The Enhancement of CO2 Chemical Absorption by K2CO3 Aqueous Solution in the Presence of Activated Carbon Particles

The enhancement of chemical absorption of CO2 by K2CO3/H2O absorbents in the presence of activated carbon （AC） particles was investigated. The results show that the gas absorption rates can be enhanced significantly in the presence of AC particles, and the maximum enhancement factor 3.7 was observed at low stirring intensities. The enhancement factor increased rapidly with the solid loading during the initial period of absorption and then be- came mild gradually to a maximum value. Both the liquid-solid contact area and the probability of solid particles residing at the gas-liquid interface decreased with the increase of the particle size, leading to a negative effect on the enhancement of mass transfer. The influence of the particles on gas absorption decreased with the reaction rate. The stirring speed changed the interfacial coverage and mass transfer rate on the liquid side and consequently affected the mass transfer between the gas and liquid phases; the enhancement factor decreased with the stirring intensity. A heterogeneous two-zone model was proposed for predicting the enhancement factor and the calculated results agreed well with the experimental data.

The Principle of Introducing Halogen Ions Into β-FeOOH: Controlling Electronic Structure and Electrochemical Performance

Coordination tuning electronic structure of host materials is a quite effective strategy for activating and improving the intrinsic properties.Herein,halogen anion(X-)-incorporated β-FeOOH(β-FeOOH(X),X=F-,Cl-,and Br-) was investigated with a spontaneous adsorption process,which realized a great improvement of supercapacitor performances by adjusting the coordination geometry.Experiments coupled with theoretical calculations demonstrated that the change of Fe-O bond length and structural distortion of β-FeOOH,which is rooted in halogen ions embedment,led to the relatively narrow band gap.Because of the strong electronegativity of X-,the Fe element in β-FeOOH(X)s presented the unexpected high valence state(3+δ),which is facilitating to adsorb S032-species.Consequently,the designed β-FeOOH(X)s exhibited the good electric conductivity and enhanced the contact between electrode and electrolyte.When used as a negative electrode,the β-FeOOH(F) showed the excellent specific capacity of 391.9 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 current density,almost tenfold improvement compared with initial β-FeOOH,with the superior rate capacity and cyclic stability.This combinational design principle of electronic structure and electrochemical performances provides a promising way to develop advanced electrode materials for supercapacitor.

Chemical and Thermal Resistance of Basalt Fiber in Inclement Environments

To study the applicability of the basalt fiber through various experimental works in thermal and chemical environments, glass fiber and carbon fiber were compared and discussed. The tensile strength testing was used to investigate the corrosive resistance of basalt fiber, meanwhile, surface study by scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis with complementary X-ray diffraction analysis （SEM/EDS） was also used to ascertain the durability of basalt fiber. The basalt fiber showed better strength retention than the glass fiber at relatively high temperature. Its tensile strength increased when exposed at 300 ~C for several hours, and still maintain about 70% of the initial strength at 400 ~C, whereas that of the glass fiber decreased dramatically. The better stability of the basalt fiber was observed in hydrothermal and chemical environment. The tensile strength of the basalt fiber increased by 20% after the immersion in boiling water and remained well in acid solution, when it comes to glass fiber, the tensile strength decreased to some extent. Although the alkali resistance of basalt fiber was poor at the initial stage, it shows better resistance than the glass fiber after long time treatment.

Influence of nitrogen hetero-substitution on the electrochemical performance of coal-based activated carbons measured in non-aqueous electrolyte

Nitrogen-containing carbons were prepared by modification of activated carbons.The modified carbons were used as electrode materials with improved electrochemical performance.Precursor anthracite was activated by KOH(KOH:anthracite= 1:1), modified by melamine or urea and then treated at 1173 K to obtain the modified carbons.The porous structure, the chemical composition and the electrochemical characteristics of the carbons were investigated by nitrogen sorption, XPS and electrochemical methods respectively.Electrochemical experiments were performed in an organic electrolytic solution of 1 M(C2H5)4NBF4/PC.The samples modified by the different methods showed differences in chemical composition that introduced varying degrees of electrochemical performance enhancement.The presence of nitrogen enhanced the electron donor properties and the surface wettability of the activated carbons:this ensured a sufficient utilization of the exposed surface for charge storage.

Pulse Operation of Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser by Pulsed Gas Discharge with the Assistance of Spark Pre-ionization

The continuous wavelength chemical oxygen-iodine laser can be turned into pulse operation mode in order to obtain high energy and high pulse power. We propose an approach to produce iodine atoms instantaneously by pulsed gas discharge with the assistance of spark pre-ionization to achieve the pulsed goal. The influence of spark pre-ionization on discharge homogeneity is discussed. Voltage-current characteristics are shown and discussed in existence of the pre-ionization capacitor and peaking capacitor. The spark pre-ionization and peaking capacitor are very helpful in obtaining a stable and homogeneous discharge. The lasing is achieved at the total pressure of 2.2-2.9 kPa and single pulse energy is up to 180 mJ, the corresponding specific output energy is 1.0 3/L.

Green microfluidics in microchemical engineering for carbon neutrality

The concept of“carbon neutrality”poses a huge challenge for chemical engineering and brings great opportunities for boosting the development of novel technologies to realize carbon offsetting and reduce carbon emissions.Developing high-efficient,low-cost,energy-efficient and eco-friendly microfluidicbased microchemical engineering is of great significance.Such kind of“green microfluidics”can reduce carbon emissions from the source of raw materials and facilitate controllable and intensified microchemical engineering processes,which represents the new power for the transformation and upgrading of chemical engineering industry.Here,a brief review of green microfluidics for achieving carbon neutral microchemical engineering is presented,with specific discussions about the characteristics and feasibility of applying green microfluidics in realizing carbon neutrality.Development of green microfluidic systems are categorized and reviewed,including the construction of microfluidic devices by bio-based substrate materials and by low carbon fabrication methods,and the use of more biocompatible and nondestructive fluidic systems such as aqueous two-phase systems(ATPSs).Moreover,low carbon applications benefit from green microfluidics are summarized,ranging from separation and purification of biomolecules,high-throughput screening of chemicals and drugs,rapid and cost-effective detections,to synthesis of fine chemicals and novel materials.Finally,challenges and perspectives for further advancing green microfluidics in microchemical engineering for carbon neutrality are proposed and discussed.

Atomically dispersed metal sites in COF-based nanomaterials for electrochemical energy conversion

Atomically dispersed metal sites(ADMSs)play key roles in electrochemical energy conversion.The covalent organic frameworks(COFs)enable the precise control of the chemical compositions and structures at the molecular level,making them ideal substrates for supporting ADMSs.In this review,we systematically summarize the recent progress on the design and synthesis of ADMSs in COFs,including embedding molecular catalysts into COFs,immobilizing ADMSs on heteroatom-containing COFs,and preparing COF-derived carbon materials through pyrolysis.The electrocatalytic performance of the resulting catalysts is presented for various electrochemical reactions,involving oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),carbon dioxide reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR),oxygen evolution reaction(OER),hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),and nitrogen reduction reaction(NRR).The modulation strategies of AMDSs in COFs for enhanced activity,selectivity,and stability are highlighted,together with a perspective of the current challenges and the future opportunities in this field.

Understanding of the electrochemical behaviors of aqueous zinc-manganese batteries:Reaction processes and failure mechanisms

As one of the most common cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs),manganese oxides have the advantages of abundant reserves,low cost,and low toxicity.However,the electrochemical mechanism at the cathode of aqueous zinc-manganese batteries(AZMBs) is complicated due to different electrode materials,electrolytes and working conditions.These complicated mechanisms severely limit the research progress of AZMBs system and the design of cells with better performance.Hence,the mechanism of AZMBs currently recognized by most researchers according to the classification of the main ions involved in the faradaic reaction is introduced in the review.Then a series of reasons that affect the electrochemical behavior of the battery are summarized.Finally,the failure mechanisms of AZMBs over prolonged cycling are discussed,and the current insufficient research areas of the system are explained,along with the direction of further research being prospected.

A novel structure of quasi-monolayered NiCo-bimetal-phosphide for superior electrochemical performance

Bimetallic transition metal phosphides(TMPs)as potential candidates for superior electrochemical performance are still facing great challenges in the controllable preparation of two-dimensional(2 D)structures with high aspect ratio.Herein,a novel structure of quasi-monolayered NiCo-bimetal-phosphide(NiCoP)has been designed and successfully synthesized by the newly developed process combined with ultrasonic-cavitation and phase-transition.This is the first time to break through the controllable preparation of 2 D bimetal-phosphides with a thickness of 0.98 nm in sub-nanoscale.Based on the advantages of 2 D quasi-monolayer structure with dense crystalline-amorphous interface and the reconfigured electronic structure between Ni^(δ+)/Co^(δ+)and P^(δ-),the optimized Ni_(5%)CoP exhibits an outstanding bifunctional performance for electrocatalyzing both hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction in an alkaline medium.Ni_(5%)CoP presents lower overpotentials and voltage of 84 mV&259 mV and1.48 V at the current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)for HER&DER and overall water splitting,respectively,which are superior to most other reported 2 D bimetal-phosphides.This work provides a new strategy to optimize the performance of electrolytic water for bimetal-phosphates and it may be of significant value in extending the design of other ultrathin 2 D structured catalysts.

Pulsed Chemical Oxygen Iodine Lasers Excited by Pulse Gas Discharge with the Assistance of Surface Sliding Discharge Pre-ionization

Continuous-wave chemical oxygen-iodine lasers (COILs) can be operated in a pulsed operation mode to obtain a higher peak power.The key point is to obtain a uniform and stable glow discharge in the mixture of singlet delta oxygen and iodide.We propose using an electrode system with the assistance of surface sliding pre-ionization to solve the problem of the stable glow discharge with a large aperture.The pre-ionization unit is symmetrically fixed on the plane of the cathode surface.A uniform and stable glow discharge is obtained in a mixture of iodide (such as CH3I) and nitrogen at the specific deposition energy of 4.5 J/L,pressure of 1.99-3.32 kPa,aperture size of 11 cm × 10cm.The electrode system is applied in a pulsed COIL.Laser energy up to 4.4J is obtained and the specific energy output is 2 J/L.

Research progress on preparation and purification of fluorine-containing chemicals in lithium-ion batteries

With the development of digital products,electric vehicles and energy storage technology,electronic chemicals play an increasingly prominent role in the field of new energy such as lithium-ion batteries.Electronic chemicals have attracted extensive attention in various fields.Characteristics of high-end electronic chemicals are high purity and low impurity content,which requires a very strict separation and purification process.At present,crystallization is a key technology for their separation and purification of electronic chemicals.In this work,the representative fluorine-containing compounds in cathode and anode materials,separator and electrolyte of lithium-ion batteries are introduced.The latest technologies for the preparation and purification of four kinds of fluorine-containing battery chemicals by crystallization technology are reviewed.In addition,the research prospects and suggestions are put forward for the separation of fluorine-containing battery chemicals.

Recent progress on equation-oriented optimization of complex chemical processes

Process optimization in equation-oriented(EO)modeling environments favors the gradient-based optimization algorithms by their abilities to provide accurate Jacobian matrices via automatic or symbolic differentiation.However,computational inefficiencies including that in initial-point-finding for Newton type methods have significantly limited its application.Recently,progress has been made in using a pseudo-transient(PT)modeling method to address these difficulties,providing a fresh way forward in EO-based optimization.Nevertheless,research in this area remains open,and challenges need to be addressed.Therefore,understanding the state-of-the-art research on the PT method,its principle,and the strategies in composing effective methodologies using the PT modeling method is necessary for further developing EO-based methods for process optimization.For this purpose,the basic concepts for the PT modeling and the optimization framework based on the PT model are reviewed in this paper.Several typical applications,e.g.,complex distillation processes,cryogenic processes,and optimizations under uncertainty,are presented as well.Finally,we identify several main challenges and give prospects for the development of the PT based optimization methods.

Photochemical microfluidic synthesis of vitamin D_3 by improved light sources with photoluminescent substrates

This study presents a novel technique for the controllable preparation of photoluminescent substrates to enhance the photochemical microfluidic synthesis of vitamin D_3.The dip-coating method to prepare the substrates was experimentally optimized,and the corresponding emission behaviors were systematically investigated.The substrates were successfully used to enhance the ultraviolet B(UVB) emission of a low-power light source(e.g.,an 8 W lamp),whose UVB emission intensity was increased by approximately 11 times.By virtue of the novel light source,the productivity of a single set of photochemical microreactor with a 12-meter-long channel(0.6 mm i.d.) was increased to 1.83 kg·a^(-1),which was 42% higher than that of a 100 W lamp,and no cooling devices were used.The method is simple and has great potential to replace traditional medium-pressure mercury lamps for UVB-irradiated photochemical reactions.

High throughput screening of single atomic catalysts with optimized local structures for the electrochemical oxygen reduction by machine learning

Single atomic catalysts(SACs),especially metal-nitrogen doped carbon(M-NC)catalysts,have been extensively explored for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction(ORR),owing to their high activity and atomic utilization efficiency.However,there is still a lack of systematic screening and optimization of local structures surrounding active centers of SACs for ORR as the local coordination has an essential impact on their electronic structures and catalytic performance.Herein,we systematic study the ORR catalytic performance of M-NC SACs with different central metals and environmental atoms in the first and second coordination sphere by using density functional theory(DFT)calculation and machine learning(ML).The geometric and electronic informed overpotential model(GEIOM)based on random forest algorithm showed the highest accuracy,and its R^(2) and root mean square errors(RMSE)were 0.96 and 0.21,respectively.30 potential high-performance catalysts were screened out by GEIOM,and the RMSE of the predicted result was only 0.12 V.This work not only helps us fast screen high-performance catalysts,but also provides a low-cost way to improve the accuracy of ML models.

Phytochemical analysis and biological activities of Hertia cheirifolia L. roots extracts

Objective: To test the antioxidant, antimicrobial and a-glucosidase inhibitory activities of the roots extracts from Hertia cheirifolia(H. cheirifolia) L.Methods: Total phenolics and total flavonoids content of the different extracts were determined by colorimetric methods and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography(RP-HPLC) was performed to identify various chemical components.The different extracts were evaluated for antioxidant activities by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylenebenzothiozoline-6-sulfonic acid(ABTS·^+) and β-carotene bleaching tests and α-glucosidase inhibitory properties. The antimicrobial activity was carried out in vitro by the broth dilution method.Results: Trans-cinnamic acid, rutin hydrate, naringin and quercetin were the main compounds of the ethyl acetate extract from H. cheirifolia L. This extract has significant scavenging activity to decrease free radicals especially for DPPH and ABTS radicals. As well as, the ethyl acetate extract exhibited an antimicrobial property against bacterial strains. Bacillus licheniformis and Salmonella enterica were the most sensitive strains with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 0.156 mg/mL.Conclusion: The ethyl acetate extract was found to be selectively antioxidant and antimicrobial.

Mechanochemical synthesis of oxygenated alkynyl carbon materials with excellent Hg(Ⅱ) adsorption performance from CaC2 and carbonates

Adsorptive removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater is very important,and the key is the development of efficient sorbents.In this work,oxygenated alkynyl carbon materials(OACMs)were synthesized via mechanochemical reaction of CaC_(2) and a carbonate(CaCO_(3),Na2CO_(3),or NaHCO_(3))at ambient temperature.The resultant OACMs are micro mesoporous carbon nanomaterials with high specific area(>648 m2 g^(-1)),highly crosslinked texture,and rich alkynyl and oxygenated groups.The OACMs exhibit excellent Hg(Ⅱ)adsorption due to the soft acid-soft base interaction between alkynyl and Hg(Ⅱ),and OACM-3 derived from CaC_(2) and NaHCO_(3) has the saturated Hg(Ⅱ)adsorbance of 483.9 mg g^(-1)along with good selectivity and recyclability.The adsorption is mainly chemisorption following the Langmuir mode.OACM-3 also shows high adsorbance for other heavy metal ions,e.g.256.6 mg g^(-1)for Pb(II),232.4 mg g^(-1)for Zn(II),and 198.7 mg g^(-1)for Cu(II).This work expands the mechnochemical reaction of CaC_(2)with carbonates and possibly other oxyanionic salts,provides a new synthesis approach for functional alkynyl carbon materials with excellent adsorption performance for heavy metal ions,as well as a feasible approach for CO2 resource utilization.

Development and Characterization of an Electrochemical Sensor for Cinchonidine Detection Based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymer with Modified Rosin as Cross-linker

Molecularly imprinted polymers（MIPs） were applied as molecular recognition elements to an electro- chemical sensor for cinchonidine（CD）. A kind of MIP was synthesized with cinchonidine as template, modified ro- sin（ethylene glycol maleic rosinate acrylate） containing the skeleton of phenanthrene rings as cross-linker and me- thylacrylic acid as functional monomer. MIP membrane was prepared on a glassy carbon electrode for the determina- tion of CD via free radical polymerization method. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） and cyclic vol- tammetry（CV） were used to characterize the membrane electrochemical behavior in electrode fabrication process. The experimental conditions were discussed. Under optimum conditions, it was found that the response of peak cur- rents was linear to the concentration of CD in a range of 0.013-2.26 mmol/L. The detection limit for CD is 1 μmol/L the relative standard deviation for 100 μmol/L CD is 1.34% and the incubation time is 2 min. The sensor was applied to the determination of CD in urine samples with satisfactory results.

Enhanced chemical trapping and catalytic conversion of polysulfides by diatomite/MXene hybrid interlayer for stable Li-S batteries

Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) batteries with high theoretical energy density are promising energy storage systems in the next decades, while the lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) shuttling caused by the sluggish sulfur redox reaction severely lowers the practical performance. The use of interlayer between the cathode and separator has been widely investigated to physically or chemically block the LiPSs, while the introduction of catalytic materials is a more effective strategy to accelerate the conversion of LiPSs. MXene with rich surface chemistry has shown its potential for facilitating the catalytic conversion, however, the aggregation of MXene sheets usually leads to the loss of the catalytic active sites. Herein, we report a diatomite/MXene (DE/MX) hybrid material as the bifunctional interlayer for improving the adsorption/conversion of LiPSs in Li-S batteries. The diatomite with porous structure and rich silica-hydroxyl functional groups could trap LiPSs effectively, while prevent the aggregation of MXene. The DE/MX based interlayer showed bifunctions of enhancing the chemical adsorption and promoting the conversion of LiPSs. The Li-S batteries with the DE/MX interlayer delivered an improved cycling stability with a low capacity decay of 0.059% per cycle over 1000 cycles at 1.0 C. Moreover, stable 200 cycles can be realized with a high sulfur loading electrode up to 6.0 mg cm^(−2). This work provides an effective strategy to construct bifunctional interlayers for hindering the shuttling of LiPSs and boosting the practical application of Li-S batteries.

Quantum-chemical Study on the Structures and Properties of Uracil-BX_3 (X = F,Cl) Complexes

For the uracil-BX3 （X = F, Cl） systems, geometries and binding energies have been calculated by using the Lee-Young-Parr correlation functionals （B3LYP） method of density functional theory （DFT） and the second-order Moller-Plesset （MP2） method of ab initio at the 6- 311 ＋G^＊ or 6-311 ＋＋G^＊ basis set. Four isomers were found for each system, and then the single-point energy evaluations were performed using the larger basis sets of （6-311 ＋G（2df, p） and aug-cc-pVDZ with DFF method. In the most stable isomer of uracil-BF3 or uracil-BCl3, the boron atom of BX3 （X = F, Cl） connects to the carbonyl oxygen O7 of uracil with a stabilization energy of -46.56 or -31.10 kJ/mol at the B3LYP/6-31 1＋G^＊ level （BSSE corrected）. The analyses for combining interaction between BX3 and uracil with the atom-in-molecule theory （AIM） and natural bond orbital method （NBO） have been performed. The results indicate that all isomers were formed with σ-p type interactions between uracil and BX3, in which the carbonyl oxygen offers its lone pair electrons to the empty p orbital of boron atom and the concomitances of charge transfer from uracil to BX3 occur. Moreover, there exists one or two hydrogen bonds in most isomers of uracil-BX3 system and these hydrogen bonds contribute to the stability of the complex systems. Frequency analysis suggests that the stretching vibration of BX3 undergoes a red shift in complexes. Uracil-BF3 complex is more stable than uracil-BCl3 although the distance of B-O is shorter in the latter. Besides, the conversion mechanisms between different isomers of uracil-BF3 have been obtained.

Enabling heterogeneous catalysis to achieve carbon neutrality: Directional catalytic conversion of CO_(2) into carboxylic acids

The increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide(CO_(2))emissions has exacerbated the deterioration of the global environment,which should be controlled to achieve carbon neutrality.Central to the core goal of achieving carbon neutrality is the utilization of CO_(2) under economic and sustainable conditions.Recently,the strong need for carbon neutrality has led to a proliferation of studies on the direct conversion of CO_(2) into carboxylic acids,which can effectively alleviate CO_(2) emissions and create high-value chemicals.The purpose of this review is to present the application prospects of carboxylic acids and the basic principles of CO_(2) conversion into carboxylic acids through photo-,electric-,and thermal catalysis.Special attention is focused on the regulation strategy of the activity of abundant catalysts at the molecular level,inspiring the preparation of high-performance catalysts.In addition,theoretical calculations,advanced technologies,and numerous typical examples are introduced to elaborate on the corresponding process and influencing factors of catalytic activity.Finally,challenges and prospects are provided for the future development of this field.It is hoped that this review will contribute to a deeper understanding of the conversion of CO_(2) into carboxylic acids and inspire more innovative breakthroughs.