Synthesis of C_3S by Sol-Gel Technique and Its Features

Sol-gel method is a technique to synthesize inorganic materials based on wet-chemical reaction theory. The results have shown that reactants tetraethyl orthosilicate （TEOS） and Ca（NO3）2·4H2O can form sol and gel in solution at 50-60 ℃, and the cosolvents are propyl alcohol （NPA） and H2O, the catalyst is HNO3. This sol-gel is burned for 12 hat 1 350-1 450 ℃ so that the organic matter, free water （moisture） in sol-gel system are removed and a solid reaction has taken place to form the resulting product. The product has been confirmed to be C3S by XRD, SEM and 29Si MAS NMR, as well as free lime content of the product which is less than 0.2% was determined by propanetriol-ethanol-method. The analysis determined by EDXA has indicated that the n（Ca）/n（Si） ratio in corresponding to micro-region is close to theoretical value of 3∶1. This resulting product is C3S with Si sites of Q0 polymerization, and has higher purity and hydraulic activities at earlier age of hydration.

Recent advances in cobalt phosphide-based materials for electrocatalytic water splitting:From catalytic mechanism and synthesis method to optimization design

Electrochemical water splitting has long been considered an effective energy conversion technology for trans-ferring intermittent renewable electricity into hydrogen fuel,and the exploration of cost-effective and high-performance electrocatalysts is crucial in making electrolyzed water technology commercially viable.Cobalt phosphide(Co-P)has emerged as a catalyst of high potential owing to its high catalytic activity and durability in water splitting.This paper systematically reviews the latest advances in the development of Co-P-based materials for use in water splitting.The essential effects of P in enhancing the catalytic performance of the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction are first outlined.Then,versatile synthesis techniques for Co-P electrocatalysts are summarized,followed by advanced strategies to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of Co-P materials,including heteroatom doping,composite construction,integration with well-conductive sub-strates,and structure control from the viewpoint of experiment.Along with these optimization strategies,the understanding of the inherent mechanism of enhanced catalytic performance is also discussed.Finally,some existing challenges in the development of highly active and stable Co-P-based materials are clarified,and pro-spective directions for prompting the wide commercialization of water electrolysis technology are proposed.

Synthesis, Characterization and Optical Morphology of ZnO Nanoparticles

The ZnO molecule plays an important role in the industry due to it special features, anti-corrosion anti-bacterial properties, as well as due to its low electrical conductivity and heat resistance. In these experimental researches, the sol-gel method was chosen, which enables control of nucleation, aging and growth of particles in the solution. ZnO synthesis was prepared utilizing chemical method with Zinc acetate dyhidrate and NaOH with the appropriate methanol solvent and heating (60˚C). The methods used in identification and characterization are FTIR, UV/VIS, OPTICAL MICROSCOPY, SEM and XRD. The FTIR spectra of synthesized ZnO with corresponding ones show characteristic bands at the corresponding wavelengths, which confirm the presence of ZnO nanoparticles. SEM characterization of ZnO shows the morphology of needle-shaped nanoparticles. XRD spectar in this research by chemical method indicates the particle size of 17.76 nm.

A comparative study of drying techniques on the morphology of porous silica gels synthesized via sol-gel process

The effect of drying techniques on the microstructure,morphology and pore structure of porous silica gels was studied in the paper.The gels were prepared by using sol-gel process and different drying routes:freeze-drying (FD),low pressure drying (LPD),high temperature drying (HTD) and chemical modification & ambient drying (CMD) techniques.Observation under pore distribution and structural properties showed that CMD technique leads to homogenous mesoporous silica material with specific surface area of 745 m2/g,and the average pore size around 20 nm,while LPD and HTD result in loosely packed particles with non-isotropic aggregation pattern.The specific surface areas of LPD and HTD samples are 419 and 513 m2/g respectively,and the pore size distribution of the samples are observed distributing widely in range of 10-100 nm.Freeze drying method is a new but prospective way to prepare mesoporous silica.The specific area of FD sample is around 500 m2/g.By the comparison for the properties of the gels,this paper wants to induce a further interest in finding a proper method to synthesize the porous silica gels for low price use.

Preparation and characterization of (metal, nitrogen)-codoped TiO_2 by TiCl_4 sol-gel auto-igniting synthesis

The nitrogen-doped and （metal, nitrogen）-codoped TiO2 photocatalysts （metal = Ag, Ce, Fe, La） were synthesized by sol-gel auto-igniting synthesis （SAS） with the complex compound sol of TiCl4-NH4NO3-citri acid-metal nitrate- NH3.H20 as a precursor. The products were characterized by means of XRD, XPS, and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra, and their photocatalytic activity was investigated under visible light. It was found that all the synthesized powders showed good absorption for visible light, and that the radius and alterable valence states of doping metallic cations played important roles on their photocatalytic activity. These results were discussed in detail.

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of (La, N) co-doped TiO_2 by TiCl_4 sol-gel autoigniting synthesis

（La, N） co-doped TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized using TiC14 sol-gel autoignidng synthesis （SAS） starting from a complex compound system of TiCl4-La（NO3）3-citric acid-NH4NO3-NHyH2O, in which the （La, N） co-doped process was accompushed in the formation of TiO2 nanocrystals. The prepared samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy （XPS） and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The results indicated that nitrogen and lanthanum were incorporated into the lattice and interstices of titania nanocrystals, which resulted in narrowing the band gap and promoting the separation of photoexcited hole-electron pairs, respectively, and showing expected red-shifts and enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light. The mechanism on nitrogen doping and enhancement in photocatalyfic activity of （La, N） co-doped titania by SAS was discussed in detail.

Novel Synthesis of Sol-gel Derived Nanosized Mullite Powder

Using hydrous aluminum chloride （AlCl3·6H2O） and silicon ethoxide （Si （OC2H5）4） as raw materials, a kind of nano-sized mullite powder was synthesized with the sol-gel process at the medium calcination temperature. The microstructures of the alumina-silica binary aerogel and calcined nano-sized materials were investigated by means of thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis （TG-DTA）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and X-ray diffractometer （XRD）. The results show that the mullitization of Al2O3-SiO2 in gel starts from about 1 000℃ and its formation ofmullite takes place in the range of 1 100℃-1 250 ℃. The size of the nano-sized mullite powder calcined at 1 250 ℃ is measured to be about 30 nm.

Text-to-Sketch Synthesis via Adversarial Network

In the past,sketches were a standard technique used for recognizing offenders and have remained a valuable tool for law enforcement and social security purposes.However,relying on eyewitness observations can lead to discrepancies in the depictions of the sketch,depending on the experience and skills of the sketch artist.With the emergence of modern technologies such as Generative Adversarial Networks(GANs),generating images using verbal and textual cues is now possible,resulting in more accurate sketch depictions.In this study,we propose an adversarial network that generates human facial sketches using such cues provided by an observer.Additionally,we have introduced an Inverse Gamma Correction Technique to improve the training and enhance the quality of the generated sketches.To evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed method,we conducted experiments and analyzed the results using the inception score and Frechet Inception Distance metrics.Our proposed method achieved an overall inception score of 1.438±0.049 and a Frechet Inception Distance of 65.29,outperforming other state-of-the-art techniques.

Synthesis and Structure Transformation of Orthorhombic LiMnO2 Cathode Materials by Sol-gel Method

Orthorhombic LiMnO2 cathode materials were synthesized successfully at lower temperature by sol-gel method. When LiMnO2 precursor prepared by sol-gel method was fired in air, the product was a mixture of spinel structure LiMn2O4 and rock-salt structure Li2MnO3, whereas in argon single-phase orthorhombic LiMnO2 could obtain at the range of 750℃ to 920℃. The substitution of Mn by Zn2+ or Co3+ in LiMnO2 led to the structure of LiMnO2 transiting to Qα-LiFeO2. The results of electrochemical cycles indicated that the discharged capacity of orthorhombic-LiMnO2 was smaller at the initial stages, then gradually increased with the increasing of cycle number, finally the capacity stabilized to certain value after about 10th cycles. This phenomenon reveals that there is an activation process for orthorhombic LiMnO2 cathode materials during electrochemical cycles, which is a phase transition process from orthorhombic LiMnO2 to tetragonal spinel Li2Mn2O4. The capacity of orthorhombic LiMnO2 synthesized at lower temperature is larger than that synthesized at high temperature.

Green Synthesis of Titanium Oxide Nanoparticles Using Natural Extracts

Green synthesis is an alternative method for obtaining nanoparticles for environmentally friendly purposes. The present work describes the synthesis and characterization of titanium oxide nanoparticles, starting from three natural sources: orange peel, hibiscus rosa sinensis and Aloe vera. Titanium (IV) tetrabutoxide in ethanol solution was used as precursor. The methodology used was based on the sol-gel technique, through which TiO2 nanoparticles were obtained in the anatase phase. The characterization of the nanoparticles was carried out by means of x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR), which allowed the identification of a good degree of purity and crystallinity of the samples obtained.

In-Situ Synthesis of Terbium Complex with Salicylic Acid in Silica Matrix by a Two-Step Sol-Gel Process

A process for in situ synthesis of terbium complex with salicylic acid by a two-step solgel method in silica matrix has been proposed. The luminescence properties of the silica gelscodoped with terbium and salicylic acid have also been discussed with respect to that of the geldoped with terbium and that of pure terbium complex with salicylic acid.

Synthesis Sol-Gel Derived Highly Transparent ZnO Thin Films for Optoelectronic Applications

In this work, ZnO thin films were derived by sol-gel using two different techniques;dip coating and spin coating technique. The films were deposited onto glass substrate at room temperature using sol-gel composed from zinc acetate dehydrate, monoethanolamine, isopropanole, and de-ionized water, the films were preheated at 225?C for 15 min. The crystallographic structures of ZnO films were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD);the result shows that the good film was prepared at dip coating technique, it was polycrystalline and highly c-orientation along (002) plane, the lattice constant ratio (c/a) was calculated at (002), it was about 1.56. The structure of thin films, prepared by spin coating technique, was amorphous with low intensity and wide peaks. The optical properties of the prepared film were studied using UV-VIS spectrophotometer with the range 190 - 850 nm, and by using the fluorescence spectrometer. The optical characterization of ZnO thin films that were prepared by the dip coating method have good transmittance of about 92% in the visible region, it can be noted from the fluorescence spectrometer two broad visible emission bands centered at 380nm and 430 nm. The optical energy gaps for the direct and indirect allowed transitions were calculated, the values were equal 3.2 eV and 3.1 eV respectively. Dip coating technique create ZnO films with potential for application as transparent electrodes in optoelectronic devices such as solar cell.

A comprehensive review of recent advancements and developments in heat exchanger network synthesis techniques

The rapid development of computational technology and the increasing energy demand have improved heat exchanger network(HEN)synthesis.The HEN synthesis involves several optimizations of matches,distributions of heat loads,and stream splitting of heat units.Thus,obtaining good results at high efficiency has been the main standard for evaluating the techniques in the research area of HEN synthesis.This paper first summarizes and analyzes the main contributions of the existing HEN synthesis techniques.To compare related data quantitively,information on ten typical cases is presented in this paper.Furthermore,recently improved solutions for commonly encountered existing literature cases demonstrate the evolution and competition trends in the field of HEN synthesis.The comparison data presented in this paper not only provide a useful reference for future research but also present the optimization directions.Based on the findings of this study,it is noted that there is still a large room for improvement,and current approaches are incapable of dealing with all HEN cases.Moreover,it is still difficult to escape a local optimum and overcome structural constraints when seeking the global optimum.As a follow-up to the current work,the parallel computing mode and adaptively coordinating the ratio of global and local searching abilities are major development trends for future investigation.

Synthesis and Luminescence Properties of Ternary Europium Complexes inTitania Matrix in the Presence of Dimethylformamide by a Sol-Gel Process

In-situ synthesis of ternary europium complex with thenoyltrifluoacetone (TTA) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) in titania matrix in the presence of dimethylformamide (DMF) by a sol-gel process was described, which was confirmed by the luminescence excitation spectra and infrared spectra. The titania gel that contains europium complex exhibits Eu3+ characteristic emission bands and presents a longer fluorescence lifetime than the pure complexes dissolved in ethanol solution. The concentration effect on the luminescence intensity was also investigated.

Multilayer Membranes Based on Ceramic Materials——Sol-gel Synthesis,Characterization and Membrane Performance

In nearly all chemical and petrochemical systems, separation of products generally accounts for more than 50% of the capital cost and the greatest part of the energy consumption. It is generally believed that membrane systems can offer benefits in both reducing the energy consumption of the separation stages and lowering the capital expenditure （CAPEX）. Microporous ceramic membranes have the potential to overcome the limitation in polymer membranes operation, which has been the subject of a large amount of research worldwide in the last two decades. And most of the research has aimed at the production of the asymmetric multilayered membrane based on amorphous oxides by sol-gel techniques. The paper is to give an overview of publications on ceramic membranes, including less common materials of titania, zirconia, which can be used for pervaporation in corrosive media. Commercially available microporous membranes based on these membrane materials and the membrane economics are also summarized.

Facile and Controlled Synthesis of Silica Sol Nanospheres Through a Modifi ed Sol-Gel Process

An effective and reproducible preparation of silica sol nanospheres via a modified sol-gel process has been described. Monodisperse and stable silica sol nanospheres with uniformsize were successfully obtained through the optimized synthesis in which the mixture of tetraethyl orthosilicate （TEOS） and ethanol was followed by the addition of water and ammonium hydroxide （NH3） separately, and the size of silica sol spheres was strictly controlled in the range of 25-119 nm with a narrow size distribution by fine adjustment of several reaction parameters. Results showed that in the presence of low concentration of TEOS, spheres size rose first and reached maximum when H2O concentration was up to 66 g/L. However, the diameter of silica sol spheres decreased above 66 g/L of H2O concentration. Furthermore, it was also found that the size and size distribution of silica sol nanospheres were affected by NH3 concentration. As NH3 concentration increased from 15 to 35 g/L, the diameter declined from 83 to 64 nm. Nevertheless, higher NH3 concentration would result in relatively broad size distribution, and gelation occurred when NH3 concentration reached 44 g/L. In addition, the effect of the different feed rates ofNH3 on the size growth of silica sol nanospheres was also discussed.

Fabrication of Chemically-Modified Electrode Containing 1:12 Phosphomolybdic Anions by Sol-Gel Technique and Its Electrocatalytic Reduction of BrO_3 ^-Anions

A novel chedrically-modified electrode containing 1:12 phosphomolybdic anions wasachieved on the surface of platinum electrode by the sol-gel technique. The electrode exhibits ahigh catalytic activity towards the electroreduction of BrO3- anions.

Preparation and densification of BaTiO_3 nanopowder by sol-gel autoigniting synthesis

Autoigniting synthesis of gel from Ba(NO_3)_2, TiO(NO_3)_2 and C_6H_8O_7centre dot H_2O aqueous solution was investigated at an initial temperature of 600 deg C andtetragonal BaTiO_3 nanopowder with particle size of 80nm was prepared. It is indicated that thespecific surface area of the combustion product before and after calcinations is 14.74 m^2/g and12.49 m^2/g, respectively. The combustion wave is composed of solid phase reaction zone and gaseousphase flame reaction zone. The combustion flame temperature is 1 123 K derived from thermocouplemeasurement. The characteristics and densification behavior of the sol-gel autoigniting synthesizedBaTiO_3 nanopowder were investigated.

SYNTHESIS OF MeO-SiO_2:Eu^(3+),Bi^(3+)LUMINOPUORS BY THE SOL-GEL METHOD AND A STUDY OF THEIR LUMINESCENCE SPECTRA

The luminophors MeO-SiO_2:Eu^(3+),Bi^(3+)and MeO-SiO_2Bi^(3+)(Me=Mg.Sr)were synthesized at relatively lower temperature by the sol-gel method using the silica sol as a source of silica.The optimum composition and synthesis conditions were obtained by studying the excitation and emission spectra and the effects of energy transfer from the Bi^(3+)ions to the Eu^(3+)ions.

Elaboration of an Easy Aqueous Sol-Gel Method for the Synthesis of Micro- and Mesoporous <i>γ</i>-Al₂O₃Supports

An aqueous sol-gel method for the synthesis of γ-Al2O3 supports has been developed for the use in tar reforming applications. It was determined the influences of two different aluminum precursors (aluminum sec-butoxide (Al[OCH(CH3)CH2CH3]3) and aluminum nitrate (Al(NO3)3)) on the textural and crystallographic properties of Al2O3 supports. Only the formation of γ-Al2O3 is aimed in order to use these alumina materials as catalytic supports, because it presents high specific surface area and pore volume values. Additionally, the synthesis of γ-Al2O3 was realized with the use of a functionalized silicon precursor, [3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl]trimethoxysilane, called EDAS. By the presence of an ethylenediamine group in this molecule, it is possible to chelate metallic ions and to highly increase their dispersion at a molecular level during the synthesis of metallic catalysts supported on alumina, which is an asset for catalytic applications. So it was developed a synthesis sol-gel procedure for the cogelation between the functionalized silicon alkoxide EDAS and alumina precursor. The alumina supports synthesized with Al(NO3)3 as precursor presented higher porous values than the ones obtained with aluminium sec-butoxide precursor. Since nitrate salts are much easier to handle than alkoxides, these observations allowed validating Al(NO3)3 as aluminum source for the future synthesis procedures for metallic catalysts supported on alumina.