The photo-decomposition and self-restructuring dynamic equilibrium mechanism of Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)for stable photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction

Developing suitable photocatalysts and understanding their intrinsic catalytic mechanism remain key challenges in the pursuit of highly active,good selective,and long-term stable photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction(PCO_(2)R)systems.Herein,monoclinic Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)is firstly proven to be a new class of photocatalyst,which has excellent catalytic stability and selectivity for PCO_(2)R in the absence of any sacrificial agent and cocatalysts.Based on a Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)^(13)CO_(3)photocatalyst and 13CO_(2)two-sided^(13)C isotopic tracer strategy,and combined with in situ diffused reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy(DRIFTS)analysis and density functional theory(DFT)calculations,two main CO_(2)transformation routes,and the photo-decomposition and self-restructuring dynamic equilibrium mechanism of Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)are definitely revealed.The PCO_(2)R activity of Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)is comparable to some of state-of-the-art novel photocatalysts.Significantly,the PCO_(2)R properties can be further greatly enhanced by simply combining Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)with typical TiO_(2)to construct composites photocatalyst.The highest CO_(2)and CH_(4)production rates by 7.5 wt%Cu_(2)(OH)_(2)CO_(3)-TiO_(2)reach 16.4μmol g^(-1)h^(-1)and 116.0μmol g^(-1)h^(-1),respectively,which are even higher than that of some of PCO_(2)R systems containing sacrificial agents or precious metals modified photocatalysts.This work provides a better understanding for the PCO_(2)R mechanism at the atomic levels,and also indicates that basic carbonate photocatalysts have broad application potential in the future.

Noise reduction mechanism of high-speed railway box-girder bridges installed with MTMDs on top plate

The issue of low-frequency structural noise radiated from high-speed railway(HSR) box-girder bridges(BGBs) is a significant challenge worldwide. Although it is known that vibrations in BGBs caused by moving trains can be reduced by installing multiple tuned mass dampers(MTMDs) on the top plate, there is limited research on the noise reduction achieved by this method. This study aims to investigate the noise reduction mechanism of BGBs installed with MTMDs on the top plate. A sound radiation prediction model for the BGB installed with MTMDs is developed, based on the vehicle–track–bridge coupled dynamics and acoustics boundary element method. After being verified by field tested results, the prediction model is employed to study the reduction of vibration and noise of BGBs caused by the MTMDs. It is found that installing MTMDs on top plate can significantly affect the vibration distribution and sound radiation law of BGBs. However, its impact on the sound radiation caused by vibrations dominated by the global modes of BGBs is minimal. The noise reduction achieved by MTMDs is mainly through changing the acoustic radiation contributions of each plate of the bridge. In the lower frequency range, the noise reduction of BGB caused by MTMDs can be more effective if the installation of MTMDs can modify the vibration frequency and distribution of the BGB to avoid the influence of small vibrations and disperse the sound radiation from each plate.

“Capture-activation-recapture” mechanism-guided design of double-atom catalysts for electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction

Compared with the traditional industrial nitrogen fixation, electrocatalytic methods, especially those utilizing double-atom catalysts containing nonmetals, can give good consideration to the economy and environmental protection. However, the existing “acceptance-donation” mechanism is only applicable to bimetallic catalysts and nonmetallic double-atom catalysts containing boron atoms. Herein, a novel “capture-activation-recapture” mechanism for metal-nonmetal double-atom catalyst is proposed to solve the problem by adjusting the coordination environments of nonmetallic atoms and utilizing the activation effect of metal atoms on nitrogen. Based on this mechanism, the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) activity of 48 structures is calculated by density functional theory calculation, and four candidates are selected as outstanding electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction catalysts: Si-Fe@NG (U_(L) = –0.14 V), Si-Co@NG (U_(L)= –0.15 V), Si-Mo@BP1 (U_(L) = 0 V), and Si-Re@BP1 (U_(L) = –0.02 V). The analyses of electronic properties further confirm “capture-activation-recapture” mechanism and suggest that the difference in valence electron distribution between metal and Si atoms triggers the activation of N≡N bonds. In addition, a machine learning approach is utilized to generate an expression and an intrinsic descriptor that considers the coordination environment to predict the limiting potential. This study offers profound insight into the synergistic mechanism of TM and Si for NRR and guidance in the design of novel double-atom nitrogen fixation catalysts.

Behavior and mechanism of pre-oxidation improvement on fluidization in the fluidized reduction of titanomagnetite

The direct reduction process is an important development direction of low-carbon ironmaking and efficient comprehensive utilization of poly-metallic iron ore,such as titanomagnetite.However,the defluidization of reduced iron particles with a high metallization degree at a high temperature will seriously affect the operation of fluidized bed reduction.Coupling the pre-oxidation enhancing reduction and the particle surface modification of titanomagnetite,the behavior and mechanism of pre-oxidation improvement on fluidization in the fluidized bed reduction of titanomagnetite are systematically studied in this paper.Pre-oxidation treatment of titanomagnetite can significantly lower the critical stable reduction fluidization gas velocity to 0.17 m/s,which is reduced by 56%compared to that of titanomagnetite reduction without pre-oxidation,while achieving a metallization degree of>90%,Corresponding to the different reduction fluidization behaviors,three pre-oxidation operation regions have been divided,taking oxidation degrees of 26%and 86%as the boundaries.Focusing on the particle surface morphology evolution in the pre-oxidation-reduction process,the relationship between the surface morphology of pre-oxidized ore and the reduced iron with fluidization properties is built.The improving method of pre-oxidation on the reduction fluidization provides a novel approach to prevent defluidization by particle surface modification,especially for the fluidized bed reduction of poly-metallic iron ore.

Experimental study of the influencing factors and mechanisms of the pressure-reduction and augmented injection effect by nanoparticles in ultra-low permeability reservoirs

Nanoparticles(NPs)have gained significant attention as a functional material due to their ability to effectively enhance pressure reduction in injection processes in ultra-low permeability reservoirs.NPs are typically studied in controlled laboratory conditions,and their behavior in real-world,complex environments such as ultra-low permeability reservoirs,is not well understood due to the limited scope of their applications.This study investigates the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of NPs in decreasing injection pressure under various injection conditions(25—85℃,10—25 MPa).The results reveal that under optimal injection conditions,NPs effectively reduce injection pressure by a maximum of 22.77%in core experiment.The pressure reduction rate is found to be positively correlated with oil saturation and permeability,and negatively correlated with temperature and salinity.Furthermore,particle image velocimetry(PIV)experiments(25℃,atmospheric pressure)indicate that the pressure reduction is achieved by NPs through the reduction of wall shear resistance and wettability change.This work has important implications for the design of water injection strategies in ultra-low permeability reservoirs.

“Blocking and rebalance”mechanism-guided design strategies of bimetallic doped 2D a-phosphorus carbide as efficient catalysts for N_(2) electroreduction

Compared to single atom catalysts(SACs),the introduction of dual atom catalysts(DACs)has a significantly positive effect on improving the efficiency in the electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR)which provides an environmental alternative to the Haber-Bosch process.However,the research on the mechanism and strategy of designing bimetallic combinations for better performance is still in its early stages.Herein,based on"blocking and rebalance"mechanism,45 combinations of bimetallic pair dopedα-phosphorus carbide(TM_(A)TM_(B)@PC)are investigated as efficient NRR catalysts through density functional theory and machine learning method.After a multi-step screening,the combinations of TiV,TiFe,MnMo,and FeW exhibit highly efficient catalytic performance with significantly lower limiting potentials(-0.17,-0.18,-0.14,and-0.30 V,respectively).Excitingly,the limiting potential for CrMo and CrW combinations is 0 V,which are considered to be extremely suitable for the NRR process.The mechanism of"blocking and rebalance"is revealed by the exploration of charge transfer for phosphorus atoms in electron blocking areas.Moreover,the descriptorφis proposed with machine learning,which provides design strategies and accurate prediction for finding efficient DACs.This work not only offers promising catalysts TM_(A)TM_(B)@PC for NRR process but also provides design strategies by presenting the descriptorφ.

Progress in electrocatalytic nitrate reduction for green energy:Catalyst engineering,mechanisms,and techno-economic feasibility

Ammonia(NH_(3))is an irreplaceable chemical that has been widely demanded to keep the sustainable development of modern society.However,its industrial production consumes a huge amount of energy and releases extraordinary greenhouse gases(GHGs),leading to various environmental issues.Achieving the green production of ammonia is a great challenge,which has been extensively pursued in the last decade.In this review,the most promising strategy,electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction(e-NO_(3)RR),is comprehensively investigated to give a complete understanding of its development and mechanism and provide guidance for future directions.However,owing to the complex reactions and limited selectivity,a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms is crucial to further development and commercialization.Moreover,NO_(3)^(-)RR is a promising strategy for simultaneous water treatment and NH_(3)production.A detailed overview of the recent progress in NO_(3)^(-)RR for NH_(3)production with nontransition and transition metal based electrocatalysts is summarized.In addition,critical advanced techniques,future challenges,and prospects are discussed to guide future research on transition metal-based catalysts for commercial NH_(3)synthesis by NO_(3)^(-)reduction.

A Tabletop Nano-CT Image Noise Reduction Network Based on 3-Dimensional Axial Attention Mechanism

Nano-computed tomography(Nano-CT)is an emerging,high-resolution imaging technique.However,due to their low-light properties,tabletop Nano-CT has to be scanned under long exposure conditions,which the scanning process is time-consuming.For 3D reconstruction data,this paper proposed a lightweight 3D noise reduction method for desktop-level Nano-CT called AAD-ResNet(Axial Attention DeNoise ResNet).The network is framed by theU-net structure.The encoder and decoder are incorporated with the proposed 3D axial attention mechanism and residual dense block.Each layer of the residual dense block can directly access the features of the previous layer,which reduces the redundancy of parameters and improves the efficiency of network training.The 3D axial attention mechanism enhances the correlation between 3D information in the training process and captures the long-distance dependence.It can improve the noise reduction effect and avoid the loss of image structure details.Experimental results show that the network can effectively improve the image quality of a 0.1-s exposure scan to a level close to a 3-s exposure,significantly shortening the sample scanning time.

Mechanism of extracting magenesium from mixture of calcined magnesite and calcined dolomite by vacuum aluminothermic reduction

The process of aluminothermic reduction of a mixture of calcined dolomite and calcined magnesite had been developed. The mechanism of the process was studied by SEM and EDS. The reduction process was divided into three stages:0≤ηt/ηf≤0.43±0.06, 0.43±0.06≤ηt/ηf≤0.9±0.02 and 0.9±0.02≤ηt/ηf<1, whereηt andηf are the reduction ratio at time t and the final reduction ratio obtained in the experiment at temperature T, respectively. The first stage included the direct reaction between calcined dolomite or calcined magnesite and Al with 12CaO·7Al2O3 and MgO·Al2O3 as products. The reaction rate depended on the chemical reaction. The CA phase was mainly produced in the second stage and the overall reaction rate was determined by both the diffusion of Ca2+ with molten Al and the chemical reaction. The CA2 phase was mainly produced in the third stage and the reaction process was controlled by the diffusion of Ca2+.

Promotional roles of ZrO_2 and WO_3 in V_2O_5-WO_3/TiO_2-ZrO_2 catalysts for NO_x reduction by NH_3:Catalytic performance,morphology,and reaction mechanism

V2O5/TiO2-ZrO2 catalysts containing various amounts of WO3 were synthesized.The catalyst morphologies,catalytic performances,and reaction mechanisms in the selective catalytic reduction of NOx by NH3 were investigated using in situ diffuse-reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy,temperature-programmed reduction（TPR）,X-ray diffraction,and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller（BET） method.The BET surface area of the triple oxides increased with increasing ZrO2 doping but gradually decreased with increasing WO3 loading.Addition of sufficient WO3 helped to stabilize the pore structure and the combination of WO3 and ZrO2 improved dispersion of all the metal oxides.The mechanisms of reactions using V2O5-9%WO3/TiO2-ZrO2 and V2O5-9%WO3/TiO2were compared by using either a single or mixed gas feed and various pretreatments.The results suggest that both reactions followed the Eley-Ridel mechanism;however,the dominant acid sites,which depended on the addition of WO3 or ZrO2,determined the pathways for NOx reduction,and involved[NH4^＋-NO-Bronsted acid site]^＊ and[NH2-NO-Lewis acid site]^＊ intermediates,respectively.NH3-TPR and H2-TPR showed that the metal oxides in the catalysts were not reduced by NH3 and O2did not reoxidize the catalyst surfaces but participated in the formation of H2O and NO2.

Solid-state reduction kinetics and mechanism of pre-oxidized vanadium-titanium magnetite concentrate

The solid-state reduction kinetics of pre-oxidized vanadium-titanium magnetite concentrate was studied. The phase and microstructure of the reduction product were characterized by XRD, SEM and EDS methods, based on which the mechanism of the solid-state reduction was investigated. The results showed that using coal as reductant at 950-1100 °C, the solid-state reduction of the pre-oxidized vanadium-titanium magnetite concentrate was controlled by interface chemical reaction and the apparent activation energy was 67.719 k J/mol. The mineral phase transformation during the reduction process can be described as follows： pre-oxidized vanadium-titanium magnetite concentrate → ulvospinel → ilmenite → Fe Ti2O5 →（FenTi1-n）Ti2O5. M3O5-type（M can be Fe, Ti, Mg, Mn, etc） solid solutions would be formed during the reduction process of the pre-oxidized vanadium-titanium magnetite concentrate at 1050 °C for 60 min. The poor reducibility of iron in M3O5 solid solutions is the main reason to limit the reduction property of pre-oxidized vanadium-titanium magnetite concentrate.

Coal-based reduction mechanism of low-grade laterite ore

A low-grade nickel laterite ore was reduced at different reduction temperatures. The morphology of metallic particles was investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS）. Experimental results indicate that the metallic nickel and iron gradually assemble and grow into larger spherical particles with increasing temperature and prolonging time. After reduction, the nickel laterite ore obviously changes into two parts of Fe-Ni metallic particles and slag matrix. An obvious relationship is found between the reduction of iron magnesium olivine and its crystal chemical properties. The nickel and iron oxides are reduced to metallic by reductant, and the lattice of olivine is destroyed. The entire reduction process is comprised of oxide reduction and metallic phase growth.

Mechanism of phosphorus removal in beneficiation of high phosphorous oolitic hematite by direct reduction roasting with dephosphorization agent

High phosphorous oolitic hematite ore is one of typical intractable iron ores in China, and the conventional beneficiation methods are found to be impracticable to , remove phosphorus from the ore effectively. Better beneficiation index were gotten by direct reduction roasting with dephosphorization agent followed by two stages of grinding and magnetic separation. P content decreases from 0.82% in the raw ore to 0.06% in the magnetic concentrate, and the total iron grade increases from 43.65% to 90.23%, the recovery of iron can reach 87%. Mechanisms of phosphorus removal in the beneficiation of high phosphorous oolitic hematite ore by direct reduction roasting with dephosphorization agent were studied using XRD, SEM and EPMA. The results showed that about 20% of the apatite in the raw ore transferred into phosphorus and volatilized with the gas in the process of reduction roasting, while the rest 80% apatite was not involved in the reaction of generation of phosphorus, and remained as apatite in the roasted products, which was removed to tailings by grinding and magnetic separation. A small amount of phosphorus existed in the magnetic concentrate as apatite. The oolitic texture of raw ore was partly changed during roasting, resulting in the formation of nepheline in the reaction between the dephosphorization agent, SiO2 and Al2O3 in the raw ore, which greatly improved the liberation degree of minerals in the roasted products, and it was beneficial to the subsequent grinding and magnetic separation.

Contribution of mechanical forces to structural synaptic plasticity:insights from 3D cellular motility mechanisms

Cells,tissues,and organs are constantly subjected to the action of mechanical forces from the extracellular environment-and the nervous system is no exception.Cell-intrinsic properties such as membrane lipid composition,abundance of mechanosensors,and cytoskeletal dynamics make cells more or less likely to sense these forces.Intrinsic and extrinsic cues are integrated by cells and this combined information determines the rate and dynamics of membrane protrusion growth or retraction(Yamada and Sixt,2019).Cell protrusions are extensions of the plasma membrane that play crucial roles in diverse contexts such as cell migration and neuronal synapse formation.In the nervous system,neurons are highly dynamic cells that can change the size and number of their pre-and postsynaptic elements(called synaptic boutons and dendritic spines,respectively),in response to changes in the levels of synaptic activity through a process called plasticity.Synaptic plasticity is a hallmark of the nervous system and is present throughout our lives,being required for functions like memory formation or the learning of new motor skills(Minegishi et al.,2023;Pillai and Franze,2024).

Decoding molecular mechanisms:brain aging and Alzheimer's disease

The complex morphological,anatomical,physiological,and chemical mechanisms within the aging brain have been the hot topic of research for centuries.The aging process alters the brain structure that affects functions and cognitions,but the worsening of such processes contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders,such as Alzheimer's disease.Beyond these observable,mild morphological shifts,significant functional modifications in neurotransmission and neuronal activity critically influence the aging brain.Understanding these changes is important for maintaining cognitive health,especially given the increasing prevalence of age-related conditions that affect cognition.This review aims to explore the age-induced changes in brain plasticity and molecular processes,differentiating normal aging from the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease,thereby providing insights into predicting the risk of dementia,particularly Alzheimer's disease.

Pyroptosis,ferroptosis,and autophagy in spinal cord injury:regulatory mechanisms and therapeutic targets

Regulated cell death is a form of cell death that is actively controlled by biomolecules.Several studies have shown that regulated cell death plays a key role after spinal cord injury.Pyroptosis and ferroptosis are newly discovered types of regulated cell deaths that have been shown to exacerbate inflammation and lead to cell death in damaged spinal cords.Autophagy,a complex form of cell death that is interconnected with various regulated cell death mechanisms,has garnered significant attention in the study of spinal cord injury.This injury triggers not only cell death but also cellular survival responses.Multiple signaling pathways play pivotal roles in influencing the processes of both deterioration and repair in spinal cord injury by regulating pyroptosis,ferroptosis,and autophagy.Therefore,this review aims to comprehensively examine the mechanisms underlying regulated cell deaths,the signaling pathways that modulate these mechanisms,and the potential therapeutic targets for spinal cord injury.Our analysis suggests that targeting the common regulatory signaling pathways of different regulated cell deaths could be a promising strategy to promote cell survival and enhance the repair of spinal cord injury.Moreover,a holistic approach that incorporates multiple regulated cell deaths and their regulatory pathways presents a promising multi-target therapeutic strategy for the management of spinal cord injury.

Effect and mechanism of reductive polyaniline on the stability of nitrocellulose

The search for new green and efficient stabilizers is of great importance for the stabilization of nitrocellulose(NC). This is due to the shortcomings of traditional stabilizers, such as high toxicity. In this study, reduced polyaniline(r-PANI), which has a similar functional structure to diphenylamine(DPA) but is non-toxic, was prepared from PANI based on the action with N_(2)H_(4) and NH_(3)-H_(2)O, and used for the first time as a potential stabilizer for NC. XPS, FTIR, Raman, and SEM were used to characterize the reduced chemical structure and surface morphology of r-PANI. In addition, the effect of r-PANI on the stabilization of NC was characterized using DSC, VST, isothermal TG, and MMC. Thermal weight loss was reduced by 83% and 68% and gas pressure release by 75% and 49% compared to pure NC and NC&3%DPA, respectively.FTIR and XPS were used to characterize the structural changes of r-PANI before and after reaction with NO_(2). The 1535 cm^(-1) and 1341 cm^(-1) of the FTIR and the 404.98 eV and 406.05 eV of the XPS showed that the -NO_(2) was generated by the absorption of NO_(2). Furthermore, the quantum chemical calculation showed that NO_(2) was directly immobilized on r-PANI by forming -NO_(2) in the neighboring position of the benzene ring.

The Mechanism of Drag Reduction around Bodies of Revolution Using Bionic Non-Smooth Surfaces

Bionic non-smooth surfaces （BNSS） can reduce drag. Much attention has been paid to the mechanism of shear stress reduction by riblets. The mechanism of pressure force reduction by bionic non-smooth surfaces on bodies of revolution has not been well investigated. In this work CFD simulation has revealed the mechanism of drag reduction by BNSS, which may work in three ways. First, BNSS on bodies of revolution may lower the surface velocity of the medium, which prevents the sudden speed up of air on the cross section. So the bottom pressure of the model would not be disturbed sharply, resulting in less energy loss and drag reduction. Second, the magnitude of vorticity induced by the bionic model becomes smaller because, due to the sculpturing, the growth of tiny air bubbles is avoided. Thus the large moment of inertia induced by large air bubble is reduced. The reduction of the vorticity could reduce the dissipation of the eddy. So the pressure force could also be reduced. Third, the thickness of the momentum layer on the model becomes less which, according to the relationship between the drag coefficient and the momentum thickness, reduces drag.

Electrochemical reduction characteristics and mechanism of nitrobenzene compounds in the catalyzed Fe-Cu process

The reduction of the nitrobenzene compounds （NBCs） by the catalyzed Fe-Cu process and the relationship between the electrochemical reduction characteristics of NBCs at copper electrode and reduction rate were studied in alkaline medium（pH=11）. The catalyzed Fe-Cu process was found more effective on degradation of NBCs compared to Master Builder＇s iron. The reduction rate by the catalyzed Fe-Cu process decreased in the following order： nitrobenzene 〉4-chloro-nitrobenzene ≥m-dinitrobenzene ：〉 4-nitrophenol ≥2,4-dinitrotoluene 〉2-nitrophenol. The reduction rate by Master Builder＇s iron decreased in the following order： m-dinitrobenzene ≥4-chloro-nitrobenzene 〉4-nitrophenol 〉2,4-dinitrotoluene ≈nitrobenzene 〉2-nitrophenol. NBCs were reduced directly on the surface of copper rather than by the hydrogen produced at cathode in the catalyzed Fe-Cu process. The reduction was realized by the hydrogen produced at cathode and Fe（OH）2 in Master Builder＇s iron, It is an essential difference in reaction mechanisms between these two technologies. For this reason, the reduction by the catalyzed Fe-Cu depended greatly on NBC＇s electron withdrawing ability.

Gas-based reduction of vanadium titano-magnetite concentrate:behavior and mechanisms

The reduction of vanadium titano-magnetite pellets by H_2-CO at temperatures from 850 to 1050°C was investigated in this paper. The influences of pre-oxidation treatment, reduction temperature, and V_（H_2）/（V_（H_2） ＋ VCO） on the metallization degree were studied. The results showed that pre-oxidation played a substantial role in the reduction of vanadium titano-magnetite pellets. During the reduction process, the metallization degree increased with increasing temperature and increasing V_（H_2） /（V_（H_2） ＋ VCO）. The phase transformation of pre-oxidized vanadium titano-magnetite pellets during the reduction process under an H_2 atmosphere and a CO atmosphere was discussed, and the reduced samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy（SEM） in conjunction with back scatter electron（BSE） imaging. The results show that the difference in thermodynamic reducing ability between H_2 and CO is not the only factor that leads to differences in the reduction results obtained using different atmospheres. Some of Fe_（3-x）Ti_xO_4 cannot be reduced under a CO atmosphere because of the densification of particles＇ structure and because of the enrichment of Mg in unreacted cores. By contrast, a loose structure of particles was obtained when the pellets were reduced under an H_2 atmosphere and this structure decreased the resistance to gas diffusion. Moreover, the phenomenon of Mg enrichment in unreacted cores disappeared during H_2 reduction. Both the lower resistance to gas diffusion and the lack of Mg enrichment facilitated the reduction of vanadium titano-magnetite.