Axial emission characteristics of an ionic liquid electrospray thruster with a circular emitter

Ionic Liquid Electrospray Thrusters(ILETs)are well suited for micro-nano satellite applications due to their small size,low power consumption,and high specific impulse.However,the limited thrust of a single-emitter ILET restricts its use in space missions.To optimize the performance of ILETs and make them suitable for a wider range of space missions,we designed a Circular-emitter ILET(CILET)to convert a one-dimensional(point)emission into a twodimensional(line)emission.The CILET can self-organize multiple Taylor cones simultaneously.The cones were photographed and the axial emission currents were measured under different voltage and pressure difference conditions with a CILET experimental system.The emission can be divided into two stable states and one unstable state based on the flow and current characteristics.The current in Stable state Ⅰ increases non-linearly with the voltage,while that in Stable state Ⅱ is nearly linear with respect to the voltage.The number of cones increases with the voltage in stable states,while the cones become short and crowded under high-voltage conditions.The variation law of the number of cones can be explained with the self-organization theory.The variation in the current exhibits a good correlation with the number of cones.This study demonstrates the feasibility of circular emitters and experimentally indicates that the emission current is improved by approximately two orders of magnitude compared to that of a single capillary.

Bioinspired Ultrasensitive Flexible Strain Sensors for Real‑Time Wireless Detection of Liquid Leakage

Liquid leakage of pipeline networks not only results in considerableresource wastage but also leads to environmental pollution and ecological imbalance.In response to this global issue, a bioinspired superhydrophobic thermoplastic polyurethane/carbon nanotubes/graphene nanosheets flexible strain sensor (TCGS) hasbeen developed using a combination of micro-extrusion compression molding andsurface modification for real-time wireless detection of liquid leakage. The TCGSutilizes the synergistic effects of Archimedean spiral crack arrays and micropores,which are inspired by the remarkable sensory capabilities of scorpions. This designachieves a sensitivity of 218.13 at a strain of 2%, which is an increase of 4300%. Additionally, it demonstrates exceptional durability bywithstanding over 5000 usage cycles. The robust superhydrophobicity of the TCGS significantly enhances sensitivity and stability indetecting small-scale liquid leakage, enabling precise monitoring of liquid leakage across a wide range of sizes, velocities, and compositionswhile issuing prompt alerts. This provides critical early warnings for both industrial pipelines and potential liquid leakage scenariosin everyday life. The development and utilization of bioinspired ultrasensitive flexible strain sensors offer an innovative and effectivesolution for the early wireless detection of liquid leakage.

Smart Cellulose‑Based Janus Fabrics with Switchable Liquid Transportation for Personal Moisture and Thermal Management

The Janus fabrics designed for personal moisture/thermal regulation have garnered significant attention for their potential to enhance human comfort.However,the development of smart and dynamic fabrics capable of managing personal moisture/thermal comfort in response to changing external environments remains a challenge.Herein,a smart cellulose-based Janus fabric was designed to dynamically manage personal moisture/heat.The cotton fabric was grafted with N-isopropylacrylamide to construct a temperature-stimulated transport channel.Subsequently,hydrophobic ethyl cellulose and hydrophilic cellulose nanofiber were sprayed on the bottom and top sides of the fabric to obtain wettability gradient.The fabric exhibits anti-gravity directional liquid transportation from hydrophobic side to hydrophilic side,and can dynamically and continuously control the transportation time in a wide range of 3–66 s as the temperature increases from 10 to 40℃.This smart fabric can quickly dissipate heat at high temperatures,while at low temperatures,it can slow down the heat dissipation rate and prevent the human from becoming too cold.In addition,the fabric has UV shielding and photodynamic antibacterial properties through depositing graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets on the hydrophilic side.This smart fabric offers an innovative approach to maximizing personal comfort in environments with significant temperature variations.

Understanding the local structure and thermophysical behavior of Mg-La liquid alloys via machine learning potential

The local structure and thermophysical behavior of Mg-La liquid alloys were in-depth understood using deep potential molecular dynamic(DPMD) simulation driven via machine learning to promote the development of Mg-La alloys. The robustness of the trained deep potential(DP) model was thoroughly evaluated through several aspects, including root-mean-square errors(RMSEs), energy and force data, and structural information comparison results;the results indicate the carefully trained DP model is reliable. The component and temperature dependence of the local structure in the Mg-La liquid alloy was analyzed. The effect of Mg content in the system on the first coordination shell of the atomic pairs is the same as that of temperature. The pre-peak demonstrated in the structure factor indicates the presence of a medium-range ordered structure in the Mg-La liquid alloy, which is particularly pronounced in the 80at% Mg system and disappears at elevated temperatures. The density, self-diffusion coefficient, and shear viscosity for the Mg-La liquid alloy were predicted via DPMD simulation, the evolution patterns with Mg content and temperature were subsequently discussed, and a database was established accordingly. Finally, the mixing enthalpy and elemental activity of the Mg-La liquid alloy at 1200 K were reliably evaluated,which provides new guidance for related studies.

Molecular simulation study of the microstructures and properties of pyridinium ionic liquid[HPy][BF_(4)]mixed with acetonitrile

The microstructures and thermodynamic properties of mixed systems comprising pyridinium ionic liquid[HPy][BF_(4)]and acetonitrile at different mole fractions were studied using molecular dynamics simulation in this work.The following properties were determined:density,self-diffusion coefficient,excess molar volume,and radial distribution function.The results show that with an increase in the mole fraction of[HPy][BF_(4)],the self-diffusion coefficient decreases.Additionally,the excess molar volume initially decreases,reaches a minimum,and then increases.The rules of radial distribution functions(RDFs)of characteristic atoms are different.With increasing the mole fraction of[HPy][BF_(4)],the first peak of the RDFs of HA1-F decreases,while that of CT6-CT6 rises at first and then decreases.This indicates that the solvent molecules affect the polar and non-polar regions of[HPy][BF_(4)]differently.

Efficient fixation of CO_(2) to cyclic carbonates and oxazolidinones with multi-hydroxyl bis-(quaternary ammonium) ionic liquids as catalysts under mild conditions

A series of multi-hydroxyl bis-(quaternary ammonium)ionic liquids(Ils1‒7)was prepared as bifunctional catalysts for the chemical fixation of CO_(2).All these ionic liquid compounds were efficient for the catalytic synthesis of cyclic carbonates and oxazolidinones via the cycloaddition reactions between CO_(2) and epoxides or aziridines with excellent yield and high selectivity in the absence of co-catalyst,metal and solvent.Due to the synergistic effects of hydroxyl groups and halogen anion,the cycloaddition reactions proceeded smoothly either at atmospheric pressure or room temperature.The selectivity for substituted oxazolidinones at 5-and 4-positions can be tuned via changing the reaction conditions.Finally,possible mechanisms including the activation of both CO_(2) and epoxide or aziridines were proposed based on the literatures and experimental results.

Performance optimization of ammonium dinitramide-based liquid propellant in pulsed laser ablation micro-propulsion using LIBS

The efficacy of spacecraft propulsion systems significantly depends on the choice of propellant.This study utilized laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS)to investigate the impact of different fuel types,fuel ratios,and laser energies on the plasma parameters of ammonium dinitramide(ADN)-based liquid propellants.Our findings suggest that 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide(AMIMDCA)as a fuel choice led to higher plasma temperatures compared to methanol(CH_3OH)and hydroxyethyl hydrazine nitrate(HEHN)under the same experimental conditions.Optimization of the fuel ratio proved critical,and when the AMIMDCA ratio was 21wt.%the propellants could achieve the best propulsion performance.Increasing the incident laser energy not only enhanced the emission spectral intensity but also elevated the plasma temperature and electron density,thereby improving ablation efficiency.Notably,a combination of 100 mJ laser energy and 21wt.%AMIMDCA fuel produced a strong and stable plasma signal.This study contributes to our knowledge of pulsed laser micro-ablation in ADN-based liquid propellants,providing a useful optical diagnostic approach that can help refine the design and enhance the performance of spacecraft propulsion systems.

An efficient process for decomposing perfluorinated compounds by reactive species during microwave discharge in liquid

Microwave discharge plasma in liquid(MDPL)is a new type of water purification technology with a high mass transfer efficiency.It is a kind of low-temperature plasma technology.The reactive species produced by the discharge can efficiently act on the pollutants.To clarify the application prospects of MDPL in water treatment,the discharge performance,practical application,and pollutant degradation mechanism of MDPL were studied in this work.The effects of power,conductivity,pH,and Fe^(2+)concentration on the amount of reactive species produced by the discharge were explored.The most common and refractory perfluorinated compounds(perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA)and perfluorooctane sulfonate(PFOS)in water environments are degraded by MDPL technology.The highest defluorination of PFOA was 98.8% and the highest defluorination of PFOS was 92.7%.The energy consumption efficiency of 50% defluorination(G_(50-F))of PFOA degraded by MDPL is 78.43 mg/kWh,PFOS is 42.19 mg/kWh.The results show that the MDPL technology is more efficient and cleaner for the degradation of perfluorinated compounds.Finally,the reaction path and pollutant degradation mechanisms of MDPL production were analyzed.The results showed that MDPL technology can produce a variety of reactive species and has a good treatment effect for refractory perfluorinated pollutants.

Melon2K array:A versatile 2K liquid SNP chip for melon genetics and breeding

High-throughput genotyping tools can effectively promote molecular breeding in crops.In this study,genotyping by target sequencing(GBTS)system was utilized to develop a genome-wide liquid SNP chip for facilitating genetics and breeding in melon(Cucumis melo L.),a globally cultivated economically important horticultural crop.Based on over eight million SNPs derived from 823 representative melon accessions,16K,8K,4K,2K,1K,500,250 and 125 informative SNPs were screened and evaluated for their polymorphisms,conservation of flanking sequences,and distributions.The set of 2K SNPs was found to be optimal for representing the maximum diversity with the lowest number of SNPs,and it was selected to develop the liquid chip,named“Melon2K”.Using Melon2K,more than 1500 SNPs were detected across 17 samples of five melon cultivars,and the phylogenetic relationships were clearly constructed.Within the same cultivar,genetic differences were also assessed between different samples.We evaluated the performance of Melon2K in genetic background selection during the breeding process,obtaining the introgression lines of interested trait with more than 97%genetic background of elite variety by only two rounds of backcrossing.These results suggest that Melon2K provides a cost-effective,efficient and reliable platform for genetic analysis and molecular breeding in melon.

Liquid crystal-integrated metasurfaces for an active photonic platform

Metasurfaces have opened the door to next-generation optical devices due to their ability to dramatically modulate electromagnetic waves at will using periodically arranged nanostructures.However,metasurfaces typically have static optical responses with fixed geometries of nanostructures,which poses challenges for implementing transition to technology by replacing conventional optical components.To solve this problem,liquid crystals(LCs)have been actively employed for designing tunable metasurfaces using their adjustable birefringent in real time.Here,we review recent studies on LCpowered tunable metasurfaces,which are categorized as wavefront tuning and spectral tuning.Compared to numerous reviews on tunable metasurfaces,this review intensively explores recent development of LC-integrated metasurfaces.At the end of this review,we briefly introduce the latest research trends on LC-powered metasurfaces and suggest further directions for improving LCs.We hope that this review will accelerate the development of new and innovative LC-powered devices.

Ionic Liquid-Enhanced Assembly of Nanomaterials for Highly Stable Flexible Transparent Electrodes

The controlled assembly of nanomaterials has demon-strated significant potential in advancing technological devices.However,achieving highly efficient and low-loss assembly technique for nanomate-rials,enabling the creation of hierarchical structures with distinctive func-tionalities,remains a formidable challenge.Here,we present a method for nanomaterial assembly enhanced by ionic liquids,which enables the fabrication of highly stable,flexible,and transparent electrodes featuring an organized layered structure.The utilization of hydrophobic and non-volatile ionic liquids facilitates the production of stable interfaces with water,effectively preventing the sedimentation of 1D/2D nanomaterials assembled at the interface.Furthermore,the interfacially assembled nanomaterial monolayer exhibits an alternate self-climbing behavior,enabling layer-by-layer transfer and the formation of a well-ordered MXene-wrapped silver nanowire network film.The resulting composite film not only demonstrates exceptional photoelectric performance with a sheet resistance of 9.4Ωsq^(-1) and 93%transmittance,but also showcases remarkable environmental stability and mechanical flexibility.Particularly noteworthy is its application in transparent electromagnetic interference shielding materials and triboelectric nanogenerator devices.This research introduces an innovative approach to manufacture and tailor functional devices based on ordered nanomaterials.

Multi-dimensional multiplexing optical secret sharing framework with cascaded liquid crystal holograms

Secret sharing is a promising technology for information encryption by splitting the secret information into different shares.However,the traditional scheme suffers from information leakage in decryption process since the amount of available information channels is limited.Herein,we propose and demonstrate an optical secret sharing framework based on the multi-dimensional multiplexing liquid crystal(LC)holograms.The LC holograms are used as spatially separated shares to carry secret images.The polarization of the incident light and the distance between different shares are served as secret keys,which can significantly improve the information security and capacity.Besides,the decryption condition is also restricted by the applied external voltage due to the variant diffraction efficiency,which further increases the information security.In implementation,an artificial neural network(ANN)model is developed to carefully design the phase distribution of each LC hologram.With the advantage of high security,high capacity and simple configuration,our optical secret sharing framework has great potentials in optical encryption and dynamic holographic display.

Circulating tumor DNA in liquid biopsy: Current diagnostic limitation

With the rapid development of science and technology,cell-free DNA(cfDNA)is rapidly becoming an important biomarker for tumor diagnosis,monitoring and prognosis,and this cfDNA-based liquid biopsy technology has great potential to become an important part of precision medicine.cfDNA is the total amount of free DNA in the systemic circulation,including DNA fragments derived from tumor cells and all other somatic cells.Tumor cells release fragments of DNA into the bloodstream,and this source of cfDNA is called circulating tumor DNA(ctDNA).cfDNA detection has become a major focus in the field of tumor research in recent years,which provides a new opportunity for non-invasive diagnosis and prognosis of cancer.In this paper,we discuss the limitations of the study on the origin and dynamics analysis of ctDNA,and how to solve these problems in the future.Although the future faces major challenges,it also con-tains great potential.

An ionic liquid-assisted strategy for enhanced anticorrosion of low-energy PEO coatings on magnesium–lithium alloy

A low-energy plasma electrolytic oxidation(LePEO)technique is developed to simultaneously improve energy efficiency and anti-corrosion.Ionic liquids(1-butyl-3-methylimidazole tetrafluoroborate(BmimBF_(4)))as sustainable corrosion inhibitors are chosen to investigate the corrosion inhibition behavior of ionic liquid(ILs)during the LePEO process for LA91 magnesium-lithium(Mg-Li)alloy.Results show that the ionic liquid BmimBF_(4)participates in the LePEO coating formation process,causing an increment in coating thickness and surface roughness.The low conductivity of the ionic liquid is responsible for the voltage and breakdown voltage increases during the LePEO with IL process(LePEO-IL).After adding BmimBF_(4),corrosion current density decreases from 1.159×10^(−4)A·cm^(−2)to 8.143×10^(−6)A·cm^(−2).The impedance modulus increases to 1.048×10^(4)Ω·cm^(−2)and neutral salt spray remains intact for 24 h.The superior corrosion resistance of the LePEO coating assisted by ionic liquid could be mainly attributed to its compact and thick barrier layer and physical absorption of ionic liquid.The ionic liquid-assisted LePEO technique provides a promising approach to reducing energy consumption and improving film performance.

Phosphotungstic acid ionic liquid for efficient photocatalytic desulfurization:Synthesis,application and mechanism

An efficient mass transfer process is a critical factor for regulating catalytic activity in a photocatalytic desulfurization system.Herein,a phosphotungstic acid(HPW)active center is successfully composited with a quaternary ammonium phosphotungstate-based hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride ionic liquid(CTAC-HPW)by the ion exchange method for the photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene sulfide.The keggin structure of HPW and highly mass transfer performance of organic cations synergistically enhanced the photocatalytic activity towards the effective convertion of dibenzothiophene(DBT)with the excitation of visible light.The deep desulfurization(<10 mg·kg^(-1))is attained within 30 min,and well stability is demonstrated within 25 cycles.Moreover,the CTAC-HPW photocatalyst projects well selectivity to interference from coexisting compounds such as olefins and aromatic hydrocarbons and universality of dibenzothiophenes,for example,4-methyldibenzothiophene(4-MDBT)and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene(4,6-DMDBT).Ultimately,a possible photocatalytic desulfurization mechanism is proposed according to the Gaschromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS),proving that the final product is the corresponding sulfone.The trapping experiment and electron spin resonance(ESR)analysis confirmed that h^(+)and,COOH played critical roles in the oxidation process.The work offers a practicable strategy for efficiently converting DBT to DBTO_(2) with added value.

Corrosion behavior of pure metals(Ni and Ti)and alloys(316H SS and GH3535)in liquid GaInSn

In this study,the interactions between a Ga-based liquid metal,GaInSn,and several metal materials,including pure metals(Ni and Ti)and alloys(316H stainless steel(SS)and GH3535),at 650℃were investigated.The aim was to evaluate the corrosion performance and select a suitable candidate material for use as a molten salt manometer diaphragm in thermal energy storage systems.The results indicated that the alloys(316H SS and GH3535)exhibited less corrosion than pure metals(Ni and Ti)in liquid GaInSn.Ga-rich binary intermetallic compounds were found to form on the surfaces of all the tested metal materials exposed to liquid GaInSn,as a result of the decomposition of liquid GaInSn and its reaction with the constituent elements of the metal materials.The corrosion mechanism for all the tested materials exposed to liquid GaInSn was also investigated and proposed,which may aid in selecting the optimal candidate material when liquid GaInSn is used as the pressure-sensing medium.

Ionic liquid derived electrocatalysts for electrochemical water splitting

Hydrogen production from electrochemical water splitting is a promising strategy to generate green energy,which requires the development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction and the oxygen evolution reaction(HER and OER).Ionic liquids(ILs)or poly(ionic liquids)(PILs),containing heteroatoms,metal-based anions,and various structures,have been frequently involved as precursors to prepare electrocatalysts for water splitting.Moreover,ILs/PILs possess high conductivity,wide electrochemical windows,and high thermal and chemical stability,which can be directly applied in the electrocatalysis process with high durability.In this review,we focus on the studies of ILs/PILs-derived electrocatalysts for HER and OER,where ILs/PILs are applied as heteroatom dopants and metal precursors to prepare catalysts or are directly utilized as the electrocatalysts.Due to those attractive properties,IL/PIL-derived electrocatalysts exhibit excellent performance for electrochemical water splitting.All these accomplishments and developments are systematically summarized and thoughtfully discussed.Then,the overall perspectives for the current challenges and future developments of ILs/PILs-derived electrocatalysts are provided.

High-performance liquid metal electromagnetic actuator fabricated by femtosecond laser

Small-scale electromagnetic soft actuators are characterized by a fast response and simplecontrol,holding prospects in the field of soft and miniaturized robotics.The use of liquid metal(LM)to replace a rigid conductor inside soft actuators can reduce the rigidity and enhance the actuation performance and robustness.Despite research efforts,challenges persist in the flexible fabrication of LM soft actuators and in the improvement of actuation performance.To address these challenges,we developed a fast and robust electromagnetic soft microplate actuator based on a laser-induced selective adhesion transfer method.Equipped with unprecedentedly thin LM circuit and customized low Young’s modulus silicone rubber(1.03 kPa),our actuator exhibits an excellent deformation angle(265.25?)and actuation bending angular velocity(284.66 rad·s^(-1)).Furthermore,multiple actuators have been combined to build an artificial gripper with a wide range of functionalities.Our actuator presents new possibilities for designing small-scaleartificial machines and supports advancements in ultrafast soft and miniaturized robotics.

Naturally Crosslinked Biocompatible Carbonaceous Liquid Metal Aqueous Ink Printing Wearable Electronics for Multi-Sensing and Energy Harvesting

Achieving flexible electronics with comfort and durability comparable to traditional textiles is one of the ultimate pursuits of smart wearables.Ink printing is desirable for e-textile development using a simple and inexpensive process.However,fabricating high-performance atop textiles with good dispersity,stability,biocompatibility,and wearability for high-resolution,large-scale manufacturing,and practical applications has remained challenging.Here,waterbased multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)-decorated liquid metal(LM)inks are proposed with carbonaceous gallium–indium micro-nanostructure.With the assistance of biopolymers,the sodium alginate-encapsulated LM droplets contain high carboxyl groups which non-covalently crosslink with silk sericin-mediated MWCNTs.E-textile can be prepared subsequently via printing technique and natural waterproof triboelectric coating,enabling good flexibility,hydrophilicity,breathability,wearability,biocompatibility,conductivity,stability,and excellent versatility,without any artificial chemicals.The obtained e-textile can be used in various applications with designable patterns and circuits.Multi-sensing applications of recognizing complex human motions,breathing,phonation,and pressure distribution are demonstrated with repeatable and reliable signals.Self-powered and energy-harvesting capabilities are also presented by driving electronic devices and lighting LEDs.As proof of concept,this work provides new opportunities in a scalable and sustainable way to develop novel wearable electronics and smart clothing for future commercial applications.

Transient liquid phase bonding of DD5 superalloy using a designed interlayer: microstructure and mechanical properties

Nickel based single crystal superalloy is currently widely used as the material for turbine blades in aerospace engines.However,metallurgical defects during the manufacturing process and damage during harsh environmental service are inevitable challenges for turbine blades.Therefore,bonding techniques play a very important role in the manufacturing and repair of turbine blades.The transient liquid phase(TLP)bonding of DD5 Ni-based single crystal superalloy was performed using the designed H1 interlayer.A new third-generation Ni-based superalloy T1 powder was mixed with H1 powder as another interlayer to improve the mechanical properties of the bonded joints.The res-ults show that,such a designed H1 interlayer is beneficial to the improvement of shear strength of DD5 alloy bonded joints by adjusting the bonding temperature and the prolongation of holding time.The maximum shear strength at room temperature of the joint with H1 interlayer reached 681 MPa when bonded at 1260℃for 3 h.The addition of T1 powder can effectively reduce holding time or relatively lower bond-ing temperature,while maintaining relatively high shear strength.When 1 wt.%T1 powder was mixed into H1 interlayer,the maximum room temperature shear strength of the joint bonded at 1260℃reached 641 MPa,which could be obtained for only 1 h.Considering the bonding temperature and the efficiency,the acceptable process parameter of H1+5 wt.%T1 interlayer was 1240℃/2 h,and the room tem-perature shear strength reached 613 MPa.