Revealing the Role of Defect in 3D Graphene-Based Photocatalytic Composite for Efficient Elimination of Antibiotic and Heavy Metal Combined Pollution

Defect engineering can give birth to novel properties for adsorption and photocatalysis in the control of antibiotics and heavy metal combined pollution with photocatalytic composites.However,the role of defects and the process mechanism are complicated and indefinable.Herein,TiO_(2)/CN/3DC was fabricated and defects were introduced into the tripartite structure with separate O_(2)plasma treatment for the single component.We find that defect engineering can improve the photocatalytic activity,attributing to the increase of the contribution from h^(+)and OH.In contrast to TiO_(2)/CN/3DC with a photocatalytic tetracycline removal rate of 75.2%,the removal rate of TC with D-TiO_(2)/CN/3DC has increased to 88.5%.Moreover,the reactive sites of tetracycline can be increased by adsorbing on the defective composites.The defect construction on TiO_(2)shows the advantages in tetracycline degradation and Cu^(2+)adsorption,but also suffers significant inhibition for the tetracycline degradation in a tetracycline/Cu^(2+)combined system.In contrast,the defect construction on graphene can achieve the cooperative removal of tetracycline and Cu^(2+).These findings can provide new insights into water treatment strategies with defect engineering.

3D-printable Boron Nitride/Polyacrylic Hydrogel Composites with High Thermal Conductivities

Polyacrylic acid(PAA)hydrogel composites with different hexagonal boron nitride(h-BN)fillers were synthesized and successfully 3D-printed while their thermal conductivity was systematically studied.With the content of h-BN increasing from 0.1 wt%to 0.3 wt%,the thermal conductivity of the 3D-printed composites has been improved.Moreover,through the shear force given by the 3D printer,a complete thermal conductivity path is obtained inside the hydrogel,which significantly improves the thermal conductivity of the h-BN hydrogel composites.The maximum thermal conductivity is 0.8808 W/(m·K),leading to a thermal conductive enhancement of 1000%,compared with the thermal conductivity of pure PAA hydrogels.This study shows that using h-BN fillers can effectively and significantly improve the thermal conductivity of hydrogelbased materials while its 3D-printable ability has been maintained.

Biomimetic 3D printing of composite structures with decreased cracking

The development of tissue engineering and regeneration research has created new platforms for bone transplantation.However,the preparation of scaffolds with good fiber integrity is challenging,because scaffolds prepared by traditional printing methods are prone to fiber cracking during solvent evaporation.Human skin has an excellent natural heat-management system,which helps to maintain a constant body temperature through perspiration or blood-vessel constriction.In this work,an electrohydrodynamic-jet 3D-printing method inspired by the thermal-management system of skin was developed.In this system,the evaporation of solvent in the printed fibers can be adjusted using the temperature-change rate of the substrate to prepare 3D structures with good structural integrity.To investigate the solvent evaporation and the interlayer bonding of the fibers,finite-element analysis simulations of a three-layer microscale structure were carried out.The results show that the solvent-evaporation path is from bottom to top,and the strain in the printed structure becomes smaller with a smaller temperaturechange rate.Experimental results verified the accuracy of these simulation results,and a variety of complex 3D structures with high aspect ratios were printed.Microscale cracks were reduced to the nanoscale by adjusting the temperature-change rate from 2.5 to 0.5℃s-1.Optimized process parameters were selected to prepare a tissue engineering scaffold with high integrity.It was confirmed that this printed scaffold had good biocompatibility and could be used for bone-tissue regeneration.This simple and flexible 3D-printing method can also help with the preparation of a wide range of micro-and nanostructured sensors and actuators.

One-pot Synthesis of MoO_(3)/PI Composite with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance for Oxidative Coupling of Amines to Imines

Organic-inorganic MoO_(3)/PI(MoPI)composites were prepared using a simple one-pot thermal copolymerization method.The resulting composites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity for the selective oxidation of benzylamine to N-benzylidene benzylamine(N-BDBA)in ambient air under simulated solar light irradiation compared to pristine MoO_(3) or polyimide(PI).In particular,the MoPI composite with a 0.3:1 molar ratio of Mo to melamine,referred to as MoPI-0.3,demonstrated the best performance in the photo-oxidation of benzylamine,achieving a benzylamine conversion of 95%with a N-BDBA selectivity exceeding 99%after 3 h irradiation.The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the MoPI-0.3 catalyst was attributed to the formation of a direct Z-scheme heterojunction between MoO_(3) and PI,facilitating more efficient separation of the photoinduced electrons and holes.Additionally,the MoPI-0.3 composite maintained considerably high activity over four consecutive cycles,highlighting its good stability and recyclability.Furthermore,the MoPI-0.3 composite could photo-oxidize benzylamine derivatives and heterocyclic amines to their corresponding imines,demonstrating the universal applicability of this composite catalyst.

Multi-scale Modeling and Finite Element Analyses of Thermal Conductivity of 3D C/SiC Composites Fabricating by Flexible-Oriented Woven Process

Thermal conductivity is one of the most significant criterion of three-dimensional carbon fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composites(3D C/SiC).Represent volume element(RVE)models of microscale,void/matrix and mesoscale proposed in this work are used to simulate the thermal conductivity behaviors of the 3D C/SiC composites.An entirely new process is introduced to weave the preform with three-dimensional orthogonal architecture.The 3D steady-state analysis step is created for assessing the thermal conductivity behaviors of the composites by applying periodic temperature boundary conditions.Three RVE models of cuboid,hexagonal and fiber random distribution are respectively developed to comparatively study the influence of fiber package pattern on the thermal conductivities at the microscale.Besides,the effect of void morphology on the thermal conductivity of the matrix is analyzed by the void/matrix models.The prediction results at the mesoscale correspond closely to the experimental values.The effect of the porosities and fiber volume fractions on the thermal conductivities is also taken into consideration.The multi-scale models mentioned in this paper can be used to predict the thermal conductivity behaviors of other composites with complex structures.

Microstructure,interfacial reaction behavior,and mechanical properties of Ti_(3)AlC_(2)reinforced Al6061 composites

The interfacial reaction behavior of Al and Ti_(3)AlC_(2)at different pouring temperatures and its effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated.The results show that the addition of3.0 wt.%Ti_(3)AlC_(2)refines the average grain size ofα(Al)in the composite by 50.1%compared to Al6061 alloy.Morphological analyses indicate that an in-situ Al_(3Ti)transition layer of-180 nm in thickness is generated around the edge of Ti_(3)AlC_(2)at 720℃,forming a well-bonded Al-Al_(3Ti)interface.At this processing temperature,the ultimate tensile strength of A16061-3.0 wt.%Ti_(3)AlC_(2)composite is 199.2 MPa,an improvement of 41.5%over the Al6061 matrix.Mechanism analyses further elucidate that 720℃is favourable for forming the nano-sized transition layer at the Ti_(3)AlC_(2)edges.And,the thermal mismatch strengthening plays a dominant role in this state,with a strengthening contribution of about 74.8%.

Preparation,Characterization and Photothermal Study of PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) Composite Films

In this work,flexible photothermal PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) composite films with different amount(0 wt%,5 wt%,10 wt%,15 wt%)of Ti_(2)O_(3) particles modified by steric acid were prepared by a simple solution casting method.The microstructures,XRD patterns,FTIR spectra,UV-Vis-NIR spectra thermo-conductivity,thermo-stability and photothermal effects of these composite films were all characterized.These results indicated that Ti_(2)O_(3) particles were well dispersed throughout the polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)matrix in the PVA/Ti_(2)O_(3) composite films.And Ti_(2)O_(3) particles could also effectively improve the photothermal properties of the composite films which exhibited high light absorption and generated a high temperature(about 57.4℃for film with 15 wt%Ti_(2)O_(3) amount)on the surface when it was irradiated by a simulated sunlight source(1 kW/m^(2)).

WC-Ni_3Al-B composites prepared through Ni+Al elemental powder route

In order to develop the liquid phase sintering process of WC-Ni3Al-B composites,the preparation process of WC＋Ni3Al prealloyed powder by reaction synthesis of carbonyl Ni,analytical purity Al and coarse WC powders was investigated.DSC and XRD were adopted to study the procedure of phase transformation for the 3Ni＋Al and 70%WC＋（3Ni＋Al） mixed powders in temperature ranges of 550-1200 °C and 25-1400 °C,respectively.The results demonstrate that the formation mechanism of Ni3Al depends on the reaction temperature.Besides WC phase,there exist Ni2Al3,NiAl and Ni3Al intermetallics in the powder mixture after heat treatment at 200-660 °C,while only NiAl and Ni3Al exist at 660-1100 °C.Homogeneous WC＋Ni3Al powder mixture can be obtained in the temperature range of 1100-1200 °C.The WC-30%（Ni3Al-B） composites prepared from the mixed powders by conventional powder metallurgy technology show nearly full density and the shape of WC is round.WC-30%（Ni3Al-B） composites exhibit higher hardness of 9.7 GPa,inferior bending strength of 1800 MPa and similar fracture toughness of 18 MPa-m1/2 compared with commercial cemented carbides YGR45（WC-30%（Co-Ni-Cr））.

Synthesis of Y_2O_3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite on TC4 Ti alloy by laser cladding

A Y2O3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite coating was fabricated in-situ on a TC4 Ti alloy by laser surface cladding. The phase component, microstructure, composition distribution and properties of the composite layer were investigated. The composite layer has graded microstructures and compositions, due to the fast melting followed by rapid solidification and cooling during laser cladding. The TiC powders are completely dissolved into the melted layer during melting and segregated as fine dendrites when solidified. The size of TiC dendrites decreases with increasing depth. Y2O3 fine particles distribute in the whole clad layer. The Y2O3 particle enhanced Ni/TiC composite layer has a quite uniform hardness along depth with a maximum value of HV1380, which is 4 times higher than the initial hardness. The wear resistance of the Ti alloy is significantly improved after laser cladding due to the high hardness of the composite coating.

Effects of addition of NH_4HCO_3 on pore characteristics and compressive properties of porous Ti-10%Mg composites

Porous Ti-Mg composites were successfully fabricated through powder metallurgy processing with ammonium hydrogen carbonate （NH4HCO3） as a space-holder. The effects of NH4HCO3 on properties of porous composites were comprehensively investigated. The pore characteristics and compressive properties of the specimens were characterized by X-ray diffractometry （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results show that the porosity of the porous composites can be tailored effectively by changing the amount of NH4HCO3 added, and the use of NI-I4HCO3 has no influence on the microstructure and phase constituents of the Ti-10%Mg porous composites. The open porosity and compressive strength as well as compressive elastic modulus vary with the adding amount and particle size of NHaHCO3. When the mass fraction of NHaHCO3 added is 25%, elastic modulus and compressive strength of composites with porosity of around 50% are found to be similar to those of human bone.

Composite bioabsorbable vascular stents via 3D bio-printing and electrospinning for treating stenotic vessels

A new type of vascular stent is designed for treating stenotic vessels. Aiming at overcoming the shortcomings of existing equipment and technology for preparing a bioabsorbable vascular stent （BVS）, a new method which combines 3D bio-printing and electrospinning to prepare the composite bioabsorbable vascular stent （CBVS） is proposed. The inner layer of the CBVS can be obtained through 3D bio- printing using poly-p-dioxanone （PPDO）. The thin nanofiber film that serves as the outer layer can be built through electrospinning using mixtures of chitosan-PVA （poly （vinyl alcohol））. Tests of mechanical properties show that the stent prepared through 3D bio-printing combined with electrospinning is better than that prepared through 3D bio- printing alone. Cells cultivated on the CBVS adhere and proliferate better due to the natural, biological chitosan in the outer layer. The proposed complex process and method can provide a good basis for preparing a controllable drug-carrying vascular stent. Overall, the CBVS can be a good candidate for treating stenotic vessels.

Ternary Ag/AgCl/BiOIO_3 composites for enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalysis

Ternary Ag/AgC l/BiO IO3 composite photocatalysts are prepared by a facile method. Enhanced visible-light absorption and charge carrier separation are achieved after the introduction of Ag/AgC l particles into BiO IO3 systems,as revealed by ultraviolet-visible diffuse-reflectance spectrometry,photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The Ag/AgC l/BiO IO3 composites are applied to the visible-light photocatalytic oxidization of NO in air and exhibit an enhanced activity for NO removal in comparison with Ag/AgC l and pure BiO IO3. A possible photocatalytic mechanism for Ag/AgC l/BiO IO3 is proposed,which is related to the surface plasmon resonance effects of Ag metal and the effective carrier separation ability of BiO IO3. This work provides insight into the design and preparation of BiO IO3-based materials with enhanced visible-light photocatalysis ability.

Heterogeneous catalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate for efficient degradation of organic pollutants by magnetic Cu^0/Fe_3O_4 submicron composites

Magnetic Cu^0/Fe3O4 submicron composites were prepared using a hydrothermal method and used as heterogeneous catalysts for the activation of peroxymonosulfate（PMS） and the degradation of organic pollutants.The as-prepared magnetic Cu^0/Fe3O4 submicron composites were composed of Cu^0 and Fe3O4 crystals and had an average size of approximately 220 nm.The Cu^0/Fe3O4 composites could efficiently catalyze the activation of PMS to generate singlet oxygen,and thus induced the rapid degradation of rhodamine B,methylene blue,orange Ⅱ,phenol and 4-chlorophenol.The use of0.1 g/L of the Cu^0/Fe3O4 composites induced the complete removal of rhodamine B（20 μmol/L） in15 min,methylene blue（20 μmol/L） in 5 min,orange Ⅱ（20 μmol/L） in 10 min,phenol（0.1mmol/L） in 30 min and 4-chlorophenol（0.1 mmol/L） in 15 min with an initial pH value of 7.0 and a PMS concentration of 0.5 mmol/L.The total organic carbon（TOC） removal higher than 85%for all of these five pollutants was obtained in 30 min when the PMS concentration was 2.5 mmol/L.The rate of degradation was considerably higher than that obtained with Cu^0 or Fe3O4 particles alone.The enhanced catalytic activity of the Cu^0/Fe3O4 composites in the activation of PMS was attributed to the synergistic effect of the Cu^0 and Fe3O4 crystals in the composites.Singlet oxygen was identified as the primary reactive oxygen species responsible for pollutant degradation by electron spin resonance and radical quenching experiments.A possible mechanism for the activation of PMS by Cu^0/Fe3O4 composites is proposed as electron transfer from the organic pollutants to PMS induces the activation of PMS to generate ^1O2,which induces the degradation of the organic pollutants.As a magnetic catalyst,the Cu^0/Fe3O4 composites were easily recovered by magnetic separation,and exhibited excellent stability over five successive degradation cycles.The present study provides a facile and green heterogeneous catalysis method for the oxidative removal of organic pollutants.

Morphology and Frictional Characteristics Under Electrical Currents of Al_2O_3/Cu Composites Prepared by Internal Oxidation

Two Al2O3/Cu composites containing 0.24 wt.% Al2O3 and 0.60 wt.% Al2O3 separately are prepared by internal oxidation. Effects of sliding speed and pressure on the frictional characteristics of the composites and copper against brass are investigated and compared. The changes in morphology of the sliding surface and subsurface are examined with scanning electron microscope （SEM） and energy dispersive X-ray spectrum （EDS）. The results show that the wear resistance of the Al2O3/Cu composites is superior to that of copper under the same conditions, Under a given electrical current, the wear rate of Al2O3/Cu composites decreases as the Al2O3-content increases, However, the wear rates of the Al2O3/Cu composites and copper increase as the sliding speed and pressure increase under dry sliding condition. The main wear mechanisms for Al2O3/Cu composites are of abrasion and adhesion; for copper, it is adhesion, although wear by oxidation and electrical erosion can also be observed as the speed and pressure rise.

Friction and wear properties of in-situ synthesized Al_2O_3 reinforced aluminum composites

Al-5%Si-AI2O3 composites were prepared by powder metallurgy and in-situ reactive synthesis technology. Friction and wear properties of Al-5%Si-Al2O3 composites were studied using an M-2000 wear tester. The effects of load, sliding speed and long time continuous friction on friction and wear properties of Al-5%Si-Al2O3 composites were investigated, respectively. Wear surface and wear mechanism of Al-5%Si-Al2O3 composites were studied by Quanta 200 FE-SEM. Results showed that with load increasing, wear loss and coefficient of friction increased. With sliding speed going up, the surface temperature of sample made the rate of the producing of oxidation layer increase, while wear loss and coefficient of friction decreased. With the sliding distance increasing, coefficient of friction increased because the adhesive wear mechanism occurred in the initial stage, then formation and destruction of the oxide layer on the surface of the sample tended to a dynamic equilibrium, the surface state of the sample was relatively stable and so did the coefficient of friction. The experiment shows that the main wear mechanism of Al-5%Si-Al2O3 composites includes abrasive wear, adhesive wear and oxidation wear.

MICRO MECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF 3-D WOVEN COMPOSITES

A micro mechanical model is carried out to predict micro stresses and macro elastic properties of 3-D woven composites. A unit cell is composed of two phases. One is fiber yarn and the other is resin or fiber yarn in transverse. The additional shearing introduced by bending of fiber yarn is considered. The method to determine the microstructure is also discussed. This model is applied to the analysis of a 3-D woven graphite/epoxy composite. Micro stresses of the cell are studied, and then macro modulus is obtained by employing the average method. The predictions agree well with experimental results.

Tribological behavior and mechanism of NiCrBSi-Y_2O_3 composite coatings

The NiCrBSi-Y2O3 composite coatings were prepared on the surface of 45 carbon steel by plasma spray, the microstructure and tribological properties of the coatings were investigated. The results show that the NiCrBSi-Y2O3 composite coatings are mainly composed of γ-Ni, CrB, Cr7C3 and Y2O3. With addition of Y2O3, hard phases such as CrB, Cr7C3 emerge in composite coating, and the density of the composite coatings also increases. The NiCrBSi-0.5Y2O3 composite coating presents excellent tribological properties. Its friction coefficient is 0.175, which is about 37% of that of the pure NiCrBSi coating. The mass wear loss is 1.2 mg, which is reduced by 43% compared with the pure NiCrBSi coating. When the loads are 6-10 N, the NiCrBSi-0.5Y2O3 composite coating suffers from slight wear and the wear mechanisms are mainly adhesive wear accompany with slight micro-cutting wear and micro-fracture wear. As the load increases to 12 N, the wear mechanisms are adhesive wear and severe micro-cutting wear.

Electrochemical performance of LiFePO_(4)-Li_(3)V_(2)(PO_4)_3 composite material prepared by solid-hydrothermal method

LiFePO4-Li3V2（PO4）3 composites were synthesized by solid-hydrothermal method and by ball milling,respectively.The electrochemical performance of the solid-hydrothermally obtained materials（C-LFVP） was significantly improved compared with LiFePO4（LFP） and Li3V2（PO4）3（LVP）,and it was also much better than that of the ball-milled LiFePO4-Li3V2（PO4）3（P-LFVP）.C-LFVP and P-LFVP both had four REDOX peaks（voltage plateaus）,which coincided with that of LFP and LVP.Some new trace substances were found in C-LFVP which had more perfect morphology,this was responsible for the better electrochemical performance of C-LFVP than P-LFVP.

Effect of La_2O_3/Ce O_2 particle size on high-temperature oxidation resistance of electrodeposited Ni-La_2O_3/Ce O_2 composites

Ni-La2O3/CeO2 composite films were prepared by electrodeposition from a nickel sulfate bath containing certain content of micrometer and nanometer La2O3/CeO2 particles. The effect of La2O3 or CeO2 particle size on the oxidation resistance of the electrodeposited Ni-La2O3/CeO2 composites in air at 1000 °C was studied. The results indicate that, compared with the electrodeposited Ni-film, Ni-La2O3/CeO2 composites exhibit a superior oxidation resistance due to the codeposited La2O3 or CeO2 particles blocking the outward diffusion of nickel. Moreover, compared with nanoparticles, La2O3 or CeO2 microparticles have stronger effect because La2O3 or CeO2 microparticles also act as a diffusion barrier layer at the onset of oxidation.

Effect of CuO particle size on synthesis temperature and microstructure of Al_2O_(3p)-Al composites from Al-CuO system

Al2O3p-Al composites were synthesized using an in-situ reaction in the 80%Al-20%CuO （mass fraction） system. The effects of the CuO particle size on the synthesis temperature and microstructure of the composites were investigated by various methods. The results indicate that the CuO particle size has a significant effect on the temperature at which the complete reaction in the Al-CuO system occurs：the temperature is 200 ℃ lower in the Al-CuO system containing CuO particles with sizes less than 6μm than that containing CuO particles with sizes less than 100μm. The interfacial bonding between Al2O3 particles and Al is not complete when the temperature is below a critical value. The morphology of the Al2O3 particles varies from ribbon-like shape to near spherical shape when the temperature is above a critical value. These two critical temperatures are affected by the particle size of CuO, and the critical temperature of the sample containing CuO particles with sizes less than 6μm is 100 ℃ lower than that of the sample containing CuO particles with sizes less than 100μm.