Unveiling the tailorable electrochemical properties of zeolitic imidazolate framework-derived Ni-doped LiCoO_(2) for lithium-ion batteries in half/full cells

As a prevailing cathode material of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),LiCoO_(2)(LCO)still encounters the tricky problems of structural collapse,whose morphological engineering and cation doping are crucial for surmounting the mechanical strains and alleviating phase degradation upon cycling.Hereinafter,we propose a strategy using a zeolitic imidazolate framework(ZIF)as the self-sacrificing template to directionally prepare a series of LiNi_(0.1)Co_(0.9)O_(2)(LNCO)with tailorable electrochemical properties.The rational selection of sintering temperature imparts the superiority of the resultant products in lithium storage,during which the sample prepared at 700℃(LNCO-700)outperforms its counterparts in cyclability(156.8 mA h g^(-1)at 1 C for 200 cycles in half cells,1 C=275 mA g^(-1))and rate capability due to the expedited ion/electron transport and the strengthen mechanical robustness.The feasibility of proper Ni doping is also divulged by half/full cell tests and theoretical study,during which LNCO-700(167 mA h g^(-1)at 1 C for 100 cycles in full cells)surpasses LCO-700 in battery performance due to the mitigated phase deterioration,stabilized layered structu re,ameliorated electro nic co nductivity,a nd exalted lithium sto rage activity.This work systematically unveils tailorable electrochemical behaviors of LNCO to better direct their practical application.

Process design and economic analysis of methacrylic acid extraction for three organic solvents

In this work,a techno-economic study for the solvent based extraction of methacrylic acid from an aqueous solution is presented.The involved phase equilibrium calculations in process design are verified by measured experimental data.First,experiments are conducted with different solvent candidates to measure LLE(liquid–liquid equilibrium)data and to establish the effects of extraction temperature and dosage of solvent.Next,the binary interaction parameters for the UNIQUAC model to be used for equilibrium calculations are fine-tuned with measured data.Then,a process for the solvent based extraction of methacrylic acid recovery is designed and verified through simulation with the regressed UNIQUAC model parameters.The optimal configuration of the process flowsheet is determined by minimizing the total annualized cost.Among the three solvent candidates considered-cyclohexane,hexane and toluene-the highest efficiency and the lowest total annualized cost is found with toluene as the solvent.

A versatile strategy to activate self-sacrificial templated Li_(2)MnO_(3) by defect engineering toward advanced lithium storage

Despite the dazzling theoretical capacity,the devasting electrochemical activity of Li_(2)MnO_(3)(LMO)caused by the difficult oxidation of Mn4+impedes its practical application as the lithium-ion battery(LIB)cathode.The efficacious activation of the Li_(2)MnO_(3) by importing electrochemically active Mn3+ions or morphological engineering is instrumental to its lithium storage activity and structural integrity upon cycling.Herein,we propose a conceptual strategy with metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)as self-sacrificial templates to prepare oxygen-deficient Li_(2)MnO_(3)(O_v-LMO)for exalted lithium storage performance.Attributed to optimized morphological features,LMO materials derived from Mn-BDC(H_(2)BDC=1,4-dicarboxybenzene)delivered superior cycling/rate performances compared with their counterparts derived from Mn-BTC(H_(3)BTC=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylicacid)and Mn-PTC(H_(4)PTC=pyromellitic acid).Both experimental and theoretical studies elucidate the efficacious activation of primitive LMO materials toward advanced lithium storage by importing oxygen deficiencies.Impressively,O_v-LMO derived from Mn-BDC(O_v-BDC-LMO)delivered intriguing reversible capacities(179.2 mA h g^(-1)at 20 mA g^(-1)after 200 cycles and 100.1 mA h g^(-1)at 80 mA g^(-1)after 300 cycles),which can be attributed to the small particle size that shortens pathways for Li+/electron transport,the enhanced redox activity induced by abundant oxygen vacancies,and the optimized electronic configuration that contributes to the faster lithium diffusivity.This work provides insights into the rational design of LMO by morphological and atomic modulation to direct its activation and practical application as an advanced LIB cathode.

Significantly improved near-field communication antennas based on novel Ho^(3+)and Co^(2+)ions co-doped Ni-Zn ferrites

In near-field communication(NFC)antennas,soft magnetic ferrites are usually applied as a substrate to reduce eddy current loss and increase magnetic field coupling.For this purpose,the applied ferrites are required to have high permeability and saturation magnetization together with low magnetic loss and dielectric loss.However,for most soft magnetic ferrites,it is difficult to meet all the requirements.Herein novel Ni-Zn ferrite ceramics co-doped by Ho^(3+)and Co^(2+)ions with chemical formula Ni_(0.5-x)Zn_(0.5)Ho_(0.02)Co_(x)Fe_(1.98)O_(4)(x=0-0.2)were designed and prepared to balance these needs on the basis of molten salt synthesis with metal nitrates as raw materials and potassium hydroxide(KOH)as the precipitation agent and molten salt precursor.After the substitution of Ho^(3+),the saturation magnetization and initial permeability decrease,but with further doping of Co^(2+),the saturation magnetization gradually increases,while the initial permeability continues to decrease.When x=0.1,the sample will have the lowest dielectric constant,magnetic and dielectric loss,as well as the highest Curie temperature(305℃).Moreover,the acquired Ni-Zn ferrites have been applied simulatively in NFC antennas,revealing that the device manufactured with the optimal Ni_(0.4)Zn_(0.5)Ho_(0.02)Co_(0.1)Fe_(1.98)O_(4)ferrite ceramics would have significantly improved performance at 13.56 MHz with low leakage and long transmit distance of magnetic field.Therefore,the Ni_(0.4)Zn_(0.5)Ho_(0.02)Co_(0.1)Fe_(1.98)O_(4)ferrite ceramics would be a good candidate for NFC antenna substrates.

(La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)PO4: A high-entropy rare-earth phosphate monazite ceramic with low thermal conductivity and good compatibility with Al2O3

Low thermal conductivity, matched thermal expansion coefficient and good compatibility are general requirements for the environmental/thermal barrier coatings(EBCs/TBCs) and interphases for Al2O3 f/Al2O3 composites. In this work, a novel high-entropy(HE) rare-earth phosphate monazite ceramic (La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)PO4 is designed and successfully synthesized. This new type of HE rare-earth phosphate monazite exhibits good chemical compatibility with Al2O3, without reaction with Al2O3 as high as 1600℃ in air. Moreover, the thermal expansion coefficient(TEC) of HE (La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)PO4(8.9 × 10^-6/℃ at 300–1000℃) is close to that of Al2O3. The thermal conductivity of HE (La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)PO4 at room temperature is as low as 2.08 W·m^-1·K^-1, which is about 42% lower than that of La PO4. Good chemical compatibility, close TEC to that of Al2O3, and low thermal conductivity indicate that HE (La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)PO4 is suitable as a candidate EBC/TBC material and an interphase for Al2O3 f/Al2O3 composites.

(Y0.25Yb0.25Er0.25Lu0.25)2(Zr0.5Hf0.5)2O7: A defective fluorite structured high entropy ceramic with low thermal conductivity and close thermal expansion coefficient to Al2O3

Al2O3f/Al2O3 ceramic matrix composites(CMC)are promising candidate materials of blades and combustor liners of future gas turbines in light of their higher temperature capability,higher environmental stability and oxidizing-free capacity[1–3].Nevertheless,grain growth,sintering and creep deformation at high operation temperatures are still serious problems for Al2O3f/Al2O3 ceramic matrix composites,which can lead to a reduction in the strength and damage tolerance[2].Moreover,Al2O3 can be corroded by the high temperature water vapor in combustion environments and yields volatile products,such as Al(OH)3[4].Consequently,environmental barrier coatings(EBCs)are necessary for Al2O3f/Al2O3 ceramic matrix composites,which can protect Al2O3f/Al2O3 CMC from high temperature and flowing combustion gas corrosion and thus increase the high temperature capability and the service life of components.

(TiZrHf)P2O7: An equimolar multicomponent or high entropy ceramic with good thermal stability and low thermal conductivity

Zr P2O7 is a promising material for high temperature insulating applications. However, decomposition above 1400℃ is the bottleneck that limiting its application at high temperatures. To improve the thermal stability, a novel multicomponent equimolar solid solution(Ti Zr Hf)P2O7 was designed and successfully synthesized in this work inspired by high-entropy ceramic(HEC) concept. The as-synthesized(Ti Zr Hf)P2O7 exhibits good thermal stability, which is not decomposed after heating at 1550℃ for 3 h. It also shows lower thermal conductivity(0.78 W m^-1 K^-1) compared to the constituting metal pyrophosphates Ti P2O7, Zr P2O7 and Hf P2O7. The combination of high thermal stability and low thermal conductivity renders(Ti Zr Hf)P2O7 promising for high temperature thermal insulating applications.

(La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)2Zr2O7:A novel high-entropy ceramic with low thermal conductivity and sluggish grain growth rate

Fine grains and slow grain growth rate are beneficial to preventing the thermal stress-induced cracking and thermal conductivity increase of thermal barrier coatings.Inspired by the sluggish diffusion effect of high-entropy materials,a novel high-entropy(HE)rare-earth zirconate solid solution(La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)2 Zr2 O7 was designed and successfully synthesized in this work.The as-synthesized(La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)2 Zr2 O7 is phase-pure with homogeneous rare-earth element distribution.The thermal conductivity of as-synthesized(La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)2 Zr2 O7 at room temperature is as low as 0.76 W m^-1 K^-1.Moreover,after being heated at 1500℃for 1-18 h,the average grain size of(La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)2 Zr2 O7 only increases from 1.69μm to 3.92μm,while the average grain size of La2Zr2O7 increases from 1.96μm to 8.89μm.Low thermal conductivity and sluggish grain growth rate indicate that high-entropy(La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)2Zr2O7 is suitable for application as a thermal barrier coating material and it may possess good thermal stress-induced cracking resistance.

High-entropy(Nd_(0.2)Sm_(0.2)Eu_(0.2)Y_(0.2)Yb_(0.2))_(4)Al_(2)O_(9) with good high temperature stability,low thermal conductivity,and anisotropic thermal expansivity

The critical requirements for the environmental barrier coating(EBC)materials of silicon-based ceramic matrix composites(CMCs)include good tolerance to harsh environments,thermal expansion matches with the interlayer mullite,good high-temperature phase stability,and low thermal conductivity.Cuspidine-structured rare-earth aluminates RE_(4)Al_(2)O_(9) have been considered as candidates of EBCs for their superior mechanical and thermal properties,but the phase transition at high temperatures is a notable drawback of these materials.To suppress the phase transition and improve the phase stability,a novel cuspidine-structured rare-earth aluminate solid solution(Nd_(0.2)Sm_(0.2)Eu_(0.2)Y_(0.2)Yb_(0.2))_(4)Al_(2)O_(9) was designed and successfully synthesized inspired by entropy stabilization effect of high-entropy ceramics(HECs).The as-synthesized HE(Nd_(0.2)Sm_(0.2)Eu_(0.2)Y_(0.2)Yb_(0.2))_(4)Al_(2)O_(9) exhibits a close thermal expansion coefficient(6.96×10^(-6) K^(-1) at 300-1473 K)to that of mullite,good phase stability from 300 to 1473 K,and low thermal conductivity(1.50 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1) at room temperature).In addition,strong anisotropic thermal expansion has been observed compared to Y_(4)Al_(2)O_(9) and Yb_(4)Al_(2)O_(9).The mechanism for low thermal conductivity is attributed to the lattice distortion and mass difference of the constituent atoms,and the anisotropic thermal expansion is due to the anisotropic chemical bonding enhanced by the large size rare-earth cations.

High-entropy(Y0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2Er0.2)AlO3:A promising thermal/environmental barrier material for oxide/oxide composites

Yttrium aluminum perovskite(YAl O3)is a promising candidate material for environmental barrier coatings(EBCs)to protect Al2 O3 f/Al2 O3 ceramic matrix composites(CMCs)from the corrosion of high-temperature water vapor in combustion environments.Nevertheless,the relatively high thermal conductivity is a notable drawback of YAl O3 for environmental barrier coating application.Herein,in order to make REAl O3 more thermal insulating,a novel high-entropy rare-earth aluminate ceramic(Y0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2Er0.2)AlO3 was designed and synthesized.The as-prepared(Y0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2Er0.2)AlO3 ceramic possesses close thermal expansion coefficient(9.02×10-6/oC measured from room temperature to 1200℃)to that of Al2 O3.The thermal conductivity of(Y0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2Er0.2)AlO3 at room temperature is 4.1 W·m-1K-1,which is almost one third of the value of YAl O3.Furthermore,to effectively prevent the penetration of water vapor from possible pores/cracks of coating layer,which are often observed in T/EBCs,a tri-layer EBC system REAl O3/RE3 Al5 O12/(Al2 O3 f/Al2 O3 CMCs)is designed.Close thermal expansion coefficient to Al2 O3 and low thermal conductivity of(Y0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2Er0.2)AlO3,as well as the formation of dense garnet layer at(Y0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2Er0.2)AlO3/Al2 O3 interface,indicate that this new type of high-entropy ceramic is suitable as a candidate environmental barrier coating material for Al2 O3 f/Al2 O3 CMCs.

Zn_(0.5)Co_(0.5)Mn_(0.5)Fe_(0.5)Al_(0.5)Mg_(0.5)O_(4) high-entropy oxide with high capacity and ultra-long life for Li-ion battery anodes

Owing to the robust Li-ion storage properties induced by entropy stabilization effect,transition metal(TM)-based high-entropy oxides(HEOs)are promising electrode materials for highperformance Li-ion batteries(LIBs).In this study,a six-component Zn_(0.5)Co_(0.5)Mn_(0.5)Fe_(0.5)Al_(0.5)Mg_(0.5)O_(4) spinel-structured HEO(denoted as 6M-HEO,where M=Zn,Co,Mn,Fe,Al,and Mg)was synthesized using a facile coprecipitation method.When used as an anode of the LIBs,its stable high-entropy nanostructures exhibit high specific capacity(290 mAh·g^(−1) at a current density of 2 A·g^(−1)),ultra-long cycling stability(maintained 81%of the initial capacity after 5000 cycles),and outstanding rate performance.Such excellent performance can be attributed to two factors.Firstly,its high-entropy structure can reduce the stress caused by intercalation and avoid volume expansion of the HEO nanostructures.As a result,the cyclic stability was significantly enhanced.Secondly,owing to the unique element selection in this study,four active elements(Zn,Co,Mn,and Fe)were incorporated in inactive MgO and Al2O3 matrice after the first discharge process,which would allow such high-entropy materials to withstand the rapid shuttle of Li ions.

Meta-analysis of the effect of low-level occupational benzene exposure on human peripheral blood leukocyte counts in China

To investigate the effect of low-level occupational benzene exposure on human peripheral blood leukocyte counts of the workers,domestic and foreign published research data on the change of human peripheral blood leukocyte counts under low-level occupational benzene exposure from January 1990 to December 2020 were collected and analyzed.According to the literature inclusion and exclusion criteria,18 independent studies from 12 publications were selected for meta-analysis to explore the effect of low-level occupational benzene exposure on human peripheral blood leukocyte counts.The results showed that the peripheral blood leukocyte counts abnormal rates of low-level occupational benzene exposure group were higher than those of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant.Low-level occupational benzene exposure could result in a relatively higher abnormal rate of peripheral blood leukocyte counts in the exposed population,indicating that low-level occupational benzene exposure at workplaces specified by the current benzene occupational exposure limit in China would affect the peripheral blood leukocyte counts of the workers,thus benzene with concentrations under the limit in the ambient air of workplace could be still harmful to the health of the exposed workers.The results of this study could provide a scientific basis for future revision of the benzene occupational exposure limit in China,and could also be a reference for the formulation of environmental standard concerning benzene in China in the future.

Progress on rare-earth doped ZnO-based varistor materials

Rare-earth(RE)doping can greatly enhance the voltage gradient of ZnO-based varistors,and their nonlinear coefficient,leakage current,energy absorption capability,through-current capability and residual voltage can also be improved to certain extent.In this review,the progress on RE-doped ZnO-based varistor materials in recent years was summarized.The mechanism of RE doping on the electrical performance of ZnO varistors was analyzed.The issues in exploring new ZnO-based varistor materials by RE doping were indicated,and the development trends in this area were proposed.

Effective passivation of black phosphorus transistor against ambient degradation by an ultra-thin tin oxide film

Recently, two-dimensional (2D) layered semiconducting materials have been considered as promising channel materials to construct aggressively-scaled transistors owing to their excellent electrostatics and remained high carrier mobility even at atomic thickness (1,2)Among all of the emerging 2D semiconductors.

Aerodynamic levitated laser annealing method to defective titanium dioxide with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Defective TiO2 has attracted increasing attention for use in photocatalytic and electrochemical materials because of its narrowed band-gap and improved visible-light photocatalytic activity. However, a facile and efficient approach for obtaining defect-rich TiO2 still remains a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate such an approach to narrow its bandgap and improve visible-light absorption through implanting abundant defects by aerodynamic levitated laser annealing （ALLA） treatment. Note that the ALLA method not only provides rapid annealing, solidifying and cooling process, but also exhibits high efficiency for homogeneous and defective TiO2 nanoparticles. The laser-annealed TiO2 achieves a high hydrogen evolution rate of 8.54 mmol.h-1.g-1, excellent decomposition properties within 60 min, and outstanding recyclability and stability, all of which are superior to the corresponding properties of commercial P25.

Effect of anionic group[SiO_(4)]^(4-)/[PO_(4)]^(3-) on the luminescence properties of Dy^(3+)-doped tungstate structural compounds

Novel scheelite structures of Li_(2)Ca(WO_(4))_(2),Li_(2)Ca_(2)(WO_(4))(SiO_(4)),and LiCa_(2)(WO_(4))(PO_(4))fluorescent materials were successfully prepared using a high-temperature solid-phase process.The compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy.The tests revealed that the substitution of[WO_(4)]^(2-)by[SiO_(4)]^(4-) or [PO_(4)]^(3-) tetrahedron in tungstate had no significant influence on the crystal structure of the Li_(2)Ca(WO_(4))_(2).When Dy^(3+) ions were introduced as an activator at an optimum doping concentration of 0.08 mol%,all of the as-prepared phosphors generated yellow light emissions,and the emission peak was located close to 576 nm.Replacing[WO_(4)]^(2-) with [SiO_(4)]^(4-) or [PO_(4)]^(3-) tetrahedron significantly increased the luminescence of the Li_(2)Ca(WO_(4))_(2) phosphors.Among them,the LiCa_(2)(WO_(4))(PO_(4)):0.08Dy^(3+) phosphor had the best luminescence properties,decay life(r=0.049 ms),and thermal stability(87.8%).In addition,the as-prepared yellow Li_(2)Ca(WO_(4))_(2):0.08Dy^(3+),Li_(2)Ca_(2)(WO_(4))(SiO_(4)):0.08Dy^(3+),and LiCa_(2)(WO_(4))(PO_(4)):0.08Dy^(3+) phosphor can be used to fabricate white light emitting diode(LED)devices.

Cutting Performance of WC-Co Alloys Modified by Nano-Additives

In this paper,the microstructure of WC-Co alloys with and without nano-additives was characterized by scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and transmission electron microscopy（TEM）.The hardness and fracture toughness was tested by using a Vickers hardness tester and a universal testing machine.The cutting test was carried out at different feed velocities（250 r/min and 320 r/min）,and the contact pairs are cutting tools and 45# steel bars.Results showed that the hardness and fracture toughness of WC-Co cemented carbides with nano-additives are higher than that of WC-Co cemented carbides without nano-additives,and they are increased 10.21% and 19.69%,respectively.The flank worn width and crater width of cutting tools decrease greatly with the addition of nano-additives.For the nano-modified specimen with WC grain size of 7 μm,both the flank worn width and crater width are the minimum after the cutting process.And there are little built-up layers and some pile-up regions on the flank face leading to high cutting performance for the nano-modified cemented carbides.There are some melted regions on the flank face of cutting tools without nano-additives,and the WC grains on the cross section of alloys without nano-additives show severe fragmentation.The wear type of WC-Co is flank wear,and the wear mechanism is abrasive,adhesion and oxidation wear.

A novel synthetic method of porous and nanoflower-like Al_(2)O_(3)/MoS_(2)catalyst for reduction of SO_(2)to elemental sulfur

MoS_(2)nanoflowers are favored for their potential in the production of elemental sulfur due to abundant surface area and good catalytic performance for reducing SO_(2).A novel synthetic strategy of porous Al_(2)O_(3)supported on the MoS_(2)with nanoflower structure was proposed.The effects of preparation concentration,calcination atmosphere,Al_(2)O_(3)contents on the growth of catalysts with nanoflower structure were systematically studied via X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy,Brunauer–Emmett–Teller(BET).The surface area was increased to 295.502 m^(2)/g and the amount of Lewis acid on the surface of the Al_(2)O_(3)/MoS_(2)catalyst was increased by adjusting the ratio of Al/Mo.The porous and nanoflower structures of Al_(2)O_(3)/MoS_(2)catalysts promoted the sulfur selectivity without inhibiting the catalytic performance of MoS_(2).The conversion of SO_(2)and the selectivity of sulfur were 100%and 92%after 100 h life evaluation.