Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution activities of metal chalcogenides and phosphides:Fundamentals,origins,and future strategies

The development of inexpensive and efficient electrocatalysts is key to commercializing energy-related electrocatalytic techniques such as water electrolyzers and metal-air batteries.In particular,novel oxygen evolution reaction(OER)pre-catalysts,such as transition metal chalcogenides(TMCs)and phosphides(TMPs),have evolved in recent years from traditional stable OER electrocatalysts,which show superior OER electrocatalytic performance compared with transition metal oxides(TMOs)or(oxy)hydroxides(TMOHs).In this feature article,we summarize recent advances in the development of TMCand TMP-based OER electrocatalysts,as well as approaches to improve the OER performance in terms of morphology,structure,composition,surface engineering,lattice-strained and in-situ transformation in the electrolysis process.In particular,the electrochemical stability of TMCs and TMPs in alkaline electrolytes and the evolution of morphology,structure and composition under OER conditions are discussed.In the last section,we discuss the challenges that need to be addressed in this specific area of research and the implications for further research.

Crosslinking Mechanism of Soy Protein-based Adhesives based on Glyoxal and a Compound of Protein Model

The crosslinking mechanism of glyoxal and asparagine was analyzed,and the relationship between the mechanism and practical performances of soy protein-based adhesives was also discussed.It is shown that when pH=1 and 3,glyoxal reacted with asparagine in the form of major cyclic ether compounds.When pH=5,glyoxal reacted with asparagine in two structural forms of sodium glycollate and cyclic ether compounds.However,amidogens of asparagine were easy to develop protonation under acid conditions.Supplemented by the instability of cyclic ether compounds,the reaction activity and reaction degree between glyoxal and asparagine were relatively small.Under alkaline conditions,glyoxal mainly reacted with asparagine in the form of sodium glycollate.With the increase of pH,the polycondensation was more sufficient and the produced polycondensation products were more stable.The reaction mechanism between glyoxal and asparagine had strong correspondence to the practical performances of the adhesives.Glyoxal solution could develop crosslinking reactions with soy protein under both acid and alkaline conditions.Bonding strength and water resistance of the prepared soy protein-based adhesives were increased significantly.When pH>7,glyoxal had relatively high reaction activity and reaction intensity with soy protein,and the prepared adhesives had high crosslinking density and cohesion strength,showing relatively high bonding strength,water resistance and thermal stability.

Simultaneous regulation on coordination environment and interfacial chemistry via taurine for stabilized Zn metal anode

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries(AZIBs)are the potential options for the next-generation energy storage scenarios due to the cost effectiveness and intrinsic safety.Nevertheless,the industrial application of AZIBs is still impeded by a series of parasitic reactions and dendrites at zinc anodes.In this study,taurine(TAU)is used in electrolyte to simultaneously optimize the coordination condition of the ZnSO4electrolyte and interfacial chemistry at the anode.TAU can preferentially adsorb with the zinc metal and induce an in situ stable and protective interface on the anode,which would avoid the connection between H_(2)O and the zinc metal and promote the even deposition of Zn^(2+).The resulting Zn//Zn batteries achieve more than 3000 hours long cyclic lifespan under 1 mA cm^(-2)and an impressive cumulative capacity at 5 mA cm^(-2).Moreover,Zn//Cu batteries can realize a reversible plating/stripping process over 2,400cycles,with a desirable coulombic efficiency of 99.75%(1 mA cm^(-2)).Additionally,the additive endows Zn//NH_(4)V_(4)O_(10)batteries with more stable cyclic performance and ultrafast rate capability.These capabilities can promote the industrial application of AZIBs.

Synergic effect of covalent and chemical sulfur fixation enhancing the immobilization-conversion of polysulfides in lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs)are promising as the next generation energy storage options.However,their wide applications have been technically challenged by the diffusion losses of polysulfides and polysulfide shuttle effect.In this work,the small organic molecules of 2,5-dichloropyrazine(2,5-DCP)were combined with Co-doped carbon(CoA NAC)flakes to achieve the synergic effect of the covalent and chemical sulfur fixation,so as that the immobilization-conversion of polysulfides in LSBs was greatly enhanced.More specifically,the nucleophilic substitution of the 2,5-DCP additive in the electrolyte with polysulfides formed the CAS bonds.Through the further covalent N-Li bonds between the N atoms in 2,5-DCP and polysulfides,sulfur fixation was achieved in the form of solid organosulfur.Meanwhile,the CoA NAC flakes served as the sulfur cathode to chemically anchor the polysulfides.The interaction mechanism between CoA NAC/2,5-DCP and polysulfides was explored by the density functional theory(DFT)calculations and in-situ infrared spectroscopy.The results showed that the optimal“with 2,5-DCP”sample-assembled LSB exhibited an initial discharge specific capacity of 1244 mA h g^(-1)at 0.2C,and a capacity decay rate of 0.053%per cycle was displayed after 800 cycles at 1C.The good cycling stability with a high sulfur-loaded electrode sample suggested that the synergic effect of covalent/chemical sulfur fixation enabled the enhancement of polysulfides immobilization-conversion in LSBs.

Manufacturing N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan-reduced graphene oxide under freeze-dying for performance improvement of Li-S battery

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries can provide far higher energy density than currently commercialized lithium ion batteries, but challenges remain before it they are used in practice.One of the challenges is the shuttle effect that originates from soluble intermediates, like lithium polysulfides. To address this issue, we report a novel laminar composite, N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan-reduced graphene oxide(CC-rGO), which is manufactured via the self-assembly of CC onto GO and subsequent reduction of GO under an extreme condition of 1 Pa and-50°C. The synthesized laminar CC-rGO composite is mixed with acetylene black(AB) and coated on a commercial polypropylene(PP) membrane, resulting in a separator(CC-rGO/AB/PP) that can not only completely suppress the polysulfides penetration, but also can accelerate the lithium ion transportation, providing a Li-S battery with excellent cyclic stability and rate capability. As confirmed by theoretic simulations, this unique feature of CC-rGO is attributed to its strong repulsive interaction to polysulfide anions and its benefit for fast lithium ion transportation through the paths paved by the heteroatoms in CC.

Comparison of Algorithms for an Electronic Nose in Identifying Liquors

When the electronic nose is used to identify different varieties of distilled liquors, the pattern recognition algorithm is chosen on the basis of the experience, which lacks the guiding principle. In this research, the different brands of distilled spirits were identified using the pattern recognition algorithms （principal component analysis and the artificial neural network）. The recognition rates of different algorithms were compared. The recognition rate of the Back Propagation Neural Network （BPNN） is the highest. Owing to the slow convergence speed of the BPNN, it tends easily to get into a local minimum. A chaotic BPNN was tried in order to overcome the disadvantage of the BPNN. The convergence speed of the chaotic BPNN is 75.5 times faster than that of the BPNN.

Study on the effect of RDX content on the properties of nitramine propellant

Four kinds of nitroamine propellants with different RDX contents(10%,20%,30%and 40%)were prepared to study the effect of RDX content on the mechanical properties and combustion properties of nitroamine propellant.The mechanical properties and combustion properties of nitroamine propellant at the normal temperature(20C)and low temperature(à40C)were test by using impact testing machine,drop hammer impact test machine and closed bomb vessel.The test results show that the impact strength of30%RDX-contained nitramine propellant is maximum,but 40%RDX-contained nitramine propellant has the minimum impact strength.And the crushing height of propellant with 20%RDX-contained was the highest,but the crushing height of propellant with 40%RDX-contained the lowest.With the increase in RDX content in nitramine propellant,the energy of nitramine propellant increases and its burning rate reduces,but 40%RDX-contained nitramine propellant did not meet this trend at the low temperature because of its poor mechanical properties.

Three new C_(21) steroidal glycosides from the roots of Cynanchum inamoenum

Three new C21 steroidal glycosides named inamoside E （1）, inamoside F （2） and inamoside G （3） were isolated from the roots of Cynanchum inamoenum （Maxim.） Loes. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis, especially by ID and 2D NMR experiments.

Biomineralization of organic matter in cobalt-rich crusts from the Marcus–Wake Seamounts of the western Pacific Ocean

Organic matter in cobalt-rich crust （CRC） from the Marcus-Wake Seamounts of the western Pacific Ocean, Sample CM1D03, has been analyzed to understand the source, geochemistry and mineralization of organic matter, and the mineralization environment. Biomarkers, includingn-alkanes, isoprenoids, terpanes and sterols, have been detected in various layers of the CRC sample, using gas chromatography （GC） and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. The content of organic carbon （OC） and its stable isotope （δ13C）, and the combined features of the biomarkers show that the mineralized organic matter in CM1D03 CRC was mainly derived from microorganisms and lower plankton （e.g., bacteria and algae, respectively） from marine surface water, with some terrestrial higher plant components. The ratio of chloroform bitu-men ＂A＂： OC was high in the CRC, between 10.51 and 20.66, showing significant migration characteristics of n-alkanes. Four mineralization categories of organic matter were recognized based on GC chromatograms ofn-alkane molecules： （1） primitive type （bacteria and algae）, which is characterized by moderately mature ofn-alkanes preserving the original characteristics of the organic matter from microorganisms and lower plankton; （2） microbial degradation type, which is characterized by low contents ofn-alkanes and rising baseline in the chromatogram, with the ＂bulge＂ being the products of organic matter by biodegradation; （3） organic matter migration type, which is characterized by low carbon number ofn-alkanes withnC18 as the main peak carbon, without odd even predominance, and low concentrations of isoprenoids and hydro-carbons with high carbon number; and （4） organic matter hydrothermal type, which is characterized by relatively low concentration of small molecular weightn-alkanes, pristane, and phytane, accompanied by higher concentration ofn-alkanes with carbon number greater thannC18. This study shows that biomarkers can record controlling factors of mineralization and their variation.

Recent progress of flexible aqueous multivalent ion batteries

Flexible aqueous batteries have been thriving with the growing demand for wearable and portable electrical devices.In particular,flexible aqueous mul tivalent ion batteries(FAMIBs),the charge carriers of which include Zn^(2+),Al^(3+),Mg^(2+),and Ca^(2+),have great potential for development owing to their high safety,high elemental abundance in the Earth's crust,and a multi-electron redox mechanism with a high theoretical specific capacity.Therefore,for a comprehensive understanding of this developing field,it is necessary to summarize the recent research progress of FAMIBs in a timely manner.Herein,the advancements of the state-of-the-art FAMIBs are reviewed,and the prospects toward this field are also proposed.This study focuses on the rational material and configuration design for FAMIBs in recent studies to achieve high battery performances under deformation conditions,which is elaborated on by classification of the anode,cathode,hydrogel electrolyte,and configurations of FAMIBs.Besides,the electrochemical performance of FAMIBs under flexible conditions is also reviewed from the perspective of their working voltage,specific capacity,and cycling stability.Finally,the ap proaches to improve the performance of FAMIBs are comprehensively eval uated,followed by the outlook on the challenges and opportunities in future development of FAMIBs.

Preparation and Characterization of Cathode Materials La_(0.7)Sr_(0.3-x)Ca_xCo_(0.9)Fe_(0.1)O_(3-δ) by Reverse Titration Co-Precipitation Method for ITSOFC

The precursors of La0.7Sr0.3-xCaxCo0.9Fe0.1O3-δ(LSCCF, x=0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) as the cathode materials for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (ITSOFC) were prepared by reverse titration co-precipitation method with metal-nitrates as starting materials and mixed alkali (NaOH and Na2CO3) as a precipitating agent. The formation process of LSCCF from the precursors was monitored by TG-DSC, and the crystal structure and particles morphology of the precursors which were calcined at 600, 800, 1000 ℃ for 3 h were characterized using XRD, SEM technologies. Compared with the solid state reaction of constituent oxides, when the pH value of the precipitating solution was in the range of 9.1～9.5, the LSCCF powders from the precursors caclined at 800 ℃ for 3 h had high purity, homogeneous and single perovskite phase. The electrical conductivity of the LSCCF samples sintered at 1200 ℃ for 3 h, which was measured as a function of temperatures from 100 to 800 ℃ by DC four-probe method in air, decreased with x from 0.05 to 0.20. The value of electrical conductivity was almost equal because of Ca2+, Sr2+ co-dopant resulting in the 'mix effect' while x=0.10 or 0.15. The electrical conductivity of all doped samples was higher than 100 S·cm-1 at intermediate temperatures from 500 to 800 ℃, and there was good compatibility between the LSCCF cathode and Ce0.8Sm0.2O2 electrolyte.

Preparation and hydrogen permeation properties of BaCe_(0.95)Nd_(0.05)O_(3-δ) membranes

Dense mixed proton and electron conducting membrane made of BaCe0.95Nd0.05O3-δ （BCNd5） was prepared by pressing followed by sintering. X-ray diffraction （XRD） was used to characterize the phase structure of both the powder and the sintered membranes. The microstructure of the sintered membranes was studied by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Hydrogen permeation through the BCNd5 membrane was studied using a high temperature permeator. The hydrogen permeation fluxes under wet conditions are higher than those under dry conditions, which is due to H^＋ hopping via surface OH groups. At 925℃, a hydrogen permeation flux of 0.02 mL/min cm^2 was obtained under wet condition, which recommends BCNd5 as a potential material for hydrogen-selective membranes.

Degradation of Formaldehyde and Benzene by TiO2 Photocatalytic Cement Based Materials

A novel photocatalytic cement based material was prepared. The distribution of TiO2 on the surface of cement was characterized by scanning electron microscope（SEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD）, which showed the relationship of photocatalysis and presence of TiO2. TiO2 also had an impact on cement hydration, which was studied by thermal analysis. With 300 W UV illuminations, formaldehyde and benzene were degraded efficiently by the prepared photocatalytic cement based materials. 15wt% TiO2/cement showed the highest degradation efficiency and capability. The results show that formaldehyde and benzene can be degraded within 4 and 9 hours, respectively. Besides, inorganic ions can induce TiO2 agglomeration. As a result, the presence of inorganic ions in cement is unfavorable for degradation. The photocatalytic cement based materials were fabricated and the degradation efficiency of formaldehyde was measured on building roof under sunlight illumination. Formaldehyde in glass chamber can be degraded thoroughly within 10 days.

The Structure and Size-effect of Calcium Modified Lead Titanate Nanocrystal,Pb_(0.85)Ca_(0.15)TiO_3

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Effect of Oxidation on Fracture Toughness of a Carbon/Carbon Composite

The fracture toughness of a carbon/carbon composites oxidized at different temperature for 1 h was measured. The fracture surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results indicate that oxidation temperature has significant effects on the fracture toughness. Fracture toughness decreases with the increase of the weight loss. The SEM images reveal that the decrease of fracture toughness was mainly attributed to the oxidation of the interface in the composite.

Calculation of propellant gas pressure by simple extended corresponding state principle

The virial equation can well describe gas state at high temperature and pressure, but the difficulties in virial coefficient calculation limit the use of virial equation. Simple extended corresponding state principle(SE-CSP) is introduced in virial equation. Based on a corresponding state equation, including three characteristic parameters, an extended parameter is introduced to describe the second virial coefficient expressions of main products of propellant gas. The modified SE-CSP second virial coefficient expression was extrapolated based on the virial coefficients experimental temperature, and the second virial coefficients obtained are in good agreement with the experimental data at a low temperature and the theoretical values at high temperature. The maximum pressure in the closed bomb test was calculated with modified SE-CSP virial coefficient expressions with the calculated error of less than 2%, and the error was smaller than the result calculated with the reported values under the same calculation conditions. The modified SE-CSP virial coefficient expression provides a convenient and efficient method for practical virial coefficient calculation without resorting to complicated molecular model design and integral calculation.

Improvement of Gold to Reducibility of La-Ce-Mn Catalyst under Lean Combustion

The effect of Au on the reducibility of La Ce Mn catalyst was studied in the synthetic exhaust gas mixture containing 10% oxygen. The characteristics of samples were analyzed by BET, SEM, XRD and activity evaluation. The results show that, in lean combustion, the performance of perovskite type catalysts is evidently enhanced through adding Au, and specially a satisfying reducibility for NO x is demonstrated between 300～500 ℃. The catalytic activity of samples increases with the loading amount of Au, and the maximum conversion rate for NO x decomposition reaches up to 47% in 360～400 ℃. Moreover, the dispersivity and uniformity of the surface distribution of perovskite with Au have an important influence on the catalytic activity.

Photoluminescence of Electrospun Poly-Methyl-Methacrylate：Alq3 Composite Fibres

Tris（8-hydroxyquinoline） aluminium doped poly-methyl-methacrylate （PMMA：Alq3） composite nanofibres are fabricated by electrospinning. The morphology of fibres is characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The photoluminescence of a series of the nanofibres with various contents of Alq3 to PMMA is investigated. UVvisible absorption and the PL spectra analysis are employed to analyse the interaction between the polymer and the luminescent molecule.

Preparation of c-Axis Oriented LiNb_(1-x) Ta_xO_3 Films on Si(111) Substrates by a Modified Sol-gel Process

In this work, we succeeded in the preparation of LiNb 1- x Ta x O 3 films on Si(111) substrates by means of sol gel process, and the usual sol gel process for the preparation of LiNbO 3 and LiTaO 3 films on Si substrates was improved by adding a 33% aqueous solution of CH 3CH 2OH to the mixed sols of LiNb(OCH 2CH 3) 6 and LiTa(OCH 2CH 3) 6 . The crystallization behavior of LiNb 1- x Ta x O 3 films on Si(111) substrates has been studied. Highly c axis oriented LiNb 1- x Ta x O 3 films have been obtained within the tantalum composition range of \{0< x <0 33\}. Some factors such as the hydrogen termination of the silicon surface, the RTP annealing process that provides the unidirectional heat flow and the preheating temperature are discussed to analyze the crystallization of the c axis oriented films.