Niksan Omid, Bi Lingyi, Gogotsi Yury, Zarifi Mohammad H
School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada.
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and A. J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Nat Commun. 2024 Sep 6;15(1):7793. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-51853-1.
Today's wireless environments, soft robotics, and space applications demand delicate design of devices with tunable performances and simple fabrication processes. Here we show strain-based adjustability of RF/microwave performance by applying frequency-selective patterns of conductive TiCT MXene coatings on low-cost acetate substrates under ambient conditions. The tailored performances were achieved by applying frequency-selective patterns of thin TiCT MXene coatings with high electrical conductivity as a replacement to metal on low-cost flexible acetate substrates under ambient conditions. Under quasi-axial stress, the Kirigami design enables displacements of individual resonant cells, changing the overall electromagnetic performance of a surface (i.e., array) within a simulated wireless channel. Two flexible Kirigami-inspired prototypes were implemented and tested within the S, C, and X (2-4 GHz, 4-8 GHz, and 8-12 GHz) microwave frequency bands. The resonant surface, having ~1/4 of the size of a standard A4 paper, was able to steer a beam of scattered waves from each resonator by ~25°. Under a strain of 22%, the resonant frequency of the wired co-planar resonator was shifted by 400 MHz, while the reflection coefficient changed by 158%. Deforming the geometry impacted the spectral response of the components across three arbitrary frequencies in the 4-10 GHz frequency range. With this proof of concept, we anticipate implementing thin films of MXenes on technologically relevant substrates, achieving multi-functionality through cost-effective and straightforward manufacturing.
当今的无线环境、软体机器人技术和太空应用要求设计出性能可调节且制造工艺简单的精密设备。在此，我们展示了在环境条件下，通过在低成本醋酸盐基板上应用导电TiCT MXene涂层的频率选择图案，实现基于应变的射频/微波性能可调性。通过在环境条件下，在低成本柔性醋酸盐基板上应用具有高电导率的薄TiCT MXene涂层的频率选择图案来替代金属，从而实现了定制性能。在准轴向应力下，折纸设计能够使各个谐振单元发生位移，从而改变模拟无线信道内表面（即阵列）的整体电磁性能。制作并测试了两款受折纸启发的柔性原型，其工作在S、C和X（2-4 GHz、4-8 GHz和8-12 GHz）微波频段。谐振表面尺寸约为标准A4纸的1/4，能够使来自每个谐振器的散射波束转向约25°。在22%的应变下，有线共面谐振器的谐振频率偏移了400 MHz，而反射系数变化了158%。几何形状的变形影响了4-10 GHz频率范围内三个任意频率下组件的频谱响应。通过这一概念验证，我们期望在技术相关基板上实现MXene薄膜，并通过经济高效且直接的制造工艺实现多功能性。
