Efficient electroreduction of nitrate via enriched active phases on copper-cobalt oxides

Electrochemical conversion of nitrate(NO_(3)~-) to ammonia(NH_(3)) can target two birds with one stone well, in NO_(3)^(-)-containing sewage remediation and sustainable NH_(3) production. However, single metalbased catalysts are difficult to drive high-efficient NO_(3)~- removal due to the multi-electron transfer steps.Herein, we present a tandem catalyst with simple structure, Cu-Co binary metal oxides(Cu-Co-O), by engineering intermediate phases as catalytic active species for NO_(3)~- conversion. Electrochemical evaluation,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and in situ Raman spectra together suggest that the newly-generated Cu-based phases was prone to NO_(3)~- to NO_(2)~- conversion, then NO_(2)~- was reduced to NH_(3) on Co-based species. At an applied potential of -1.1 V vs. saturated calomel electrode, the Cu-Co-O catalyst achieved NO_(3)~- -N removal of 90% and NH_(3) faradaic efficiency of 81% for 120 min in 100 m L of 50 mg/L NO_(3)~- -N,consuming only 0.69 k Wh/mol in a two-electrode system. This study provides a facile and efficient engineering strategy for developing high-performance catalysts for electrocatalytic nitrate conversion.

Switchable C02 electroreduction via engineering active phases of Pd nanoparticles

Active-phase engineering is regularly utilized to tune the selectivity of metal nanoparticles （NPs） in heterogeneous catalysis. However, the lack of understanding of the active phase in electrocatalysis has hampered the development of efficient catalysts for CO2 electroreduction. Herein, we report the systematic engineering of active phases of Pd NPs, which are exploited to select reaction pathways for CO2 electroreduction. In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, in situ attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations suggest that the formation of a hydrogen-adsorbed Pd surface on a mixture of the α- and β-phases of a palladium-hydride core （α＋β PdHx@PdHx） above -0.2 V （vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode） facilitates formate production via the HCOO intermediate, whereas the formation of a metallic Pd surface on the β-phase Pd hydride core （β PdHx@Pd） below -0.5 V promotes CO production via the COOH＂ intermediate. The main product, which is either formate or CO, can be selectively produced with high Faradaic efficiencies （〉90%） and mass activities in the potential window of 0.05 to -0.9 V with scalable application demonstration.

Analysis of electrical performances of planar active phased array antennas with distorted array plane

The influence of the distorted plane of the active phased array antenna on the electromagnetic performance is of great significance to the research on and development of the high-performance antennas. On the bent and bowl-shape distortion, the model is established of the relationship between the electromagnetic performance and the position error of the radiated elements. The method is presented of analyzing the far-field pattern of the distorted rectangular active phased array antenna. The analysis results of a planar phased array antenna with different distortions grades prove the validity of the model. Therefore, by the method, the antenna designers may set the reasonable requirement on the structural tolerance in manufacturing antenna.

Exploration of the active phase of the hydrotalcite-derived cobalt catalyst for HCHO oxidation

A series of Co-based oxide catalysts were prepared by calcining hydrotalcite precursors in different atmospheres and studied for HCHO catalytic oxidation. The N2-calcined catalyst exhibits enhanced HCHO oxidation and superior stability. On the basis of H2-TPR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman characterizations, this can be ascribed to better redox ability, octahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions derived from the CoO phase, and other surface oxygen species, such as O2– or O–. The extra octahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions may reside in a more open framework site than the inactive tetrahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions. This species of Co2+ can easily make contact with oxygen and oxidize. The surface oxygen species, along with the octahedrally coordinated Co2+ ions, and a part of the Co3+ species constitute the Co2+-oxygen species-Co3+ sites, which enhance the catalytic activities. According to DRIFTS, Co2+-oxygen species-Co3+ makes oxidation of HCHO and conversion of DOM to formate easier.

Unraveling the catalytically active phase of carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol on Zn/Cu alloy: Single atom versus small cluster

Methanol synthesis from CO_(2)hydrogenation catalyzed by Zn/Cu alloy has been widely studied,but there is still debate on its catalytic active phase and whether the Zn can be oxidized during the reaction process.What is more,as Zn atoms could locate on Zn/Cu alloy surface in forms of both single atom and cluster,how Zn surface distribution affects catalytic activity is still not clear.In this work,we performed a systematic theoretical study to compare the mechanistic natures and catalytic pathways between Zn single atom and small cluster on catalyst surface,where the surface oxidation was shown to play the critical role.Before surface oxidation,the Zn single atom/Cu is more active than the Zn small cluster/Cu,but its surface oxidation is difficult to take place.Instead,after the easy surface oxidation by CO_(2)decomposition,the oxidized Zn small cluster/Cu becomes much more active,which even exceeds the hardlyoxidized Zn single atom/Cu to become the active phase.Further analyses show this dramatic promotion of surface oxidation can be ascribed to the following factors:i)The O from surface oxidation could preferably occupy the strongest binding sites on the center of Zn cluster.That makes the O intermediates bind at the Zn/Cu interface,preventing their too tight binding for further hydrogenation;ii)The higher positive charge and work function on the oxidized surface could also promote the hydrogenation of O intermediates.This work provided one more example that under certain condition,the metal cluster can be more active than the single atom in heterogeneous catalysis.

Beam shaping with limited amplitude weight values for satellite active phased array antenna

To gain the tradeoff between lower sidelobe and higher power amplifiers efficiency,a transmitting beam shaping scheme with limited amplitude weight values for satellite active phased array antenna is presented. The scheme is implemented by a dual coding genetic algorithm(GA). Phase and amplitude of array weight vectors for beam shaping are encoded by real coding and finite length binary coding,respectively,which,maintaining accuracy of results,reduces the amplitude dynamic range and improves the efficiency of power amplifiers. The presented algorithm,compared with complex-coded GA,increases the convergence rate due to the search space's decrease. In order to overcome the prematurity and obtain better global optimization or quasi-global optimization,a new dual coding GA based on "species diversity retention" strategy and adaptive crossover and mutation probability are presented.

Characterization and kinetic modeling of secondary phases in squeeze cast Al alloy A380 by DSC thermal analysis

Thermal analyses on squeeze cast aluminum alloy A380(SC A380) solidified under 90MPa were carried out to study the microstructure development of the alloy, in which a differential scanning calorimeter(DSC) was employed. During the DSC runs, heating and cooling rates of 1, 3, 10, and 20 °C·min^(-1) were applied to investigate the heating and cooling effects on dissolution of secondary eutectic phases and microstructure evolution. Various reactions corresponding to troughs and peaks of the DSC curves were identified as corresponding to phase transformations taking place during dissolution or precipitation suggested by the principles of thermodynamics and kinetics. The comparison of the identified characteristic temperatures in the measured heating and cooling curves are generally in good agreement with the computed equilibrium temperatures. The microstructure analyses by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS) indicate that the distribution and morphology of secondary phases present in the microstructure of the annealed sample are similar to the as-cast A380, i.e., strip β(Si), buck bone like or dot distributed θ(Al_2Cu), β(Al_5Fe Si) and Al_(15)(FeMn)_3Si_2. Two kinetic methods are employed to calculate the activation energies of the three common troughs and three common peaks in DSC curves of SC A380. The activation energies of the identified reaction θ_(CuAl_2) = α(Al)+β(Si) is 188.7 and 187.1 k J?mol^(-1) when the activation energies of reaction α(Al)+β(Si)→θCu Al_2 is^(-1)22.7 and^(-1)21.8 k J?mol^(-1), by the Kissinger and Starink methods, respectively.

Potassium-decorated active carbon supported Co-Mo-based catalyst for water-gas shift reaction

The effect of potassium-decoration was studied on the activity of water-gas shift （WGS） reaction over the Co-Mo-based catalysts supported on active carbon （AC）, which was prepared by incipient wetness co-impregnation method. The decoration of potassium on active carbon in advance enhances the activities of the CoMo-K/AC catalysts for WGS reaction. Highest activity （about 92% conversion） was obtained at 250 ？ C for the catalyst with an optimum K 2 O/AC weight ratio in the range from 0.12 to 0.15. The catalysts were characterized by TPR and EPR, and the results show that activated carbon decorated with potassium makes Co-Mo species highly dispersed, and thus easily reduced and sulfurized. XRD results show that an appropriate content of potassium-decoration on active carbon supports may favors the formation of highly dispersed Co 9 S 8 -type structures which are situated on the edge or a site in contact with MoS 2 , K-Mo-O-S, Mo-S-K phase. Those active species are responsible for the high activity of CoMo-K/AC catalysts.

Molecular Simulation Study on Intrinsic Order of Interaction between Single Slab of Active Phase and Al-Si Support in HDS Catalysts

Molecular mechanics and quantum mechanics simulations, as molecular simulation methods, were performed to investigate the effects of different surfaces, the promoter Co/Ni, the active phase of MoS2 or WS2, the content of Si and other factors on the order of interaction between the MoS2 （WS2） single slab and the support surface. The influence of Si content was studied by molecular mechanics, and an advantageous Si content was found. Various surfaces, promoters and active phases also played an important role in the interaction between the support surfaces and active phases, and some significant trends were found out. Quantum mechanics simulation was performed to study the possible effect of electrostatic interaction between the support and the active phase, upon which the calculations suggested that the existence of a favorable Si content was possible. The electronic effects of Co/Ni promoter and the intensity of Co/Mo/Ni/W/Li/AI/Si species bonded to the alumina support were also investigated by quantum mechanics, and it was found that the different electronic effects of Co and Ni might bring forth some obvious influences on the interaction between the support and the active phase. And the results of comparing the intensity of Co/Mo/Ni/W/Li/AI/Si species bonded to the support can also explain the different interaction intensity in various catalyst systems.

Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy with Active Phase Management

Two-dimensional elec tronic spec troscopy(2DES)is a powerful met hod to probe the coherent electron dynamics in complicated systems.Stabilizing the phase difference of the incident ultrashort pulses is the mos t challenging par t for experimen tal demonstration of 2DES.Here,we present a tuto rial review on the 2DES proto cols based on active phase managements which are originally developed for quantum optics experiments.We introduce the 2DES techniques in box and pump-probe geometries with phase stabilization realized by interferometry,and outline the fully collinear 2DES approach with the frequency tagging by acoustic optical modulators and frequency combs.The combination of active phase managements,ultrashort pulses and other spectroscopic methods may open new opportunities to tackle essential challenges related to excited states.

One-step preparation of efficient cuprous chloride catalyst for direct synthesis of trimethoxysilane

CuCl-based catalysts are the most commonly used catalysts for the“direct synthesis”of trimethoxysilane(M3).CuCl species are sensitive to air and water,and are prone to oxidation deactivation.When CuCl is directly used as a catalyst,it needs to be purified before the utilization,and the operating conditions for the catalyst preparation are relatively harsh,requiring the inert gas environment.Considering a high-temperature activation step required for CuCl-based catalysts used for catalyzing synthesis of M3 to form active phase Cu–Si alloys(Cu_(x)Si)with Si powder,in this work,a series of catalysts for the“direct synthesis”of M3 were obtained by a one-step high-temperature activation of the mixture of stable CuCl_(2) precursors,activated carbon-reducing agent,and Si powder,simultaneously achieving the reduction of CuCl_(2) to CuCl and the formation of active phase Cu_(x)Si alloys of CuCl with Si powder.The prepared samples were characterized through various characterization techniques,and investigated for the catalytic performance for the“direct synthesis”of M3.Moreover,the operation conditions were optimized,including the activation temperature,catalyst dosage,Si powder particle size,and reaction temperature.The characterization results indicate that during the one-step activation process,the CuCl_(2) precursor is reduced to CuCl,and the resulting CuCl simultaneously reacts with Si powder to form active phases Cu3Si and Cu15Si4 alloys.The optimal catalyst Sacm(250,0.8:10)exhibits a good catalytic activity with selectivity of 95%and yield of 77%for M3,and shows a good universality for various alcohol substrates.Furthermore,the catalytic mechanism of the prepared catalyst for the“direct synthesis”of M3 was discussed.

Recent advances in understanding the key catalyst factors for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Catalytic conversion of synthesis gas （CO＋H2） into hydrocarbons, also known as Fischer-Tropsch （FT） synthesis, is a crucial reaction for the translbrmation of non-petroleum carbon resources such as coal, natural gas, shale gas, coal-bed gas and biogas, as well as biomass into liquid fuels and chemicals. Many factors can influence the catalytic behavior of a FT catalyst. This review highlights recent advances in understanding some key catalyst factors, including the chemical state of active phases, the promoters, the size and the microenvironment of active phase, which determine the CO conversion activity and the product selectivity, particularly the selectivity to C5 ＋ hydrocarbons.

Recent advances in application of iron‐based catalysts for CO_(x) hydrogenation to value‐added hydrocarbons

The widespread utilization of fossil fuels has caused an associated increase in CO_(2) emissions over the past few decades,which has resulted in global warming and ocean acidification.CO hydrogenation(Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis,FTS)is considered a significant route for the production of liquid fuels and chemicals from nonpetroleum sources to meet worldwide demand.Conversion of CO_(2) with renewable H_(2) into valuable hydrocarbons is beneficial for reducing dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating the negative effects of high CO_(2) concentrations in the atmosphere.Iron‐based catalysts exhibit superior catalytic performance in both FTS and CO_(2) hydrogenation to value‐added hydrocarbons.The abundance and low cost of iron‐based catalysts also promote their wide application in CO_(x) hydrogenation.This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the significant developments in the application of iron‐based catalysts in these two fields.The active phases,promoter effect,and support of iron‐based catalysts are discussed in the present paper.Based on understanding of these three essential aspects,we also cover recent advances in the design and preparation of novel iron‐based catalysts for FTS and CO_(2) hydrogenation.Current challenges and future catalytic applications are also outlined.

Phase transformation behavior of titanium during carbothermic reduction of titanomagnetite ironsand

The reduction of titanomagnetite（TTM） ironsand, which contains 11.41wt% TiO_2 and 55.63wt% total Fe, by graphite was performed using a thermogravimetric analysis system under an argon gas atmosphere at 1423–1623 K. The behavior and effects of titanium in TTM ironsand during the reduction process were investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. During the reduction procedure, the titanium concentrated in the slag phase, where the phase transformation followed this sequence： Fe O ＋ FeTiO_3 → Fe_2 TiO_4 → FeTiO_3 → FeTi_2O_5 → TiO_2. The calculated results for the reduction kinetics showed that the carbothermic reduction was controlled by the diffusion of ions through the product layer. Furthermore, the apparent activation energy was 170.35 k J·mol^（-1）.

Changing Trends in Rate of Cervical Dilation in First Stage of Labor: Prospective Longitudinal Study

Introduction: Knowledge of change in the duration of stages of labour would be an essential step to reduce the increasing rates of cesarean section reported worldwide. Objective: To study the rate of cervical dilation in the 1st stage of labour in spontaneous and induced labour and in primigravida and multigravida with singleton pregnancy. Methods: A prospective observational study conducted at a multispeciality hospital was carried out for a period of 3 years from Jan 2017 to Dec 2019. A total of 640 patients who were admitted with spontaneous and induced labour having singleton pregnancy with cephalic presentation and intact membranes after 34 weeks who delivered vaginally were included for analysis. Progression of labor in the 1st stage of labour was measured by the rate of cervical dilation as noted by serial per vaginal examination and findings were plotted in partograph. Result: The difference between mean rate of cervical dilation in the study group is statistically significant between 4 - 6 cm and 6 - 10 cm (P < 0.0001). When primigravida & multigravida patients were compared for the cervical dilation rate, statistically significant difference was seen between 4 - 6 cm but not in 6 - 10 cm. Average rate of cervical dilatation was 3.44 (Standard Deviation (SD) = 1.84) in spontaneous labor while average rate of cervical dilatation was 2.69 (SD = 1.18) in induced labor between 6 - 10 cm of cervical dilatation. Conclusion: The active phase of labour starts at 6 cm of cervical dilation in the majority of the patients. In multigravida, cervix dilates at faster rate before 6 cm. In induced labour cervix dilates at a slower rate than spontaneous labour after 6 cm dilation.

Effect of Sulfurization Temperature on Thioetherification Performance of Mo-Ni/Al_2O_3 Catalyst

The Mo modified Ni/Al_2O_3 catalysts were prepared and sulfided at different temperatures, and their catalytic activity for thioetherification of mercaptans and olefins(or dienes), hydrogenation of dienes and olefins in the thioetherification process using fluidized catalytic cracking(FCC) naphtha as the feedstock was investigated. In order to disclose the correlation between the physicochemical characteristics of catalysts and their catalytic activity, the surface structures and properties of the catalysts sulfided at different temperatures were characterized by the high resolution transmission electronic microscopy(HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and H2-temperature programmed reduction(H_2-TPR) technique. The results showed that an increase of sulfurization temperature not only could promote the sulfurization degree of active metals on the catalysts, but also could adjust the micro-morphology of active species. These changes could improve the catalytic performance of thioetherification, and hydrogenation of dienes and olefins. However, an excess sulfurization temperature was more easily to upgrade the ability of the catalyst for hydrogenation of olefins, which could lead to a decrease of the octane number of the product. It was also showed that a moderate sulfurization temperature not only could improve the catalytic performance of thioetherification and hydrogenation of dienes but also could control hydrogenation of olefins.

Continuous Flow Reactor for Hydroxylation of Benzene to Phenol by Hydrogen Peroxide

The direct hydroxylation of benzene to phenol catalyzed by activated carbon-supported Fe （Fe/AC） in acetonitrile using H2O2 as the oxidant was studied in a continuous flow reactor. Results showed that the continuous operation could obtain high phenol yield of 28.1%, coupled with the turnover frequency of 3 h^-1, and high selectivity of 98% under mild condition. The catalyst was characterized by N2 adsorption/desorption, Boehm titration, X-ray photoelectron spectra, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was observed that iron may interact with the carboxyl group forming iron-carboxylate like species, which act as the active phase. The apparent activation energy obtained by fitting an Arrhenius model to the experimental data was 13.4 kJ/mol. The reaction order was calculated to be about i, 0.2 for benzene and 0.7 for H202.

Manipulation of Terahertz Radiation Using Vanadium Dioxide

Vanadium dioxide （VO2） is a phase transition material which undergoes a reversible metal-insulator transition （MIT） when triggered by thermal, photo, electrical, and even stress. The huge conduction change of VO2 renders it a promising material for terahertz （THz） manipulation. In this paper, some interesting works concerning the growth and characteristics of the VO2 film are selectively reviewed. A switching of THz radiation by photo-driven VO2 film is demonstrated. Experiments indicate an ultrafast optical switching to THz transmission within 8 picoseconds, and a switching ratio reaches to over 80%during a wide frequency range from 0.3 THz to 2.5 THz.

Revealing active species of CePO_(4)catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NO_(x)with NH_(3)

Revealing the active species of the catalyst is conducive to the design of more efficient catalyst.Herein,we tried to demonstrate the roles of amorphous and crystalline structures on CePO_(4)catalyst during selective catalytic reduction(SCR)of NO_(x)by NH_(3).Higher calcination temperature promotes the transfer of amorphous structure to crystalline structure on the surface of CePO_(4).Both amorphous and crystalline CePO_(4)species on CePO-X samples can provide acid sites for NH_(3)adsorption,but the former can provide more acid sites.The superior redox property of surface amorphous CePO_(4)species contributes to its high NH_(3)-SCR activity at low temperature,but it also leads to the decrease of high temperature(>350℃)NH_(3)-SCR activity due to the oxidation of NH_(3).In contrast,crystalline CePO_(4)species shows high activity only at high temperature because of its poor redox property.Therefo re,it can be inferred that amo rphous and crystalline structures on CePO_(4)catalyst can be the efficient active species of NH_(3)-SCR at low and high temperature,respectively.

Synthesis of Iron-Carbide Nanoparticles:Identification of the Active Phase and Mechanism of Fe-Based Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

Despite the extensive study of the Fe-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis(FTS)over the past 90 years,its active phases and reaction mechanisms are still unclear due to the coexistence of metals,oxides,and carbide phases presented under realistic FTS reaction conditions and the complex reaction network involving CO activation,C-C coupling,and methane formation.To address these issues,we successfully synthesized a range of pure-phase iron and iron-carbide nanoparticles(Fe,Fe_(5)C_(2),Fe_(3)C,and Fe_(7)C_(3))for the first time.By using them as the ideal model catalysts on high-pressure transient experiments,we identified unambiguously that all the iron carbides are catalytically active in the FTS reaction while Fe_(5)C_(2) is the most active yet stable carbide phase,consistent with density functional theory(DFT)calculation results.The reaction mechanism and kinetics of Fe-based FTS were further explored on the basis of those model catalysts by means of transient high-pressure stepwise temperature-programmed surface reaction(STPSR)experiments and DFT calculations.Our work provides new insights into the active phase of iron carbides and corresponding FTS reaction mechanism,which is essential for better iron-based catalyst design for FTS reactions.