Triboelectric‘electrostatic tweezers'for manipulating droplets on lubricated slippery surfaces prepared by femtosecond laser processing

The use of‘Electrostatic tweezers'is a promising tool for droplet manipulation,but it faces many limitations in manipulating droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces.Here,we achieve noncontact and multifunctional droplet manipulation on Nepenthes-inspired lubricated slippery surfaces via triboelectric electrostatic tweezers(TETs).The TET manipulation of droplets on a slippery surface has many advantages over electrostatic droplet manipulation on a superhydrophobic surface.The electrostatic field induces the redistribution of the charges inside the neutral droplet,which causes the triboelectric charged rod to drive the droplet to move forward under the electrostatic force.Positively or negatively charged droplets can also be driven by TET based on electrostatic attraction and repulsion.TET enables us to manipulate droplets under diverse conditions,including anti-gravity climb,suspended droplets,corrosive liquids,low-surface-tension liquids(e.g.ethanol with a surface tension of 22.3 mN·m^(-1)),different droplet volumes(from 100 nl to 0.5 ml),passing through narrow slits,sliding over damaged areas,on various solid substrates,and even droplets in an enclosed system.Various droplet-related applications,such as motion guidance,motion switching,droplet-based microreactions,surface cleaning,surface defogging,liquid sorting,and cell labeling,can be easily achieved with TETs.

Electrostatic Attraction and Repulsion Explained and Modelled Mathematically Using Classical Physics—A Detailed Mechanism Based on Particle Wave Functions

The phenomenon of electrical attraction and repulsion between charged particles is well known, and described mathematically by Coulomb’s Law, yet until now there has been no explanation for why this occurs. There has been no mechanistic explanation that reveals what causes the charged particles to accelerate, either towards or away from each other. This paper gives a detailed explanation of the phenomena of electrical attraction and repulsion based on my previous work that determined the exact wave-function solutions for both the Electron and the Positron. It is revealed that the effects are caused by wave interactions between the wave functions that result in Electromagnetic reflections of parts of the particle’s wave functions, causing a change in their momenta.

Design and performance test of a novel UAV air-assisted electrostatic centrifugal spraying system

In order to improve the deposition and uniformity of the pesticide sprayed by the agricultural spraying drone,this study designed a novel spraying system,combining air-assisted spraying system with electrostatic technology.First,an air-assisted electrostatic centrifugal spray system was designed for agricultural spraying drones,including a shell,a diversion shell,and an electrostatic ring.Then,experiments were conducted to optimize the setting of the main parameters that affect the charge-to-mass ratio,and outdoor spraying experiments were carried out on the spraying effect of the air-assisted electrostatic centrifugal spray system.The results showed the optimum parameters were that the centrifugal rotation speed was 10000 r/min,the spray pressure was 0.3 MPa,the fan rotation speed was 14000 r/min,and the electrostatic generator voltage was 9 kV;The optimum charge-to-mass ratio of the spray system was 2.59 mC/kg.The average deposition density of droplets on the collecting platform was 366.1 particles/cm^(2) on the upper layer,345.1 particles/cm^(2) on the middle layer,and 322.5 particles/cm^(2) on the lower layer.Compared to the results of uncharged droplets on the upper,middle,and lower layers,the average deposition density was increased by 34.9%,30.4%,and 30.2%,respectively,and the uniformity of the distribution of the droplets at different collection points was better.

Monolayer MoS_(2)Fabricated by In Situ Construction of Interlayer Electrostatic Repulsion Enables Ultrafast Ion Transport in Lithium-Ion Batteries

High theoretical capacity and unique layered structures make MoS_(2)a promising lithium-ion battery anode material.However,the anisotropic ion transport in layered structures and the poor intrinsic conductivity of MoS_(2)lead to unacceptable ion transport capability.Here,we propose in-situ construction of interlayer electrostatic repulsion caused by Co^(2+)substituting Mo^(4+)between MoS_(2)layers,which can break the limitation of interlayer van der Waals forces to fabricate monolayer MoS_(2),thus establishing isotropic ion transport paths.Simultaneously,the doped Co atoms change the electronic structure of monolayer MoS_(2),thus improving its intrinsic conductivity.Importantly,the doped Co atoms can be converted into Co nanoparticles to create a space charge region to accelerate ion transport.Hence,the Co-doped monolayer MoS_(2)shows ultrafast lithium ion transport capability in half/full cells.This work presents a novel route for the preparation of monolayer MoS_(2)and demonstrates its potential for application in fast-charging lithium-ion batteries.

Designing Artemisinins with Antimalarial Potential, Combining Molecular Electrostatic Potential, Ligand-Heme Interaction and Multivariate Models

Artemisinins tested against W-2 strains of malaria falciparum are investigated with molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), in an attempt to identify key features of the compounds that are necessary for their activities, as well as to investigate likely interactions with the receptor in a biological process and to use that information to propose new molecules. In order to discover the best geometry involving the ligand-receptor complexes (heme) studied and help in the proposition of the new derivatives, molecular simulations of interactions between the most negative charged region around the peroxide and heme locates (the ones around the Fe2+ ion) were carried out. In addition, PCA (principal components analysis), HCA (hierarchical cluster analysis), SDA (stepwise discriminant analysis), and KNN (K-nearest neighbor) multivariate models were employed to investigate which descriptors are responsible for the classification between the higher and lower antimalarial activity of the compounds, and also this information was used to propose new potentially active molecules. The information accumulated in studies of MEP, molecular docking, and multivariate analysis supported the proposal of new structures with potential antimalarial activities. The multivariate models constructed were applied to the new structures and indicated numbers 19 and 20 as the most prominent for syntheses and biological assays.

Spray Characteristics of Non-Circular Nozzle in Air-Assisted Injection System

In order to analyze the spray characteristics of non-circular nozzle holes based on the air-assisted spray system, the spray characteristics of circular and non-circular nozzles were studied under the pressure of 0.2-0.6 MPa and the spray volume of 1000-5000 mL/h. Elliptical nozzle and triangular nozzle are classified as non-circular geometries. The spray cone angle was measured by processing the spray image captured by a CCD camera. The measured spray cone angles of the circular nozzles were analyzed, and the axis switching phenomenon of minor plane of elliptical nozzle was found during the test. Among the three shapes of nozzles, the elliptical nozzle had the largest spray cone angle, and the triangular nozzle had the smallest. The velocity field obtained depended on the PIV system. The results show that for axial velocity, elliptical orifice spray has greater kinetic energy and smaller droplet size under the same working parameters. Compared with the circular and elliptical nozzles, triangular orifice reached maximum spray velocity the fastest, but its velocity decay was the fastest. For radial velocity, away from the axis, the spray velocity of the elliptical orifice was less affected by the injection parameters, and the velocity was less than that of circular orifice and triangle orifice. Increasing air pressure will weaken radial propagation. The increase of liquid spraying rate had no remarkable effect on the increase of spraying rate. The results of particle size analysis show that the particle size of the non-circular orifice is reduced compared with that of the circular orifice, which promotes the breakup of droplets to a certain extent and enhances the atomization effect.

A new electromagnetic probe array diagnostic for analyzing electrostatic and magnetic fluctuations in EAST plasmas

A novel electromagnetic probe array(EMPA) diagnostic, which consists of a magnetic probe array and an electrostatic probe array, has recently been developed on EAST. The EMPA is fixed near the first wall at horizontal port P. The magnetic probe array of the EMPA consists of 24 identical magnetic probes, each of them capable of measuring toroidal, poloidal and radial magnetic fluctuations simultaneously, providing additional toroidal magnetic fluctuation measurements compared with the regular magnetic probes on EAST. With a higher sampling rate and self-resonant frequency, the EMPA magnetic probes can provide higher frequency magnetic fluctuation measurements. The magnetic probe array of the EMPA is composed of two parallel layers of magnetic probes with a radial distance of 63 mm, and each layer of magnetic probes is arranged in four poloidal rows and three toroidal columns. The compact arrangement of the EMPA magnetic probe array largely improves the toroidal mode number measurement ability from-8≤ n≤ 8 to-112≤ n≤ 112, and also improves the high poloidal wave number measurement ability of magnetic fluctuations compared with the regular high frequency magnetic probes on EAST. The electrostatic probe array of the EMPA consists of two sets of four-tip probes and a single-tip probe array with three poloidal rows and four toroidal columns. It complements the electrostatic parameter measurements behind the main limiter and near the first wall in EAST. The engineering details of the EMPA diagnostic, including the mechanical system, the electrical system, the acquisition and control system, and the effective area calibration, are presented. The preliminary applications of the EMPA in L-mode and H-mode discharges on EAST have demonstrated that the EMPA works well for providing information on the magnetic and electrostatic fluctuations and can contribute to deeper physical analysis in future EAST experiments.

Enhancement of holding voltage by a modified low-voltage trigger silicon-controlled rectifier structure for electrostatic discharge protection

A novel structure of low-voltage trigger silicon-controlled rectifiers(LVTSCRs) with low trigger voltage and high holding voltage is proposed for electrostatic discharge(ESD) protection. The proposed ESD protection device possesses an ESD implant and a floating structure. This improvement enhances the current discharge capability of the gate-grounded NMOS and weakens the current gain of the silicon-controlled rectifier current path. According to the simulation results, the proposed device retains a low trigger voltage characteristic of LVTSCRs and simultaneously increases the holding voltage to 5.53 V, providing an effective way to meet the ESD protection requirement of the 5 V CMOS process.

Fabrication of electrostatic safety copper azide film with in situ growing MOF

Due to its extremely low electrostatic sensitivity,copper azide primary explosive is greatly limited in practical applications.In this study,a composite film with Cu-MOF in-situ growth on carbon nanofilm was prepared by electrospinning and solvothermal methods,and CNF@Cu-N3film with electrostatic safety was obtained by carbonization and azide later.Its electrostatic sensitivity(E50)was greatly increased from 0.05 mJ of raw materials to 4.06 mJ,and still maintained a good detonation performance which could successfully detonate the CL-20 secondary explosive.This is mainly due to the synergistic effect of the carbon film and the MOF structure,which greatly improves the conductivity of the entire system and the uniform distribution of copper particles,providing a new preparation strategy for metal azide film that is suitable for the micro-initiator device.

Dynamic electrostatic-discharge path investigation relied on different impact energies in metal-oxide-semiconductor circuits

Gate-grounded n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor(GGNMOS)devices have been widely implemented as power clamps to protect semiconductor devices from electrostatic discharge stress owing to their simple construction,easy triggering,and low power dissipation.We present a novel I-V characterization of the GGNMOS used as the power clamp in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor circuits as a result of switching the ESD paths under different impact energies.This special effect could cause an unexpected latch-up or pre-failure phenomenon in some applications with relatively large capacitances from power supply to power ground,and thus should be urgently analyzed and resolved.Transmission-linepulse,human-body-modal,and light-emission tests were performed to explore the root cause.

Assessment of Lubrication Property and Machining Performance of Nanofluid Composite Electrostatic Spraying(NCES)Using Different Types of Vegetable Oils as Base Fluids of External Fluid

The current study of minimum quantity lubrication(MQL)concentrates on its performance improvement.By contrast with nanofluid MQL and electrostatic atomization(EA),the proposed nanofluid composite electrostatic spraying(NCES)can enhance the performance of MQL more comprehensively.However,it is largely influenced by the base fluid of external fluid.In this paper,the lubrication property and machining performance of NCES with different types of vegetable oils(castor,palm,soybean,rapeseed,and LB2000 oil)as the base fluids of external fluid were compared and evaluated by friction and milling tests under different flow ratios of external and internal fluids.The spraying current and electrowetting angle were tested to analyze the influence of vegetable oil type as the base fluid of external fluid on NCES performances.The friction test results show that relative to NCES with other vegetable oils as the base fluids of external fluid,NCES with LB2000 as the base fluid of external fluid reduced the friction coefficient and wear loss by 9.4%-27.7%and 7.6%-26.5%,respectively.The milling test results display that the milling force and milling temperature for NCES with LB2000 as the base fluid of external fluid were 1.4%-13.2%and 3.6%-11.2%lower than those for NCES with other vegetable oils as the base fluids of external fluid,respectively.When LB2000/multi-walled carbon nanotube(MWCNT)water-based nanofluid was used as the external/internal fluid and the flow ratio of external and internal fluids was 2:1,NCES showed the best milling performance.This study provides theoretical and technical support for the selection of the base fluid of NCES external fluid.

A Unified Definition of Electrostatic and Magnetic Fields

This article originates from the observation that field lines are drawn using distinctive rules in magnetic field and electrostatic fields. It aims at reconciliating the definitions of these fields and thus reaching a consensus on the interpretation of field lines. Our unified field definition combines three orthogonal vectors and a unique scalar value. Field lines are then defined as isovalue lines of the scalar value, rendering it simpler to interpret in both field types. Specific to our field definition is the use of square root of vector’s cross product so that all vectors have the same physical unit. This enhanced field definition also enables a more efficient calculation of Biot-Savart law. This article is the first of a series allowing the drawing of isovalue contour lines.

Effects of Different Parameters of Electrostatic Field on Removal of Ethylene in Fruit and Vegetable Storage Environment

[Objectives]The effects of different parameters of electrostatic field on the removal of ethylene from fruit and vegetable storage environment were studied. [Methods]The high voltage electrostatic field technology was used to simulate the removal of ethylene from fruit and vegetable storages, and its influencing factors were tested and analyzed. [Results] The removal effect of needle-plate electrodes was better than that of needle electrodes. The removal effect of ethylene at high voltage was better than that at low voltage. The length of gas chamber was positively correlated with the time required for ethylene removal. Increasing the voltage could produce more ozone, thus improving the removal effect of ethylene. [Conclusions] This study provides theoretical basis and technical support for the use of high-voltage electrostatic field to remove ethylene in controlled atmosphere storages.

Modeling and Analysis of a Micromotor with an Electrostatically Levitated Rotor

The modeling and evaluation of a prototype rotary micromotor where the annular rotor is supported electrostatically in five degrees of freedom is presented in order to study the behavior of this levitated micromotor and further optimize the device geometry. The analytical torque model is obtained based on the principle of a planar variable-capacitance electrostatic motor while the viscous damping caused by air film between the stator and rotor is derived using laminar Couette flow model. Simulation results of the closed-loop drive motor, based on the developed dynamic model after eliminating mechanical friction torque via electrostatic suspension, are presented. The effects of the high-voltage drive, required for rotation of the rotor, on overload capacity and suspension stiffness of the electrostatic bearing system are also analytically evaluated in an effort to determine allowable drive voltage and attainable rotor speed in operation. The analytical results show that maximum speed of the micromotor is limited mainly by viscous drag torque and stiffness of the bearing system. Therefore, it is expected to operate the device in vacuum so as to increase the rotor speed significantly, especially for those electrostatically levitated micromotors to be used as an angular rate micro-gyroscope.

Effect of electrostatic field on seed germination and seedling growth of Sorbus pohuashanesis

A study was conducted to determine the effects of electrostatic field （ESF） treatment on seed germination and seedling growth of Sorbus pohuashanesis. The experiments were arranged by uniform design computed by the Data Processing System （DPS）, including three levels of seeds soaking time, four levels of ESF intensity and four levels of ESF treatment time, with 12 treatments. Ten seeds were used in each treatment with three replicates. Seed vigor, seed germinating ability, emergence rate of seedling, survival rate of seedling, and seedling height and diameter, as well as the change in activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, soluble protein contents, total chlorophyll contents, soluble total sugar contents in leaves of S. pohuashanensis seedlings were measured after ESF treatments. The experiment results show that ESF treatment could improve the water absorption ability of dry seeds of S. pohuashanensis, resulting in fast germination at room temperature under light conditions. Combined treatment of ESF with cold stratification could increase seed germination percentage significantly （to 42.20%）, promote seedling height growth, affect leaf SOD activity, and could raise contents of total chlorophyll, soluble protein, and total soluble sugar in leaves. Seed soaking time had a significant effect on seed relative electroconductivity, seed germination under light, SOD activity, soluble protein content and total soluble sugar content of seedling leaves. ESF intensity exerted a moderate effect on these indexes. ESF treatment time only had significant effect on total chlorophyll contents, no evident effect on other indexes.

Electrostatic-lenses position-sensitive TOF MCP detector for beam diagnostics and new scheme for mass measurements at HIAF

A foil–microchannel plate(MCP)detector,which uses electrostatic lenses and possesses both good position and timing resolutions,has been designed and simulated for beam diagnostics and mass measurements at the next-generation heavy-ion-beam facility HIAF in China.Characterized by low energy loss and good performances of timing and position measurements,it would be located at focal planes in fragment separator HFRS for position monitoring,beam turning,Bq measurement,and trajectory reconstruction.Moreover,it will benefit the building-up of a magnetic-rigidity–energy-loss–time-offlight(BqDETOF)method at HFRS for high-precision in-flight particle identification of radioactive isotope beams on an event-by-event basis.Most importantly,the detector can be utilized for in-ring TOF and position measurements,beam-line TOF measurements at two achromatic foci,and position measurements at a dispersive focus of HFRS,thus making it possible to use two complementary mass measurement methods[isochronous mass spectrometry at the storage ring SRing and magnetic-rigidity–time-of-flight(BqTOF)at the beam-line HFRS]in one single experimental run.

Effect of High Voltage Electrostatic Fields on Post-Harvest Quality of Strawberry Fruit

The paper studied the effect of high-voltage electrostatic fields on the postharvest quality of strawberries. The results showed that the respiration rate decreased significantly, the content of soluble solids kept at high level, and the activities of polygalacturonase and cx-cellulase decreased, while the fruit firmness declined slowly. On the seventh day of storage, the rotten rate of strawberries treated by HVEF was 5%, the control group was 15%.

A Versatile Method for Uniform Dispersion of Nanocarbons in Metal Matrix Based on Electrostatic Interactions

Realizing the uniform dispersion of nanocarbons such as carbon nanotube and graphene in metals, is an essential prerequisite to fully exhibit their enhancement effect in mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of metal matrix composites(MMCs). In this work, we propose an effective method to achieve uniform distribution of nanocarbons in various metal flakes through a slurry-based method. It relies on the electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged nanocarbons and the positively charged metal flakes when mixed in slurry. For case study, flake metal powders(Al, Mg, Ti,Fe, and Cu) were positively charged in aqueous suspension by spontaneous ionization or cationic surface modification. While nanocarbons, given examples as carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotubes, pristine single-walled carbon nanotube, and carbon nanotube–graphene oxide hybrid were negatively charged by the ionization of oxygen-containing functional groups or anionic surfactant. It was found that through the electrostatic interaction mechanism, all kinds of nanocarbons can be spontaneously and efficiently adsorbed onto the surface of various metal flakes. The development of such a versatile method would provide us great opportunities to fabricate advanced MMCs with appealing properties.

Multi-stage Electrostatic Separation for Recovering of Aluminum from Fine Granules of Black Dross

Separation of aluminum from fine granules of black dross, which is a waste by-product in secondary aluminum production, was investigated. The separation was performed by a multi-stage electrostatic separation method. There are three stages to complete the separation, including preliminary separation, pulse charging enhancement and secondary concentration. Chemical and mineralogical compositions of collection products were analyzed and determined by X-ray diffraction(XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence(XRF). After multistage electrostatic separation, the Al2O3 content of the collection products increases from 50.74% to 69.77%.The mineralogical phase analysis indicates that the final recovery of metallic aluminum phase increases from 8%to 37%, and the aluminum oxide phase increases from 20% to 26%. The research results show the multi-stage electrostatic separation method is effective for recovering of aluminum from fine granules of black dross, and upgrades the black dross to a recoverable material.

Dynamic characteristics of charged droplets in an electrostatic spraying process with twin capillaries

The experimental and simulated investigations on electrostatic spraying with twin capillaries are carried out. The starting electric voltage required for the cone-jet and the deposition characteristics of the droplets are measured.The whole spraying process, which includes jet and droplet motions, is simulated and the simulated results on the motions of jet and droplet are basically consistent with the experiments. According to the simulated results,the contributions of various electric forces to droplet movement are quantitatively analyzed and the droplet dynamic characteristics, especially the interaction mechanism between two sprays, are revealed. The test results on the droplet deposition characteristics partially support the simulated results on the droplet motion. The present work is useful for a better understanding on the interaction between sprays in double or multi-capillary system.