Exciting lattice oxygen of nickel–iron bi-metal alkoxide for efficient electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction

High efficiency,cost-effective and durable electrocatalysts are of pivotal importance in energy conversion and storage systems.The electro-oxidation of water to oxygen plays a crucial role in such energy conversion technologies.Herein,we report a robust method for the synthesis of a bimetallic alkoxide for efficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER)for alkaline electrolysis,which yields current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)at an overpotential of 215 mV in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte.The catalyst demonstrates an excellent durability for more than 540 h operation with negligible degradation in activity.Raman spectra revealed that the catalyst underwent structure reconstruction during OER,evolving into oxyhydroxide,which was the active site proceeding OER in alkaline electrolyte.In-situ synchrotron X-ray absorption experiment combined with density functional theory calculation suggests a lattice oxygen involved electrocatalytic reaction mechanism for the in-situ generated nickel–iron bimetal-oxyhydroxide catalyst.This mechanism together with the synergy between nickel and iron are responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity and durability.These findings provide promising strategies for the rational design of nonnoble metal OER catalysts.

Process optimization,microstructures and mechanical/thermal properties of Cu/Invar bi-metal matrix composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering

An orthogonal experiment scheme was designed to investigate the effects of the Cu content,compaction pressure,and sintering temperature on the microstructures and mechanical and thermal properties of(30−50)wt.%Cu/Invar bi-metal matrix composites fabricated via spark plasma sintering(SPS).The results indicated that as the Cu content increased from 30 to 50 wt.%,a continuous Cu network gradually appeared,and the density,thermal conductivity(TC)and coefficient of thermal expansion of the composites noticeably increased,but the tensile strength decreased.The increase in the sintering temperature promoted the Cu/Invar interface diffusion,leading to a reduction in the TC but an enhancement in the tensile strength of the composites.The compaction pressure comprehensively affected the thermal properties of the composites.The 50wt.%Cu/Invar composite sintered at 700℃ and 60 MPa had the highest TC(90.7 W/(m·K)),which was significantly higher than the TCs obtained for most of the previously reported Cu/Invar composites.

Perovskite LaFeO_3 supported bi-metal catalyst for syngas methanation

LaFeO3 perovskite supported Ni and Ni-Fe catalysts were prepared and applied to methanation reaction of syngas. Two preparation methods were employed. One was one-step citrate complexing method, and the other was a two step method using citrate complexing method to produce LaFeO3 and followed by loading nickel oxide on it with impregnation. The structure evolution of the sample as prepared was investigated by XRD, TPR and TEM techniques. For the former, the chemical composites of the calcined sample are NiO-Fe2O3/LaFe1-xNixO3. After reduction and reaction of CO methanation, its composites convert to Fe-Ni@Ni/LaFeO3-La2O2CO3, in which Fe-Ni@Ni is metal particles in nano-size composed of nickel core and Fe-Ni alloy shell. For the latter, the chemical composites of the calcined sample are NiO/LaFeO3; and after reduction and reaction of CO methanation, its chemical composites change to Ni/LaFeO3. Ni/LaFeO3 catalyst is a little more active, while Fe-Ni@Ni/LaFeO3-La2O2CO3 is much more stable and shows very good resistance to carbon deposition. In this work it is aimed to show that the structure and composites of the catalysts can be tailored using perovskite-type oxide as precursor with different preparing method or preparing condition. Therefore, it is a promising route to prepare supported bi-metal catalysts in nano-size for a lot of metals with desired catalytic performances.

Cu-Co bi-metal catalyst prepared by perovskite CuO/LaCoO_3 used for higher alcohol synthesis from syngas

Cu-Co bi-metal catalysts derived from CuO/LaCoO3 perovskite structure were prepared by one-step citrate complexing method, and the structure evolution reaction from CuO/LaCoO3 to Cu-Co2C/La202CO3 under 1-12 pretreatment was investigated by techniques of XRD, TPR and TEM. The results suggest that a much higher dispersion of copper significantly enhanced the reduction of cobalt, and a stronger interaction between copper and cobalt ions in LaCoO3 particles led to the formation of bi-metallic Cu-Co particles in the reduced catalysts and the enrichment of Co on the surface of bimetallic particles. The prepared catalysts were highly active and selective for the alcohol synthesis from syngas due to the presence of copper-modified C02C species.

Observation of interface of two kinds of bi-metal composite parts prepared by thixo-forging

Two kinds of bi-metal composite parts （Sn-15%Pb and Pb-22%Sn bi-metal system, and Al-7%Si and SiCp/6061 MMC bi-metal system） were prepared by the strain-induced melt activated thixo-forging. The interfaces of the bi-metal composites were observed by OM and SEM. The observations show that the semisolid metals keep independence during thixo-forging. The solid phases in the semisolid slurries maintain their original morphologies after thixo-forging. The liquid phases near the interface mix together and form a thin layer. The interfaces are bonded firmly with the metallurgical bonding. No oxide layers are found at the interfaces. Strengths of the interfaces were investigated by the micro-hardness test. The experimental results show that the composite interfaces have high strength. However, the agglomerated enhancing particles cause fine defect on the interface of the Al-7%Si and SiCr/6061 MMC bi-metal composite.

Impacts of zinc layer and pouring method on interface performance for Al-22Si/ZL104 bi-metal

Bi-metal material consisting of spray-formed Al-22Si and ZL104 is a suitable candidate for applications in internal combustion engines. This research investigated the effects of surface treatment and appropriate gating system on the microstructures and mechanical properties in evaluating the optimal strategy for producing high quality bi-metal materials. The bi-metal materials were prepared using ZL104 gravity casting by different pouring types around the spray-formed AI-22Si with varied surface treatments. The wettability between AI-22Si and ZL104 was significantly improved when Zn coating was used to remove the natural oxide layer. This research also obtained the improved interfacial microstructures and interracial bonding strength for materials when applying the appropriate pouring method. The hardness profiles of AI-22Si/ZL104 bi-metal were consistent with the observed microstructures. The average tensile strength of the bi-metal material with zinc coating is -42.3 MPa, which is much higher than that with oxide film at -10 MPa. The process presented is a promising and effective approach for developing materials in the automotive industry.

Simulating the Dynamics of Bimetallic Clusters Deposited onto a Surface Using Molecular Dynamics

This paper examines the interface development between a single crystalline Ag matrix and core-shell AgnCom nanoclusters that have been deposited with energies varying between 0.25 eV and 1.5 eV per atom using computer modeling techniques. Clusters undergo deformation as a result of the slowing down;they may also become epitaxial with the substrate and maintain their core-shell structure. A detailed analysis of the effects of the cluster-surface interaction is conducted over a realistic size and energy range, and a model is created to show how clusters accumulate. It is discovered that both the silver shells and the cobalt cluster cores exhibit limited epitaxy with the substrate, and that the contact produced is only a few atomic layers thick. The effect is higher for Ag shells than for Co cores, and it is not very energy dependent.

High-rate lithium-ion battery performance of a ternary sea urchin-shaped CoNiO_(2)@NiP_(6)Mo_(18)/CNTs composites

Bimetallic oxides are attractive anode materials for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)due to their large theoretical capacity.However,the low conductivity,short cycle life,and poor rate capability are the bottlenecks for their further applications.To overcome above issues,the basket-like polymolybdate(NiP_(6)Mo_(18))and carbon nanotubes(CNTs)were uniformly embedded on the urchin-shaped CoNiO_(2)nanospheres to yield a ternary composites CoNiO_(2)@NiP_(6)Mo_(18)/CNTs via electrostatic adsorption.The multi-level morphology of urchin spinules accelerates the diffusion rate of Li^(+);CNT improves the conductivity and enhances cycle stability of the material;and heteropoly acid contributes more redox activity centres.Thus,CoNiO_(2)@NiP_(6)Mo_(18)/CNTs as an anode of LIBs exhibits a high initial capacity(1396.7 mA h g^(−1)at 0.1 A g^(−1)),long-term cycling stability(750.2 mA h g^(−1)after 300 cycles),and rate performance(450.3 mA h g^(−1)at 2 A g^(−1)),which are superior to reported metallic oxides anode of LIBs.The density functional theory(DFT)and kinetic mechanism suggest that CoNiO_(2)@NiP_(6)Mo_(18)/CNTs delivers an outstanding pseudocapacitance and rapid Li^(+)diffusion behaviors,which is due to the rich surface area of the urchin-like CoNiO_(2)with the uniform embeddedness of NiP_(6)Mo_(18)and CNTs.This study provides a new idea for optimizing the performance of bimetallic oxides and developing high-rate lithium-ion battery composites.

Effect of Ca Addition and Heat Treatment on the A390(S)/AM60(L) Interface Microstructure

Overcasting is a new kind of dissimilar joining technique used to produce the aluminum（solid）/magnesium（liquid） bonding bi-metallic material in this study. For the Al/Mg（A390/AM60） bi-metallic samples, the interface microstructures are the research points, which directly influence the mechanical properties. It is, therefore, of vital importance to find a method to improve the interface microstructures. This research focused on the effect of the calcium（Ca） addition in the liquid Mg alloys and the heat treatment on the A390/AM60 interface microstructures of the bi-metallic samples. The testing results showed that, with Ca addition in AM60, owing to two possible reasons, the interface microstructure and the shear strength of the A390/AM60 bi-metallic samples could be improved. The heat treatment could further improve the interface microstructure and the mechanical properties by dissolving β-Mg_（17）Al_（12） into α-Mg and destroying the Mg_2Si layer structure.

Recent update on electrochemical CO_(2)reduction catalyzed by metal sulfide materials

Seeking and developing efficient CO_(2)reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR)electrocatalysts is a hot topic in this era of global warming.Among material candidates for sustainable and cost-effective applications,metal sulfides have attracted attention as promising nature-inspired materials due to multiple adsorption sites which are enhanced by the covalent character of sulfur.This article summarizes the current status regarding the utilization and development of metal sulfide materials as CO_(2)RR electrocatalysts.First,the research background and basic principles of electrochemical CO_(2)RR are introduced.Next,an overview of the main obstacles to developing efficient CO_(2)RR electrocatalysts is presented.The section is followed by a summary of the empirical evidence supporting the application of metal sulfides as CO_(2)RR electrocatalysts beside nature-inspired motivation.The summary of synthesis methods of various metal sulfides is also presented.Furthermore,the paper also highlights the recent works on metal sulfide as efficient CO_(2)RR including the undertaking strategy on the activity enhancement,and finally,discusses the challenges and prospect of metal sulfides-based CO_(2)RR electrocatalysts.Despite recent efforts,metal sulfides remain relatively unexplored as materials for CO_(2)RR electrocatalytic applications.Therefore,this review aims to stimulate novel ideas and research for improved catalyst designs and functionality.

Parallel Deformation of the Metals

The metal goes into the plastic deformation after the application of external load. Most of the metal forming industries work on this principle of plastic deformation. Thus the understanding of plastic deformation in the metal forming industry is important. The research on the single material plastic deformation has been carried out from many centuries before the era of Tresca. In this study the two metals 0.05% C steel annealed (soft metal) and 0.6% C steel quenched and tempered (hard metal) were deformed plastically in the parallel combination in the composite form. This study has been carried out with simple mathematical theory and simulated numerical model. The comparison shows the exact match between the mathematical and numerical results. It is also observed that the individual metal thickness affects the deformation flow curve.

A pathway to refined stress and strain distributions in aerospace-grade Ti/Al bi-metal sheets:Synergizing theoretical insights and FEM simulations

This study introduces an innovative theoretical model critical for predicting stress and strain distributions in Ti/Al bi-metal sheet production and its subsequent deep drawing process.Grounded in extensive mechanical and geometric analysis,the model facilitates manufacturing process optimization and the production of high-quality components.Finite Element Method(FEM)simulations are integrated to examine the significant effects of die geometric parameters on metal flow dynamics and susceptibility to material stress.The model's precision is enhanced by incorporating anisotropic material properties and cohesive zone models.A rigorous experimental framework validates the model,highlighting the practical utility of optimized parameters in Ti/Al bimetal component fabrication.Additionally,uniaxial tensile tests using the Video Image Correlation-3D(VIC-3D)system provide detailed insights into material deformation,elucidating stress distribution and metal flow in composite layers.Thus,the research presents a refined methodology for the efficient production of Ti/Al bi-metal components,offering valuable knowledge transferable to various materials and processing scenarios.The findings of this work are expected to make a significant impact on material engineering and mechanical manufacturing.

Catalytic depolymerization/degradation of alkali lignin by dual-component catalysts in supercritical ethanol

Depolymerization of lignin is an important step to obtain lignin monomer for the synthesis of functional bio-polymers.In this paper,catalytic degradation/depolymerization of an alkali lignin was investigated in a supercritical ethanol system.The process conditions were optimized in terms of lignin monomer yield,and the liquid products and solid residue were characterized.Results show that the conversion rate of the alkali lignin was improved in both the Ni7Au3 catalyzed and Nickel-catalyzed systems with supercritical ethanol as the solvent.The maximum lignin conversion rate was 69.57%and 68%respectively for the Ni7Au3 and Nickel-based catalysis systems.Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy(GC/MS)analysis indicated that the catalytic depolymerization products of alkali lignin were mainly monomeric phenolic compounds such as 2-methoxyphenol.The highest yield of 2-methoxyphenol(84.72%)was achieved with Ni7Au3 as the catalyst.