Cascade utilization of full spectrum solar energy for achieving simultaneous hydrogen production and all-day thermoelectric conversion

Solar-driven photocatalytic water/seawater splitting holds great potential for green hydrogen production.However,the practical application is hindered by the relatively low conversion efficiency resulting from the inadequate utilization of solar spectrum with significant waste in the form of heat.Moreover,current equipment struggles to maintain all-day operation subjected to the lack of light during nighttime.Herein,a novel hybrid system integrating photothermal catalytic(PTC)reactor,thermoelectric generator(TEG),and phase change materials(PCM)was proposed and designed(named as PTC-TEG-PCM)to address these challenges and enable simultaneous overall seawater splitting and 24-hour power generation.The PTC system effectively maintains in an optimal temperature range to maximize photothermal-assisted photocatalytic hydrogen production.The TEG component recycles the low-grade waste heat for power generation,complementing the shortcoming of photocatalytic conversion and achieving cascade utilization of full-spectrum solar energy.Furthermore,exceptional thermal storage capability of PCM allow for the conversion of released heat into electricity during nighttime,contributing significantly to the overall power output and enabling PTC-TEG-PCM to operate for more than 12 h under the actual condition.Compared to traditional PTC system,the overall energy conversion efficiency of the PTC-TEG-PCM system can be increased by∼500%,while maintaining the solar-to-hydrogen efficiency.The advancement of this novel system demonstrated that recycling waste heat from the PTC system and utilizing heat absorption/release capability of PCM for thermoelectric application are effective strategies to improve solar energy conversion.With flexible parameter designing,PTC-TEG-PCM can be applied in various scenarios,offering high efficiency,stability,and sustainability.

Chalcogen heteroatoms doped nickel-nitrogen-carbon single-atom catalysts with asymmetric coordination for efficient electrochemical CO_(2)reduction

The electronic configuration of central metal atoms in single-atom catalysts(SACs)is pivotal in electrochemical CO_(2)reduction reaction(eCO_(2)RR).Herein,chalcogen heteroatoms(e.g.,S,Se,and Te)were incorporated into the symmetric nickel-nitrogen-carbon(Ni-N4-C)configuration to obtain Ni-X-N3-C(X:S,Se,and Te)SACs with asymmetric coordination presented for central Ni atoms.Among these obtained Ni-X-N3-C(X:S,Se,and Te)SACs,Ni-Se-N3-C exhibited superior eCO_(2)RR activity,with CO selectivity reaching~98%at-0.70 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode(RHE).The Zn-CO_(2)battery integrated with Ni-Se-N3-C as cathode and Zn foil as anode achieved a peak power density of 1.82 mW cm-2 and maintained remarkable rechargeable stability over 20 h.In-situ spectral investigations and theoretical calculations demonstrated that the chalcogen heteroatoms doped into the Ni-N4-C configuration would break coordination symmetry and trigger charge redistribution,and then regulate the intermediate behaviors and thermodynamic reaction pathways for eCO_(2)RR.Especially,for Ni-Se-N3-C,the introduced Se atoms could significantly raise the d-band center of central Ni atoms and thus remarkably lower the energy barrier for the rate-determining step of*COOH formation,contributing to the promising eCO_(2)RR performance for high selectivity CO production by competing with hydrogen evolution reaction.

Cooperative structure of Li/Ni mixing and stacking faults for achieving high-capacity Co-free Li-rich oxides

Co-free Li-rich layered oxides(LLOs)are emerging as promising cathode materials for Li-ion batteries due to their low cost and high capacity.However,they commonly face severe structural instability and poor electrochemical activity,leading to diminished capacity and voltage performance.Herein,we introduce a Co-free LLO,Li_(1.167)Ni_(0.222)Mn_(0.611)O_(2)(Cf-L1),which features a cooperative structure of Li/Ni mixing and stacking faults.This structure regulates the crystal and electronic structures,resulting in a higher discharge capacity of 300.6 mA h g^(-1)and enhanced rate capability compared to the typical Co-free LLO,Li_(1.2)Ni_(0.2)Mn_(0.6)O_(2)(Cf-Ls).Density functional theory(DFT)indicates that Li/Ni mixing in LLOs leads to increased Li-O-Li configurations and higher anionic redox activities,while stacking faults further optimize the electronic interactions of transition metal(TM)3d and non-bonding O 2p orbitals.Moreover,stacking faults accommodate lattice strain,improving electrochemical reversibility during charge/discharge cycles,as demonstrated by the in situ XRD of Cf-L1 showing less lattice evolution than Cf-Ls.This study offers a structured approach to developing Co-free LLOs with enhanced capacity,voltage,rate capability,and cyclability,significantly impacting the advancement of the next-generation Li-ion batteries.

Assessing the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus in Smart Irrigation: A Potato Farming Case Study in Lebanon

This study examines the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus in Lebanese agriculture, with a focus on the shift from conventional surface irrigation techniques to advanced smart irrigation systems in the Bekaa region, specifically targeting potato cultivation. The study quantitatively analyzes the interaction among water, energy, and agricultural outputs at the farm scale using the WEFE Nexus framework for scenario analysis. It evaluates variations in water productivity, environmental effects, and economic outcomes, offering a detailed view of existing practices and their sustainable improvement potential. The WEFE Nexus assessment demonstrates that smart irrigation integration significantly decreased resource usage: water consumption was reduced by 58%, diesel fuel use for irrigation dropped by 57%, and the demand for labor and fertilizers decreased by 47% and 49%, respectively. This change led to enhanced crop yields and increased resource efficiency, demonstrating the potential of smart irrigation as a transformative strategy for sustainable agriculture in Lebanon and other arid areas. Economic analysis showed that farmers could recover the costs of installing the smart irrigation system within 3 months. The findings highlight the need for further research on integrating smart irrigation with renewable energy, showing potential for sustainable agricultural development. .

Sequential Growth of Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9)/BiVO_(4)Direct Z-Scheme Heterojunction for Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic CO_(2)Reduction

The high exciton binding energy and lack of a positive oxidation band potential restrict the photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction efficiency of lead-free Bi-based halide perovskites Cs_(3)Bi_(2)X_(9)(X=Br,I).In this study,a sequential growth method is presented to prepare a visible-light-driven(λ>420 nm)Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst composed of BiVO_(4)nanocrystals decorated on a Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9)nanosheet for photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction coupled with water oxidation.The Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9)/BiVO_(4)Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst is stable in the gas-solid photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction system,demonstrating a high visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO_(2)-to-CO production rate of 17.5μmol/(g·h),which is approximately three times that of pristine Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9).The high efficiency of the Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9)/BiVO_(4)heterojunction was attributed to the improved charge separation in Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9).Moreover,the Z-scheme charge-transfer pathway preserves the negative reduction potential of Cs_(3)Bi_(2)I_(9)and the positive oxidation potential of BiVO_()4.This study off ers solid evidence of constructing Z-scheme heterojunctions to improve the photocatalytic performance of lead-free halide perovskites and would inspire more ideas for developing leadfree halide perovskite photocatalysts.

Photo Acoustic Energy Applications for the Detection of Human Arterial Blockages via Multiple Skin/Bone Layers, a Non-Invasive Approach

The impact of arterial narrowing/blocking caused by plaque buildup in arteries leads to many life-threatening consequences. This is recognized as a cause in heart attacks and peripheral vascular disease. Diagnosing the illness is only feasible after symptoms have presented to the patient. Currently, the standard for visualizing coronary arteries is through angiography, which may have complications, and impact on the healthcare system. Furthermore, cardiac catheterization may also places high health risks, given its overall invasiveness. Cardiac arrhythmias, infection, and contrast dye nephrotoxicity are recognized complications within this process. Therefore, a noninvasive approach may have potentials to reduce patient complications, finances surrounding healthcare, and more efficient patient care through earlier screening and diagnosing. This research addresses a new approach using photoacoustic (PA) imaging. The transmission properties of atherosclerosis within walls of arteries, can be exploited using photo acoustics, to better visualize and characterize the degree and severity of atherosclerosis. The delivered energy is absorbed by components of the vascular tissue converted into heat, leading to transient thermos elastic expansion, which creates an acoustic emission. The thermal response was analyzed for its fall and recovery times that are attributed to the artery fat type. The control parameters, including the frequency, penetration depth, energy levels, and tissue layer sizes, for multilayered structures were considered. The structures investigated were fatty infiltrate within the artery, blood, bones, and skin, within frequency range from 1 MHz to 3 MHz, and typical tissue sizes in the milli to centimeter range. As high as 14 MPas in the acoustic pressure at 1 MHz, resulted in temperature difference of up to 3.4 K. When the operating frequency was altered to 2 MHz, the temperature changed to 23 K. Furthermore, when the frequency was changed to 3 MHz, the temperature moved to 43 K. The changes in temperatures were for nearly 1 second duration. The results obtained in this study suggest that there is high potential for practical models using flexible substrate with infra-red sensors and acoustic devices.

Nanoparticle-induced drag reduction for polyacrylamide in turbulent flow with high Reynolds numbers

Although having been increasingly studied, there is still controversy as to when the addition of nanoparticles could improve the drag reduction performance of polymer drag reducer and particularly what is the underlying mechanism from the fluid dynamics viewpoint. The drag reduction effects of adding SiO_(2) nanoparticles to various polymer polyacrylamide(PAM) solutions were examined in this work.The optimal combination of SiO_(2) nanoparticles with cationic polyacrylamide was confirmed.Interestingly,the addition of SiO_(2) nanoparticles to cationic polyacrylamide solution was shown to be quite efficient for reducing drag, but only at higher flow rates with Reynolds numbers more than 6000, below which the nanoparticle addition is even negative. The addition of SiO_(2) nanoparticles to the PAM solution is supposed to play a dual role. The first is an increase in flow resistance caused by the Brownian motion of nanoparticles, while the second is a decrease in flow resistance caused by acting as nodes to protect the polymer chain from shear-induced breaking under high shear action. At optimal nanoparticle concentration and under higher Reynolds numbers, the later effect is dominant, which could improve the drag reduction performance of polymer drag reducers. Our work should serve as a guide for the application of natural gas fracturing, where the flow rate is frequently very high.

Improving Performance of Recurrent Neural Networks Using Simulated Annealing for Vertical Wind Speed Estimation

An accurate vertical wind speed(WS)data estimation is required to determine the potential for wind farm installation.In general,the vertical extrapolation of WS at different heights must consider different parameters fromdifferent locations,such as wind shear coefficient,roughness length,and atmospheric conditions.The novelty presented in this article is the introduction of two steps optimization for the Recurrent Neural Networks(RNN)model to estimate WS at different heights using measurements from lower heights.The first optimization of the RNN is performed to minimize a differentiable cost function,namely,mean squared error(MSE),using the Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno algorithm.Secondly,the RNN is optimized to reduce a non-differentiable cost function using simulated annealing(RNN-SA),namely mean absolute error(MAE).Estimation ofWS vertically at 50 m height is done by training RNN-SA with the actualWS data a 10–40 m heights.The estimatedWS at height of 50 m and the measured WS at 10–40 heights are further used to train RNN-SA to obtain WS at 60 m height.This procedure is repeated continuously until theWS is estimated at a height of 180 m.The RNN-SA performance is compared with the standard RNN,Multilayer Perceptron(MLP),Support Vector Machine(SVM),and state of the art methods like convolutional neural networks(CNN)and long short-term memory(LSTM)networks to extrapolate theWS vertically.The estimated values are also compared with realWS dataset acquired using LiDAR and tested using four error metrics namely,mean squared error(MSE),mean absolute percentage error(MAPE),mean bias error(MBE),and coefficient of determination(R2).The numerical experimental results show that the MSE values between the estimated and actualWS at 180mheight for the RNN-SA,RNN,MLP,and SVM methods are found to be 2.09,2.12,2.37,and 2.63,respectively.

Eco-friendly calcium alginate microspheres enable enhanced profile control and oil displacement

Polymer microspheres(PMs),such as polyacrylamide,have been widely applied for enhanced oil recovery(EOR),yet with environmental concerns.Here,we report a microfluid displacement technology containing a bio-based eco-friendly material,i.e.,calcium alginate(CaAlg)microspheres for EOR.Two dominant mechanisms responsible for EOR over Ca Alg fluid have been verified,including the microscopic oil displacement efficacy augmented by regulating capillary force(determined by the joint action of interfacial tension and wettability between different phases)and macroscopic sweep volume increment through profile control and mobility ratio reduction.This comprehensive effectiveness can be further impacted when the CaAlg microsphere is embellished ulteriorly by using appropriate amount of sodium dodecyl sulfonate(SDS).The core flooding and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)tests demonstrate that CaAlg-SDS microsphere can balance the interphase property regulation(wettability alteration and IFT reduction)and rheology properties,enabling simultaneous profile control and oil displacement.Excessive introduction of SDS will have a negative impact on rheological properties,which is not favored for EOR.Our results show that the involvement of 4-m M SDS will provide the best behavior,with an EOR rate of 34.38%.This cost-effective and environmentally-friendly bio-microspherebased microfluidic displacement technology is expected to achieve“green”oil recovery in future oilfield exploitation.

MgO and Au nanoparticle Co-modified g-C_(3)N_(4)photocatalysts for enhanced photoreduction of CO_(2)with H_(2)O

The photoreduction of CO_(2)to achieve high-value-added hydrocarbons under simulated sunlight irradiation is advantageous,but challenging.In this study,a series of MgO and Au nanoparticle-co-modified g-C_(3)N_(4)photocatalysts were synthesized and subsequently applied for the photocatalytic reduction of CO_(2)with H2O under simulated solar irradiation.The best photocatalytic performance was demonstrated by the Au and 3%MgO-co-modified g-C_(3)N_(4)photocatalysts with CO,CH_(4),CH3OH,and CH3CHO yields of 423.9,83.2,47.2,and 130.4μmol/g,respectively,in a 3-h reaction.We investigated the effects of MgO and Au as cocatalysts on photocatalytic behaviors,respectively.The characterizations and experimental results showed that the enhanced photocatalytic activity was due to the synergistic effect among the components of the ternary photocatalyst.The cocatalyst MgO can activate CO_(2)(adsorbed at the interface between the MgO and Au particles),and the Mg-N bonds formed in the MgO-CN nanosheets played an important role in the charge transfer.Meanwhile,the Au particles that were modified into MgO/g-C_(3)N_(4)can increase the absorption of visible light via the surface plasmon resonance effect and further reduce the activation energies of the photoreduction of CO_(2)using H2O.This study provided an effective method for the modification of traditional primary photocatalysts with promising performance for photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction.

Electron-Deficient Zn-N_(6) Configuration Enabling Polymeric Carbon Nitride for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Overall Water Splitting

Despite of suitable band structures for harvesting solar light and driving water redox reactions,polymeric carbon nitride(PCN)has suffered from poor charge transfer ability and sluggish surface reaction kinetics,which limit its photocatalytic activity for water splitting.Herein,atomically dispersed Zn-coordinated three-dimensional(3D)sponge-like PCN(Zn-PCN)is synthesized through a novel intermediate coordination strategy.Advanced characterizations and theoretical calculations well evidence that Zn single atoms are coordinated and stabilized on PCN in the form of Zn-N_(6) configura-tion featured with an electron-deficient state.Such an electronic configuration has been demonstrated contributive to promoted electron excitation,accelerated charge separation and transfer as well as reduced water redox barriers.Further benefited from the abundant surface active sites derived from the 3D porous structure,Zn-PCN realizes visible-light photocatalysis for overall water splitting with H_(2) and O_(2) simultaneously evolved at a stoichiometric ratio of 2:1.This work brings new insights into the design of novel single-atom photocatalysts by deepening the understanding of electronic configurations and reactive sites favorable to excellent photocatalysis for water splitting and related solar energy conversion reactions.

Bacterial Cellulose Composite Solid Polymer Electrolyte With High Tensile Strength and Lithium Dendrite Inhibition for Long Life Battery

The development of metallic lithium anode is restrained by lithium dendrite growth during cycling.The solid polymer electrolyte with high mechanical strength and lithium ion conductivity could be applied to inhibit lithium dendrite growth.To prepare the high-performance solid polymer electrolyte,the environment-friendly and cheap bacterial cellulose(BC)is used as filler incorporating with PEO-based electrolyte owing to good mechanical properties and Li salts compatibility.PEO/Li TFSI/BC composite solid polymer electrolytes(CSPE)are prepared easily by aqueous mixing in water.The lithium ion transference number of PEO/Li TFSI/BC CSPE is 0.57,which is higher than PEO/Li TFSI solid polymer electrolyte(SPE)(0.409).The PEO/Li TFSI/BC CSPE exhibits larger tensile strength(4.43 MPa)than PEO/Li TFSI SPE(1.34 MPa).The electrochemical window of composite electrolyte is widened 1.43 V by adding BC.Density functional theory calculations indicate that flex of PEO chains around Li atoms is suppressed,suggesting the enhanced lithium ion conductivity.Frontier molecular orbitals results suggest that an unfavorable intermolecular charge transfer lead to achieve higher potential for BC composite electrolyte.All solid-state Li metal battery with PEO/Li TFSI/BC CSPE delivers longer cycle life for 600 cycles than PEO/Li TFSI SPE battery(50 cycles).Li symmetrical battery using PEO/Li TFSI/BC CSPE could be stable for 1160 h.

Ultrafine polycrystalline titania nanofibers for superior sodium storage

Sodium ion batteries have a huge potential for large-scale energy storage for the low cost and abundance of sodium resources. In this work, a novel structure of ultrafine polycrystalline TiO2 nanofibers is prepared on nickel foam/carbon cloth by a simple vapor deposition method. The as-prepared TiO2 nanofibers show excellent performance when used as anodes for sodium-ion batteries. Specifically, the TiO2 nanofibers@nickel foam electrode delivers a high reversible capacity of 263.2 m Ahg^-1 at 0.2 C and maintains a considerable capacity of 144.2 m Ahg^-1 at 10 C. The TiO2 nanofibers@carbon cloth electrode also shows excellent high-rate capability, sustaining a capacity of 148 m Ahg^-1 after 20 0 0 cycles at 10 C. It is believed that the novel nanofibrous structure increases the contact area with the electrolyte and greatly shortens the sodium ion diffusion distance, and meanwhile, the polycrystalline nature of nanofibers exposes more intercalation sites for sodium storage. Furthermore, the density functional theory calculations exhibit strong ionic interactions between the exposed TiO2(101) facets and sodium ions, leading to a preferable sodiation/desodiation process. The unique structural features endow the TiO2 nanofibers electrodes great advantages in rapid sodium storage with an outstanding high-rate capability.

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.

Auto-thermal reforming of acetic acid for hydrogen production by Zn_(x)Ni_(y)CrO_(m±δ) catalysts:Effect of Cr promoted Ni-Zn intermetallic compound

A series of Zn_(x)Ni_(y)CrO_(m±δ)catalysts were synthesized via a typical co-precipitation method,in which Zn-Cr layered double hydroxides(LDHs)were found and Ni-Zn intermetallic compound(IMC)was formed after reduction in hydrogen.During auto-thermal reforming(ATR)of acetic acid(HAc),the Ni-Zn IMC was transformed into Ni/(amorphous-ZnO)-ZnCr_(2)O_(4) species with uniformed distribution and appropriate interaction within these Ni-Zn-Cr-O species;besides,the adsorbed oxygen promoted the activation and transfer of oxygen species;therefore,deactivation by oxidation,sintering and coking was inhibited.And the optimized Zn_(2.37)Ni_(0.63)CrO_(4.5±δ)catalyst presented high activity and stability in a 45-h ATR test with HAc conversion near 100%and hydrogen yield at 2.7 mol-H_(2)/mol-HAc,showing potential for hydrogen production via ATR of HAc.

Experimental investigation of effect of refrigerant gases,compressor lubricant and operating conditions on performance of a heat pump

In the field of heat pumps,there are a number of parameters that affect the performance and efficiency of the apparatus,which have been the subject of studies by individual researchers in the literature.This study describes an experimental method in order to investigate the effects of some significant parameters on heat pump performance.In this regard,a laboratory heat pump setup has been utilized to operate in different working conditions for achieving an appropriate estimation to find out effects of mentioned parameters such as refrigerant type and charge amount,compressor oil viscosity,compressor cooling fan,secondary fluids temperature and flow rate.Different refrigerants have been selected and used as circulating fluid in the installed heat pump.Although this work has been devoted to a detailed attempt to recognize the effects of various parameters on the coefficient of performance(COP) value,an appropriate method has been carried out to survey the obtained results by using economic analysis.It was revealed that one of the main parameters is refrigerant charge amount which has a notable effect on COP.The temperature of the heat source was also tested and the performance of the system increased by more than 11% by employing mentioned modifications and various operating conditions.In addition,by selecting a low viscosity compressor oil,the system performance increased by 18%.This improvement is more than 6% for the case that cooling fan is installed to cool the compressor element.

Experimental investigation of thermal performance characteristics of sintered copper wicked and grooved heat pipes:A comparative study

Heat pipes are most frequently used for thermal management solutions.Selection of right type of heat pipe for a specific scenario is utmost necessary for best outcomes.The purpose of this research is comparison of thermal performance characteristics of sintered copper wicked and grooved heat pipes,which are mostly used types of heat pipes.Distilled water filled heat pipes were tested through experimentation in gravity assisted position.Experimental outcomes have been compiled in terms of capillary pressure,operating temperature,thermal resistance and heat transfer coefficient.Capillary pressure is high in sintered heat pipes compared to grooved heat pipes irrespective of groove dimensions.Grooved heat pipes have lower operating temperature compared to sintered heat pipes at the same heat load.At 8 W,compared to sintered heat pipes,grooved heat pipes have 8.24% lower condenser surface temperature,4.41% lower evaporator surface temperature and 7.79% lower saturation temperature.Thermal resistance of sintered heat pipe is much lower than grooved heat pipe.The maximum relative difference of 63.8% was observed at 8 W.Heat transfer coefficient of sintered heat pipe was observed double compared to grooved heat pipe at 8 W heat load.Thermal resistance and hence heat transfer coefficient of sintered heat pipe change almost in a linear manner with respect to heat load but unexpectedly turning point is observed in thermal resistance and heat transfer coefficient of grooved heat pipe.Grooved heat pipes attain equilibrium much earlier compared to sintered ones.Varying heat loads from 4 to 20 W causes variation in equilibrium establishment time from 7 to 4 min for grooved and from 10 to 7 min for sintered heat pipes.

Comparative Analysis of Energy Efficiency in Wheat Production in Different Climate Conditions of Europe

This paper presents results concerning energy efficiency of wheat production considered in the context of specific energy input variation in different climatic conditions of Europe as well as case studies on implementation of selected energy saving measures in practice. The source data collected from the six european union （EU） countries represent five agricultural regions of continental Europe and three climates： continental, temperate and Mediterranean. The life cycle assessment （LCA） methodology was applied to analyze the data excluding of pre-farm gate activities. The total primary energy consumption was decomposed into main energy input streams and it was regressed to yield. In order to compare energy efficiency of wheat production across the geographical areas, the data envelopment analysis （DEA） was applied. It was shown that the highest wheat yield （6.7 t/ha to 8.7 t/ha） at the lowest specific energy input （2.08 GJ/t to 2.56 G J/t） is unique for temperate climate conditions. The yield in continental and Mediterranean climatic conditions is on average lower by 1.3 t/ha and 2.7 t/ha and energy efficiency lower by 14% and 38%, respectively. The case studies have shown that the energy saving activities in wheat production may be universal for the climatic zones or specific for a given geographical location. It was stated that trade-offs between energy, economic, and environmental effects, which are associated with implementation of a given energy saving measure or a set of measures to a great extent depend on the current energy efficiency status of the farm and opportunity for investment, which varies substantially across Europe.

利用三元合金保护和催化的硅光阳极与廉价硅太阳能电池相结合实现12.0%的太阳能制氢效率

n型硅(n-Si)表面在水溶液中容易被氧化和钝化,导致其在光电化学(PEC)分解水的析氧反应(OER)动力学缓慢。本工作通过欠电位沉积成功地在p^(+)n-Si基底上电沉积了三金属Ni_(0.9)Fe_(0.05)Co_(0.05)保护层。制备的Ni_(0.9)Fe_(0.05)Co_(0.05)/p^(+)n-Si光阳极具有优异的稳定性和PEC水氧化活性,具有相对低的OER起始电位(相对于可逆氢电极电势(RHE)仅为0.938 V),并且在1.23 V vs.RHE电位时具有较高的光电流密度(33.1 m A·cm^(-2)),显著优于Ni/p^(+)n-Si光阳极。工作证明了Fe在Ni层的掺杂会在Ni_(0.9)Fe_(0.05)Co_(0.05)/p^(+)n-Si界面处产生较大的能带弯曲,促进界面电荷分离。此外,Co的加入会产生丰富的Ni^(3+)和氧空位(Ov),作为活性位点可以加速OER动力学过程,协同促进PEC过程中的水氧化的活性。令人鼓舞的是,通过将Ni_(0.9)Fe_(0.05)Co_(0.05)/p^(+)n-Si光阳极连接到廉价的硅太阳能电池上,所制备的集成光伏/PEC(PV/PEC)器件实现了无偏压下高达12.0%的太阳制氢能量转换效率。这项工作提供了一种简单的方法来设计高效、稳定的n-Si基光阳极,并对其构效关系有了深刻的理解;这种方法制备的材料在集成低成本PV/PEC器件用于无辅助太阳能驱动水分解方面具有巨大的潜力。

Extra contribution to the crystal stability of insensitive explosive TATB: The cooperativity of intermolecular interactions

An in-depth analysis on the cooperativity of intermolecular interactions including hydrogen bonding andπ-π stacking in 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene(TATB) crystal was studied. Two quantities, cooperativity rate and energy, were defined to evaluate the nature and strength of cooperativity in a series of clusters diverging from 1D to 3D prototypes. The origin and mechanism of the cooperative effect were settled to demonstrate that the nature of cooperativity is determined by whether the non-covalent interactions compete or promote with each other, which is manifested by the changing trend of electron transfer. There exists obvious cooperative effect in intra-layer and inter-layer structures as they own the equivalent non-covalent interactions, while anti-cooperative effect is also observed if two interactions correlate with each other. On the whole, in the process of crystal formation, the apparent cooperativity is the check and balance of the two effects, which is capable to support a global interaction among all of molecules and contribute to the stabilization of system. Based on the results, one may get a new insight to understand the relationship between non-covalent interactions and low impact sensitivity.