Hierarchical structure observation and nanoindentation size effect characterization for a limnetic shell

In the present research, hierarchical structure observation and mechanical property characterization for a type of biomaterial are carried out. The investigated bioma- terial is Hyriopsis cumingii, a typical limnetic shell, which consists of two different structural layers, a prismatic ＂pillar＂ structure and a nacreous ＂brick and mortar＂ structure. The prismatic layer looks like a ＂pillar forest＂ with variationsection pillars sized on the order of several tens of microns. The nacreous material looks like a ＂brick wall＂ with bricks sized on the order of several microns. Both pillars and bricks are composed of nanoparticles. The mechanical properties of the hierarchical biomaterial are measured by using the nanoindentation test. Hardness and modulus are measured for both the nacre layer and the prismatic layer, respectively. The nanoindentation size effects for the hierarchical structural materials are investigated experimentally. The results show that the prismatic nanostructured material has a higher stiffness and hardness than the nacre nanostructured material. In addition, the nanoindentation size effects for the hierarchical structural materials are described theoretically, by using the trans-scale mechanics theory considering both strain gradient effect and the surface/interface effect. The modeling results are consistent with experimental ones.

High-performance all-solid-state polymer electrolyte with fast conductivity pathway formed by hierarchical structure polyamide 6 nanofiber for lithium metal battery

The utilization of all-solid-state electrolytes is considered to be an effective way to enhance the safety performance of lithium metal batteries.However,the low ionic conductivity and poor interface compatibility greatly restrict the development of all-solid-state battery.In this study,a composite electrolyte combining the electrospun polyamide 6(PA6)nanofiber membrane with hierarchical structure and the polyethylene oxide(PEO)polymer is investigated.The introduction of PA6 nanofiber membrane can effectively reduce the crystallinity of the polymer,so that the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte can be enhanced.Moreover,it is found that the presence of finely branched fibers in the hierarchical structure PA6 membrane allows the polar functional groups(C=O and N-H bonds)to be fully exposed,which provides sufficient functional sites for lithium ion transport and helps to regulate the uniform deposition of lithium metal.Moreover,the hierarchical structure can enhance the mechanical strength(9.2 MPa)of the electrolyte,thereby effectively improving the safety and cycle stability of the battery.The prepared Li/Li symmetric battery can be stably cycled for 1500 h under 0.3 mA cm^(-2) and 60℃.This study demonstrates that the prepared electrolyte has excellent application prospects in the next generation all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Analysis of SSRs Uncovers Hierarchical Structure and Genetic Diversity in Chinese Soybean Landraces

For clarifying the hierarchical patterns of population structure of soybean landraces in China, the seven clusters previously identified using Bayesian clustering of 1 504 soybean landraces based on SSR markers genotyping data were further analyzed. Using the largest value of AK, these landraces could be split into 20 sub-clusters, which was supported by highly significant pairwise Fst-values and generally in accordance with the geographic origin and sowing types. The autumn-sowing types ended up in one distinct sub-cluster from the otherwise summer-sowing type, where the autumn- sowing types are most likely derived from. The division into 20 sub-clusters explained 7.3% of the genetic variation, next to 9.7% present among the seven clusters, 81.1% residing among landraces within sub-clusters, and 1.9% within the landraces. The distribution pattern of genetic diversity among the sub-clusters of each cluster was uneven, with two HSuM sub-clusters （Central China） and some South China sub-clusters showing significantly higher level of genetic diversity.

Analyzing the Urban Hierarchical Structure Based on Multiple Indicators of Economy and Industry: An Econometric Study in China

For a city,analyzing its advantages,disadvantages and the level of economic development in a country is important,especially for the cities in China developing at flying speed.The corresponding literatures for the cities in China have not considered the indicators of economy and industry in detail.In this paper,based on multiple indicators of economy and industry,the urban hierarchical structure of 285 cities above the prefecture level in China is investigated.The indicators from the economy,industry,infrastructure,medical care,population,education,culture,and employment levels are selected to establish a new indicator system for analyzing urban hierarchical structure.The factor analysis method is used to investigate the relationship between the variables of selected indicators and obtain the score of each common factor and comprehensive scores and rankings for 285 cities above the prefecture level in China.According to the comprehensive scores,285 cities above the prefecture level are clustered into 15 levels by using K-means clustering algorithm.Then,the hierarchical structure system of the cities above the prefecture level in China is obtained and corresponding policy implications are proposed.The results and implications can not only be applied to the urban planning and development in China but also offer a reference on other developing countries.The methodologies used in this paper can also be applied to study the urban hierarchical structure in other countries.

Superamphiphobic, light-trapping FeSe2 particles with a micro-nano hierarchical structure obtained by an improved solvothermal method

Wettability and the light-trapping effect of FeSe2 particles with a micro-nano hierarchical structure have been inves- tigated. Particles are synthesized by an improved solvothermal method, wherein hexadecyl trimetbyl ammonium bromide （CTAB） is employed as a surfactant. After modifying the particles with heptadecafluorodecyltrimethoxy-silane （HTMS）, we find that the water contact angle （WCA） of the FeSe2 particles increases by 6.1~ and the water sliding angle （WSA） decreases by 2.5~ respectively, and the diffuse reflectivity decreases 29.4% compared with similar FeSe2 particles synthe- sized by the conventional method. The growth process of the particles is analyzed and a growth scenario is given. Upon altering the PH values of the water, we observe that the superhydrophobic property is maintained quite consistently across a wide PH range of 1-14. Moreover, the modified particles were also found to be superoleophobic. To the best of our knowledge, there is no systematic research on the wettability of FeSe2 particles, so our research provides a reference for other researchers.

A Soy Protein-Based Composite Film with a Hierarchical Structure Inspired by Nacre

Soy protein-based composite film is a potential replacement for petroleum-based film with multipurpose applica-tions and cleaner production.It is difficult to improve both the tensile strength and toughness of a protein-based film without sacrificing its elongation.In this study,inspired by the hierarchical structure of nacre,a facile yet delicate strategy was developed to fabricate a novel bio-based film with excellent toughness and high strength.Triglycidylamine(TGA)crosslinked soy protein(SPI)as hard phase and thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer(TPU)as soft phase comprise an alternative lay-up hierarchical structure.The interface of these two phases is enhanced using triglycidylamine(TGA)surface-modified TPU(MTPU).The tensile strength of SPI/MTPU/TGA films increases by 392%to 7.78 MPa and their toughness increases by 391%to 8.50 MJ/m^(3) compared to soy protein/glycerol film.The proposed hierarchical structure can also be extended to other high-performance materials and polymers.

High mass loading NiCo_(2)O_(4) with shell-nanosheet/core-nanocage hierarchical structure for high-rate solid-state hybrid supercapacitors

Rational design of advanced structure for transition metal oxides(TMOs) is attractive for achieving high-performance supercapacitors.However, it is hampered by sluggish reaction kinetics, low mass loading, and volume change upon cycling. Herein, hierarchical Ni Co_(2)O_(4) architectures with 2D-nanosheets-shell and 3D-nanocages-core(2D/3D h-NCO) are directly assembled on nickel foam via a facile one-step way.The 2D nanosheets are in-situ generated from the self-evolution of initial NCO nanospheres. This 2D/3D hierarchical structures ensure fast ion/electron transport and maintain the structural integrity to buffer the volume expansion. The 2D/3D h-NCO electrode with an ultrahigh mass loading(30 mg cm^(-2)) achieves a high areal capacity of 4.65 C cm^(-2)(equivalent to 1.29 mAh cm^(-2)) at a current density of 4 mA cm^(-2), and retains 3.7 C cm^(-2) even at 50 mA cm^(-2). Furthermore, the assembled solid-state hybrid supercapacitor yields a high volumetric energy density of 4.25 mWh cm^(-3) at a power density of 39.3 mW cm^(-3), with a high capacity retention of 92.4% after 5000 cycles. Therefore, this work provides a new insight to constuct hierarchical electrodes for energy storage application.

Multiple Needle Electrospinning for Fabricating Composite Nanofibers with Hierarchical Structure

Electrospinning is a powerful method for fabricating micro/nano fibers that can be applied to various fields.Composite materials with nanoscale structure can show more excellent properties than their conventional partners.Here,we reported hierarchical structured nanofibers with beads and spheres by double needle electrospinning with an auxiliary airflow.Two different spinning solutions with different concentrations were placed into different syringes.The action of airflow was able to make the two differently morphological nanofibers mixed together evenly.The results showed that the obtained nanofiber membrane has a good hierarchical structure with different morphologies.

Recent Progress of Bionic Hierarchical Structure in the Field of Thermal Insulation Protection

Some living organisms with hierarchical structures in nature have received extensive attention in various fields.The hierarchical structure with multiple pores,a large number of solid-gas interfaces and tortuous conduction paths provide a new direction for the development of thermal insulation materials,making the living creatures under these extreme conditions become the bionic objects of scientific researchers.In this review,the research progress of bionic hierarchical structure in the field of heat insulation is highlighted.Polar bears,cocoons,penguin feathers and wool are typical examples of heat preservation hierarchy in nature to introduce their morphological characteristics.At the same time,the thermal insulation mechanism,fractal model and several preparation methods of bionic hierarchical structures are emphatically discussed.The application of hierarchical structures in various fields,especially in thermal insulation and infrared thermal stealth,is summarised.Finally,the hierarchical structure is prospected.

Nano-Au-decorated hierarchical porous cobalt sulfide derived from ZIF-67 toward optimized oxygen evolution catalysis:Important roles of microstructures and electronic modulation

Enhancing both the number of active sites available and the intrinsic activity of Co-based electrocatalysts simultaneously is a desirable goal.Herein,a ZIF-67-derived hierarchical porous cobalt sulfide decorated by Au nanoparticles(NPs)(denoted as HP-Au@CoxSy@ZIF-67)hybrid is synthesized by low-temperature sulfuration treatment.The well-defined macroporous-mesoporous-microporous structure is obtained based on the combination of polystyrene spheres,as-formed CoxSy nanosheets,and ZIF-67 frameworks.This novel three-dimensional hierarchical structure significantly enlarges the three-phase interfaces,accelerating the mass transfer and exposing the active centers for oxygen evolution reaction.The electronic structure of Co is modulated by Au through charge transfer,and a series of experiments,together with theoretical analysis,is performed to ascertain the electronic modulation of Co by Au.Meanwhile,HP-Au@CoxSy@ZIF-67 catalysts with different amounts of Au were synthesized,wherein Au and NaBH4 reductant result in an interesting“competition effect”to regulate the relative ratio of Co^(2+)/Co^(3+),and moderate Au assists the electrochemical performance to reach the highest value.Consequently,the optimized HP-Au@CoxSy@ZIF-67 exhibits a low overpotential of 340 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2)and a Tafel slope of 42 mV dec-1 for OER in 0.1 M aqueous KOH,enabling efficient water splitting and Zn-air battery performance.The work here highlights the pivotal roles of both microstructural and electronic modulation in enhancing electrocatalytic activity and presents a feasible strategy for designing and optimizing advanced electrocatalysts.

Integration of Multiple Heterointerfaces in a Hierarchical 0D@2D@1D Structure for Lightweight,Flexible,and Hydrophobic Multifunctional Electromagnetic Protective Fabrics

The development of wearable multifunctional electromagnetic protective fabrics with multifunctional,low cost,and high efficiency remains a challenge.Here,inspired by the unique flower branch shape of“Thunberg’s meadowsweet”in nature,a nanofibrous composite membrane with hierarchical structure was constructed.Integrating sophisticated 0D@2D@1D hierarchical structures with multiple heterointerfaces can fully unleash the multifunctional application potential of composite membrane.The targeted induction method was used to precisely regulate the formation site and morphology of the metal–organic framework precursor,and intelligently integrate multiple heterostructures to enhance dielectric polarization,which improves the impedance matching and loss mechanisms of the electromagnetic wave absorbing materials.Due to the synergistic enhancement of electrospinning-derived carbon nanofiber“stems”,MOF-derived carbon nanosheet“petals”and transition metal selenide nano-particle“stamens”,the CoxSey/NiSe@CNSs@CNFs(CNCC)composite membrane obtains a minimum reflection loss value(RL_(min))of-68.40 dB at 2.6 mm and a maximum effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)of 8.88 GHz at a thin thickness of 2.0 mm with a filling amount of only 5 wt%.In addition,the multi-component and hierarchical heterostructure endow the fibrous membrane with excellent flexibility,water resistance,thermal management,and other multifunctional properties.This work provides unique perspectives for the precise design and rational application of multifunctional fabrics.

Advancing the pressure sensing performance of conductive CNT/PDMS composite film by constructing a hierarchical-structured surface

Flexible pressure sensors have attracted wide attention due to their applications to electronic skin,health monitoring,and human-machine interaction.However,the tradeoff between their high sensitivity and wide response range remains a challenge.Inspired by human skin,we select commercial silicon carbide sandpaper as a template to fabricate carbon nanotube(CNT)/polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)composite film with a hierarchical structured surface(h-CNT/PDMS)through solution blending and blade coating and then assemble the h-CNT/PDMS composite film with interdigitated electrodes and polyurethane(PU)scotch tape to obtain an h-CNT/PDMS-based flexible pressure sensor.Based on in-situ optical images and finite element analysis,the significant compressive contact effect between the hierarchical structured surface of h-CNT/PDMS and the interdigitated electrode leads to enhanced pressure sensitivity and a wider response range(0.1661 kPa^(-1),0.4574 kPa^(-1)and 0.0989 kPa^(-1)in the pressure range of 0–18 kPa,18–133 kPa and 133–300 kPa)compared with planar CNT/PDMS composite film(0.0066 kPa^(-1)in the pressure range of 0–240 kPa).The prepared pressure sensor displays rapid response/recovery time,excellent stability,durability,and stable response to different loading modes(bending and torsion).In addition,our pressure sensor can be utilized to accurately monitor and discriminate various stimuli ranging from human motions to pressure magnitude and spatial distribution.This study supplies important guidance for the fabrication of flexible pressure sensors with superior sensing performance in next-generation wearable electronic devices.

Fabrication and efficient electromagnetic waves attenuation of three-dimensional porous reduced graphene oxide/boron nitride/silicon carbide hierarchical structures

In this work,hierarchical hybrid composites consisting of porous three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide(3D-rGO)skeleton and lamellar boron nitride(BN)/silicon carbide(SiC)coatings are prepared by chemical vapor infiltration(CVI)process.The graphene framework prepared by 3D printing and frozen self-assembly exhibits a lightweight structure and a perforated conductive network,which extends the transmission path of incident microwaves.The introduced ceramic coatings can effectively tune the impedance matching degree and supply a lossy phase,and the hierarchical structure of the composites enhances the multiple scattering of the incident microwaves.As expected,the 3D-rGO/BN/SiC composites possess an excellent absorbing performance with a minimum reflection loss value of–37.8 dB,and the widest effective absorbing bandwidth(RL<–10 dB)of 5.90 GHz is obtained.The controllable fabrication of composites can provide a guideline for rational design and fabrication of high-performance electromagnetic waves absorbing materials in practical applications.

Biomimetic Construction of the Enamel-like Hierarchical Structure

Enamel,the hardest mineralized tissue of vertebrates,exhibits simultaneously high stiffness,hardness,and viscoelasticity.The excellent mechanical properties of enamel originate from its high inorganic content and intricate hierarchical structure.Biomimetic construction of the enamel-like hierarchical structure has attracted widespread interest during the past decades.This review summarizes recent advances in this area with a special focus on fabrication techniques across different levels of hierarchy.This includes the synthesis of apatite nanorods or nanowires,the basic building block of enamel,the fabrication of oriented apatite nanorod arrays and the construction of the enamel-like multi-level hierarchical structure.Moreover,possible directions of future research and development in this field are proposed.

A hierarchical salt-rejection strategy for sustainable and high-efficiency solar-driven desalination

Solar steam generation(SSG)is widely regarded as one of the most sustainable technologies for seawater desalination.However,salt fouling severely compromises the evaporation performance and lifetime of evaporators,limiting their practical applications.Herein,we propose a hierarchical salt-rejection(HSR)strategy to prevent salt precipitation during long-term evaporation while maintaining a rapid evaporation rate,even in high-salinity brine.The salt diffusion process is segmented into three steps—insulation,branching diffusion,and arterial transport—that significantly enhance the salt-resistance properties of the evaporator.Moreover,the HSR strategy overcomes the tradeoff between salt resistance and evaporation rate.Consequently,a high evaporation rate of 2.84 kg m^(-2) h^(-1),stable evaporation for 7 days cyclic tests in 20 wt%NaCl solution,and continuous operation for 170 h in natural seawater under 1 sun illumination were achieved.Compared with control evaporators,the HSR evaporator exhibited a>54%enhancement in total water evaporation mass during 24 h continuous evaporation in 20 wt%salt water.Furthermore,a water collection device equipped with the HSR evaporator realized a high water purification rate(1.1 kg m^(-2) h^(-1)),highlighting its potential for agricultural applications.

A hierarchically structured tin-cobalt composite with an enhanced electronic effect for high-performance CO_(2) electroreduction in a wide potential range

Earth-abundant and nontoxic Sn-based materials have been regarded as promising catalysts for the electrochemical conversion of CO_(2)to C1 products,e.g.,CO and formate.However,it is still difficult for Snbased materials to obtain satisfactory performance at low-to-moderate overpotentials.Herein,a simple and facile electrospinning technique is utilized to prepare a composite of a bimetallic Sn-Co oxide/carbon matrix with a hollow nanotube structure(Sn Co-HNT).Sn Co-HNT can maintain>90%faradaic efficiencies for C1 products within a wide potential range from-0.6 VRHE to-1.2 VRHE,and a highest 94.1%selectivity towards CO in an H-type cell.Moreover,a 91.2%faradaic efficiency with a 241.3 m A cm^(-2)partial current density for C1 products could be achieved using a flow cell.According to theoretical calculations,the fusing of Sn/Co oxides on the carbon matrix accelerates electron transfer at the atomic level,causing electron deficiency of Sn centers and reversible variation between Co^(2+)and Co^(3+)centers.The synergistic effect of the Sn/Co composition improves the electron affinity of the catalyst surface,which is conducive to the adsorption and stabilization of key intermediates and eventually increases the catalytic activity in CO_(2)electroreduction.This study could provide a new strategy for the construction of oxide-derived catalysts for CO_(2)electroreduction.

Constructing a hollow core-shell structure of RuO_(2) wrapped by hierarchical porous carbon shell with Ru NPs loading for supercapacitor

Hollow core-shell structure nanomaterials have been broadly used in energy storage, catalysis, reactor,and other fields due to their unique characteristics, including the synergy between different materials,a large specific surface area, small density, large charge carrying capacity and so on. However, their synthesis processes were mostly complicated, and few researches reported one-step encapsulation of different valence states of precious metals in carbon-based materials. Hence, a novel hollow core-shell nanostructure electrode material, RuO_(2)@Ru/HCs, with a lower mass of ruthenium to reduce costs was constructed by one-step hydrothermal method with hard template and co-assembled strategy, consisting of RuO_(2) core and ruthenium nanoparticles(Ru NPs) in carbon shell. The Ru NPs were uniformly assembled in the carbon layer, which not only improved the electronic conductivity but also provided more active centers to enhance the pseudocapacitance. The RuO_(2) core further enhanced the material’s energy storage capacity. Excellent capacitance storage(318.5 F·g^(-1)at 0.5 A·g^(-1)), rate performance(64.4%) from 0.5 A·g^(-1)to 20 A·g^(-1), and cycling stability(92.3% retention after 5000 cycles) were obtained by adjusting Ru loading to 0.92%(mass). It could be attributed to the wider pore size distribution in the micropores which increased the transfer of electrons and protons. The symmetrical supercapacitor device based on RuO_(2)@Ru/HCs could successfully light up the LED lamp. Therefore, our work verified that interfacial modification of RuO_(2) and carbon could bring attractive insights into energy density for nextgeneration supercapacitors.

Hierarchical structures hydrogel evaporator and superhydrophilic water collect device for efficient solar steam evaporation

Efficient light absorption and trapping are of vital importance for the solar water evaporation by hydrogel-based photothermal conversion materials.Conventional strategies are focused on the development of the composition and structure of the hydrogers internal network.In our point of view,the importance of the surface structure of hydrogel has usually been underestimated or ignored.Here inspired by the excellent absorbance and water transportation ability of biological surface structure,the hierarchical structured hydrogel evaporators(HSEs)increased the light absorption,trapping,water transportation and water-air interface,which is the beneficial photothermal conversion and water evaporation.The HSEs showed a rapid evaporation rate of 1.77 kg·m^(-2)·h^(-1)at about 92%energy efficiency under one sun(1 kW·m^(-2)).Furthermore,the superhydrophilic window device was used in this work to collect the condensed water,which avoids the light-blocking caused by the water mist formed by the small droplets and the problem of the droplets stick on the device dropping back to the bulk water.Integrated with the excellent photothermal conversion hydrogel and superhydrophilic window equipment,this work provides efficient evaporation and desalination of hydrogel-based solar evaporators in practical large-scale applications.

One-dimensional ZnS-based Hetero-,Core/shell and Hierarchical Nanostructures

A focus of the current nanotechnology has shifted from routine fabrication of nanostructures to designing functional electronic devices and realizing their immense potentials for applications. Due to infusion of multi-functionality into a single system, the utilization of hetero-, core/shell and hierarchical nanostructures has become the key issue for building such devices. ZnS, due to its direct wide bandgap, high index of refraction, high transparency in the visible range and intrinsic polarity, is one of the most useful semiconductors for a wide range of electronics applications. This article provides a dense review of the state-of-the-art research activities in one-dimensional （1D） ZnS-based hetero-, core/shell and hierarchical nanostructures. The particular emphasis is put on their syntheses and applications.

Hierarchical structure and deformation behavior of a novel multicomponent β titanium alloy with ultrahigh strength

Based on the general [Mo] equivalent criterion and d-electron orbital theory, a new ultrahigh-strength βtitanium alloy with eight major elements(Ti-4.5Al-6.5Mo-2Cr-2.6Nb-2Zr-2Sn-1V, TB17) for industrial applications was developed. An ingot of five tons was successfully melted by thrice vacuum consumable arc melting. The microstructure and elements partitioning of different conditions were investigated systematically. The results suggest that the hierarchical structures of micro-scale first α phase(αf), nano-scale secondary α phase(αs), and ultrafine FCC substructures can be tailored by solution plus aging(STA) heat treatment. The lateral and epitaxial growth of αfphase promotes the HCP-α to FCC substructure transformation with the help of elements partitioning during the aging process. Moreover, the element V, generally regarded as β stabilizer, is found to mainly concentrate in the Al-rich αfphase in this study probably due to its relatively lower content and the strong bonding energy of Al-V. The hierarchical structure has a strong interaction with dislocations, which contributes to achieve a superhigh strength of 1376 MPa.In addition, the plastic strain is partitioned in the multi-scale precipitates(such as the α and FCC substructures) and β matrix, resulting in a considerable plasticity. TEM observation demonstrates that high density entangled dislocations at interfaces and mechanical twins exist in the STA sample after tensile test. It can be deduced that both dislocation slipping and twinning mechanisms are present in this alloy.Therefore, TB17 alloy can serve as an excellent candidate for structural materials on aircrafts that require high strength and lightweight.