A Transparent Photoresist Made of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle-Embedded Acrylic Resin with a Tunable Refractive Index for UV-Imprint Lithography

Transparent photoresists with a high refractive index(RI)and high transmittance in visible wavelengths have promising functionalities in optical fields.This work reports a kind of tunable optical material composed of titanium dioxide nanoparticles embedded in acrylic resin with a high RI for ultraviolet(UV)-imprint lithography.The hybrid film exhibits a tunable RI of up to 1.67(589 nm)after being cured by UV light,while maintaining both a high transparency of over 98%in the visible light range and a low haze of less than 0.05%.The precision machining of optical microstructures can be imprinted easily and efficiently using the hybrid resin,which acts as a light guide plate(LGP)to guide the light from the side to the top in order to conserve the energy of the display device.These preliminary studies based on both laboratory and commercial experiments pave the way for exploiting the unparalleled optical properties of nanocomposite resins and promoting their industrial application.

Highly Aligned Graphene Aerogels for Multifunctional Composites

Stemming from the unique in-plane honeycomb lattice structure and the sp^(2)hybridized carbon atoms bonded by exceptionally strong carbon–carbon bonds,graphene exhibits remarkable anisotropic electrical,mechanical,and thermal properties.To maximize the utilization of graphene’s in-plane properties,pre-constructed and aligned structures,such as oriented aerogels,films,and fibers,have been designed.The unique combination of aligned structure,high surface area,excellent electrical conductivity,mechanical stability,thermal conductivity,and porous nature of highly aligned graphene aerogels allows for tailored and enhanced performance in specific directions,enabling advancements in diverse fields.This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in highly aligned graphene aerogels and their composites.It highlights the fabrication methods of aligned graphene aerogels and the optimization of alignment which can be estimated both qualitatively and quantitatively.The oriented scaffolds endow graphene aerogels and their composites with anisotropic properties,showing enhanced electrical,mechanical,and thermal properties along the alignment at the sacrifice of the perpendicular direction.This review showcases remarkable properties and applications of aligned graphene aerogels and their composites,such as their suitability for electronics,environmental applications,thermal management,and energy storage.Challenges and potential opportunities are proposed to offer new insights into prospects of this material.

Computational exploration of H_2S/CH_4 mixture separation using acid-functionalized UiO-66(Zr) membrane and composites

A computational study was firstly performed in this work to examine the applicability of an acid-functionalized metal-organic framework(MOF), Ui O-66(Zr)-(COOH)2, in membrane-based H2S/CH4 separation. The results show that this MOF could be potentially interesting when being used as the pure membrane material for the separation of the mixture with low H2 S concentration. Further, the performance of 10 different mixed matrix membranes(MMMs) on the basis of the MOF was predicted by combing the molecular simulation data and the Maxwell permeation model. The results indicate that using this MOF as filler particles in MMMs can signi ficantly enhance the permeation performance of pure polymers. The findings obtained in this work may be helpful in facilitating the application of this promising MOF for practical desulfurization process of fuel gas.

Numerical simulation of gas–liquid flow in the bubble column using Wray–Agarwal turbulence model coupled with population balance model

In this paper,an improved computational fluid dynamic(CFD)model for gas-liquid flow in bubble column was developed using the one-equation Wary-Agarwal(WA)turbulence model coupled with the population balance model(PBM).Through 18 orthogonal test cases,the optimal combination of interfacial force models,including drag force,lift force,turbulent dispersion force.The modified wall lubrication force model was proposed to improve the predictive ability for hydrodynamic behavior near the wall of the bubble column.The values simulated by optimized CFD model were in agreement with experimental data,and the errors were within±20%.In addition,the axial velocity,turbulent kinetic energy,bubble size distribution,and the dynamic characteristic of bubble plume were analyzed at different superficial gas velocities.This research work could provide a theoretical basis for the extension of the CFD-PBM coupled model to other multiphase reactors..

Experimental verification of nanonization enhanced solubility for poorly soluble optoelectronic molecules

Solubility enhancement has been a priority to overcome poor solubility with optoelectronic molecules for solution-processable devices. This study aims to obtain experimental data on the effect of particle sizes on the solubility properties of several typical optoelectronic molecules in organic solvents, including the solubility results of 1,3-bis(9-carbazolyl)benzene(m CP), 1,3,5-tris(1-phenyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)ben zene(TPBi) and 2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-5-(4-biphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole(PBD) in ethanol and acetonitrile,respectively. Nanoparticles of m CP, TPBi and PBD with sizes from dozens to several hundred nanometers were prepared by solvent antisolvent precipitation method and their solubility were determined by using isothermal saturation method. The saturation solubility of nanoparticles of three kinds of optoelectronic molecules exhibited increase of 12.9%-25.7% in comparison to the same raw materials in the form of microparticles. The experimental evidence indicates that nanonization technology is a feasible way to make optoelectronic molecules dissolve in liquids with enhanced solubility.

Central aromatic-core fluorination in non-fullerene acceptor advances binary organic solar cells to a record efficiency of 19.7%

Organic solar cells(OSCs)hold great promise for the conversion of solar energy into electricity,showing advantages such as lightweight,flexibility,semi-transparency,and solution processability.The field has witnessed significant advancements,notably with the transition from fullerene acceptors to nonfullerene acceptors(NFAs).

Matrix-Mediated Color-Tunable Ultralong Organic Room Temperature Phosphorescence of 7H-Benzo[c]carbazole Derivatives

Building on the recent systematic research on 1Hbenzo[f]indole(Bd),an important advancement in constructing ultralong organic room temperature(UORTP)materials with a universal strategy via a readily obtained unit(7H-Benzo[c]carbazole,BCz)is proposed in this work.Pure powders of BCz and its derivatives merely exhibit blue fluorescence at ambient condition.However,when BCz and its derivatives are dispersed into polymer or powder matrixes,strong photo-activated green UORTP can be observed from their doped systems at room temperature.Moreover,the UORTP color can be tuned between green and yellow depending on the matrix.The ultralong phosphorescence originates from the generation of charge-separated states via radicals.The matrixes play a key role in both stabilizing charge-separated states and controlling UORTP color.More interestingly,when using polymethyl methacrylate as matrix,the doped films achieve stronger photo-activated ultralong phosphorescence underwater than in air at room temperature.Comparedwith Bd,BCz achieves better performance not only in ultralong phosphorescence properties but also in practical applications.This work gains a deeper insight into the mechanism of UORTP and paves a new approach to applying organic phosphorescent materials to underwater coating and imaging.

Integration of ultrafine CuO nanoparticles with two‐dimensional MOFs for enhanced electrochemicgal CO_(2) reduction to ethylene

To facilitate the electrochemical CO_(2) reduction(ECR)to fuels and valuable chemicals,the development of active,low cost,and selective catalysts is crucial.We report a novel ECR catalyst consisting of CuO nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 1.4 to 3.3 nm anchored on Cu metal‐organic framework(Cu‐MOF)nanosheets obtained through a one‐step facile solvothermal method.The nanocomposites provide multiple sites for efficient ambient ECR,delivering an average C_(2)H_(4) faradaic efficiency(FE)of~50.0%at–1.1 V(referred to the reversible hydrogen electrode)in 0.1 mol/L aqueous KHCO_(3) using a two‐compartment cell,in stark contrast to a C_(2)H_(4) FE of 25.5%and 37.6%over individual CuO and Cu‐MOF respectively,also surpassing most newly reported Cu‐based materials under similar cathodic voltages.The C_(2)H_(4) FE remains at over 45.0%even after 10.0 h of successive polarization.Also,a~7.0 mA cm^(–2) C_(2)H_(4) partial geometric current density and 27.7%half‐cell C_(2)H_(4) power conversion efficiency are achieved.The good electrocatalytic performance can be attributed to the interface between CuO and Cu‐MOF,with accessible metallic moieties and the unique two‐dimensional structure of the Cu‐MOF enhancing the adsorption and activation of CO_(2) molecules.This finding offers a simple avenue to upgrading CO_(2) to value‐added hydrocarbons by rational design of MOF‐based composites.

High-gravity-assisted green synthesis of rare-earth doped calcium molybdate colloidal nanophosphors

In this work,we report an innovative route for the synthesis of rare-earth doped calcium molybdate(CaMoO4)nanophosphors by using high gravity rotating packed bed(RPB)technology and paraffin liquid as the solvent.The significant intensified mass transfer and micromixing of reactants in the RPB reactor are benefiting for homogeneous doping of rare-earth ions in the host materials,leading to nanophosphors with high quantum efficiency.The use of liquid paraffin as the solvent eliminates the safety risks associated with volatile organic compounds,increasing the potential for clean production of nanophosphors.Under excitation of deep ultraviolet(DUV)light,the CaMoO4:Na+,Eu3+nanophosphors exhibit red emission at peak wavelength of 615 nm and quantum yield of up to 35.01%.The CaMoO4:Na+,Tb3+nanophosphors exhibit green emission at peak wavelength of543 nm with quantum yield of up to 30.66%.The morphologies of the nanophosphors are tunable from nanofibers through nanorods to nanodots and the possible mechanism of controlling the formation of different nanostructures is proposed on the basis of experimental results and theoretical analysis of mesoscience.These nanophosphors are highly dispersible in organic solvents and utilized for fabricating fabrication of flexible,freestanding luminescent films based on silicone resin.We also demonstrate the red LEDs consisting of the hybrid films of CaMoO4:Na+,Eu3+nanoparticles as color-converting phosphors and DUV LEDs as illuminators,offering strong potential for future nanophosphors-basedsolid-state lighting systems.

Promise and challenge of vanadium-based cathodes for aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)have got wide attention with the increasing demands for energy resource recently.It has a number of merits compared with lithium-ion batteries,such as enhanced safety,low cost and environmental friendliness.Vanadium-based materials have been developed to serve as the cathodes of ZIBs for many years.But there are also some challenges to construct high performance ZIBs in the future.Herein,we reviewed the research progress of vanadium-based cathodes and discussed the energy storage mechanisms in ZIBs.In addition,we summarized the major challenges faced by vanadium-based cathodes and the corresponding ways to improve electrochemical performance of ZIBs.Finally,some excellent vanadium-based cathodes are summarized to pave the way for future research in ZIBs.

A Review on Applications of Layered Phosphorus in Energy Storage

Phosphorus in energy storage has received widespread attention in recent years. Both the high specific capacity and ion mobility of phosphorus may lead to a breakthrough in energy storage materials. Black phosphorus, an allotrope of phosphorus, has a sheet-like structure similar to graphite. In this review, we describe the structure and properties of black phosphorus and characteristics of the conductive electrode material, including theoretical calculation and analysis. The research progress in various ion batteries, including lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium–air batteries, and supercapacitors, is summarized according to the introduction of black phosphorus materials in different electrochemical applications. Among them, with the introduction of black phosphorus in lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries, the research on the properties of black phosphorus and carbon composite is introduced. Based on the summary, the future development trend and potential of black phosphorus materials in the field of electrochemistry are analyzed.

Metal-organic frameworks for highly efficient oxygen electrocatalysis

Metal‐organic frameworks(MOFs)are a series of highly porous crystalline materials,which are built from inorganic metal nodes and organic linkers through coordination bonds.Their unique porous structural features(such as high porosity,high surface areas,and highly ordered nanoporous structures)and designable structures and compositions have facilitated their use in gas capture,separation,catalysis,and energy storage and conversion.Recently,the design and synthesis of pure MOFs and their derivatives have opened new routes to develop highly efficient electrocatalysts toward oxygen reduction reactions(ORR)and oxygen evolution reactions(OER),which are the core electrode reactions in many energy storage and conversion techniques,such as metal‐air batteries and fuel cells.This review first discusses recent progress in the synthesis and the electrocatalytic applications of pure MOF‐based electrocatalysts toward ORR or OER,including pure MOFs,MOFs decorated with active species,and MOFs incorporated with conductive materials.The following section focuses on the advancements of the design and preparation of various MOF‐derived materials-such as inorganic nano‐(or micro‐)structures/porous carbon composites,pure porous carbons,pure inorganic nano‐(or micro‐)structured materials,and single‐atom electrocatalysts-and their applications in oxygen electrocatalysis.Finally,we present a conclusion and an outlook for some general design strategies and future research directions of MOF‐based oxygen electrocatalysts.

Copolymerization of Acrylonitrile/1-Vinyl-3-Ethylimidazolium Bromide and Rheological, Thermal Properties of the Copolymer

Acrylonitrile(AN)/1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide(VIMB) copolymer was prepared via solution polymerization using dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO) as a solvent and azodiisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The effects of comonomer VIMB on the polymerization, rheological properties of the polymer solution and thermal properties of the copolymer were investigated. The ionic liquid VIMB resulted in higher polymerization conversion ratio and higher average molecular weight when copolymerized with AN than itaconic acid(ITA). Rheological measurements indicated that the transition shear rate increased linearly with increasing temperature for P(AN/ITA)/DMSO solution, while an exponential growth with temperature was observed for P(AN/VIMB)/DMSO solution. The exothermic peaks of DSC curves in N_2 appeared at 276.67 and 257.34 °C for P(AN/VIMB) and P(AN/ITA), respectively. As a potential comonomer of AN for PAN carbon fibers, the VIMB resulted in about 7% higher char yield in N_2, and 23.7% less weight loss at 600 °C in air than ITA copolymer.

A two-stage blade-packing rotating packed bed for intensification of continuous distillation

A two-stage blade-packing rotating packed bed(TSBP-RPB) was designed and developed for the intensification of continuous distillation. The mass transfer parameters of the TSBP-RPB were investigated using a chemisorption system. Continuous distillation experiments were conducted in the TSBP-RPB by the methanol–water binary system. Experimental results showed that values of the effective interfacial area and liquid-side mass transfer coefficient of the TSBP-RPB were 93–337 m^2·m^(-3) and 0.05–0.19 cm·s^(-1), respectively. The height of equivalent theoretical plate(HETP) of the TSBP-RPB ranged from 1.9 to 10 cm. Moreover, the TSBP-RPB is easy to be manufactured, which shows great potential for the application of continuous distillation.

Mass transfer performance of structured packings in a CO_2 absorption tower

This paper studies the mass transfer performance of structured packings in the absorption of CO2 from air with aqueous Na OH solution. The Eight structured packings tested are sheet metal ones with corrugations of different geometry parameters. Effective mass transfer area and overall gas phase mass transfer coefficient have been measured in an absorption column of 200 mm diameter under the conditions of gas F-factor in 0.38–1.52 Pa0.5and aqueous Na OH solution concentration of 0.10–0.15 kmol·m-3. The effects of gas/liquid phase flow rates and packing geometry parameters are also investigated. The results show that the effective mass transfer area changes not only with packing geometry parameters and liquid load, but also with gas F-factor. A new effective mass transfer area correlation on the gas F-factor and the liquid load was proposed, which is found to fit experiment data very well.

Solution‑Processed Transparent Conducting Electrodes for Flexible Organic Solar Cells with 16.61% Efficiency

Nonfullerene organic solar cells(OSCs)have achieved breakthrough with pushing the efficiency exceeding 17%.While this shed light on OSC commercialization,high-performance flexible OSCs should be pursued through solution manufacturing.Herein,we report a solution-processed flexible OSC based on a transparent conducting PEDOT:PSS anode doped with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid(CF3SO3H).Through a low-concentration and low-temperature CF3SO3H doping,the conducting polymer anodes exhibited a main sheet resistance of 35Ωsq−1(minimum value:32Ωsq−1),a raised work function(≈5.0 eV),a superior wettability,and a high electrical stability.The high work function minimized the energy level mismatch among the anodes,hole-transporting layers and electron-donors of the active layers,thereby leading to an enhanced carrier extraction.The solution-processed flexible OSCs yielded a record-high efficiency of 16.41%(maximum value:16.61%).Besides,the flexible OSCs afforded the 1000 cyclic bending tests at the radius of 1.5 mm and the long-time thermal treatments at 85°C,demonstrating a high flexibility and a good thermal stability.

An Evaluation of Metronidazole Degradation in a Plasma-Assisted Rotating Disk Reactor Coupled with TiO2 in Aqueous Solution

Pollution involving pharmaceutical components in bodies of water is an increasingly serious environmental issue.Plasma discharge for the degradation of antibiotics is an emerging technology that may be relevant toward addressing this issue.In this work,a plasma-assisted rotating disk reactor(plasma-RDR)and a photocatalyst—namely,titanium dioxide(TiO_(2))—were coupled for the treatment of metronidazole(MNZ).Discharge uniformity was improved by the use of a rotating electrode in the plasma-RDR,which contributed to the utilization of ultraviolet(UV)light radiation in the presence of TiO_(2).The experimental results showed that the degradation efficiency of MNZ and the concentration of generated hydroxyl radicals respectively increased by 41%and 2.954 mg∙L^(-1) as the rotational speed increased from 0 to 500 r∙min^(-1).The synergistic effect of plasma-RDR plus TiO_(2) on the generation of hydroxyl radicals was evaluated.Major intermediate products were identified using three-dimensional(3D)excitation emission fluorescence matrices(EEFMs)and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS),and a possible degradation pathway is proposed herein.This plasma-catalytic process has bright prospects in the field of antibiotics degradation.

Synthesis of Silver Sulf ide Quantum Dots Via the Liquid–Liquid Interface Reaction in a Rotating Packed Bed Reactor

We developed the high-gravity coupled liquid-liquid interface reaction technique on the basis of the rotating packed bed(RPB)reactor for the continuous and ultrafast synthesis of silver sulfide(Ag2S)quantum dots(QDs)with near-infrared(NIR)luminescence.The formation of Ag2S QDs occurs at the interface of microdroplets,and the average size of Ag2S QDs was 4.5 nm with a narrow size distribution.Ag2S QDs can disperse well in various organic solvents and exhibit NIR luminescence with a peak wavelength at 1270 nm under 980-nm laser excitation.The mechanism of the process intensification was revealed by both the computational fluid dynamics simulation and fluorescence imaging,and the mechanism is attributed to the small and uniform droplet formation in the RPB reactor.This study provides a novel approach for the continuous and ultrafast synthesis of NIR Ag2S QDs for potential scale-up.

Role of substrate softness in stabilizing surface nanobubbles

The contact line pinning and supersaturation theory for the nanobubble stability has attracted extensive concerns from experimental investigators,and some experimenters argue that the contact line pinning is unnecessary.To interpret the experimental observations,we have proposed previously through molecular dynamics simulations that the deformation of soft substrates caused by surface nanobubbles may play an important role in stabilizing surface nanobubbles,while yet no quantitative theory is available for explanation of this mechanism.Here,the detailed mechanism of self-pinning-induced stability of surface nanobubbles is investigated through theoretical analysis.By manipulating substrate softness,we find that the formation of surface nanobubbles may create a deformation ridge nearby their contact lines which leads to the self-pinning effect.Theoretical analysis shows that the formation of nanobubbles on sufficiently rigid substrates or on liquid-liquid interfaces corresponds to a local free energy maximum,while that on the substrates with intermediate softness corresponds to a local minimum.Thus,the substrate softness could regulate the surface nanobubble stability.The critical condition for the self-pinning effect is determined based on contact line depinning,and the effect of gas supersaturation is explored.Finally,the approximate stability range for the surface nanobubbles is also predicted.

Fabrication of a High-Performance and Reusable Planar Face Mask in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has caused a surge in demand for face masks,with the massive consumption of masks leading to an increase in resource-related and environmental con-cerns.In this work,we fabricated meltblown polypropylene(mb-PP)-based high-performance planar face masks and investigated the effects of six commonly used disinfection methods and various mask-wearing periods on the reusability of these masks.The results show that,after three cycles of treatment using hot water at 70℃ for 30 min,which is one of the most scalable,user-friendly methods for viral disinfection,the particle filtration efficiency(PFE)of the mask remained almost unchanged.After mask wearing for 24 h and subsequent disinfection using the same treatment procedures,the PFE decreased to 91.3%;the average number of bacterial and fungal colonies was assessed to be 9.2 and 51.6 colony-forming units per gram(CFU∙g^(-1)),respectively;and coliform and pyogenic bacteria were not detected.Both the PFE and the microbial indicators are well above the standard for reusable masks after disinfection.Schlieren pho-tography was then used to assess the capabilities of used and disinfected masks during use;it showed that the masks exhibit a high performance in suppressing the spread of breathed air.