Fabrication of C@MoxTi1-xO2-δ nanocrystalline with functionalized interface as efficient and robust PtRu catalyst support for methanol electrooxidation

A core shell structured C@MoxTi1-xO2-δnanocrystal with a functionalized interface(C@MTNC-FI)was fabricated via the hydrothermal method with subsequent annealing derived from tetrabutyl orthotitanate.The formation of anatase TiO2 was inhibited by the simultaneous presence of the hydrothermal etching/regrowth process,infiltration of Mo dopants and carbon coating,which endows the C@MTNC-FI with an ultrafine crystalline architecture that has a Mo-functionalized interface and carbon-coated shell.Pt Ru nanoparticles(NPs)were supported on C@MTNC-FI by employing a microwave-assisted polyol process(MAPP).The obtained Pt Ru/C@MTNC-FI catalyst has 2.68 times higher mass activity towards methanol electrooxidation than that of the un-functionalized catalyst(Pt Ru/C@TNC)and 1.65 times higher mass activity than that of Pt Ru/C catalyst with over 25%increase in durability.The improved catalytic performance is due to several aspects including ultrafine crystals of TiO2 with abundant grain boundaries,Mofunctionalized interface with enhanced electron interactions,and core shell architecture with excellent electrical transport properties.This work suggests the potential application of an interface-functionalized crystalline material as a sustainable and clean energy solution.

Adaptive neuro-fuzzy interface system for gap acceptance behavior of right-turning vehicles at partially controlled T-intersections

Gap acceptance theory is broadly used for evaluating unsignalized intersections in developed coun tries. Intersections with no specific priority to any move ment, known as uncontrolled intersections, are common in India. Limited priority is observed at a few intersections, where priorities are perceived by drivers based on geom etry, traffic volume, and speed on the approaches of intersection. Analyzing such intersections is complex because the overall traffic behavior is the result of drivers, vehicles, and traffic flow characteristics. Fuzzy theory has been widely used to analyze similar situations. This paper describes the application of adaptive neurofuzzy interface system （ANFIS） to the modeling of gap acceptance behavior of rightturning vehicles at limited priority Tintersections （in India, vehicles are driven on the left side of a road）. Field data are collected using video cameras at four Tintersections having limited priority. The data extracted include gap/lag, subject vehicle type, conflicting vehicle type, and driver＇s decision （accepted/rejected）. ANFIS models are developed by using 80 % of the extracted data （total data observations for major road right turning vehicles are 722 and 1,066 for minor road right turning vehicles） and remaining are used for model vali dation. Four different combinations of input variables are considered for major and minor road right turnings sepa rately. Correct prediction by ANFIS models ranges from 75.17 % to 82.16 % for major road right turning and 87.20 % to 88.62 % for minor road right turning. Themodels developed in this paper can be used in the dynamic estimation of gap acceptance in traffic simulation models.

Tensile properties of phase interfaces in Mg Li alloy: A first principles study

Employing density functional theory, we study the tensile and fracture processes of the phase interfaces in Mg–Li binary alloy. The simulation presents the strain–stress relationships, the ideal tensile strengths, and the fracture processes of three phase interfaces. The results show that the α/α and α/β interfaces have larger tensile strength than that of β/β interface. The fractures of both α/α and β/β interfaces are ductile fractures, while the α/β fractures abruptly._Further analyses show that the fracture of the α/β occurs at the interface.

fMRI-BCI:a Review

Functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI） is a new tool for brain-computer interface （BCI）. This paper presents an overview to fMRI-BCI. Our attention is mainly put on the methods of signal acquisition, signal preprocessing, and signal analysis of basic fMRI-BCI structure. The available softwares and the applications of fMRI-BCI are briefly introduced. At last, we suggest focusing on some technologies to make fMRI-BCI more perfect.

Electrical contacts in monolayer blue phosphorene devices

Semiconducting monolayer （ML） blue phosphorene （BlueP） shares similar stability with ML black phosphorene （BP）, and it has recently been grown on an Au surface. Potential ML BlueP devices often require direct contact with metal to enable the injection of carriers. Using ab initio electronic structure calculations and quantum transport simulations, for the first time, we perform a systematic study of the interfacial properties of ML BlueP in contact with metals spanning a wide work function range in a field effect transistor （FET） configuration. ML BlueP has undergone metallization owing to strong interaction with five metals. There is a strong Fermi level pinning （FLP） in the ML BlueP FETs due to the metal-induced gap states （MIGS） with a pinning factor of 0.42. ML BlueP forms n-type Schottky contact with Sc, Ag, and Pt electrodes with electron Schottky barrier heights （SBHs） of 0.22, 0.22, and 0.80 eV, respectively, and p-type Schottky contact with Au and Pd electrodes with hole SBHs of 0.61 and 0.79 eV, respectively. The MIGS are eliminated by inserting graphene between ML BlueP and the metal electrode, accompanied by a transition from a strong FLP to a weak FLP. Our study not only provides insight into the ML BlueP-metal interfaces, but also helps in the design of ML BlueP devices.