CONFINING PRESSURE EFFECT ON ACOUSTIC EMISSIONS IN ROCK FAILURE

Based on the phenomenon that acoustic emissions (AE) generated by rock mass increase suddenly because of underground excavation, time sequence of AE rate in rock failure has been discussed by using statistical damage theory. It has been demonstrated that how the influence of confining pressure on the deformation behavior and AE characteristics in rocks can be inferred from a simple mechanics model. The results show that loading confining pressure sharply brings out increasing of AE. On the other hand, few AE emits when confining pressure is loaded sharply, and AE occurs again when axial pressure keeps on increasing. These results have been well simulated with computer and show close correspondence with directly measured curves in experiments.

Dielectric Confinement Effect on Calculating the Band Gap of PbSe Quantum Dots

Considering the dielectric confinement effect on excitonics of PbSe quantum dots （QDs）, a correction factor in the wave function was introduced to propose a new band gap calculation model for QDs. The modified model showed great consistency with the experimental data, especially in small size range. According to the variation of confined barrier, the band gap calculation model of PbSe QDs was analyzed in different solvents. The calculating results showed that the modified model was almost solvent-independent, which was consistent with our experimental results and related reports.

High-performance Si-Containing anode materials in lithium-ion batteries: A superstructure of Si@Co-NC composite works effectively

To mitigate the massive volume expansion of Si-based anode during the charge/discharge cycles,we synthesized a superstructure of Si@Co±NC composite via the carbonization of zeolite imidazolate frameworks incorporated with Si nanoparticles.The Si@Co±NC is comprised of Sinanoparticle core and N-doped/Co-incorporated carbon shell,and there is void space between the core and the shell.When using as anode material for LIBs,Si@Co±NC displayed a super performance with a charge/discharge capacity of 191.6/191.4 mA h g^(-1)and a coulombic efficiency of 100.1%at 1000 mA g^(-1)after 3000 cycles,and the capacity loss rate is 0.022%per cycle only.The excellent electrochemical property of Si@Co±NC is because its electronic conductivity is enhanced by doping the carbon shell with N atoms and by incorporating with Co particles,and the pathway of lithium ions transmission is shortened by the hollow structure and abundant mesopores in the carbon shell.Also,the volume expansion of Si nanoparticles is well accommodated in the void space and suppressed by the carbon host matrix.This work shows that,through designing a superstructure for the anode materials,we can synergistically reduce the work function and introduce the confinement effect,thus significantly enhancing the anode materials’electrochemical performance in LIBs.

Phonon Confinement Effect in Two-dimensional Nanocrystallites of Monolayer MoS_2 to Probe Phonon Dispersion Trends Away from Brillouin-Zone Center

The fundamental momentum conservation requirement q - 0 for the Raman process is relaxed in the nanocrystal- lites （NCs）, and phonons away from the Brillouin-zone center will be involved in the Raman scattering, which is well-known as the phonon confinement effect in NCs. This usually gives a downshift and asymmetric broadening of the Raman peak in various NCs. Recently, the A1 mode of 1L MoS2 NCs is found to exhibit a blue shift and asymmetric broadening toward the high-frequency side [Chem. Soc. Rev. 44 （2015） 2757 and Phys. Rev. B 91 （2015） 195411]. In this work, we carefully check this issue by studying Raman spectra of lL MoS2 NCs prepared by the ion implantation technique in a wide range of ion-implanted dosage. The same confinement coefficient is used for both E＇ and A＇1 modes in 1L MoS2 NCs since the phonon uncertainty in an NC is mainly determined by its domain size. The asymmetrical broadening near the A＇1 and E＇ modes is attributed to the appearance of defect-activated phonons at the zone edge and the intrinsic asymmetrical broadening of the two modes, where the anisotropy of phonon dispersion curves along Г-K and Г- M is also considered. The photoluminescence spectra confirm the formation of small domain size of 1L MoS2 nanocrystallites in the ion-implanted 1L MoS2. This study provides not only an approach to quickly probe phonon dispersion trends of 2D materials away from Г by the Raman scattering of the corresponding NCs, but also a reference to completely understand the confinement effect of different modes in various nanomaterials.

Solid-gas interface thermal conductance for the thermal barrier coating with surface roughness:The confinement effect

The yttria-stabilized zirconia(YSZ)is a famous thermal barrier coating material to protect hot-end components of an engine.As a characteristic feature of the YSZ,the surface roughness shall play an important role in the interface thermal conductance between the YSZ and gas,considering that the gas is typically at an extremely high temperature.We investigate the effect of the surface roughness on the thermal conductance of the YSZ-gas interface with surface roughness described by nanoscale pores on the surface of the YSZ.We reveal two competitive mechanisms related to the microstructure of the pore,i.e.,the actual contact area effect and the confinement effect.The increase of the pore depth will enlarge the actual contact area between the YSZ and gas,leading to enhancement of the solid-gas interface thermal conductance.In contrast to the positive actual contact area effect,the geometry-induced confinement effect greatly reduces the interface thermal conductance.These findings shall offer some fundamental understandings for the microscopic mechanisms of the YSZ-gas interface thermal conductance.

Anion type-dependent confinement effect on glass transitions of solutions of LiTFSI and LiFSI

We present findings on the effect of nanometer-sized silica-based pores on the glass transition of aqueous solutions of lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide(LiTFSI)and lithium difluorosulfimide(LiFSI),respectively.Our experimental results demonstrate a clear dependence of the confinement effect on the anion type,particularly for water-rich solutions,in which the precipitation of crystalized ice under cooling process induces the formation of freeze-concentrated phase confined between pore wall and core ice.As this liquid layer becomes thinner,the freeze-concentrated phase experiences glass transition at increasingly higher temperatures in solutions of LiTFSI.However,differently,for solutions of LiFSI and LiCl,this secondary confinement has a negligible effect on the glass transition of solutions confined wherein.These different behaviors emphasize the obvious difference in the dynamic properties’response of LiTFSI and LiFSI solutions to spatial confinement and particularly to the presence of the hydrophilic pore wall.

Analysis on porous Si PL from quantum confinement effect

We have measured the variation of photoluminescence(PL) in porous silicon with anodization(AO) time,HF soak time or natural oxidation time,and found that the peak value of PL spectrum will shift towards shorter value as above time is increased.The analyses in experiment and theory show that the quantum confined structures produced by the AO process may be responsible for the blue shift.

Research on Electric Field Confinement Effect in Silicon LED Fabricated by Standard CMOS Technology

The wedge-shaped and leaf-type silicon light-emitting devices(LED)are designed and fabricated with the Singapore Chartered Semi Inc.'s dual-gate standard 0.35μm CMOS process.The basic structure of the two devices is N well-P+ junction.P+ area is the wedge-shaped structure,which is embedded in N well.The leaf-type silicon LED device is a combination of the three wedge-shaped LED devices.The main difference between the two devices is their different electrode distribution,which is mainly in order to analyze the application of electric field confinement(EFC).The devices' micrographs were measured with the Olympus IC test microscope.The forward and reverse bias electrical characteristics of the devices were tested.Light measurements of the devices show that the electrode layout is very important when the electric field confinement is applied.

Mechanistic investigation on Ag-Cu_(2)O in electrocatalytic CO_(2) to CH_(4) by in situ/operando spectroscopic and theoretical analysis

Silver-copper electrocatalysts have demonstrated effectively catalytic performance in electroreduction CO_(2) toward CH_(4),yet a revealing insight into the reaction pathway and mechanism has remained elusive.Herein,we construct chemically bonded Ag-Cu_(2)O boundaries,in which the complete reduction of Cu_(2)O to Cu has been strongly impeded owing to the presence of surface Ag shell.The interfacial confinement effect helps to maintain Cu^(+)sites at the Ag-Cu_(2)O boundaries.Using in situ/operando spectroscopy and theoretical simulations,it is revealed that CO_(2) is enriched at the Ag-Cu_(2)O boundaries due to the enhanced physisorption and chemisorption to CO_(2),activating CO_(2) to form the stable intermediate^(*)CO.The boundaries between Ag shell and the Cu_(2)O mediate local^(*)CO coverage and promote^(*)CHO intermediate formation,consequently facilitating CO_(2)-to-CH_(4) conversion.This work not only reveals the structure-activity relationships but also offers insights into the reaction mechanism on Ag-Cu catalysts for efficient electrocatalytic CO_(2) reduction.

Tandem Lewis acid catalysis for the conversion of alkenes to 1,2‐diols in the confined space of bifunctional TiSn‐Beta zeolite

The generation of multifunctional isolated active sites in zeolite supports is an attractive method for integrating multistep sequential reactions into a single‐pass tandem catalytic reaction.In this study,bifunctional TiSn‐Beta zeolite was prepared by a simple and scalable post‐synthesis approach,and it was utilized as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the tandem conversion of alkenes to 1,2‐diols.The isolated Ti and Sn Lewis acid sites within the TiSn‐Beta zeolite can efficiently integrate alkene epoxidation and epoxide hydration in tandem in a zeolite microreactor to achieve one‐step conversion of alkenes to 1,2‐diols with a high selectivity of>90%.Zeolite confinement effects result in high tandem rates of alkene epoxidation and epoxide hydration as well as high selectivity toward the desired product.Further,the novel method demonstrated herein can be employed to other tandem catalytic reactions for sustainable chemical production.

Engineering heterogenous catalysts for chemical CO_(2) utilization:Lessons from thermal catalysis and advantages of yolk@shell structured nanoreactors

The development of catalytic materials for the recycling CO_(2) through a myriad of available processes is an attractive field,especially given the current climate change.While there is increasing publication in this field,the reported catalysts rarely deviate from the traditionally supported metal nanoparticle morphology,with the most simplistic method of enhancement being the addition of more metals to an already complex composition.Encapsulated catalysts,especially yolk@shell catalysts with hollow voids,offer answers to the most prominent issues faced by this field,coking and sintering,and further potential for more advanced phenomena,for example,the confinement effect,to promote selectivity or offer greater protection against coking and sintering.This work serves to demonstrate the current position of catalyst development in the fields of thermal CO_(2) reforming and hydrogenation,summarizing the most recent work available and most common metals used for these reactions,and how yolk@shell catalysts can offer superior performance and survivability in thermal CO_(2) reforming and hydrogenation to the more traditional structure.Furthermore,this work will briefly demonstrate the bespoke nature and highly variable yolk@shell structure.Moreover,this review aims to illuminate the spatial confinement effect and how it enhances yolk@shell structured nanoreactors is presented.

Compact Modeling for Inversion Charge in Nanoscale DG-MOSFETs

A compact model for the integrated inversion charge density Qi in double-gate （DG-） MOSFETs is developed. For nanoscale applications,quantum confinement of the inversion carriers must be taken into account. Based on the previous work of Ge, we establish an expression for the surface potential with respect to Qi, and form an implicit equation, from which Qi can be solved. Results predicted by our model are compared to published data as well as results from Schred,a popular 1D numerical solver that solves the Poisson＇s and Schr6dinger equa- tions self-consistently. Good agreement is obtained for a wide range of silicon layer thickness,confirming the supe- riority of this model over previous work in this field.

Mechanical behavior of deep sandstone under high stress-seepage coupling

The mechanical behavior evolution characteristics of sandstone are important to the application and practice of rock engineering.Therefore,a new method and concept of deep rock mechanics testing are proposed to reveal the mechanical behavior evolution mechanism of deep roadway surrounding rock after excavation with a depth over 1000 m.High stress-seepage coupling experiments of deep sandstone under various confining pressures are conducted using GCTS.Stress−strain and permeability curves are obtained.The three-stage mechanical behavior of deep sandstone is better characterized.A platform and secondary compaction phenomena are observed.With the confining pressure increasing,the platform length gradually decreases,even disappears.In the stade I,the rigid effect of deep sandstone is remarkable.In the stage II,radial deformation of deep sandstone dominates.The transient strain of confining pressure compliance is defined,which shows three-stage evolution characteristics.In the stage III,the radial deformation is greater than the axial deformation in the pre-peak stage,but the opposite trend is observed in the post-peak stage.It is found that the dynamic permeability can be more accurately characterized by the radial strain.The relations between the permeability and stress−strain curves in various stages are revealed.

Characterization and evaluation of brittleness of deep bedded sandstone from the perspective of the whole life-cycle evolution process

The quantitative determination and evaluation of rock brittleness are crucial for the estimation of excavation efficiency and the improvement of hydraulic fracturing efficiency.Therefore,a“three-stage”triaxial loading and unloading stress path is designed and proposed.Subsequently,six brittleness indices are selected.In addition,the evolution characteristics of the six brittleness indices selected are characterized based on the bedding effect and the effect of confining pressure.Then,the entropy weight method(EWM)is introduced to assign weight to the six brittleness indices,and the comprehensive brittleness index Bcis defined and evaluated.Next,the new brittleness classification standard is determined,and the brittleness differences between the two stress paths are quantified.Finally,compared with the previous evaluation methods,the rationality of the proposed comprehensive brittleness index Bcis also verified.These results indicate that the proposed brittleness index Bccan reflect the brittle characteristics of deep bedded sandstone from the perspective of the whole life-cycle evolution process.Accordingly,the method proposed seems to offer reliable evaluations of the brittleness of deep bedded sandstone in deep engineering practices,although further validation is necessary.

Inorganic Halide Perovskite Quantum Dots:A Versatile Nanomaterial Platform for Electronic Applications

Metal halide perovskites have generated significant attention in recent years because of their extraordinary physical properties and photovoltaic performance.Among these,inorganic perovskite quantum dots(QDs)stand out for their prominent merits,such as quantum confinement effects,high photoluminescence quantum yield,and defect-tolerant structures.Additionally,ligand engineering and an all-inorganic composition lead to a robust platform for ambient-stable QD devices.This review presents the state-of-the-art research progress on inorganic perovskite QDs,emphasizing their electronic applications.In detail,the physical properties of inorganic perovskite QDs will be introduced first,followed by a discussion of synthesis methods and growth control.Afterwards,the emerging applications of inorganic perovskite QDs in electronics,including transistors and memories,will be presented.Finally,this review will provide an outlook on potential strategies for advancing inorganic perovskite QD technologies.

On the binding energies of excitons in polar quantum well structures in a weak electric field

The binding energies of excitons in quantum well structures subjected to an applied uniform electric field by taking into account the exciton longitudinal optical phonon interaction is calculated. The binding energies and corresponding Stark shifts for Ⅲ-Ⅴ and Ⅱ-Ⅵ compound semiconductor quantum well structures have been numerically computed. The results for GaAs/A1GaAs and ZnCdSe/ZnSe quantum wells are given and discussed. Theoretical results show that the exciton-phonon coupling reduces both the exciton binding energies and the Stark shifts by screening the Coulomb interaction. This effect is observable experimentally and cannot be neglected.

Recent Progress of Layered Perovskite Solar Cells Incorporating Aromatic Spacers

Layered two dimensional(2D) or quasi-2D perovskites are emerging photovoltaic materials due to their superior environment and structure stability in comparison with their 3D counterparts. The typical 2D perovskites can be obtained by cutting 3D perovskites along < 100 > orientation by incorporation of bulky organic spacers, which play a key role in the performance of 2D perovskite solar cells(PSCs). Compared with aliphatic spacers, aromatic spacers with high dielectric constant have the potential to decrease the dielectric and quantum confinement effect of 2D perovskites, promote efficient charge transport and reduce the exciton binding energy, all of which are beneficial for the photovoltaic performance of 2D PSCs. In this review, we aim to provide useful guidelines for the design of aromatic spacers for 2D perovskites. We systematically reviewed the recent progress of aromatic spacers used in 2D PSCs. Finally, we propose the possible design strategies for aromatic spacers that may lead to more efficient and stable 2D PSCs.

Silicon nanoparticles: Preparation, properties, and applications

Silicon nanoparticles have attracted great attention in the past decades because of their intriguing physical properties, active surface state, distinctive photoluminescence and biocompatibility. In this review, we present some of the recent progress in preparation methodologies and surface functionalization approaches of silicon nanoparticles. Further, their promising applications in the fields of energy and electronic engineering are introduced.

Confining pressure effect on dynamic response of high rockfill dam

Studies show that the dynamic properties of rockfill are strongly dependent on the confining pressure.Therefore,confining pressure effect has become a very important factor in the seismic analysis of high rockfill dam.The relationships of dynamic shear modulus versus dynamic shear strain and damping ratio versus dynamic shear strain had been improved to a certain degree on the basic of widely used Hardin-Drnevich constitutive model in this paper.Then a new model that could consider confining pressure effect has been established.Regression analysis was carried out of the dynamic triaxial experimental data of the damming materials in the Changheba hydropower station of Sichun Province,China.The results show that,the new model can fit the test data well under various confining pressures.A corresponding computational procedure was compiled and applied in the dynamic response analysis of the Changheba Dam.Comparing the calculation results between the new constitutive model and the ordinary Hardin-Drnevich model,it can be seen that the result is conservative to some extent without considering confining pressure effect.

Optical and acoustic phonon modes confined in gallium phosphide nanoparticles

The main aim of this paper is to discuss the confinement effects on the optical and acoustic phonon vibrational modes in gallium phosphide（GaP） nanoparticles（cylindric grain）.The Raman scattering from the GaP nanoparticles was investigated.It was found that the red-shifts of the longitudinal optical（LO） mode and transverse optical（TO） mode were 15 cm？1 and 13.8 cm？1,respectively.It is generally accepted that the red-shifts of the optical phonon modes are due to the presence of smaller nanosized particles（～1.2 nm） acting as the nanoclustered building blocks of the GaP nanoparticles.In the low frequency Raman spectrum,a set of Stokes lines with almost the same spacing was clearly observed.The scattering feature originates from the discrete phonon density of states of the nanoclustered building blocks.According to Lamb＇s vibrational theory,the Raman shift wavenumbers of the spheroidal mode and torsional mode of the lowest energy surface modes for the nanoclustered building blocks were calculated.Good agreement can be achieved between the calculated results and the observed scattering peaks.These results indicate that the corresponding Raman peaks are due to scattering from the localized acoustic phonons in the nanoclustered building blocks in the GaP nanoparticles.