Insights into Nano-and Micro-Structured Scaffolds for Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage

Adopting a nano-and micro-structuring approach to fully unleashing the genuine potential of electrode active material benefits in-depth understandings and research progress toward higher energy density electrochemical energy stor-age devices at all technology readiness levels.Due to various challenging issues,especially limited stability,nano-and micro-structured(NMS)electrodes undergo fast electrochemical performance degradation.The emerging NMS scaffold design is a pivotal aspect of many electrodes as it endows them with both robustness and electrochemical performance enhancement,even though it only occupies comple-mentary and facilitating components for the main mechanism.However,extensive efforts are urgently needed toward optimizing the stereoscopic geometrical design of NMS scaffolds to minimize the volume ratio and maximize their functionality to fulfill the ever-increasing dependency and desire for energy power source supplies.This review will aim at highlighting these NMS scaffold design strategies,summariz-ing their corresponding strengths and challenges,and thereby outlining the potential solutions to resolve these challenges,design principles,and key perspectives for future research in this field.Therefore,this review will be one of the earliest reviews from this viewpoint.

Simulation of GaN micro-structured neutron detectors for improving electrical properties

Nowadays,the superior detection performance of semiconductor neutron detectors is a challenging task.In this paper,we deal with a novel GaN micro-structured neutron detector(GaN-MSND)and compare three different methods such as the method of modulating the trench depth,the method of introducing dielectric layer and p-type inversion region to improve the width of depletion region(W).It is observed that the intensity of electric field can be modulated by scaling the trench depth.On the other hand,the electron blocking region is formed in the detector enveloped with a dielectric layer.Furthermore,the introducing of p-type inversion region produces new p/n junction,which not only promotes the further expansion of the depletion region but also reduces the intensity of electric field produced by main junction.It can be realized that all these methods can considerably enhance the working voltage as well as W.Of them,the improvement on W of GaN-MSND with the p-type inversion region is the most significant and the value of W could reach 12.8μm when the carrier concentration of p-type inversion region is 10^17 cm^-3.Consequently,the value of W is observed to improve 200%for the designed GaN-MSND as compared with that without additional design.This work ensures to the researchers and scientific community the fabrication of GaN-MSND having superior detection limit in the field of intense radiation.

Effect of Gum Arabic from Acacia senegal var. kerensis as an Improver on the Rheological Properties of Wheat Flour Dough

Dough improvers are substances with functional characteristics used in baking industry to enhance dough properties. Currently, the baking industry is faced with increasing demand for natural ingredients owing to increasing consumer awareness, thus contributing to the rising demand for natural hydrocolloids. Gum Arabic from Acacia senegal var. kerensis is a natural gum exhibiting excellent water binding and emulsification capacity. However, very little is reported on how it affects the rheological properties of wheat dough. The aim of this study was therefore, to determine the rheological properties of wheat dough with partial additions of gum Arabic as an improver. Six treatments were analyzed comprising of: flour-gum blends prepared by adding gum Arabic to wheat flour at different levels (1%, 2% and 3%), plain wheat flour (negative control), commercial bread flour and commercial chapati flour (positive controls). The rheological properties were determined using Brabender Farinograph, Brabender Extensograph and Brabender Viscograph. Results showed that addition of gum Arabic significantly (p chapati. These findings support the need to utilize gum Arabic from Acacia senegal var. kerensis as a dough improver.

A gradient nano/micro-structured surface layer on copper induced by severe plasticity roller burnishing

In order to investigate a gradient nano/micro-structured surface layer on pure copper produced by severe plasticity roller burnishing （SPRB） and grain refinement mechanism, the microstructure characteristics and material properties of sample at various depths from the topmost surface were investigated by SEM, TEM, XRD, OM etc. The experimental results show that the gradient nano/micro-structure was introduced into the surface layer of over 100μm in thickness. The remarkable increase in hardness near the topmost surface was mainly attributed to the reduced grain size. The equiaxed nano-sized grains were in random orientation and the most of their boundaries were low-angle grain boundaries （LAGBs）. The coarse grains are refined into the few micro-sized grains by dislocation activities;deformation twinning was found to be the primary form for the formation of submicron grains;the formation of nanostructure was dominated by dislocation activities accompanied with rotation of grains in local region.

Poly-Acrylic Acid Derivatives as Diesel Flow Improver for Paraffin-Based Daqing Diesel

Since the diesel products from paraffin-based Daqing crude oil showed low sensitivity to certain commercial diesel pour point depressant （PPDs） that resulted from the high content of paraffin, certain poly-acrylic acid derivatives （PADE） with-COOR, -COOH,-CONHR, and -COO-NH3^＋R groups by molecular design on the mechanics of diesel; PPDs were synthesized and evaluated as cold flow improver for Daqing 0^# diesel in this paper. The pure PADE was superior to the commercial PPDs and displayed a substantial ability of wax crystals dispersion. There was a synergistic effect among the PADE and T1804 and secondary amine. The synergism clearly improved the low temperature performance of Daqing diesel products and could reduce the cold filter plugging point of 0^# diesel by 6-7 ℃.

A new alternating copolymerized derivative as a cold flow improver for diesel fuel

Synthesis of a cold flow improver （MAVA-a） for diesel fuel and its effect on solidifying point （SP） and cold filter plugging point （CFPP） of diesel fuels were investigated, The cold flow improver was prepared by using maleic anhydride （MA） and vinyl acetate （VA） as raw materials, toluene as solvent, dibenzoyl peroxide （BPO） as initiator, through alternating polymerization under nitrogen to obtain a binary-polymer and then through aminolysis by using a higher carbon amine as aminating agent at a temperature of 80 ℃. A cold flow improver was designed and prepared for No. 0 diesel fuel from Zhang Jia-Gang Petrochemical Company according to the contents of n-paraffin and its carbon number distribution in the No. 0 diesel fuel. It was also used together with two kinds of ethene-vinyl acetate copolymer improvers （EVA） separately. The test result showed that the CFPP of the No. 0 diesel fuel could be lowered by 3-5 ℃ when the improver MAVA-a was used. The CFPP was lowered by 8℃ when the improver MAVA-a was used together with EVA-2.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON MACRO AND MICRO-STRUCTURE OF METALLIC PARTS BUILT BY LOW-POWER LASER CLADDING

A low-power CO_2 laser is used to deposit Fe powder and mixture of Fe andcarbon powder on substrates respectively, and the macro and micro-structure of the formed samplesare investigated. It is demonstrated that most grains of these samples are equi-axed. This isderived from the high nucleation velocity in the shallow melt pool besides rapid solidification ofthe liquid-state alloy or metal. Bainitic structure, combination of pearlite and ferrite structureand ferrite structure are seen respectively in the samples involving various amounts of carbon owingto no martensitic transformation in these small samples.

Chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyzed isomerization of n-pentane in the presence of product distribution improver

The ionic liquid Et3NHC1-2AIC13 can catalyze the isomerization of n-pentane. This paper investigates the ionic liquid catalyzed isomerization performance of n-pentane with several product distribution improvers in an autoclave. The product distribution of n-pentane isomerization could be improved by such improvers as benzene, cyelohexane, and methyl cyclohexane at the expense of conversion of n-pentane. The optimal product distribution improver was determined to be cyclohexane. The yield of isomerate and the selectivity of liquid isoalkanes increased, whereas the conversion of n-pentane decreased, with increasing cyclohexane amount. At the same conversion of n-pentane, the research octane number （RON） of liquid product, with cyclohexane amount of 0.5 wt%, was about 1.3 higher than that without cyclohexane. At the same reaction conditions, the presence of cyclohexane enhanced the yield of isomerate, the selectivity of liquid isoalkanes, and the RON of the liquid product, but reduced the conversion of n-pentane.

Research on the process of fabricating a multi-layer metal micro-structure based on UV-LIGA overlay technology

In this paper,we report the study of the process of fabricating a multi-layermetal micro-structure using UV-LIGA overlay technology,includingmask fabrication,substrate treatment,and UV-LIGA overlay processes.To solve the process problems in the masking procedure,the swelling problemof the first layer of SU-8 thick photoresist was studied experimentally.The 5μmline-width compensation and closed 20μmand 30μmisolation strips were designed and fabricated around the micro-structure pattern.The pore problemin the Ni micro-electroforming layer was analyzed and the electroforming parameters were improved.The pH value of the electroforming solution should be controlled between 3.8 and 4.4 and the current density should be below 3 A/dm^2.To solve the problems of high inner stress and incomplete development of the micro-cylinder hole array with a diameter of 30μm,the lithography process was optimized.The pre-baking temperature was increased via gradient heating and rose every 5℃ from 65℃ to 85℃ and then remained at 85℃ for 50 min–1 h.In addition,the full contact exposure was used.Finally,a multi-layer metal micro-structure with high precision and good quality of microelectroforming layer was fabricated using UV-LIGA overlay technology.

How Polymers Behave as Viscosity Index Improvers in Lubricating Oils

One of the requirements of engine lubricating oil is that it must have a low enough viscosity at low temperatures to assist in cold starting and a high enough viscosity at high temperatures to maintain its load-bearing characteristics. Viscosity Index (VI) is one approach used widely in the lubricating field to assess the variation of viscosity with temperature. The VI of both mineral and synthetic base oils can be improved by the addition of polymeric viscosity modifiers (VMs). VI improvement by VMs is widely attributed to the polymer coil size expanding with increasing temperature. However, there is very little physical data supporting this generally accepted mechanism. To address this issue, intrinsic viscosity measurements and Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) have been used to study the variation of polymer coil size with changing temperature and concentration in a selection of solvents. The results will show that coil size expansion with temperature is not necessary to achieve significant elevation of viscosity index.

Effect of particle micro-structure on the electrochemical properties of LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2) cathode material

Ni-rich layered material is a kind of high-capacity cathode to meet the requirement of electric vehicles.As for the typical LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2) material,the particle formation is significant for electrochemical properties of the cathode.In this work,the structure,morphology,and electrochemical performance of LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2) secondary particles and single crystals were systematically studied.A lower Ni^(2+)/Ni^(3+)molar ratio of 0.66 and a lower residual alkali content of 0.228wt%were achieved on the surface of the single crystals.In addition,the single crystals showed a discharge capacity of 191.6 mAh/g at 0.2 C(~12 mAh/g lower than that of the secondary particles)and enhanced the electrochemical stability,especially when cycled at 50℃ and in a wider electrochemical window(between 3.0 and 4.4 V vs.Li+/Li).The LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2) secondary particles were suitable for applications requiring high specific capacity,whereas single crystals exhibited better stability,indicating that they are more suitable for use in long life requested devices.

Co-adsorption behaviors of asphaltenes and different flow improvers and their impacts on the interfacial viscoelasticity

Commonly used flow improvers in oilfields,such as ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymer(EVA),poly(octadecyl acrylate)(POA),and polymethylsilsesquioxane(PMSQ)are proven to be effective to enhance the flowability of crude oil.However,the addition of these flow improvers may change the stability of the emulsion and make the crude oil treatment process challenging.In this research,the impacts of different flow improvers on the interfacial properties of the emulsions containing asphaltenes are systematically investigated.The co-adsorption behaviors of the flow improvers and asphaltenes are analyzed through dynamic interfacial tension(DIFT).The rheological properties of the interfacial layer after the adsorption are explored via dilational viscoelasticity.Significant difference is observed in the structural properties of the interface adsorbed by different flow improvers,which is attributed to different interactions between the flow improvers and asphaltenes.To investigate these interactions,conductivity,asphaltenes precipitation,dynamic light scattering(DLS),and contact angle experiments are conducted systematically.Results show that EVA and POA can alter the interfacial properties by changing the asphaltene dispersion state.The interaction between EVA and asphaltenes is stronger than that between POA and asphaltenes due to the difference in molecular structures.Unlike EVA and POA,the change of interfacial property with the addition of PMSQ is attributed to the partial adsorption of asphaltenes on PMSQ.

Robustness and precision evaluation of the form error of micro-structured surfaces using real coded genetic algorithm

To obtain the form error of micro-structured surfaces robustly and accurately, a form er- ror evaluation method was developed based on the real coded genetic algorithm （RCGA）. The meth- od employed the average squared distance as the matching criterion. The point to surface distance was achieved by use of iterative method and the modeling of RCGA for the surface matching was also presented in detail. Parameter selection for RCGA including the crossover rate and population size was discussed. Evaluation results of series simulated surfaces without form error show that this method can achieve the accuracy of root mean square deviation （ Sq ） less than 1 nm and surface pro- file error （ St ） less than 4 nm. Evaluation of the surfaces with different simulated errors illustrates that the proposed method can also robustly obtain the form error with nano-meter precision. The e- valuation of actual measured surfaces further indicates that the proposed method is capable of pre- cisely evaluating micro-structured surfaces.

Synthesis of Mg_5(CO_3)_4(OH)_2·4H_2O with Flower-like Micro-structure and Its Catalytic Activity for Transesterification of Dimethyl Carbonate with Phenol

A novel flower-like hydrated magnesium carbonate hydroxide, Mg5 （CO3 ）4 （OH）2·4H2O, with micro-structure composed of individual thin nano-sheets was synthesized using a facile solution route without the use of template or organic surfactant. Reaction time has an important effect on the final morphology of the product. The micro-structure and morphology of Mg5 （CO3）4 （OH）2·4H2O were characterized by means of X-ray diffractometry （XRD）, fieldemission scanning electron microscopy（FE-SEM）. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller（BET） surface areas of the samples were also measured. The probable formation mechanism of flower-like micro-structure was discussed. It was found that Mg5 （CO3）4（ OH）2·4H2O with flower-like micro-structure was a novel and efficient catalyst for the synthesis of diphenyl carbonate （DPC） by transesterification of dimethyl carbonate （DMC） with phenol.

Aminated Copolymers as Flow Improvers for Super-viscous Crude Oils

The new flow improvers for super-viscous crude oils were developed via esterification of polybasic high carbon alcohol with methacrylate and copolymerizafion of monomers followed by amination of copolymers. The structure of the synthesized polymer flow improver additive was confirmed by IR spectroscopy and the crystal structure of the flow improver additives were determined by X-ray diffrac- tion analysis. The structure of wax crystals was also studied at the same time. The results showed that the wax crystal structure was closely related with the crystal structure of the flow improver, which could change the pour point depression and viscosity reduction behavior of the crude oil. When the wax crystal structure matched well with that of the additive, the wax crystals were dispersed satisfactorily, resulting in favorable effects in terms of pour point depression and viscosity reduction. The new synthe- sized aminated polymer flow improver additive was most efficient for treating super-viscous crude oils. The super-viscous crude oil had a high content of resins and asphaltenes, which might aggregate onto the surface of wax crystals to form blocks to limit the crude oil fluidity. However, amination of copolymers having similar structure with the resins and asphaltenes contained in crude oil could dissolve the huge polar groups to make the deposit formation difficult.

Synthesis and Properties of Dendritic Long-Chain Esters as Crude Oil Flow Improver Additives

The efficiencies of 6 kinds of macromolecules with dendritic structure in improving the flow properties of crude oil were investigated. The dendritic additives were synthesized using low-generation dendritic poly(amidoamine) and alkyl longchain acrylic esters as starting materials, and their structures were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance and elemental analysis. The effects on the pour point and rheological properties of crude oil samples were studied. Efficiencies of dendritic long-chain esters were not only influenced by the alky chain length, but also by the generation of dendrimer. The longer the alkyl chain of dendritic long-chain ester was, the better the effect in the reduction of pour point and apparent viscosity was. Efficiencies of 1.5 generation dendritic long-chain ester with 8 branched chains for the reduction of pour point and apparent viscosity were superior to those of 0.5 generation dendritic long-chain ester with 4 branched chains. Under the same conditions, efficiencies of 1.5 generation dendritic eighteen ester were superior to those of other 1.5 generation dendritic long-chain esters for the reduction of pour point and viscosity of crude oil.

Effects of Soil Improver on Wheat in Saline-Alkali Lands in the Yellow River Delta

Field experiment carried out to test the effects of soil improver on wheat yield and soil physical-chemical properties. The results indicated that soil improver could optimize soil aggregates structure, decrease soil bulk density, soil pH and soil salt content, increase soil organic matter and 1 000-grain weight, thereby enhancing wheat yield. With the increase of soil improver application amount, soil physical-chemical properties became better and wheat yield increased. However, there was no significant difference in the treatments with the application amounts of 3%, 4% and 5%. In addition, the treatment of reducing nitrogen showed no superiority in soil physical-chemical properties and wheat yield, indicating that sufficient nitrogen was essential for the growth of wheat.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION FOR CONVECTION-DIFFUSION PROBLEM WITH PERIODIC MICRO-STRUCTURE

In this article, the convection dominated convection-diffusion problems with the periodic micro-structure are discussed. A two-scale finite element scheme based on the homogenization technique for this kind of problems is provided. The error estimates between the exact solution and the approximation solution, of the homogenized equation or the two-scale finite element scheme are analyzed. It is shown that the scheme provided in this article is convergent for any fixed diffusion coefficient 5, and it may be convergent independent of δ under some conditions. The numerical results demonstrating the theoretical results are presented in this article.

Effects of Cereal Malts Used as Improver on Physico-Chemical, Nutritional and Sensory Characteristics of Wheat and Millet Composites Breads

The aim of this study was to optimize composite breads of wheat and whole millet flour by the use of natural improvers. Three types of local malted cereals were used as natural improvers. The millet flour was fermented with EPSs producing LAB strain prior to use. The technological characteristics of the composite flours were determined using an alveograph. The physico-chemical and nutritional characteristics of the composite breads were determined using standard methods and their sensory profiles were evaluated by a panel of 35 consumers. The alveograph results showed an increase in dough resistance, deformation and a decrease in extensibility and elasticity with the level of incorporation of millet flour. From the results of physico-chemical analyses of composite breads, no significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in the use of the three types of local cereal malts except for the incorporation of 50% of the millet flour. The control sample presented the lowest acidity and dry matter value, the highest water content and pH value. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in the use of the three types of cereal malts for the macronutrient contents of the composite bread samples. However, differences were observed according to the levels of incorporation. Macronutrients results showed an increase in protein content (11.17% ± 0.28% - 14.01% ± 0.10%/DM);crude fat content (1.86% ± 0.05% - 2.48% ± 0.20%/DM) and a decrease in carbohydrates content (85.36% ± 0.54% - 81.06% ± 0.36%/ DM). Regarding the content of mineral elements, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the use of the three types of cereal malts for the incorporation of 15% (Mg and Fe content), 30% (Fe, Zn and K) and 50% (content of Zn, K, Na and Mg) of millet flour. The free amino acid profile revealed three essential amino acids such as valine, isoleucine and lysine. Breads incorporated with 30% of whole millet flour were the most appreciated by consumers.

Temperature Induces Self-assembly of Silicon Nano/Micro-structure based on Multi-physics Approach

A three-dimensional dynamic model for nano/micro-fabrications of silicon was presented. With the developed model, the fabrication process of silicon on nothing（SON） structure was quantitatively investigated. We employ a diffuse interface model that incorporates the mechanism of surface diffusion. The mechanism of the fabrication is systematically integrated for high reliability of computational analysis. A semi-implicit Fourier spectral scheme is applied for high efficiency and numerical stability. Moreover, the theoretical analysis provides the guidance that is ordered by the fundamental geometrical design parameters to guide different fabrications of SON structures. The performed simulations suggest a substantial potential of the presented model for a reliable design technology of nano/micro-fabrications.