Hierarchically Structured Nb_(2)O_5 Microflowers with Enhanced Capacity and Fast-Charging Capability for Flexible Planar Sodium Ion Micro-Supercapacitors

Planar Na ion micro-supercapacitors(NIMSCs) that offer both high energy density and power density are deemed to a promising class of miniaturized power sources for wearable and portable microelectron-ics. Nevertheless, the development of NIMSCs are hugely impeded by the low capacity and sluggish Na ion kinetics in the negative electrode.Herein, we demonstrate a novel carbon-coated Nb_(2)O_5 microflower with a hierarchical structure composed of vertically intercrossed and porous nanosheets, boosting Na ion storage performance. The unique structural merits, including uniform carbon coating, ultrathin nanosheets and abun-dant pores, endow the Nb_(2)O_5 microflower with highly reversible Na ion storage capacity of 245 mAh g^(-1) at 0.25 C and excellent rate capability.Benefiting from high capacity and fast charging of Nb_(2)O_5 microflower, the planar NIMSCs consisted of Nb_(2)O_5 negative electrode and activated car-bon positive electrode deliver high areal energy density of 60.7 μWh cm^(-2),considerable voltage window of 3.5 V and extraordinary cyclability. Therefore, this work exploits a structural design strategy towards electrode materials for application in NIMSCs, holding great promise for flexible microelectronics.

Transition from a filamentary mode to a diffuse one with varying distance from needle to stream of an argon plasma jet

Plasma jet has extensive application potentials in various fields, which normally operates in a diffuse mode when helium is used as the working gas. However, when less expensive argon is used, the plasma jet often operates in a filamentary mode. Compared to the filamentary mode, the diffuse mode is more desirable for applications. Hence, many efforts have been exerted to accomplish the diffuse mode of the argon plasma jet. In this paper, a novel single-needle argon plasma jet is developed to obtain the diffuse mode. It is found that the plasma jet operates in the filamentary mode when the distance from the needle tip to the central line of the argon stream(d) is short. It transits to the diffuse mode with increasing d. For the diffuse mode, there is always one discharge pulse per voltage cycle, which initiates at the rising edge of the positive voltage. For comparison, the number of discharge pulse increases with an increase in the peak voltage for the filamentary mode. Fast photography reveals that the plasma plume in the filamentary mode results from a guided positive streamer,which propagates in the argon stream. However, the plume in the diffuse mode originates from a branched streamer, which propagates in the interfacial layer between the argon stream and the surrounding air. By optical emission spectroscopy,plasma parameters are investigated for the two discharge modes, which show a similar trend with increasing d. The diffuse mode has lower electron temperature, electron density, vibrational temperature, and gas temperature compared to the filamentary mode.

Formation mechanism of bright and dark concentric-ring pattern in dielectric barrier discharge

In this work,a bright and dark concentric-ring pattern is reported in a dielectric barrier discharge for the first time.The spatiotemporal dynamics of the bright and dark concentric-ring pattern are investigated with an intensified charge-coupled device and photomultiplier tubes.The results indicate that the bright and dark concentric-ring pattern is composed of three concentric-ring sublattices.These are bright concentric-ring structures,dark concentric-ring structures and wider concentric-ring structures,respectively.The bright concentric-ring structures and dark concentricring structures are alternately distributed.The bright concentric-ring structures are located at the centre of the wider concentric-ring structures.The wider concentric-ring structures first form from the outer edge and gradually develop to the centre.The essence of all three concentric-ring structures is the individual discharge filaments.The optical emission spectra of different sublattices are acquired and analysed.It is found that the plasma parameters of the three concentricring sublattices are different.Finally,the formation mechanism of the bright and dark concentricring pattern is discussed.

A Localization Method of High Energy Transients for All-sky Gamma-ray Monitor

Fast and reliable localization of high-energy transients is crucial for characterizing the burst properties and guiding the follow-up observations.Localization based on the relative counts of different detectors has been widely used for all-sky gamma-ray monitors.There are two major methods for this count distribution localization:χ^(2)minimization method and the Bayesian method.Here we propose a modified Bayesian method that could take advantage of both the accuracy of the Bayesian method and the simplicity of the χ^(2)method.With comprehensive simulations,we find that our Bayesian method with Poisson likelihood is generally more applicable for various bursts than the χ^(2)method,especially for weak bursts.We further proposed a location-spectrum iteration approach based on the Bayesian inference,which could alleviate the problems caused by the spectral difference between the burst and location templates.Our method is very suitable for scenarios with limited computation resources or timesensitive applications,such as in-flight localization software,and low-latency localization for rapidly follow-up observations.

Hydrogenic donor impurity states and intersubband optical absorption spectra of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides in dielectric environments

The hydrogenic donor impurity states and intersubband optical absorption spectra in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides(ML TMDs) under dielectric environments are theoretically investigated based on a two-dimensional(2D)nonorthogonal associated Laguerre basis set. The 2D quantum confinement effect together with the strongly reduced dielectric screening results in the strong attractive Coulomb potential between electron and donor ion, with exceptionally large impurity binding energy and huge intersubband oscillator strength. These lead to the strong interaction of the electron with light in a 2D regime. The intersubband optical absorption spectra exhibit strong absorption lines of the non-hydrogenic Rydberg series in the mid-infrared range of light. The strength of the Coulomb potential can be controlled by changing the dielectric environment. The electron affinity difference leads to charge transfer between ML TMD and the dielectric environment, generating the polarization-electric field in ML TMD accompanied by weakening the Coulomb interaction strength. The larger the dielectric constant of the dielectric environment, the more the charge transfer is, accompanied by the larger polarization-electric field and the stronger dielectric screening. The dielectric environment is shown to provide an efficient tool to tune the wavelength and output of the mid-infrared intersubband devices based on ML TMDs.

Heterogeneous hydration patterns of G-quadruplex DNA

G-quadruplexes(GQs) are guanine-rich, non-canonical nucleic acid structures that play fundamental roles in biological processes. Their structure and function are strongly influenced by their hydration shells. Although extensively studied through various experimental and computational methods, hydration patterns near DNA remain under debate due to the chemically and topologically heterogeneous nature of the exposed surface. In this work, we employed all-atom molecular dynamics(MD) simulation to study the hydration patterns of GQ DNA. The Drude oscillator model was used in MD simulation as a computationally efficient method for modeling electronic polarization in DNA ion solutions. Hydration structure was analyzed in terms of radial distribution functions and high-density three-dimensional hydration sites. Analysis of hydration dynamics focused on self-diffusion rates and orientation time correlation at different structural regions of GQ DNA.The results show highly heterogeneous hydration patterns in both structure and dynamics;for example, there are several insular high-density sites in the inner channel, and ‘spine of water’ in the groove. For water inside the loop, anomalous diffusion is present over a long time scale, but for water around the phosphate group and groove, diffusion becomes normal after ~30 ps. These essentially correspond to deeply buried structural water and strong interaction with DNA, respectively.

Synergistic effect of total ionizing dose on single-event gate rupture in SiC power MOSFETs

The synergistic effect of total ionizing dose(TID) and single event gate rupture(SEGR) in SiC power metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistors(MOSFETs) is investigated via simulation. The device is found to be more sensitive to SEGR with TID increasing, especially at higher temperature. The microscopic mechanism is revealed to be the increased trapped charges induced by TID and subsequent enhancement of electric field intensity inside the oxide layer.

Realization of homogeneous dielectric barrier discharge in atmospheric pressure argon and the effect of beads on its characteristics

This paper describes the realization of a homogeneous dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)in argon at atmospheric pressure.The effect of the morphology of the dielectric surface(especially the dielectric surface covered by hollow ceramic beads(99%Al_(2)O_(3))with different diameters)on discharge is investigated.With different dielectrics,the argon DBD presents two discharge modes:a filamentary mode and a homogeneous mode.Fast photography shows that the filamentary mode operates in a streamer discharge,and the homogeneous mode operates in a Townsend discharge regime.It is found that a homogeneous discharge can be generated within a certain voltage range.The voltage amplitude range decreases,and the breakdown voltage increases with the increase in the mean diameter of the ceramic beads.Waveforms of the total current and optical emission signal present stochastic pulses per half voltage cycle for the filamentary mode,whereas there is one single hump per half voltage cycle for the homogeneous mode.In the homogeneous mode,the intensity of the optical emission decreases with the mean diameter of the ceramic beads.The optical emission spectrum is mainly composed of atomic lines of argon and the second positive system of molecular nitrogen.It reveals that the electron density decreases with the increasing mean diameter of the ceramic beads.The vibrational temperature increases with the increasing mean diameter of the ceramic beads.It is believed that a large number of microdischarges are formed,and smaller ceramic beads have a larger activation surface area and more point discharge.Electrons liberated in the shallow well and electrons generated from microdischarges can increase the secondary electron emission coefficient of the cathode and provide initial electrons for discharge continuously.Therefore,the breakdown electric field is reduced,which contributes to easier generation of homogeneous discharge.This is confirmed by the simulation results.

Enhancing the activity of FeNi bimetallic electrocatalysts on overall water splitting by Nd_(2)O_(3)-induced FeNi lattice contraction

The development of high-efficiency and cost-effective bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting remains a formidable challenge.Herein,FeNi-Nd_(2)O_(3) nanoparticles anchored on N-doped carbon nanotubes(FeNi-Nd_(2)O_(3)/NCN) are designed for highly effective overall water splitting via a facile two-step hydrothermal approach.The synthetic FeNi-Nd_(2)O_(3) hetero-trimers(Fe 2p-Ni 2p-Nd 3d orbital coupling)on NCN achieve excellent oxygen evolution reaction(OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) activities with overpotentials of 270 and 120 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2) in 1 M KOH solution.Moreover,a small voltage of 1.52 V at 10 mA cm^(-2) is achieved when FeNi-Nd_(2)O_(3)/NCN is assessed as bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting,which is superior to the typically integrated Pt/C and RuO_(2) counterparts(1.54 V at 10 mA cm^(-2)).The related characterizations including X-ray absorption fine structure(XAFS)spectroscopy show that the remarkably improved activity is originated from Nd_(2)O_(3)-induced FeNi bimetallic lattice contraction.Furthermore,density functional theory(DFT) calculations indicate that the lattice contraction reduces binding energies of intermediates by downshifting the position of FeNi bimetallic d-band center relative to the Fermi level to optimize catalytic performance.Therefore,the Nd_(2)O_(3)-induced FeNi bimetallic lattice contraction may provide a new perspective for designing and synthesizing innovative catalytic systems.

Benchmarking calculations of excitation energies and transition properties with spectroscopic accuracy of highly charged ions used for the fusion plasma and astrophysical plasma

Atomic radiative data such as excitation energies, transition wavelengths, radiative rates, and level lifetimes with high precision are the essential parameters for the abundance analysis, simulation, and diagnostics in fusion and astrophysical plasmas. In this work, we mainly focus on reviewing our two projects performed in the past decade. One is about the ions with Z■30 that are generally of astrophysical interest, and the other one is about the highly charged krypton(Z = 36)and tungsten(Z = 74) ions that are relevant in research of magnetic confinement fusion. Two different and independent methods, namely, multiconfiguration Dirac–Hartree–Fock(MCDHF) and the relativistic many-body perturbation theory(RMBPT) are usually used in our studies. As a complement/extension to our previous works for highly charged tungsten ions with open M-shell and open N-shell, we also mainly focus on presenting and discussing our complete RMBPT and MCDHF calculations for the excitation energies, wavelengths, electric dipole(E1), magnetic dipole(M1), electric quadrupole(E2), and magnetic quadrupole(M2) transition properties, and level lifetimes for the lowest 148 levels belonging to the 3l3configurations in Al-like W61+. We also summarize the uncertainties of our systematical theoretical calculations, by cross-checking/validating our datasets from our RMBPT and MCDHF calculations, and by detailed comparisons with available accurate observations and other theoretical calculations. The data are openly available in Science Data Bank at https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.10569.

In-plane spin excitation of skyrmion bags

Skyrmion bags are spin structures with arbitrary topological charges, each of which is composed of a big skyrmion and several small skyrmions. In this work, by using an in-plane alternating current(AC) magnetic field, we investigate the spinwave modes of skyrmion bags, which behave differently from the clockwise(CW) rotation mode and the counterclockwise(CCW) rotation mode of skyrmions because of their complex spin topological structures. The in-plane excitation power spectral density shows that each skyrmion bag possesses four resonance frequencies. By further studying the spin dynamics of a skyrmion bag at each resonance frequency, the four spin-wave modes, i.e., a CCW-CW mode, two CW-breathing modes with different resonance strengths, and an inner CCW mode, appear as a composition mode of outer skyrmion–inner skyrmions. Our results are helpful in understanding the in-plane spin excitation of skyrmion bags, which may contribute to the characterization and detection of skyrmion bags, as well as the applications in logic devices.

Adsorption dynamics of double-stranded DNA on a graphene oxide surface with both large unoxidized and oxidized regions

The adsorption dynamics of double-stranded DNA(dsDNA)molecules on a graphene oxide(GO)surface are important for applications of DNA/GO functional structures in biosensors,biomedicine and materials science.In this work,molecular dynamics simulations were used to examine the adsorption of different length dsDNA molecules(from 4 bp to24 bp)on the GO surface.The dsDNA molecules could be adsorbed on the GO surface through the terminal bases and stand on the GO surface.For short dsDNA(4 bp)molecules,the double-helix structure was partially or totally broken and the adsorption dynamics was affected by the structural fluctuation of short dsDNA and the distribution of the oxidized groups on the GO surface.For long dsDNA molecules(from 8 bp to 24 bp)adsorption is stable.By nonlinear fitting of the contact angle between the axis of the dsDNA molecule and the GO surface,we found that a dsDNA molecule adsorbed on a GO surface has the chance of orienting parallel to the GO surface if the length of the dsDNA molecule is longer than 54 bp.We attributed this behavior to the flexibility of dsDNA molecules.With increasing length,the flexibility of dsDNA molecules also increases,and this increasing flexibility gives an adsorbed dsDNA molecule more chance of reaching the GO surface with the free terminal.This work provides a whole picture of adsorption of dsDNA molecules on the GO surface and should be of benefit for the design of DNA/GO based biosensors.

Production of χc and ηc in Ultra-Peripheral Collisions with Two-Photon Processes

We calculate the production of χc and ηc by the two-photon process in ultra-peripheral heavy ion collisions at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and Large Hadron Collider (LHC) energies. The differential cross section of transverse momentum distribution and rapidity distribution for (H = χc and ηc), are estimated by using the equivalent photon flux in the impact parameter space. The numerical results indicate that the study of χc and ηc in ultra-peripheral heavy ion collisions are feasible at RHIC and LHC energies.

Factors resisting protein adsorption on hydrophilic/hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers terminated with hydrophilic hydroxyl groups

The hydroxyl-terminated self-assembled monolayer(OH-SAM),as a surface resistant to protein adsorption,exhibits substantial potential in applications such as ship navigation and medical implants,and the appropriate strategies for designing anti-fouling surfaces are crucial.Here,we employ molecular dynamics simulations and alchemical free energy calculations to systematically analyze the factors influencing resistance to protein adsorption on the SAMs terminated with single or double OH groups at three packing densities(∑=2.0 nm^(-2),4.5 nm^(-2),and 6.5 nm^(-2)),respectively.For the first time,we observed that the compactness and order of interfacial water enhance its physical barrier effect,subsequently enhancing the resistance of SAM to protein adsorption.Notably,the spatial hindrance effect of SAM leads to the embedding of protein into SAM,resulting in a lack of resistance of SAM towards protein.Furthermore,the number of hydroxyl groups per unit area of double OH-terminated SAM at ∑=6.5 nm^(-2) is approximately 2 to 3 times that of single OH-terminated SAM at ∑=6.5 nm^(-2) and 4.5 nm^(-2),consequently yielding a weaker resistance of double OH-terminated SAM towards protein.Meanwhile,due to the structure of SAM itself,i.e.,the formation of a nearly perfect ice-like hydrogen bond structure,the SAM exhibits the weakest resistance towards protein.This study will complement and improve the mechanism of OH-SAM resistance to protein adsorption,especially the traditional barrier effect of interfacial water.

Light-assisted rechargeable zinc-air battery:Mechanism,progress,and prospects

Exploring effective energy storage systems is critical to alleviate energy scarcity.Rechargeable zinc-air batteries are promising energy storage devices.However,conventional rechargeable zinc-air battery systems face many challenges associated with electrolytes and electrodes,causing inferior electrochemistry performance.The light-assisted strategy represents a novel and innovative approach to conventional zinc-air battery technology that uses only electrical energy.This strategy effectively combines both light and electrical energy conversion/storage mechanisms.In addition,light-assisted rechargeable zinc-air batteries can achieve photocharging with or without applied electrical bias by partially using solar energy and the acceleration of oxygen reduction/evolution reaction kinetics.In this paper,the working mechanism and structural design of the light-assisted rechargeable zinc-air batteries are introduced based on the theory of photoelectrochemistry and its characteristics.Then,the latest advances in electrolyte and photocathode design strategies are discussed in detail.The performance enhancement of aqueous light-assisted rechargeable zinc-air batteries using photoelectric materials is explained.Finally,a summary and outlook on the further modification of properties of light-assisted rechargeable zinc-air batteries,especially the photovoltaic electrode catalyst design strategies,are illustrated.This review provides insights and guidance for the design of high-performance light-assisted rechargeable Zn-air batteries for next-generation energy storage devices.

Unveiling the Re,Cr,and I diffusion in saturated compacted bentonite using machine-learning methods

The safety assessment of high-level radioactive waste repositories requires a high predictive accuracy for radionuclide diffusion and a comprehensive understanding of the diffusion mechanism.In this study,a through-diffusion method and six machine-learning methods were employed to investigate the diffusion of ReO_(4)^(−),HCrO_(4)^(−),and I−in saturated compacted bentonite under different salinities and compacted dry densities.The machine-learning models were trained using two datasets.One dataset contained six input features and 293 instances obtained from the diffusion database system of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency(JAEA-DDB)and 15 publications.The other dataset,comprising 15,000 pseudo-instances,was produced using a multi-porosity model and contained eight input features.The results indicate that the former dataset yielded a higher predictive accuracy than the latter.Light gradient-boosting exhibited a higher prediction accuracy(R2=0.92)and lower error(MSE=0.01)than the other machine-learning algorithms.In addition,Shapley Additive Explanations,Feature Importance,and Partial Dependence Plot analysis results indicate that the rock capacity factor and compacted dry density had the two most significant effects on predicting the effective diffusion coefficient,thereby offering valuable insights.

Corrigendum to“Anthraquinone derivatives supported by Ti_(3)C_(2)(MXene)as cathode materials for aluminum-organic batteries”[J.Energy Chem.74(2022)174–183]

The authors regret that the printed version of the above article contained an error reference.We hope to correct it here.[14]B.J.M.Christophe Legein,Franck Fayon,Angew.Chem.Int.Ed.,132(2020)19409–19415.

Reconfigurable(4, 6^(2)) and(4, 8^(2)) Archimedean plasma photonic crystals in dielectric barrier discharge

Archimedean photonic crystal has become a research area of great interest due to its various unique properties. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the realization of reconfigurable(4, 6^(2))and(4, 8^(2)) Archimedean plasma photonic crystals(APPCs) by use of dielectric barrier discharges in air. Dynamical control on both the macrostructures including the lattice symmetry and the crystal orientation, and the microstructures including the fine structures of scattering elements has been achieved. The formation mechanisms of APPCs are studied by time-resolved measurements together with numerical simulations. Large omnidirectional band gaps of APPCs have been obtained. The tunable topology of APPCs may offer new opportunities for fabricating multi-functional and highly-integrated microwave devices.

Enhancing I^(0)/I^(-)Conversion Efficiency by Starch Confinement in Zinc-lodine Battery

The redox couple of I^(0)/I^(-)in aqueous rechargeable iodine–zinc(I^(2)-Zn)batteries is a promising energy storage resource since it is safe and cost-effective,and provides steady output voltage.However,the cycle life and efficiency of these batteries remain unsatisfactory due to the uncontrolled shuttling of polyiodide(I_(3)^(-)and I_(5)^(-))and side reactions on the Zn anode.Starch is a very low-cost and widely sourced food used daily around the world.“Starch turns blue when it encounters iodine”is a classic chemical reaction,which results from the unique structure of the helix starch molecule–iodine complex.Inspired by this,we employ starch to confine the shuttling of polyiodide,and thus,the I^(0)/I^(-)conversion efficiency of an I^(2)-Zn battery is clearly enhanced.According to the detailed characterizations and theoretical DFT calculation results,the enhancement of I^(0)/I^(-)conversion efficiency is mainly originated from the strong bonding between the charged products of I_(3)^(-)and I_(5)^(-)and the rich hydroxyl groups in starch.This work provides inspiration for the rational design of high-performance and low-cost I^(2)-Zn in AZIBs.

Probabilistic Teleportation of an Unknown Two-Particle State with a Four-Particle Pure Entangled State and Positive Operator Valued Measure

We propose a scheme for probabilistic teleportation of an unknown two-particle state with a four-particle pure entangled state and positive operator valued measure （POVM）. In this scheme the teleportation of an unknown two-particle state can be realized with certain probability by performing two Bell state measurements, a proper POVM and a unitary transformation.