The detection and removal of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) are of great importance to reduce the risk of indoor air quality concerns. This study reports the rational synthesis of a dual-functional Janus nanostructu...The detection and removal of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) are of great importance to reduce the risk of indoor air quality concerns. This study reports the rational synthesis of a dual-functional Janus nanostructure and its feasibility for simultaneous detection and removal of VOCs.The Janus nanostructure was synthesized via an anisotropic growth method, composed of plasmonic nanoparticles,semiconductors, and metal organic frameworks(e.g.,Au@ZnO@ZIF-8). It exhibits excellent selective detection to formaldehyde(HCHO, as a representative VOC) at room temperature over a wide range of concentrations(from 0.25 to100 ppm), even in the presence of water and toluene molecules as interferences. In addition, HCHO was also found to be partially oxidized into non-toxic formic acid simultaneously with detection. The mechanism underlying this technology was unraveled by both experimental measurements and theoretical calculations: ZnO maintains the conductivity, while ZIF-8 improves the selective gas adsorption; the plasmonic effect of Au nanorods enhances the visible-light-driven photocatalysis of ZnO at room temperature.展开更多
Janus nanoparticles(JNPs)possess great potential in recovering the residual oil from reservoirs,however,the fundamental interaction mechanisms among nanoparticles,the oil,and reservoir wall characteristics remain to b...Janus nanoparticles(JNPs)possess great potential in recovering the residual oil from reservoirs,however,the fundamental interaction mechanisms among nanoparticles,the oil,and reservoir wall characteristics remain to be elucidated.In this work,models of oil trapping grooves with different geometric features are subjected to molecular dynamics simulations for investigating the influences of roughness parameters on oil displacement dynamics by JNPs.Four key surface geometry parameters and different degrees of surface hydrophobicity are considered.Our results indicate that JNPs hold an outstanding performance in displacing residual oil on weakly to moderately hydrophobic surfaces.Overall,smaller entry and exit angles,the larger aspect ratio of the oil trapping grooves,and a bigger tip length of the rough ridges lead to superior oil recovery.Among the key geometric parameters,the aspect ratio of the oil trapping grooves plays the dominant role.These insights about the interaction of surface properties and JNPs and the resulting trapped oil displacement could serve as a theoretical reference for the application of JNPs for targeted reservoir conditions.展开更多
Several natural organism can change shape under external stimuli. These natural phenomena have inspired a vast amount of research on exploration and implementation of reconfigurable shape transformation. The Janus str...Several natural organism can change shape under external stimuli. These natural phenomena have inspired a vast amount of research on exploration and implementation of reconfigurable shape transformation. The Janus structure is a promising approach to achieve shape transformation based on its heterogeneous chemical or physical properties on opposite sides.However, the heterogeneity is generally realized by multi-step processing, different materials,and/or different processing parameters. Here, we present a simple and flexible method of producing p H-sensitive Janus microactuators from a single material, using the same laser printing parameters. These microactuators exhibit reversible structural deformations with large bending angles of ~31°and fast response(~0.2 s) by changing the p H value of the aqueous environment. Benefited from the high flexibility of the laser printing technique and the spatial arrangements, pillar heights, and bending directions of microactuators are readily controlled,enabling a variety of switchable ordered patterns and complex petal-like structures on flat surfaces and inside microchannels. Finally, we explore the potential applications of this method in information encryption/decryption and microtarget capturing.展开更多
TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by using micro-reactors. The shape and size of the nanoparticles produced from the original micro-reactors and the five times recycled micro-reactors mother liquor were investigate...TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by using micro-reactors. The shape and size of the nanoparticles produced from the original micro-reactors and the five times recycled micro-reactors mother liquor were investigated on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) by using the original sample, freeze prepared sample, and dyeing treated sample, respectively. UV-VIS spectrometry was used to study the growth process of TiO2 nanoparticles in main reactors. The results showed that micro-reactors with nanometer magnitude had spherical or oval structures, and could restore to their original structure after they were destroyed. The products prepared in the original micro-reactors were similar to that in the micro-reactors recycled for many times, suggesting that the micro-reactors had memory function.展开更多
Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)has been widely used as a lubrication additive for reducing friction and wear;however,the hydrophobic nature of PTFE restricts its application in eco-friendly water-based lubrication syste...Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)has been widely used as a lubrication additive for reducing friction and wear;however,the hydrophobic nature of PTFE restricts its application in eco-friendly water-based lubrication systems.In this study,for the first time,we designed novel PTFE@silica Janus nanoparticles(JNs)to meet the requirement for additives in water-based lubricants,which have excellent dispersion stability in water attributed to the unique amphiphilic structure.By introducing the lubrication of the aqueous dispersion of the JNs with a concentration of 0.5 wt%,the coefficient of friction(COF)and wear volume were reduced by 63.8%and 94.2%,respectively,comparing to those with the lubrication of pure water.Meanwhile,the JNs suspension also exhibits better lubrication and wear-resistance performances comparing to commercial silica and PTFE suspensions.The excellent tribological behaviors of PTFE@silica JNs as nano-additives could be attributed to the synergetic effect of the two components,where the PTFE provided lubrication through the formed tribofilms on the friction pairs,and the rigid silica further enhanced the wear-resistance performance.Most importantly,the unique structure of JNs makes it possible to use PTFE as an additive in water-lubrication systems.Our study shed light on the design and application of novel JNs nanomaterials as additives to meet the requirements of future industrial applications.展开更多
基金the supports from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund(57072-DNI10)the National Science Foundation(CMMI-1727553)+2 种基金Partial support from the Virginia Commonwealth University Presidential Research Quest Fundsupports by the US Department of Energy under Awards No.DE-FG02-96ER45579and No.DE-AC02-05CH11231BET measurements(NSF I/UCR Center Grant,IIP 1464595)
文摘The detection and removal of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) are of great importance to reduce the risk of indoor air quality concerns. This study reports the rational synthesis of a dual-functional Janus nanostructure and its feasibility for simultaneous detection and removal of VOCs.The Janus nanostructure was synthesized via an anisotropic growth method, composed of plasmonic nanoparticles,semiconductors, and metal organic frameworks(e.g.,Au@ZnO@ZIF-8). It exhibits excellent selective detection to formaldehyde(HCHO, as a representative VOC) at room temperature over a wide range of concentrations(from 0.25 to100 ppm), even in the presence of water and toluene molecules as interferences. In addition, HCHO was also found to be partially oxidized into non-toxic formic acid simultaneously with detection. The mechanism underlying this technology was unraveled by both experimental measurements and theoretical calculations: ZnO maintains the conductivity, while ZIF-8 improves the selective gas adsorption; the plasmonic effect of Au nanorods enhances the visible-light-driven photocatalysis of ZnO at room temperature.
文摘Janus nanoparticles(JNPs)possess great potential in recovering the residual oil from reservoirs,however,the fundamental interaction mechanisms among nanoparticles,the oil,and reservoir wall characteristics remain to be elucidated.In this work,models of oil trapping grooves with different geometric features are subjected to molecular dynamics simulations for investigating the influences of roughness parameters on oil displacement dynamics by JNPs.Four key surface geometry parameters and different degrees of surface hydrophobicity are considered.Our results indicate that JNPs hold an outstanding performance in displacing residual oil on weakly to moderately hydrophobic surfaces.Overall,smaller entry and exit angles,the larger aspect ratio of the oil trapping grooves,and a bigger tip length of the rough ridges lead to superior oil recovery.Among the key geometric parameters,the aspect ratio of the oil trapping grooves plays the dominant role.These insights about the interaction of surface properties and JNPs and the resulting trapped oil displacement could serve as a theoretical reference for the application of JNPs for targeted reservoir conditions.
基金the Hong Kong Scholar Program (XJ2018035) for their financial supportsupported by Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (No. JLFS/E-402/18)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51805509)。
文摘Several natural organism can change shape under external stimuli. These natural phenomena have inspired a vast amount of research on exploration and implementation of reconfigurable shape transformation. The Janus structure is a promising approach to achieve shape transformation based on its heterogeneous chemical or physical properties on opposite sides.However, the heterogeneity is generally realized by multi-step processing, different materials,and/or different processing parameters. Here, we present a simple and flexible method of producing p H-sensitive Janus microactuators from a single material, using the same laser printing parameters. These microactuators exhibit reversible structural deformations with large bending angles of ~31°and fast response(~0.2 s) by changing the p H value of the aqueous environment. Benefited from the high flexibility of the laser printing technique and the spatial arrangements, pillar heights, and bending directions of microactuators are readily controlled,enabling a variety of switchable ordered patterns and complex petal-like structures on flat surfaces and inside microchannels. Finally, we explore the potential applications of this method in information encryption/decryption and microtarget capturing.
文摘TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by using micro-reactors. The shape and size of the nanoparticles produced from the original micro-reactors and the five times recycled micro-reactors mother liquor were investigated on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) by using the original sample, freeze prepared sample, and dyeing treated sample, respectively. UV-VIS spectrometry was used to study the growth process of TiO2 nanoparticles in main reactors. The results showed that micro-reactors with nanometer magnitude had spherical or oval structures, and could restore to their original structure after they were destroyed. The products prepared in the original micro-reactors were similar to that in the micro-reactors recycled for many times, suggesting that the micro-reactors had memory function.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52005287)Beijing Institute of Technology Research Fund Program for Young Scholars,the Tribology Science Fund of State Key Laboratory of Tribology(SKLT)in Advanced Equipment(No.SKLTKF21B14)the Fund of Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials of Ministry of Education(No.ADV21-4).
文摘Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)has been widely used as a lubrication additive for reducing friction and wear;however,the hydrophobic nature of PTFE restricts its application in eco-friendly water-based lubrication systems.In this study,for the first time,we designed novel PTFE@silica Janus nanoparticles(JNs)to meet the requirement for additives in water-based lubricants,which have excellent dispersion stability in water attributed to the unique amphiphilic structure.By introducing the lubrication of the aqueous dispersion of the JNs with a concentration of 0.5 wt%,the coefficient of friction(COF)and wear volume were reduced by 63.8%and 94.2%,respectively,comparing to those with the lubrication of pure water.Meanwhile,the JNs suspension also exhibits better lubrication and wear-resistance performances comparing to commercial silica and PTFE suspensions.The excellent tribological behaviors of PTFE@silica JNs as nano-additives could be attributed to the synergetic effect of the two components,where the PTFE provided lubrication through the formed tribofilms on the friction pairs,and the rigid silica further enhanced the wear-resistance performance.Most importantly,the unique structure of JNs makes it possible to use PTFE as an additive in water-lubrication systems.Our study shed light on the design and application of novel JNs nanomaterials as additives to meet the requirements of future industrial applications.
