Phase-engineering modulation of Mn-based oxide cathode for constructing super-stable sodium storage

The Mn-based oxide cathode with enriched crystal phase structure and component diversity can provide the excellent chemistry structure for Na-ion batteries.Nevertheless,the broad application prospect is obstructed by the sluggish Na^(+)kinetics and the phase transitions upon cycling.Herein,we establish the thermodynamically stable phase diagram of various Mn-based oxide composites precisely controlled by sodium content tailoring strategy coupling with co-doping and solid-state reaction.The chemical environment of the P2/P'3 and P2/P3 biphasic composites indicate that the charge compensation mechanism stems from the cooperative contribution of anions and cations.Benefiting from the no phase transition to scavenge the structure strain,P2/P'3 electrode can deliver long cycling stability(capacity retention of 73.8%after 1000 cycles at 10 C)and outstanding rate properties(the discharge capacity of 84.08 mA h g^(-1)at 20 C)than P2/P3 electrode.Furthermore,the DFT calculation demonstrates that the introducing novel P'3 phase can significantly regulate the Na^(+)reaction dynamics and modify the local electron configuration of Mn.The effective phase engineering can provide a reference for designing other high-performance electrode materials for Na-ion batteries.

Evaluation of the Oxidation Reactivity and Behavior of Exhaust Soot Particles from Diesel Engines with Different Emission Levels

The aim of this study was to investigate the oxidation reactivity and behavior of exhaust particulate matter(PM)from diesel engines.PM samples from two diesel engines(1K,CY4102)with different emission levels were collected by a thermophoretic system and a quartz filter.The oxidation reactivity,oxidation behaviors,and physicochemical properties of the PM samples were analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),high-resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM),Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry(FTIR),and Raman spectroscopy.The results showed that there was a great difference in the oxidation reactivity of soot particles emitted by the two different diesel engines.A qualitative analysis of the factors influencing oxidation reactivity showed that the nanostructure,degree of graphitization,and relative concentration of aliphatic C—H functional groups were the most important factors,whereas no significant correlation was found between the primary particle size and activation energy of the diesel soot.Based on the oxidation behavior analysis,the diesel soot particles exhibited both internal and surface oxidation modes during the oxidation process.Surface oxidation was dominant during the initial stage,and as oxidation progressed,the mode gradually changed to internal oxidation.Internal oxidation mode of soot particles from the 1K engine was significantly higher than that of CY4102.

Phase engineering of Ni-Mn binary layered oxide cathodes for sodiumion batteries

Nickel-manganese binary layered oxides with high working potential and low cost are potential candidates for sodium-ion batteries,but their electrochemical properties are highly related to compositional diversity.Diverse composite materials with various phase structures of P3,P2/P3,P2,P2/O3,and P2/P3/O3 were synthesized by manipulating the sodium content and calcination conditions,leading to the construction of a synthetic phase diagram for Na_(x)Ni_(0.25)Mn_(0.75)O_(2)(0.45≤x≤1.1).Then,we compared the electrochemical characteristics and structural evolution during the desodiation/sodiation process of P2,P2/P3,P2/03,and P2/P3/O3-Na_(x)Ni_(0.25)Mn_(0.75)O_(2).Among them,P2/P3-Na0.75Ni0.25Mn0.75O2exhibits the best rate capability of 90.9 mA h g^(-1)at 5 C,with an initial discharge capacity of 142.62 mA h g^(-1)at 0.1 C and a capacity retention rate of 78.25%after 100 cycles at 1 C in the voltage range of 2-4.3 V.The observed superior sodium storage performance of P2/P3 hybrids compared to other composite phases can be attributed to the enhanced Na^(+)transfer dynamic,reduction of the Jahn-teller effect,and improved reaction reversibility induced by the synergistic effect of P2 and P3 phases.The systematic research and exploration of phases in Na_(x)Ni_(0.25)Mn_(0.75)O_(2)provide new sights into high-performance nickel-manganese binary layered oxide for sodium-ion batteries.

In vitro investigations on the effects of graphene and graphene oxide on polycaprolactone bone tissue engineering scaffolds

Polycaprolactone(PCL)scaffolds that are produced through additive manufacturing are one of the most researched bone tissue engineering structures in the field.Due to the intrinsic limitations of PCL,carbon nanomaterials are often investigated to reinforce the PCL scaffolds.Despite several studies that have been conducted on carbon nanomaterials,such as graphene(G)and graphene oxide(GO),certain challenges remain in terms of the precise design of the biological and nonbiological properties of the scaffolds.This paper addresses this limitation by investigating both the nonbiological(element composition,surface,degradation,and thermal and mechanical properties)and biological characteristics of carbon nanomaterial-reinforced PCL scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.Results showed that the incorporation of G and GO increased surface properties(reduced modulus and wettability),material crystallinity,crystallization temperature,and degradation rate.However,the variations in compressive modulus,strength,surface hardness,and cell metabolic activity strongly depended on the type of reinforcement.Finally,a series of phenomenological models were developed based on experimental results to describe the variations of scaffold’s weight,fiber diameter,porosity,and mechanical properties as functions of degradation time and carbon nanomaterial concentrations.The results presented in this paper enable the design of three-dimensional(3D)bone scaffolds with tuned properties by adjusting the type and concentration of different functional fillers.

Trace Cobalt Doping and Defect Engineering of High Surface Area α-Ni(OH)_(2) for Electrocatalytic Urea Oxidation

Owing to the intrinsically sluggish kinetics of urea oxidation reaction(UOR)involving a six-electron transfer process,developing efficient UOR electrocatalyst is a great challenge remained to be overwhelmed.Herein,by taking advantage of 2-Methylimidazole,of which is a kind of alkali in water and owns strong coordination ability to Co^(2+)in methanol,trace Co(1.0 mol%)addition was found to induce defect engineering onα-Ni(OH)_(2)in a dual-solvent system of water and methanol.Physical characterization results revealed that the synthesized electrocatalyst(WM-Ni_(0.99)Co_(0.01)(OH)_(2))was a kind of defective nanosheet with thickness around 5-6 nm,attributing to the synergistic effect of Co doping and defect engineering,its electron structure was finely altered,and its specific surface a rea was tremendously enlarged from 68 to 172.3 m^(2)g^(-1).With all these merits,its overpotential to drive 10 mA cm^(-2)was reduced by 110 mV.Besides,the interfacial behavior of UOR was also well deciphered by operando electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

The Effect of Ignition Parameters on the Combustion Characteristics of an Aviation Piston Engine

A cylinder combustion simulation model was established for a two-stroke aviation piston engine used in a small unmanned aerial vehicle. The influence of different ignition system parameters on the combustion process of aviation kerosene was studied using this model. The research results showed that under the working conditions of 5500 r/min and 50% throttle opening, as the ignition energy increased, the peak values of average cylinder pressure and average temperature increased, and the combustion duration shortened, The advance of the combustion center of gravity increases the tendency of the engine to knock. Under the same operating conditions, as the ignition timing advances, the peak values of average pressure and average temperature in the cylinder increase, gradually approaching the top dead center, and the tendency of engine detonation increases more significantly.

120-ton Thrust Liquid-Oxygen/Kerosene Engine Passed Acceptance Test

On May 28, the 120-ton thrust liquid-oxygen/kerosene engine developed by the Academy of Aerospace Liquid Propulsion Technology (AALPT) passed the acceptance test organized by China National Space Administration (CNSA). The 120-ton thrust liquid-oxygen/kerosene engine is a non-pollution, non-toxic, high performance and reliable basic pro-

Oxidative Desulfurization of Non-hydrotreated Kerosene Using Hydrogen Peroxide and Acetic Acid

The oxidative desulfurization of a real refinery feedstock (i.e.,non-hydrotreated kerosene with total sulfur mass content of 0.16%) with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid was studied.The influences of various operating parameters including reaction temperature (T),acid to sulfur molar ratio (nacid/nS),and oxidant to sulfur molar ratio (nO/nS) on the sulfur removal of kerosene were investigated.The results revealed that an increase in the reaction temperature (T) and nacid/nS enhances the sulfur removal.Moreover,there is an optimum nO/nS related to the reaction temperature and the best sulfur removal could be obtained at nO/nS=8 and 23 for the reaction temperatures of 25 and 60°C,respectively.The maximum observed sulfur removal in the present oxidative desulfurization system was 83.3%.

Size-Dependent Oxidation-Induced Phase Engineering for MOFs Derivatives Via Spatial Confinement Strategy Toward Enhanced Microwave Absorption

Precisely reducing the size of metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)derivatives is an effective strategy to manipulate their phase engineering owing to size-dependent oxidation;however,the underlying relationship between the size of derivatives and phase engineering has not been clarified so far.Herein,a spatial confined growth strategy is proposed to encapsulate small-size MOFs derivatives into hollow carbon nanocages.It realizes that the hollow cavity shows a significant spatial confinement effect on the size of confined MOFs crystals and subsequently affects the dielectric polarization due to the phase hybridization with tunable coherent interfaces and heterojunctions owing to size-dependent oxidation motion,yielding to satisfied microwave attenuation with an optimal reflection loss of-50.6 d B and effective bandwidth of 6.6 GHz.Meanwhile,the effect of phase hybridization on dielectric polarization is deeply visualized,and the simulated calculation and electron holograms demonstrate that dielectric polarization is shown to be dominant dissipation mechanism in determining microwave absorption.This spatial confined growth strategy provides a versatile methodology for manipulating the size of MOFs derivatives and the understanding of size-dependent oxidation-induced phase hybridization offers a precise inspiration in optimizing dielectric polarization and microwave attenuation in theory.

Removal of Nitrogen Oxides in Diesel Engine Exhaust by Plasma Assisted Molecular Sieves

This paper reports the studies conducted on removal of oxides ofnitrogen (NOx) from diesel engine exhaust using electrical dischargeplasma combined with adsorbing materials such as molecular sieves.This study is being reported for the first time. The exhaust is takenfrom a diesel engine of 6 kW under no load conditions. Thecharacteristic behavior of a pulse energized dielectric barrierdischarge reactor in the diesel exhaust treatment is reported. TheNOx removal was not significant (36/100) when the reactor without anypacking was used.

Solution chemistry back‐contact FTO/hematite interface engineering for efficient photocatalytic water oxidation

This work describes a simple yet powerful scalable solution chemistry strategy to create back‐contact rich interfaces between substrates such as commercial transparent conducting fluorine‐doped tin oxide coated glass(FTO)and photoactive thin films such as hematite for low‐cost water oxidation reaction.High‐resolution electron microscopy(SEM,TEM,STEM),atomic force microscopy(AFM),elemental chemical mapping(EELS,EDS)and photoelectrochemical(PEC)investigations reveal that the mechanical stress,lattice mismatch,electron energy barrier,and voids between FTO and hematite at the back‐contact interface as well as short‐circuit and detrimental reaction between FTO and the electrolyte can be alleviated by engineering the chemical composition of the precursor solutions,thus increasing the overall efficiency of these low‐cost photoanodes for water oxidation reaction for a clean and sustainable generation of hydrogen from PEC water‐splitting.These findings are of significant importance to improve the charge collection efficiency by minimizing electron‐hole recombination observed at back‐contact interfaces and grain boundaries in mesoporous electrodes,thus improving the overall efficiency and scalability of low‐cost PEC water splitting devices.

Application of iron oxide anoparticles in neuronal tissue engineering

Since the introduction of nanotechnology, nanoscale materials have developed rapidly and have been applied in various fields including in the pharmaceutical industry, medicine, and tissue engineering. Among a variety of nanomaterials, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles （IONPs） have been intensively investigated for numerous in vivo applications such as gene and drug delivery, diagnostics, cell labeling and sorting. Compared to nanoparticles made from other materials, IONPs have several additional unique applications due to their magnetic properties, for example, magnetic cell separation,

Research on the Impact of CeO2 -based Solid Solution Metal Oxide on Combustion Performance of Diesel Engine and Emissions

This paper mainly studies on the performance of high-speed diesel engines and emission reduction when the engine uses heavy oil mixed with nanometer-sized additives Ce0.9 Cu0.1 O2 and Ce0.9 Zr0.1 O2.During the test,Indiset 620 combustion analyzer made by AVL,was used to make a real-time survey on the cylinder pressure,the fuel ignition moment,and establish a relation between the change trend of temperature in cylinder and the crank angle.For the engine burning heavy oil and heavy oil mixed with additives,combustion analysis software Indicom and Concerto were used to analyze its combustion process and emission conditions.Experimental investigation shows that nano-sized complex oxide can improve the performance of diesel engine fueled with heavy oil,and reduce the emission of pollutants like NOx and CO,comparing it with the pure heavy oil.According to the consequences of this experiment,the additives improve the overall performance in the use of heavy oil.

Using the TEOST^(■) MHT-4 to Identify Robust Antioxidant Systems for Modern Engine Oils

A research tool has been developed that utilizes the Thermo-Oxidation Engine Oil Simulation Test (TEOST) MHT-4 to collect information on engine oil oxidation and deposit formation. The technique capitalizes on the traditional TEOST features as a deposit formation test, but also generates additional oxidation information by monitoring peak increase in the carbonyl region of the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrum (FT-IR) of TEOST used oils and volatiles. The data on overall oxidation and deposit formation is used to generate a "robustness" model for modern engine oil degradation. The tool is used to study low phosphorus Group Ⅱ passenger car engine oils formulated with different types of antioxidants and a molybdenum dithiocarbamate (MoDTC). The model shows that improved oxidation and deposit control can be achieved by formulating with the molybdenum compound, and that the most effective stabilization system is composed of the organo-molybdenum compound,an alkylated diphenylamine (NDPA), and the hindered phenolic antioxidant 4,4′-methylenebis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenol) (MBDTBP).

Reduced graphene oxide-grafted bovine serum albumin/bredigite nanocomposites with high mechanical properties and excellent osteogenic bioactivity for bone tissue engineering

The optimization of the scaffolds to provide a suitable matrix and accelerate the regeneration process is vital for bone tissue engineering.However,poor mechanical and biological characteristics remain the primary challenges that must be addressed.For example,although bredigite(Br)has shown great potential for application in bone tissue engineering,it easily fails in replacement.In the present work,these challenges are addressed by reinforcing the Br matrix with nanosheets of graphene oxide(rGO)that have been reduced by bovine serum albumin(BSA)in order to enhance the mechanical properties and biological behavior.The reduction of graphene oxide by BSA improves the water stability of the nanosheets and provides an electrostatic interaction between theBSA-rGO nanosheets and theBr particles.The high thermal conductivity of theBSA-rGO nanosheets decreases the porosity of the Br by transferring heat to the core of the tablet.Furthermore,the addition of BSA-rGO nanosheets into the Br matrix enhances the adhesion of G-292 cells on the surface of the tablets.These findings suggest that the tablet consisting of BSA-rGO-reinforced Br has encouraging potential for application in bone tissue engineering.

Improving the activity and stability of Ni-based electrodes for solid oxide cells through surface engineering:Recent progress and future perspectives

Solid oxide cells(SOCs)have attracted great attention in the past decades because of their high conversion efficiency,low environmental pollution and diversified fuel options.Nickel-based catalysts are the most widely used fuel electrode materials for SOCs due to the low price and high activity.However,when hydrocarbon fuels are employed,nickel-based electrodes face serious carbon deposition challenges,leading to a rapid decline of cell performance.Great efforts have been devoted to understanding the occurrence of the coking reaction,and to improving the stability of the electrodes in hydrocarbon fuels.In this review,we summarize recent research progress of utilizing surface modification to improve the stability and activity of Ni-based electrodes for SOCs by preventing carbon coking.The review starts with a briefly introduction about the reaction mechanism of carbon deposition,followed by listing several surface modification technologies and their working principles.Then we introduce representative works using surface modification strategies to prevent carbon coking on Ni-based electrodes.Finally,we highlight future direction of improving electrode catalytic activity and anti-coking performance through surface engineering.

Metastable face-centered cubic ruthenium-based binary alloy for efficient alkaline hydrogen oxidation electrocatalysis

Metastable nanostructured electrocatalyst with a completely different surface environment compared to conventional phase-based electrocatalyst often shows distinctive catalytic property.Although Ru-based electrocatalysts have been widely investigated toward hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)under alkaline electrolytes,these studies are mostly limited to conventional hexagonal-close-packed(hcp)phase,mainly arising from the lack of sufficient synthesis strategies.In this study,we report the precise synthesis of metastable binary RuW alloy with face-centered-cubic(fcc)phase.We find that the introduction of W can serve as fcc phase seeds and reduce the formation energy of metastable fcc-RuW alloy.Impressively,fcc-RuW exhibits remarkable alkaline HOR performance and stability with the activity of 0.67 mA cm_(Ru)^(-2)which is almost five and three times higher than that of hcp-Ru and commercial Pt/C,respectively,which is attributed to the optimized binding strength of adsorbed hydroxide intermediate derived from tailored electronic structure through W doping and phase engineering.Moreover,this strategy can also be applied to synthesize other metastable fcc-RuCr and fcc-RuMo alloys with enhanced HOR performances.

Highly dispersed MgInCe-mixed metal oxides catalyzed direct carbonylation of glycerol and CO_(2)into glycerol carbonate

Glycerol carbonate,an important glycerol value-added product,has been widely used as an active intermediate and inert solvent in the synthesis of cosmetics,detergents,chemical intermediates,polymers,and so on.The direct carbonylation from glycerol with CO_(2)is considered a promising route,but still tough work due to the thermodynamic stability and the kinetic inertness of CO_(2).In this work,highlyselective direct carbonylation of glycerol and CO_(2)into glycerol carbonate has been achieved over highly dispersed MgInCe-mixed metal oxides(MgInCe-MMO),which were prepared through the topological transformation derived from the MgInCe-layered double hydroxides(MgInCe-LDHs).By precisely modulating the surface basic-acidic properties and the oxygen vacancies,an efficient carbonylation of glycerol with CO_(2)has been achieved with a selectivity of up to>99%to glycerol carbonate.Deep investigation into the synergistic catalysis of base-acid sites and oxygen vacancies has been clarified.

Band structure engineering and defect control of oxides for energy applications

Metal oxides play an essential role in modern optoelectronic devices because they have many unique physical properties such as structure diversity, superb stability in solution, good catalytic activity, and simultaneous high electron conductivity and optical transmission. Therefore, they are widely used in energy-related optoelectronic applications such as photovoltaics and photoelectrochemical（PEC） fuel generation. In this review, we mainly discuss the structure engineering and defect control of oxides for energy applications, especially for transparent conducting oxides（TCOs） and oxide catalysts used for water splitting. We will review our current understanding with an emphasis on the contributions of our previous theoretical modeling, primarily based on density functional theory. In particular, we highlight our previous work：（i） the fundamental principles governing the crystal structures and the electrical and optical behaviors of TCOs;（ii） band structures and defect properties for n-type TCOs;（iii） why p-type TCOs are difficult to achieve;（iv） how to modify the band structure to achieve p-type TCOs or even bipolarly dopable TCOs;（v） the origin of the high-performance of amorphous TCOs; and（vi） band structure engineering of bulk and nano oxides for PEC water splitting. Based on the understanding above, we hope to clarify the key issues and the challenges facing the rational design of novel oxides and propose new and feasible strategies or models to improve the performance of existing oxides or design new oxides that are critical for the development of next-generation energy-related applications.

Weakly Polarized Organic Cation-Modified Hydrated Vanadium Oxides for High-Energy Efficiency Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Vanadium oxides,par-ticularly hydrated forms like V_(2)O_(5)·nH_(2)O(VOH),stand out as promising cathode candidates for aqueous zinc ion batteries due to their adjustable layered structure,unique electronic characteristics,and high theoretical capacities.However,challenges such as vanadium dissolution,sluggish Zn^(2+)diffusion kinetics,and low operating voltage still hinder their direct application.In this study,we present a novel vanadium oxide([C_(6)H_(6)N(CH_(3))_(3)]_(1.08)V_(8)O_(20)·0.06H_(2)O,TMPA-VOH),developed by pre-inserting trimethylphenylammonium(TMPA+)cations into VOH.The incorporation of weakly polarized organic cations capitalizes on both ionic pre-intercalation and molecular pre-intercalation effects,resulting in a phase and morphology transition,an expansion of the interlayer distance,extrusion of weakly bonded interlayer water,and a substantial increase in V^(4+)content.These modifications synergistically reduce the electrostatic interactions between Zn^(2+)and the V-O lattice,enhancing structural stability and reaction kinetics during cycling.As a result,TMPA-VOH achieves an elevated open circuit voltage and operation voltage,exhibits a large specific capacity(451 mAh g^(-1)at 0.1 A g^(-1))coupled with high energy efficiency(89%),the significantly-reduced battery polarization,and outstanding rate capability and cycling stability.The concept introduced in this study holds great promise for the development of high-performance oxide-based energy storage materials.