Revealing the unexpected promotion effect of EuO_x on Pt/CeO_2 catalysts for catalytic combustion of toluene

Pt/Eu2O3-CeO2 materials with different Eu concentrations were prepared and applied to toluene destruction,and the remarkable promotion impact of EuOx on Pt/CeO2 can be observed.The characterization results reveal that the presence of EuOx significantly enhances the redox property,lattice O concentration,and Ce3+ ratio of the Pt/CeO2 material,which facilitates the dispersion and activity of Pt active sites and thus accelerates the decomposition process of toluene.Among all catalysts,a sample with an Eu content of 2.5 at.%(Pt/EC-2.5)possesses the best catalytic activity with 0.09 vol% of toluene completely destructed at 200 ℃ under a relatively high GHSV of 50000 h^-1.The possible reaction pathway and mechanism of toluene combustion over Pt/Eu2O3-CeO2 samples are presented according to in-situ DRIFTS,which confirms that the toluene oxidation process obeys the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism with aldehydes and ketones as primary organic intermediates.

4D printing of PLA/PCL shape memory composites with controllable sequential deformation

Shape memory polymers(SMPs)are a promising class of materials for biomedical applications due to their favorable mechanical properties,fast response,and good biocompatibility.However,it is difficult to achieve controllable sequential shape change for most SMPs due to their high deformation temperature and the simplex deformation process.Herein,shape memory composites based on polylactic acid(PLA)matrix and semi-crystalline linear polymer polycaprolactone(PCL)are fabricated using 4D printing technology.Compared with pure PLA,with the rise of PCL content,the 4D-printed PLA/PCL composites show decreased glass transition temperature(Tg)from 67.2 to 55.2°C.Through the precise control of the deformation condition,controllable sequential deformation with an outstanding shape memory effect can be achieved for the PLA/PCL shape memory composites.The response time of shape recovery is less than 1.2 s,and the shape fixation/recov-ery rates are above 92%.In order to simulate sequential petal opening and sequential drug releasing effects,a double-layer bionic flower and a drug release device,respectively,are presented by assembling PLA/PCL samples with different PLA/PCL ratios.The results indicate the potential applications of 4D-printed PLA/PCL composites in the field of bio-inspired robotics and biomedical devices.

Electronic structure of molecular beam epitaxy grown 1T’-MoTe2 film and strain effect

Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenide films with distorted trigonal(1T') phase have been predicted to be candidates for realizing quantum spin Hall effect. Growth of 1T' film and experimental investigation of its electronic structure are critical. Here we report the electronic structure of 1T'-MoTe2 films grown by molecular beam epitaxy(MBE).Growth of the 1T'-MoTe2 film depends critically on the substrate temperature, and successful growth of the film is indicated by streaky stripes in the reflection high energy electron diffraction(RHEED) and sharp diffraction spots in the low energy electron diffraction(LEED). Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy(ARPES) measurements reveal a metallic behavior in the as-grown film with an overlap between the conduction and valence bands. First principles calculation suggests that a suitable tensile strain along the a-axis direction is needed to induce a gap to make it an insulator. Our work not only reports the electronic structure of MBE grown 1T'-MoTe2 films, but also provides insights for strain engineering to make it possible for quantum spin Hall effect.

Recognition of Fluvial Bank Erosion Along the Main Stream of the Yangtze River

Recognizing the risk of fluvial bank erosion is an important challenge to ensure the early warning and prevention or control of bank collapse in river catchments,including in the Yangtze River.This study introduces a geomorphons-based algorithm to extract river bank erosion information by adjusting the flatness from multibeam echo-sounding data.The algorithm maps ten subaqueous morphological elements,including the slope,footslope,flat,ridge,peak,valley,pit,spur,hollow,and shoulder.Twentyone flatness values were used to build an interpretation strategy for the subaqueous features of riverbank erosion.The results show that the bank scarp,which is the erosion carrier,is covered by slope cells when the flatness is 10°.The scour pits and bank scars are indicated by pit cells near the bank and hollow cells in the bank slope at a flatness of 0°.Fluvial subaqueous dunes are considered an important factor accelerating bank erosion,particularly those near the bank toe;the critical flatness of the dunes was evaluated as 3°.The distribution of subaqueous morphological elements was analyzed and used to map the bank erosion inventory.The analysis results revealed that the near-bank zone,with a relatively large water depth,is prone to form large scour pits and a long bank scarp.Arc collapse tends to occur at the long bank scarp to shorten its length.The varied assignment of flatness values among terrestrial,marine,and fluvial environments is discussed,concluding that diversified flatness values significantly enable fluvial subaqueous morphology recognition.Consequently,this study provides a reference for the flatness-based recognition of fluvial morphological elements and enhances the targeting of subaqueous signs and risks of bank failure with a range of multibeam bathymetric data.

Progress and challenge of functional single-atom catalysts for the catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds

The catalytic oxidation of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)is of considerable significance for the sustainable development of the chemical industry;thus,considerable efforts have been devoted to the exploration of efficient catalysts for use in this reaction.In this regard,the development and utilization of single-atom catalysts(SACs)in VOCs decomposition is a rapidly expanding research area.SACs can be employed as potential catalysts for oxidizing VOC molecules due to their optimal utilization efficiency,unique atomic bonding structures,and unsaturated orbits.Progress has been achieved,while the challenges surrounding precise regulation of the microstructures of SACs for improving their low-temperature efficiency,stability,and product selectivity under practical conditions are remaining.Therefore,elucidating structure-performance relationships and establishing intrinsic modulating mechanisms are urgently required for guiding researchers on how to synthesize effective and stable functional SACs proactively.Herein,recent advances in the design and synthesis of functional SACs for application in the catalytic oxidation of VOCs are summarized.The experimental and theoretical studies revealing higher efficiency,stability,and selectivity of as-prepared functional SACs are being highlighted.Accordingly,the future perspectives in terms of promising catalysts with multi-sized composite active sites and the illustration of intrinsic mechanism are proposed.The rapid intelligent screening of applicable SACs and their industrial applications are also discussed.

Genes in the serotonin pathway are associated with bipolar affective disorder in a Han Chinese population

Serotonin plays an important role in mood regulation, but the involvement of serotonin pathway genes in the development of bipolar I disorder. （BP-I）, a mood disorder, is not clear. We selected 21 single- nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） within the HTR2A gene, 8 within the SLC6A4 gene and 23 within the TPH2 gene for genotyping using the GoldenGate genotyping assay. A total of 375 patients with BP-I and 475 normal controls were recruited. Two out of 21 SNPs （rs1475196 and rs9567747） in the HTR2A gene and 1/23 SNPs （rs17110566） in the TPH2 gene were significantly associated with BP-I, both genotype-wise and allele-wise. Furthermore, a specific haplotype in the HTR2A gene showed a significant association with BP-I. Our results indicate that the HTR2A and TPH2 genes in the serotonin pathway play important roles in susceptibility to BP-I.