Application of micro/nanoscale thermal radiation to thermophotovoltaic system

Thermophotovoltaic （TPV） system has been regarded as one promising means to alleviate current energy demand because it can directly generate electricity from radiation heat via photons. However, the presently available TPV systems suffer from low conversion efficiency and low throughput. A viable solution to increase their efficiency is to apply micro/nanoscale radiation principles in the design of different components to utilize the characteristics ~f thermal radiation at small distances and in microstructures. Several critical issues are reviewed, such as photovoltaic effect, quantum efficiency and efficiency of TPV system. Emphasis is given to the development of wavelength-selective emitters and filters and the aspects of micro/nanoscale heat transfer. Recent progress, along with the challenges and opportunities for future development of TPV systems are also outlined.

Functional catalysts for polysulfide conversion in Li-S batteries:from micro/nanoscale to single atom

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries have the advantages of low-cost and ultra-high energy density(2600 Wh·kg;),which have attracted considerable attention.However,the practical application of Li-S batteries still suffers various intractable problems,such as low electrical conductivity,significant volume expansion,and the shuttle effect of sulfur cathode.Up to now,many tremendous efforts and significant progress have been devoted to settle these problems.One of the most effective strategies is that introducing metal-based compounds(e.g.,metal oxides,-sulfides,-nitrides,carbides,-phosphate,single-metal compounds) to enhance the electrochemical performance of S cathode benefiting from superior adsorption/catalytic ability toward Li;S;(n=1,2,4,8).In this review,we summarized the recent advances in the application of micro/nanoscale catalysts in Li-S system and highlighted the catalytic effect of single-atom compounds.Finally,the challenges and the future research prospects of single-atom catalysts were discussed.

Mg micro/nanoscale materials with sphere-like morphologies:Size-controlled synthesis and characterization

Mg micro/nanoscale materials with sphere-like morphologies are prepared via a vapor-transport deposition process. The structure and morphology of the asprepared products are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Vapor-liquid-solid mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of Mg micro/nanospheres on the basis of the experimental results.

A Comprehensive Review for Micro/Nanoscale Thermal Mapping Technology Based on Scanning Thermal Microscopy

Thermal characterization becomes challenging as the material size is reduced to micro/nanoscales.Based on scanning probe microscopy(SPM),scanning thermal microscopy(STh M)is able to collect thermophysical characteristics of the microscopic domain with high spatial resolution.Starting from its development history,this review introduces the operation mechanism of the instrument in detail,including working principles,thermal probes,quantitative study,and applications.As the core principle of STh M,the heat transfer mechanism section is discussed emphatically.Additionally,the emerging technologies based on the STh M platform are clearly reviewed and corresponding examples are presented in detail.Finally,the current challenges and future opportunities of STh M are discussed.

Curvature-Driven Forces Based on Natural Exponential Pair Potential at Micro/Nanoscales

The natural exponential potential (Ce^R/λ0) widely exists at micro/nanoscales;this paper studies the interaction potential between a curved-surface body and an outside particle base on the natural exponential potential. Mat hematical derivation proves t hat the int er act ion potential can be expressed as a function of curvatures. Then, idealized numerical experiments are designed to verify the accuracy of the curvature-based potential. The driving forces exerted on the particle are discussed and confirmed to be a function of curvatures and the gradient of curvatures, which may explain some abnormal movements at micro/nanoscales.

Nanoscale resetting of the Th/Pb system in an isotopically-closed monazite grain: A combined atom probe and transmission electron microscopy study

Understanding the mechanisms of parent-daughter isotopic mobility at the nanoscale is key to rigorous interpretation of Ue The Pb data and associated dating. Until now, all nanoscale geochronological studies on geological samples have relied on either Transmission Electron Microscope(TEM) or Atom Probe Microscopy(APM) characterizations alone, thus suffering from the respective weaknesses of each technique. Here we focus on monazite crystals from a ~1 Ga, ultrahigh temperature granulite from Rogaland(Norway). This sample has recorded concordant UeP b dates(measured by LA-ICP-MS) that range over 100 My, with the three domains yielding distinct isotopic Ue Pb ages of 1034 ± 6 Ma(D1; Srich core), 1005 ± 7 Ma(D2), and 935 ± 7 Ma(D3), respectively. Combined APM and TEM characterization of these monazite crystals reveal phase separation that led to the isolation of two different radiogenic Pb(Pb*) reservoirs at the nanoscale. The S-rich core of these monazite crystals contains Cae Srich clusters, 5 -10 nm in size, homogenously distributed within the monazite matrix with a mean interparticle distance of 40 -60 nm. The clusters acted as a sink for radiogenic Pb(Pb*) produced in the monazite matrix, which was reset at the nanoscale via Pb diffusion while the grain remained closed at the micro-scale. Compared to the concordant ages given by conventional micro-scale dating of the grain,the apparent nano-scale age of the monazite matrix in between clusters is about 100 Myr younger, which compares remarkably well to the duration of the metamorphic event. This study highlights the capabilities of combined APM-TEM nano-structural and nano-isotopic characterizations in dating and timing of geological events, allowing the detection of processes untraceable with conventional dating methods.

A brief review on the recent development of phonon engineering and manipulation at nanoscales

Phonons are the quantum mechanical descriptions of vibrational modes that manifest themselves in many physical properties of condensed matter systems. As the size of electronic devices continues to decrease below mean free paths of acoustic phonons, the engineering of phonon spectra at the nanoscale becomes an important topic. Phonon manipulation allows for active control and management of heat fow, enabling functions such as regulated heat transport. At the same time, phonon transmission, as a novel signal transmission method, holds great potential to revolutionize modern industry like microelectronics technology, and boasts wide-ranging applications. Unlike fermions such as electrons, polarity regulation is difficult to act on phonons as bosons, making the development of effective phonon modulation methods a daunting task.This work reviews the development of phonon engineering and strategies of phonon manipulation at different scales, reports the latest research progress of nanophononic devices such as thermal rectifiers, thermal transistors, thermal memories, and thermoelectric devices,and analyzes the phonon transport mechanisms involved. Lastly, we survey feasible perspectives and research directions of phonon engineering. Thermoelectric analogies, external field regulation, and acousto-optic co-optimization are expected to become future research hotspots.

Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron(nZVI)for Heavy Metal Wastewater Treatment:A Perspective

Industries such as non-ferrous metal smelting discharge billions of gallons of highly toxic heavy metal wastewater(HMW)worldwide annually,posing a severe challenge to conventional wastewater treatment plants and harming the environment.HMW is traditionally treated via chemical precipitation using lime,caustic,or sulfide,but the effluents do not meet the increasingly stringent discharge standards.This issue has spurred an increase in research and the development of innovative treatment technologies,among which those using nanoparticles receive particular interest.Among such initiatives,treatment using nanoscale zero-valent iron(nZVI)is one of the best developed.While nZVI is already well known for its site-remediation use,this perspective highlights its application in HMW treatment with metal recovery.We demonstrate several advantages of nZVI in this wastewater application,including its multifunctionality in sequestrating a wide array of metal(loid)s(>30 species);its capability to capture and enrich metal(loid)s at low concentrations(with a removal capacity reaching 500 mg·g^(-1)nZVI);and its operational convenience due to its unique hydrodynamics.All these advantages are attributable to nZVI’s diminutive nanoparticle size and/or its unique iron chemistry.We also present the first engineering practice of this application,which has treated millions of cubic meters of HMW and recovered tons of valuable metals(e.g.,Cu and Au).It is concluded that nZVI is a potent reagent for treating HMW and that nZVI technology provides an eco-solution to this toxic waste.

Preparation of high-purity fluorite and nanoscale calcium carbonate from low-grade fluorite

Flotation separation of calcite from fluorite is a challenge on low-grade fluorite flotation that limits the recovery and purity of fluorite concentrate.A new acid leaching–flotation process for fluorite is proposed in this work.This innovative process raised the fluor-ite’s grade to 97.26wt%while producing nanoscale calcium carbonate from its leachate,which contained plenty of calcium ions.On the production of nanoscale calcium carbonate,the impacts of concentration,temperature,and titration rate were examined.By modifying the process conditions and utilizing crystal conditioning agents,calcite-type and amorphous calcium carbonates with corresponding particle sizes of 1.823 and 1.511μm were produced.The influence of the impurity ions Mn^(2+),Mg^(2+),and Fe^(3+)was demonstrated to reduce the particle size of nanoscale calcium carbonate and make crystal shape easier to manage in the fluorite leach solution system compared with the calcium chloride solution.The combination of the acid leaching–flotation process and the nanoscale calcium carbonate preparation method improved the grade of fluorite while recovering calcite resources,thus presenting a novel idea for the effective and clean usage of low-quality fluorite resources with embedded microfine particles.

Defect-induced synthesis of nanoscale hierarchically porous metal-organic frameworks with tunable porosity for enhanced volatile organic compound adsorption

Nanoscale hierarchically porous metal-organic frameworks(NH-MOFs)synergistically combine the advantages of nanoscale MOFs and hierarchically porous MOFs,resulting in remarkable characteristics such as increased specific surface area,greater porosity,and enhanced exposure of active sites.Herein,nanoscale hierarchically porous UIO-66(UIO-66_X)was synthesized using a defect-induced strategy that employed ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid(EDTA)as a modulator.The introduced EDTA occupies the coordination sites of organic ligands,promoting the formation and growth of UIO-66 crystal nuclei and inducing defects during synthesis.The as-synthesized UIO-66_X crystals exhibit a uniform distribution with an average size of approximately 100 nm.In addition,the total pore volume attains a remarkable value of 0.95 cm^(3)g^(-1),with mesopores constituting 36.8% of the structure.Furthermore,the porosities of UIO-66_X can be easily tuned by controlling the molar ratio of EDTA/Zr^(4+).In addition,the as-synthesized UIO-66_X exhibits excellent adsorption capacities for n-hexane(344 mg g^(-1))and pxylene(218 mg g^(-1)),which are 44.5% and 27.5% higher than those of conventional UIO-66,respectively.Finally,the adsorption behavior of n-hexane and p-xylene molecules in UIO-66_X was investigated using density functional theory simulations.

Resolving Deep Sub-Wavelength Scattering of Nanoscale Sidewalls Using Parametric Microscopy

The quantitative optical measurement of deep sub-wavelength features with sub-nanometer sensitivity addresses the measurement challenge in the semiconductor fabrication process.Optical scatterings from the sidewalls of patterned devices reveal abundant structural and material information.We demonstrated a parametric indirect microscopic imaging(PIMI)technique that enables recovery of the profile of wavelength-scale objects with deep sub-wavelength resolution,based on measuring and filtering the variations of far-field scattering intensities when the illumination was modulated.The finite-difference time-domain(FDTD)numerical simulation was performed,and the experimental results were compared with atomic force microscopic(AFM)images to verify the resolution improvement achieved with PIMI.This work may provide a new approach to exploring the detailed structure and material properties of sidewalls and edges in semiconductor-patterned devices with enhanced contrast and resolution,compared with using the conventional optical microscopy,while retaining its advantage of a wide field of view and relatively low cost.

Silicon micro-hemispheres with periodic nanoscale rings produced by the laser ablation of single crystalline silicon

We describe the fabrication of silicon micro-hemispheres by adopting the conventional laser ablation of single crystalline silicon in the vacuum condition without using any catalysts or additives. The highly oriented structures of silicon micro-hemispheres exhibit many periodic nanoscale rings along their outer surfaces. We consider that the self-organized growth of silicon micro-structures is highly dependent on the laser intensity and background air medium. The difference between these surface modifications is attributed to the amount of laser energy deposited in the silicon material and the consequent cooling velocity.

Neural-Network-Based Charge Density Quantum Correction of Nanoscale MOSFETs

For the treatment of the quantum effect of charge distribution in nanoscale MOSFETs,a quantum correction model using Levenberg-Marquardt back-propagation neural networks is presented that can predict the quantum density from the classical density. The training speed and accuracy of neural networks with different hidden layers and numbers of neurons are studied. We conclude that high training speed and accuracy can be obtained using neural networks with two hidden layers,but the number of neurons in the hidden layers does not have a noticeable effect, For single and double-gate nanoscale MOSFETs, our model can easily predict the quantum charge density in the silicon layer,and it agrees closely with the Schrodinger-Poisson approach.

不同方法对根管内氢氧化钙去除效果的micro-CT评价

目的:应用显微CT(micro-computed tomography,micro-CT)建立磨牙根管模型,评价不同方法对氢氧化钙的清除效率。方法:收集2023年10月—2024年2月口腔综合科门诊拔除的11颗磨牙(24个根管),按照标准根管治疗流程,镍钛器械预备完成后,在根管内置入氢氧化钙,1周后,根据不同冲洗方法将样本随机分为侧方开口注射器组、超声荡洗组(EMS组)和声波震荡组(EDDY组)等3组(n=8)。冲洗前后使用micro-CT重建根管系统并使用不同颜色标记独立根管,计算各个根管氢氧化钙体积,比较各组氢氧化钙清除率。采用SPSS 19.0软件包对数据进行统计学分析。结果:3种方法均无法完全去净根管内氢氧化钙。使用次氯酸钠作为冲洗液时,超声荡洗和声波震荡清除效果优于侧方开口冲洗器(P<0.05);超声荡洗和声波震荡去除氢氧化钙效率相当,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);氢氧化钙残留部位集中于根尖区。结论:Micro-CT能较为高效地重建磨牙根管模型,可用于评价氢氧化钙去除效果。超声荡洗组和声波震荡组清除氢氧化钙效率相当,优于侧方开口注射器组。

Catalytic reductive dechlorination of p-chlorophenol in water using Ni/Fe nanoscale particles

Nanoscale bimetallic Ni/Fe particles were synthesized from the reaction of sodium borohydride （NaBH4） with reduction of Ni^2＋ and Fe^2＋ in aqueous solution. The obtained Ni/Fe particles were characterized by TEM （transmission electron microscope）, XRD （X-ray diffractometer）, and N2-BET. The dechlorination activity of the Ni/Fe was investigated using p-chlorophenol （p-CP） as a probe agent. Results demonstrated that the nanoscale Ni/Fe could effectively dechlorinate p-CP at relatively low metal to solution ratio of 0.4 g/L （Ni 5 wt%）. The target with initial concentration ofp-CP 0.625 mmol/L was dechlorinted completely in 60 rain under ambient temperature and pressure. Factors affecting dechlorination efficiency, including reaction temperature, pH, Ni loading percentage over Fe, and metal to solution ratio, were investigated. The possible mechanism of dechlorination ofp-CP was proposed and discussed. The pseudo-first- order reaction took place on the surface of the Ni/Fe bimetallic particles, and the activation energy of the dechlorination reaction was determined to be 21.2 kJ/mol at the temperature rang of 287-313 K.

In Situ X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy Studies of Nanoscale Electrocatalysts

Nanoscale electrocatalysts have exhibited promising activity and stability,improving the kinetics of numerous electrochemical reactions in renewable energy systems such as electrolyzers,fuel cells,and metal-air batteries.Due to the size effect,nano particles with extreme small size have high surface areas,complicated morphology,and various surface terminations,which make them different from their bulk phases and often undergo restructuring during the reactions.These restructured materials are hard to probe by conventional ex-situ characterizations,thus leaving the true reaction centers and/or active sites difficult to determine.Nowadays,in situ techniques,particularly X-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS),have become an important tool to obtain oxidation states,electronic structure,and local bonding environments,which are critical to investigate the electrocatalysts under real reaction conditions.In this review,we go over the basic principles of XAS and highlight recent applications of in situ XAS in studies of nanoscale electrocatalysts.

Synthesis of MnZn Ferrite Nanoscale Particles by Hydrothermal Method

Hydrothermal method was used to synthesize nanoscale particles of MnZn ferrites. The crystallites were characterized by XRD, TEM and SEM. The effects of the reaction time, temperature and additives on the product were investigated. Crystallization process would be carried out above 160 ℃ for 5 h or more, higher temperature can reduce the reaction time. Additives were used to remove impurities such as Fe 2O 3, ZnMnO 3.10～15 nm pure slightly agglomerated MnZn ferrite crystallites with a narrow grain size distribution were obtained.

Al_(80)Ni_6Y_8Co_4Cu_2 GLASS ALLOYS CONTAINING NANOSCALEPARTICLES BY ISOTHERMAL ANNEALING OR QUENCHING

Al80Ni6 Y8 Co4 Cu2 amorphous ribbons were isothermally annealed and a mixed structure consisting of α-Al particle with a size of less than 15nm and Al3Ni compound with a size of about 30nm was obtained. The crystallization kinetics of Al80Ni6 Y8 Co4 Cu2 amorphous alloy shows that the precipitation of α-Al particles is the growth process controlled by diffusion of the solute elements rejected from the growing crystals. By quenching at different cooling rates, a mixed structure consisting of nanoscale α-Al particles and the remaining glass matrix or structure consisting of nanoscale particle (Al phase or Al3Ni compound) with a size of about 100nm was formed. The addition of Co elements and Cu elements to Al-Ni-Y alloy systems increases the glass formation ability of the alloy and the thermal stability of the supercooled liquid region against crystallization, which results from significant difference of atomic size, strong bonding nature among constituent elements and the low diffisivity of the solute elements due to the concentration gradient in the growing front of crystals.

Kinetics and Mechanism of Dechlorination of o-Chlorophenol by Nanoscale Pd/Fe

Nanoscale Pd/Fe bimetallic particles were synthesized with an efficient method to dechlorinate o-chlorophenol. The nanoscale Pd/Fe particles were determined by transmission electron microscopy and BET specific surface area analysis. Most of the particles are in the size range of 20—100 nm. The BET specific surface area of synthesized nanoscale Pd/Fe particles is 12.4 m 2/g. In contrast, a commercially available fine iron powder(<100 mesh) has a specific surface area of 0.49 m 2/g. Batch studies demonstrated that the nanoscale particles can effectively dechlorinate o-chlorophenol. The dechlorination reaction takes place on the surface of synthesized nanoscale Pd/Fe bimetallic particles in a pseudo-first order reaction. The surface-area-normalized rate coefficients(k_ SA) are comparable to those reported in the literature for chlorinated ethenes. The observed reaction rate constants(k_ obs) are dominated by the mass fraction of Pd and the mass concentration of the nanoscale Pd/Fe particles.

Dechlorination of disinfection by-product monochloroacetic acid in drinking water by nanoscale palladized iron bimetallic particle

Nanoscale palladized iron(Pd/Fe)bimetallic particles were prepared by reductive deposition method.The particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD),X-ray fluorescence(XRF),scanning electron microscope(SEM),transmission electron microscope(TEM),and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller-nitrogen(BET-N_2)method.Data obtained from those methods indicated that nanoscale Pd/Fe bimetallic particles containedα-Fe^0.Detected Pd to Fe ratio by weight(Pd/Fe ratio)was close to theoretical value. Spherical granules with diame...