Evolution of Superconducting-Transition Temperature with Superfluid Density and Conductivity in Pressurized Cuprate Superconductors

What factors fundamentally determine the value of superconducting transition temperature Tc in high temperature superconductors has been the subject of intense debate.Following the establishment of an empirical law known as Homes'law,there is a growing consensus in the community that the Tc value of the cuprate superconductors is closely linked to the superfluid density(ρ_(s))of its ground state and the conductivity(σ)of its normal state.However,all the data supporting this empirical law(ρ_(s)=AσT_(c))have been obtained from the ambientpressure superconductors.In this study,we present the first high-pressure results about the connection of the quantities of ρ_(s) and σ with T_(c),through the studies on the Bi_(1.74)Pb_(0.38)Sr_(1.88)CuO_(6+δ)and Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CaCu_(2)O_(8+δ),in which the value of their high-pressure resistivity(ρ=1/σ)is achieved by adopting our newly established method,while the quantity ofρs is extracted using Homes'law.We highlight that the Tc values are strongly linked to the joint response factors of magnetic field and electric field,i.e.,ρ_(s) and σ,respectively,implying that the physics determining T_(c) is governed by the intrinsic electromagnetic fields of the system.

Disorder effects in NbTiN superconducting resonators

Disordered superconducting materials like NbTiN possess a high kinetic inductance fraction and an adjustable critical temperature, making them a good choice for low-temperature detectors. Their energy gap(D), critical temperature(T_(c)),and quasiparticle density of states(QDOS) distribution, however, deviate from the classical BCS theory due to the disorder effects. The Usadel equation, which takes account of elastic scattering, non-elastic scattering, and electro–phonon coupling,can be applied to explain and describe these deviations. This paper presents numerical simulations of the disorder effects based on the Usadel equation to investigate their effects on the △, Tc, QDOS distribution, and complex conductivity of the NbTiN film. Furthermore, NbTiN superconducting resonators with coplanar waveguide(CPW) structures are fabricated and characterized at different temperatures to validate our numerical simulations. The pair-breaking parameter α and the critical temperature in the pure state T_(c)^(P) of our NbTiN film are determined from the experimental results and numerical simulations. This study has significant implications for the development of low-temperature detectors made of disordered superconducting materials.

Conducting Polymer-Based e-Refinery for Sustainable Hydrogen Peroxide Production

Electrocatalysis enables the industrial transition to sustainable production of chemicals using abundant precursors and electricity from renewable sources.De-centralized production of hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))from water and oxygen of air is highly desirable for daily life and industry.We report an effective electrochemical refinery(e-refinery)for H_(2)O_(2)by means of electrocatalysis-controlled comproportionation reaction(2_(H)O+o→2HO),feeding pure water and oxygen only.Mesoporous nickel(Ⅱ)oxide(NiO)was used as electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction(OER),producing oxygen at the anode.Conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)drove the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),forming H_(2)O_(2)on the cathode.The reactions were evaluated in both half-cell and device configurations.The performance of the H_(2)O_(2)e-refinery,assembled on anion-exchange solid electrolyte and fed with pure water,was limited by the unbalanced ionic transport.Optimization of the operation conditions allowed a conversion efficiency of 80%.

A Room-Temperature Chloride-Conducting Metal-Organic Crystal[Al(DMSO)_(6)]Cl_(3) for Potential Solid-State Chloride-Shuttle Batteries

The growing demand for substitutes of lithium chemistries in battery leads to a surge in budding novel anion-based electrochemical energy storage,where the chloride ion batteries(CIBs)take over the role.The application of CIBs is limited by the dissolution and side reaction of chloride-based electrode materials in a liquid electrolyte.On the flipside,its solid-state electrolytes are scarcely reported due to the challenge in realizing fast Cl^(-)conductivity.The present study reports[Al(DMSO)_(6)]Cl_(3),a solid-state metal-organic material,allows chloride ion transfer.The strong Al-Cl bonds in AlCl_(3)are broken down after coordinating of Al^(3+)by ligand DMSO,and Cl^(-)in the resulting compound is weakly bound to complexions[Al(DMSO)_(6)]^(3+),which may facilitate Cl^(-)migration.By partial replacement of Cl^(-)with PF_(6)^(-),the room-temperature ionic conductivity of as-prepared electrolyte is increased by one order of magnitude from 2.172×10^(-5)S cm^(-1)to 2.012×10^(-4)S cm^(-1).When they are assembled with Ag(anode)/Ag-AgCl(cathode)electrode system,reversible electrochemical redox reactions occur on both sides,demonstrating its potential for solid-state chloride ion batteries.The strategy by weakening the bonding interaction using organic ligands between Cl^(-)and central metallic ions may provide new ideas for developing solid chloride-ion conductors.

State Key Laboratory of Baiyun Obo Rare Earth Resource Researches and Comprehensive Utilization

State Key Laboratory of Baiyun Obo Rare Earth Resource Researches and Comprehensive Utilization was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology to be one of the national key laboratories in November 2022.The laboratory was reconstructed based on former State Key Laboratory of Baiyun Obo Rare Earth Resources Researchesand Comprehensive Utilization.

Research misconduct in hospitals is spreading:A bibliometric analysis of retracted papers from Chinese university-affiliated hospitals

Purpose: The number of retracted papers from Chinese university-affiliated hospitals is increasing, which has raised much concern. The aim of this study is to analyze the retracted papers from university-affiliated hospitals in China’s mainland from 2000 to 2021. Design/methodology/approach: Data for 1,031 retracted papers were identified from the Web of Science Core collection database. The information of the hospitals involved was obtained from their official websites. We analyzed the chronological changes, journal distribution, discipline distribution and retraction reasons for the retracted papers. The grade and geographic locations of the hospitals involved were explored as well.Findings: We found a rapid increase in the number of retracted papers, while the retraction time interval is decreasing. The main reasons for retraction are plagiarism/self-plagiarism(n=255), invalid data/images/conclusions(n=212), fake peer review(n=175) and honesty error(n=163). The disciplines are mainly distributed in oncology(n=320), pharmacology & pharmacy(n=198) and research & experimental medicine(n=166). About 43.8% of the retracted papers were from hospitals affiliated with prestigious universities. Research limitations: This study fails to differentiate between retractions due to honest error and retractions due to research misconduct. We believe that there is a fundamental difference between honest error retractions and misconduct retractions. Another limitation is that authors of the retracted papers have not been analyzed in this study.Practical implications: This study provides a reference for addressing research misconduct in Chinese university-affiliated hospitals. It is our recommendation that universities and hospitals should educate all their staff about the basic norms of research integrity, punish authors of scientific misconduct retracted papers, and reform the unreasonable evaluation system.Originality/value: Based on the analysis of retracted papers, this study further analyzes the characteristics of institutions of retracted papers, which may deepen the research on retracted papers and provide a new perspective to understand the retraction phenomenon.

Recent Advances on Polyoxometalate-Based Ion-Conducting Electrolytes for Energy-Related Devices

Solid-state electrolytes have attracted considerable attention in new energyrelated devices due to their high safety and broad application platform.Polyoxometalates(POMs)are a kind of molecular-level cluster compounds with unique structures.In recent years,owing to their abundant physicochemical properties(including high ionic conductivity and reversible redox activity),POMs have shown great potential in becoming a new generation of solid-state electrolytes.In this review,an overview is investigated about how POMs have evolved as ion-conducting materials from basic research to novel solid-state electrolytes in energy devices.First,some expressive POM-based ion-conducting materials in recent years are introduced and classified,mainly inspecting their structural and functional relationship.After that,it is further focused on the application of these ionconducting electrolytes in the fields of proton exchange membranes,supercapacitors,and ion batteries.In addition,some properties of POMs(such as inherent dimension,capable of forming stable hydrogen bonds,and reversible bonding to water molecules)enable these functional POM-based electrolytes to be employed in innovative applications such as ion selection,humidity sensing,and smart materials.Finally,some fundamental recommendations are given on the current opportunities and challenges of POM-based ion-conducting electrolytes.

Trade-offs between ion-conducting and mechanical properties: The case of polyacrylate electrolytes

Polymer electrolytes(PEs)have been long recognized as the key materials to enable energy-dense batteries and render flexible energy devices practically viable,owing to their chemical and mechanical reliability.However,much of their promise is yet to be realized.The roomtemperature ion conductivity of existing PEs still falls short of the implementation criterion of 10^(-4) S cm^(-1) on the promise of acceptable mechanical properties,thereby precluding their practical application.The twin but inversely related duties of polymers,that is,functioning as both an ion-conducting medium and a structural backbone,underlie this issue but are less elucidated systematically.The polyacrylate(PA)family is among promising polymer matrices on account of ester polarity,electrode compatibility,chemical tunability,and mechanical durability.The extensive applicability of PA in plasticized gels,dry solids,and emerging composites makes PA-based PEs representative to illustrate the trade-off between ion conduction and mechanical strength.We herein seek to outline the stated long-standing conflict exemplified by PA-based PEs,focusing on crucial strategies toward balancing and reconciling the two mutually exclusive properties,with the intention of offering designing guidelines for next-generation PEs.

Novel double channel reverse conducting GaN HEMT with an integrated MOS-channel diode

A novel normally-off double channel reverse conducting(DCRC)HEMT with an integrated MOS-channel diode(MCD)is proposed and investigated by TCAD simulation.The proposed structure has two features:one is double heterojunctions to form dual 2DEG channels named the 1^(st)path and the 2^(nd)path for reverse conduction,and the other is the MCD forming by the trench source metal,source dielectric,and Ga N.At the initial reverse conduction stage,the MCD acts as a switch to control the 1^(st)path which would be turned on prior to the 2^(nd)path.Because of the introduction of the 1^(st)path,the DCRC-HEMT has an additional reverse conducting channel to help enhance the reverse conduction performance.Compared with the conventional HEMT(Conv.HEMT),the DCRC-HEMT can obtain a low reverse turn-on voltage(VRT)and its VRTis independent of the gate-source bias(VGS)at the same time.The DCRC-HEMT achieves the VRTof 0.62 V,which is 59.7%and 75.9%lower than that of the Conv.HEMT at VGS=0 V and-1 V,respectively.In addition,the forward conduction capability and blocking characteristics almost remain unchanged.In the end,the key fabrication flows of DCRC-HEMT are presented.

Conducting Polymers Meet Lithium-Sulfur Batteries:Progress,Challenges,and Perspectives

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries have attracted increased interest because of the high theoretical energy density,low cost,and environmental friendliness.Conducting polymers(CPs),as one of the most promising materials used in Li-S batteries,can not only facilitate electron transfer and buffer the large volumetric change of sulfur benefiting from their porous structure and excellent flexibility,but also enable stronger physical/chemical adsorption capacity toward polysulfides(LiPSs)when doped with abundant heteroatoms to promote the sulfur redox kinetics and achieve the high sulfur loading.This review firstly introduces the properties of various CPs including structural CPs(polypyrrole(PPy),polyaniline(PANi),polyethylene dioxothiophene[PEDOT])and compound CPs(polyethylene oxide(PEO),polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)and poly(acrylic acid)[PAA]),and their application potential in Li-S batteries.Furthermore,the research progress of various CPs in different components(cathode,separator,and interlayer)of Li-S batteries is systematically summarized.Finally,the application perspective of the CPs in Li-S batteries as a potential guidance is comprehensively discussed.

The“Top 50 High Impact Researches of Traditional Medicine”published in 2021

In recent years,significant progress has been achieved in both basic and clinical research within the field of traditional medicine,garnering increasing attention worldwide.To further promote a high-quality and international development of traditional medicine,the editorial board of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine provided a collection of the“Top 50 High-impact Researches of Traditional Medicine”published in 2021 through objective indicators and a strict selection process.The findings of the selected articles have a significant academic influence and possess considerable academic value both nationally and internationally.The selected articles cover a wide range of topics,including clinical research,acupuncture,pharmacology,chemistry,biosynthesis,medicinal plant resources,and new formulation and drug delivery system research on traditional medicine.Therefore,this article outlines the selection process of the top 50 high-impact research articles,analyzes their research characteristics,and provides a brief summary of their new findings and perspectives in the field of traditional medicine.

Highly Thermoconductive,Strong Graphene‑Based Composite Films by Eliminating Nanosheets Wrinkles

Graphene-based thermally conductive composites have been proposed as effective thermal management materials for cooling high-power electronic devices.However,when flexible graphene nanosheets are assembled into macroscopic thermally conductive composites,capillary forces induce shrinkage of graphene nanosheets to form wrinkles during solution-based spontaneous drying,which greatly reduces the thermal conductivity of the composites.Herein,graphene nanosheets/aramid nanofiber(GNS/ANF)composite films with high thermal conductivity were prepared by in-plane stretching of GNS/ANF composite hydrogel networks with hydrogen bonds andπ-πinteractions.The in-plane mechanical stretching eliminates graphene nanosheets wrinkles by suppressing inward shrinkage due to capillary forces during drying and achieves a high in-plane orientation of graphene nanosheets,thereby creating a fast in-plane heat transfer channel.The composite films(GNS/ANF-60 wt%)with eliminated graphene nanosheets wrinkles showed a significant increase in thermal conductivity(146 W m^(−1)K^(−1))and tensile strength(207 MPa).The combination of these excellent properties enables the GNS/ANF composite films to be effectively used for cooling flexible LED chips and smartphones,showing promising applications in the thermal management of high-power electronic devices.

Prediction of the thermal conductivity of Mg–Al–La alloys by CALPHAD method

Mg-Al alloys have excellent strength and ductility but relatively low thermal conductivity due to Al addition.The accurate prediction of thermal conductivity is a prerequisite for designing Mg-Al alloys with high thermal conductivity.Thus,databases for predicting temperature-and composition-dependent thermal conductivities must be established.In this study,Mg-Al-La alloys with different contents of Al2La,Al3La,and Al11La3phases and solid solubility of Al in the α-Mg phase were designed.The influence of the second phase(s) and Al solid solubility on thermal conductivity was investigated.Experimental results revealed a second phase transformation from Al_(2)La to Al_(3)La and further to Al_(11)La_(3)with the increasing Al content at a constant La amount.The degree of the negative effect of the second phase(s) on thermal diffusivity followed the sequence of Al2La>Al3La>Al_(11)La_(3).Compared with the second phase,an increase in the solid solubility of Al in α-Mg remarkably reduced the thermal conductivity.On the basis of the experimental data,a database of the reciprocal thermal diffusivity of the Mg-Al-La system was established by calculation of the phase diagram (CALPHAD)method.With a standard error of±1.2 W/(m·K),the predicted results were in good agreement with the experimental data.The established database can be used to design Mg-Al alloys with high thermal conductivity and provide valuable guidance for expanding their application prospects.

Flexible, Transparent and Conductive Metal Mesh Films with Ultra‑High FoM for Stretchable Heating and Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

Despite the growing demand for transparent conductive films in smart and wearable electronics for electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding,achieving a flexible EMI shielding film,while maintaining a high transmittance remains a significant challenge.Herein,a flexible,transparent,and conductive copper(Cu)metal mesh film for EMI shielding is fabricated by self-forming crackle template method and electroplating technique.The Cu mesh film shows an ultra-low sheet resistance(0.18Ω□^(-1)),high transmittance(85.8%@550 nm),and ultra-high figure of merit(>13,000).It also has satisfactory stretchability and mechanical stability,with a resistance increases of only 1.3%after 1,000 bending cycles.As a stretchable heater(ε>30%),the saturation temperature of the film can reach over 110°C within 60 s at 1.00 V applied voltage.Moreover,the metal mesh film exhibits outstanding average EMI shielding effectiveness of 40.4 dB in the X-band at the thickness of 2.5μm.As a demonstration,it is used as a transparent window for shielding the wireless communication electromagnetic waves.Therefore,the flexible and transparent conductive Cu mesh film proposed in this work provides a promising candidate for the next-generation EMI shielding applications.

Researches into the Proton Conductivity of Molybdovanadophosphoric Acids with Wells－Dawson Structure

Five kinds of molybdovanadophosphoric acids H_7[P_2Mo_(17)VO_(62)],H_8[P_2Mo_(16)·V_2O_(62)],H_9 [P_2Mo_(15)V_3O_(62)],H_8[P_2Mo_(14)V_4O_(61)(H_2O)]and H_9[P_2Mo_(13)V_5O_(61)(H_2O)]have been synthesized.Their protop conductivities(C) have been measured.The effects of three main factors (frequency,hydration numbers,temperature)on the conductivity have been investigated.In some degree,heteropoly compounds with different structures give a different conductivity.

Unraveling the Fundamental Mechanism of Interface Conductive Network Influence on the Fast‑Charging Performance of SiO‑Based Anode for Lithium‑Ion Batteries

Progress in the fast charging of high-capacity silicon monoxide(SiO)-based anode is currently hindered by insufficient conductivity and notable volume expansion.The construction of an interface conductive network effectively addresses the aforementioned problems;however,the impact of its quality on lithium-ion transfer and structure durability is yet to be explored.Herein,the influence of an interface conductive network on ionic transport and mechanical stability under fast charging is explored for the first time.2D modeling simulation and Cryo-transmission electron microscopy precisely reveal the mitigation of interface polarization owing to a higher fraction of conductive inorganic species formation in bilayer solid electrolyte interphase is mainly responsible for a linear decrease in ionic diffusion energy barrier.Furthermore,atomic force microscopy and Raman shift exhibit substantial stress dissipation generated by a complete conductive network,which is critical to the linear reduction of electrode residual stress.This study provides insights into the rational design of optimized interface SiO-based anodes with reinforced fast-charging performance.

Electronegativity-Induced Single-Ion Conducting Polymer Electrolyte for Solid-State Lithium Batteries

The application of solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs)is severely impeded by the insufficient ionic conductivity and low Li^(+)transference numbers(t_(Li)^(+)).Here,we report an iodine-driven strategy to address both the two longstanding issues of SPEs simultaneously.Electronegative lodine-containing groups introduced on polymer chains effectively attract Li^(+)ions,facilitate Li^(+)transport,and promote the dissociation of Li salts.Meanwhile,iodine is also favorable to alleviate the strong O-Li^(+)coordination through a Lewis acidbase interaction,further improving the ionic conductivity and t_(Li)^(+).As a proof of concept,an iodinated single-ion conducting polymer electrolyte(IPE)demonstrates a high ionic conductivity of 0.93 mS cm^(-1)and a high t_(Li)^(+)of 0.86 at 25℃,which is among the best results ever reported for SPEs.Moreover,symmetric Li/Li cells with IPE achieve a long-term stability over 2600 h through the in-situ formed LiF-rich interphase.As a result,Li-S battery with IPE maintains a high capacity of 623.7 mAh g^(-1)over 300 cycles with an average Coulombic efficiency of 99%.When matched with intercalation cathode chemistries,Li/IPE/LiFePO_(4)and Li/IPE/LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2)solid-state batteries also deliver high-capacity retentions of 95%and 97%at 0.2 C after 120 cycles,respectively.

Research on the Relationship between Density of States and Conducting Properties of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes

The analytical expression of the electronic density of states (DOS) for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) has been derived on the basis of graphene approximation of the energy E(k) near the Fermi level EF. The distinctive properties of the DOS, the normalized differential conductivity and the current us bias for SWNTs are deduced and analyzed theoretically. The singularities in the DOS (or in the normalized differential conductivity) predict that the jump structure of current (or conductance)-bias of SWNTs exists. All conclusions from the theoretical analysis are in well agreement with the experimental results of SWNT's electronic structure and electronic transport. In other words, the simple theoretical model in this paper can be applied to understand a range of spectroscopic and other measurement data related to the DOS of SWNTs.

Machine Learning Mapping of Soil Apparent Electrical Conductivity on a Research Farm in Mississippi

Open-source and free tools are readily available to the public to process data and assist producers in making management decisions related to agricultural landscapes. On-the-go soil sensors are being used as a proxy to develop digital soil maps because of the data they can collect and their ability to cover a large area quickly. Machine learning, a subcomponent of artificial intelligence, makes predictions from data. Intermixing open-source tools, on-the-go sensor technologies, and machine learning may improve Mississippi soil mapping and crop production. This study aimed to evaluate machine learning for mapping apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) collected with an on-the-go sensor system at two sites (i.e., MF2, MF9) on a research farm in Mississippi. Machine learning tools (support vector machine) incorporated in Smart-Map, an open-source application, were used to evaluate the sites and derive the apparent electrical conductivity maps. Autocorrelation of the shallow (ECas) and deep (ECad) readings was statistically significant at both locations (Moran’s I, p 0.001);however, the spatial correlation was greater at MF2. According to the leave-one-out cross-validation results, the best models were developed for ECas versus ECad. Spatial patterns were observed for the ECas and ECad readings in both fields. The patterns observed for the ECad readings were more distinct than the ECas measurements. The research results indicated that machine learning was valuable for deriving apparent electrical conductivity maps in two Mississippi fields. Location and depth played a role in the machine learner’s ability to develop maps.

Flexible and Robust Functionalized Boron Nitride/Poly(p‑Phenylene Benzobisoxazole)Nanocomposite Paper with High Thermal Conductivity and Outstanding Electrical Insulation

With the rapid development of 5G information technology,thermal conductivity/dissipation problems of highly integrated electronic devices and electrical equipment are becoming prominent.In this work,“high-temperature solid-phase&diazonium salt decomposition”method is carried out to prepare benzidine-functionalized boron nitride(m-BN).Subsequently,m-BN/poly(pphenylene benzobisoxazole)nanofiber(PNF)nanocomposite paper with nacremimetic layered structures is prepared via sol–gel film transformation approach.The obtained m-BN/PNF nanocomposite paper with 50 wt%m-BN presents excellent thermal conductivity,incredible electrical insulation,outstanding mechanical properties and thermal stability,due to the construction of extensive hydrogen bonds andπ–πinteractions between m-BN and PNF,and stable nacre-mimetic layered structures.Itsλ∥andλ_(⊥)are 9.68 and 0.84 W m^(-1)K^(-1),and the volume resistivity and breakdown strength are as high as 2.3×10^(15)Ωcm and 324.2 kV mm^(-1),respectively.Besides,it also presents extremely high tensile strength of 193.6 MPa and thermal decomposition temperature of 640°C,showing a broad application prospect in high-end thermal management fields such as electronic devices and electrical equipment.