New insights in nano-copper chromite catalyzing ultrafine AP:Evaluation of dispersity and mixing uniformity

Improving the application of nanomaterials has always been a research hotspot in the field of energetic materials(EMs)due to their obvious catalytic effect on the EMs,especially the uniformly dispersed nanomaterials.However,few studies have reported the dispersion of nanomaterials.In this study,the dispersity and mixing uniformity of nano-CuCr_(2)O_(4)was evaluated based on the difference of solid UV light absorption between the nano-catalytic materials and EMs.The nano-CuCr_(2)O_(4)/ultrafine AP composites with different dispersity of nano-CuCr_(2)O_(4)were prepared by manual grinding and mechanical grinding with different grinding strength and griding time.And then,the absorbance of different samples at 212 nm was obtained by solid UV testing due to the high repeatability of the absorbance at 210-214 nm for three parallel experiments,and the dispersity of different samples was calculated through the established difference equation.Furthermore,the samples were characterized by XRD,IR,SEM,EDS,DSC and TG-MS,which confirmed that different mixing methods did not change the structure of the samples(XRD and IR),and the mixing uniformity improved with the increase of grinding strength and grinding time(SEM and EDS).The scientificity and feasibility of the difference equation were further verified by DSC.The dispersity of nano-CuCr_(2)O_(4)exhibits a positive intrinsic relationship with its catalytic performance,and the uniformly dispersed nano-CuCr_(2)O_(4)significantly reduces the thermal decomposition temperature of ultrafine AP from 367.7 to 338.8℃.The TG-MS patterns show that the dispersed nano-CuCr_(2)O_(4)advanced the thermal decomposition process of ultrafine AP by about 700 s,especially in the high temperature decomposition stage,and the more concentrated energy release characteristic is beneficial to further enhance the energy performance of AP-based propellants.The above conclusions show that the evaluation method of dispersity based on solid UV curves could provide new ideas for the dispersity characterization of nano-catalytic materials in EMs,which is expected to be widely used in the field of EMs.

A review on surface coating strategies for anti-hygroscopic of high energy oxidizer ammonium dinitramide

Ammonium dinitramide(ADN),which has the advantages of high energy density,no halogen and low characteristic signal,is not only considered as a new high-energy oxidizer that is expected to replace the traditional oxidizer ammonium perchlorate(AP)in solid propellants,but also a good performance explosive in itself.However,due to the strong hygroscopicity of ADN,its application in solid propellants and explosives is greatly limited.Solving the hygroscopicity of ADN is the key to realize the wide application of ADN.In this paper,we systematically review the research progress of anti-hygroscopic strategies of ADN coating.The surface coating methods are focusing on solvent volatilization,solvent-non-solvent,melt crystallization and atomic layer deposition technology.The characteristics of the different methods are compared and analyzed,and the basis for the classification and selection of the coating materials are introduced in detail.In addition,the feasibility of material for surface coating of ADN is evaluated by several compatibility analysis methods.It is highly expected that the liquid phase method(solvent volatilization method,solvent-non-solvent method)would be the promising method for future ADN coating because of its effective,safety and facile operation.Furthermore,polymer materials,are the preferred coating materials due to their high viscosity,easy adhesion,good anti-hygroscopic effect,and heat resistance,which make ADN weak hygroscopicity,less sensitive,easier to preserve and good compatibility.

Exploring the hygroscopic behavior of highly energetic oxidizer ammonium dinitramide(ADN)at different temperatures and humidities using an innovative hygroscopic modeling

Ammonium dinitramide(ADN)is a new type of green energetic oxidizer with excellent energy density and low pollution combustion characteristics.However,the strong hygroscopicity has a significant impact on its practical application.To assist in the research on moisture-proof modification of ADN materials,an innovative hygroscopic modeling approach was proposed to evaluate the hygroscopicity of ADN at various temperatures and humidities.By investigating the diffusion coefficient of water molecules in molecular dynamics processes,a visual insight into the hygroscopic process of ADN was gained.Furthermore,analyzing the non-covalent interactions between ADN and water molecules,the hygroscopicity of ADN could be evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively.The energy analysis revealed that electrostatic forces play a dominant role in the process of water adsorption by ADN,whereas van der Waals forces impede it.As a whole,the simulation results show that ADN presents the following hygroscopic law:At temperatures ranging from 273 K to 373 K and relative humidity(RH)from 10%to 100%,the hygroscopicity of ADN generally shows an increasing trend with the rise in temperature and humidity based on the results of three simulations.According to the non-hygroscopic point(298 K,52%RH)of ADN obtained by experiment in the literature,a non-hygroscopic range of temperature and humidity for ADN can be depicted when the simulation results in relative hygroscopicity is less than or equal to 17%.This study can provide effective strategies for screening anti-hygroscopic modified materials of ADN.

Revealing the correlation between adsorption energy and activation energy to predict the catalytic activity of metal oxides for HMX using DFT

Traditional selection of combustion catalysis is time-consuming and labor-intensive.Theoretical calculation is expected to resolve this problem.The adsorption energy of HMX and O atoms on 13 metal oxides was calculated using DMol3,since HMX and O are key substances in decomposition process.And the relationship between the adsorption energy of HMX,O on metal oxides(TiO_(2),Al_(2)O_(3),PbO,CuO,Fe_(2)O_(3),Co_(3)O_(4),Bi_(2)O_(3),NiO)and experimental T30 values(time required for the decomposition depth of HMX to reach 30%)was depicted as volcano plot.Thus,the T30 values of other metal oxides was predicted based on their adsorption energy on volcano plot and validated by previous experimental data.Further,the adsorption energy of HMX on ZrO_(2)and MnO_(2)was predicted based on the linear relationship between surface energy and adsorption energy,and T30 values were estimated based on volcano plot.The apparent activation energy data of HMX/MgO,HMX/SnO_(2),HMX/ZrO_(2),and HMX/MnO_(2)obtained from DSC experiments are basically consistent with our predicted T30 values,indicating that it is feasible to predict the catalytic activity based on the adsorption calculation,and it is expected that these simple structural properties can predict adsorption energy to reduce the large quantities of computation and experiment cost.

Construction of smart propellant with multi-morphologies

Smart materials,which exhibit shape memory behavior in response to external stimuli,have shown great potential for use in biomedical applications.In this study,an energetic composite was fabricated using a UV-assisted DIW 3D printing technique and a shape memory material(SMP)as the binder.This composite has the ability to reduce the impact of external factors and adjust gun propellant combustion behavior.The composition and 3D printing process were delineated,while the internal structure and shape memory performance of the composite material were studied.The energetic SMP composite exhibits an angle of reversal of 18 s at 70°,with a maximum elongation typically reaching up to 280% of the original length and a recovery length of approximately 105%during ten cycles.Additionally,thermal decomposition and combustion behavior were also demonstrated for the energetic SMP composite.

Progress on the application of graphene-based composites toward energetic materials:A review

Carbon material is an important additive in energetic materials.Graphene is a monolayer carbon material in which carbon atoms are arranged in two-dimensional honeycomb structure,who has special optical,electrical,and mechanical properties.Recently,the application of graphene-based composites in energetic materials has received extensive attention.This review mainly summarizes the applications of graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials in energetic materials.The effects of these materials on the thermal stability,sensitivity,mechanical property,ignition and combustion of energetic materials were discussed.Furthermore,the progress of functionalized modification of graphene has been summarized,including covalent bonding modification and doping modification.These studies show that graphenebased materials exhibit excellent performances and might emerge as promising candidate for energetic materials.

Blood neutrophil extracellular traps:a novel target for the assessment of mammary health in transition dairy cows

Background:Mammary health is important for transition dairy cows and has been well recognized to exert decisive effects on animal welfare.However,the factors influencing mammary health are still unclear.Differential somatic cell count(DSCC)could reflect the mastitis risk since it is the percentage of neutrophils plus lymphocytes in total somatic cells and could be reflective of mammary health of dairy cows.This work aimed to investigate the assessment and prognosis of the health of transition cows based on blood neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs).Results:Eighty-four transition Holstein dairy cows were selected.The serum was sampled in all the animals at week 1 pre-and postpartum,and milk was sampled at week 1 postpartum.Based on the DSCC in milk at week 1,cows with lower(7.4%±4.07%,n=15)and higher(83.3%±1.21%,n=15)DSCCs were selected.High DSCC cows had higher levels of red blood cell counts(P<0.05),hemoglobin(P=0.07),and hematocrit(P=0.05),higher concentrations of serum oxidative variables[reactive oxygen species(P<0.05),malondialdehyde(P<0.05),protein carbonyl(P<0.05),and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine(P=0.07)],higher levels of serum and milk NETs(P<0.05)and blood-milk barrier indicators,including serumβ-casein(P=0.05)and milk immunoglobulin G2(P=0.09),than those of low DSCC cows.In addition,lower concentrations of serum nutrient metabolites(cholesterol and albumin)(P<0.05)and a lower level of serum deoxyribonuclease I(P=0.09)were observed in high DSCC cows than in low DSCC cows.Among the assessments performed using levels of the three prepartum serum parameters(NETs,deoxyribonuclease I andβ-casein),the area under the curve(0.973)of NETs was the highest.In addition,the sensitivity(1.00)and specificity(0.93)were observed for the discrimination of these cows using NETs levels with a critical value of 32.2 ng/mL(P<0.05).Conclusions:The formation of NETs in blood in transition dairy cows may damage the integrity of the blood-milk barrier and thereby increase the risk for mastitis in postpartum cows.

两种形貌纳米Fe2O3对TKX-50热分解的催化性能研究

作为固体推进剂的重要组分,单质炸药有助于提升固体推进剂能量特性,且其热分解性能显著影响推进剂的燃烧特性。1,1’-二羟基-5,5’-联四唑二羟胺盐(TKX-50)兼具高能和低感度(摩擦和冲击感度)的特性,在固体推进剂领域中具有较好的应用前景。纳米催化剂的添加可显著调节单质含能材料的热分解性能,进而影响推进剂的燃烧性能。而目前纳米级催化剂较少被用于TKX-50热分解的研究中,且未涉及催化剂形貌影响TKX-50热分解性能的相关研究。基于Fe2O3对TKX-50热分解较好的催化性能,通过溶剂热法合成了两种形貌(球形和管状)的纳米Fe2O3颗粒,并通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)等对其形貌、组成和结构进行表征。XRD、FTIR和XPS证实了Fe2O3的成功制备,SEM和TEM图显示球形Fe2O3样品由110 nm的Fe2O3颗粒团聚而成;管状Fe2O3表现出中空结构,平均直径为120 nm,长为200 nm。采用热重分析(TG)和差示扫描量热分析(DSC)研究了管状和球形Fe2O3对TKX-50热分解的催化性能,并通过等转化率法计算了热分解活化能。结果表明,两种形貌的Fe2O3均可有效促进TKX-50热分解,而管状Fe2O3的催化效果更佳,可显著降低TKX-50的分解峰温和活化能。管状Fe2O3更好的催化性能来自于其中空结构可提供更多的催化活性位点,有助于TKX-50的热分解。

Branched chain amino acids alter fatty acid profile in colostrum of sows fed a high fat diet

Background:Branched chain amino acids(BCAAs)are important substrates for milk protein synthesis in the mammary gland,and are tightly related to lipid metabolism.No study has been performed examining the role of BCAAs with high fat diets on milk fat synthesis.This study was designed to investigate the effect of dietary BCAAs on growth performance of piglets,progeny body weight,and milk fat composition in sows fed a high fat diet.Four diets(CON=control diet;HF=high fat diet with 8%soybean oil;HF-MB=HF plus 0.39%BCAAs;HF-HB=HF plus 0.78%BCAAs)were fed to sows from late gestation to weaning.Results:Compared to HF,BCAAs(HF-MB and HF-HB)increased the litter weight(P<0.05)and overall litter weight gain(P<0.05)at weaning and increased colostrum fat content by 27.3–35.8%(P<0.01).Fatty acid profiles between the two doses of BCAAs were similar.Compared with HF,HF-MB tended to decrease the percentage of C18:3n3(P=0.063)and increased the percentage of C18:1n9c(P=0.03).In addition,BCAAs in HF-MB increased the concentration of total fatty acid by 22.1%in colostrum(P=0.03)but decreased that in serum at parturition by 53.2%(P=0.027).The fatty acids in colostrum that increased with BCAAs were C15:0,C17:0,C20:3n6,C20:4n6,C20:5n3 and C22:6n3(P=0.00~0.04).Colostrum fatty acids of C20:0,C21:0,C22:0,C16:1,C20:1,C18:1n9c also tended to be increased(0.05<P<0.1)with BCAAs.The change in sow serum fatty acid profile due to BCAAs was different from that in colostrum.Conclusions:BCAAs in high fat diet of sows altered the fatty acid composition in colostrum and enhanced litter growth.Our study indicated that BCAAs supplementation can enhance mammary fatty acid uptake and mammary fat synthesis and that supplemental BCAAs and fat in late gestation and lactation diets for sows can improve reproductive performance.

Functional characterization of oligopeptide transporter 1 of dairy cows

Background: It is wel known that peptides play a vital role in the nutrition and health of dairy cows. Bovine oligopeptide transporter 1(bP epT 1) is involved in the peptide transport process in the gastrointestinal tracts of dairy cows. However,little information is known in the characteristics of bP epT 1. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize bP epT 1 functional y using a mammalian cel expression system. The uptake of radiolabeled dipeptide glycyl-sarcosine([3 H]-Gly-Sar)into the bP epT 1-transfected Chinese hamster ovary cel s was measured at various pH and substrate concentrations and with or without 15 other smal peptides that contained Met or Lys.Results: Western blot results showed that the abundance of bP epT 1 protein in the jejunum and ileum are the highest in the gastrointestinal tract of dairy cows. The uptake of [3 H]-Gly-Sar by b Pep T1-Chinese hamster ovary cells was dependent on time, p H, and substrate concentration, with a low Kmvalue of 0.94 ± 0.06 mmol/L and a maximum velocity of 20.80 ± 1.74 nmol/(mg protein · 5 min). Most of the di-and tripeptides were the substrates of b Pep T1,based on substrate-competitive studies. However, bP epT 1 has a higher affinity to the peptides with shorter chains, greater hydrophobicity, and negative or neutral charges.Conclusions: These results demonstrated for the first time the functional characteristics of bP epT 1, and they provide a new insight and better understanding into its vital role in absorbing a wide range of peptides from the digestive tract of dairy cows.

Superior surface electron energy level endows WP_(2) nanowire arrays with N_(2) fixation functions

Nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)under ambient conditions is always a long-standing challenge in science,due to the extreme difficulty in breaking the strong N≡N triple bond.The key to resolving this issue undoubtedly lies in searching superior catalysts to efficiently activate and hydrogenate the stable nitrogen molecules.We herein evaluate the feasibility of WP_(2) for N2 activation and reduction,and first demonstrate WP_(2) with an impressive ammonia yield rate of 7.13 lg h^(-1)cm^(-2),representing a promising W-based catalyst for NRR.DFT analysis further reveals that the NRR catalysis on WP_(2) proceeds in a distal reaction pathway,and the exceptional NRR activity is originated from superior surface electron energy level matching between WP_(2) and NRR potential which facilitates the interfacial proton-coupled electron transfer dynamics.The successfully unraveling the intrinsic catalytic mechanism of WP_(2) for NRR could offer a powerful platform to manipulate the NRR activity by tuning the electron energy levels.

Study on Thermodynamics and Kinetics for the Reaction of Magnesium Diboride and Water by Microcalorimetry

An exothermic reaction between MgB2 and water was observed in our laboratory at high temperature, although no obvious reaction occurred at room temperature. The reaction process of MgB2 and water was therefore studied by using microcalorimetry. The results showed that the reaction enthalpies of MgB2 with water and the formation enthalpies of MgB2 at T = (323.15, 328.15, 333.15 and 338.15) K are (–313.15, –317.85, –322.09, –329.27) kJ?mol–1, and (–238.96, –237.73, –236.50, –234.30) kJ●mol–1, respectively. The standard enthalpy of formation and standard molar heat capacity of MgB2 obtained by extrapolation method are –245.11 kJ●mol–1 and 246 J●mol–1●K–1, respectively. The values of activation energy E, pre-exponential factor A and the reaction order for the reaction of MgB2 and water over the temperature range from 323.15 K to 338.15 K are 50.80 kJ●mol–1, 104.78 s–1 and about 1.346, respectively. The positive values of ΔG≠ and ΔH≠ and negative value of ΔS≠ indicate that the reaction can take place easily above 314.45 K.

Thermal studies of novel molecular perovskite energetic material(C_(6)H_(14)N_(2))[NH_(4)(ClO_(4))_(3)]

(C6H(14)N2)[NH4(ClO4)3] is a newly developed porous hybrid inorganic-organic framework material with easy access and excellent detonation performances,however,its thermal properties is still unclear and severely hampered further applications.In this study,thermal behaviors and non-isothermal decomposition reaction kinetics of(C6H(14)N2)[NH4(ClO4)3] were investigated systematically by the combination of differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and simultaneous thermal analysis methods.In-situ FTIR spectroscopy technology was applied for investigation of the structure changes of(C6H(14)N2) NH4(ClO4)3]and some selected referents for better understanding of interactions between different components during the heating process.Experiment results indicated that the novel molecular perovskite structure renders(C6H(14)N2)[NH4(ClO4)3] better thermal stability than most of currently used energetic materials.Underhigh temperature s,the stability of the cage skeleton constructed by NH4^+and ClO4^-ions determined the decomposition process rather than organic moiety confined in the skeleton.The simple synthetic method,good detonation performances and excellent thermal properties make(C6H(14)N2)[NH4(ClO4)3] an ideal candidate for the preparation of advanced explosives and propellants.

Supplementing N-carbamoylglutamate in late gestation increases newborn calf weight by enhanced placental expression of mTOR and angiogenesis factor genes in dairy cows

The objective of this study was to investigate whether supplementation with N-carbamoylglutamate(NCG)to cows during late gestation alters uteroplacental tissue nutrient transporters,calf metabolism and newborn weight.Thirty multiparous Chinese Holstein cows were used in a randomized complete block design experiment.During the last 28 d of pregnancy,cows were fed a diet without(CON)or with NCG(20 g/d per cow).The body weight of calves was weighed immediately after birth.Placentome samples were collected at parturition and used to assess mRNA expression of genes involved in transport of arginine,glucose,fatty acid and angiogenesis factors,as well as the mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)pathway.Blood samples of calves before colostrum consumption were also collected for the detection of plasma parameters,amino acids(AA)and metabolomics analysis.The newborn weight(P=0.02)and plasma Arg concentration of NCG-calves was significantly higher(P=0.05)than that of CON-calves,and the plasma concentrations of urea nitrogen tended to be lower(P=0.10)in the NCG group.The mRNA abundance of genes involved in glucose transport(solute carrier family 2 member 3[SLC2 A3],P<0.01),angiogenesis(nitric oxide synthase 3[NOS3],P=0.02),and mTOR pathway(serine/threonine-protein kinase 1[ACT1],P=0.10;euka ryotic translation initiation factor 4 B pseudogene 1[EIF4 BP1],P=0.08;EIF4 EBP2,P=0.04;and E74-like factor 2[ELF2],P=0.03)was upregulated in the placentome of NCG-supplemented cows.In addition,17 metabolites were significantly different in the placentome of NCG-supplemented cows compared to non-supplemented cows,and these metabolites are mainly involved in arginine and proline metabolism,alanine,aspartate and glutamate metabolism,and citrate cycle.In summary,the increased body weight of newborn calves from the NCG supplemented dairy cows maybe attributed to the increased angiogenesis and uteroplacental nutrient transport and to the activated mTOR signal pathway,which may result in the increased nutrient supply to the fetus,and improved AA metabolism and urea cycle of the fetus.

The ubiquitin ligase Nedd4-2 mediates the regulation of PepT2 by mTORC1 in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Peptide transporter 2(PepT2)transports short peptides from the blood into bovine mammary epithelial cells(BMEC)to stimulate milk protein synthesis.Despite the fact that the effect of PepT2 is acknowledged in BMEC,little is known about its regulation.This study was completed to investigate the role of mammalian target of the rapamycin(mTOR)signaling in regulating the expression and function of PepT2 in BMEC.The regulation of PepT2 by mTOR in BMEC was studied in vitro using peptide transport assay,gene silencing,Western blot.The membrane expression of PepT2 and the uptake of b-Ala-Lys-N-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin-3-acetic acid(b-Ala-Lys-AMCA),a model dipeptide,in BMEC were reduced by rapamycin(a mTOR inhibitor)and silencing of either mTOR complex 1(mTORC1)or mTOR complex 2(mTORC2),stimulated by DEP domain-containing mTOR-interacting protein(DEPTOR,endogenous inhibitor of mTORC1 and mTORC2)silencing.The trafficking of PepT2 to the membrane and the uptake of b-Ala-Lys-AMCA was promoted by neuronal precursor cell-expressed developmentally down-regulated 4 isoform 2(Nedd4-2)silencing.The effects of knockdown of mTORC1,but not mTORC2,on cell membrane expression and transport activity of PepT2 was abolished by Nedd4-2 silencing.With immunofluorescence staining,PepT2 was identified to be interacting with Nedd4-2.The Nedd4-2 expression and the interaction between PepT2 and Nedd4-2 was increased through mTORC1 knockdown,indicating an increased ubiquitination of PepT2.The results revealed that mTORC1 can regulate the expression and function of PepT2 through Nedd4-2 in BMEC.