Non-wetting and Conductive Janus Structure for High-Performance Electronics Enabled by Gradient Polarity Driven Hierarchical Spatial Assembly

Non-wetting and Conductive Janus Structure for High-Performance Electronics Enabled by Gradient Polarity Driven Hierarchical Spatial Assembly | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Physical Sciences - Article Non-wetting and Conductive Janus Structure for High-Performance Electronics Enabled by Gradient Polarity Driven Hierarchical Spatial Assembly Yao Lu, Shanshan Jia, Shijie Dai, Yiqiang Wu, Guoxi Chen, Bin Zhou, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6681764/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Achieving simultaneous high conductivity and water repellency in flexible polymer composites remains a fundamental challenge for wearable sensors, because conventional hydrophobic coatings introduce thick insulating layers that degrade electrical performance. Here, we present a gradient polarity-mediated self-assembly strategy to fabricate Janus-structured nanocomposites (Janus-HC-NW) that spatially decouple conductivity and non-wettability. The design features a topographical layer of VTES@TiO 2 sub-microscale agglomerates for stabilizing air-entrapping triple-phase interfaces (contact angle of 154.1°), while a bottom layer of monodispersed MWCNT with ultrathin VTES coatings (~ 34 nm) ensures unimpeded charge transport. Density functional theory reveals TiO 2 ’s critical role in regulating VTES distribution via preferential Si-O-Ti bonding (-3.12 eV vs. -1.84 eV for VTES@MWCNT), enabling nanoscale control over polymer encapsulation. The Janus-HC-NW exhibits a 77-fold conductivity enhancement and exceptional environmental stability. Integrated into wood sponge-based sensors, it achieves a 12.4-fold sensitivity increase, 6.93-fold higher signal-to-noise ratio, and 4.95-fold improved electromagnetic shielding, enabling precise underwater micro-vibration detection in harsh conditions. This work would establish a paradigm for multifunctional composites in next-generation flexible electronics. Physical sciences/Materials science/Soft materials/Polymers Physical sciences/Materials science/Nanoscale materials/Molecular self-assembly Physical sciences/Materials science/Nanoscale materials/Electronic properties and materials Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files Supportinginformation.doc Non-wetting and Conductive Janus Structure for High-Performance Electronics Enabled by Gradient Polarity Driven Hierarchical Spatial Assembly Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6681764","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Physical Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":463702460,"identity":"ef6fe664-077f-4a05-ab1c-ac4ad3fc2c3a","order_by":0,"name":"Yao 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