Design and Cryogenic Performance of a Hexapod Platform for a Large Ground-based Wide Field Survey Telescope

The thermal gradient is an important factor that causes degradation to the image quality of telescopes. In order to ensure the accurate alignment of the primary focus unit and the primary mirror, the hexapod platform(as a corrector) is investigated in this paper. First, a ground-based telescope with 2.5 m aperture and 3.5 deg field of view is described. The telescope is under construction, and it is expected to be finished in 2023. Second, the hexapod platform with flexure hinges utilized to adjust the primary focus unit is proposed, which is applied as a corrector.Then, the inverse kinematics of the platform is established and an open-loop control system is built based on it.Finally, the cryogenic performance test for the hexapod platform is performed. The experimental results show that the resolution and repeatability of the translation for the hexapod platform can be achieved at the micrometer level.The resolution and repeatability of the rotation can be achieved at the arc-second level. Therefore, the cryogenic performance of the hexapod platform can meet the optical imaging requirements of the wide-field ground-based telescope. The kinematic analysis and cryogenic performance tests in the paper provide a technical reference for the precise alignment of the primary focus unit and the primary mirror, which can improve the imaging quality of the telescope.

Comparative study of different membranes as separators for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

Membranes of polypropylene （PP）, PP coated with nano-A1203, PP electrospun with polyvinylidene fluoride- hexafluoropropylene （PVdF-HFP）, and trilayer laminates of polypropylene-polyethylene-polypropylene （PP/PE/PP） were comparatively studied. Their physical properties were characterized by means of thermal shrinkage test, liquid electrolyte uptake, and field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM）. Results show that, for the different membranes as PP, PP coated with nanowA1203, PP electrospun with PVdF-HFP, and PP/PE/PP, the thermal shrinkages are 14%, 6%, 12.6%, and 13.3%, while the liquid electrolyte uptakes are 110%, 150%, 217%, and 129%, respectively. In addition, the effects on the performance of lithium-ion batteries （LiFePO4 and LiNil/3Col/3Mn1/302 as the cathode material） were investigated by AC impedance and galvanostatic charge/discharge test. It is found that PP coated with A1203 and PP electrospun with PVdF-HFP can effectively increase the wettability between the cathode material and liquid electrolyte, and therefore reduce the charge transfer resistance, which improves the capacity retention and battery performance.

Reinforcing effect of graphene on the mechanical properties of Al2O3/TiC ceramics

Multilayer graphene(MLG)-reinforced Al_2O_3/TiC ceramics were fabricated through hot pressing sintering, and the reinforcing effect of MLG on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites was investigated by experiment and simulation. The simulation of dynamic crack initiation and propagation was investigated based on the cohesive zone method. The results show that the composite added with 0.2 wt% MLG has excellent flexural strength and high fracture toughness. The major reinforcing mechanisms are the synergistic effect by strong and weak bonding interfaces, MLG pull-out, and grain refinement resulting from the addition of MLG. In addition, the aggravating of crack deflection, branching, blunting, and bridging have indispensable contribution to the improvement of the as-designed materials.

Novelty phase synthesis mechanism and morphology in resin-bonded Al–Al2O3–TiO2 composites at high temperatures under flowing N2

An Al–AlN core–shell structure is beneficial to the performance of Al–Al2O3 composites. In this paper, the phase evolution and microstructure of Al–Al2O3–TiO2 composites at high temperatures in flowing N2 were investigated after the Al–AlN core–shell structure was created at 853 K for 8 h. The results show that TiO2 can convert Al into Al3Ti(~1685 K), which reduces the content of metal Al and rearranges the structure of the composite. Under N2 conditions, Al3Ti is further transformed into a novelty non-oxide phase, TiCN. The transformation process can be expressed as follows: Al3Ti reacts with C and other carbides(Al4C3 and Al4O4C) to form TiCx(x < 1). As the firing temperature increases, Al3Ti transforms into a liquid phase and produces Ti(g) and TiO(g). Finally, Ti(g) and TiO(g) are nitrided and solid-dissolved into the TiCx crystals to form a TiCN solid solution.

Preparation of Al2O3–SiO2 composite aerogels and their Cu2+absorption properties

In order to remediate heavy metal ions from waste water,Al2O3–SiO2 composite aerogels are prepared via a sol–gel and an organic solvent sublimation drying method.Various characterisation techniques have been employed including X-ray diffraction(XRD),Fourier transform infrared spectrometry(FTIR),scanning electron microscope(SEM),Energy-dispersion X-ray spectroscopy(EDX),Brunauer–Emmett–Teller(BET)N2 adsoprtion isotherm,and atomic absorption spectrometer(AAS).XRD and FTIR suggest that the aerogels are composed of mainly Al2O3 and minor SiO2.They have a high specific surface area(827.544 m^2/g)and high porosity(86.0%)with a pore diameter of~20 nm.Their microstructures show that the distribution of Al,Si,and O is homogeneous.The aerogels can remove~99%Cu^2+within~40 min and then reach the equilibrium uptake(~69 mg/g).Preliminary calculations show that the Cu2+uptake by the aerogels follows pseudo second-order kinetics where chemical sorption may take effect owing largely to the high surface area,high porosity,and abundant functional groups,such as Al–OH and Si–OH,in the aerogel network.The prepared aerogels may serve as efficient absorbents for Cu^2+removal.

A new synthetic route to MgO–MgAl2O4–ZrO2 highly dispersed composite material through formation of Mg5Al2.4Zr1.7O12 metastable phase: synthesis and physical properties

Mg_5Al_(2.4)Zr_(1.7)O_(12) metastable phase was successfully synthesized from analytical-grade Mg O,α-Al_2O_3,MgAl_2O_4,and ZrO_2 under an N_2 atmosphere.The sintering temperature was varied from 1650 to 1780°C,and the highest amount of Mg_5Al_(2.4)Zr_(1.7)O_(12) appeared in the composite material when the sintering temperature was 1760°C.According to our research of the formation mechanism of Mg_5Al_(2.4)Zr_(1.7)O_(12),the formation and growth of MgAl_2O_4 dominated when the temperature was not higher than 1650°C.When the temperature was higher than 1650°C,MgO and ZrO_2 tended to diffuse into MgAl_2O_4 and the Mg_5Al_(2.4)Zr_(1.7)O_(12) solid solution was formed.When the temperature reached 1760°C,the formation of Mg_5Al_(2.4)Zr_(1.7)O_(12) was completed.The effect of Mg Al_2O_4 spinel crystals was also studied,and their introduction into the composite material promoted the formation and growth of Mg_5Al_(2.4)Zr_(1.7)O_(12).A highly dispersed MgO–Mg Al_2O_4–ZrO_2 composite material was prepared through the decomposition of the Mg_5Al_(2.4)Zr_(1.7)O_(12) metastable phase.The as-prepared composite material showed improved overall physical properties because of the good dispersion of MgO,MgAl_2O_4,and ZrO_2 phases.

Reaction behavior of trace oxygen during combustion of falling FeSi75 powder in a nitrogen flow

To explore the reaction behavior of trace oxygen during the flash combustion process of falling FeSi75 powder in a nitrogen flow, a flash-combustion-synthesized Fe-Si;N;sample was heat-treated to remove SiO;. The samples before and after the treatment were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, and the formation mechanism of SiO;was investigated. The results show that SiO;in the Fe-Si;N;is mainly located on the surface or around the Si;N;particles in dense areas, existing in both crystalline and amorphous states; when the FeSi75 particles, which are less than 0.074 mm in size, fell in up-flowing hot N;stream, trace oxygen in the N;stream did not significantly hinder the nitridation of FeSi75 particles as it was consumed by the surface oxidation of the generated Si;N;particles to form SiO;. At the reaction zone, the oxidation of Si;N;particles decreased the oxygen partial pressure in the N;stream and greatly reduced the opportunity for FeSi75 particles to be oxidized into SiO;; by virtue of the SiO;film developed on the surface, the Si;N;particles adhered to each other and formed dense areas in the material.

Simple point contact WO_3 sensor for NO_2 sensing and relevant impedance analysis

A simple and new point contact tungsten trioxide （WO3） sensor, which can be prepared by the oxidation of tungsten filaments via in-situ induction heating, likely detects low concentration （ppm level） environmental pollutants such as NO2. X-ray diffraction （XRD） and field emission scanning electron microscopy （FE-SEM） were applied to characterize the phase and the microstructure of the samples, respec-tively. It was found that the synthesized WO3 films exhibited a monoclinic phase and were composed of hierarchical microcrystals and nanocrystals. The point contact WO3 sensor （W-WO3-W） showed rectifying characteristics and an ideal sensing performance of about 110 C. A single semicircle in Nyquist plots was recorded by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） at a relatively low temperature of 150 C but faded away above 200 C, which revealed that the sensing process was governed by a determining factor, i.e., grain boundaries at the contact site.

Fabrication of double-walled carbon nanotube film/TiO_2 nanotube array heterojunctions with length-dependent photoresponse for broad band photodetectors

A novel photodetector based on double-walled carbon nanotube （DWCNT） film/TiO2 nanotube array （TNA） heterojunctions was fabricated, which exhibited high photoresponse in a broad spectral range. The photoresponse of the detector was dramatically dependent on the length of the TNAs. High photocurrent-to-dark current ratio with a value of 3360 was observed in the visible range by optimizing the lengths of the TNAs. The photosensitive regions could be extended into the near-infrared range. These results reveal that DWCNT film/TNA heterojunctions show potential applications for broad band photodetectors.

Shear-thickening behavior of Fe-ZSM5 zeolite slurry and its removal with alumina/boehmites

A cryogenic scanning electron microscopy（cryo-SEM） technique was used to explore the shear-thickening behavior of Fe-ZSM5 zeolite pastes and to discover its underlying mechanism. Bare Fe-ZSM5 zeolite samples were found to contain agglomerations, which may break the flow of the pastes and cause shear-thickening behaviors. However, the shear-thickening behaviors can be eliminated by the addition of halloysite and various boehmites because of improved particle packing. Furthermore, compared with pure Fe-ZSM5 zeolite samples and its composite samples with halloysite, the samples with boehmite（Pural SB or Disperal） additions exhibited network structures in their cryo-SEM images; these structures could facilitate the storage and release of flow water, smooth paste flow, and avoid shear-thickening. By contrast, another boehmite（Versal 250） formed agglomerations rather than network structures after being added to the Fe-ZSM5 zeolite paste and resulted in shear-thickening behavior. Consequently, the results suggest that these network structures play key roles in eliminating the shear-thickening behavior.

Morphology of α-Si_3N_4 in Fe–Si_3N_4 prepared via flash combustion

The state and formation mechanism of α-Si3N4 in Fe-Si3N4 prepared by flash combustion were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that α-SiaN4 crystals exist only in the Fe-Si3N4 dense areas. When FeSi75 particles react with N2, which generates substantial heat, a large number of Si solid particles evaporate. The product between Si gas and N2 is a mixture of α-Si3N4 and β-Si3N4. At the later stage of the flash combustion process, α-Si3N4 crystals dissolve and reprecipitate as α-Si3N4 and the β-Si3N4 crystals grow outward from the dense areas in the product pool. As the temperature decreases, the α-SiaN4 crystals cool before transforming into β-SiaN4 crystals in the dense areas of Fe-Si3N4. The phase composition of flash-combustion-synthesized Fe-SiaN4 is controllable through manipulation of the gas-phase reaction in the early stage and the α→β transformation in the later stage.

Ferroelectric Ba_(0.75)Sr_(0.25)TiO_(3) tunable charge transfer in perovskite devices

Interfacial charge recombination is a main issue causing the efficiency loss of the perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Here,ferroelectric Ba_(0.75)Sr_(0.25)TiO_(3)(BST)is introduced as a polarization tunable layer to promote the interfacial charge transfer of the PSCs.The coexistence of ferroelectric polarization and charge carriers in BST is confirmed by density functional theory(DFT)calculations.Experimental characterization demonstrates the polarization reversal and the existence of domain in BST film.The BST film conductivity is tested as 2.98×10^(-4)S/cm,which is comparable to the TiO;being used as the electron transporting layer(ETL)in PSCs.The calculations results prove that BST can be introduced into the PSCs and the interfacial charge transfer can be tuned by ferroelectric polarization.Thus,we fabricated the BST-based PSCs with a champion power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 19.05%after poling.

Effects of metal binder on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3-based micro-nanocomposite ceramic tool material

The Al_2O_3-（W,Ti）C composites with Ni and Mo additions varying from 0vol% to 12vol% were prepared via hot pressing sintering under 30 MPa. The microstructure was investigated via X-ray diffraction（XRD） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM） equipped with energy dispersive spectrometry（EDS）. Mechanical properties such as flexural strength, fracture toughness, and Vickers hardness were also measured. Results show that the main phases A12O3 and（W,Ti）C were detected by XRD. Compound Mo Ni also existed in sintered nanocomposites. The fracture modes of the nanocomposites were both intergranular and transgranular fractures. The plastic deformation of metal particles and crack bridging were the main toughening mechanisms. The maximum flexural strength and fracture toughness were obtained for 9vol% and 12vol% additions of Ni and Mo, respectively. The hardness of the composites reduced gradually with increasing content of metals Ni and Mo.

One step sintering of homogenized bauxite raw material and kinetic study

A one-step sintering process of bauxite raw material from direct mining was completed, and the kinetics of this process was analyzed thoroughly. The results show that the sintering kinetics of bauxite raw material exhibits the liquid-phase sintering behavior. A small portion of impurities existed in the raw material act as a liquid phase. After X-ray diffraction analyses, scanning electron microscopy observations, and kinetics calculations, sintering temperature and heating duration were determined as the two major factors contributing to the sintering process and densification of bauxite ore. An elevated heating temperature and longer duration favor the densification process. The major obstacle for the densification of bauxite material is attributed to the formation of the enclosed blowhole during liquid-phase sintering.

Acatulides A-G,neuroprotective macrolides from Acaulium album H-JQSF

Fungal symbionts co-evolve with hosts and microbial co-inhabitants to acquire an unpredictable potential for producing novel bioactive metabolites,but the knowledge about the topic remains patchy and superficial.Here we present the chemical characterization of acatulides A-G(1-7)as architecturally unprecedented macrolides from the solid-state culture of Acaulium album H-JQSF,an arthropod-associated fungus.The acatulide structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis,modified Mosher's method and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.The plausible biosynthetic pathways for compounds 1-4 are proposed.Interestingly,acatulides B-D(2-4)and G(7)were demonstrated to be neuroprotective against the 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium(MPP+)-induced damage to SH-SY5Y cells and nematode Caenorhabditis elegans(C.elegans).

Novel Photodetectors Based on Double-Walled Carbon Nanotube Film/TiO2 Nanotube Array Heterodimensional Contacts

基于双 walled 碳 nanotube (DWCNT ) ，电影和 TiO2 nanotube 与 hetrodimensional 穿的光电探测器的一种新类型非欧姆的接触被制作了。由于维数差别效果， DWCNT film/TiO2 nanotube 数组光电探测器相对一台 Au film/TiO2 nanotube 数组设备展出高得多的 photocurrent-to-dark 电流比率和 photoresponse，甚至在小偏爱电压。photocurrent-to-dark 电流比率到达了四个数量级， 2467 A/W 的高 photoresponse 在 340 nm 在照耀之上被发现。而且，感光性的区域能被扩大到可见范围。photocurrent-to-dark 电流比率在 532 nm 在照耀之上到达了约三个数量级，在光子精力比 TiO2 的乐队差距低得多的地方。