Groundbreaking work from the Gong Research Lab aims to change the future of portable electronics

The research group of Dr. Xiong Gong, a professor in the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering at The University of Akron, is pleased to report for the first time the concept of “wireless portable light-weight self-charging power packs.” (USPTO 62/907,884). Their research, "Wireless portable light-weight self-charging power packs by perovskite-organic tandem solar cells integrated with solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors," was recently published in Nano Energy, 2020, 78, 105397.

Self-charging power packs are a new type of electronics that are of importance in the newest generation of micro-systems including remote sensors, implantable biosensors, and nano-robots. In 2015, the Gong group reported the concept of “self-charging power packs” (Adv. Func. Mater., 2015, 25, 2420-2427); however, developing wireless, portable, light-weight, self-charging power packs remained a significant fundamental challenge. In this vein, Gong’s group developed solution-processed tandem solar cells through integration of ternary organic solar cells (Solar RRL, 2019, doi: 10.1002/solr.20190032) and perovskite solar cells (Adv. Eng. Mater, 2018; Nano Energy, 2019), which offer large operational voltage and are all solid-state supercapacitors with high energy density and superior cycling stability (Adv. Func. Mater., 2019; Adv. Electr. Mater., 2019).  The advancement was possible due to the use of solution-processed polymeric thin films with high electrical conductivity (Adv. Func. Mater., 2020 and ACS Appl. Mater. Interf., 2020, USPTO 62/962,508). The Gong group is very pleased to develop the state-of-the art “wireless portable light-weight self-charging power packs” and plans to take this concept to the next level by enabling the self-charging power packs for usage in lightweight flexible and portable electronics.

Another groundbreaking work reported by the Gong group (https://ohme.uakron.edu) was “Solution-Processed Flexible Broadband Photodetectors with Solution-Processed Transparent Polymeric Electrode” (2020, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201909487). Ultrasensitive broadband photodetectors are widely used in industries, especially in medical sectors. Today, separate photodetectors are required for different sub-bands within the ultraviolet to the infrared spectral range for integration and operation at low temperature and offering reasonable sensitivities in ultraviolet to infrared region. The Gong group, for the first time, reported room-temperature operated solution-processed flexible photodetectors/sensors with spectral response from 300 nm to 2600 nm. This work was possible due to the use of solution-processed polymeric thin films as the transparent electrodes.

Mr. Tao Zhu, a Ph. D. student under the supervision of Professor Xiong Gong contributed to these developments.

The Gong group reported their recent developments in a series of seventeen publications in 2020. The group will continue to explore new methods for renewable energy generation and storage, and room temperature operated solution-processed broadband photodetectors (sensors) as one of the pioneers and leaders in these fields of research. More information about the recent publications from the group are presented below:

• ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2020, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c11468
• Advanced Functional Materials, 2020, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202002808
• ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2020, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c02575
• ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2020, DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.0c00823
• ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2020, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b22891
• Advanced Functional Materials, 2020, DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201909487
• Emergent Materials, 2020, DOI: 10.1007/s42247-020-00072-7

Dr. Gong can be reached at xgong@uakron.edu for additional information.