Recent Advances of Graphitic Carbon Nitride-Based Structures and Applications in Catalyst, Sensing, Imaging, and LEDs

The graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_3N_4) which is a two-dimensional conjugated polymer has drawn broad interdisciplinary attention as a low-cost, metal-free, and visible-light-responsive photocatalyst in the area of environmental remediation. The g-C_3N_4-based materials have excellent electronic band structures, electron-rich properties, basic surface functionalities, high physicochemical stabilities and are ‘‘earth-abundant.'' This review summarizes the latest progress related to the design and construction of g-C_3N_4-based materials and their applications including catalysis, sensing,imaging, and white-light-emitting diodes. An outlook on possible further developments in g-C_3N_4-based research for emerging properties and applications is also included.

The Effect of Three-Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation of QuikSCAT Data on the Numerical Simulation of Typhoon Track and Intensity

In this paper, the three-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme (3DVAR) in the mesoscale model version 5 (MM5) of the US Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research is used to study the effect of assimilating the sea-wind data from QuikSCAT on the prediction of typhoon track and intensity. The case of Typhoon Dujuan (2003) is first tested and the results show appreciable improvements. Twelve other cases in 2003 are then evaluated. The assimilation of the QuikSCAT data produces significant impacts on the structure of Dujuan in terms of the horizontal and vertical winds, sea-level pressure and temperature at the initial time. With the assimilation, the 24-h (48-h) track prediction of 11 (10) out of the 12 typhoons is improved. The 24-h (48-h) prediction of typhoon intensity is also improved in 10 (9) of the 12 cases. These experiments therefore demonstrate that assimilation of the QuikSCAT sea-wind data can increase the accuracy of typhoon track and intensity predictions through modification of the initial fields associated with the typhoon.

OBSERVATIONAL ANALYSIS OF ASYMMETRIC DISTRIBUTION OF CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES “CHANCHU” AND “PRAPIROON” MAKING LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTH CHINA COAST

Observational data of mesoscale surface weather stations and weather radars of Guangdong province are employed to analyze the asymmetric distribution of convection prior to, during and after landfall for tropical cyclones of Chanchu and Prapiroon making landfall on the south China coast in 2006. The results showed that strong convection is located in the eastern and northern sectors of the landfalling Chanchu and Prapiroon, namely in the front and right portions of the TC tracks, for a period of time starting from 12 h prior to landfall to 6 h after it. Their convection also had distinct differences in the vertical direction. The analysis indicated that although the landfall of Chanchu and Prapiroon has the same asymmetric distribution of convection, the causes are not exactly the same. The asymmetric distribution of convection in the case of Chanchu is mainly correlated with the impacts of a strong environmental vertical wind shear, low-level horizontal wind shear, and low-level convergence and divergence. In the case of Prapiroon, however, the asymmetric distribution of convection is mainly associated with the impacts of low-level convergence and divergence.

Silica gel-assisted solvothermal production of CdS,Cu_xS (x=1,2) and ZnS with different morphologies

CdS, CuxS (x=1, 2) and ZnS with different morphologies were produced by the solvothermal reactions of M(CH3COO)2·2H2O (M=Cd, Cu and Zn) and NH2CSNH2 in hexane with and without silica gel as a hard template at 200 ℃ for 24 h. The product phases were detected using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Different morphologies were characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The existence of silica gel in modeling morphologies of the sulfides was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. Raman spectra of different products show the vibrations at the same wavenumbers, although they are composed of different morphologies. Photoluminescence (PL) emissions of the corresponding phases with different morphologies are at the same values, but their intensities are increased by template adding.

Improving the performance of polymer solar cells by adjusting the crystallinity and nanoscale phase separation

In this paper, we report a high-perfornmnce P3HT/PCBM bulk-heterojunction solar cell with a power conversion efficiency of 4.85% fabricated by adjusting the polymer crystallinity and nanoscale phase separation using an ultrasonic irradiation mixing approach for the polymer. The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, UV/Vis spectroscopic, and atomic force microscopic measurement results for the P3HT/PCBM blend films reveal that the P3HT/PCBM film fabricated by ultrasonic irradiation mixing of the P3HT and PCBM solutions for 10 min has a higher degree of crystallinity, a higher absorption efficiency, and better phase separation, which together account for the higher charge transport properties and photovoltaic cell performance.

Atomic relaxation,stability and electronic properties of Mg2Sn(100)surfaces from ab-initio calculations

Mg2Sn(100)surfaces were investigated using ab-initio method based on density functional theory in order to explore the surface properties.It is found that both the eleven-layers for Mg-termination surfaces and the nine-layers for Sn-termination surfaces are all converged very well.The effects of relaxation mainly occurred within the three outermost atomic layers for both Mg and Sn terminations during the surface relaxation.Mg-termination surfaces are more stable than Sn-termination surfaces according to the analysis of surface energy.The density of states reveals the metallic property of both Mg-termination and Sn-termination surfaces.Covalent bonding exists in Mg2Sn(100)surfaces according to the analysis of partial density of states.

A review on anode materials for lithium/sodium-ion batteries

Since lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) have been substantially researched in recent years, they now possess exceptional energy and power densities, making them the most suited energy storage technology for use in developed and developing industries like stationary storage and electric cars, etc. Concerns about the cost and availability of lithium have prompted research into alternatives, such as sodium-ion batteries(SIBs), which use sodium instead of lithium as the charge carrier. This is especially relevant for stationary applications, where the size and weight of battery are less important. The working efficiency and capacity of these batteries are mainly dependent on the anode, cathode, and electrolyte. The anode,which is one of these components, is by far the most important part of the rechargeable battery.Because of its characteristics and its structure, the anode has a tremendous impact on the overall performance of the battery as a whole. Keeping the above in view, in this review we critically reviewed the different types of anodes and their performances studied to date in LIBs and SIBs. The review article is divided into three main sections, namely:(i) intercalation reaction-based anode materials;(ii) alloying reaction-based anode materials;and(iii) conversion reaction-based anode materials, which are further classified into a number of subsections based on the type of material used. In each main section, we have discussed the merits and challenges faced by their particular system. Afterward, a brief summary of the review has been discussed. Finally, the road ahead for better application of Li/Na-ion batteries is discussed, which seems to mainly depend on exploring the innovative materials as anode and on the inoperando characterization of the existing materials for making them more capable in terms of application in rechargeable batteries.

Effects of H_2O_2 pretreatment on surface characteristics and bioactivity of NaOH-treated NiTi shape memory alloy

The effects of H2O2 pretreatment on the surface characteristics and bioactivity of NaOH-treated NiTi shape memory alloy(SMA)were investigated by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,Raman spectra,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as a simulated body fluid(SBF)soaking test.It is found that the H2O2 pretreatment can lead to the direct creation of more Ti—OH groups and the decrease in the amount of Ni2O3,Na2TiO3 and remnant NiTi phases on the surfaces of bioactive NiTi SMA prepared by NaOH treatment.As a result,the induction period of apatite formation is shortened by dispensing with the slow kinetic formation process of Ti—OH groups via an exchange of Na+ ions from Na2TiO3 phase with H3O+ ions in SBF,which indicates that the bioactivity of NaOH-treated NiTi SMA can be further improved by the H2O2 pretreatment.

Controllable synthesis,characterization,and growth mechanism of hollow Zn_x Cd_(1-x) S spheres generated by a one-step thermal evaporation method

Novel hollow ZnxCdl xS spheres that are uniform in size are synthesized through the one-step thermal evaporation of a mixture of Zn and CdS powder. From an X-ray diffraction （XRD） study, the hexagonal wurtzite phase of ZnxCdl_xS is verified, and the Zn mole fraction （x） is determined to be 0.09. According to the experimental results, we propose a mechanism for the growth of Zn0.09Cd0.91S hollow spheres. The results of the cathodoluminescence investigation indicate uniform Zn, Cd, and S distribution of alloyed Zn0.09Cd0.91S, instead of separate CdS, ZnS, or nanocrystals of a core- shell structure. To the best of our knowledge, the fabrication of ZnxCd1-xS hollow spheres of this kind by one-step thermal evaporation has never been reported. This work would present a new method of growing and applying hollow spheres on Si substrates, and the discovery of the Zn0.09Cd0.91S hollow spheres would make the investigation of ZnxCd1-xS micro/nanostructures more interesting and intriguing.

Origin of Initial Current Peak in High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering and Verification by Non-Sputtering Discharge

A non-sputtering discharge is utilized to verify the effect of replacement of gas ions by metallic ions and consequent decrease in the secondary electron emission coefficient in the discharge current curves in high-power impulse magnetron sputtering （HiPIMS）. In the non-sputtering discharge involving hydrogen, replacement of ions is avoided while the rarefaction still contributes. The initial peak and ensuing decay disappear and all the discharge current curves show a similar feature as the HiPIMS discharge of materials with low sputtering yields such as carbon. The results demonstrate the key effect of ion replacement during sputtering.

Morphological and electrical properties of SrTiO3/TiO2/SrTiO3 sandwich structures prepared by plasma sputtering

SrTiO3（STO） and TiO2 are insulating materials with large dielectric constants and opposite signs of the quadratic coefficient of voltage（α）. Insertion of a TiO2 thin film between STO layers increases the linearity of the capacitance in response to an applied voltage, to meet the increasing demand of large-capacitance-density dynamic random access memory capacitors. Both STO and TiO2 suffer from the problem of high leakage current owing to their almost equivalent and low bandgap energies. To overcome this, the thickness of the thin TiO2 film sandwiched between the STO films was varied. A magnetron sputtering system equipped with radio frequency and direct current power supply was employed for depositing the thin films. Ti N was deposited as the top and bottom metal electrodes to form a metal–insulator metal（MIM） structure,which exhibited a very large linear capacitance density of 21 fF/um-2 that decreased by increasing the thickness of the TiO2 film. The leakage current decreased with an increase in the thickness of TiO2, and for a 27-nm-thick film, the measured leakage current was 2.0 × 10^-10 A. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy revealed that Ti N, STO, and TiO2 films are crystalline and TiO2 has a dominant anatese phase structure.

Photometric analysis and evolutionary stages of the contact binary V2790 Ori

A photometric analysis and evolutionary stages of the contact binary V2790 Ori are presented.The BV RC observations were carried out at the Thai National Observatory. The photometric light curves were fitted to provide fundamental parameters, required to examine evolutionary stages of the binary. The results indicate that V2790 Ori is a W-type contact system with a mass ratio of q = 2.932. The orbital period increase is found at a rate of d P/dt = 1.03×10^-7 d yr^-1. This implies that a rate of mass transfer from the secondary component to the primary one is dm2/dt =6.31×10^-8 M⊙yr^-1. Furthermore, we find that from the detached phase to the contact phase, the amount of mass that the evolved secondary component has lost is 1.188±0.110 M⊙, i.e., mass lost by the system is 0.789±0.073 M⊙and mass transfer to the primary is0.399±0.037 M⊙. Since the time of the first overflow, the angular momentum loss is found to be 72.2% of JFOF, causing the orbit and Roche surface to shrink until the present time.

Effect of carbon addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-based bulk metallic glass forming alloys

A kind of novel Ti-based composites was developed by introducing different amounts of carbon element to the Ti50Cu23Ni20Sn7 bulk metallic glass forming alloys. The thermal stability and microstructural evolution of the composites were investigated. Room temperature compression tests reveal that the composite samples with 1% and 3%（mass fraction） carbon additions have higher fracture strength and obvious plastic strain of 2195MPa, 3.1% and 1913MPa, 1.3% respectively, compared with those of the corresponding carbon-free Ti50Ni20Cu23Sn7 alloys. The deformation mechanisms of the composites with improved mechanical properties were also discussed.

Mechanical and thermodynamical stability of BiVO4 polymorphs using first-principles study

First principles calculations of structural, electronic, mechanical, and thermodynamic properties of different poly- morphs of BiVO4 are performed using Bender-type plane/wave ultrasoft pseudopotentials within the generalized gradient approximation （GGA） in the flame of density functional theory （DFT）. The calculated structural and electronic properties are consistent with the previous theoretical and experimental results. The electronic structures reveal that m-BiVO4, op- BiVO4, and st-BiVO4 have indirect band gaps, on the other hand, zt-BiVO4 has a direct band gap. From the DOS and Mulliken＇s charge analysis, it is observed that only m-BiVO4 has 6s2 Bi lone pair. Bond population analysis indicates that st-BiVO4 shows a more ionic nature and a similar result is obtained from the elastic properties. From the elastic prop- erties, it is observed that st-BiVO4 is more mechanically stable than the others, st-BiVO4 is more ductile and useful for high electro-optical and electro-mechanical coupling devices. Our calculated thermodynamic properties confirm the similar characteristics found from electronic and elastic properties, m-BiVO4 is useful as photocatalysts, solid state electrolyte, and electrode and other polymorphs are applicable in electronic device fabrications.

Electric-Field Switching of Bright and Dark Excitons in Semiconductor Crossed Nanowires

We investigate theoretically the exciton states in semiconductor crossed nanowires(CNWs)and it is found that the energy spectrum and electro-PL spectrum of the exciton in the CNWs can be tuned by the size of the nanowires using electric fields.An interesting bright-to-dark exciton transition can be found and it significantly affects the photoluminescence spectrum by the electric fields,which can be used to design new types of optoelectronic devices.

Silicon-on-Insulator Structure Fabricated by Electron Beam Evaporation of Si on Porous Si and Epitaxial Layer Transfer

Epitaxial monocrystalline Si was grown on porous silicon by ultra-high vacuum electron beam evaporation.Results of reflection high energy electron diffraction,atomic force microscopy,cross-section transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and channeling(RBS/C)show a good quality of the epitaxial layer.Furthermore,silicon-on-insulator materials were successfully produced by bond and etch back of porous silicon.The quality of the silicon on insulator samples was investigated by RBS/C and spreading resistance profiling.Experimental results show that both the crystalline quality and electrical quality are good.In addition,the interface between the top Si layer and SiO2 buried layer is very sharp.

Exact Expressions of Energy Spectrum and Partition Function for Quantum Quadratic Systems

Based on the linear quantum transformation theory,we present a new approach to obtain the explicit expressions of energy spectrum and simplify the derivations of partition functions for general multi-mode boson and fermion quadratic systems.

Simultaneous study of the lower order harmonic and photoelectron emission from an atom in intense laser pulse

We simultaneously investigate variations of a low order harmonic and photoelectron emission with an incident laser intensity by solving the time-dependent Schr6dinger equation in a momentum space. It can be found that, the intensity of low order harmonic and photoelectron are gradually enhanced with the increase of the laser intensity, when the laser frequency is not in resonance with the transition frequency between the laser-induced high excited states and the ground state. If the resonance occurs, the intensity of the lower order harmonic is reduced and the interference can be observed in the lower order photoelectron spectra.

Effects of N_2/O_2 flow rate on the surface properties and biocompatibility of nano-structured TiO_xN_y thin films prepared by high vacuum magnetron sputtering

NiTi shape memory alloys（SMA） have many biomedical applications due to their excellent mechanical and biocompatible properties. However, nickel in the alloy may cause allergic and toxic reactions, which limit some applications. In this work, titanium oxynitride films were deposited on NiTi samples by high vacuum magnetron sputtering for various nitrogen and oxygen gas flow rates. The x-ray diffraction（XRD） and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy（XPS） results reveal the presence of different phases in the titanium oxynitride thin films. Energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS） elemental mapping of samples after immersion in simulated body fluids（SBF） shows that Ni is depleted from the surface and cell cultures corroborate the enhanced biocompatibility in vitro.

Generalized uncertainty principle from long-range kernel effects:The case of the Hawking black hole temperature

We prove the existence of an analogy between spatial long-range interactions,which are of the convolution-type introduced in non-relativistic quantum mechanics,and the generalized uncertainty principle predicted from quantum gravity theories.As an illustration,black hole temperature effects are discussed.It is observed that for specific choices of the moment's kernels,cold black holes may emerge in the theory.