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Silver and gold nanoparticles have found extensive biomedical applications due to their strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and intriguing plasmonic properties. This review article focuses on the correlation among particle geometry, plasmon properties and biomedical applications. It discusses how particle shape and size are tailored via controllable synthetic approaches, and how plasmonic properties are tuned by particle shape and size, which are embodied by nanospheres, nanorods, nanocubes, nanocages, nanostars and core–shell composites. This article summarizes the design strategies for the use of silver and gold nanoparticles in plasmon-enhanced fluorescence, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), electroluminescence, and photoelectrochemistry. It especially discusses how to use plasmonic nanoparticles to construct optical probes including colorimetric, SERS and plasmonic fluorescence probes (labels/reporters). It also demonstrates the employment of Ag and Au nanoparticles in polymer- and paper-based microfluidic devices for point-of-care testing (POCT). In addition, this article highlights how to utilize plasmonic nanoparticles for in vitro and in vivo bio-imaging based on SERS, fluorescence, photoacoustic and dark-field models. Finally, this article shows perspectives in plasmon-enhanced photothermal and photodynamic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food safety issues have received much attention. Biogenic amines are considered important markers of food spoilage. Accurate detection of biogenic amines is important for food quality monitoring. Herein, we developed two coumarin-difluoroboron β-diketonate hybrid probes, 1 and 2, for detection of amines. Both probes possess large conjugated structures and donor-acceptor-donor configuration, exhibiting solvatochromic effects due to intramolecular charge transfer mechanism. Upon reaction with amines, the boron atom in difluoroboron unit can interact with lone pair electrons of nitrogen atom, thus resulting in significant changes in absorption and fluorescence properties. These probes were successfully utilized to image amine in live cells and liver tissues. Moreover, by photographing probe-loaded food extract supernatant, we establish the relationship between color parameters and food storage time, which can easily indicate food spoilage process. This work and its findings hold promise for providing potential strategies for real-time and convenient detection of food freshness. [Display omitted] • Probes 1 and 2 based on coumarin and difluoroboron β-diketonate are designed. • These probes can respond to amines with high selectivity and sensitivity. • These probes can successfully image the amine in live cells and liver tissues. • These probes were applied for monitoring of food spoilage in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-thin-ply laminates have been fabricated and the mechanical behaviour and interface damage of interference-fit specimens have been investigated using experimental and simulation approaches. The installation force of laminates decreased by 13.4%− 81.8% with decreasing ply thickness from 0.12 to 0.03 mm. Comparing the laminates with 2.5% interference, the ultra-thin-ply, thin-ply and thick-ply specimens with 0.6% interference had reduced ultimate installation force of 93.8%, 81.0%, and 70.5% respectively during static installation (1 mm/min). More interestingly, thin-ply and ultra-thin-ply laminates are dynamically installed (2 m/s) with 1.5% interference, the ultimate installation force is reduced by 34.8% and 37.9%, respectively, and the interface damage is also mitigated. Our investigation clearly indicates that, with ultra-thin-ply CFRP, less installation resistance achieves higher load capacity and wider applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By experimentation, this study investigated interference-fit effects on the bearing failure of thin-ply composite countersunk single-lap joints. A comparative study of the mechanical behaviour and strengthening of the bolt-hole wall during the assembly of thin-ply and thick-ply specimens with varying interference sizes has been carried out. The effect of the interference-fit on the strength of countersunk composite bolted joints with thin-ply has been studied in detail under quasi-static tensile loading. The interface strengthening and failure mechanisms of thin-ply interference joints were characterized by means of SEM micrographs. Thin-ply laminates exhibited lower installation forces during assembly. The use of thin-ply in the interference joints' area could still demonstrate suppression of the damage's generation and propagation. More importantly, thin-ply laminates could accommodate larger interference sizes than thick-ply laminates and have higher load-bearing capacities, approximately 10%–20 % higher. Thin prepregs could be used to facilitate the design process and improve composites' structural properties, providing new perspectives for improvements and innovative applications of interference joining technology. The results of this study have some guidance for the aerospace application of thin prepregs in thin-walled structures. • The strengthening effect of the interference-fit of the countersunk thin-ply laminated joint was evaluated. • Microscopy studies with the SEM technique were conducted on the failure and strengthening mechanism of thin-ply and thick-ply interference-fit joints. • Thin-ply laminated joints have a lower mechanical response and the performance of damage suppression during interference strengthening. • Thin-ply jointing holes could adopt more interference sizes, helping to produce a lightweight, high-strength composite joint for thin-walled structures of aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous studies, the nonlinear problem of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) ion drag flows in a circular cylindrical conduit has been studied by several authors. However, those studies seldom involve the computation for large physical parameters such as the electrical Hartmann number and the magnitude parameter for the strength of the nonlinearity due to the existence of strong nonlinearity in these extreme cases. To overcome this faultiness, the newly-developed homotopy Coiflets wavelet method is extended to solve this EHD flow problem with strong nonlinearity. The validity and reliability of the proposed technique are verified. Particularly, the highly accurate homotopy-wavelet solution is obtained for extreme large parameters, which seems to be overlooked before. Discussion about the effects of related physical parameters on the axial velocity field is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suitable micropumping methods for flow control represent a major technical hurdle in the development of microfluidic systems for point-of-care testing (POCT). Passive micropumping for point-of-care microfluidic systems provides a promising solution to such challenges, in particular, passive micropumping based on capillary force and air transfer based on the air solubility and air permeability of specific materials. There have been numerous developments and applications of micropumping techniques that are relevant to the use in POCT. Compared with active pumping methods such as syringe pumps or pressure pumps, where the flow rate can be well-tuned independent of the design of the microfluidic devices or the property of the liquids, most passive micropumping methods still suffer flow-control problems. For example, the flow rate may be set once the device has been made, and the properties of liquids may affect the flow rate. However, the advantages of passive micropumping, which include simplicity, ease of use, and low cost, make it the best choice for POCT. Here, we present a systematic review of different types of passive micropumping that are suitable for POCT, alongside existing applications based on passive micropumping. Future trends in passive micropumping are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptability of living organisms to dynamically adjust their biological behavior in response to fluctuating surroundings is a prerequisite for their evolutionary success. However, artificially‐synthesized materials, especially semiconductors, have not been able to replicate such adaptability due to their inherent physical rigidity and lack of intrinsic structural responsiveness to external stimuli. Herein, an adaptive structural evolution in group‐III‐nitride semiconductors is demonstrated by constructing an AlGaN‐nanowire/Ni(OH)2 symbiotic‐system, resulting in self‐improved optoelectronic characteristics. The mutualistic interplay between AlGaN and Ni(OH)2 nanostructure leads to the adaptive evolution of crystalline‐facets of AlGaN‐nanowires, along with self‐optimization of Ni(OH)2 nanocrystals upon photon‐irradiation during its operation. Specifically, the nanowire‐surfaces dynamically evolve during Ni(OH)2 photo‐deposition, removing the (0001¯$\bar{1}$) plane while exposing the (101¯1¯$\bar{1}\bar{1}$), which facilitates carrier transport at AlGaN/Ni(OH)2 interface. Moreover, light‐induced electrons generated from AlGaN‐nanowires then partially reduce Ni2+ ions in the Ni(OH)2 nanostructure into Ni0 nanometals, which further boosts the proton reduction thermodynamics, generating an unusual self‐improving photocurrent from −59.6 to −101.6 µA cm−2. Such a "symbiotic system," which is barely observed in conventional semiconductors, provides a promising avenue toward realizing smart adaptive semiconductors that are capable of dynamic structural evolution to fully unleash their potential for emerging optoelectronic and artificial‐photocatalysis applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In capillary- or vacuum-driven microfluidics, surge backflow events are common when merging or pumping two similar or dissimilar liquids together if a pressure difference exists between them. In this work, a robust, portable micromixing device that is insensitive to backflow was designed, fabricated and characterised. A capillary-driven pressure balancing bypass connected between two inlet ports diminished the initial pressure difference caused by capillarity and gravity present in each liquid at the two inlet ports. Then, using manual syringe-assisted vacuum-driven pumping that operated based on the high gas permeability of polydimethylsiloxane, the two pre-balanced liquid streams could synchronously enter a dead-end micromixing channel without any backflow. To test the performance of this device, we first used it to mix two aqueous solutions of different coloured dyes. We varied the initial volume difference between the solutions to study the effect of gravity-induced pressure difference on mixing. Next, as a proof-of-concept application, ABO/Rh blood groups were successfully determined through detection of blood antigen–antibody agglutination. The filling time of agglutinated samples, driven by the simple syringe-assisted pumping, in the dead-end mixing channel was consistently 10% longer than that of blood samples without the agglutination reaction. Thus, the proposed device shows great potential for use in a wide variety of blood typing assays, agglutination-based assays and point-of-care or lab-on-a-chip testing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Exploring a new generation of eco-friendly gas insulation medium to replace greenhouse gas sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6) in power industry is significant for reducing the greenhouse effect and building a low-carbon environment. The gas–solid compatibility of insulation gas with various electrical equipment is also of significance before practical applications. Herein, take a promising SF 6 replacing gas trifluoromethyl sulfonyl fluoride (CF 3 SO 2 F) for example, one strategy to theoretically evaluate the gas–solid compatibility between insulation gas and the typical solid surfaces of common equipment was raised. Firstly, the active site where the CF 3 SO 2 F molecule is prone to interact with other compounds was identified. Secondly, the interaction strength and charge transfer between CF 3 SO 2 F and four typical solid surfaces of equipment were studied by first-principles calculations and further analysis was conducted, with SF 6 as the control group. Then, the dynamic compatibility of CF 3 SO 2 F with solid surfaces was investigated by large-scale molecular dynamics simulations with the aid of deep learning. The results indicate that CF 3 SO 2 F has excellent compatibility similar to SF 6 , especially in the equipment whose contact surface is Cu, CuO, and Al 2 O 3 due to their similar outermost orbital electronic structures. Besides, the dynamic compatibility with pure Al surfaces is poor. Finally, preliminary experimental verifications indicate the validity of the strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmonic patterns with gaps of less than 10 nm have wide applications for various optoelectronic devices, for example, the surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection of toxic pesticide contaminants that pose a serious threat to human health. Here, a cost‐effective and highly controllable approach for such ultrafine patterns by combining the characteristic strengths of two techniques, the tunable and ordered porous structure of the anodic aluminum oxide template technique and the conformal atomic layer‐by‐layer growth feature of the atomic layer deposition technique, is reported. This novel nanofabrication approach can tailor the geometry and dimension of the inner‐pillar/outer‐ring or inner‐ring/outer‐ring nano‐arrays at the nanometer scale with high reproducibility. As a result, multiple large‐area (cm2 scale) ordered and high‐density coaxial circular nano‐slit arrays with adjustable slit width down to 2 nm are produced. Such narrow metallic nano‐slits can generate strong "hot spots" where huge signal enhancement happens, leading to a SERS enhancement factor of up to 4 × 108. This enables the detection of rhodamine 6G at an ultra‐low concentration of 10 fm, as well as toxic pesticide contaminants such as chlorpyrifos and thiram in lake water, with limits of detection of 0.25 ppm and 1.8 ppb, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin-ply composites have attracted increasing attention from researchers due to their higher damage tolerance and delamination suppression. This paper presents a detailed investigation of the fatigue behaviour and damage mechanism of symmetrical thin/thick hybrid design laminate-titanium joints under tension-tension loading. Laminates with four different configurations, thick, thick-thin-thick, thin-thick-thin and thin, were designed. According to the quasi-static bearing limit of the thick-ply laminates joints, fatigue testing of each hybrid joint was carried out at two load levels for a certain number of cycles. The deformation and damage of the hybrid joint were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). With thick plies and the addition of a number of thin plies, the hybrid design laminates can significantly improve the fatigue performance. Stacking thin-ply on the outermost layers of the laminate is more meaningful for double-lap joints than the use of thin-ply joints in the middle. Under an identical number of cycles, the deformation around a hole in the thin-ply laminate is only approximately 50% of that of the thick ply. The damage is delayed, and the propagation of inter- and intralaminar cracks is suppressed in the thin-ply laminates, resulting in the best fatigue resistance and less delamination under the two fatigue loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the gas-solid compatibility between insulating gas and solids materials used in electrical equipment is of great significance for determining the long-term behavior of insulating gas trifluoromethanesulonyl fluoride (CF3SO2F). The gas-solid compatibility of CF3SO2F and its decomposition products with Ag, Zn, and ZnO common surfaces has been assessed based on first-principles calculations, with SF6 as the control group. CF3SO2F has excellent gas-solid compatibility with the solid surfaces by analyzing the adsorption configurations, adsorption energies, charge transfer, adsorption height, density of states, and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) results. The external electric fields do not affect the excellent compatibility between CF3SO2F and the solid surfaces. Besides, the Ag(111) surface exhibits fine gas-solid compatibility with all decomposition products benefitting from its low surface energy. Originating in the existence of the three-center-four-electron (3c4e) π bond and F atoms with strong electronegativity in SO2F2, SO2F2 has poor compatibility with the Ag(110), (100), and Zn(001) surface. SO2, COF2, and HF gases may accelerate equipment failure due to the strong adsorption strength and poor compatibility with ZnO(100) and (110) surfaces. The results provide the theoretical guidance for the engineering application and long-term performance evaluation of CF3SO2F. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) offers a sustainable strategy for producing fuels and chemicals. However, it suffers from sluggish CO2 activation and slow water dissociation. In this work, we construct a (P−O)δ− modified In catalyst that exhibits high activity and selectivity in electrochemical CO2 reduction to formate. A combination of in situ characterizations and kinetic analyses indicate that (P−O)δ− has a strong interaction with K+(H2O)n, which effectively accelerates water dissociation to provide protons. In situ attenuated total reflectance surface‐enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR‐SEIRAS) measurements together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations disclose that (P−O)δ− modification leads to a higher valence state of In active site, thus promoting CO2 activation and HCOO* formation, while inhibiting competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). As a result, the (P−O)δ− modified oxide‐derived In catalyst exhibits excellent formate selectivity across a broad potential window with a formate Faradaic efficiency as high as 92.1 % at a partial current density of ~200 mA cm−2 and a cathodic potential of −1.2 V vs. RHE in an alkaline electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) offers a sustainable strategy for producing fuels and chemicals. However, it suffers from sluggish CO2 activation and slow water dissociation. In this work, we construct a (P−O)δ− modified In catalyst that exhibits high activity and selectivity in electrochemical CO2 reduction to formate. A combination of in situ characterizations and kinetic analyses indicate that (P−O)δ− has a strong interaction with K+(H2O)n, which effectively accelerates water dissociation to provide protons. In situ attenuated total reflectance surface‐enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR‐SEIRAS) measurements together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations disclose that (P−O)δ− modification leads to a higher valence state of In active site, thus promoting CO2 activation and HCOO* formation, while inhibiting competitive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). As a result, the (P−O)δ− modified oxide‐derived In catalyst exhibits excellent formate selectivity across a broad potential window with a formate Faradaic efficiency as high as 92.1 % at a partial current density of ~200 mA cm−2 and a cathodic potential of −1.2 V vs. RHE in an alkaline electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • We selected the antifouling carbon nanomaterials for PPF monitoring through DFT calculations and experiments. • For the first time, the antifouling ability of different carbon nanomaterials on PPF oxidation products were compared. • The ranking of critical factors for antifouling performance was hydrophilicity > geometric morphology > active surface area. • We propose a mechanism-driven approach to design a highly sensitive and durable biosensor for point-of-care PPF monitoring. Carbon nanomaterials, renowned for their exceptional sensitivity and selectivity towards various medical drugs, hold promise as electrode materials for electrochemical biosensors in propofol (PPF) monitoring. However, the issue of fouling has hindered their effective utilization in continuous point-of-care monitoring. In this research, we present a mechanism-driven approach to design a highly sensitive and durable electrochemical sensor tailored for PPF monitoring. We investigated the antifouling mechanism through density functional theory calculations and experiments and found that carboxyl functional groups contribute to the sensitivity and antifouling properties of the electrode. We have uncovered the antifouling ability of different carbon nanomaterials on PPF oxidation products. Factors such as hydrophilicity, geometric morphology, and active surface area played pivotal roles in antifouling. Furthermore, surface modification with hydrophilic polydopamine further enhanced the antifouling effects. In this study, we extensively investigated the electrochemical oxidation of PPF and its oxidation product on carbon nanomaterials, as well as the antifouling mechanism of carbon nanomaterials. The modified electrodes exhibit excellent antifouling performance and stability. This achievement presents a promising approach towards the development of point-of-care PPF analysis in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-Double (DD) laminate, consisting of a repeat of a 4-ply sub-laminate [±Φ/±Ψ], has attracted widespread attention. The delamination damage of composites is always a significant failure problem in the application and a challenge for DD laminate. However, the mode-I delamination propagation behavior and fracture toughness of DD laminate with different interface angles were seldom reported. In this study, the interface angles of DD laminate were variable and could be classified into two types: Ψ/Φ and –Ψ/Φ interfaces. The effect of interface angle on the delamination propagation of DD laminate was explored using the double cantilever beam test. The delamination damage mechanisms of the above interfaces were revealed using macroscopic and microscopic characterization methods. The results showed that the initial fracture toughness values of laminates at the 0°/0°, 90°/0°, Ψ/Φ, and –Ψ/Φ interfaces were similar, and the steady-state fracture toughness values of laminates at the Ψ/Φ interfaces were at least 20% higher than that of the –Ψ/Φ interfaces. Moreover, the maximum bridging stresses at Ψ/Φ and –Ψ/Φ interfaces were approximately equal, while the final failure displacements at Ψ/Φ interfaces were about 1.4–1.5 times than that at –Ψ/Φ interfaces. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 3D representative volume element models with microchannels were established based on measured data. And the periodic boundary conditions were moderately modified to adapt to the actual constraints of the studied object. The effects of different microvascular parameters on the tensile and compressive properties of composites were studied. And the damage pattern of carbon fiber as the main load-bearing phase under the force was analyzed. The models were verified by tensile testing and micromorphology experiments. The research results are of application to the design and analysis of CFRP laminates containing similar microchannel structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite decades of development, the delamination damage of multidirectional laminates still accounts for a considerable proportion of the failure problems encountered in the actual industrial field. The internal cracks that are difficult to be repaired make composites show a disposable essence. Thus, self-healable carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) has attracted the attentions in recent years. Vitrimer is a polymer containing dynamic cross-linking networks, which could be repaired after damage without using extrinsic healing agents. However, vitrimeric CFRP (vCFRP) laminates are also inevitably susceptible to delamination damage like traditional thermosetting composites owing to the lack of reinforcements in the thickness direction, whereas the reports about delamination healing of vCFRP remains limited. In this study, a triepoxy was introduced into an existing epoxy system to synthesize the self-healable vitrimer based on transesterification. It showed that the polyfunctional groups could improve the mechanical properties and glass transition temperature (T g) of cured vitrimer, and laid a groundwork for engineering application. Then the effects of stacking interfaces on the interlaminar properties and the twice interlaminar healing efficiency of the unidirectional vCFRP were studied. The results indicated that the load-displacement curves, R -curves, fracture toughness, fiber bridging length, fiber bridging effect and crack growth behaviour were strongly influenced by the stacking interfaces. The interlaminar healing efficiencies of the specimens after two complete delamination failure exceeded 80%. Development of such dynamic polymer composites could provide meaningful guidelines for improving the reliability, safety and maintainability of structural materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new hermetic encapsulation method for negative-pressure-driven polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices. The hermetic materials used in this encapsulation are mainly paraffin wax and glass which are not active, non-hazardous, and typically used as sealing materials for medicine and food. Compared with negative-pressure-driven devices only wrapped in air-tight plastic packages, one advantage of the new encapsulation method is that only inlet is exposed to air when the encapsulated device is unpackaged, as a result of that microfluidic devices encapsulated with the new method can achieve a higher driving pressure, a slower decline in pumping flow rate, and maintain much longer working times. In order to demonstrate the applications of these encapsulated devices, micropumps and integrated chips were designed, fabricated, and tested in this research. The back pressure, vertical flow rate, the efficiency, the channel filling time and the reservoir filling time were tested in this study. The proposed encapsulation technique can offer advantages in expanding the applications of negative-pressure-driven microfluidic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the structural stability and property contrast of phase-change materials is important to make phase-change random access memories work in prolonged service stably. Based on the density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we analyze the structural, electronic, and optical properties of Sb-rich amorphous Ge3Sb6Te5, in comparison with the traditional amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5. The results show that excess Sb concentration can promote the formation of wrong bonds, tetrahedrons, and fivefold rings, which are beneficial for the structural stability of amorphous phases. In addition, Ge3Sb6Te5 has a bigger difference in the bandgap and dielectric function between the crystalline and amorphous phases, indicating that excess Sb concentration can improve the electrical and optical property contrast between the two phases. Our calculation will provide a theoretical basis for applying Sb-rich Ge3Sb6Te5 to retain data stably in prolonged service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating a DNA-binding fragment in HDAC inhibitors has been proved to be an effective strategy for the treatment of hematologic malignancies by our group. However, similar to other approved HDAC inhibitors, their effects on solid tumor were poor. For this issue, a series of 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole hydroxamate derivatives were designed and synthesized as the HDAC inhibitors with DNA binding affinity. Among the target compounds, 4j not only bound with DNA effectively but also exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity against HDAC1 with the IC 50 of 15 nM. Compared to SAHA, compound 4j displayed stronger antiproliferative activity in tested tumor cell lines. Western blot analysis showed that 4j could enhance the acetylation of histone H3 and α-tubulin, as well as promote the activation of caspase 3 in HCT116 and MC38 cell lines. Furthermore, these responses resulted in significant suppression of tumor growth in the MC38 tumor model. This work validated that compound 4j was a promising lead compound for further structural optimization. [Display omitted] • Novel 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives were found as HDAC inhibitors with DNA binding affinity. • Compound 4j exhibited DNA binding properties and potent inhibitory activity against HDAC1. • Compound 4j exerted potent antitumor effects on the tested solid tumor cell lines. • Compound 4j showed significant suppression of tumor growth in MC38 tumor model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the mechanical behavior and damage patterns of ultra-thin-ply composite joints is essential for ensuring their widespread application in the aerospace field. It is currently an advanced method of exploring the damage patterns of composite joint structures via a combination of acoustic emission and machine learning algorithms. However, the existing research lacks the evaluation indexes for the determination of the number of damage categories, and on the other hand, the overlapping area and noise of the monitored damage data cannot be accurately identified. In this paper, load-bearing performance of ultra-thin-ply composite hybrid bonded/bolted interference-fit joints is studied, then the SDI(Structural Damage Index) evaluation index is proposed to quantitatively analyze the number of damage categories of the complex joints, and finally the adaptive optimization algorithm based on the credal partition for the complex joints of composite is studied. The experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and generalization of the SDI formulae, and the introduction of the credal partition that submits data where overlapping regions cannot be accurately identified to ensembles of special single classes (meta-clusters) obtains deeper insights into the damage data and improves identification and isolation of noise. • The mechanical properties of ultra-thin-ply HBBI joints were investigated. • An SDI evaluation index based on damage data is proposed. • SDI provides an analysis of the number of damage categories in joint structures. • Credit partition is introduced to design an adaptive optimization algorithm. • Credit partition provides more deeper insights into damage data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research introduced ultra-thin prepregs for designing equal-thickness laminates and conducted experimental tests on interference-fit. The uncertainty of damage, attributed to the bearing and friction exerted by the shank against the hole wall during installation, posed a significant challenge. Moreover, the absence of real-time damage monitoring methods in existing literature. In this paper, we proposed the utilization of acoustic emission (AE) technology in conjunction with the evolutionary affinity propagation (EAP) algorithm to facilitate dynamic, real-time monitoring and classification of damage. The findings indicated that employing ultra-thin in composite interference-fit installations substantially reduced damage to the hole walls. Furthermore, the EAP algorithm surpassed traditional methods in its ability to accurately and efficiently monitor and analyze damage dynamically throughout the interference-fit installation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The external and intrinsic healing system are synergistically applied to heal the damaged laminates. • The effects of the reaction component content on the vitrimer properties, as well as the effects of healing process parameters on the healing efficiency were explored. • The healing efficiencies of CFRP with a single and dual healing system were studied. Epoxy vitrimer theoretically achieves an unlimited healing cycle drawing support from dynamic molecular chains. The healing conditions required for microvascular systems are variable and flexible. Current research has often focused on a single healing system, further exploration is needed for a dual healing system that combines the advantages of both. In this study, the effects of curing agent and catalyst content on the performances of vitrimer, as well as the healing parameters on the healing efficiency were studied. And then the vitrimeric CFRP (vCFRP) laminates with microchannels were prepared, and the three-point bending tests were implemented to characterize the healing efficiency of CFRP with a single and dual healing system. The results indicated that the cured vitrimer exhibited the best comprehensive performance when the molar ratio of reactants was 1:1:0.07. The healing temperature had the greatest impact on the healing efficiency of vitrimer, followed by the catalyst content and the healing pressure. The two healing systems could improve the mechanical properties of laminates, especially the healing efficiency of CFRP with dual healing system reached 134.5 %. The healing agent in the microchannels could heal micro-damage, and the healability of the vitrimer could still be utilized after the healing agent was exhausted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnS crystal, as a semiconductor material with wide band gaps, has been investigated for a long time, due to its wide applications in many fields, like electroluminescence devices, photodiodes, functional nanomaterials, optical thin films and so on. Understanding the luminescence mechanisms of ZnS is of fundamental importance since many methods were used on the exploration of luminescence properties of ZnS. Up to now, triboluminescence properties of undoped ZnS crystals are rarely reported. Thus, we explored the luminescence emission characteristics of ZnS crystals based on triboluminescence method, and the results reveal that multi spectra and hot pressed ZnS crystals presented different fluorescence peaks at 420 nm and 475 nm respectively. This phenomenon may be due to the structural differences between different kinds of ZnS crystals, and it provides a new perspective for the study of luminescence properties of ZnS material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]