Approaching Ultimate Synthesis Reaction Rate of Ni-Rich Layered Cathodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Nickel-rich layered oxide LiNi_(x)Co_(y)MnzO_(2)(NCM,x+y+z=1)is the most promising cathode material for high-energy lithium-ion batteries.However,conventional synthesis methods are limited by the slow heating rate,sluggish reaction dynamics,high energy consumption,and long reaction time.To overcome these chal-lenges,we first employed a high-temperature shock(HTS)strategy for fast synthesis of the NCM,and the approaching ultimate reaction rate of solid phase transition is deeply investigated for the first time.In the HTS process,ultrafast average reaction rate of phase transition from Ni_(0.6)Co_(0.2)Mn_(0.2)(OH)_(2) to Li-containing oxides is 66.7(%s^(-1)),that is,taking only 1.5 s.An ultrahigh heating rate leads to fast reaction kinetics,which induces the rapid phase transition of NCM cathodes.The HTS-synthesized nickel-rich layered oxides perform good cycling performances(94%for NCM523,94%for NCM622,and 80%for NCM811 after 200 cycles at 4.3 V).These findings might also assist to pave the way for preparing effectively Ni-rich layered oxides for lithium-ion batteries.

Boosted Electrocatalytic Glucose Oxidation Reaction on Noble-Metal-Free MoO_(3)-Decorated Carbon Nanotubes

Electrocatalytic glucose oxidation reaction(GOR)has attracted much attention owing to its crucial role in biofuel cell fabrication.Herein,we load MoO_(3)nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes(CNTs)and use a discharge process to prepare a noblemetal-free MC-60 catalyst containing MoO_(3),Mo_(2)C,and a Mo_(2)C–MoO_(3)interface.In the GOR,MC-60 shows activity as high as 745μA/(mmol/L cm^(2)),considerably higher than those of the Pt/CNT(270μA/(mmol/L cm^(2)))and Au/CNT catalysts(110μA/(mmol/L cm^(2))).In the GOR,the response minimum on MC-60 is as low as 8μmol/L,with a steady-state response time of only 3 s.Moreover,MC-60 has superior stability and anti-interference ability to impurities in the GOR.The better performance of MC-60 in the GOR is attributed to the abundant Mo sites bonding to C and O atoms at the MoO_(3)–Mo_(2)C interface.These Mo sites create active sites for promoting glucose adsorption and oxidation,enhancing MC-60 performance in the GOR.Thus,these results help to fabricate more effi cient noble-metal-free catalysts for the fabrication of glucose-based biofuel cells.

Recent Advances in Transition Metal-Based Catalysts for Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction Reaction

The accumulation of excessive nitrate in the atmosphere not only jeopardizes human health but also disrupts the balance of the nitrogen cycle in the ecosystem.Among various nitrate removal technologies,electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction(eNO_(3)RR)has been widely studied for its advantages of being eco-friendly,easy to operate,and controllable under environmental conditions with renewable energy as the driving force.Transition metal-based catalysts(TMCs)have been widely used in electrocatalysis due to their abundant reserves,low costs,easy-to-regulate electronic structure and considerable electrochemical activity.In addition,TMCs have been extensively studied in terms of the kinetics of the nitrate reduction reaction,the moderate adsorption energy of nitrogen-containing species and the active hydrogen supply capacity.Based on this,this review firstly discusses the mechanism as well as analyzes the two main reduction products(N_(2)and NH_(3))of eNO_(3)RR,and reveals the basic guidelines for the design of efficient nitrate catalysts from the perspective of the reaction mechanism.Secondly,this review mainly focuses on the recent advances in the direction of eNO_(3RR)with four types of TMCs,Fe,Co,Ni and Cu,and unveils the interfacial modulation strategies of Fe,Co,Ni and Cu catalysts for the activity,reaction pathway and stability.Finally,reasonable suggestions and opportunities are proposed for the challenges and future development of eNO_(3)RR.This review provides far-reaching implications for exploring cost-effective TMCs to replace high-cost noble metal catalysts(NMCs)for eNO_(3)RR.

Comparative Analysis of Reaction to Fire and Flammability of Hemp Shives Insulation Boards with Incorporated Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials

Nowadays buildings contain innovative materials,materials from local resources,production surpluses and rapidly renewable natural resources.Phase Change Materials(PCM)are one such group of novel materials which reduce building energy consumption.With the wider availability of microencapsulated PCM,there is an opportunity to develop a new type of insulating materials,combinate PCM with traditional insulation materials for latent heat energy storage.These materials are typically flammable and are located on the interior wall finishing yet there has been no detailed assessment of their fire performance.In this research work prototypes of low-density insulating boards for indoor spaces from hemp shives using carbamide resin binder and cold pressing were studied.Bench-scale cone calorimeter tests were conducted to evaluate fire risk,with a focus on assessing material flammability properties and the influence of PCM on the results.In this research,the amount of smoke,heat release rate,effective heat of combustion,specific extinction coefficient,mass loss,carbon dioxide yield,specific loss factor,ignition time of hemp straws samples and samples of hemp straws with 10%and without PCM admixture were compared.There is a risk of flammability for PCM and their fire reaction has not been evaluated when incorporating PCM into interior wall finishing boards.The obtained results can be used by designers to balance the potential energy savings of using PCM with a more complete understanding and predictability of the associated fire risk when using the proposed boards.It also allows for appropriate risk mitigation strategies.

Electronic Communication Between Co and Ru Sites Decorated on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes Boosting the Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Designing highly efficient Pt-free electrocatalysts with low overpotential for an alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)remains a significant challenge.Here,a novel and efficient cobalt(Co),ruthenium(Ru)bimetallic electrocatalyst composed of CoRu nanoalloy decorated on the N-doped carbon nanotubes(CoRu@N-CNTs),was prepared by reacting fullerenol with melamine via hydrothermal treatment and followed by pyrolysis.Benefiting from the electronic communication between Co and Ru sites,the as-obtained CoRu@N-CNTs catalyst exhibited superior electrocatalytic HER activity.To deliver a current density of 10 mA·cm^(-2),it required an overpotential of merely 19 mV along with a Tafel slope of 26.19 mV·dec^(-1)in 1 mol·L^(-1)potassium hydroxide(KOH)solution,outperforming the benchmark Pt/C catalyst.The present work would pave a new way towards the design and construction of an efficient electrocatalyst for energy storage and conversion.

Cu-based materials for electrocatalytic CO_(2) to alcohols:Reaction mechanism,catalyst categories,and regulation strategies

Electrocatalytic CO_(2) reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)technology,which enables carbon capture storage and resource utilization by reducing CO_(2) to valuable chemicals or fuels,has become a global research hotspot in recent decades.Among the many products of CO_(2)RR(carbon monoxide,acids,aldehydes and alcohols,olefins,etc.),alcohols(methanol,ethanol,propanol,etc.)have a higher market value and energy density,but it is also more difficult to produce.Copper is known to be effective in catalyzing CO_(2) to high valueadded alcohols,but with poor selectivity.The progress of Cu-based catalysts for the selective generation of alcohols,including copper oxides,bimetals,single atoms and composites is reviewed.Meanwhile,to improve Cu-based catalyst activity and modulate product selectivity,the modulation strategies are straighten out,including morphological regulation,crystalline surface,oxidation state,as well as elemental doping and defect engineering.Based on the research progress of electrocatalytic CO_(2) reduction for alcohol production on Cu-based materials,the reaction pathways and the key intermediates of the electrocatalytic CO_(2)RR to methanol,ethanol and propanol are summarized.Finally,the problems of traditional electrocatalytic CO_(2)RR are introduced,and the future applications of machine learning and theoretical calculations are prospected.An in-depth discussion and a comprehensive review of the reaction mechanism,catalyst types and regulation strategies were carried out with a view to promoting the development of electrocatalytic CO_(2)RR to alcohols.

Highly mass activity electrocatalysts with ultralow Pt loading on carbon black for hydrogen evolution reaction

Pt-based nanocatalysts offer excellent prospects for various industries.However,the low loading of Pt with excellent performance for efficient and stable nanocatalysts still presents a considerable challenge.In this study,nanocatalysts with ultralow Pt content,excellent performance,and carbon black as support were prepared through in-situ synthesis.These~2-nm particles uniformly and stably dispersed on carbon black because of the strong s-p-d orbital hybridizations between carbon black and Pt,which suppressed the agglomeration of Pt ions.This unique structure is beneficial for the hydrogen evolution reaction.The catalysts exhibited remarkable catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction,exhibiting a potential of 100 mV at 100 mA·cm^(-2),which is comparable to those of commercial Pt/C catalysts.Mass activity(1.61 A/mg)was four times that of a commercial Pt/C catalyst(0.37 A/mg).The ultralow Pt loading(6.84wt%)paves the way for the development of next-generation electrocatalysts.

Boosting Oxygen Evolution Reaction Performance on NiFe‑Based Catalysts Through d‑Orbital Hybridization

Anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzers(AEMWEs)for green hydrogen production have received intensive attention due to their feasibility of using earth-abundant NiFe-based catalysts.By introducing a third metal into NiFe-based catalysts to construct asymmetrical M-NiFe units,the d-orbital and electronic structures can be adjusted,which is an important strategy to achieve sufficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER)performance in AEMWEs.Herein,the ternary NiFeM(M:La,Mo)catalysts featured with distinct M-NiFe units and varying d-orbitals are reported in this work.Experimental and theoretical calculation results reveal that the doping of La leads to optimized hybridization between d orbital in NiFeM and 2p in oxygen,resulting in enhanced adsorption strength of oxygen intermediates,and reduced rate-determining step energy barrier,which is responsible for the enhanced OER performance.More critically,the obtained NiFeLa catalyst only requires 1.58 V to reach 1 A cm^(−2) in an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer and demonstrates excellent long-term stability of up to 600 h.

Supercritical-hydrothermal accelerated solid state reaction route for synthesis of LiMn_2O_4 cathode material for high-power Li-ion batteries

Synthesis of the spinel structure lithium manganese oxide （LiMn2O4） by supercritical hydrothermal （SH） accelerated solid state reaction （SSR） route was studied. The impacts of the reaction pressure, reaction temperature and reaction time of SH route, and the calcination temperature of SSR route on the purity, particle morphology and electrochemical properties of the prepared LiMn2O4 materials were studied. The experimental results show that after 15 min reaction in SH route at 400 ℃ and 30 MPa, the reaction time of SSR could be significantly decreased, e.g. down to 3 h with the formation temperature of 800 ℃, compared with the conventional solid state reaction method. The prepared LiMn2O4 material exhibits good crystallinity, uniform size distribution and good electrochemical performance, and has an initial specific capacity of 120 mA.h/g at a rate of 0.1C （1C=148 mA/g） and a good rate capability at high rates, even up to 50C.

Reaction mechanisms of low-grade molybdenum concentrate during calcification roasting process

The effects of Ca-based additives on roasting properties of low-grade molybdenum concentrate were studied. The resultsshow that calcium-based additives can react with molybdenum concentrate to form CaSO4 and CaMoO4. The initial oxidationtemperature of MoS2 is 450℃, while the formation of CaMoO4 and CaSO4 occurs above 500℃. The whole calcification reactionsare nearly completed between 600 and 650℃. However, raising the temperature further helps for the formation of CaMoO4 but isdisadvantageous to sulfur fixing rate and molybdenum retention rate. Calcification efficiency of Ca-based additives follows theorder： Ca（OH）2〉CaO〉CaCO3. With increasing the dosage of Ca（OH）2, the molybdenum retention rate and sulfur-fixing rate rise, butexcessive dosages would consume more acid during leaching process. The appropriate mass ratio of Ca（OH）2 to molybdenumconcentrate is 1：1. When roasted at 650 ℃ for 90 min, the molybdenum retention rate and the sulfur-fixing rate of low-grademolybdenum concentrate reach 100% and 92.92%, respectively, and the dissolution rate of molybdenum achieves 99.12% withcalcines being leached by sulphuric acid.

Simulation of the Photosynthetic Reaction Center with an Artificial Solar Cell Reaction to Generate Triplet Molecule via Charge Recombination

The formation of triplet chlorophyll and carotenoid by radical pair recombination have been observed in the reaction centers of photosystems of bacteria and higher plants. This is an important process for the photoprotection of the reaction centers, for the dissipation of excessive energy by non_radiative decay of carotenoid triplet. Triplet generation by the same mechanism in an artificial system has rarely been observed, only a few cases were reported in donor_acceptor triad supermolecules. This is probably the first time report of the simulation of the generation of triplet by back electron transfer using dye_sensitized TiO 2 solar cell reaction. Triplet states have been observed in all_ trans _retinoic acid sensitized TiO 2 colloid during the recombination of the trapped electron with the retinoic acid radical cation after photoexcitation. The intermediates were characterized by ns time_resolved spectroscopy.

Energy diffusion controlled reaction rate in dissipative Hamiltonian systems

In this paper the energy diffusion controlled reaction rate in dissipative Hamiltonian systems is investigated by using the stochastic averaging method for quasi Hamiltonian systems. The boundary value problem of mean first- passage time （MFPT） of averaged system is formulated and the energy diffusion controlled reaction rate is obtained as the inverse of MFPT. The energy diffusion controlled reaction rate in the classical Kramers bistable potential and in a two-dimensional bistable potential with a heat bath are obtained by using the proposed approach respectively. The obtained results are then compared with those from Monte Carlo simulation of original systems and from the classical Kraraers theory. It is shown that the reaction rate obtained by using the proposed approach agrees well with that from Monte Carlo simulation and is more accurate than the classical Kramers rate.

Reaction rates in blanket assemblies of a fusion-fission hybrid reactor

To validate neutronics calculation for the blanket design of fusion-fission hybrid reactor,experiments for measuring reaction rates inside two simulating assemblies are performed.Two benchmark assemblies were developed for the neutronics experiments.A D-T fusion neutron source is placed at the center of the setup.One of them consists of three layers of depleted uranium shells and two layers of polyethylene shells,and these shells are arranged alternatively.The ^(238)U capture reaction rates are measured using depleted uranium foils and an HPGe gamma spectrometer.The fission reaction rates are measured using a fission chamber coated with depleted uranium.The other assembly consists of depleted uranium and LiH shells.The tritium production rates are measured using the lithium glass scintillation detector which is placed in the LiH region of the assembly.The measured reaction rates are compared with the calculated ones predicted using MCNP code,and C/E values are obtained.

Key Role of Some Specific Occupied Molecular Orbitals of Short Chain n-Alkanes in Their Surface Tension and Reaction Rate Constants with Hydroxyl Radicals: DFT Study

Basing on the DFT calculations we propose the new theoretical model which describes both the surface tension σ of the short chain n-alkanes at their normal boiling points and their reaction rate constants with hydroxyl radicals OH• (at 297 ± 2 K) on the basis of their molecular orbital electronic characteristics. It has been shown that intermolecular dispersion attraction within the surface liquid monolayer of these compounds, as well as their reaction rate constants k with OH• radicals are determined by the energies Eorb of the specific occupied molecular orbitals which are the same in the determination of both the above physico-chemical characteristics of the studied n-alkanes. The received regression equations confirm the theoretically found dependences between the quantities of σ and k and the module |Eorb|. For the compounds under study this fact indicates the key role of their electronic structure particularities in determination of both the physical (surface tension) and the chemical (reaction rate constants) properties.

Determination of the stellar reaction rate for ^(12)C(α, γ)^(16)O: using a new expression with the reaction mechanism

The astrophysical reaction rate of 12C（α,γ）16O plays a key role in massive star evolution. However, this reaction rate and its uncertainties have not been well determined yet, especially at T9=0.2. The existing results even disagree with each other to a certain extent. In this paper, the El, E2 and total （E1＋E2） 12C（α,γ）16O reaction rates are calculated in the temperature range from T9=0.3 to 2 according to all the available cross section data. A new analytic expression of the 12C（α,γ）16O reaction rate is brought forward based on the reaction mechanism. In this expression, each part embodies the underlying physics of the reaction. Unlike previous works, some physical parameters are chosen from experimental results directly, instead of all the parameters obtained from fitting. These parameters in the new expression, with their 3σ fit errors, are obtained from fit to our calculated reaction rate from T9=0.3 to 2. Using the fit results, the analytic expression of 12C（α,γ）16Oreaction rate is extrapolated down to T9=0.05 based on the underlying physics. The 12C（α,γ）16O reaction rate at T9=0.2 is （8.78 ± 1.52） × 10^15 cm3s^-1mol^-1. Some comparisons and discussions about our new 12C（α,γ）16Oreaction rate are presented, and the contributions of the reaction rate correspond to the different part of reaction mechanism are given. The agreements of the reaction rate below T9=2 between our results and previous works indicate that our results are reliable, and they could be included in the astrophysical reaction rate network. Furthermore, we believe our method to investigate the 12C（α,γ）16O reaction rate is reasonable, and this method can also be employed to study the reaction rate of other astrophysical reactions. Finally, a new constraint of the supernovae production factor of some isotopes are illustrated according to our 12C（α,γ）16O reaction rates.

Measurement of absolute reaction rates in Be, Pb and Fe spherical systems

The absolute reaction rates in Be,Pb and Fe have been measured by using the activation foil technique with different reaction energy thresholds.Thicknesses of Be,Pb and Fe spheres were 5.3,19.1 and 31.9cm.respectively,Eight kinds of activation folis were used for Fe,and four kinds each for Be and Pb,The total experimental er5ror was about 5-7%.The measured results were compared to the values calculated with the 1-D ANISN code and the ENDF/B-VI library data.The average ratio of the experimental to the calculational is less than 7% for Be and Pb,about 5-30% for Fe.

Rate Coefficients of Roaming Reaction H+MgH Using Ring Polymer Molecular Dynamics

The ring-polymer molecular dynamics(RPMD)was used to calculate the thermal rate coefficients of the multi-channel roaming reaction H+MgH→Mg+H_(2).Two reaction channels,tight and roaming,are explicitly considered.This is a pioneering attempt of exerting RPMD method to multichannel reactions.With the help of a newly developed optimization-interpolation protocol for preparing the initial structures and adaptive protocol for choosing the force constants,we have successfully obtained the thermal rate coefficients.The results are consistent with those from other theoretical methods,such as variational transition state theory and quantum dynamics.Especially,RPMD results exhibit negative temperature dependence,which is similar to the results from variational transition state theory but different from the ones from ground state quantum dynamics calculations.

Predicting Rate Constants for Nucleophilic Reactions of Amines with Diarylcarbenium Ions Using an ONIOM Method

The rate constants of the nucleophilic reactions between amines and benzhydrylium ions were calculated using first-principles theoretical methods. Solvation models including PCM, CPCM, and COSMORS, as well as different types of atomic radii including UA0, UAKS, UAHF, Bondi, and UFF, and several single-point energy calculation methods （B3LYP, B3P86, B3PW91, BHANDH, PBEPBE, BMK, M06, MP2, and ONIOM method） were examined. By comparing the correlation between experimental rate constants and the calculated values, the ONIOM（CCSD（T）/6-311＋＋G（2df,2p）：B3LYP/6-311＋＋G（2df,2p））//B3LYP/6- 31G（d）/PCM/UFF） method was found to perform the best. This method was then employed to calculate the rate constants of the reactions between diverse amines and diarylcarbenium ions. The calculated rate constants for 65 reactions of amines with diarylcarbenium ions are in agreement with the experimental values, indicating that it is feasible to predict the rate constant of a reaction between an amine and a diarylcarbenium ion through ab initio calculation.

Calcite Dissolution in Deionized Water from 50℃ to 250℃ at 10 MPa:Rate Equation and Reaction Order

Carbonate minerals and water （or geofluids） reactions are important for modeling of geochemical processes and have received considerable attention over the past decades. The calcite dissolution rates from 50℃ to 250℃ at 10 MPa in deionized water with a flow rate varying from 0.2 to 5 mL/min were experimentally measured in a continuous flow column pressure vessel reactor. The dissolution began near the equilibrium with c/ceq 〉 0.3 and finally reached the equilibrium at 100℃-250℃, so the corresponding solubility was also determined as 1.87, 2.02, 2.02 and 1.88×10^-4.mol/L at 100℃, 150℃, 200℃ and 250℃ respectively, which was first increasing and then switching to decreasing with temperature and the maximum value might occur between 150℃ and 200℃. The experimental dissolution rate not only increased with temperature, but also had a rapid increase between 150℃ and 200℃ at a constant flow rate of 4 mL/min. The measured dissolution rates can be described using rate equations of R = k（1-c/ceq）n or R = kc-n. In these equations the reaction order n changed with temperature, which indicates that n was a variable rather than a constant, and the activation energy was 13.4 kJ/mol calculated with R = k（1-c/ceq）n or 18.0 kJ/mol with R = kc^-n, which is a little lower than the surface controlled values. The varied reaction order and lower activation energy indicates that calcite dissolution in this study is a complex interplay of diffusion controlled and surface controlled processes.

Venting Design for Di-tert-butyl Peroxide Runaway Reaction Based on Accelerating Rate Calorimeter Test

In order to design the relief system size of di-tert-butyl peroxide(DTBP) storage tanks,the runaway re-action of DTBP was simulated by accelerating rate calorimeter(ARC).The results indicated that under adiabatic conditions the initial exothermic temperature was 102.6 ℃,the maximum self-heating rate was 3.095×107 ℃·min-1,the maximum self-heating temperature was 375.9 ℃,and the pressure produced by unit mass was 4.512 MPa·g-1.Judged by ARC test,the emergency relief system for DTBP was a hybrid system.Based on Design Institute for Emergency Relief System(DIERS) method,the releasing mass flow rate W was determined by Leung methods,and the mass velocity G was calculated by two modified Omega methods.The two relief sizes calculated by monograph Omega method and arithmetic Omega method are close,with only 0.63% relative error.The monograph Omega method is more convenient to apply.