Two-dimensional bifunctional electrocatalyst(Mo-NiFe-LDH)with multilevel structure for highly efficient overall water splitting

To effectively address energy challenges,it is crucial to explore efficient and stable bifunctional nonprecious metal catalysts.In this study,a Mo-doped nickeliron layered double hydroxide with flower-cluster architecture was successfully prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method,which demonstrated a good water splitting performance.After an appropriate amount of Mo doping,some lattice distortions in the material provided reactive sites for the adsorption and conversion of intermediates,thus optimising the charge distribution of the material.Moreover,the multidimensional void structures formed after doping had a larger specific surface area and accelerated the penetration of the electrolyte,which significantly improved the activity of the catalyst in alkaline media.At 10 mA·cm^(-2),the hydrogen and oxygen evolution overpotentials of Mo-doped nickel-iron double hydroxides(Mo-NiFe LDH/NF-0.2)were 167 and 220 mV,respectively,with an excellent durability up to 24 h.When the Mo-NiFe LDH/NF-0,2 catalyst was used as the cathode and anode of an electrolytic cell,the catalyst achieved a current density of 10 mA·cm^(-2)at an applied voltage of 1.643 V.This study provides a novel approach for designing excellent bifunctional electrocatalysts containing nonprecious metals.

Analyzing the multilevel structure of the European airport network

The multilayered structure of the European airport network（EAN）,composed of connections and flights between European cities,is analyzed through the k-core decomposition of the connections network.This decomposition allows to identify the core,bridge and periphery layers of the EAN.The core layer includes the best-connected cities,which include important business air traffic destinations.The periphery layer includes cities with lesser connections,which serve low populated areas where air travel is an economic alternative.The remaining cities form the bridge of the EAN,including important leisure travel origins and destinations.The multilayered structure of the EAN affects network robustness,as the EAN is more robust to isolation of nodes of the core,than to the isolation of a combination of core and bridge nodes.

Multilevel structured carbon film as cathode host for Li-S batteries with superhigh-areal-capacity

The commercialization of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery could be accelerated by designing advanced sulfur cathode with high sulfur utilization and stable cycle life at a high sulfur loading. To allow the energy density of Li-S batteries comparable to that of commercial Li-ion batteries, the areal capacity of sulfur cathode should be above 4 mA·h·cm−2. In general, a high sulfur loading often causes rapid capacity fading by slowing electron/ion transport kinetics, catastrophic shuttle effect and even cracking the electrodes. To address this issue, herein, a multilevel structured carbon film is built by covering highly conductive CNTs and hollow carbon nanofiber together with carbon layer via chemical vapor deposition. The self-standing carbon film exhibits well-interweaved conductive network, hollow fibrous structure and abundant N, O co-doped active sites, which combine the merits of high electronic conductivity (1200·S·m−1), high porosity and polar characteristic in one host. Benefiting from this attractive multilevel structure, the obtained sulfur cathode based on the carbon film host shows an ultra-high areal capacity of 8.9 mA·h·cm−2 at 0.2 C with outstanding cyclability over 60 cycles. This work shed light on designing advanced sulfur host for Li-S batteries with high areal capacity and high cycle stability, and might make a contribution to the commercialization of Li-S batteries.

The Novel Mechanical Property of Tongue of a Woodpecker

Biomaterials such as bone,teeth,nacre and silk are known to have superior mechanical properties due to their specific nanocomposite structures.Here we report that the woodpecker's tongue exhibits a novel strength and flexibility due to its special composite micro/nanostructure.The tongue consists of a flexible cartilage-and-bone skeleton covered with a thin layer tissue of high strength and elasticity.At the interface between the cartilage-and-bone skeleton and the tissue layer,there is a hierarchical fiber-typed connection.It is this special design of the tongue that makes the woodpeckers efficient in catching the insects inside trees.The special micro/nanostructures of the woodpecker's tongue show us a potential method to enhance the interfacial connection between soft and hard material layers for bio-inspired composite system designs.

Multilevel Micro Structures of the Clam Make the Sealing Even Tighter

Excellent fluid sealing performance is crucial to ensuring the safety of important equipment,especially in aerospace field,such as space capsule and fuel chamber.The frequently opening and closing of the sealing devices is particularly important.Driven by this background,clams(Mactra chinensis)which can open and close their double shells with superior sealing performance,are studied in this work.Here,we show that the clam’s sealing ability is the result of its unique multilevel intermeshing microstructures,including hinge teeth and micro-blocks.These microstructures,which resemble gear teeth,engage with each other when the shell closes,forming a tight structure that prevents the infiltration of water from the outside.Furthermore,the presence of micron blocks prevents the penetration of finer liquids.The simulation results of the bionic end seal components show that the multilevel microstructure has a superior sealing effect.This research is expected to be applied to undersea vehicles that require frequent door opening and closing.