Tuning the crystallinity of titanium nitride on copper-embedded carbon nanofiber interlayers for accelerated electrochemical kinetics in lithium-sulfur batteries

The development of lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries is hindered by the disadvantages of shuttling of polysulfides and the sluggish redox kinetics of the conversion of sulfur species during discharge and charge.Herein,the crystallinities of a titanium nitride(TiN)film on copper-embedded carbon nanofibers(Cu-CNFs)are regulated and the nanofibers are used as interlayers to resolve the aforementioned crucial issues.A low-crystalline TiN-coated Cu-CNF(L-TiN-Cu-CNF)interlayer is compared with its highly crystalline counterpart(H-TiN-Cu-CNFs).It is demonstrated that the L-TiN coating not only strengthens the chemical adsorption toward polysulfides but also greatly accelerates the electrochemical conversion of polysulfides.Due to robust carbon frameworks and enhanced kinetics,impressive highrate performance at 2 C(913 mAh g^(-1)based on sulfur)as well as remarkable cyclic stability up to 300 cycles(626 mAh g^(-1))with capacity retention of 46.5%is realized for L-TiN-Cu-CNF interlayer-configured Li-S batteries.Even under high loading(3.8 mg cm^(-2))of sulfur and relatively lean electrolyte(10μL electrolyte per milligram sulfur)conditions,the Li-S battery equipped with L-TiN-Cu-CNF interlayers delivers a high capacity of 1144 mAh g^(-1)with cathodic capacity of 4.25 mAh cm^(-2)at 0.1 C,providing a potential pathway toward the design of multifunctional interlayers for highly efficient Li-S batteries.

Shock-induced energy localization and reaction growth considering chemical-inclusions effects for crystalline explosives

Chemical inclusions significantly alter shock responses of crystalline explosives in macroscale gap experiments but their microscale dynamics origin remains unclear.Herein shock-induced energy localization,overall physical responses,and reactions in a-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane(a-RDX)crystal entrained various chemical inclusions were investigated by the multi-scale shock technique implemented in the reactive molecular dynamics method.Results indicated that energy localization and shock reaction were affected by the intrinsic factors within chemical inclusions,i.e.,phase states,chemical compositions,and concentrations.The atomic origin of chemical-inclusions effects on energy localization is dependent on the dynamics mechanism of interfacial molecules with free space volume,which includes homogeneous intermolecular compression,interfacial impact and shear,and void collapse and jet.As introducing various chemical inclusions,the initiation of those dynamics mechanisms triggers diverse decay rates of bulk RDX molecules and hereby impacts on growth speeds of final reactions.Adding chemical inclusions can reduce the effectiveness of the void during the shock impacting.Under the shockwave velocity of 9 km/s,the parent RDX decay rate in RDX entrained amorphous carbon decreases the most and is about one fourth of that in RDX with a vacuum void,and solid HMX and TATB inclusions are more reactive than amorphous carbon but less reactive than dry air or acetone inclusions.The lessdense shocking system denotes the greater increases in local temperature and stress,the faster energy liberation,and the earlier final reaction into equilibrium,revealing more pronounced responses to the present intense shockwave.The quantitative models associated with the relative system density(RD_(sys))were proposed for indicating energy-localization mechanisms and evaluating initiation safety in the shocked crystalline explosive.RD_(sys)is defined by the density ratio of defective RDX to perfect crystal after dynamics relaxation and reveals the global density characteristic in shocked systems filled with chemical inclusions.When RD_(sys)is below 0.9,local hydrodynamic jet initiated by void collapse dominates upon energy localization instead of interfacial impact.This study sheds light on novel insights for understanding the shock chemistry and physical-based atomic origin in crystalline explosives considering chemical-inclusions effects.

Synthesis of steel slag ceramics: chemical composition and crystalline phases of raw materials

Two types of porcelain tiles with steel slag as the main raw material （steel slag ceramics） were synthesized based on the CaO-A1203-SiO2 and CaO--MgO-SiO2 systems, and their bending strengths up to 53.47 MPa and 99.84 MPa, respectively, were obtained. The presence of anorthite, a-quartz, magnetite, and pyroxene crystals （augite and diopside） in the steel slag ceramics were very different from the composition of traditional ceramics. X-ray diffraction （XRD） and electron probe X-ray microanalysis （EPMA） results illustrated that the addition of steel slag reduced the temperature of extensive liquid generation and further decreased the firing temperature. The considerable contents of glass-modifying oxide liquids with rather low viscosities at high temperature in the steel slag ceramic adobes promoted element diffusion and crystallization. The results of this study demonstrated a new approach for extensive and effective recycling of steel slag.

Publisher's note to“Texture engineering of mono-crystalline silicon via alcohol-free alkali solution for efficient PERC solar cells”[J.Energy Chem.71(2022)104-107

The publisher regrets that the page range of this paper was incorrect due to production error,and we added al-a5 after page 107 to the pdf version to correct this mistake.

The high deposition of microcrystalline silicon thin film by very high frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition and the fabrication of solar cells

This paper reports that the intrinsic microcrystalline silicon （μc-Si：H） films are prepared with plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition from silane/hydrogen mixtures at 200℃ with the aim to increase the deposition rate. An increase of the deposition rate to 0.88 nm/s is obtained by using a plasma excitation frequency of 75 MHz. This increase is obtained by the combination of a higher deposition pressure, an increased silane concentration, and higher discharge powers. In addition, the transient behaviour, which can decrease the film crystallinity, could be prevented by filling the background gas with H2 prior to plasma ignition, and selecting proper discharging time after silane flow injection. Material prepared under these conditions at a deposition rate of 0.78nm/s maintains higher crystallinity and fine electronic properties. By H-plasma treatment before i-layer deposition, single junction μc-Si：H solar cells with 5.5% efficiency are fabricated.

Effect of Substrate Temperature on the Structural,Electrical and Optical Properties of Nanocrystalline Silicon Films in Hot-Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition

Hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon fi1ms are deposited onto glass substrates at different substrate temperatures(140-400℃)by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition.The effect of substrate temperature on the structural properties are investigated.With an increasing substrate temperature,the Raman crystalline volume fraction increases,but decreases with a further increase.The maximum Raman crystalline volume fraction of the nanocrystalline silicon 61ms is about 74%and also has the highest microstructural factor(R=0.89)at a substrate temperature of 250℃.The deposition rate exhibits a contrary tendency to that of the crystalline volume fraction.The continuous transition of the fi1m structures from columnar to agglomerated is observed at a substrate temperature of 300℃.The optical band gaps of the grown thin 61ms declines(from 1.89 to 1.53 eV)and dark electrical conductivity increases(from about 10-10 to about 10-6 S/cm)with the increasing substrate temperature.

Changes of Chemical Composition and Crystalline of Compressed Chinese Fir Wood in Heating Fixation

The changes in relative crystalline, chemical composition and internal structure of compressed Chinese fir wood after different heating fixations were found strictly related to fixation conditions. The compressed wood powders were fixed either by heating at different temperatures all resulting in a 10% recovery, or by incubating at 180 °C for different periods with subsequent recovery levels. Both X-ray diffraction and infrared absorption of those samples have been measured. Relative crystalline increases at early stage of heating fixation, and then decreased gradually. Hemicellulose and lignin decomposition were induced by the fixation process, especially at 180 °C, and lignin was degraded actively. Furthermore, absorbed water was lost after heating, but cellulose did not change markedly. Although different fixation pathways can result in the same recovery level, the major chemical reactions un- derlying them vary, which is consistent with the difference of fixation mechanisms.

Synthesis of Nano-Crystalline Diamond Film in Hot Filament Chemical Vapour Deposition by Adding Ar

Nano-crystalline diamond films are successfully deposited on silicon substrates via the hot filament chemical vapour deposition process using a CH_(4)/H_(2)/Ar gas mixture.The as-grown films are analysed by using field emission scanning electron microscopy,micro-Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction.These results show that the films consist of nano-diamond grains with sizes ranging from 10 to 100 nm,and argon is an important element in the formation of nano-crystalline diamonds.

Clinical significance of serum biochemistry changes in mice with targeted disruption of βB2-crystallin gene

AIM: To explore the pathogenesis, influencing factors, ways of medical intervention and evaluation indicators of cataract by observing changes in serum biochemical indices in mice with targeted disruption of βB2-crystallin. · METHODS: Nine 6-week-old male mice with targeted knockout of βB2-crystallin were used as the study group, and nine age- and sex-matched normal wild-type mice as the control group. The genetype of the modeled mice was identified by PCR technique. Tropicamide and phenylephrine eye drops were used as the cycloplegic agents to observe changes in lens opacity with a slit-lamp. The lens was then removed and blood was collected for biochemical evaluation in the serum. · RESULTS: Two genotypes were successfully identified by PCR technique. Slit-lamp observation showed that the lens cortex was opaque and GSH level in the lens cortex was remarkably decreased in mice with βB2-crystallin deficiency compared with the control group (P <0.01). Serum Na+, Cl-, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Fe2+ levels, ALT and AST activities, and TP, ALP, Cr, TC, GLU content were decreased significantly compared with the control group (P <0.05). There was no difference in LDH, P, Cu2+, K+ levels between the two groups (P >0.05). · CONCLUSION: Compared with the wild-type mice, serum biochemical indices underwent significant changes in mice with targeted disruption of βB2-crystallin gene, especially with abnormal distribution of Na+&Ca2+, which induced the formation of cataract.

Effect of Crystallinity on Electrochemical Insertion/Extraction of Li in Transition Metal Oxides Part I: LiMn_2O_4 and LiCo_(0.5)Ni_(0.5)O_2

Electrochemical insertion/extraction of Li on cathode materials of spinel type LiMn2O4 and ordered rock-salt type LiCo0.5 Ni0.5O2 was measured on samples of which structures were well characterized. On the basis of experimental results on structure, morphology and charge-discharge characteristics, the effect of crystallinity of the cathode materiaIs on electrochemical Li insertion/extraction performance was discussed. These two transition metal oxides belong to onegroup that the crystallinity of these oxides affects to the performance.

利用同化资料改进WRF-Chem对华北地区秋季PM_(2.5)预报的研究

气溶胶初始场同化能够提高WRF-Chem气象-气溶胶耦合预报的准确度。为了讨论气溶胶同化在不同时刻对耦合模式预报的影响,针对2015年10月一次重度霾污染过程,进行了一天4个不同时刻的气象-气溶胶联合同化及短时预报试验研究。结果表明,在同化气象资料的基础上同化气溶胶观测资料能够改善不确定性较大的排放源清单带来的模拟高估问题,减小初始场PM_(2.5)的正偏差;随着初始场PM_(2.5)浓度的下降,气溶胶导致的地面辐射的下降减弱,使得日间时刻6 h预报场的向下短波辐射量增加;日间近地面温度和湿度对辐射量变化的响应(增温减湿)呈现为在空间大面积上的重合和时间上的同步,这种响应在循环滚动预报的影响下即使在夜间也得到了延续;近地面增温减湿的结构有助于边界层向上发展,从而促进气溶胶的向上传输,最终进一步减弱预报场对地表PM_(2.5)的高估。因此,气溶胶同化带来的初始场PM_(2.5)信息的改善,使得6 h耦合预报的结果更加准确。

Effect of Crystallinity on Electrochemical Insertion/Extraction of Li in Transition Metal Oxides Part Ⅱ: TiO_2, V_2O_5 and MoO_3

Electrochemical insertion/extraction of Li on cathode materials of anatase type TiO_2, quasilayered structure V_2O_5 and layered structure MoO_3 was measured on samples of which structures were well characterized and showed a wide range of crystallinity. On the basis of experimental results on structure, morphology and charge-discharge characteristics, the effect of crystallinity of the cathode materials on electrochemical Li insertion/extraction pedermance was discussed. These three transition metal oxides were classified as one group on the basis of whether the crystallinity of these oxides affects to the performance or not; LiMn_2O_4 and LiCo_(0.5)O_2 belongs to the former group and TiO_2, V_2O_5 and MoO_3 to the latter.

Crystalline Electric Field Scheme of CeRh_2 Ga

The crystalline electric field (CEF) scheme of rare earth compound CeRh_2Ga was obtained by means of fitting the temperature dependence of inverse magnetic susceptibility. The CEF analysis shows that this compound has a doublet ground state. The first and second excited CEF doublet levels are estimated to be about 56 and 937 K, respectively. The calculated results are in good agreement with experimental data.

Studies on Human Fetal Lens Crystallins Under Oxidative Stress and Protective Effects of Tea Polyphenols

Purpose: To investigate the oxidative modification of water-soluble crystallins of human fetal lens with H2O2 and fourteen metal ions with or without EDTA. Tea-polyphenols (TP) was added to above solutions in order to testing their antioxidative abilities. Methods: The experiments were performed at 37℃ with final concentration of 2.5mg/ml protein, 0.1 mM metal ions, 0.3 mM EDTA and 1.0 mM H2O2. Then the TP was added to the solution with CuSO4 and H2O2, after 5 or 24 hours, the crystallins were analysed with SDS-PAGE and IEF.Results : There were marked oxidative modifications of lens protein in H2O2 and copper without EDTA. In SDS-PAGE patterns, we found an increase in those species above of bands higher than 30 kD and some diffuse bands from 30 to 17 kD after 5 hours. In IEF patterns, there were a general increase on acidity with loss of the more basic species. When the TP was added, there was not any difference with control group.Conclusion: The results indicate that exposure of water-soluble

Constructing long-cycling crystalline C_(3)N_(4)-based carbonaceous anodes for sodium-ion battery via N configuration control

Carbon nitrides with two-dimensional layered structures and high theoretical capacities are attractive as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries while their low crystallinity and insufficient structural stability strongly restrict their practical applications.Coupling carbon nitrides with conductive carbon may relieve these issues.However,little is known about the influence of nitrogen(N)configurations on the interactions between carbon and C_(3)N_(4),which is fundamentally critical for guiding the precise design of advanced C_(3)N_(4)-related electrodes.Herein,highly crystalline C_(3)N_(4)(poly(triazine imide),PTI)based all-carbon composites were developed by molten salt strategy.More importantly,the vital role of pyrrolic-N for enhancing charge transfer and boosting Na+storage of C_(3)N_(4)-based composites,which was confirmed by both theoretical and experimental evidence,was spot-highlighted for the first time.By elaborately controlling the salt composition,the composite with high pyrrolic-N and minimized graphitic-N content was obtained.Profiting from the formation of highly crystalline PTI and electrochemically favorable pyrrolic-N configurations,the composite delivered an unusual reverse growth and record-level cycling stability even after 5000 cycles along with high reversible capacity and outstanding full-cell capacity retention.This work broadens the energy storage applications of C_(3)N_(4) and provides new prospects for the design of advanced all-carbon electrodes.

Substituent engineering of covalent organic frameworks modulates the crystallinity and electrochemical reactivity

Covalent organic frameworks(COFs)are emerging as powerful electrochemical energy storage/conversion materials benefiting from the controlled pore and chemical structures,which are usually determined by the regulation of the molecular building blocks.In contrast,the substituents are not considered significant for the electrochemical reactivity as they are usually removed during carbonization,which is necessary for improving the electrical conductivity of an electrode material.Here we show that the substituents play key roles not only in synthesizing COFs but also in controlling the COF structures during carbonization and thus the related electrochemical reactivity.Five characteristic substituents were used when synthesizing a new COF structure and it was found that electron-withdrawing strength of the substituents significantly influences the crystallinity of the COFs by tuning the reactivity of building blocks,or even determines whether the crystalline COF can be constructed.Moreover,the differences in chemical groups,sizes,and thermal stabilities of the substituents result in varied pore-collapse behaviors and the structures of the carbonized COFs,which show diverse effects on the electrochemical performances.An optimal material shows the highest surface area of 2131 m^(2)/g,rich pores around 1 nm,and the highest ratio of sp^(2) carbon among the samples,corresponding to the largest double-layer specific capacity over 125 F/g in an ionic liquid electrolyte,while another material with the lowest surface area and N-doping level exhibits a high H_(2)O_(2) production selectivity over 80%through selective oxygen reduction.This study shows guiding significance for the design of building blocks and substituents for COFs and further the carbonized carbons,and also exhibits the great potential of substituent engineering in modulating the electrochemical reactivity.

Effect of Gas Sources on the Deposition of Nano-Crystalline Diamond Films Prepared by Microwave Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

Nano-crystalline diamond （NCD） films were deposited on silicon substrates by a microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition （MPCVD） reactor in C2H5OH/H2 and CH4/H2/O2 systems, respectively, with a constant ratio of carbon/hydrogen/oxygen. By means of atomic force microscopy （AFM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）, it was shown that the NCD films deposited in the C2H5OH/H2 system possesses more uniform surface than that deposited in the CH4/H2/O2 system. Results from micro-Raman spectroscopy revealed that the quality of the NCD films was different even though the plasmas in the two systems contain exactly the same proportion of elements. In order to explain this phenomenon, the bond energy of forming OH groups, energy distraction in plasma and the deposition process of NCD films were studied. The experimental results and discussion indicate that for a same ratio of carbon/hydrogen/oxygen, the C2H5OH/H2 plasma was beneficial to deposit high quality NCD films with smaller average grain size and lower surface roughness.

Fabrication of 3D structure by combining AFM and chemical etching on crystalline silicon surface

AFM is used for forming silicon dioxide as a layer (mask) on the silicon wafer surface (100) during the cutting process in ambient atmosphere. The silicon dioxide is made through reaction of silicon and oxygen in the atmosphere. As a result of the anisotropic behavior of single crystalline silicon, the etching rates in alkaline solution depend greatly on the various crystal orientations. The anisotropic etching behaviors in KOH solution and reasons of crystalline silicon are described. Effect of etching conditions such as etching temperature and KOH concentration of the alkaline solution on height of the micro-protuberances has been described.

Biodegradation of Crystalline Chitin:A Review of Recent Advancement,Challenges,and Future Study Directions

Chitin is the second most abundant renewable polysaccharide on Earth.The degradation of chitin into soluble and bioactive N-acetyl chitooligosaccharides(NCOSs)and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine(GlcNAc)has emerged as a pivotal step in the efficient and sustainable utilization of chitin resources.However,because of its dense structure,high crystallinity,and poor solubility,chitin typically needs pretreatment via chemical,physical,and other methods before enzymatic conversion to enhance the accessibility between substrates and enzyme molecules.Consequently,there has been considerable interest in exploring the direct biological degradation of crystalline chitin as a cost-effective and environment-friendly technology.This review endeavors to present several biological methods for the direct degradation of chitin.We primarily focused on the importance of chitinase containing chitin-binding domain(CBD).Additionally,various modification strategies for increasing the degradation efficiency of crystalline chitin were introduced.Subsequently,the review systematically elucidated critical components of multi-enzyme catalytic systems,highlighting their potential for chitin degradation.Furthermore,the application of microorganisms in the degradation of crystalline chitin was also discussed.The insights in this review contribute to the explorations and investigations of enzymatic and microbial approaches for the direct degradation of crystalline chitin,thereby fostering advancements in biomass conversion.

Petrology and Geochemical Features of Crystalline Rocks in Ora-Ekiti,Southwestern Nigeria

This research investigates and reports on the petrology and geochemical characteristics of crystalline basement rocks in Ora-Ekiti,Southwestern Nigeria.Exhaustive geological investigation reveals migmatite,banded gneiss,gran­ite gneiss and biotite gneiss underlie the area.In reducing order of abundance,petrographic examination reveals that migmatite contains quartz,muscovite and opaque minerals.Banded geniuses contain quartz,biotite,plagioclase,and opaque minerals.Granite geniuses contain quartz,plagioclase,biotite,microcline and opaque;while biotite geniuses contain biotite,plagioclase,opaque minerals,and quartz.Silica contents in migmatite(69.50%-72.66%;ca.71.23%),banded gneiss(71.66%-77.1%;ca.75.23%),biotite gneiss(72.32%-76.18%;ca.73.83%)and granite gneiss(69.82%-73.15%;ca.71.95%)indicate the rocks are siliceous.High alumina contents in migmatite(12.18%),banded gneiss(10.28%),biotite gneiss(11.46%)and granite gneiss(9.97%)are comparable to similar rocks in the basement com­plex.All the rocks show Ba,Sr and Rb enrichment.Harker diagrams of Al_(2)O_(3)versus SiO_(2)and CaO versus SiO_(2)show negative trends while Na_(2)O versus SiO_(2),K_(2)O versus SiO_(2)and TiO_(2)versus SiO_(2)plots showed positive trends.This var­iation probably depicts extensive crystal fractionation in the magmatic systems that produced the rocks prior to meta­morphism or partial melting of the precursor rock.SiO_(2)versus(Na_(2)O+K_(2)O)classifies the rocks as granite to granodi­orite.The rocks are high K-calc-alkaline and calc-alkalic on SiO_(2)-K_(2)O plot.This shows the rocks are potassic meaning that they are formed from a potassium-rich source.The plot of Al_(2)O_(3)/(Na_(2)O+K_(2)O)versus Al_(2)O_(3)/(CaO+Na_(2)O+K_(2)O)reveals the crystalline rocks are orogenic and originated from granitoid with meta luminous affinity.The rocks consist of gneisses of no economic minerals,but the petrology reveals them as common rocks typical of metamorphic terrains and geochemical features of the rocks reveal they are felsic and of granitic composition.