RII Track-4:@NASA: Process-Structure-Property Relationship of the Hybrid Manufactured Multifunctional Mechano-Luminescence-Optoelectronic Fibers

健康监测可穿戴设备被认为是更好地了解人体在健康诊断/预后、健康改善和人机交互方面行为的最有前途的技术解决方案之一。然而，最先进的技术受到依赖电池的外部能源供应的影响。该项目旨在为多功能机械发光-光电(MLO)光纤提供技术突破，该光纤自供电用于应变传感，并通过两步机械-辐射-电能转换产生电能。此外，该项目旨在通过深入了解MLO纤维功能构件的过程-结构-性能(PSP)关系，促进科学进步，促进国家健康、繁荣和福利，并确保国防安全。所获得的知识可以帮助提高人类在太空中的存在。该项目可以通过访问NASA艾姆斯研究中心(ARC)，为新墨西哥理工大学(NMT)STEM中代表性不足的学生提供机会，与世界知名科学家在尖端设施中就新颖的研究主题进行合作，并可能为NASA工作。此外，NMT将开设一门跨学科的研究生课程，主题是先进制造，重点是PSP关系。该项目预计将为新墨西哥州的四个关键行业做出贡献，包括航空航天与国防、生物科学、智能制造和可持续与绿色能源。在这个项目中，PI与NASA ARC的Koehne博士合作，旨在促进对使用混合制造制造的MLO纤维的功能构建块的PSP关系的了解。MLO纤维由两个功能块组成：1)机械发光(ML)铜掺杂硫化锌(ZnS：Cu)和2)机械力光电聚(3-己基噻吩基)(P3HT)。在MLO光纤的设计中，ML ZnS：Cu和MO P3HT的机械-辐射和辐射-电能转换分别耦合在外部机械刺激下产生直流(DC)。产生的DC随应变和应变率的变化而变化，这使得MLO光纤具有自供电应变传感器和机械-辐射-电能采集器的多功能。我们可以了解到，用气刷沉积在薄膜中的MO P3HT是如何形成片层并表现出MO性质的。此外，PI希望揭示嵌入在聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)中的ML荧光粉在机械变形下的发光机制，以及ML微粒的轮廓(例如，形状、大小和掺杂浓度)如何影响ML发光以及与应变和应变率相关的发光。此外，单壁碳纳米管(SWNTs)将用于设计P3HT的纳米结构，以实现目标功能。PPI计划在第一年和第二年为期三个月的夏季访问期间，在NASA ARC进行关于MO P3HT-SWNT和ML ZnS：Cu-PDMS的PSP研究的两项研究任务。此外，在每年夏季访问之前，将在NMT进行初步研究，以积累数据库，用于通过分子动力学建模和模拟设计MO和ML功能积木的纳米/微结构。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A health monitoring wearable has been considered as one of the promising technological solutions to better understand how the human body behaves for health diagnosis/prognosis, fitness improvement, and human-machine interaction. However, the state-of-the-arts suffer from the battery-dependent external energy supply. This project aims to provide a technological breakthrough with the multifunctional mechano-luminescence-optoelectronic (MLO) fiber that is self-powered for strain sensing and generates electrical energy via two-step mechanical-radiant-electrical energy conversion. Additionally, this project aims to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare and to secure the national defense by promoting the progress of science through in-depth understanding of the process-structure-property (PSP) relationship of the MLO fiber’s functional building blocks. The gained knowledge can help enhance human presence in space. This project can provide opportunities for students underrepresented in STEM at New Mexico Tech (NMT) by visiting NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) to work with world-renowned scientists in cutting-edge facilities on the novel research topics and potentially work for NASA. Also, a transdisciplinary graduate course will be created at NMT on a topic of advanced manufacturing with an emphasis on the PSP relationship. The project is envisioned to contribute to four key industries in New Mexico, including Aerospace & Defense, Biosciences, Intelligent Manufacturing, and Sustainable & Green Energy.In this project, in collaboration with Dr. Koehne at NASA ARC, the PI aims to advance knowledge in the PSP relationship of the functional building blocks of the MLO fibers that are fabricated using a hybrid manufacturing. The MLO fibers are composed of two functional building blocks: 1) mechano-luminescent (ML) copper-doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:Cu) and 2) mechano-optoelectronic poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). In the design of the MLO fiber, the mechanical-radiant and radiant-electrical energy conversions of the ML ZnS:Cu and MO P3HT, respectively, are coupled to generate direct current (DC) when exposed to external mechanical stimuli. The generated DC varies with a strain and a strain rate, which makes the MLO fiber multifunctional to perform as a self-powered strain sensor and a mechanical-radiant-electrical energy harvester. Knowledge can be acquired about how the MO P3HT that are deposited in thin film using air-brushing form lamellae and exhibit MO properties. Also, the PI expects to uncover the light emission mechanism of the ML phosphors that are embedded in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) under mechanical deformation and how the ML light emission is affected by the profile (e.g., shape, size, and doping concentration) of the ML microparticles and related to a strain and a strain rate. In addition, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) will be used for designing the nano-structures of P3HT to attain target functionalities. The PI plans two research tasks on PSP studies on MO P3HT-SWNT and ML ZnS:Cu-PDMS to conduct at NASA ARC during three-month summer visits in Y1 and Y2. Also, before each summer visit, preliminary studies will be conducted at NMT for accumulating database to be used for designing nano-/micro-structures of the MO and ML functional building blocks through molecular dynamics modeling and simulations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.