., Yang, Z. 2024; 11 (8): 1899-1907

  Abstract

  Piezoceramics with global porosity and local compaction are highly desired to exploit the combination of mechanical and electrical properties. However, achieving such a functional combination is challenging because of the lack of techniques for applying uniform pressure inside porous ceramic green parts. Nature provides many examples of generating strong forces inside the macro and micro channels via the state transformation of water. Inspired by these phenomena, we present a technique of "ice and fire", that is, water freezing (ice pressing) and high-temperature sintering (fire), to produce ideal porous piezoceramics. We introduce a new compaction method called the "ice pressing method", which manipulates liquid phase transition for compaction. This method has several advantages, including uniform pressure distribution, a wide pressure range, high effectiveness, and selective freezing. It can generate an ultrahigh pressure of up to 180 MPa on the piezoceramic green skeletons in minutes while retaining their functional pore structures. By exploiting the Mpemba phenomenon, we further accelerate the compaction procedure by 11%. The first ice-pressed and second fire-consolidated lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics are highly densified and exhibit an outstanding piezoelectric response (d33 = 531 pC N-1), comparable to conventional pressed bulk counterparts and 10-20 times higher than those of unpressed materials. The novel ice pressing method breaks the limitation of lacking a compaction technique for porous ceramics. The versatile and effective ice pressing method is a green and low-cost route promoting applications in sensors, acoustics, water filtration, catalyst substrates, and energy harvesting.

  View details for DOI 10.1039/d3mh01869e

  View details for Web of Science ID 001156516200001

  View details for PubMedID 38314804

• ULTRAFAST MULTIPLEXED ELECTROSTATIC PRINTING OF LEAD ZIRCONATE TITANATE FILMS Li, X., Zhang, Z., Yang, X., Yang, Z., IEEE IEEE. 2024

  View details for DOI 10.1109/UFFC-JS60046.2024.10794114

  View details for Web of Science ID 001428150100574

• A 2D Heterostructure-Based Multifunctional Floating Gate Memory Device for Multimodal Reservoir Computing ADVANCED MATERIALS Zha, J., Xia, Y., Shi, S., Huang, H., Li, S., Qian, C., Wang, H., Yang, P., Zhang, Z., Meng, Y., Wang, W., Yang, Z., Yu, H., Ho, J. C., Wang, Z., Tan, C. 2024; 36 (3): e2308502

  Abstract

  The demand for economical and efficient data processing has led to a surge of interest in neuromorphic computing based on emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials in recent years. As a rising van der Waals (vdW) p-type Weyl semiconductor with many intriguing properties, tellurium (Te) has been widely used in advanced electronics/optoelectronics. However, its application in floating gate (FG) memory devices for information processing has never been explored. Herein, an electronic/optoelectronic FG memory device enabled by Te-based 2D vdW heterostructure for multimodal reservoir computing (RC) is reported. When subjected to intense electrical/optical stimuli, the device exhibits impressive nonvolatile electronic memory behaviors including ≈108 extinction ratio, ≈100 ns switching speed, >4000 cycles, >4000-s retention stability, and nonvolatile multibit optoelectronic programmable characteristics. When the input stimuli weaken, the nonvolatile memory degrades into volatile memory. Leveraging these rich nonlinear dynamics, a multimodal RC system with high recognition accuracy of 90.77% for event-type multimodal handwritten digit-recognition is demonstrated.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adma.202308502

  View details for Web of Science ID 001112730500001

  View details for PubMedID 37862005

• Green Fabrication of Freestanding Piezoceramic Films for Energy Harvesting and Virus Detection NANO-MICRO LETTERS Liu, S., Liao, J., Huang, X., Zhang, Z., Wang, W., Wang, X., Shan, Y., Li, P., Hong, Y., Peng, Z., Li, X., Khoo, B., Ho, J. C. C., Yang, Z. 2023; 15 (1): 131

  Abstract

  Most electronics such as sensors, actuators and energy harvesters need piezoceramic films to interconvert mechanical and electrical energy. Transferring the ceramic films from their growth substrates for assembling electronic devices commonly requires chemical or physical etching, which comes at the sacrifice of the substrate materials, film cracks, and environmental contamination. Here, we introduce a van der Waals stripping method to fabricate large-area and freestanding piezoceramic thin films in a simple, green, and cost-effective manner. The introduction of the quasi van der Waals epitaxial platinum layer enables the capillary force of water to drive the separation process of the film and substrate interface. The fabricated lead-free film, [Formula: see text] (BCZT), shows a high piezoelectric coefficient d33 = 209 ± 10 pm V-1 and outstanding flexibility of maximum strain 2%. The freestanding feature enables a wide application scenario, including micro energy harvesting, and covid-19 spike protein detection. We further conduct a life cycle analysis and quantify the low energy consumption and low pollution of the water-based stripping film method.

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s40820-023-01105-6

  View details for Web of Science ID 000993094000003

  View details for PubMedID 37209322

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10199448

• Fast and versatile electrostatic disc microprinting for piezoelectric elements NATURE COMMUNICATIONS Li, X., Zhang, Z., Peng, Z., Yan, X., Hong, Y., Liu, S., Lin, W., Shan, Y., Wang, Y., Yang, Z. 2023; 14 (1): 6488

  Abstract

  Nanoparticles, films, and patterns are three critical piezoelectric elements with widespread applications in sensing, actuations, catalysis and energy harvesting. High productivity and large-area fabrication of these functional elements is still a significant challenge, let alone the control of their structures and feature sizes on various substrates. Here, we report a fast and versatile electrostatic disc microprinting, enabled by triggering the instability of liquid-air interface of inks. The printing process allows for fabricating lead zirconate titanate free-standing nanoparticles, films, and micro-patterns. The as-fabricated lead zirconate titanate films exhibit a high piezoelectric strain constant of 560 pm V-1, one to two times higher than the state-of-the-art. The multiplexed tip jetting mode and the large layer-by-layer depositing area can translate into depositing speeds up to 109 μm3 s-1, one order of magnitude faster than current techniques. Printing diversified functional materials, ranging from suspensions of dielectric ceramic and metal nanoparticles, to insulating polymers, to solutions of biological molecules, demonstrates the great potential of the electrostatic disc microprinting in electronics, biotechnology and beyond.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-42159-9

  View details for Web of Science ID 001095513800018

  View details for PubMedID 37838731

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10576804

• Identification of metal-air batteries from water energy harvesters DROPLET Xu, X., Yang, X., Zhang, Z., Hong, Y., Liu, S., Shan, Y., Peng, Z., Wang, S., Yao, X., Yang, Z. 2023; 2 (4)

  View details for DOI 10.1002/dro2.80

  View details for Web of Science ID 001337013300006

• Three-dimensional piezoceramic sheets via mold-assisted sintering as 3D energy transducers MATERIALS TODAY Shan, Y., Zhang, C., Li, P., Liu, S., Yang, X., Zhang, Z., Hong, Y., Zhang, G., Yang, Z. 2023; 68: 74-83

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.mattod.2023.07.004

  View details for Web of Science ID 001082333900001

• Plasma-optimized contact for high-performance PdSe₂ nanoflake-based field-effect transistors APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS Zha, J., Liu, H., Wang, H., Li, S., Huang, H., Xia, Y., Ma, C., Yang, P., Zhang, Z., Yang, Z., Chen, Y., Ho, J. C. C., Tan, C. 2023; 123 (4)

  View details for DOI 10.1063/5.0160944

  View details for Web of Science ID 001035443400013

• Uncovering the Role of Crystal Phase in Determining Nonvolatile Flash Memory Device Performance Fabricated from MoTe₂-Based 2D van der Waals Heterostructures ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Xia, Y., Zha, J., Huang, H., Wang, H., Yang, P., Zheng, L., Zhang, Z., Yang, Z., Chen, Y., Chan, H., Ho, J. C. C., Tan, C. 2023; 15 (29): 35196-35205

  Abstract

  Although the crystal phase of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has been proven to play an essential role in fabricating high-performance electronic devices in the past decade, its effect on the performance of 2D material-based flash memory devices still remains unclear. Here, we report the exploration of the effect of MoTe2 in different phases as the charge-trapping layer on the performance of 2D van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure-based flash memory devices, where a metallic 1T'-MoTe2 or semiconducting 2H-MoTe2 nanoflake is used as the floating gate. By conducting comprehensive measurements on the two kinds of vdW heterostructure-based devices, the memory device based on MoS2/h-BN/1T'-MoTe2 presents much better performance, including a larger memory window, faster switching speed (100 ns), and higher extinction ratio (107), than that of the device based on the MoS2/h-BN/2H-MoTe2 heterostructure. Moreover, the device based on the MoS2/h-BN/1T'-MoTe2 heterostructure also shows a long cycle (>1200 cycles) and retention (>3000 s) stability. Our study clearly demonstrates that the crystal phase of 2D TMDs has a significant impact on the performance of nonvolatile flash memory devices based on 2D vdW heterostructures, which paves the way for the fabrication of future high-performance memory devices based on 2D materials.

  View details for DOI 10.1021/acsami.3c06316

  View details for Web of Science ID 001030474000001

  View details for PubMedID 37459597

• Active self-assembly of piezoelectric biomolecular films via synergistic nanoconfinement and in-situ poling NATURE COMMUNICATIONS Zhang, Z., Li, X., Peng, Z., Yan, X., Liu, S., Hong, Y., Shan, Y., Xu, X., Jin, L., Liu, B., Zhang, X., Chai, Y., Zhang, S., Jen, A., Yang, Z. 2023; 14 (1): 4094

  Abstract

  Piezoelectric biomaterials have attracted great attention owing to the recent recognition of the impact of piezoelectricity on biological systems and their potential applications in implantable sensors, actuators, and energy harvesters. However, their practical use is hindered by the weak piezoelectric effect caused by the random polarization of biomaterials and the challenges of large-scale alignment of domains. Here, we present an active self-assembly strategy to tailor piezoelectric biomaterial thin films. The nanoconfinement-induced homogeneous nucleation overcomes the interfacial dependency and allows the electric field applied in-situ to align crystal grains across the entire film. The β-glycine films exhibit an enhanced piezoelectric strain coefficient of 11.2 pm V-1 and an exceptional piezoelectric voltage coefficient of 252 × 10-3 Vm N-1. Of particular significance is that the nanoconfinement effect greatly improves the thermostability before melting (192 °C). This finding offers a generally applicable strategy for constructing high-performance large-sized piezoelectric bio-organic materials for biological and medical microdevices.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-39692-y

  View details for Web of Science ID 001037937100008

  View details for PubMedID 37433769

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10336032

• Hydrogen-bond-bridged intermediate for perovskite solar cells with enhanced efficiency and stability NATURE PHOTONICS Li, F., Deng, X., Shi, Z., Wu, S., Zeng, Z., Wang, D., Li, Y., Qi, F., Zhang, Z., Yang, Z., Jang, S., Lin, F. R., Tsang, S., Chen, X., Jen, A. 2023; 17 (6): 478-+

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41566-023-01180-6

  View details for Web of Science ID 000967013600004

• Electronic/Optoelectronic Memory Device Enabled by Tellurium-based 2D van der Waals Heterostructure for in-Sensor Reservoir Computing at the Optical Communication Band ADVANCED MATERIALS Zha, J., Shi, S., Chaturvedi, A., Huang, H., Yang, P., Yao, Y., Li, S., Xia, Y., Zhang, Z., Wang, W., Wang, H., Wang, S., Yuan, Z., Yang, Z., He, Q., Tai, H., Teo, E., Yu, H., Ho, J. C., Wang, Z., Zhang, H., Tan, C. 2023; 35 (20): e2211598

  Abstract

  Although 2D materials are widely explored for data storage and neuromorphic computing, the construction of 2D material-based memory devices with optoelectronic responsivity in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) region for in-sensor reservoir computing (RC) at the optical communication band still remains a big challenge. In this work, an electronic/optoelectronic memory device enabled by tellurium-based 2D van der Waals (vdW) heterostructure is reported, where the ferroelectric CuInP2 S6 and tellurium channel endow this device with both the long-term potentiation/depression by voltage pulses and short-term potentiation by 1550 nm laser pulses (a typical wavelength in the conventional fiber optical communication band). Leveraging the rich dynamics, a fully memristive in-sensor RC system that can simultaneously sense, decode, and learn messages transmitted by optical fibers is demonstrated. The reported 2D vdW heterostructure-based memory featuring both the long-term and short-term memory behaviors using electrical and optical pulses in SWIR region has not only complemented the wide spectrum of applications of 2D materials family in electronics/optoelectronics but also paves the way for future smart signal processing systems at the edge.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adma.202211598

  View details for Web of Science ID 000960314400001

  View details for PubMedID 36857506

• Achilles' new heel: Shock absorbing, gait assisting and energy harvesting NANO ENERGY Pan, Q., Long, Z., Zhang, Z., Lin, W., Zhang, L., Bai, S., Yang, X., Liu, S., Park, Y., Chirarattananon, P., Yang, Z. 2023; 109

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.nanoen.2023.108293

  View details for Web of Science ID 000949826800001

• Electrically Switchable Polarization in Bi₂O₂Se Ferroelectric Semiconductors ADVANCED MATERIALS Wang, W., Meng, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Z., Wang, W., Lai, Z., Xie, P., Li, D., Chen, D., Quan, Q., Yin, D., Liu, C., Yang, Z., Yip, S., Ho, J. C. 2023; 35 (12): e2210854

  Abstract

  Atomically 2D layered ferroelectric semiconductors, in which the polarization switching process occurs within the channel material itself, offer a new material platform that can drive electronic components toward structural simplification and high-density integration. Here, a room-temperature 2D layered ferroelectric semiconductor, bismuth oxychalcogenides (Bi2 O2 Se), is investigated with a thickness down to 7.3 nm (≈12 layers) and piezoelectric coefficient (d33 ) of 4.4 ± 0.1 pm V-1 . The random orientations and electrically dependent polarization of the dipoles in Bi2 O2 Se are separately uncovered owing to the structural symmetry-breaking at room temperature. Specifically, the interplay between ferroelectricity and semiconducting characteristics of Bi2 O2 Se is explored on device-level operation, revealing the hysteresis behavior and memory window (MW) formation. Leveraging the ferroelectric polarization originating from Bi2 O2 Se, the fabricated device exhibits "smart" photoresponse tunability and excellent electronic characteristics, e.g., a high on/off current ratio > 104 and a large MW to the sweeping range of 47% at VGS  = ±5 V. These results demonstrate the synergistic combination of ferroelectricity with semiconducting characteristics in Bi2 O2 Se, laying the foundation for integrating sensing, logic, and memory functions into a single material system that can overcome the bottlenecks in von Neumann architecture.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adma.202210854

  View details for Web of Science ID 000929380700001

  View details for PubMedID 36621966

• RF ENERGY HARVESTING SYSTEM WITH A MINI BRANCH-LINE COUPLER FOR MONITORING RAILWAY CONDITIONS Wang, Y., Li, P., Zhang, Z., Peng, Z., Yang, Z., IEEE IEEE. 2023: 296-299

  View details for Web of Science ID 001164267900076

• MICROPRINTING OF BIORESORBABLE PIEZOELECTRIC RACEMIC AMINO ACID FILMS WITH ALIGNED GRAINS FOR POWER GENERATION AND IMPLANTABLE DEVICES Zhang, Z., Li, X., Wang, Y., Peng, Z., Yang, Z., IEEE IEEE. 2023: 220-223

  View details for Web of Science ID 001164267900055

• Growth of Tellurium Nanobelts on h-BN for <i>p</i>-type Transistors with Ultrahigh Hole Mobility NANO-MICRO LETTERS Yang, P., Zha, J., Gao, G., Zheng, L., Huang, H., Xia, Y., Xu, S., Xiong, T., Zhang, Z., Yang, Z., Chen, Y., Ki, D., Liou, J. J., Liao, W., Tan, C. 2022; 14 (1): 109

  Abstract

  The lack of stable p-type van der Waals (vdW) semiconductors with high hole mobility severely impedes the step of low-dimensional materials entering the industrial circle. Although p-type black phosphorus (bP) and tellurium (Te) have shown promising hole mobilities, the instability under ambient conditions of bP and relatively low hole mobility of Te remain as daunting issues. Here we report the growth of high-quality Te nanobelts on atomically flat hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) for high-performance p-type field-effect transistors (FETs). Importantly, the Te-based FET exhibits an ultrahigh hole mobility up to 1370 cm2 V-1 s-1 at room temperature, that may lay the foundation for the future high-performance p-type 2D FET and metal-oxide-semiconductor (p-MOS) inverter. The vdW h-BN dielectric substrate not only provides an ultra-flat surface without dangling bonds for growth of high-quality Te nanobelts, but also reduces the scattering centers at the interface between the channel material and the dielectric layer, thus resulting in the ultrahigh hole mobility .

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s40820-022-00852-2

  View details for Web of Science ID 000784977100002

  View details for PubMedID 35441245

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC9018950

• Droplet energy harvesting panel ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Xu, X., Li, P., Ding, Y., Xu, W., Liu, S., Zhang, Z., Wang, Z., Yang, Z. 2022; 15 (7): 2916-2926

  View details for DOI 10.1039/d2ee00357k

  View details for Web of Science ID 000811038100001

• Co-assembled Monolayers as Hole-Selective Contact for High-Performance Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells with Optimized Recombination Loss and Long-Term Stability ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION Deng, X., Qi, F., Li, F., Wu, S., Lin, F. R., Zhang, Z., Guan, Z., Yang, Z., Lee, C., Jen, A. 2022; 61 (30): e202203088

  Abstract

  Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been widely employed as an effective way to modify interfaces of electronic/optoelectronic devices. To achieve a good control of the growth and molecular functionality of SAMs, we develop a co-assembled monolayer (co-SAM) for obtaining efficient hole selection and suppressed recombination at the hole-selective interface in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By engineering the position of methoxy substituents, an aligned energy level and favorable dipole moment can be obtained in our newly synthesized SAM, ((2,7-dimethoxy-9H-carbazol-9-yl) methyl) phosphonic acid (DC-PA). An alkyl ammonium containing SAM is co-assembled to further optimize the surface functionalization and interaction with perovskite layer on top. A champion device with an excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.59 % and improved device stability are achieved. This work demonstrates the advantage of using co-SAM in improving performance and stability of PSCs.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/anie.202203088

  View details for Web of Science ID 000808239700001

  View details for PubMedID 35560775

• Van der Waals Exfoliation Processed Biopiezoelectric Submucosa Ultrathin Films ADVANCED MATERIALS Zhang, Z., Liu, S., Pan, Q., Hong, Y., Shan, Y., Peng, Z., Xu, X., Liu, B., Chai, Y., Yang, Z. 2022; 34 (26): e2200864

  Abstract

  Piezoelectric biomaterials have attracted significant attention due to the potential effect of piezoelectricity on biological tissues and their versatile applications. However, the high cost and complexity of assembling and domain aligning biomolecules at a large scale, and the disordered arrangement of piezoelectric domains as well as the lack of ferroelectricity in natural biological tissues remain a roadblock toward practical applications. Here, utilizing the weak van der Waals interaction in the layered structure of small intestinal submucosa (SIS), a van der Waals exfoliation (vdWE) process is reported to fabricate ultrathin films down to the thickness of the effective piezoelectric domain. Based on that, the piezoelectric property is revealed of SIS stemming from the collagen fibril, with piezoelectric coefficients up to 4.1 pm V-1 and in-plane polarization orientation parallel to the fibril axis. Furthermore, a biosensor based on the vdWE-processed SIS film with an in-plane electrode is demonstrated that produces open-circuit voltages of ≈250 mV under the cantilever vibration condition. The vdWE method shows great potential in facilely fabricating ultrathin films of soft tissues and biosensors.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adma.202200864

  View details for Web of Science ID 000798579600001

  View details for PubMedID 35470922

• Highly Efficient Full van der Waals 1D p-Te/2D n-Bi₂O₂Se Heterodiodes with Nanoscale Ultra-Photosensitive Channels ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS Wang, W., Meng, Y., Wang, W., Zhang, Z., Xie, P., Lai, Z., Bu, X., Li, Y., Liu, C., Yang, Z., Yip, S., Ho, J. C. 2022; 32 (30)

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adfm.202203003

  View details for Web of Science ID 000791436500001

• 3D Conformal Fabrication of Piezoceramic Films ADVANCED SCIENCE Liu, S., Shan, Y., Hong, Y., Jin, Y., Lin, W., Zhang, Z., Xu, X., Wang, Z., Yang, Z. 2022; 9 (18): e2106030

  Abstract

  Piezoceramic films are an essential class of energy-conversion materials that have been widely used in the electronics industry. Although current methods create a great freedom for fabricating high-quality piezoceramic films, it requires well-controlled synthesis conditions, including special high-cost equipment and planar substrates particularly. The limited substrate selections hinder the applications of piezoceramic films in 3D conformal structures where most objects possess complex curvilinear surfaces. To overcome such limitations, a fast, energy-efficient, and cost-effective approach, named flame treated spray (FTS) coating, is developed for preparing piezoceramic films on free-form surfaces. The flame treatment significantly enhances the hydrophilicity of a substrate, assisting in forming a uniform and continuous thin film. The followed spray coating deposits hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers thick films on 3D free-form surfaces. Given the size controllability and arbitrary surface compatibility of the FTS method, a highly conformal piezoelectric tactile sensor array (4 × 4) is assembled on a spherical surface for mimicking robot fingers and an on-site thin-film sensor on the wing of an aircraft model to monitor the vibration in real-time during flight. The FTS film deposition offers a highly promising methodology for the application of functional thin-film from micro- to marcoscale devices, regardless of conformal problems.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/advs.202106030

  View details for Web of Science ID 000788367500001

  View details for PubMedID 35484719

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC9218746

• A wood-templated unidirectional piezoceramic composite for transmuscular ultrasonic wireless power transfer ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Hong, Y., Jin, L., Wang, B., Liao, J., He, B., Yang, T., Long, Z., Li, P., Zhang, Z., Liu, S., Lee, Y., Khoo, B., Yang, Z. 2021; 14 (12): 6574-6585

  View details for DOI 10.1039/d1ee02353e

  View details for Web of Science ID 000719980800001

• Hierarchically Interconnected Piezoceramic Textile with a Balanced Performance in Piezoelectricity, Flexibility, Toughness, and Air Permeability ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS Hong, Y., Wang, B., Long, Z., Zhang, Z., Pan, Q., Liu, S., Luo, X., Yang, Z. 2021; 31 (42)

  View details for DOI 10.1002/adfm.202104737

  View details for Web of Science ID 000677211900001

• A flexible and lead-free BCZT thin film nanogenerator for biocompatible energy harvesting MATERIALS CHEMISTRY FRONTIERS Liu, S., Zhang, Z., Shan, Y., Hong, Y., Farooqui, F., Lam, F., Liao, W., Wang, Z., Yang, Z. 2021; 5 (12): 4682-4689

  View details for DOI 10.1039/d1qm00145k

  View details for Web of Science ID 000645673700001

• Random dynamic load identification for stochastic structural-acoustic system using an adaptive regularization parameter and evidence theory JOURNAL OF SOUND AND VIBRATION He, Z. C., Zhang, Z., Li, E. 2020; 471

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jsv.2020.115188

  View details for Web of Science ID 000510858400007

• Multi-source random excitation identification for stochastic structures based on matrix perturbation and modified regularization method MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING He, Z. C., Zhang, Z., Li, E. 2019; 119: 266-292

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ymssp.2018.09.021

  View details for Web of Science ID 000452569400015