Tensile Strain Capacity Prediction of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) Using Soft Computing Techniques

Plain concrete is strong in compression but brittle in tension,having a low tensile strain capacity that can significantly degrade the long-term performance of concrete structures,even when steel reinforcing is present.In order to address these challenges,short polymer fibers are randomly dispersed in a cement-based matrix to forma highly ductile engineered cementitious composite(ECC).Thismaterial exhibits high ductility under tensile forces,with its tensile strain being several hundred times greater than conventional concrete.Since concrete is inherently weak in tension,the tensile strain capacity(TSC)has become one of the most extensively researched properties.As a result,developing a model to predict the TSC of the ECC and to optimize the mixture proportions becomes challenging.Meanwhile,the effort required for laboratory trial batches to determine the TSC is reduced.To achieve the research objectives,five distinct models,artificial neural network(ANN),nonlinear model(NLR),linear relationship model(LR),multi-logistic model(MLR),and M5P-tree model(M5P),are investigated and employed to predict the TSCof ECCmixtures containing fly ash.Data from115 mixtures are gathered and analyzed to develop a new model.The input variables include mixture proportions,fiber length and diameter,and the time required for curing the various mixtures.The model’s effectiveness is evaluated and verified based on statistical parameters such as R2,mean absolute error(MAE),scatter index(SI),root mean squared error(RMSE),and objective function(OBJ)value.Consequently,the ANN model outperforms the others in predicting the TSC of the ECC,with RMSE,MAE,OBJ,SI,and R2 values of 0.42%,0.3%,0.33%,0.135%,and 0.98,respectively.

Parallel Nanoimprint Forming of One-Dimensional Chiral Semiconductor for Strain-Engineered Optical Properties

The low-dimensional,highly anisotropic geometries,and superior mechanical properties of one-dimensional(1D) nanomaterials allow the exquisite strain engineering with a broad tunability inaccessible to bulk or thin-film materials.Such capability enables unprecedented possibilities for probing intriguing physics and materials science in the 1-D limit.Among the techniques for introducing controlled strains in 1D materials,nanoimprinting with embossed substrates attracts increased attention due to its capability to parallelly form nanomaterials into wrinkled structures with controlled periodicities,amplitudes,orientations at large scale with nanoscale resolutions.Here,we systematically investigated the strain-engineered anisotropic optical properties in Te nanowires through introducing a controlled strain field using a resist-free thermally assisted nanoimprinting process.The magnitude of induced strains can be tuned by adjusting the imprinting pressure,the nanowire diameter,and the patterns on the substrates.The observed Raman spectra from the chiral-chain lattice of 1D Te reveal the strong lattice vibration response under the strain.Our results suggest the potential of 1D Te as a promising candidate for flexible electronics,deformable optoelectronics,and wearable sensors.The experimental platform can also enable the exquisite mechanical control in other nanomaterials using substrate-induced,on-demand,and controlled strains.

Lipopeptide Antibiotics Produced by the Engineered Strain Bacillus subtilis GEB3 and Detection of Its Bioactivity

MALDI-TOF-MS technology was used for identification of lipopeptide antibiotics producedby GEB3 strain, a derivative of Bacillus subtilis 168 which was transformed by lpaB3gene. The result showed GEB3 only produced lipopeptide antibiotic surfactin. The analysisby LC-MS demonstrated that GEB3 produced standard surfactin isoforms with side chainlengths of 13,14 and 15 carbon atoms. The bioactivity detection of surfactin indicatedthat the surfactin produced by GEB3 had inhibition effect on plant pathogens Rhizoctoniasolani and Pyricularia oryzae.

Analysis on Construction and Property of the Constitutively Desulfurization Engineered Strain

[Objective] The research aimed to study construction and property of the constitutively desulfurization engineered strain. [Method] Des- ulfurization gene dszABC in Pseudomonas delafieldii R-8 strain was cloned into expression vector pPR9TT with gap promoter to build a constitutive expression plasmid pRT-C. Then, pRT-C was reintroduced into R-8-0 strain to obtain constitutively engineered strain R-8-C. Moreover, its desulfu- rization property was studied. [ Result ] Strain R-8-C still had higher desulfurization activity in BSM medium with 0.10 mmol/L of Na2 SO4. Within 72 h, its desulfurization activity was 93% of the strain R-8 using DBT as the sole sulfur source, while control （strain R-8） nearly couldn＇t desulphate. When DBT was the sole sulfur source, in different growth periods, the desulfurization activity of strain R-8-C was all higher than that of the strain R-8. Within 24 h, its activity was 1.3 times of the strain R-8. [ Conclusion] These results were theoretically and technically helpful for understanding regulation mechanism of the desulfurization gene and constructing highly active desulphurization engineering strain.

Response of rice to inoculation with genetic engineered strains of associative diazotrophs

Enhancement of nitrogen fixation in the rhizo-sphere of cereals has attracted a wide interestin biological and agricultural research,insteadof chemicals,for supplying higher plants withcombined nitrogen.Bacteria in association withrice plant.s were sensitive to the surroundingfactors in the soil,such as NH~+ or O,whichrepressed associative nitrogen fixation between

Strain engineering the D-band center for Janus MoSSe edge: Nitrogen fixation

Nitrogen fixation is one of the most important and challenging process in production of ammonia at ambient temperature. We have first performed density function theory to propose the edge of Janus MoSSe(EJM) monolayer as a potential catalyst for nitrogen reduction reaction. Our results show that the superficial D-band centers play an important role in nitrogen fixation. The strain effects greatly alter the D-band center, and further change the interaction between the adsorbates and the surface of catalysts.Our findings provide a new thought into designing transition-metal chalcogenide catalysts for nitrogen fixation.

Effects of initial grain size and strain on grain boundary engineering of high-nitrogen CrMn austenitic stainless steel

18 Mn18 Cr0.5 N steel with an initial grain size of 28–177 μm was processed by 2.5%–20% cold rolling and annealing at 1000°C for 24 h,and the grain boundary character distribution was examined via electron backscatter diffraction.Low strain(2.5%) favored the formation of low-Σ boundaries.At this strain,the fraction of low-Σ boundaries was insensitive to the initial grain size.However,specimens with fine initial grains showed decreasing grain size after grain boundary engineering processing.The fraction of low-Σ boundaries and the(Σ9 + Σ27)/Σ3 value decreased with increasing strain; furthermore,the specimens with fine initial grain size were sensitive to the strain.Finally,the effects of the initial grain size and strain on the grain boundary engineering were discussed in detail.

Diamond semiconductor and elastic strain engineering

Diamond,as an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor,has become a promising candidate for next-generation microelec-tronics and optoelectronics due to its numerous advantages over conventional semiconductors,including ultrahigh carrier mo-bility and thermal conductivity,low thermal expansion coefficient,and ultra-high breakdown voltage,etc.Despite these ex-traordinary properties,diamond also faces various challenges before being practically used in the semiconductor industry.This review begins with a brief summary of previous efforts to model and construct diamond-based high-voltage switching diodes,high-power/high-frequency field-effect transistors,MEMS/NEMS,and devices operating at high temperatures.Following that,we will discuss recent developments to address scalable diamond device applications,emphasizing the synthesis of large-area,high-quality CVD diamond films and difficulties in diamond doping.Lastly,we show potential solutions to modulate diamond’s electronic properties by the“elastic strain engineering”strategy,which sheds light on the future development of diamond-based electronics,photonics and quantum systems.

Scaling law of hydrogen evolution reaction for InSe monolayer with 3d transition metals doping and strain engineering

Recently, two dimensional In Se attracts great attentions as potential hydrogen production photocatalysts.Here, comprehensive investigations on the hydrogen evolution reaction activity of In Se monolayer with3 d transition metal doping and biaxial strain were performed based on the density functional theory.Transition metal dopants significantly increase the bonding strength between H and Se, and then adjust the hydrogen adsorption free energy to 0.02 e V by Zn doping. The enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction activity results from less electron occupying H 1 s-Se 4 pzanti-bonding states, which is well correlated with the pzband center level. Importantly, the universal scalling law was proposed to descript the evolution of hydrogen adsorption free energy including both doping and strain effects. Moreover, with appropriate band alignment, optical absorption, and carriers separation ability, Zn doped In Se monolayer is considered as a promising candidate of visible-light photocatalyst for hydrogen production.

Swelling ability and behaviour of bentonite-based materials for deep repository engineered barrier systems:Influence of physical,chemical and thermal factors

Compacted bentonite-sand(B/S)mixtures have been used as a barrier material in engineered barrier systems(EBSs)of deep geological repositories(DGR)to store nuclear wastes.This study investigates the individual and combined effects of different chemical compositions of deep groundwaters(chemical factor)at potential repository sites in Canada(the Trenton and Guelph regions in Ontario),heat generated in DGRs(thermal factor),dry densities and mass ratios of bentonite and sand mixtures(physical factors)on the swelling behavior and ability of bentonite-based materials.In this study,swelling tests are conducted on B/S mixtures with different B/S mix ratios(20/80 to 70/30),compacted at different dry densities(ρd=1.6-2 g/cm^(3)),saturated with different types of water(distilled water and simulated deep groundwater of Trenton and Guelph)and exposed to different temperatures(20℃-80℃).Moreover,scanning electron microscopy(SEM)analyses,mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)tests and X-ray diffractometry(XRD)analyses are carried out to evaluate the morphological,microstructural and mineralogical characteristics of the B/S mixtures.The test results indicate that the swelling potential of the B/S mixtures is significantly affected by these physical and chemical factors as well as the combined effects of the chemical and thermal factors.A significant decrease in the swelling capacity is observed when the B/S materials are exposed to the aforementioned groundwaters.A large decrease in the swelling capacity is observed for higher bentonite content in the mixtures.Moreover,higher temperatures intensify the chemically-induced reduction of the swelling capacity of the B/S barrier materials.This decrease in the swelling capacity is caused by the chemical and/or microstructural changes of the materials.The results from this research will help engineers to design and build EBSs for DGRs with similar groundwater and thermal conditions.

Control of surface wettability via strain engineering

Reversible control of surface wettability has wide applications in lab-on-chip systems, tunable optical lenses, and microfluidic tools. Using a graphene sheet as a sam- ple material and molecular dynamic simulations, we demon- strate that strain engineering can serve as an effective way to control the surface wettability. The contact angles 0 of water droplets on a graphene vary from 72.5° to 106° under biaxial strains ranging from -10% to 10% that are applied on the graphene layer. For an intrinsic hydrophilic surface （at zero strain）, the variation of 0 upon the applied strains is more sensitive, i.e., from 0° to 74.8°. Overall the cosines of the contact angles exhibit a linear relation with respect to the strains. In light of the inherent dependence of the contact an- gle on liquid-solid interfacial energy, we develop an analytic model to show the cos 0 as a linear function of the adsorption energy Eads of a single water molecule over the substrate sur- face. This model agrees with our molecular dynamic results very well. Together with the linear dependence of Eads on bi- axial strains, we can thus understand the effect of strains on the surface wettability. Thanks to the ease of reversibly ap- plying mechanical strains in micro/nano-electromechanical systems, we believe that strain engineering can be a promis- ing means to achieve the reversibly control of surface wetta- bility.

Strain Engineering for Germanium-on-Insulator Mobility Enhancement with Phase Change Liner Stressors

We investigate the strain in various Ge-on-insulator （GeOI） micro-structures induced by three phase-change maferials （PCMs） （Ge2Sb2Te5, Sb2Te3, GeTe） deposited. The PCMs could change the phase from amorphous state to polycrystalline state with a low temperature thermal annealing, resulting in an intrinsic contraction in the PCM films. Raman spectroscopy analysis is performed to compare the strain induced in the GeOI micro- structures by various PCMs. By comparison, Sb2 Tea could induce the largest amount of tensile strain in the GeOI micro-structures after the low temperature annealing. Based on the strain calculated from the Raman peak shifts, finite element numerical simulation is performed to calculate the strain-induced electron mobility enhancement for Ge n-MOSFETs with PCM liner stressors. With the adoption of Sb2 Te3 liner stressor, 22% electron mobility enhancement at Xinv=1×10^13cm^-2 could be achieved, suggesting that PCM especially Sb2 Te3 liner stressor is a promising technique for the performance enhancement of Ge MOSFETs.

Nanoscale strain engineering of graphene and graphene-based devices

Structural distortions in nano-materials can induce dramatic changes in their electronic properties. This situation is well manifested in graphene, a two-dimensional honeycomb structure of carbon atoms with only one atomic layer thickness. In particular, strained graphene can result in both charging effects and pseudo-magnetic fields, so that controlled strain on a perfect graphene lattice can be tailored to yield desirable electronic properties. Here, we describe the theoretical foundation for strain-engineering of the electronic properties of graphene, and then provide experimental evidence for strain-induced pseudo-magnetic fields and charging effects in monolayer graphene. We further demonstrate the feasibility of nano-scale strain engineering for graphene-based devices by means of theoretical simulations and nano-fabrication technology.

Valley-dependent transport in strain engineering graphene heterojunctions

We study the effect of strain on band structure and valley-dependent transport properties of graphene heterojunctions.It is found that valley-dependent separation of electrons can be achieved by utilizing strain and on-site energies.In the presence of strain,the values of transmission can be effectively adjusted by changing the strengths of the strain,while the transport angle basically keeps unchanged.When an extra on-site energy is simultaneously applied to the central scattering region,not only are the electrons of valleys K and K'separated into two distinct transmission lobes in opposite transverse directions,but the transport angles of two valleys can be significantly changed.Therefore,one can realize an effective modulation of valley-dependent transport by changing the strength and stretch angle of the strain and on-site energies,which can be exploited for graphene-based valleytronics devices.

Raman Scattering Modification in Monolayer ReS_2 Controlled by Strain Engineering

Regulation of optical properties and electronic structure of two-dimensionM layered ReS2 materials has attracted much attention due to their potential in electronic devices. However, the identification of structure transformation of monolayer ReS2 induced by strain is greatly lacking. In this work, the Raman spectra of monolayer ReS2 with external strain are determined theoretically based on the density function theory. Due to the lower structural symmetry, deformation induced by external strain can only regulate the Raman mode intensity but cannot lead to Raman mode shifts. Our calculations suggest that structural deformation induced by external strain can be identified by Raman scattering.

Strain engineering and hydrogen effect for two-dimensional ferroelectricity in monolayer group-Ⅳmonochalcogenides MX(M=Sn,Ge;X=Se,Te,S)

Two-dimensional(2D)ferroelectric compounds are a special class of materials that meet the need for devices miniaturization,which can lead to a wide range of applications.Here,we investigate ferroelectric properties of monolayer group-IV monochalcogenides MX(M=Sn,Ge;X=Se,Te,S)via strain engineering,and their effects with contaminated hydrogen are also discussed.GeSe,GeTe,and GeS do not go through transition up to the compressive strain of-5%,and consequently have good ferroelectric parameters for device applications that can be further improved by applying strain.According to the calculated ferroelectric properties and the band gaps of these materials,we find that their band gap can be adjusted by strain for excellent photovoltaic applications.In addition,we have determined the most stable hydrogen occupancy location in the monolayer SnS and SnTe.It reveals that H prefers to absorb on SnS and SnTe monolayers as molecules rather than atomic H.As a result,hydrogen molecules have little effect on the polarization and electronic structure of monolayer SnTe and SnS.

Research on the Construction and Function of a Chlorophyll Degradation Recombinant Engineering Strain

In order to effectively reduce the chlorophyll content in flue-cured tobacco, improve the overall quality of tobacco leaves, chlorophyllase gene was cloned from Arabidopsis thaliana. After the expression of the expression vector in E. coil, the recombinant engineering strain was obtained. Afterwards, IPTG （isopropy-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside）was used to induce the goal protein, and the chlorophyllase activity of the recombinant engineering strain was measured, so as to investigate its degradation effect on the chlorophyll in the extracts of tobacco leaves. The results were as follows： （1） the amplified chlorophyllase gene At- CLH1 constructed the expression vector pET28a-AtCLH1 successfully, obtaining the recombinant engineering strain; （2） induced under 30 ℃ for 22 h, the strain could well express the recombinant protein AtCLH1 with 0.5 mmol/L IPTG, and the molecular weight was about 35 kDa; （3） the strain showed good chlorophyllase producing capability, and the activity of the produced chlorophyllase could reach up to 24.9 U/mL, which could degrade the chlorophyll in tobacco extract and had a good application prospect in improving the quality of low quality tobacco; （4） based on the results of orthogonal test, the enzyme extract from the strain was added to the tobacco leaf surface, which could make the degradation rate of chlorophyll in the tobacco leaf reach 17.06% under the temperature of 37 ℃ at the humidity of 75% for 48 h; （5） after treated by the enzyme liquid, the test tobacco showed increase in the content of aromatic substances, enhancement of tobacco fragrance quality and amount, significant decrease of offensive odor and irritation, significant improvement of agreeable aftertaste, making the overall sensory quality of the tobacco leaf significantly improved.

Band structures of strained kagome lattices

Materials with kagome lattices have attracted significant research attention due to their nontrivial features in energy bands.We theoretically investigate the evolution of electronic band structures of kagome lattices in response to uniaxial strain using both a tight-binding model and an antidot model based on a periodic muffin-tin potential.It is found that the Dirac points move with applied strain.Furthermore,the flat band of unstrained kagome lattices is found to develop into a highly anisotropic shape under a stretching strain along y direction,forming a partially flat band with a region dispersionless along ky direction while dispersive along kx direction.Our results shed light on the possibility of engineering the electronic band structures of kagome materials by mechanical strain.

Synergistic defect passivation and strain compensation toward efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Rational interface engineering is essential for minimizing interfacial nonradiative recombination losses and enhancing device performance.Herein,we report the use of bidentate diphenoxybenzene(DPOB)isomers as surface modifiers for perovskite films.The DPOB molecules,which contain two oxygen(O)atoms,chemically bond with undercoordinated Pb^(2+) on the surface of perovskite films,resulting in compression of the perovskite lattice.This chemical interaction,along with physical regulations,leads to the formation of high-quality perovskite films with compressive strain and fewer defects.This compressive strain-induced band bending promotes hole extraction and transport,while inhibiting charge recombination at the interfaces.Furthermore,the addition of DPOB will reduce the zero-dimensional(OD) Cs_4PbBr_6 phase and produce the two-dimensional(2D) CsPb_(2)Br_5 phase,which is also conducive to the improvement of device performance.Ultimately,the resulting perovskite films,which are strain-released and defect-passivated,exhibit exceptional device efficiency,reaching 10.87% for carbon-based CsPbBr_(3) device,14.86% for carbon-based CsPbI_(2)Br device,22,02% for FA_(0.97)Cs_(0.03)PbI_(3) device,respectively.Moreover,the unencapsulated CsPbBr_(3) PSC exhibits excellent stability under persistent exposure to humidity(80%) and heat(80℃) for over 50 days.

Interfacial stress engineering toward enhancement of ferroelectricity in Al doped HfO_(2) thin films

Ferroelectric HfO_(2)has attracted much attention owing to its superior ferroelectricity at an ultra-thin thickness and good compatibility with Si-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor(CMOS)technology.However,the crystallization of polar orthorhombic phase(o-phase)HfO_(2)is less competitive,which greatly limits the ferroelectricity of the as-obtained ferroelectric HfO_(2)thin films.Fortunately,the crystallization of o-phase HfO_(2)can be thermodynamically modulated via interfacial stress engineering.In this paper,the growth of improved ferroelectric Al doped HfO_(2)(HfO_(2):Al)thin films on(111)-oriented Si substrate has been reported.Structural analysis has suggested that nonpolar monoclinic HfO_(2):Al grown on(111)-oriented Si substrate suffered from a strong compressive strain,which promoted the crystallization of(111)-oriented o-phase HfO_(2)in the as-grown HfO_(2):Al thin films.In addition,the in-plane lattice of(111)-oriented Si substrate matches well with that of(111)-oriented o-phase HfO_(2),which further thermally stabilizes the o-phase HfO_(2).Accordingly,an improved ferroelectricity with a remnant polarization(2P_(r))of 26.7C/cm^(2) has been obtained.The results shown in this work provide a simple way toward the preparation of improved ferroelectric HfO_(2)thin films.