Ultrahigh Sensitivity for Thermographic Human-Machine Interface via Precious Metals Atomic Layer Deposition on...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing remote patient monitoring in global healthcare.
• MXene-based sensors are crucial for measuring physiological parameters, but advancements are needed for enhanced performance.
• Developing novel 2D materials is key to improving real-time health monitoring systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel iridium (Ir) incorporated vanadium (V)-MXene heterostructure (Ir-ALD@V-MXene) using atomic layer deposition (ALD).
• To investigate the precise control of Ir atomic forms or clusters on V-MXene for practical healthcare applications.
• To demonstrate the potential of this new material in real-time thermography sensing with a human-machine interface.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Ir-ALD@V-MXene using atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques.
• Characterization using aberration-corrected ultra-high-resolution transmission/scanning electron microscopy.
• Investigation of the enhanced sensing mechanism using density functional theory (DFT) computations.

Main Results:

• The Ir-ALD@V-MXene heterostructure exhibited ultrahigh durability and a sensing performance of 2.4% °C⁻¹, significantly outperforming pristine V-MXene (0.42% °C⁻¹).
• Advanced electron microscopy confirmed the formation of Ir atomic clusters on well-aligned 2D V-MXene, creating an advanced heterostructure.
• DFT computations elucidated the enhanced sensing mechanism within the Ir-ALD@V-MXene structure.

Conclusions:

• The rational design and ALD process for Ir-ALD@V-MXene offer a significant advancement in wearable personal healthcare devices.
• This work highlights the potential of incorporating precious metals via ALD onto novel MXene substrates for next-generation sensing applications.
• The developed Ir-ALD@V-MXene demonstrates superior performance for thermography, paving the way for improved remote patient monitoring.