Zhiwei Xu

Triggered degradation of 250 μm-thick Mg targets using acetic acid for transient electronic applications

Transient electronics are becoming a hot topic due to the rapid development of bioelectronics, self-destructive devices and environmental sensors. This letter reports a novel scheme for triggering degradation of 250 μm-thick Mg target using acetic acid regarding transient electronics applications. The triggered transience has also been demonstrated using commercial vinegar. To achieve programmable transience as well as device protection, polypropylene carbonate (PPC) was investigated as passivation layer. The proposed method has demonstrated simplicity, high safety, low cost and low trigger temperature.

Pencil-on-Paper Sensor for Water Detection

This paper sets out a simple and affordable method for the manufacture of a water sensor involving drawing marks on paper using a flexible pencil. The sensor indicates flexible endurance variations upon exposure to water or a drying surface. It can be employed for the detection of water substances in ethanol. In addition, an experiment suggests the usefulness of the sensor for the sensing of breath. This shows the immense potential applications of the sensor for wearable and also health-inspecting electronic gadgetry.