Researchers have designed a new two-dimensional ferroelectric memtransistor to realize the reward-modulated spike-timing dependent plasticity in a single device for implementing the robotic recognition and tracking tasks.

In a paper published in Polymer Science & Technology, an international team of scientists

has, for the first time, introduced oligoethylene glycol side chains into A-A type polymers containing BNBP units, designing a polar side chain-functionalized organic boron polymer, PBN-OEG. The introduction of polar ethylene glycol side chains improves the miscibility between the host material and small molecule dopants, exhibiting a more efficient n-type small molecule doping level compared to the control material PBN-alkyl, which only contains alkyl side chains. Consequently, PBN-OEG possesses superior thermoelectric properties, with an optimal electrical conductivity of up to 1.95 S cm^-1 and a maximum power factor of up to 4.7 μW m^-1 K^-2. Furthermore, the oligoethylene glycol side chains promote the swelling of PBN-OEG films in aqueous electrolyte solutions, facilitating the ionic transport of hydrated cations. Therefore, PBN-OEG can be used as a channel material for organic field-effect transistors (OECTs), achieving a large volumetric capacitance (C*) of 97.7 F cm^-3 and a high figure of merit (μC*) of 2.6 F cm^-1 V^-1 s^-1. This study demonstrates the potential of n-type BNBP-based OMIEC materials in the fields of organic thermoelectric transistors (OTEs) and OECTs. This study is led by Jian Liu (Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China) and Jun Liu (Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China).

A new recipe, or design guidelines, for self-strengthening muscle-like hydrogel has been developed through strategic integration of computational, information, and experimental research. The resulting gel exhibits rapid reinforcement under mechanical stress with improved stability.

Researchers have created a microscopic device that can both detect and control the rapid “dance” of electron spins in antiferromagnetic materials — a leap that could enable a new generation of ultrafast, energy-efficient electronics. Until now, scientists could only detect this quantum behavior using bulky lab equipment — making it hard to imagine practical uses in everyday tech.