A Z-scheme LaFeO_(3)-CuFe_(2)O4 composite for sulfate radical-based photocatalytic process:Synergistic effect and mechanism

The sulfate radical-based photocatalytic process is supposed to be the most promising way to degrade organic pollutants.However,the development of a suitable and efficient photocatalyst is very challenging.The 40LaFeO_(3)-CuFe_(2)O_(4)(40LFO-CFO)nanocomposite was constructed and its catalytic performance was studied using Rhodamine B(RhB)as the target pollutant.40LFO-CFO exhibited excellent RhB degradation by the persulfate(PS)-assisted photocatalytic process compared to the pristine LFO and CFO.The degradation rate constant for RhB by 40LFO-CFO in the Vis/PS system was 2.22h^(-1)which is 3.04 times and 5.05 times higher than the pristine LFO(0.73 h^(-1))and CFO(0.44h^(-1)),respectively.Furthermore,the trapping experiments and EPR spectra proved that h^(+) plays a leading role in the bleaching of RhB for the 40LFO-CFO/PS/Vis system.The enhanced photocatalytic oxidation activity of 40LFO-CFO could be attributed to the unique charge carriers flow in 40LFO-CFO due to the Z-scheme and the cooperation effect between photocatalysis and PS activation.The recycle tests confessed the stability of 40LFO-CFO.Additionally,the intermediates and products of RhB are detected by liquid chromatographymass spectrometry(LC-MS),and the photocatalytic degradation routes of RhB for the 40LFO-CFO/Vis/PS system were proposed.Moreover,the 40LFO-CFO nanocomposite has a superior catalytic performance for other organics,suggesting that it is a promising heterocatalyst because of its high catalytic activity and stability for the PS-assisted photocatalytic process.

Integrated Building Envelope Design Process Combining Parametric Modelling and Multi-Objective Optimization

As an important element in sustainable building design, the building envelope has been witnessing a constant shift in the design approach. Integrating multi-objective optimization (MOO) into the building envelope design process is very promising, but not easy to realize in an actual project due to several factors, including the complexity of optimization model construction, lack of a dynamic-visualization capacity in the simulation tools and consideration of how to match the optimization with the actual design process. To overcome these difficulties, this study constructed an integrated building envelope design process (IBEDP) based on parametric modelling, which was implemented using Grasshopper platform and interfaces to control the simulation software and optimization algorithm. A railway station was selected as a case study for applying the proposed IBEDP, which also utilized a grid-based variable design approach to achieve flexible optimum fenestrations. To facilitate the stepwise design process, a novel strategy was proposed with a two-step optimization, which optimized various categories of variables separately. Compared with a one-step optimization, though the proposed strategy performed poorly in the diversity of solutions, the quantitative assessment of the qualities of Pareto-optimum solution sets illustrates that it is superior. © 2016, Tianjin University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Hydrothermal synthesis of peony-like CuO micro/nanostructures for high-performance lithium-ion battery anodes

The peony-like CuO micro/nanostructures were fabricated by a facile hydrothermal approach. The peony- like CuO micro/nanostructures about 3 -5μm in diameter were assembled by CuO nanoplates. These CuO nanoplates, as the building block, were self-assembled into multilayer structures under the action of ethidene diamine, and then grew into uniform peony-like CuO architecture. The novel peony-like CuO micro/nanostructures exhibit a high cycling stability and improved rate capability. The peony-like CuO microJnanostructures electrodes show a high reversible capacity of 456 mAhJg after 200 cycles, much higher than that of the commercial CuO nanocrystals at a current 0.1 C. The excellent electrochemical performance of peony-like CuO micro/nanostructures might be ascribed to the unique assembly structure, which not only provide large electrode/electrolyte contact area to accelerate the lithiation reaction, but also the interval between the multilayer structures of CuO nanoplates electrode could provide enough interior space to accommodate the volume change during Li insertion and de-insertion process,

Regulation of Social Memory by Lateral Entorhinal Cortical Projection to Dorsal Hippocampal CA2

Dear Editor,TSocial recognition memory is essential for proper conspecific interactions and its impairments are closely associated with many brain disorders,including autism,schizophrenia,and Alzheimer's disease[1-3].However,the mechanisms and neural circuits underlying social memory formation and retrieval are still unclear.Recent studies have revealed that several brain regions are involved in social memory formation,and the hippocampal dorsal CA2(dCA2)subregion appears to be its core locus[4,5].