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.

PURIFICATION OF BILIRUBIN AND MICRO-PARTICLE FORMATION WITH SUPERCRITICAL FLUID ANTI-SOLVENT PRECIPITATION

1 INTRODUCTIONA supercritical fluid is one existing at temperatures and pressures above its criticalpoint values(T_c,p_c) [1].Supercritical fluid has unconventional thermophysical prop-erties,exhibiting higher density,greater compressibility,lower viscosity between the gasand liquid extremes.Its solute binary diffusion coefficient is considerably higher thanthat in liquids[2-4].Supercritical fluid extraction(SFE)has been suggested as a viablealternative to other separation technologies.

Variations in nano-and pico-eukaryotic phytoplankton assemblages in the Qinhuangdao green-tide area

Qinhuangdao coastal waters have been frequently hitting by nano-and pico-eukaryotic phytoplankton(NPEP)blooms and green tides(macroalgal blooms)in the recent decade.However,understanding about the impacts of environmental factors and the green tides on the NPEP assemblages in this area is limited.In this study,the composition of NPEP assemblages and their variations were analyzed via amplicon sequence variants(ASVs)assay based on amplicon high-throughput sequencing data with the 18S V4 region as a targeted gene in the Qinhuangdao green-tide area during the green tide.Consequently,average NPEP effective sequences and ASVs of 178000 and 200 were obtained from each sample,respectively.Although there were 25 classes,110 genera,and 97 species of NPEP were identified and annotated,the proportions of annotated ASVs at genus and species levels were only 44.7%and 17.8%,respectively.The NPEP communities had a seasonal succession from diatom-dominated to dinoflagellate-dominated.During the three investigations,Skeletonema,Karlodinium,and Gonyaulax were the most dominant genera in May,August,and September,respectively.Species diversity and the abundance of NPEP communities could be increased by a high content of dissolved organic nitrogen(DON)and dissolved organic phosphorus(DOP)but inhibited by low dissolved inorganic phosphorus content.The outbreak of green tides could alter the composition and content of nutrients and accelerate the succession of the NPEP communities from diatom-dominated to dinoflagellate-dominated under the background of a seasonal increase in seawater temperature.These results preliminarily revealed the impacts of the recurrent occurrences of green tides on the NPEP assemblages in the Qinhuangdao green-tide area exhibiting high DON content and dissolved inorganic nitrogen/phosphorus ratio.

Effect of reagent films on coupling relationship between glass surface and particles

The experiments were conducted to investigate the behavior of airborne particles adhering to the glass slides which were coated by several reagent films. The results showed that the adhesion level could be significantly changed by the reagent films. There were no evident rules between the average size of particles and sampling time interval, the placing angle and reagent concentration. The average particle size on the surface coated by composite reagent （2-3 μm） was smaller than that on the single reagent coated surface, while the largest particle size （4-5 μm） was observed on the surface coated with the Tween 60. The experiment also demonstrated that the best adhesive performance was obtained on the surface which was coated with 0.5% SDBS and 0.5% fluorocarbon composite reagents. The experiment results indicated that each reagent had a certain optimum adhesive range to the particle. The composite reagents with different proportion of single reagents exhibited some particular physical and chemical properties, which could effectively change the adhesive performance between the solid surface and the particles.

Micro-seeding and soft template effects on the control of polymorph and morphology of HMX micro particles in solvent-antisolvent process

A seeding strategy was developed in the preparation of cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine(HMX)explosive micro-particles by solvent-antisolvent method, to control their polymorphs from dangerous gamma(y) type to the desired and standard beta(β) form with the size distribution of <10.0 μm, by using a low concentration of β-HMX fine particles as micro-seed in the antisolvent medium. All products were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and dynamic light scattering particle size analyzer. In the next step, the effective factors on the sizes and morphologies of micro-particles in the presence and absence of two soft templates of poly(ethylene glycol)-400(PEG-400) polymer and coconut fatty acid diethanolamide(lauramide) surfactant were investigated. The results of experiments showed that using of water-soluble PEG-400 in the low antisolvent temperatures leads to the production of very spherical particles. Also non-ionic surfactant of lauramide, direct the crystal growth to needle-like structures. The advantages of this method are its capability for the simple production of β-HMX micro-particles in the large scale production process, with the various crystal structures and particles size distributions.

Elastic modulus of claystone evaluated by nano-/micro-indentation tests and meso-compression tests

Toarcian claystone such as that of the Callovo-Oxfordian is a qualified multiphase material. The claystone samples tested in this study are composed of four main mineral phases: silicates(clay minerals, quartz,feldspars, micas)(z86%), sulphides(pyrite)(z3%), carbonates(calcite, dolomite)(z10%) and organic kerogen(z1%). Three sets of measurements of the modulus of deformability were compared as determined in(i) nanoindentation tests with a constant indentation depth of 2 mm,(ii) micro-indentation tests with a constant indentation depth of 20 mm, and(iii) meso-compression tests with a constant displacement of 200 mm. These three experimental methods have already been validated in earlier studies. The main objective of this study is to demonstrate the influence of the scaling effect on the modulus of deformability of the material. Different frequency distributions of the modulus of deformability were obtained at the different sample scales:(i) in nano-indentation tests, the distribution was spread between 15 GPa and 90 GPa and contained one peak at34 GPa and another at 51 GPa;(ii) in the micro-indentation tests, the distribution was spread between 25 GPa and 60 GPa and displayed peaks at 26 GPa and 37 GPa; and(iii) in the meso-compression tests, a narrow frequency distribution was obtained, ranging from 25 GPa to 50 GPa and with a maximum at around 35 GPa.

Al_2O_3-Y_2O_3 Nano- and Micro-Composite Coatings on Fe-9Cr-Mo Alloy

Al2O3-Y2O3 nano- and micro-composite coatings were deposited on Fe-9Cr-Mo substrates by using sol-gel composite coating technology. The processing includes dipping samples in a sol-gel solution dispersed with fine ceramic powders, which are prepared by high-energy ball milling. High-resolution microscopy （FE-SEM） analyses show that the coating is composed of composite particle clusters with an average diameter of 1μm, and the coating is relatively dense without cracking during drying and sintering stages. XRD analyses show that the oxide coating is mainly composed of α-Al2O3 and γ-Al2O3. The oxidation tests performed at 600℃ in air show that the coatings are provided with much improved resistance against high temperature oxidation and scale spallation. It is indicated that nano-structured composite particles and reactive elements are integrated into the coatings, which plays an important role in preventing agglomeration of nano-particles and initiation of cracks.

A study on nano－ and microdiatoms in the intertidal zones of Zhongshan Station，Antarctica

The present paper deals with the composition and distribution of nano-and microdiatoms in sands and grits covered by ice and snow in the intertidal zones of the Zhongshan Station in Larsemann Hills (69°21'～69°25'S, 76°00'～76°25'E ), East Antarctica. The samples were collected from seven sand-grit flat stations in January 1989 and February 1990. The highest cell density of nano-and microdiatoms occurred at Station B. The cell concentration was 0. 8×103～3651×103 cells per gram sand in January 1989 and 4. 5×103～2618×103 cells Per gram in February 1990 respectively.The nano-and microdiatoms in the intertidal zones were small in cell size and high in abundance. The dominant species was Navicula glaciei.

Effect of Cilia Orientation in Metachronal Transport of Microparticles

A biomimetic approach is used to generate a directed transversal transportation of micron-sized particles in liquids based on the principle of cilia-type arrays in coordinated motion. Rows of flaps mimicking planar cilia are positioned off-centre along an array of cavities covered with membranes that support the flaps. These membranes are deflected from a concave to a convex shape and vice versa by pneumatic actuation applying positive and negative pressures (relative to the ambient) inside the cavities. As a result, the flap on top of the membrane tilts to the left or right within such a pressure cycle, performing a beat stroke. Since each cavity can be addressed in the device individually and in rapid succession, waves of coordinated flap motion can be run along the wall. Such metachronal waves are generated and transport of particles along the cilia surface is achieved in both symplectic and antiplectic direction. It is shown that the initial tilt of the flaps relative to the wall-normal determines the direction of transport.

Large Eddy Simulation of Micro-Particles Transport with Different Mass Flow Rate in Turbulent Planar Jet Flow

The motion of micro-particles with different mass flow rate in the planer turbulent jet flow has been simulated, using LES method to obtain the flow vorticity evolution and Lagrangian method to track micro-particles. The re- suits showed that when the flow rate is small, the particles more likely to present in the vortex periphery, the dis- tribution pattern is similar to the flow pattern. When the flow rate is high, some particles will escape from the mo- tion region to the original static region, so that in the jet region, particles are relatively evenly distributed. When the flow field is full developed, the particles average concentration in the y direction affected by the mass flow rate relative slightly, the normalized mean particles concentrations at different flow rate were similar to Gaussian shape.

Influence of Grinding Ball⁃Motion Behavior on Particle Crushing Performance and a Way of Micro⁃particle Preparation in a Flutter Ball Mill

Motion behavior of grinding balls plays a vital role in improving efficiency of particle crushing.A method of preparing micro-particles by changing ball-motion behavior in a flutter mill is proposed and multiple grinding experiments are conducted.Crushing performance parameters,such as breakage rate Si,production rates of fine particles Fi and Fi*,are studied in different motion conditions.From the results,a better crushing performance is attained in the coupled motion modes of rotating speed ratio of 85%,with a vibrating amplitude of 8 mm and a frequency of 12 Hz.In addition,the influence of ball-motion behavior on particle crushing performance is discussed.The ball-motion behaviors,such as the collision energy loss E,among grinding balls have some relationship with the particle crushing performance of Si.Therefore,this study not just provides an efficiency way of accumulating micro-particles,but also reveals how the ball-motion behavior influence particle crushing performance in the flutter mill.

Termites Improve the Horizontal Movement of Carbonized Particles:A Step towards Sustainable Utilization of Biochar

Soil amendments containing carbonized materials increase the soil carbon reservoir,influence plant productivity,and,ultimately,help to clean the environment.There is data on the effect of such additions on soil physicochemical properties or plant growth,but few studies have focused on how these carbonized materials are distributed by termite species in the soil ecosystem.It is the first comprehensive study of the transportation of biochar(BC)by termite species under tropical environmental conditions in Pakistan.The present study was carried out to test the hypothesis that if termite species I)were involved in the distribution of biochar particles II)if yes,then how far these particles were transported during the study period(10 days)and III)check their preference between the enriched BC(EBC)and non-enriched BC.BC was enriched with the cattle slurry after its pyrolysis in the study.The results showed that EBC particles were significantly more widely distributed than non-enriched BC particles,but both types of BC were transported more than 4 cm(ring 4)within 10 days(at the end of the experiment).The current study also revealed that EBC was easily attached to the setae,cuticle,and legs of termites,implying that it could potentially be transported over a greater distance.Furthermore,transportation of EBC over larger distances indicated a potential preference of termite species between the EBC and BC particles.During the study,however,the preference among the termite species was also observed.Under the prevailing study conditions,the Coptotermes heimi and Heteroterme indicola species transported the EBC further than Microtermes obesi and Odontotermes obesus.These findings revealed that transportation preferences were observed among the four termite species.In conclusion,the current study found that termites were involved in the distribution of BC particles,with a preference for EBC and that these have the potential to transport BC particles more than 4 cm within 10 days.Furthermore,two species Coptotermes heimi and Heteroterme indicola may be more suitable candidates for EBC transpiration in Pakistani soils.It was necessary to conduct additional research into the effect of temperature on the transportation process.

Effect of Preparation Condition on Low-density PS Particle Size and Distribution

The preparation conditions were studied in order to obtain smaller, narrow size-distributed and low-density polystyrene (PS) micro-particles by suspension polymerization. The results show that some of preparation conditions, the shape and position of stirrers, and stirring rate etc., have important influence on the size and distribution of particles. The preparation conditions must be carefully designed and controlled in order to obtain high-quality PS beads. A bow-shaped stirrer is helpful to produce small-sized particles and narrow size distribution, and the upper edge of a stirrer should be set to the same level as the surface of mixture, and the stirring rate should be controlled in the range of 520-600 r/min.

Power law of particle size distributions in water treatment processes

In this paper,the power law of particle size distributions (PSDs) in conventional water treatment processes is developed. After measuring the particle size distributions of raw-water,settled water and filtered water,a mathematical model between particle diameter and the amount of particles was studied. The value of collision frequency factor β in the PSDs model can be used to represent the collision behavior of particles ,and can be used as foundation exponent to choose suitable coagulation to accelerate particles aggregation. At the same time,the relationship between the value of parameter K and the total particles volume V was deduced. K is defined as particle volume exponent,which can represent the total volume of particles. The degression degree of K shows the removal efficiency of potable water treatment units.

Experimental investigation of inflow-outflow asymmetry in induced-charge electro-osmosis

Induced-charge electro-osmosis(ICEO)is a research hotspot in bioengineering and analytical chemistry.Inflow-outflow asymmetry of ICEO was reported in the existing literatures,but systematic study on this phenomenon is insufficient.In this experimental study,we found that in strong electric fields,not only the velocity magnitude but also the vortex positions of ICEO are asymmetrical along the inflow and outflow directions because of the pronounced non-uniform surface electrokinetic transport.On the inflow and outflow directions,the amplitudes of velocities are unequal,ICEO maximum velocity positions change depending on the electric field intensity and sodium chloride(NaCl)concentration.Additionally,the distances between vortex centers are different.At NaCl solution concentration of 0.001 mol⋅L^(-1),the outflow velocity almost vanishes.The asymmetry rises with the increasing electric field intensity.The new discoveries can direct the application of microscale devices.

Magnetic micro-particle conditioning–pressurized vertical electro-osmotic dewatering(MPEOD) of activated sludge： Role and behavior of moisture and organics

In this study, a magnetic micro-particle conditioning–pressurized vertical electro-osmotic dewatering（MPEOD） process with magnetic micro-particle conditioning–drainage under gravity–mechanical compression–electrical compression（MMPC–DG–MC–EC） stages was established to study the distribution and migration of water, extracellular polymeric substances（EPS）, and other organic matter in the activated sludge（AS） matrix at each stage.Results showed that the MPEOD process could attain 53.52% water content（WC） in dewatered AS with bound water（BW） and free water（FW） reduction rates of 82.97% and 99.67%,respectively. The coagulation and time-delayed magnetic field effects of magnetic microparticles（MMPs） along the MMPC–DG–MC stages initiated the transformation of partial BW to FW in AS. EC had a coupling driving effect of electro-osmosis and pressure on BW, and the changes in pH and temperature at EC stage induced the aggregation of AS flocs and the release of partial BW. Additionally, MMPs dosing further improved the dewatering performance of AS by acting as skeleton builders to provide water passages. Meanwhile, MMPs could disintegrate sludge cells and EPS fractions, thereby reducing tryptophan-like protein and byproduct-like material concentrations in LB-EPS as well as protein/polysaccharide ratio in AS matrix, which could improve AS filterability. At EC stage, the former four Ex/Em regions of fluorescence regional integration analysis for EPS were obviously reduced, especially the protein-like substances in LB-and TB-EPS, which contributed to improvement of AS dewaterability.

Numerical simulation of micro-particle deposition in a realistic human upper respiratory tract model during transient breathing cycle

An more reliable human upper respiratory tract model that consisted of an oropharynx and four generations of asymmetric tracheo-bronchial （TB） airways has been constructed to investigate the micro-particle deposition pattern and mass distribution in five lobes under steady inspiratory condition in former work by Huang and Zhang （2011 ）. In the present work, transient airflow patterns and particle deposition during both inspiratory and expiratory processes were numerically simulated in the realistic human upper respiratory tract model with 14 cartilaginous rings （CRs） in the tracheal tube. The present model was validated under steady inspiratory flow rates by comparing current results with the theoretical models and pub- lished experimental data. The transient deposition fraction was found to strongly depend on breathing flow rate and particle diameter but slightly on turbulence intensity. Particles were mainly distributed in the high axial speed zones and traveled basically following the secondary flow. ＂Hot spots＂ of deposition were found in the lower portion of mouth cavity and posterior wall of pharynx/larynx during inspiration, but transferred to upper portion of mouth and interior wall of pharynx/larynx during expiration. The deposition fraction in the trachea during expiration was found to be much higher than that during inspiration because of the stronger secondary flow.

Role of in-situ formed nano-and micro-fibrils in micro-fatigue resistance of bio-polyethylene

In response to the need for the reduction of micro-debris generation in artificial humanjoints for extending the service life, a novel polymer process technology, SCORIM (shear con-trolled orientation injection moulding), was employed to manufacture a polyethylene compositereinforced by in-situ formed nano- and micro-fibrils. Tribological performance of a blend of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) was evalu-ated on a pin-on-disc wear machine. Results indicate a significant improvement in micro fatiguewear resistance compared with those moulded by a conventional injection moulding technology.Scanning electron microscopy reveals that a micro-fibril structure forms as an in-situ fibre rein-forced composite using SCORIM while an aggregated structure occurs in specimens moulded byconventional technology. DSC analysis shows the occurrence of a second phase: shish kebabmicrostructure using SCORIM. Transmission electron microscopy reveals the transformation ofmicrostructure from randomly orientated lamella in the specimens moulded by conventional injec-tion moulding into nano-fibril shish kebab microstructure, which results in a significant reduction inthe possibility of the initiation and development of micro-cracks parallel to the contact surfacesusing SCORIM. Consequently, the formation of nano-fibril shish kebab and micro-fibril microstruc-ture by using the novel SCORIM technology results in a significant reduction in micro-fatigue whenusing the surface normal to the direction of the orientated molecular fibril microstructure as a con-tact surface.

CFD simulation of micro-particle trapping under water tweezers

In early research, capture and manipulation of particles were mainly achieved by means of light, electricity and plasma in micro-fabficaton and micro-assembly. A new method is proposed using micro-water jet to form water tweezers to capture solid particles and implement position control of micro-particles. This paper analyzes the basic prin- ciple of water tweezers, and the discrete element method and smoothed particle hydrodynamics method are employed to establish a solid-liquid coupling model used in analyzing the trapping mechanism. A flow field model is set up to simulate dynamic characteristic of water tweezers based on computa- tional fluid dynamics （CFD）. Selection of boundary conditions, initial guess, solver control and convergence strategies of the model are discussed. Velocity and pressure of streamline are predicted and discussed under certain input conditions. Simu- lation results demonstrate that it is an efficiently theoretical method to eventually trap solid particles by water tweezers.

Screen printing of upconversion NaYF4:Yb3+/Eu3+ with Li+ doped for anti-counterfeiting application

Li ions affect the upconversion efficiency by changing the local crystal field of the luminescent center. Herein, in order to improve the upconversion efficiency of NaYF4:Yb3+/Eu3+, a series of NaYF4:Yb3+/Eu3+micro-particles with different Li+doping concentrations were synthesized by the hydrothermal synthesis method, respectively.Firstly, the structure and morphology of NaYF4:Yb3+/Eu3+upconversion micro-particles(UCMPs) with different doping concentrations were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and a scanning electron microscope(SEM). SEM results show that the UCMPs are not only highly crystallized, but also have hexagons with different Li+concentrations of NaYF4:Yb3+/Eu3+. X-ray diffraction shows that the crystal field around Eu3+changes with the increase of Li+concentration. Then, the fluorescence spectrum of NaYF4:Yb3+/Eu3+was studied under the irradiation of a 980 nm laser. The results show that the fluorescence intensity of NaYF4:Yb3+/Eu3+with2% Li+is the strongest, which is twice the intensity of NaYF4:Yb3+/Eu3+without Li+. Finally, the fluorescence imaging analysis of NaYF4:Yb3+/Eu3+with 2% Li+concentration was carried out. The UCMPs are used to screen printing to evaluate the imaging effect on different sample surfaces. The results show NaYF4:Yb3+/Eu3+(with 2% Li+) has great application prospects in anti-counterfeiting recognition.