Effect of metallic ions on dispersibility of fine diaspore

Dispersion experiments were conducted to study the influence of metallic cations on the dispersibility of diaspore. The reaction mechanisms were investigated based on the analysis of zeta （ξ） potential and calculations of solution chemistry and DLVO theory. The results show that the valence of cations, instead of the cation type, plays an important role in the dispersibility of diaspore The impact of multivalent metallic cations is greater than that of monovalent cations. In the presence of Ca^2＋ and Mg^2＋, the dispersion of diaspore doesn＇t change in the range of pH value below 10. However, Ca^2＋ and Mg^2＋ may induce strong coagulation of particles when pH value is higher than 10. The adsorption of species of calcium and magnesium ions on diaspore can cause the compression of electric double layer, the decrease of the absolute value of zeta potential and the repulsion force between diaspore particles. The new IEP （isoelectric point） appeared at pH value of 11 may attribute to the adsorption of Mg（OH）2（s）.

Improving the Dispersibility of Poly(urea-formaldehyde) Microcapsules for Self-Healing Coatings Using Preparation Process

Poly(urea-formaldehyde)(PUF)microcapsules were prepared by in-situ polymerization with four different pro-cesses in this paper.The chemical composition,surface morphology,particle size distribution,and thermal sta-bility were characterized by FTIR,SEM,particle size analyzer,and TGA,respectively.The results demonstrated that the agglomeration of the PUF microcapsules was related to the agglomeration of the emulsion particles caused by the changes of emulsion interface during the shell polymerization.Due to the slow deposition of the shell material,the PUF microcapsules with the core-shell structure prepared by the process with ammonium chloride as the last additive showed good dispersibility with an average diameter of 6.36μm,high core content of 71.3 wt%,and high yield of 61.3 wt%.The PUF microcapsules had good thermal stability below 216?C.The PUF microcapsules could be uniformly dispersed in the epoxy coating in a single form.The epoxy coating with 2 wt%PUF microcapsules showed good self-healing property,and the service life of the coating was about doubled.

A hydrophobic peptide fraction that enhances the water dispersibility of curcumin

The present study describes the complexation between curcumin(Cur) and a peptide mixture(Pep). Pep was prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis of casein and used as an excipient for poorly water-soluble Cur. An aqueous solution of Pep and an acetone solution of Cur were mixed and lyophilized to obtain a white-yellow powder of the peptide and Cur complex(CurPep). The water dispersibility of Cur was enhanced by the complexation with Pep. Pep was fractionated using ammonium sulfate precipitation and ultrafiltration to identify which peptides preferentially interact with Cur. Relatively hydrophobic peptides with high molecular weights(>5 k Da) were more effective in enhancing the water dispersibility of Cur than other fractions. Cur-Pep dispersed under acidic and neutral conditions, at which amphoteric Pep is positively or negatively charged. Cur-Pep exists as a hydrocolloid with particle size 160–330 nm in aqueous media.

Dispersibility, Shape and Magnetic Properties of Nano-Fe₃O₄Particles

Nano-Fe3O4 particles were prepared by a two-step microemulsion method, the influence of molar ratio of water to NP-5 (R), alkali concentration and temperature on dispersibility and shape of the nanoparticles were discussed. Magnetic studies were also carried out using VSM in this paper. It was found that the optimum preparation parameters are R = 6.0, alkali concentration = 2.5 mol.L–1, initial total iron concentration as 0.88 mol.L–1, and the temperature being 30°C, the prepared nano magnetite particles have uniform size and good dispersibility with a crystal structure belonging to cubicFe3O4 and lattice parameters of a = 8.273 ?. The results of magnetic studies show, magnetic properties of particles are influenced by dispersibility of nanoparticles which depends on size of clusters. The better dispersibility of nanoparticles leads to more ordered inner magnetic vector, and so the stronger magnetic behavior of nano-Fe3O4 particles.

Strong synergy between physical and chemical properties:Insight into optimization of atomically dispersed oxygen reduction catalysts

Atomically dispersed catalysts exhibit significant influence on facilitating the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)kinetics with high atom economy,owing to remarkable attributes including nearly 100%atomic utilization and exceptional catalytic functionality.Furthermore,accurately controlling atomic physical properties including spin,charge,orbital,and lattice degrees of atomically dispersed catalysts can realize the optimized chemical properties including maximum atom utilization efficiency,homogenous active centers,and satisfactory catalytic performance,but remains elusive.Here,through physical and chemical insight,we review and systematically summarize the strategies to optimize atomically dispersed ORR catalysts including adjusting the atomic coordination environment,adjacent electronic orbital and site density,and the choice of dual-atom sites.Then the emphasis is on the fundamental understanding of the correlation between the physical property and the catalytic behavior for atomically dispersed catalysts.Finally,an overview of the existing challenges and prospects to illustrate the current obstacles and potential opportunities for the advancement of atomically dispersed catalysts in the realm of electrocatalytic reactions is offered.

Alkyl dimethyl betaine activates the low-temperature collection capacity of sodium oleate for scheelite

The impact of alkyl dimethyl betaine (ADB) on the collection capacity of sodium oleate (NaOl) at low temperatures was evaluated using flotation tests at various scales. The low-temperature synergistic mechanism of ADB and NaOl was explored by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface tension measurement, foam performance test, and flotation reagent size measurement.The flotation tests revealed that the collector mixed with octadecyl dimethyl betaine (ODB) and NaOl in a mass ratio of 4:96 exhibited the highest collection capacity. The combined collector could increase the scheelite recovery by 3.48% at low temperatures of 8–12℃. This is particularly relevant in the Luanchuan area, which has the largest scheelite concentrate output in China. The results confirmed that ODB enhanced the collection capability of NaOl by improving the dispersion and foaming performance. Betaine can be introduced as an additive to NaOl to improve the recovery of scheelite at low temperatures.

Oxygen‑Coordinated Single Mn Sites for Efficient Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction has attracted increasing attention due to its goal of low carbon emission and environmental protection.Here,we report an efficient NitRR catalyst composed of single Mn sites with atomically dispersed oxygen(O)coordination on bacterial cellulose-converted graphitic carbon(Mn-O-C).Evidence of the atomically dispersed Mn-(O-C_(2))_(4)moieties embedding in the exposed basal plane of carbon surface is confirmed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy.As a result,the as-synthesized Mn-O-C catalyst exhibits superior NitRR activity with an NH_(3)yield rate(RNH_(3))of 1476.9±62.6μg h^(−1)cm^(−2)at−0.7 V(vs.reversible hydrogen electrode,RHE)and a faradaic efficiency(FE)of 89.0±3.8%at−0.5 V(vs.RHE)under ambient conditions.Further,when evaluated with a practical flow cell,Mn-O-C shows a high RNH_(3)of 3706.7±552.0μg h^(−1)cm^(−2)at a current density of 100 mA cm−2,2.5 times of that in the H cell.The in situ FT-IR and Raman spectroscopic studies combined with theoretical calculations indicate that the Mn-(O-C_(2))_(4)sites not only effectively inhibit the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction,but also greatly promote the adsorption and activation of nitrate(NO_(3)^(−)),thus boosting both the FE and selectivity of NH_(3)over Mn-(O-C_(2))_(4)sites.

Tunable dispersion relations manipulated by strain in skyrmion-based magnonic crystals

We theoretically investigate the propagation characteristics of spin waves in skyrmion-based magnonic crystals. It is found that the dispersion relation can be manipulated by strains through magneto-elastic coupling. Especially, the allowed bands and forbidden bands in dispersion relations shift to higher frequency with strain changing from compressive to tensile,while shifting to lower frequency with strain changing from tensile to compressive. We also confirm that the spin wave with specific frequency can pass the magnonic crystal or be blocked by tuning the strains. The result provides an advanced platform for studying the tunable skyrmion-based spin wave devices.

Enhanced dispersibility and thermal stability of β-cyclodextrin functionalized graphene

A series of β-cyclodextrin （CDs） functionalized graphene nanohybrids have been successfully fabricated utilizing the classical covalent modification methods at different reaction temperatures. It is very interesting that although both CDs and graphene oxide （GO） could he easily decomposed, the effective combination of GO with CDs leads to significantly enhanced thermal stability of graphene derivatives （GO-CDs）. Moreover, the introduction of CDs could dramatically improve the dispersibility promotion of our products in both polar/protic and nonpolar/aprotic solvents, which will contribute to the preparation of polymer nanocomposites and increase of their thermal stability. The improved thermal degradation temperatures can be obtained for polyvinyl alcohol after filling with as little as 1 wt.% of the hybrid. The obtained products could be potentially used in heat-retardant or thermal-control materials.

Patterns and drivers of avian taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity in China vary across geographical backgrounds and dispersal abilities

Geographical background and dispersal ability may strongly influence assemblage dissimilarity;however,these aspects have generally been overlooked in previous large-scale beta diversity studies.Here,we examined whether the patterns and drivers of taxonomic beta diversity(TBD)and phylogenetic beta diversity(PBD)of breeding birds in China vary across(1)regions on both sides of the Hu Line,which demarcates China’s topographical,climatic,economic,and social patterns,and(2)species with different dispersal ability.TBD and PBD were calculated and partitioned into turnover and nestedness components using a moving window approach.Variables representing climate,habitat heterogeneity,and habitat quality were employed to evaluate the effects of environmental filtering.Spatial distance was considered to assess the impact of dispersal limitation.Variance partitioning analysis was applied to assess the relative roles of these variables.In general,the values of TBD and PBD were high in mountainous areas and were largely determined by environmental filtering.However,different dominant environmental filters on either side of the Hu Line led to divergent beta diversity patterns.Specifically,climate-driven species turnover and habitat heterogeneity-related species nestedness dominated the regions east and west of the line,respectively.Additionally,bird species with stronger dispersal ability were more susceptible to environmental filtering,resulting in more homogeneous assemblages.Our results indicated that regions with distinctive geographical backgrounds may present different ecological factors that lead to divergent assemblage dissimilarity patterns,and dispersal ability determines the response of assemblages to these ecological factors.Identifying a single universal explanation for the observed pattern without considering these aspects may lead to simplistic or incomplete conclusions.Consequently,a comprehensive understanding of large-scale beta diversity patterns and effective planning of conservation strategies necessitate the consideration of both geographical background and species dispersal ability.

A simple atomization approach enables monolayer dispersion of nano graphenes in cementitious composites with excellent strength gains

Carbon nano additives(CNAs)are critical to achieving the unique properties of functionalized composites,however,controlling the dispersion of CNAs in material matrix is always a challenging task.In this study,a simple atomization approach was successfully developed to promote the dispersion efficiency of graphene nanoplatelets(GNPs)in cement composites.This atomization approach can be integrated with the direct,indirect and combined ultrasonic stirrings in a homemade automatic stirring-atomization device.Mechanical and microstructure tests were performed on hardened cement pastes blended with GNPs in different stirring and mixing approaches.Results show that the direct ultrasonic stirrings enabled more homogeneous dispersions of GNP particles with a smaller size for a longer duration.The atomized droplets with the mean size of~100μm largely mitigated GNPs’agglomerations.Monolayer GNPs were observed in the cement matrix with the strength gain by up to 54%,and the total porosity decrease by 21%in 0.3 wt%GNPs dosage.The greatly enhanced dispersion efficiency of GNPs in cement also raised the cement hydration.This work provides an effective and manpower saving technique toward dispersing CNAs in engineering materials with great industrialization prospects.

Real-time data processing method for CO_(2) dispersion interferometer on EAST

A real-time data processing system is designed for the carbon dioxide dispersion interferometer(CO_(2)-DI)on EAST.The system utilizes the parallel and pipelining capabilities of an fieldprogrammable gate array(FPGA)to digitize and process the intensity of signals from the detector.Finally,the real-time electron density signals are exported through a digital-to-analog converter(DAC)module in the form of analog signals.The system has been successfully applied in the CO_(2)-DI system to provide low-latency electron density input to the plasma control system on EAST.Experimental results of the latest campaign with long-pulse discharges on EAST(2022–2023)demonstrate that the system can respond effectively in the case of rapid density changes,proving its reliability and accuracy for future electron density calculation.

THE PERSISTENCE OF SOLUTIONS IN A NONLOCAL PREDATOR-PREY SYSTEM WITH A SHIFTING HABITAT

In this paper,we mainly study the propagation properties of a nonlocal dispersal predator-prey system in a shifting environment.It is known that Choi et al.[J Differ Equ,2021,302:807-853]studied the persistence or extinction of the prey and of the predator separately in various moving frames.In particular,they achieved a complete picture in the local diffusion case.However,the question of the persistence of the prey and of the predator in some intermediate moving frames in the nonlocal diffusion case was left open in Choi et al.'s paper.By using some a prior estimates,the Arzelà-Ascoli theorem and a diagonal extraction process,we can extend and improve the main results of Choi et al.to achieve a complete picture in the nonlocal diffusion case.

Parkland trees on smallholder farms ameliorate soil physical-chemical properties in the semi-arid area of Tigray,Ethiopia

Proposed agroforestry options should begin with the species that farmers are most familiar with,which would be the native multipurpose trees that have evolved under smallholder farms and socioeconomic conditions.The African birch(Anogeissus leiocarpa(DC.)Guill.&Perr.)and pink jacaranda(Stereospermum kunthianum Cham.)trees are the dominant species in the agroforestry parkland system in the drylands of Tigray,Ethiopia.Smallholder farmers highly value these trees for their multifunctional uses including timber,firewood,charcoal,medicine,etc.These trees also could improve soil fertility.However,the amount of soil physical and chemical properties enhanced by the two species must be determined to maintain the sustainable conservation of the species in the parklands and to scale up to similar agroecological systems.Hence,we selected twelve isolated trees,six from each species that had similar dendrometric characteristics and were growing in similar environmental conditions.We divided the canopy cover of each tree into three radial distances:mid-canopy,canopy edge,and canopy gap(control).At each distance,we took soil samples from three different depths.We collected 216 soil samples(half disturbed and the other half undisturbed)from each canopy position and soil depth.Bulk density(BD),soil moisture content(SMC),soil organic carbon(SOC),total nitrogen(TN),available phosphorus(AP),available potassium(AK),p H,electrical conductivity(EC),and cation exchange capacity(CEC)were analysed.Results revealed that soil physical and chemical properties significantly improved except for soil texture and EC under both species,CEC under A.leiocarpus,and soil p H under S.kunthianum,all the studied soils were improved under both species canopy as compared with canopy gap.SMC,TN,AP,and AK under canopy of these trees were respectively 24.1%,11.1%,55.0%,and 9.3% higher than those soils under control.The two parkland agroforestry species significantly enhanced soil fertility near the canopy of topsoil through improving soil physical and chemical properties.These two species were recommended in the drylands with similar agro-ecological systems.

Discussion on“Dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing waste rubber particles”[J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 15(2023)3050e3058]

We read with great interest the recent article by Erenson(2023)entitled“Dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing waste rubber particles”.The author has studied the dispersion characteristics of clayey soils containing different percentages of waste rubber particles(WRPs)by performing several tests(viz.consistency limit,linear shrinkage limit,double hydrometer,crumb test and pinhole test)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)analysis on five clayey(viz.Na-activated bentonite,refined ball clay,Ukrainian kaolin,Avanos kaolin and Afyon clay)samples containing 0%,5%,10%and 15%WRPs.It should be noted that Erenson(2023)has presented some interesting observations,but there are some serious issues that we want to share through this discussion and request the author of the original paper to address them to avoid their persistence in the scientific literature.

CFD-PBM coupled modeling of the liquid-liquid dispersion characteristics and structure optimization for Kenics static mixer

Kenics static mixers(KSM)are extensively used in industrial mixing-reaction processes by virtue of high mixing efficiency,low power homogenization and easy continuous production.Resolving liquid droplet size and its distribution and thus revealing the dispersion characteristics are of great significance for structural optimization and process intensification in the KSM.In this work,a computational fluid dynamics-population balance model(CFD-PBM)coupled method is employed to systematically investigate the effects of operating conditions and structural parameters of KSM on droplet size and its distribution,to further reveal the liquid-liquid dispersion characteristics.Results indicate that higher Reynolds numbers or higher dispersed phase volume fractions increase energy dissipation,reducing Sauter mean diameter(SMD)of dispersed phase droplets and with a shift in droplet size distribution(DSD)towards smaller size.Smaller aspect ratios,greater blade twist and assembly angles amplify shear rate,leading to smaller droplet size and a narrower DSD in the smaller range.The degree of impact exerted by the aspect ratio is notably greater.Notably,mixing elements with different spin enhance shear and stretching efficiency.Compared to the same spin,SMD becomes 3.7-5.8 times smaller in the smaller size range with a significantly narrower distribution.Taking into account the pressure drop and efficiency in a comprehensive manner,optimized structural parameters for the mixing element encompass an aspect ratio of 1-1.5,a blade twist angle of 180°,an assembly angle of 90°,and interlaced assembly of adjacent elements with different spin.This work provides vital theoretical underpinning and future reference for enhancing KSM performance.

Cosmology-Independent Photon Mass Limits from Localized Fast Radio Bursts by Using Artificial Neural Networks

A hypothetical photon mass m_(γ) can produce a frequency-dependent vacuum dispersion of light, which leads to an additional time delay between photons with different frequencies when they propagate through a fixed distance. The dispersion measure and redshift measurements of fast radio bursts(FRBs) have been widely used to constrain the rest mass of the photon. However, all current studies analyzed the effect of the frequency-dependent dispersion for massive photons in the standard ΛCDM cosmological context. In order to alleviate the circularity problem induced by the presumption of a specific cosmological model based on the fundamental postulate of the masslessness of photons, here we employ a new model-independent smoothing technique, artificial neural network(ANN), to reconstruct the Hubble parameter H(z) function from 34 cosmic-chronometer measurements.By combining observations of 32 well-localized FRBs and the H(z) function reconstructed by ANN, we obtain an upper limit of m_(γ) ≤ 3.5 × 10^(-51)kg, or equivalently m_(γ) ≤ 2.0 × 10^(-15)eV/c^(2)(m_(γ) ≤ 6.5 × 10^(-51)kg, or equivalently m_(γ) ≤ 3.6 × 10^(-15)eV/c_(2)) at the 1σ(2σ) confidence level. This is the first cosmology-independent photon mass limit derived from extragalactic sources.

Atomically Dispersed Ruthenium Catalysts with Open Hollow Structure for Lithium-Oxygen Batteries

Lithium–oxygen battery with ultrahigh theoretical energy density is considered a highly competitive next-generation energy storage device,but its practical application is severely hindered by issues such as difficult decomposition of discharge products at present.Here,we have developed N-doped carbon anchored atomically dispersed Ru sites cathode catalyst with open hollow structure(h-RuNC)for Lithium–oxygen battery.On one hand,the abundance of atomically dispersed Ru sites can effectively catalyze the formation and decomposition of discharge products,thereby greatly enhancing the redox kinetics.On the other hand,the open hollow structure not only enhances the mass activity of atomically dispersed Ru sites but also improves the diffusion efficiency of catalytic molecules.Therefore,the excellent activity from atomically dispersed Ru sites and the enhanced diffusion from open hollow structure respectively improve the redox kinetics and cycling stability,ultimately achieving a high-performance lithium–oxygen battery.

Highly Efficient Broadband Achromatic Microlens Design Based on Low-Dispersion Materials

Metalenses with achromatic performance offer a new opportunity for high-quality imaging with an ultracompact configuration;however,they suffer from complex fabrication processes and low focusing efficiency.In this study,we propose an efficient design method for achromatic microlenses on a wavelength scale using materials with low dispersion,an adequately designed convex surface,and a thickness profile distribution.By taking into account the absolute chromatic aberration,relative focal length shift(FLS),and numerical aperture(NA),microlens with a certain focal length can be realized through our realized map of geometric features.Accordingly,the designed achromatic microlenses with low-dispersion fused silica were fabricated using a focused ion beam,and precise surface profiles were obtained.The fabricated microlenses exhibited a high average focusing efficiency of 65%at visible wavelengths of 410-680 nm and excellent achromatic capability via white light imaging.Moreover,the design exhibited the advantages of being polarization-insensitive and near-diffraction-limited.These results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed achromatic microlens design approach,which expands the prospects of miniaturized optics such as virtual and augmented reality,ultracompact microscopes,and biological endoscopy.

Study on concentration distribution and detonation characteristics for non-axisymmetric fuel dispersal

The study of non-axisymmetric fuel dispersal and detonation can provide reference for the prevention of industrial cloud explosion accidents and the design of fuel air explosive(FAE).The concentration and detonation fields of 85 kg cylindrical and fan-shaped fuel are investigated by experiments and numerical simulations.A dynamic model of the whole process for fuel dispersal and detonation is built.The concentration distribution of fuel is used as the initial condition to calculate the detonation stage,thus solving the initial value problem of detonation field.The phase and component changes of fuel cloud at different locations are compared.The fuel cloud is divided into directions of 0°,90°,135°and 180°.The results show that the maximum cloud radius is 20.94 m in 135°and the minimum is 12.04 m in 0°.The diameter of the detonation fireball is 53.6 m,and the peak temperature is 3455 K.The highest peak overpressure is 3.44 MPa in 0°and the lowest is 2.97 MPa in 135°.The proportion of liquid phase in 0°is22.90%,and the fuel loss is 11.8% and 9% higher than that in 135°and cylindrical charge,respectively.The stable propagation distance of blast wave in 135°is 42.50% longer than 0°and 28.37% longer than cylindrical charge.