Insights into Nano-and Micro-Structured Scaffolds for Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage

Adopting a nano-and micro-structuring approach to fully unleashing the genuine potential of electrode active material benefits in-depth understandings and research progress toward higher energy density electrochemical energy stor-age devices at all technology readiness levels.Due to various challenging issues,especially limited stability,nano-and micro-structured(NMS)electrodes undergo fast electrochemical performance degradation.The emerging NMS scaffold design is a pivotal aspect of many electrodes as it endows them with both robustness and electrochemical performance enhancement,even though it only occupies comple-mentary and facilitating components for the main mechanism.However,extensive efforts are urgently needed toward optimizing the stereoscopic geometrical design of NMS scaffolds to minimize the volume ratio and maximize their functionality to fulfill the ever-increasing dependency and desire for energy power source supplies.This review will aim at highlighting these NMS scaffold design strategies,summariz-ing their corresponding strengths and challenges,and thereby outlining the potential solutions to resolve these challenges,design principles,and key perspectives for future research in this field.Therefore,this review will be one of the earliest reviews from this viewpoint.

Deep brain implantable microelectrode arrays for detection and functional localization of the subthalamic nucleus in rats with Parkinson’s disease

The subthalamic nucleus(STN)is considered the best target for deep brain stimulation treatments of Parkinson’s disease(PD).It is difficult to localize the STN due to its small size and deep location.Multichannel microelectrode arrays(MEAs)can rapidly and precisely locate the STN,which is important for precise stimulation.In this paper,16-channel MEAs modified with multiwalled carbon nanotube/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)(MWCNT/PEDOT:PSS)nanocomposites were designed and fabricated,and the accurate and rapid identification of the STN in PD rats was performed using detection sites distributed at different brain depths.These results showed that nuclei in 6-hydroxydopamine hydrobromide(6-OHDA)-lesioned brains discharged more intensely than those in unlesioned brains.In addition,the MEA simultaneously acquired neural signals from both the STN and the upper or lower boundary nuclei of the STN.Moreover,higher values of spike firing rate,spike amplitude,local field potential(LFP)power,and beta oscillations were detected in the STN of the 6-OHDA-lesioned brain,and may therefore be biomarkers of STN localization.Compared with the STNs of unlesioned brains,the power spectral density of spikes and LFPs synchronously decreased in the delta band and increased in the beta band of 6-OHDA-lesioned brains.This may be a cause of sleep and motor disorders associated with PD.Overall,this work describes a new cellular-level localization and detection method and provides a tool for future studies of deep brain nuclei.

Manipulating d-d orbital hybridization induced by Mo-doped Co_(9)S_(8) nanorod arrays for high-efficiency water electrolysis

Precisely refining the electronic structure of electrocatalysts represents a powerful approach to further optimize the electrocatalytic performance.Herein,we demonstrate an ingenious d-d orbital hybridization concept to construct Mo-doped Co_(9)S_(8) nanorod arrays aligned on carbon cloth(CC)substrate(abbreviated as Mo-Co_(9)S_(8)@CC hereafter)as a high-efficiency bifunctional electrocatalyst toward water electrolysis.It has experimentally and theoretically validated that the 4d-3d orbital coupling between Mo dopant and Co site can effectively optimize the H_(2)O activation energy and lower H^(*)adsorption energy barrier,thereby leading to enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activities.Thanks to the unique electronic and geometrical advantages,the optimized Mo-Co_(9)S_(8)@CC with appropriate Mo content exhibits outstanding bifunctional performance in alkaline solution,with the overpotentials of 75 and 234 mV for the delivery of a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2),small Tafel slopes of 53.8 and 39.9 mV dec~(-1)and long-term stabilities for at least 32 and 30 h for HER and OER,respectively.More impressively,a water splitting electrolylzer assembled by the self-supported Mo-Co_(9)S_(8)@CC electrode requires a low cell voltage of 1.53 V at 10 mA cm^(-2)and shows excellent stability and splendid reversibility,demonstrating a huge potential for affordable and scalable electrochemical H_(2) production.The innovational orbital hybridization strategy for electronic regulation herein provides an inspirable avenue for developing progressive electrocatalysts toward new energy systems.

A gradient nano/micro-structured surface layer on copper induced by severe plasticity roller burnishing

In order to investigate a gradient nano/micro-structured surface layer on pure copper produced by severe plasticity roller burnishing （SPRB） and grain refinement mechanism, the microstructure characteristics and material properties of sample at various depths from the topmost surface were investigated by SEM, TEM, XRD, OM etc. The experimental results show that the gradient nano/micro-structure was introduced into the surface layer of over 100μm in thickness. The remarkable increase in hardness near the topmost surface was mainly attributed to the reduced grain size. The equiaxed nano-sized grains were in random orientation and the most of their boundaries were low-angle grain boundaries （LAGBs）. The coarse grains are refined into the few micro-sized grains by dislocation activities;deformation twinning was found to be the primary form for the formation of submicron grains;the formation of nanostructure was dominated by dislocation activities accompanied with rotation of grains in local region.

Simulation of GaN micro-structured neutron detectors for improving electrical properties

Nowadays,the superior detection performance of semiconductor neutron detectors is a challenging task.In this paper,we deal with a novel GaN micro-structured neutron detector(GaN-MSND)and compare three different methods such as the method of modulating the trench depth,the method of introducing dielectric layer and p-type inversion region to improve the width of depletion region(W).It is observed that the intensity of electric field can be modulated by scaling the trench depth.On the other hand,the electron blocking region is formed in the detector enveloped with a dielectric layer.Furthermore,the introducing of p-type inversion region produces new p/n junction,which not only promotes the further expansion of the depletion region but also reduces the intensity of electric field produced by main junction.It can be realized that all these methods can considerably enhance the working voltage as well as W.Of them,the improvement on W of GaN-MSND with the p-type inversion region is the most significant and the value of W could reach 12.8μm when the carrier concentration of p-type inversion region is 10^17 cm^-3.Consequently,the value of W is observed to improve 200%for the designed GaN-MSND as compared with that without additional design.This work ensures to the researchers and scientific community the fabrication of GaN-MSND having superior detection limit in the field of intense radiation.

Robustness and precision evaluation of the form error of micro-structured surfaces using real coded genetic algorithm

To obtain the form error of micro-structured surfaces robustly and accurately, a form er- ror evaluation method was developed based on the real coded genetic algorithm （RCGA）. The meth- od employed the average squared distance as the matching criterion. The point to surface distance was achieved by use of iterative method and the modeling of RCGA for the surface matching was also presented in detail. Parameter selection for RCGA including the crossover rate and population size was discussed. Evaluation results of series simulated surfaces without form error show that this method can achieve the accuracy of root mean square deviation （ Sq ） less than 1 nm and surface pro- file error （ St ） less than 4 nm. Evaluation of the surfaces with different simulated errors illustrates that the proposed method can also robustly obtain the form error with nano-meter precision. The e- valuation of actual measured surfaces further indicates that the proposed method is capable of pre- cisely evaluating micro-structured surfaces.

A core-shell copper oxides-cobalt oxides heterostructure nanowire arrays for nitrate reduction to ammonia with high yield rate

Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia(NRA) can realize the green synthesis of ammonia(NH3) at ambient conditions, and also remove nitrate contamination in water. However, the current catalysts for NRA still face relatively low NH3yield rate and poor stability. We present here a core-shell heterostructure comprising cobalt oxide anchored on copper oxide nanowire arrays(CuO NWAs@Co_(3)O_(4)) for efficient NRA. The CuO NWAs@Co_(3)O_(4)demonstrates significantly enhanced NRA performance in alkaline media in comparison with plain CuO NWAs and Co_(3)O_(4)flocs. Especially, at-0.23 V vs. RHE, NH_(3) yield rate of the CuO NWAs@Co_(3)O_(4)reaches 1.915 mmol h^(-1)cm^(-2),much higher than those of CuO NWAs(1.472 mmol h^(-1)cm^(-2)), Co_(3)O_(4)flocs(1.222 mmol h^(-1)cm^(-2)) and recent reported Cu-based catalysts.It is proposed that the synergetic effects of the heterostructure combing atom hydrogen adsorption and nitrate reduction lead to the enhanced NRA performance.

Bidirectional visible light absorber based on nanodisk arrays

A perfect bidirectional broadband visible light absorber composed of titanium nitride and tungsten nanodisk arrays is proposed.The average absorption of the absorber exceeds 89%at 400 nm–800 nm when light is normally incident on the front-side.Illumination from the opposite direction(back-side)results in absorption of more than 75%.Through the theoretical analysis of the electric and magnetic fields,the physical mechanism of the broadband perfect absorption is attributed to the synergy of localized surface plasmons,propagating surface plasmons,and plasmonic resonant cavity modes.Furthermore,the absorber also exhibits excellent polarization-independence performance and a high angular tolerance of~30°for both front-and back-side incidence.The designed bidirectional broadband visible light absorber here has wide application prospects in the fields of solar cells and ink-free printing.

Controllable and large-area growth of ZnO nanosheet arrays under ambient condition as superior anodes for scalable aqueous batteries

Two-dimensional(2D)oxides have been the focus of substantial research interest recently,owing to their fascinating physico-chemical properties.However,fabrication of large-area 2D oxide materials in a controlled manner under mild conditions still remains a formidable challenge.Herein,we develop a facile and universal strategy based on the sonochemistry approach for controllable and large-area growth of quasi-aligned single-crystalline ZnO nanosheets on a Zn substrate(Zn@SC-ZnO)under ambient conditions.The obtained ZnO nanosheets possess the desired exclusively exposed(001)facets,which have been confirmed to play a critical role in significantly reducing the activation energy and facilitating the stripping/plating processes of Zn.Accordingly,the constructed Zn@SC-ZnO||Zn@SC-ZnO symmetric cell has very low polarization overpotential down to~20 mV,with limited dendrite growth and side reactions for Zn anodes.The developed Zn@SC-ZnO//MnO_(2)aqueous Zn-ion batteries(ZIBs)show a voltage efficiency of 88.2%under 500 mA g^(-1)at the stage of 50%depth of discharge,which is state of the art for ZIBs reported to date.Furthermore,the as-assembled large-size cell(5 cm×5 cm)delivers an open circuit potential of 1.648 V,and can be robustly operated under a high current of 20 mA,showing excellent potential for future scalable applications.

Homogenous metallic deposition regulated by abundant lithiophilic sites in nickel/cobalt oxides nanoneedle arrays for lithium metal batteries

Although lithium(Li)metal delivers the highest theoretical capacity as a battery anode,its high reactivity can generate Li dendrites and"dead"Li during cycling,resulting in poor reversibility and low Li utilization.Inducing uniform Li plating/stripping is the core of solving these problems.Herein,we design a highly lithiophilic carbon film with an outer sheath of the nanoneedle arrays to induce homogeneous Li plating/stripping.The excellent conductivity and 3D framework of the carbon film not only offer fast charge transport across the entire electrode but also mitigate the volume change of Li metal during cycling.The abundant lithiophilic sites ensure stable Li plating/stripping,thereby inhibiting the Li dendritic growth and"dead"Li formation.The resulting composite anode allows for stable Li stripping/plating under 0.5 mA cm^(-2) with a capacity of 0.5 mA h cm^(-2) for 4000 h and 3 mA cm^(-2) with a capacity of3 mA h cm^(-2) for 1000 h.The Ex-SEM analysis reveals that lithiophilic property is different at the bottom,top,or channel in the structu re,which can regulate a bottom-up uniform Li deposition behavior.Full cells paired with LFP show a stable capacity of 155 mA h g^(-1) under a current density of 0.5C.The pouch cell can keep powering light-emitting diode even under 180°bending,suggesting its good flexibility and great practical applications.

Developing Three-Dimensional Beamshaping Techniques on Volumetric Random Arrays to Suppress Array Sidelobes

This paper proposes a three-dimensional (3-D) amplitude tapering technique on volumetric random arrays to minimize array sidelobes and emulate phased array operations on mobile platforms. Our ultimate goal is to realize wireless phased array applications carried out by mobile platforms;in this paper, we focus on the development of collaborative beamforming algorithms. This beamshaping technique mitigates the discontinuity of the current distribution along the array aperture and lower array sidelobe level (SLL) by specially paying attention to the array element’s depth deviation. In this work, step by step amplitude tapering procedures are clearly illustrated. Further, a reconfigurable phased array with sixteen patch antennas is tested to verify the fidelity of the 3-D beamshaping algorithm. Measured and simulated radiation patterns are benchmarked to evaluate the sidelobe suppression results, and the best sidelobe suppressed region is around the array’s main beam.

Shear wave splitting analysis of local earthquakes from dense arrays in Shimian,Sichuan

The Shimian area of Sichuan sits at the junction of the Bayan Har block.Sichuan-Yunnan rhombic block,and Yangtze block,where several faults intersect.This region features intense tectonic activity and frequent earthquakes.In this study,we used local seismic waveform data recorded using dense arrays deployed in the Shimian area to obtain the shear wave splitting parameters at 55 seismic stations and thereby determine the crustal anisotropic characteristics of the region.We then analyzed the crustal stress pattern and tectonic setting and explored their relationship in the study area.Although some stations returned a polarization direction of NNW-SSE.a dominant polarization direction of NW-SE was obtained for the fast shear wave at most seismic stations in the study area.The polarization directions of the fast shear wave were highly consistent throughout the study-area.This orientation was in accordance with the direction of the regional principal compressive stress and parallel to the trend of the Xianshuihe and Daliangshan faults.The distribution of crustal anisotropy in this area was affected by the regional tectonic stress field and the fault structures.The mean delay time between fast and slow shear waves was 3.83 ms/km.slightly greater than the values obtained in other regions of Sichuan.This indicates that the crustal media in our study area had a high anisotropic strength and also reveals the influence of tectonic complexity resulting from the intersection of multiple faults on the strength of seismic anisotropy.

Influence of MnO_(x)deposition on TiO_(2)nanotube arrays for electrooxidation

TiO_(2)has demonstrated outstanding performance in electrochemical advanced oxidation processes(EAOPs)due to its structural stability and high oxygen overpotential.However,there is still much room for improving its electrochemical activity.Herein,narrow bandgap manganese oxide(MnO_(x))was composited with TiO_(2)nanotube arrays(TiO_(2)NTAs)that in-situ oxidized on porous Ti sponge,forming the MnO_(x)-TiO_(2)NTAs anode.XANES and XPS analysis further proved that the composition of MnO_(x)is Mn2O3.Electrochemical characterizations revealed that increasing the composited concentration of MnO_(x)can improve the conductivity and reduce oxygen evolution potential so as to improve the electrochemical activity of the composited MnO_(x)-TiO_(2)NTAs anode.Meanwhile,the optimal degradation rate of benzoic acid(BA)was achieved using MnO_(x)-TiO_(2)NTAs with a MnO_(x)concentration of 0.1 mmol L^(-1),and the role of MnO_(x)was proposed based on DFT calculation.Additionally,the required electrical energy(EE/O)to destroy BA was optimized by varying the composited concentration of MnO_(x)and the degradation voltage.These quantitative results are of great significance for the design and application of high-performance materials for EAOPs.

Atomic Dispersion of Rh on Interconnected Mo_(2)C Nanosheet Network Intimately Embedded in 3D Ni_(x)MoO_(y) Nanorod Arrays for pH-Universal Hydrogen Evolution

Herein,a simple synthetic approach is employed for the atomic dispersion of Rh atoms(Rh SAs)over the surface of interconnected Mo_(2)C nanosheets intimately embedded in a three-dimensional Ni_(x)MoO_(y)nanorod arrays(Ni_(x)MoO_(y)NRs)framework;we found that the introduction of both isolated Rh SAs and Ni_(x)MoO_(y)NRs adjusts the electrocatalytic function of the host Mo_(2)C toward the direction of being an advanced and highly stable electrocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution at pH-universal conditions.As a result,the proposed catalyst outperforms most recently reported transition metal-based catalysts,and its performance even rivals that of commercial Pt/C,as demonstrated by its ultralow overpotentials of 31.7,109.7,and 95.4 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^(-2),along with its small Tafel slopes of 42.4,51.2,and 46.8 mV dec^(-1)in acidic,neutral,and alkaline conditions,respectively.In addition,the catalyst shows remarkable long-term stability over all pH values with good maintenance of its catalytic activity and structural characteristics after continuous operation.

最大SNR准则的共形阵列波束合成方法

相控阵波束合成的最终目的是提高接收信号的信噪比(Signal-to-Noise Ratio,SNR),但是由于共形阵阵面是弯曲的,各个阵元具有不同的接收SNR,把所有阵元移相后直接进行波束合成并不能保证获得最大SNR。在考虑单元方向图影响情况下,通过对共形相控阵天线接收SNR解析表示,采用迭代方式对阵元是否接入波束合成进行判断,确保了天线具有最大SNR输出。计算机仿真证实了阵元选择方法的正确性。

基于遗传算法的不等间距阵优化方法

阵元数一定情况下,针对不等间距拖线阵高频信号处理存在的空间增益和无栅瓣兼容问题,提出一种基于遗传算法的不等间距拖线阵阵型优化方法。该方法以频带交互下最大旁瓣级最小作为约束因子,通过模拟生物自然进化过程搜索全局最优解,得到优化后的阵元位置。优化后阵型在保证低频信号处理空间增益不变情况下,实现对高频信号高空间增益、无栅瓣处理。计算机仿真结果表明:相比未优化阵型,在高频信号处理方面,优化后阵型在无栅瓣情况下,空间增益提升值近似理论值提升值;在低频信号处理方面,优化后阵型具有相同的空间增益。为实际不等间距拖线阵阵型优化和应用提供了一种思路。

基于微处理器和多通信方式的大坝变形智能监测仪器的设计与实现

变形监测作为大坝安全状态感知的重要手段,具有测值直观、能全面反映大坝安全状态等特点,对保障大坝长期安全稳定运行具有重要的意义。目前大坝水平位移自动化监测主要使用引张线法、真空激光准直法及垂线法。尽管CCD垂线坐标仪已在大坝工程实践中广泛应用,可该仪器存在不支持现场配置、现场实时数据读取等不足,且无直接远程交互功能,需要接入其他采集装置或转接设备才能进行远程通信。本文设计的智能式CCD垂线坐标仪运用微处理器及以太网接口,不需要接入其他采集设备,可直接接入软件系统,解决了仪器集成复杂、传统通信方式不稳定等问题;并运用蓝牙通信和智能手机APP,解决了现场参数配置、实时采集显示的问题;提出了一种反馈式自适应调光技术,提高了仪器的自适应性和稳定性。

空间柔性阵列天线薄膜阵面制造技术研究

简要阐述了空间柔性天线的进展,分析了空间柔性天线薄膜阵面制造关键技术。研究了薄膜阵面电磁波传输金属薄膜制备技术、薄膜阵面图形化制造技术、薄膜阵面拼接用材料评价、薄膜阵面的裁切技术等。采用磁控溅射技术,通过溅射功率、走带张力、走带速度的调节,在有机柔性薄膜基材上镀制了不同厚度的金属铜膜,实现了有机柔性薄膜基材的表面金属化;利用飞秒激光刻蚀精度高,不损伤柔性薄膜基材的特点,获得了图形化的金属薄膜阵面单元;对3M92号胶带与改性聚酰亚胺胶接材料的拼接强度与耐高低温性能进行了试验对比,发现改性聚酰亚胺胶接材料的强度与耐高低温性能更好,更适合薄膜阵面的拼接;对比了用纳秒激光和飞秒激光裁切的薄膜微观形貌,结果表明,用飞秒激光裁切的切面光滑,无烧蚀与毛刺,适合于高精度薄膜阵面的制造。研究为空间柔性阵列薄膜天线的制造提供了大量的基础数据。

高能闪光照相阵列屏非一致性响应校正技术

阵列屏采用大量独立晶柱组合而成限制了可见光在转换屏内的扩散,能够在提高X光转换效率的同时保证照相系统有较高的空间分辨能力,是高能闪光照相系统中的重要器件。阵列屏由于各晶柱之间的转换系数不同而导致接收图像中存在非一致响应现象,必须将其校正才能对图像进行有效判读。研究了中阵列屏接收图像中非一致响应现象的校正方法,首先使用平板照相获得空场图像,然后对实验图像和空场图像扣除暗电流本底和消除脉冲噪声,最后将实验图像与空场图像进行像素相除运算。针对强振动环境下空场图像与实验图像不匹配问题,提出对空场图像进行位移的方法以实现空场图像与实验图像的重新匹配,采用校正后图像的标准差数据来判断两者的匹配性。实验结果表明位移后的空场图像能够校正强振动环境下阵列屏图像的非一致性响应。

On the Effects of Driven Element L/D Ratio and Length in VHF-SHF Yagi-Uda Arrays

While the Yagi-Uda array has been studied for decades, one issue appears to have received less attention than perhaps it should, namely, the effects on performance of the array’s driven element length and its length-to-diameter ratio. This paper looks at that question. It shows that decreasing the L/D ratio increases impedance bandwidth, but it may shift the IBW band sufficiently far from the design frequency that other parameters such as gain and front-to-back ratio probably are adversely affected. It also shows that array performance is not relatively independent of element diameters. This paper also investigates the effect of lengthening the driven element, which can substantially improve IBW. Several iterations of a 3-element prototype and improved arrays are modeled with the Method of Moments and discussed in detail. A five step design procedure is recommended and applied to a Genetic Algorithm-optimized 3-element Yagi at 146 MHz. This array exhibits excellent performance in terms of gain, front-to-back ratio, and especially impedance bandwidth (nearly 14% for voltage standing wave ratio ≤ 2:1 with two frequencies at which 50 ? is almost perfectly matched). While the analysis and recommended design steps are applied to cylindrical array elements, which commonly are aluminum tubing for stand-alone VHF-SHF Yagis, they can be applied to other element geometries as well using equivalent cylindrical radii, for example, Printed Circuit Board traces for planar arrays. One consequence of lengthening the driven element while reducing its L/D ratio is that some reactance is introduced at the array feedpoint which must be tuned out, and two approaches for doing so are suggested.