Vertical Distribution and Pollution Assessment of Heavy Metals in Mangrove Sediments of Dongzhai Harbor, Hainan

This study was conducted to reveal the vertical distribution and concentration variation of heavy metals（Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb） in the mangrove sediments of Dongzhai Harbor, Hainan by using inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry（ICP-MS）. The surface sediment samples were collected from 15 sites, and a geoaccumulation index（Igeo） was estimated to quantify the pollution status of the mangrove sediments. The results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals in sediments followed the order of Cr〉 Zn〉 Ni〉 Cu 〉Pb 〉Co〉 Cd. A common pattern was found in some heavy metals（Cu, Zn, As and Pb） as their concentrations were significantly and negatively correlated with depth. Cr concentration in upper layer was slightly lower than that in middle and lower layers,while the concentrations of Ni and Cd in middle layer were slightly higher than in upper and lower layers. The geoaccumulation index indicated that the surface sediments at sites QT-1-01, QT-1-02, QT-2, GN-1, GN-2 and GN-3 were strongly polluted by Cd, and unpolluted to moderately polluted or moderately polluted by As.

Single crystal metal-organic framework constructed by vertically self-pillared nanosheets and its derivative for oriented lithium plating

This vertically self‐pillared(VSP)structure extends the application range of traditional porous materials with facile mass/ion transport and enhanced reaction kinetics.Here,we prepare a single crystal metal‐organic framework(MOF),employing the ZIF‐67 structure as a proof of concept,which is constructed by vertically self‐pillared nanosheets(VSP‐MOF).We further converted VSP‐MOF into VSP‐cobalt sulfide(VSP‐CoS2)through a sulfidation process.Catalysis plays an important role in almost all battery technologies;for metallic batteries,lithium anodes exhibit a high theoretical specific capacity,low density,and low redox potential.However,during the half‐cell reaction(Li++e=Li),uncontrolled dendritic Li penetrates the separator and solid electrolyte interphase layer.When employed as a composite scaffold for lithium metal deposition,there are many advantage to using this framework:1)the VSP‐CoS2 substrate provides a high specific surface area to dissipate the ion flux and mass transfer and acts as a pre‐catalyst,2)the catalytic Co center favors the charge transfer process and preferentially binds the Li+with the enhanced electrical fields,and 3)the VSP structure guides the metallic propagation along the nanosheet 2D orientation without the protrusive dendrites.All these features enable the VSP structure in metallic batteries with encouraging performances.

Magnetic-field enhanced high-thermoelectric performance in topological Dirac semimetal Cd3As2 crystal

Thermoelectric materials can be used to convert heat to electric power through the Seebeck effect. We study magneto-thermoelectric figure of merit （ZT） in three-dimensional Dirac semimetal Cd3A 5 2 crystal. It is found that enhancement of power factor and reduction of thermal conductivity can be realized at the same time through magnetic field although magnetoresistivity is greatly increased. ZT can be highly enhanced from 0.17 to 1.1 by more than six times around 350 K under a perpendicular magnetic field of 7 T. The huge enhancement of ZT by magnetic field arises from the linear Dirac band with large Fermi velocity and the large electric thermal conductivity in CdsA 5 2. Our work paves a new way to greatly enhance the thermoelectric performance in the quantum topological materials.

Transition-metal doped edge sites in vertically aligned MoS2 catalysts for enhanced hydrogen evolution

Highly active and low-cost catalysts for electrochemical reactions such as the hydrogen evolution reaction （HER） are crucial for the development of efficient energy conversion and storage technologies. Theoretical simulations have been instrumental in revealing the correlations between the electronic structure of materials and their catalytic activity, and guide the prediction and development of improved catalysts. However, difficulties in accurately engineering the desired atomic sites lead to challenges in making direct comparisons between experi- mental and theoretical results. In MoS2, the Mo-edge has been demonstrated to be active for HER whereas the S-edge is inert. Using a computational descriptor- based approach, we predict that by incorporating transition metal atoms （Fe, Co, Ni, or Cu） the S-edge site should also become HER active. Vertically standing, edge-terminated MoS2 nanofilms provide a well-defined model system for verifying these predictions. The transition metal doped MoS2 nanofilms show an increase in exchange current densities by at least two-fold, in agreement with the theoretical calculations. This work opens up further opportunities for improving electrochemical catalysts by incorporating promoters into particular atomic sites, and for using well-defined systems in order to understand the origin of the promotion effects.

Huge metastable axial strain in ultrathin heteroepitaxial vertically aligned nanowires

Strain engineering is a powerful tool to tailor the physical properties of materials coherently stacked in an epitaxial heterostructure. Such an approach, applied to the mature field of planar heteroepitaxy, has yielded a variety of new phenomena and devices. Recently, heteroepitaxial vertically aligned nanocomposites have emerged as alternatives to planar structures. Owing to the peculiar geometry of such nanoarchitectures, efficient strain control can be achieved, opening the way to novel functionalities. In this paper, we report a very large tensile axial strain in epitaxial transition metal nanowires embedded in an oxide matrix. We show that axial strains in excess of 1.5% can be sustained over a large thickness （a few hundred nanometers） in epitaxial nanowires having ultrasmall diameters （-3-6 nm）. The axial strain depends on the diameter of the nanowires, reflecting its epitaxial nature and the balance of interface and elastic energies. Furthermore, it is experimentally shown that such strain is metastable, in agreement with the calculations performed in the framework of the Frenkel-Kontorova model. The diameter dependence and metastability provide effective ways to control the strain, an appealing feature for the design of functional nanoarchitectures.