Study of metal-ceramic WC/Cu nano-wear behavior and strengthening mechanism

In view of the inherent poor tribological properties of copper,the reinforcement of copper matrix composites with WC particles presents a promising research area with significant industrial influence.Therefore,in the present study,a molecular dynamics approach is used to simulate the process of repeated friction of diamond grinding balls on WC/Cu composites,and the friction force,friction coefficient,abrasion depth,wear rate,abrasion morphology,von-Mises stress,internal defects,workpiece energy,and performance comparison of different layer thicknesses are systematically investigated in the multiple friction process.It is found that the fluctuation amplitude of friction force,friction coefficient,and abrasion depth are smaller and the fluctuation frequency is larger during the initial friction,whereas near the WC phase,there appears extreme values of the above parameters and the von-Mises stress is highly concentrated while the workpiece energy contonues to increase.In the case of the repeated friction,with the increase of friction times,the friction force,friction coefficient,and abrasion depth fluctuation amplitude increase,the fluctuation frequency decreases,the workpiece energy reaches an extreme value near the WC phase,and a large number of dislocations plug,therefore,the region is strengthened.As the distance between the grinding ball and the WC phase decreases,the more obvious the strengthening effect,the stronger the ability of workpiece to resist the wear will be.

The control and optimization of macro/micro-structure of ion conductive membranes for energy conversion and storage

Ion conductive membranes(ICMs)are frequently used as separators for energy conversion and storage technologies of fuel cells,flow battery,and hydrogen pump,because of their good ion-selective conduction and low electronic conductivity.Firstly,this feature article reviews the recent studies on the development of new nonfluorinated ICMs with low cost and their macro/micro-structure control.In general,these new nonfluorinated ICMs have lower conductivity than commercial perfluorinated ones,due to their poor ion transport channels.Increasing ion exchange capacity(IEC)would create more continuous hydrophilic channels,thus enhancing the conductivity.However,high IEC also expands the overall hydrophilic domains,weakens the interaction between polymer chains,enhances the mobility of polymer chains,and eventually induces larger swelling.The micro-scale expansion and macro-scale swelling of the ICMs with high IEC could be controlled by limiting the mobility of polymer chains.Based on this strategy,some ef ficient techniques have been developed,including covalent crosslinking,semi-interpenatrating polymer network,and blending.Secondly,this review introduces the optimization of macro/microstructure of both perfluorinated and nonfluorinated ICMs to improve the performance.Macro-scale multilayer composite is an ef ficient way to enhance the mechanical strength and the dimensional stability of the ICMs,and could also decrease the content of per fluorosulfonic acid resin in the membrane,thereby reducing the cost of the perfluorinated ICMs.Long side chain,multiple functionalization,small molecule inducing micro-phase separation,electrospun nano fiber,and organic–inorganic hybrid could construct more ef ficient ion transport channels,improving the ion conductivity of ICMs.

Review on structural control and modification of graphene oxide-based membranes in water treatment: From separation performance to robust operation

Membrane separation has become an important technology to deal with the global water crisis. The polymerbased membrane technology is currently in the forefront of water purification and desalination but is plagued with some bottlenecks. Laminated graphene oxide(GO) membranes exhibit excellent advantages in water purification and desalination due to the single atomic layer structure, hydrophilic property, rich oxygen-containing groups for modification, mechanical and chemical robust, anti-fouling properties, facile and large-scale production, etc. Thus the GO-based membrane technology is believed to offer huge opportunities for efficient and practical water treatment. This review systematically summarizes the current progress on the water flux and selectivity intensification, stability improvement, anti-fouling and anti-biofouling ability enhancement by structural control and modification. To improve the performance of the laminated GO membrane, interlayer spacing tunability and surface modification are mainly used to enhance its water flux and selectivity. It is found that the stability and biofouling also block the service life of the GO membrane. The crosslinking method is found to effectively solve the stability of GO membrane in aqueous environment. Introducing nanoparticles is a widely used method to improve the membrane biofouling ability. Overall, we believe that this review could provide benefit to researchers in the area of GO-based membrane technology for water treatment.

Synthesis and Tribological Behaviour of 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Schiff Base Derivatives as Multifunctional Lubricant Additives

Six new 1,3,4-thiadiazole Schiff base derivatives were synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy and ~1H NMR spectrometry, and their anti-corrosion properties and thermal stability were investigated via thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) and copper strip corrosion test. The tribological behavior of the said Schiff base derivatives was evaluated on an Optimol SRV~?4 oscillating reciprocating friction and wear tester. The worn surfaces of the steel discs were investigated using a scanning electron microscope(SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer(EDS). The test results indicated that these thiadiazole Schiff base derivatives possessed favourable thermal stability, corrosion inhibiting ability and the capability of improving the tribological characteristic of the base oil effectively. It is assumed that the adsorbed additives probably reacted with the steel surfaces during the friction process, resulting in the formation of a protective film composed of sulphates, sulphides and organic nitrogen compounds.

Crosslinked P84 copolyimide/MXene mixed matrix membrane with excellent solvent resistance and permselectivity

MXene is a novel 2D lamellar material with excellent hydrophilicity and permselectivity. MXene was introduced in the P84 polymer matrix and the matrix was crosslinked with triethylenetetramine(TETA) to improve the permselectivity and solvent resistance of the polyimide membrane. The membrane was characterized with SEM, AFM and ATR-FTIR, and effects of MXene content on the membrane morphology and separation performance are investigated. The membrane prepared with 18% P84 and 1% MXene shows high rejection(100%) to gentian violet(408) and high flux(268 L·m^-2·h^-1) at 0.1 MPa and ambient temperature. MXene endows the membrane with much water channel and denser functional layer which improves the membrane performance obviously. The membrane shows excellent solvent resistance to dimethylformamide(DMF), acetone and methanol after crosslinking with TETA during the 18 days of immersion.

All-solid-state flexible asymmetric supercapacitors with high energy and power densities based on NiCo_2S_4@MnS and active carbon

Electrode material based on a novel core–shell structure consisting of NiCoS（NCS） solid fiber core and Mn S（MS） sheet shell（NCS@MS） in situ grown on carbon cloth（CC） has been successfully prepared by a simple sulfurization-assisted hydrothermal method for high performance supercapacitor. The synthesized NiCoS@Mn S/CC electrode shows high capacitance of 1908.3 F gat a current density of 0.5 A gwhich is higher than those of NiCoSand Mn S at the same current density. A flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor（ASC） is constructed by using NiCoS@Mn S/CC as positive electrode, active carbon/CC as negative electrode and KOH/poly（vinyl alcohol）(PVA) as electrolyte. The optimized ASC shows a maximum energy density of 23.3 Wh kgat 1 A g, a maximum power density of about7.5 kw kgat 10 A gand remarkable cycling stability. After 9000 cycles, the ASC still exhibited67.8% retention rate and largely unchanged charge/discharge curves. The excellent electrochemical properties are resulted from the novel core–shell structure of the NiCoS@Mn S/CC electrode, which possesses both high surface area for Faraday redox reaction and superior kinetics of charge transport. The NiCoS@Mn S/CC electrode shows a promising potential for energy storage applications in the future.

In-situ growth of nanowire WO_(2.72) on carbon cloth as a binder-free electrode for flexible asymmetric supercapacitors with high performance

For the first time,WO_(2.72) nanowires were in-situ grown on carbon cloth by a simple solvothermal reaction.The nanowire WO_(2.72)/carbon cloth(NW WO_(2.72)/CC) electrode showed good electrochemical performance with specific capacitance(C_s) reaching up to 398 F g^(-1) at a current density of 2 A g^(-1).The capacitance of 240 F g^(-1) was retained at a high current density of 16 A g^(-1).To further evaluate the energy storage performance,flexible asymmetric supercapacitors(FASC_s) were fabricated using the activated carbon/carbon cloth(AC/CC) as negative electrode and NW WO_(2.72)/CC as positive electrode,respectively.The FASC_s delivered a high energy density of 28 Wh kg^(-1) at a power density of 745 W kg^(-1) and 13 Wh kg^(-1) even at a high power density of 22.5 k W kg^(-1).More impressively,81% of the specific capacitance of the FASC_s was retained after 10,000 cycles,indicating excellent cycle stability.This work indicates the NW WO_(2.72)/CC holds a great potential for application in energy storage devices.

Preparation of LiNi_(1-y)Co_yO_2 in certain oxygen pressure

The LiNi 1- y Co y O 2 as cathode material of lithium ion battery was prepared by solid reaction at high temperature and oxygen pressure. The influences of the prepared conditions on electrochemical properties of products were discussed which include the pressure of oxygen, synthesis time and temperature as well as the molar ratio of the raw materials. The optimal synthetic conditions are as follows: reactive time is 8 h and 10 h; oxygen pressure is 0.20 MPa; reactive temperature is 800 ℃; and molar ratio of the reactants is Li∶Ni∶Co =1.2∶0.9∶0.1. LiNi 0.9 Co 0.1 O 2 was synthesized with the perfect crystal structure and the good electrochemical properties. Its discharged capacity is up to 189.4 mAh/g. The results of X ray diffraction and SEM analysis reveal that the product presents a layered structure of LiNiO 2. The increase of the oxygen pressure during the reactive processes has important effects on the structure and electrochemical properties of the product.

Polyoxometalate-Based Porous Metal-Organic Gel for High-Efficiency Ultrasound-Assisted Oxidative Desulfurization of Model Fuel

A novel heterogeneous catalyst for ultrasound-assisted oxidative desulfurization(UAODS)was designed and synthesized by confining polyoxometalates(POMs)clusters within porous metal-organic gel.The catalyst microstructures were characterized by XRD,SEM-EDX,FT-IR,N_(2)adsorption-desorption,and XPS.Effects of POM loading,catalyst dosage,and ultrasonic power were also investigated.Results indicate that 60%-PMA@MOX(Al)exhibits optimal catalytic activity,with a sulfur removal rate of 98.61%and excellent reusability.Moreover,a kinetic study of different desulfurization approaches demonstrates that the unique thermal and cavitation effects of ultrasound can effectively improve the efficiency of oxidative desulfurization.

A new long-side-chain sulfonated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)(PPO)/polybenzimidazole(PBI)amphoteric membrane for vanadium redox flow battery

A new amphoteric membrane was prepared by blending long-side-chain sulfonated poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)(S-L-PPO)and polybenzimidazole(PBI)for vanadium redox flow battery(VRFB)application.An acid-base pair structure formed between the imidazole of PBI and sulfonic acid of S-L-PPO resulted in lowered swelling ratio.It favors to reduce the vanadium permeation.While,the increased sulfonic acid concentration ensured that proton conductivity was still at a high level.As a result,a better balance between the vanadium ion permeation(6.1×10^-9 cm^2·s^-1)and proton conductivity(50.8 m S·cm^-1)in the S-L-PPO/PBI-10%membrane was achieved.The VRFB performance with S-L-PPO/PBI-10%membrane exhibited an EE of 82.7%,which was higher than those of pristine S-L-PPO(81.8%)and Nafion 212(78.0%)at 120 m A·cm^-2.In addition,the S-LPPO/PBI-10%membrane had a much longer self-discharge duration time(142 h)than that of Nafion 212(23 h).

A multi-functional binder for high loading sulfur cathode

Lithium sulfur(Li-S)batteries are the promising power sources,but their commercialization is significantly impeded by poor energy-storage functions at high sulfur loading.Here we report that such an issue can be effectively addressed by using a mussel-inspired binder comprised of chitosan grafted with catecholic moiety for sulfur cathodes.The resulting sulfur cathodes possess a high loading up to 12.2 mg cm-2 but also exhibit one of the best electrochemical properties among their counterparts.The excellent performances are attributed to the strong adhesion of the binder to sulfur particles,conducting agent,current collector,and polysulfide.The versatile adhesion effectively increases the sulfur loading,depresses the shuttle effect,and alleviates mechanical pulverization during cycling processes.The present investigation offers a new insight into high performance sulfur cathodes through a bio-adhesion viewpoint.

Poly(ether ether ketone ketone) based imidazolium as anion exchange membranes for alkaline fuel cells

An imidazolium functionalized poly(ether ether ketone ketone)(PEEKK-DIm OH)anion exchange membrane(AEM)readily soluble in certain low-boiling-point solvents(isopropanol)is prepared.The solubility results are consistent with the results of molecular dynamics simulations.By varying the chloromethylation reaction temperature or concentrated sulfuric acid concentration of PEEKK,the degrees of chloromethylation of PEEKK are changed from 54% to 92%,the corresponding PEEKK-DIm OH AEMs with the ion exchange capacities(IECs)of 1.14–1.65 mmol·g^(-1).The PEEKK-DIm OH 92% AEM shows high hydroxide conductivity(31 m S·cm^(-1)),suitable water uptake(94%)and acceptable swelling ratio(39%)at 60°C.In addition,the PEEKK-DIm OH AEMs possess good thermal and alkaline stability.The maximum power density(46.16 mW·cm^(-2))of fuel cell prepared with PEEKK-DIm OH 92%AEM as exchange membrane and ionomer is much higher than that with commercial AHA membranes.All the above results indicate that the PEEKK used in this study is a promising AEM matrix material for alkaline fuel cells.

Metal–organic framework derived hierarchical porous TiO_2 nanopills as a super stable anode for Na-ion batteries

Hierarchical porous TiOnanopills were synthesized using a titanium metal-organic framework MIL-125（Ti） as precursor. The as-synthesized TiOnanopills owned a large specific surface area of 102 m/g and unique porous structure. Furthermore, the obtained TiOnanopills were applied as anode materials for Na-ion batteries for the first time. The as-synthesized TiOnanopills achieved a high discharge capacity of 196.4 m Ah/g at a current density of 0.1 A/g. A discharge capacity of 115.9 m Ah/g was obtained at a high current density of 0.5 A/g and the capacity retention was remained as high as 90% even after 3000 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance can be attributed to its unique hierarchical porous feature.

Study on Toughening Phenolic Foams in Phosphorus-Containing Tung Oil-Based Derivatives

Phenolic foams(PFs)as thermal insulation material with outstanding flame retardancy are required to match society’s ever-expanding safety expectations;however,a trade-off exists between flame retardancy and toughness.Here,for the first time,we synthesized a novel reactive phosphorus-containing tung-oil-based derivative and used it to toughen PF,resulting in PFs with a combination of excellent mechanical properties and flame retardancy.Compared with pure PF,the modified PFs exhibit enhanced mechanical properties,with specific compressive and flexural strengths as high as 5.67 MPa and 12.46 MPa,which represent increases of 90.67%and 178.7%over those of pure PF,respectively.Meanwhile,the limiting oxygen index(LOI)values of the modified PFs are improved as much as 40.83%.Scanning electron microscopy micrographs show that the microstructure of the modified PFs is better than that of pure PF,with a more uniform cell morphology,a narrower pore size distribution range,and a smaller average pore size,all of which are beneficial to the foam’s mechanical properties.This study provides a scientific paradigm for the development of advanced PFs based on renewable biological resources.

Selective Insertion in Copolymerization of Ethylene and Styrene Catalyzed by Half-Titanocene System Bearing Ketimide Ligand： A Theoretical Study

The copolymerization of ethylene and styrene can be efficiently carried out by using Cp＊TiCl2（N=CtBu2）/ MAO （Cp＊=η5-C5Me5） system, yielding the poly（ethylene-co-styrene）s with isolated styrene units. In order to in- vestigate the reasons for formation of the structure, the mechanism of copolymerization, especially the selective in- sertion of ethylene and styrene, is studied in detail by density functional theory （DFT） method. At the initiation stage, insertion of ethylene is kinetically more favorable than insertion of styrene, and insertion of styrene kinet- ically and thermodynamically prefers 2,1-insertion. That is different from the conventional half-titanocene system, in which the 1,2-insertion is favorable. At chain propagation stage, the computational results suggest that the con- tinuous insertion of styrene is hard to occur at room temperature due to the high free energy barriers （28.90 and 35.04 kcal/mol for 1,2-insertion, and 29.15 and 34.00 kcal/mol for 2,1-insertion） and thermodynamically unfavora- ble factors in two different conditions. That is mainly attributed to the steric hindrance between the coming styrene and chain-end styrene or ketimide ligand. The computational results are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Colloid Thin-Layer Chromatography: A Tool for Gold Sols Validation before Used in Application

Gold nanoparticles have been increasingly used in catalysis, biomedical imaging, biological and chemical sensing, drug delivery, etc. In this study, a straightforward method that allows one to monitor the synthesis of gold sols and their aging, before their fine characterization by sophisticated techniques and before their use is described. Indeed, the “Colloid Thin-Layer Chromatography” method allows one to check the quality of gold colloidal sols during the synthesis. It is also well adapted for monitoring the aging of the sol before the visual observation of its degradation.

Aerosol-assisted submicronγ-Fe2O3/C spheres as a promising heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for soil and groundwater remediation:Transport,adsorption and catalytic ability

This research reports a novel heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst which could freely move through the model sediments and easily seize the pollutants in addition to efficiently catalyze H2O2,well suitable for soil and groundwater remediation.Herein,submicron y-Fe2O3/C spheres were synthesized through a facile one-step aerosol-based process.In a series of column tests,these spheres exhibit better transport ability due to their optimal size,conforming to the prediction by the Tufenkji-Elimelech filtration theo ry.Meanwhile,y-Fe2O3/C spheres could act as a strong adsorbent for organic pollutants owing to the presence of carbon,thereby providing a driving force to gather contaminants into their vicinity and facilitating the reaction.In addition,immobilization of y-Fe2O3 nanoparticles into carbon spheres protects iron oxides from aggregation,and thus retains the number of active sites for catalytic decomposition of H2O2.Hence,the system containing the as-prepared y-Fe2O3/C spheres and H2O2 shows the high removal efficiency and degradation efficiency in the remediation of recalcitrant organic contaminants such as methylene blue and sulfamethoxazole.

Synthesis of 5-vinyl-2-norbornene through Diels-Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene with 1,3-butadiene in supercritical carbon dioxide

An efficient method for the synthesis of 5-vinyl-2-norbornene from cyclopentadiene and 1,3-butadiene was developed.The Diels-Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene with 1,3-butadiene proceeded smoothly in supercritical carbon dioxide in the absence of any polymerization inhibitor to produce the corresponding5-vinyl-2-norbornene in satisfactory yield with high selectivity.

A novel 3D printed technology to construct a monolithic ultrathin nanosheets Co_(3)O_(4)/SiO_(2) catalyst for benzene catalytic combustion

In this study,a novel three-dimensional(3D)-OMm-Co_(3)O_(4)/SiO_(2)-0.5AP(OMm=ordered macro–meso porous,AP=aluminum phosphate)monolithic catalyst was for the first time constructed successfully with the hierarchical Co-phyllosilicate ultrathin nanosheets growth on the surface of 3D printed ordered macropore–mesoporous SiO_(2)support.On the one hand,we discovered that the construction of ordered macropore–mesoporous structures is beneficial to the diffusion and adsorption of reactants,intermediates,and products.On the other hand,the formation of hierarchical Co-phyllosilicate ultrathin nanosheets could provide more active Co&+species,abundant acid sites,and active oxygen.The above factors are in favor of improving the catalytic performance of benzene oxidation,and then a 3D-OMm-Co_(3)O_(4)/SiO_(2)-0.5AP catalyst exhibited the superior catalytic activity.To explore the effect of catalysts structure and morphology,various Co-based catalysts were also constructed.Simultaneously,the 3D-OMm-Co_(3)O_(4)/SiO_(2)-0.5AP catalyst has excellent catalytic performance,water resistance,and thermal stability in the catalytic combustion of benzene due to the strong interactions between Co&+species and SiO_(2)in the phyllosilicate.Therefore,this study proposes a new catalyst synthesis method through 3D printing,and presents considerable prospects for the removal of VOCs from industrial applications.