A Cu-Pd alloy catalyst with partial phase separation for the electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction

Cu catalysts can convert CO_(2) through an electrochemical reduction reaction into a variety of useful carbon-based products.However,this capability provides an obstacle to increasing the selectivity for a single product.Herein,we report a simple fabrication method for a Cu-Pd alloy catalyst for use in a membrane electrode assembly(MEA)-based CO_(2) electrolyzer for the electrochemical CO_(2) reduction reaction(ECRR)with high selectivity for CO production.When the composition of the Cu-Pd alloy catalyst was fabricated at 6:4,the selectivity for CO increased and the production of multi-carbon compounds and hydrogen is suppressed.Introducing a Cu-Pd alloy catalyst with 6:4 ratio as the cathode of the MEAbased CO_(2) electrolyzer showed a CO faradaic efficiency of 92.8%at 2.4 V_(cell).We assumed that these results contributed from the crystal planes on the surface of the Cu-Pd alloy.The phases of the Cu-Pd alloy catalyst were partially separated through annealing to fabricate a catalyst with high selectivity for CO at low voltage and C_(2)H_4 at high voltage.The results of CO-stripping testing confirmed that when Cu partially separates from the lattice of the Cu-Pd alloy,the desorption of~*CO is suppressed,suggesting that C-C coupling reaction is favored.

EFFECT OF DILUENTS ON CRYSTALLIZATION OF POLY(VINYLIDENE FLUORIDE) AND PHASE SEPARATED STRUCTURE IN A TERNARY SYSTEM via THERMALLY INDUCED PHASE SEPARATION

The phase diagram of a ternary system of PVDF,dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was determined in terms of a pseudo binary system with the same polymer concentration and different DBP content in diluent mixture.The experimental results showed that as the DBP content increased in diluent mixture,the phase separation changed from liquid-liquid phase separation to solid-liquid phase separation,and both the cloudy point for L-L phase separation and crystallization temperature shifted...

Influences of excitation power and temperature on photoluminescence in phase-separated InGaN quantum wells

The photoluminescence（PL） properties of a green and blue light-emitting InGaN/GaN multiple quantum well structure with a strong phase separated into quasi-quantum dots（QDs） and an InGaN matrix in the InGaN epilayer are investigated.The excitation power dependences of QD-related green emissions（PD〉） and matrix-related blue emissions（PM） in the low excitation power range of the PL peak energy and line-width indicate that at 6 K both Pm and PD are dominated by the combined action of Coulomb screening and localized state filling effect.However,at 300 K,Pm is dominated by the non-radiative recombination of the carriers in the InGaN matrix,while PD is influenced by the carriers transferred from the shallower QDs to deeper QDs by tunnelling.This is consistent with the excitation power dependence of the PL efficiency for the emission.

Dynamic resistive switching in a three-terminal device based on phase separated manganites

A three-terminal device based on electronic phase separated manganites is suggested to produce high performance resistive switching. Our Monte Carlo simulations reveal that the conductive filaments can be formed/annihilated by reshaping the ferromagnetic metal phase domains with two cross-oriented switching voltages. Besides, by controlling the high resistance state（HRS） to a stable state that just after the filament is ruptured, the resistive switching remains stable and reversible, while the switching voltage and the switching time can be greatly reduced.

Binary fluids in mesoporous materials: Phase separation studied by NMR relaxation and diffusion

Relaxation and diffusion measurements were carried out on single and binary liquids filling the pore space of controlled porous glass Vycor with an average pore size of about 4 nm.The dispersion of the longitudinal relaxation time Tr is discussed as a means to identify liquid-surface interaction based on existing models developed for metal-free glass surfaces.In addition,the change of T1 and T2 with respect to their bulk values is discussed,in particular T2 serves as a probe for the strength of molecular interactions.As the native glass surface is polar and contains a large amount of hydroxyl groups,a pronounced interaction of polar and protic adsorbate liquids is expected;however,the T dispersion,and the corresponding reduction of T2,are also observed for non-polar liquids such as alkanes and cyclohexane.Deuterated liquids are employed for simplifying data analysis in binary systems,but also for separating the respective contributions of intra-and intermolecular interactions to the overall relaxation rate.Despite the lack of paramagnetic impurities in the glass material,H and 2H relaxation dispersions of equivalent molecules are frequently found to differ from each other,suggesting intermolecular relaxation mechanisms for the'H nuclei.The variation of the T dispersion when comparing single and binary systems gives clear evidence for the preferential adsorption of one of the two liquids,suggesting complete phase separation in several cases.Measurement of the apparent tortuosity by self-diffusion experiments supports the concept of a local variation of sample composition within the porespace.

Numerical Simulation Study of Oil-Water Emulsion Separation in an Ultrasonic Field:Effect of Coupling between Acoustic and Flow Field Parameters

In this study,the separation and coalescence of oil-in-water emulsions are explored in an ultrasonic field using the lattice Boltzmann method.By simulating the propagation of ultrasonic waves,this study focuses on examining the effects of acoustic wave frequency,the ratio of oil to water components,and the aspect ratio of the boundary on the emulsification and separation processes of oil-water mixtures.The following conclusions are drawn.①Frequency affects the speed of oil droplet separation,leading to an increase in droplet size over time.Larger droplets are found near the source,while smaller droplets are distributed throughout the wave web.②As the boundary aspect ratio increases,the emulsification efficiency of the droplets weakens,and the system takes longer to stabilize.③Emulsions with a higher component of oil can better resist acoustic waves.④At the same acoustic frequency,longer wavelength ultrasonic fields promote the formation of uniformly distributed,smaller oil droplets,which is beneficial to the storage of emulsions.These numerical simulation results offer insights for optimizing conditions for oil-in-water separation and serve as a numerical reference for the study of oil-in-water emulsion separation in ultrasonic environments.

The pathogenic mechanism of TAR DNA-binding protein 43(TDP-43)in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is usually characterized by focal death of both upper and/or lower motor neurons occurring in the motor cortex,basal ganglia,brainstem,and spinal cord,and commonly involves the muscles of the upper and/or lower extremities,and the muscles of the bulbar and/or respiratory regions.However,as the disease progresses,it affects the adjacent body regions,leading to generalized muscle weakness,occasionally along with memory,cognitive,behavioral,and language impairments;respiratory dysfunction occurs at the final stage of the disease.The disease has a complicated pathophysiology and currently,only riluzole,edaravone,and phenylbutyrate/taurursodiol are licensed to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in many industrialized countries.The TAR DNA-binding protein 43 inclusions are observed in 97%of those diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.This review provides a preliminary overview of the potential effects of TAR DNAbinding protein 43 in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,including the abnormalities in nucleoplasmic transport,RNA function,post-translational modification,liquid-liquid phase separation,stress granules,mitochondrial dysfunction,oxidative stress,axonal transport,protein quality control system,and non-cellular autonomous functions(e.g.,glial cell functions and prion-like propagation).

Microporous carbon nanofibers prepared by combining electrospinning and phase separation methods for supercapacitor

Microporous carbon nanofibers (MCNFs) derived from polyacrylonitrile nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning technology and phase separation in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). PVP together with a mixed solvent of N, N-Dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide was used as pore forming agent. The influences of PVP content in casting solution on the structure and electrochemical performance of the MCNFs were also investigated. The highest capacitance of 200 F/g was obtained on a three-electrode system at a scan rate of 0.5 A/g. The good performance was owing to the high specific surface area and the large amount of micro-pores, which enhanced the absorption and the transportation efficiency of electrolyte ion during charge/discharge process. This research indicated that the combination of electrospinning and phase separation technology could be used to fabricate microporous carbon nanofibers as electrode materials for supercapacitors with high specific surface area and outstanding electrochemical performance. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Sludge granulation and efficiency of phase separator in UASB reactor treating combined industrial effluent

Sludge granulation and the effect of gas-liquid-solid separator （GLSS） design on the efficiency of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket （UASB） and upflow anaerobic sludge filter （UASF） reactors, operating at HRTs ranging from 3 to 12 h was investigated. VSS/TS ratio gradually increased in both the reactors with increasing sludge age （from 0.5 to more than 0.7 for UASB reactor and 0.012 to 0.043 for UASF reactor）. X-Ray diffraction analysis of the UASF sludge showed the presence of expanding clays revealing its additional absorption capability. Fuoraphyllite and albite precipitation related to excellular polymers of the microbial shell structure, showed the extended growth of microorganisms during sludge granulation. A gradual decrease （82%-69%） in COD removal with decreasing HRT was apparent in UASF reactor. In case of UASB reactor, this decrease was marginal because addition of GLSS device significantly improved （14%-20%） the overall efficiency of the UASB reactor. GLSS enhanced the efficiency of the UASB reactor by increasing the settleability of suspended particles and accelerating the coagulation of colloidal particles due to the velocity gradient.

METASTABLE PHASE SEPARATION OF Fe_(50)Cu_(50) HYPOPERITECTIC ALLOY UNDER SPACE SIMULATION CONDITIONS

A 3m drop-tube was used to investigate the solidification of Fe50Cu50 hypoperitectic alloy. The falling droplets solidified as spheres and splats. The obtained particles range from 1000μm to 80μm in diameter. It was found that the phase separation occurred if the Fe-Cu liquid was undercooled to a certain extent before solidification.In the big particles macroscopic separation of Fe-rich phase always appeared in the cented of the particles, and in the small ones the Fe-rich phase usually solidified as little spheres. In the flakes the Fe-rich and Cu-rich layers alternatively displayed from top to bottom.

Dynamic scaling behaviour of late-stage phase separation in Ni75AlxV25-x alloys

The dynamic scaling behaviour of late-stage phase separation and coarsening mechanisms of L12 and D022 in Ni75AlxV25-x （3 ≤ x ≤ 10, at.%） alloys are studied using the microscopic phase-field dynamic model. The microelaso ticity field is incorporated into the diffusion dynamic model. The results show the morphology and coarsening dynamics being greatly changed by the elastic interactions among different precipitates, the particles aligning along the dominant directions, the average domain size （ADS） of L12 and D022 deviating from the exponent of temporal power-law, and the growth slowing down due to the increasing of elastic interactions. The dynamic scaling regime of late-stage coarsening of the precipitates is attained. Thus the scaling behaviour of structure function is also applicable for elastic interaction systems. It is also found that the variations of ADS and scaling function depend on the volume fraction of precipitates.

PREPARATION OF MICROPOROUS ULTRA HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE (UHMWPE) BY THERMALLY INDUCED PHASE SEPARATION OF A UHMWPE/LIQUID PARAFFIN MIXTURE

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with a microporous structure was prepared via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS).Liquid paraffin (LP) was used as a diluent in the preparation of microporous UHMWPE. Small angle laser light scattering (SALLS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to determine the phase separation temperatures,i.e.the cloud points and the dynamic crystallization temperatures,respectively.It was found that the cloudI points were coincident with the cryst...

FORMATION AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF POLYETHYLENE MICROPOROUS MEMBRANES THROUGH THERMALLY INDUCED PHASE SEPARATION

Microporous membranes of low-high density polyethylene and their blends were prepared bythermally-induced phase separation of polymer/long-aliphatic chain alcohol (diluent) mixtures.The microstructures of this particular membrane, which depends on the diluent properties,polymer concentration and cooling rate, were observed by scanning electron microscopy.'Beehive-type,'leafy-like, and lacy porous structure morphologies can be formed,depending onthe blend composition and phase separation conditions, which were discussed by the polymer anddiluent crystallization processes.

Fabrication of poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane via thermally induced phase separation using ionic liquid as green diluent

Ionic liquid(IL),1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate([BMIM]PF6)as a new and environmentally friendly diluent was introduced to prepare poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF)membranes via thermally induced phase separation(TIPS).Phase diagram of PVDF/[BMIM]PF6 was measured.The effects of polymer concentration and quenching temperature on the morphologies,properties,and performances of the PVDF membranes were investigated.When the polymer concentration was 15 wt%,the pure water flux of the fabricated membrane was up to nearly 2000 L·m-2·h-1,along with adequate mechanical strength.With the increasing of PVDF concentration and quenching temperature,mean pore size and water permeability of the membrane decreased.SEM results showed that PVDF membranes manufactured by ionic liquid(BMIm PF6)presented spherulite structure.And the PVDF membranes were represented asβphase by XRD and FTIR characterization.It provides a new way to prepare PVDF membranes with piezoelectric properties.

PHASE SEPARATION BEHAVIOR OF SURLYN IN POLY (ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALTE)

The phase separation behavior of blend of Surlyn and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has been studied by scanning electron microscopy and IR. It is shown that particles of Surlyn are dispersed in PET matrix, and this phase separation is controlled by heat-treated conditions of the blend.

Experimental Study of the Distribution of Au and Cu in Aqueous Vapor Phase at High Temperatures and Its Role on Ore-forming Transportation

This study focuses on experiments of Au and Cu dissolved in vapor phase in hydrothermal fluids. Experiments prove that Au and Cu can re-distribute in vapor phase and liquid phase during separation of Au- and Cu-bearing supercritical fluids to vapor and liquid phases. These experimental results can illustrate some ore geneses, where boiling phenomena of ore fluids were found. Au- and Cubearing NaHCO3-HCl solutions were heated up to more than 350℃ in the main vessel, and then passed through a phase separator in a temperature range from 250℃ to 300℃, separated into vapor and liquid phases. We collected and analyzed the liquid and vapor samples separately, and found that Au and Cu dissolved and distributed in vapor phase. In some cases, the concentrations of Au and Cu in vapor are higher than those in liquid phase. Those experiments are used to interpret field observations of fluid inclusion data of some Au and Cu deposits, and demonstrate that some Au and Cu ore deposits are derived from metals transportation in vapor phase.

PREPARATION OF HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE/POLYETHYLENE-BLOCK-POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL)COPOLYMER BLEND POROUS MEMBRANES VIA THERMALLY INDUCED PHASE SEPARATION PROCESS AND THEIR PROPERTIES

High density polyethylene （HDPE）/polyethylene-block-poly（ethylene glycol） （PE-b-PEG） blend porous membranes were prepared via thermally induced phase separation （TIPS） process using diphenyl ether （DPE） as diluent. The phase diagrams of HDPE/PE-b-PEG/DPE systems were determined by optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）. By varying the content of PE-b-PEG, the effects of PE-b-PEG copolymer on morphology and crystalline structure of membranes were studied by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and wide angle X-ray diffraction （WAXD）. The chemical compositions of whole membranes and surface layers were characterized by elementary analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflection （FTIR-ATR） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. Water contact angle, static protein adsorption and water flux experiments were used to evaluate the hydrophilicity, antifouling and water permeation properties of the membranes. It was found that the addition of PE-b-PEG increased the pore size of the obtained blend membranes. In the investigated range of PE-b-PEG content, the PEG blocks could not aggregate into obviously separated domains in membrane matrix. More importantly, PE-b-PEG could not only be retained stably in the membrane matrix during membrane formation, but also enrich at the membrane surface layer. Such stability and surface enrichment of PE-b-PEG endowed the blend membranes with improved hydrophilicity, protein absorption resistance and water permeation properties, which would be substantially beneficial to HDPE membranes for water treatment application.

Effects of Ni addition on liquid phase separation and giant magnetoresistance of Cu-Co alloys

The effects of Ni addition on the liquid phase separation and giant magnetoresi stance (GMR) of Cu Co alloys were discussed. The results reveal that Ni additio n can partially restrain the liquid phase separation of Cu Co alloys, resultin g in a decrease of volume fraction for the Co rich particles separated from the liquid phase and in refined microstructures. The composition analyses indicate t hat Ni is dissolved in both the Co rich and the Cu rich phases, but Ni content in the Co rich phase is much higher than that in the Cu matrix. At the same ti me, Ni addition enhance the solubility between Cu and Co, especially Cu in Co s olid solution. Ni alloying into Cu Co alloys can fully prevent the liquid phase separation during melt spinning, which is very beneficial to improve GMR of Cu Co alloys.

Efects of thermal aging temperature and Cr content on phase separ-ation kinetics in Fe-Cr alloys simulated by the phase feld method

Phase field simulations of phase separation in Fe-Cr binary alloys were performed by using the Cahn-Hilliard diffusion function. A new mobility model in relation to aging temperature and Cr content was used in the simulations. Two alloys of Fe-30at%Cr and Fe-35at%Cr were investigated at two different aging temperatures of 573 and 673 K. The phase separation kinetics was found to consist of three stages： wavelength modulation, amplitude increase, and coarsening of Cr-enriched regions. A higher thermal aging temperature accelerated the phase separation and increased the wavelength of concentration fluctuation. While the effect of Cr content on the phase separation kinetics was slight, Fe-Cr alloys with a higher Cr content were found to generate a larger number and a finer size of Cr-enriched regions. The simulation results provide consultation for design and safe operation of duplex stainless steel pipes in nuclear power plants.

Metastable phase separation and rapid solidification of undercooled Co_(40)Fe_(40)Cu_(20) alloy

The metastable liquid phase separation and rapid solidification behaviors of Co_（40） Fe_（40） Cu_（20） alloy were investigated by using differential thermal analysis（DTA） in combination with glass fluxing and electromagnetic levitation（EML） techniques. The critical liquid phase separation undercooling for this alloy was determined by DTA to be 174 K. Macrosegregation morphologies are formed in the bulk samples processed by both DTA and EML. It is revealed that undercooling level, cooling rate, convection, and surface tension difference between the two separated phases play a dominant role in the coalescence and segregation of the separated phases. The growth velocity of the（Fe,Co） dendrite has been measured as a function of undercooling up to 275 K. The temperature rise resulting from recalescence increases linearly with the increase of undercooling because of the enhancement of recalescence. The slope change of the recalescence temperature rise versus undercooling at the critical undercooling also implies the occurrence of liquid demixing.