Electrochemical analysis and convection-enhanced mass transfer synergistic effect of MnO_x/Ti membrane electrode for alcohol oxidation

The different electrocatalytic reactors could be constructed for the electrocatalytic oxidation of 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propanol(TFP) with two typical MnO_x/Ti electrodes, i.e.the electrocatalytic membrane reactor(ECMR) with the Ti membrane electrode and the electrocatalytic reactor(ECR) with the traditional Ti plate electrode.For the electro-oxidation of TFP, the conversion with membrane electrode(70.1%) in the ECMR was 3.3 and 1.7 times higher than that of the membrane electrode without permeate flow(40.8%) in the ECMR and the plate electrode(21.5%) in the ECR, respectively.Obviously, the pore structure of membrane and convection-enhanced mass transfer in the ECMR dramatically improved the catalytic activity towards the electro-oxidation of TFP.The specific surface area of porous electrode was 2.22 m^2·g^(-1).The surface area of plate electrode was 2.26 cm^2(1.13 cm^2× 2).In addition, the electrochemical results showed that the mass diffusion coefficient of the MnO_x/Ti membrane electrode(1.80 × 10^(-6) cm^2·s^(-1)) could be increased to 6.87 × 10^(-6) cm^2·s^(-1) at the certain flow rate with pump, confirming the lower resistance of mass transfer due to the convection-enhanced mass transfer during the operation of the ECMR.Hence, the porous structure and convection-enhanced mass transfer would improve the electrochemical property of the membrane electrode and the catalytic performance of the ECMR,which could give guideline for the design and application of the porous electrode and electrochemical reactor.

New paths and research directions in CO_(2) conversion by electro-, photoand plasma catalysis

CO_(2) conversion into value-added products by electro-, photoand plasma catalysis under mild operating conditions(ambient temperature and pressure) is an emerging area to achieve carbon circularity by producing chemicals and fuels using directly renewable energy. Among all CO_(2) conversion approaches, the electrocatalytic reduction of CO_(2) is the most mature technology, capable of achieving high productivity(i.e. high current densities) at large scale, especially for producing carbon monoxide(CO), but with many examples showing selectivity to C_(2) carbon products.

Research on the Development of Fibroin and Nano-Fiber from Silk Cocoons for Regenerated Tissue Engineering Applications by Electro-Spinning

In this paper, the main goal is to prepare silk fibroin nano-fiber, which is used for regenerated tissue applications. Silk scaffold nano-fibers made by electro-spinning technology can be used in regenerated tissue applications. The purpose of the research is to prepare a silk-fibroin nano-fiber solution for potential applications in tissue engineering. Using a degumming process, pure silk fibroin protein is extracted from silk cocoons. The protein solution for fibroin is purified, and the protein content is determined. The precise chemical composition, exact temperature, time, voltage, distance, ratio, and humidity all have a huge impact on degumming, solubility, and electro-spinning nano-fibers. The SEM investigates the morphology of silk fibroin nano-fibres at different magnifications. It also reveals the surface condition, fiber orientation, and fiber thickness of the silk fibroin nano-fiber. The results show that regenerated silk fibroin and nano-fiber can be used in silk fibroin scaffolds for various tissue engineering applications.

Preclinical Verification of Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia —Part I. In Vitro Research

Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) targets tissue’s natural electric and thermal heterogeneities to heat the cancer cells selectively. The applied 13.56 MHz radiofrequency (RF) is a carrier of the low-frequency modulation. The high-frequency part was chosen to select the malignant lesion using the specialties of the tumor: the higher conductivity and dielectric constant of the tumor than its host. The electric field selects the tumor, and the low-frequency amplitude modulation polarizes and excites the transmembrane proteins of the malignant cells. The dominant absorption of the energy by the microscopic clusters of the membrane rafts acts like nanoparticle heating. Exciting the membrane produces various apoptotic signals. The processes were modeled using silico and phantom experiments, which proved the concept. The preclinical verification was made in vitro and in vivo, and in the end, clinical proofs validated the method. Our objective is to follow all the development steps from the laboratory to the clinics in a trilogy of articles. This present is the first part, which deals with in silico, phantom, and in vitro research.

Multiscale Finite Element Method for Coupling Analysis of Heterogeneous Magneto-Electro-Elastic Structures in Thermal Environment

Magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) materials, a new type of composite intelligent materials, exhibit excellent multifield coupling effects. Due to the heterogeneity of the materials, it is challenging to use the traditional finite element method (FEM) for mechanical analysis. Additionally, the MEE materials are often in a complex service environment, especially under the influence of the thermal field with thermoelectric and thermomagnetic effects, which affect its mechanical properties. Therefore, this paper proposes the efficient multiscale computational method for the multifield coupling problem of heterogeneous MEE structures under the thermal environment. The method constructs a multi-physics field with numerical base functions (the displacement, electric potential, and magnetic potential multiscale base functions). It equates a single cell of heterogeneous MEE materials to a macroscopic unit and supplements the macroscopic model with a microscopic model. This allows the problem to be solved directly on a macroscopic scale. Finally, the numerical simulation results demonstrate that compared with the traditional FEM, the multiscale finite element method (MsFEM) can achieve the purpose of ensuring accuracy and reducing the degree of freedom, and significantly improving the calculation efficiency.

Oxidation Modification of Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Fiber and Its Electro-Chemical Performance as Marine Electrode for Electric Field Test

A novel sensor for ocean electric field testing has been fabricated by polyacrylonitrile-based on carbon fibers with electro-chemical oxidation.The surface profile characteristics of the carbon fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscope,Fourier transform infrared spectra and contact angle.Cyclic voltammetry and Tafel curves have been used to study its electro-chemical performances.Two identical electrodes in sea water as the electric field sensor will swiftly respond to applied electric field which causes positive and negative ions to move in opposite direction,resulting in a electric potential difference(ΔE).Test result indicates that the offset potential is typically below 1 m V with a drift of 60-170μVd^-1.Typical self noise level is 1.07 nV√Hz^(1/2)@1 Hz.The electric field response indicates that the modified electrode pair shows better response to AC sine signal of amplitude and frequency(5 mV and 1 mHz)respectively than its blank.The electric field response model of the modified electrodes is creatively presented according to its electric double layer capacitance and Faraday pseudo-capacitance.Many advantages of the carbon fiber electric field electrode will make it have potential application prospect.

Hierarchical coral-like FeNi(OH)_x/Ni via mild corrosion of nickel as an integrated electrode for efficient overall water splitting

Efficient,stable,and noble‐metal‐free electrocatalysts for both the oxygen evolution reaction and the hydrogen evolution reaction are highly imperative for the realization of low‐cost commercial water‐splitting electrolyzers.Herein,a cost‐effective and ecofriendly strategy is reported to fabricate coral‐like FeNi(OH)x/Ni as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting in alkaline media.With the assistance of mild corrosion of Ni by Fe(NO3)3,in situ generated FeNi(OH)x nanosheets are intimately attached on metallic coral‐like Ni.Integration of these nanosheets with the electrodeposited coral‐like Ni skeleton and the supermacroporous Ni foam substrate forms a binder‐free hierarchical electrode,which is beneficial for exposing catalytic active sites,accelerating mass transport,and facilitating the release of gaseous species.In 1.0 mol L^-1 KOH solution,a symmetric electrolyzer constructed with FeNi(OH)x/Ni as both the anode and the cathode exhibits an excellent activity with an applied potential difference of 1.52 V at 10 mA cm^-2,which is superior to that of an asymmetric electrolyzer constructed with the state‐of‐the‐art RuO2‐PtC couple(applied potential difference of 1.55 V at 10 mA cm^-2).This work contributes a facile and reliable strategy for manufacturing affordable,practical,and promising water‐splitting devices.

Pd micro-nanoparticles electrodeposited on graphene/polyimide membrane for electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid

A novel Pd electrocatalyst with flowerlike micro-nanostructures was synthesized by electrochemical deposition on a flexible graphene/polyimide（Gr/PI） composite membrane and characterized by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,X-ray diffraction（XRD）.The Pd micro-nanoparticles were prepared on a COOH-CNTs/PI membrane as a comparative sample.The XRD and SEM investigations for Pd electrodeposition demonstrate that the particle size of Gr/PI composite membrane is smaller than that of COOH-CNTs/PI membrane,while the uniform and dense distribution of Pd micro-nanoparticles on the Gr/PI composite membrane is greater than that on the COOH-CNTs/PI membrane.The electrocatalytic properties of Pd/Gr/PI and Pd/COOH-CNTs/PI catalysts for the oxidation of formic acid were investigated by cyclic voltammetry（CV） and chronoamperometry（CA）.It is found that the electrocatalytic activity and stability of Pd/Gr/PI are superior to those of Pd/COOH-CNTs/PI catalyst.This is because smaller metal particles and higher dense distribution desirably provide abundant catalytic sites and mean higher catalytic activity.Therefore,the Pd/Gr/PI catalyst has better catalytic performance for formic acid oxidation than the Pd/COOH-CNTs/PI catalyst.

Active Vibration Control of Beam Using Electro-magnetic Constrained Layer Damping

This paper investigates vibration control of beam through electro-magnetic constrained layer damping （EMCLD） which consists of electromagnet layer, permanent magnet layer and viscoelastic damping layer. When the coil of the electromagnet is electrified with proper control strategy, the electromagnet can exert magnetic force opposite to the direction of structural deformation so that the structural vibration is attenuated. A mathematical model is developed based on the equivalent current method to calculate the electromagnetic control force produced by EMCLD. The governing equations of the system are obtained using Hamilton＇s Principle and then reduced with the assumed-mode method. A simulation on vibration control of a cantilever beam is conducted under the velocity proportional feedback to demonstrate the energy dissipation capability of EMCLD, and the beam system with the same parameter is experimented. The results of experiment and simulation are compared and the results show that the EMCLD is an effective means for suppressing modal vibration. The results also indicate that the beam system has better control performance for larger control current. The EMCLD method presented in this paper provides an applicable and efficient tool for the vibration control of structures.

Electro-Fenton法的影响因素及研究进展

Electro-Fenton法是一种新型的电催化氧化技术,具有"环境友好"的特点,是一种高级氧化技术(AOPs)。结合国内外Electro-Fenton法的研究近况,阐述Fenton法的作用机理及主要影响因素,主要受pH值、O2流量、温度、电流密度、Fe2+离子浓度、电极间距离、电解质及电极材料等因素影响,结合具体的废水对主要反应参数进行总结,分析作用机理。对Electro-Fenton法的研究发展趋势提出了一些观点。

CLINICAL REPORT ON MULTI-CENTER RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF TREATMENT OF MIGRAINE BY ELECTRO-ACUPUNCTURE AT QI■X■(丘墟GB40)

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of electro acupuncture at QIǖXǖ（丘墟GB40） for treating migraine and provide clinical study for Acupoints Dictionary of People＇s Republic of China. Methods Multi-center （3 First-Class hospitals） study was adopted, and the involved 3 hospitals did clinical observation according to the requirements of the project. The methods are as follows. All cases were randomized into treatment group and control group according to their sequence. QIǖXǖ（丘墟GB40） was selected in treatment group, while Tiānshū （天枢 ST25） was selected in control group. Both groups were performed electro acupuncture, and syndromes indexes of migraine and 5-HT were observed before and after treatment. All data were analyzed by statistic software SPSS11.5. Results There was significant difference of VAS margin between two groups in each center and the combined center （u= -3. 362, P=0. 001 ）. There was significant difference of therapeutic effect of 4-week treatment between two groups in each clinical center and the combined center. The therapeutic effect of 3-month treatment between two groups in No. 1 and No. 3 hospitals, showed significant difference, the treatment group was better; while that of No. 2 hospital had no obvious difference. The therapeutic effect of 6-month treatment between two groups in each center and the combined center had significant difference, the treatment group was better. Conclusion The therapy of electro acupuncture at QIǖXǖ（丘墟GB40） is effective for migraine.

Chlorobenzene degradation by electro-heterogeneous catalysis in aqueous solution:intermediates and reaction mechanism

This study was performed to investigate the variables that influence chlorobenzene (CB) degradation in aqueous solution by electro-heterogeneous catalysis.The effects of current density,pH,and electrolyte concentration on CB degradation were determined.The degradation effciency of CB was almost 100% with an initial CB concentration of 50 mg/L,current density 15 mA/cm2,initial pH 10,electrolyte concentration 0.1 mol/L,and temperature 25°C after 90 min of reaction.Under the same conditions,the degradation eff...

Capture and electro-splitting of CO_2 in molten salts

Due to the serious greenhouse gas effects caused by the increasing concentration of atmospheric CO_2,carbon capture and storage(CCS) has been an important area of research and many technologies are developed within this field. Molten salt CO_2 capture and electrochemical transformation(MSCC-ET) process is a desirable method due to a high CO_2 solubility, a wide potential window of molten salts and easily-controlled electrode reactions. Generally, electro-splitting CO_2 in molten salts begins with CO_2 absorption reactions to form CO_3^(2-), which is then followed by the carbon deposition at the cathode and O_2 evolution at the anode. As a result, CO_2 is electro-converted to O_2 and carbon with different morphologies, compositions, microstructures and functional properties. This report introduces the MSCC-ET process, summarizes the reactions occurring in the molten salts and at the electrode surfaces, as well as the morphological variations of the cathodic products. The inert anode materials, cost estimation and scale-up evaluation of the process are then discussed. It is presumed that with a comprehensive understanding of the electrode reactions during electrolysis and the functional properties of carbon materials obtained during CO_2 electro-splitting can provide a foundation for further developing this environmentally friendly process.

Electro-deoxidation of V_2O_3 in molten CaCl_2-NaCl-CaO

The electro-deoxidation of V2O3 precursors was studied. Experiments were carried out with a two-terminal electrochemical cell, which was comprised of a molten electrolyte of CaCl2 and NaC1 with additions of CaO, a cathode of compact V2O3, and a graphite anode under the potential of 3.0 V at 1173 K. The phase constitution and composition as well as the morphology of the samples were studied by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. 3 g of V2O3 could be converted to vanadium metal powder within the processing time of 8 h. The kinetic pathway was investigated by analyzing the product phase in samples prepared at different reduction stages. CaO added in the reduction path of V2O3 formed the intermediate product CaV2O4.

Direct electrochemical reduction of copper sulfide in molten borax

In this study,for the first time,direct copper production from copper sulfide was carried out via direct electrochemical reduction method using inexpensive and stable molten borax electrolyte.The effects of current density(100–800 mA/cm^2)and electrolysis time(15–90 min)on both the cathodic current efficiency and copper yield were systematically investigated in consideration of possible electrochemical/chemical reactions at 1200℃.The copper production yield reached 98.09%after 90 min of electrolysis at a current density of 600 mA/cm^2.Direct metal production was shown to be possible with 6 kWh/kg energy consumption at a 600 mA/cm2 current density,at which the highest current efficiency(41%)was obtained.The suggested method can also be applied to metal/alloy production from single-and mixed-metal sulfides coming from primary production and precipitated sulfides,which are produced in the mining and metallurgical industries during treatment of process solutions or wastewaters.

Analysis of Vitamin K_3 by a Fluorescent Spectroelectrochemistry Method

A simple and sensitive spectroelectrochemistry method for the determination of vitamin K3 was developed by combining electrolysis and fluoremetry. This method was based on that vitamin K3 was reduced at a glassy carbon electrode, and its product with characteristic fluorescence at 420 nm was determined with excitation wavelength at 309 nm. Under optimized electrochemical reaction conditions and fluorescent experiment parameters, the fluorescence intensity was proportional to the concentration of vitamin K3 in a range from 3.50×10^-7 to 1.05×10^-5 mol/L with a correlation coefficient of 0.9991, and detection limit was estimated to be 7.50× 10^-8 mol/L at a signal/noise ra- tio of 3. The relative standard deviation was less than 4.3%（n=5） and the recovery was in a range of 97%-105% for the determination of vitamin K3 in pharmaceutical preparations. The result is satisfactory for the determination of vitamin K3 as comparison to that from HPLC method.

Noncovalent interactions on the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethanol on a Pt/C electrocatalyst

Due to their environmentally friendly nature and high energy density,direct ethanol fuel cells have attracted extensive research attention in recent decades.However,the actual Faraday efficiency of the ethanol oxidation reaction(EOR)is much lower than its theoretical value and the reaction kinetics of the EOR is sluggish due to insufficient active sites on the electrocatalyst surface.Pt/C is recognized as one of the most promising electrocatalysts for the EOR.Thus,the microscopic interfacial reaction mechanisms of the EOR on Pt/C were systematically studied in this work.In metal hydroxide solutions,hydrated alkali cations were found to bind with OH_(ad)through noncovalent interactions to form clusters and occupy the active sites on the Pt/C electrocatalyst surface,thus resulting in low Faraday efficiency and sluggish kinetics of the EOR.To reduce the negative effect of the noncovalent interactions on the EOR,a shield was made on the electrocatalyst surface using 4-trifluoromethylphenyl,resulting in twice the EOR catalytic reactivity of Pt/C.

Hydrogen Production From Crude Bio-oil and Biomass Char by Electrochemical Catalytic Reforming

We reports an efficient approach for production of hydrogen from crude bio-oil and biomass char in the dual fixed-bed system by using the electrochemical catalytic reforming method. The maximal absolute hydrogen yield reached 110.9 g H2/kg dry biomass. The product gas was a mixed gas containing 72%H2, 26%CO2, 1.9%CO, and a trace amount of CH4. It was observed that adding biomass char （a by-product of pyrolysis of biomass） could remarkably increase the absolute H2 yield （about 20%-50%）. The higher reforming temperature could enhance the steam reforming reaction of organic compounds in crude bio-oil and the reaction of CO and H20. In addition, the CuZn-Al2O3 catalyst in the water-gas shift bed could also increase the absolute H2 yield via shifting CO to CO2.

Electro-catalytic oxidation of phenol with Ti-base lead dioxide electrode

The Ti base PbO 2 electrode prepared by electrodeposition of PbO 2 on the surface of titanium was used for electro catalytic oxidation of phenol in waste water. The experimental results show that the electrodeposition of PbO 2 at a higher current density for a short time, then followed by a lower current density can get a compact and combinative PbO 2 layer. The properties of a Ti/PbO 2 electrode with an interlayer of oxide are the best. When this kind of electrode is used to treat phenol containing waste water, the phenol removal rate is higher and the slot voltage is lower. In addition, by using the phenol removal rate as an index, the influences of electrolysis current density, mass transfer condition and pH were studied and the optimal condition was confirmed.

The decisive role of adsorbed OH^(*)in low‐potential CO electro‐oxidation on single‐atom catalytic sites

CO impurity-induced catalyst deactivation has long been one of the biggest challenges in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells,with the poisoning phenomenon mainly attributed to the overly strong adsorption on the catalytic site.Here,we present a mechanistic study that overturns this understanding by using Rh-based single-atom catalysis centers as model catalysts.We precisely modulated the chelation structure of the Rh catalyst by coordinating Rh with C or N atoms,and probed the reaction mechanism by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.Direct spectroscopic evidence for intermediates indicates that the reactivity of adsorbed OH^(*),rather than the adsorption strength of CO^(*),dictates the CO electrocatalytic oxidation behavior.The RhN_(4)sites,which adsorb the OH^(*)intermediate more weakly than RhC4 sites,showed prominent CO oxidation activity that not only far exceeded the traditional Pt/C but also the RhC4 sites with similar CO adsorption strength.From this study,it is clear that a paradigm shift in future research should be considered to rationally design high-performance CO electro-oxidation reaction catalysts by sufficiently considering the water-related reaction intermediate during catalysis.