Study on Acoustic Performance for Diatom Frustule with Nanoporous Structure

The acoustic performance for the nanoporous frustule of the diatom is studied based on the computational fluid dynamics theory and acoustic theory involved.Representative Coscinodiscus sp.frustule is observed through the scanning electron microscope and modeled by the commercial software Solidworks.Further,the acoustic performance for the Coscinodiscus sp.frustule is studied at the varied depth,diameter or interval of the pore,as well as the film thickness of the fluid surrounding the Coscinodiscus sp.frustule.The numerical results show that,when the upper and lower pore diameters are separately 200 and 300 nm,the upper and lower pore depths are separately 200 and 250 nm,and both the pore interval and fluid film thickness are 500 nm,the elaborate nanoporous structure of Coscinodiscus sp.frustule can lower its acoustic power level by 17.49%,compared with that without porous structure.Meanwhile,the double-layer pore of Coscinodiscus sp.frustule can decrease its acoustic power level by 12.69%,compared with its single-layer pore structures.

A Combination of N2 and CO2 Adsorption to Characterize Nanopore Structure of Organic-Rich Lower Silurian Shale in the Upper Yangtze Platform, South China： Implications for Shale Gas Sorption Capacity

The pores in shales are mainly of nanometer-scale, and their pore size distribution is very important for the preservation and exploitation of shale gas. This study focused on the organic-rich Lower Silurian black shale from four wells in the Upper Yangtze Platform, and their TOC, mineralogical composition and pore characterization were investigated. Low pressure N2 and CO2 adsorption were conducted at 77.35 K and 273.15 K, respectively, and the pore structures were characterized by modified Brunauer-Emmett-Teller （BET）, Dubinin-Radushkevich （DR）, t-plot, Barrett- Joyner-Halenda （BJH） and density functional theory （DFT） methods and then the relationship between pore structure and shale gas sorption capacity was discussed. The results indicate that （1） The Lower Silurian shale has high TOC content of 0.92%~96%, high quartz content of 30.6%-69.5%, and high clays content of 24.1%-51.2%. The total specific surface area varies from 7.56 m^2/g to 25.86 m^2/g. Both the total specific surface area and quartz content are positively associated with the TOC content. （2） Shale samples with higher TOC content have more micropores, which results in more complex nanopore structure. Micropore volumes/surface areas and non-micropore surface areas all increase with the increasing TOC content. （3） A combination of N2 and CO2 adsorption provides the most suitable detection range （~0.3-60 nm） and has high reliability and accuracy for nanopore structure characterization. （4） The TOC content is the key factor to control the gas sorption capacity of the Lower Silurian shale in the Upper Yangtze Platform.

High-resolution coupling of stratigraphic'sweet-spot'lithofacies and petrophysical properties:A multiscale study of Ordovician Goldwyer Formation,Western Australia

The identification of stratigraphic'sweet-spot'interval is significant in oil and gas formation evaluation.However,formation evaluation in macroscopic-scale merely provides low resolution and limited infor-mation,thus may lead to uncertainties in resource estimation.To accurately identify the'sweet-spot'intervals amongst heterogeneous lithofacies,we conducted a very high-resolution and quantitative analysis from in-situ macroscopic scale to laboratory microscopic scale on the Goldwyer formation of Canning Basin,Western Australia.The comprehensive advanced well logging and slim-compact micro imager(SCMI)technologies were synthetically applied in couple with the laboratory nanoscaled ex-periments.The results unveiled an extraordinarily large lithofacies heterogeneity between different rock intervals,with distinguished features shown in Goldwyer Ⅰ,Ⅱ,and Ⅲ members.The most favorable lithofacies is recognized as the laminated argillaceous thermally-matured organic matter(OM)-rich mudstone,which is widely developed in Goldwyer Ⅲ as the major attributor to'sweet-spot'intervals.Goldwyer Ⅱ is exclusively characterized by thick mudstone intervals(94.4%),interbedded with thin calcareous mudstones(5.5%),corresponding to a depositional environment of low-energy distal section of the outer ramp settings.Microscopically,the most favorable lithofacies in'sweet-spot'intervals develop numerous OM-/mineral nanopores for hydrocarbon storage.Illite-rich lithofacies develops abundant inter-particle pores from 2 to 17 nm that mainly contribute to pore volume for free gas storage capacity.OM-rich lithofacies with higher maturity have OM-pores with good connectivity,bearing large specific surface area that is beneficial for adsorbed gas capacity.

Engineering graphene for high-performance supercapacitors: Enabling role of colloidal chemistry

The high electrical conductivity and high specific surface area of graphene are traditionally regarded as the most intriguing features for its promise as the electrode material for supercapacitors. In this perspective, we highlight that from the engineering point of view, the unique colloidal chemistry of chemically functionalized graphene is the key property that has made graphene stand out as a promising nanoscale building block for constructing unique nanoporous electrodes for capacitive energy storage, We present several examples to demonstrate bow the non-covalent colloidal forces between graphene sheets can be harnessed to engineer the nanostructure of graphene-based bulk electrodes for supercapacitors based on both the electrical double layer storage and the redox reaction or pseudo-capacitance mechanisms. The colloidal engineering strategy can be extended to enable other nanomaterials to achieve high energy storage performance.

Enhancement of Near-Field Radiative Heat Transfer based on High-Entropy Alloys

The enhancement of near-field radiative heat transfer(NFRHT)has now become one of the research hotspots in the fieldsof thermal management and imaging due to its ability to improve the performance of near-field thermoelectric devices and near-field imaging systems.In this paper,we design three structures(multilayer structure,nanoporous structure,and nanorod structure)based on high-entropy alloys to realize the enhancement of NFRHT.By combining stochastic electrodynamicsand Maxwell-Garnett's description of the effective medium,we calculate the radiative heat transfer under different parametersand find that the nanoporousstructure has the largest enhancement effect on NFRHT.The near-field heat transfer factor(q)of this structure(q=1.40×10^(9)W/(m^(2)·K))is three times higher than that of the planestructure(q=4.6×10^(8)W/(m^(2)·K)),and about two orders of magnitude higher than that of the SiO2plate.Thisresult providesa freshidea for the enhancement of NFRHT and will promote the application of high-entropy alloy materials in near-field heat radiation.

Efficient nanostructured heterogeneous catalysts by electrochemical etching of partially crystallized Fe-based metallic glass ribbons

Although an increasing interest has been attracted to further develop heterostructured catalysts from metallic glasses(MGs) by heat treatment, overcoming surface oxidation effect is still a critical problem for such environmental catalysts. Herein, a short-time electrochemical etching of partially crystallized Febased ribbons in 0.3 M H3 PO4 electrolyte enables the formation of honeycomb-like nanoporous structure as effective catalytic active sites in Fenton-like process. Studies of structure and surface morphologies reveal that the formation of nanoporous structure by potentiostatic etching originates from electrochemical potential difference of nanocrystals(a-Fe(Si) and Fe2 B) and residual amorphous phase in partially crystallized ribbons, where Fe2 B having a lower open circuit potential tends to be selectively dissolved.Simultaneously, thin oxide layer after electrochemical etching exposes more active sites for H2 O2 activation and provides an effective protection of nanocrystals from massive loss during etching. Investigation of optimal processing conditions suggests that the selection of electrolyte plays an important role;dye degradation rates of etched ribbons in HNO3 and Na2 SO4 electrolytes can also achieve at least 2 times higher than that of as-annealed ribbons. This work holds the promise to develop novel environmental catalysts by effective electrochemical etching of partially crystallized ribbons.

Boosting acidic water oxidation performance by constructing arrays-like nanoporous Ir_(x)Ru_(1−x)O_(2) with abundant atomic steps

The fabrication of electrocatalysts with high activity and acid stability for acidic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)is an urgent need,yet extremely challenging.Here,we report the design and successful fabrication of a high performance self-supported cogwheel arrays-like nanoporous Ir_(x)Ru_(1−x)O_(2) catalyst with abundant atomic steps for acidic OER using a facile alloy-spinningelectrochemical activation method that allows large-scale fabrication.The obtained Ir_(x)Ru_(1−x)O_(2) catalysts merely need overpotentials of 211 and 295 mV to deliver catalytic current densities of 10 and 300 mA·cm^(−2) in 0.5 M H_(2)SO_(4),respectively,and can sustain constant OER electrolysis for at least 140 h at a high current density of 300 mA·cm^(−2).Further density functional theory(DFT)calculations uncover that such high intrinsic activities mainly originate from the largely exposed high-index atomic step planes,which markedly lower the limiting potential of the rate-determining step(RDS)of OER.These findings provide an insight into the exploration of high performance electrocatalysts,and open up an avenue for further developing the state-of-theart Ir and/or Ru-based catalysts for large-scale practical applications.

Capillary Performance of Nanoporous Aluminum Braided Wicks Prepared by Anodic Oxidation

With the rapid development of two-phase heat exchangers,the further improvement of the capillary performance of their internal wick faces a great challenge.As an important technology in the surface treatment of aluminum alloys,anodic oxidation has been widely used to develop various functional nanostructures.In this study,nanopores with diameters of 30–40 nm were fabricated on the surface of aluminum fibers through anodic oxidation under an oxalic acid system.Results showed that anodizing increased the specific surface area of the aluminum braid by 163 times,and changed its surface wettability from hydrophobic to superhydrophilic.A significant reduction in the effective capillary radius can substantially increase the capillary force of aluminum braids on the basis of capillary theory.Therefore,the nanoporous aluminum braids can be used as a novel wick in the vapor chamber to improve its capillary performance.Capillary rate-of-rise tests with ethanol and acetone were performed to characterize the capillary of this novel wick structure.Infrared thermal imaging was utilized to monitor the capillary rise of aluminum braided wicks.The capillary force of the anodized wicks was greater than that of a normal wick,and the maximum capillary rise height was 81 mm.The nanoporous aluminum braided wicks prepared by anodizing could be applied in heat transfer.

Scalable synthesis of nanoporous high entropy alloys for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution

High entropy alloys(HEAs)containing five or more equimolar components have shown promising catalytic performance due to their unique chemical and mechanical properties.However,it is still challenging to prepare scalable and efficient nanoporous HEAs as catalysts.Here,we present a facile strategy to synthesize largescale nanoporous HEAs particles by combing vacuum induction melting,gas atomization,and acidic etching procedure.The application of HEAs to energy conversion is evaluated with electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)on AlCrCuFeNi HEAs.The HEAs exhibit a low OER overpotential of 270 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA·cm^(-2),a small Tafel slope of 77.5 mV·dec^(-1),and long-term stability for over 35 h in 1 mol·L^(-1) KOH,which is comparable to the state-of-the-art OER electrocatalyst RuO2.The findings in this paper not only provide an industrial approach to produce nanoporous HEAs powder but also inspire the applications of HEAs as catalysts.

Characterization of the nanopore structures of PAN-based carbon fiber precursors by small angle X-ray scattering

The nanopore structures in precursors Four carbon-fiber precursors are prepared. They are crucial to the performance of PAN-based carbon fibers are bath-fed filaments （A）, water-washing filaments （B） hot-stretching filaments （C） and drying-densification filaments （D）. Synchrotron radiation small angle X-ray scattering is used to probe and compare the nanopore structures of the four fibers. The nanopore size, discrete volume distribution, nanopore orientation degree along the fiber axis and the porosity are obtained. The results demonstrate that the nanopores are mainly formed in the water-washing stage. During the processes of the subsequent production technologies, the slenderness ratio of nanopores and their orientation degree along the fiber axis increase further and simultaneously, the porosity decreases. These results are helpful for improving the performance of the final carbon fibers.

Water-bearing characteristics and their effects on the nanopores of overmature coal-measure shales in the Wuxiang area of the Qinshui Basin, north China

In this study,a group of overmature coal-measure shale core samples was collected in situ from an exploration well located in the Wuxiang area of the Qinshui Basin,north China.The pore water contents(CPW)of the shales under as-received conditions,equilibrium water contents(CEW)of the shales under moisture equilibrium conditions(relative humidity:100%),and nanopore structures of the shales under both as-received and dried conditions were measured.The results indicate that the CPW values of these shales are much lower than their CEW values,which implies that the bulk pore systems of these shales have low water-bearing extents.In addition,approximately half of the total pore volumes and surface areas of the as-received shales are occupied by pore water,and the effects of pore water on shale nanopores with various pore types and widths are different.The average water-occupied percentages(PW)are 59.16%−81.99%and 42.53%−43.44%for the non-micropores and micropores,respectively,and are 83.54%−97.69%and 19.57%−26.42%for the inorganic-matter hosted(IM)and organic-matter hosted(OM)pores,respectively.The pore water in shales not only significantly reduces the storage of shale gas by occupying many pore spaces,but also causes the shale gas,especially the absorbed gas,to be mostly stored in the OM pores;meanwhile,the IM pores mainly store free gas.Therefore,the water-bearing characteristics and their effects on the pore structures and gas-bearing properties of coal-measure shales should be noted for the evaluation and exploration of shale gas in the Qinshui Basin.