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In the recent decades of high energy physics research, it was demonstrated that strongly interacting quark-gluon plasma (sQGP) is created in ultra-relativistic nucleus–nucleus collisions. Investigation and understanding of properties of the hadronic matter is among the important goals of NA61/SHINE collaboration at CERN SPS. Mapping of the phase diagram is achieved by varying the collision energy (5GeV

Metal sulfides materials are promising anode candidates for Na+ storage due to their low cost and high theoretical capacity, while the complex phase transition and inevitable volume expansion during cycling restrain their practical applications. Herein, a simple one‐pot manipulation strategy was designed to construct Co9S8 nanoparticles strongly encapsulated in carbon nanotubes (Co9S8@C/NTs) composite structure with enhanced structural stability and reaction kinetics, resulting in greatly improved Na+ storage performance. Specifically, the obtained Co9S8@C/NTs could exhibit a remarkable capacity of 500 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 100 cycles and exceptional cycling stability over 600 cycles with 88 % capacity retention at 1 A g−1. Furthermore, the theoretical calculations combined with systematic characterizations confirm that the strong interaction between Co9S8 and the carbon matrix could greatly enhance the Na+ adsorption ability and facilitate the electron transfer dynamics for superior Na+ storage capability. More importantly, the full cell device can deliver an outstanding energy density of 144.32 Wh kg−1 and a decent cycling life with 82 % capacity retention of almost 100 cycles at 0.1 A g−1. This work could provide more valuable insights for designing advanced metal sulfide nanocomposites and demonstrate fascinating prospects for commercial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to apply the trigintaduonion spaces to explore the physical properties of four interactions simultaneously, including the electromagnetic fields, gravitational fields, weak nuclear fields, and strong nuclear fields. J. C. Maxwell first applied the algebra of quaternions to study the physical properties of electromagnetic fields. It inspired some subsequent scholars to introduce the quaternions, octonions, sedenions, and trigintaduonions to research the electromagnetic fields, gravitational fields, weak nuclear fields, strong nuclear fields, quantum mechanics, gauge fields, and curved spaces and so forth. The algebra of trigintaduonions is able to discuss the physical quantities of four interactions, including the field potential, field strength, field source, linear momentum, angular momentum, torque, and force. In the field theories described with the algebra of trigintaduonions, the weak nuclear field is composed of three types of fundamental fields. These three fundamental fields, related to weak nuclear fields, can describe the physical properties of weak nuclear fields collectively. This is consistent with the conclusion of the electroweak theory. Meanwhile the strong nuclear field consists of three types of fundamental fields. These three fundamental fields relevant to strong nuclear fields may investigate the physical properties of strong nuclear fields mutually. It is coincident with the deduction of quark theory. According to the properties of trigintaduonions, one can deduce the Yang‐Mills equation related to the gauge fields. It means that the electromagnetic field occupies a quaternion space. The gravitational field owns one different quaternion space. The weak nuclear fields occupy three mutually independent quaternion spaces. The properties of weak nuclear fields are different from those of electromagnetic fields or gravitational fields. According to the multiplication table of trigintaduonion spaces, the strong nuclear fields own three conjugate quaternion spaces independent of each other. These explorations further deepen the understanding of the physical properties of weak and strong nuclear fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy density, the Achilles' heel of aqueous supercapacitors, is simultaneously determined by the voltage window and specific capacitance of the carbon materials, but the strategy of synchronously boosting them has rarely been reported. Herein, we demonstrate that the rational utilization of the interaction between redox mediators (RMs) and carbon electrode materials, especially those with rich intrinsic defects, contributes to extended potential windows and more stored charges concurrently. Using 4‐hydroxy‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyloxyl (4OH‐TEMPO) and intrinsic defect‐rich carbons as the RMs and electrode materials, respectively, the potential window and capacitance are increased by 67% and sixfold in a neutral electrolyte. Moreover, this strategy could also be applied to alkaline and acid electrolytes. The first‐principle calculation and experimental results demonstrate that the strong interaction between 4OH‐TEMPO and defect‐rich carbons plays a key role as preferential adsorbed RMs may largely prohibit the contact of free water molecules with the electrode materials to terminate the water splitting at elevated potentials. For the RMs offering weaker interaction with the electrode materials, the water splitting still proceeds with a thus sole increase of the stored charges. The results discovered in this work could provide an alternative solution to address the low energy density of aqueous supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong metal‐support interaction (SMSI) is widely proposed as a key factor in tuning catalytic performances. Herein, the classical SMSI between Au nanoparticles (NPs) and BiVO4 (BVO) supports (Au/BVO‐SMSI) is discovered and used innovatively for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Owing to the SMSI, the electrons transfer from V4+ to Au NPs, leading to the formation of electron‐rich Au species (Auδ−) and strong electronic interaction (i.e. Auδ−‐Ov‐V4+), which readily contributes to extract photogenerated holes and promote charge separation. Benefitted from the SMSI effect, the as‐prepared Au/BVO‐SMSI photoanode exhibits a superior photocurrent density of 6.25 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode after the deposition of FeOOH/NiOOH cocatalysts. This work provides a pioneering view for extending SMSI effect to bimetal oxide supports for PEC water splitting, and guides the interfacial electronic and geometric structure modulation of photoanodes consisting of metal NPs and reducible oxides for improved solar energy conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the need for decarbonization in energy generation, it is necessary to develop electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), a key process in energy generation systems such as fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Perovskite–carbon material composites have emerged as active and stable electrocatalysts for the ORR, and the interaction between both components is a crucial aspect for electrocatalytic activity. This work explores different mixing methods for composite preparation, including mortar mixing, ball milling, and hydrothermal and thermal treatments. Hydrothermal treatment combined with ball milling resulted in the most favorable electrocatalytic performance, promoting intimate and extensive contact between the perovskite and carbon material and improving electrocatalytic activity. Employing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), an increase in the number of M-O-C species was observed, indicating enhanced interaction between the perovskite and the carbon material due to the adopted mixing methods. This finding was further corroborated by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) techniques. Interestingly, the ball milling method results in similar performance to the hydrothermal method in the zinc–air battery and, thus, is preferable because of the ease and straightforward scalability of the preparation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A written account of my talk delivered at the Harald Fritzsch Memorial Symposium in Munich is given. The emphasis is on Harald's achievements specifically in quark physics and in quantum chromodynamics. Beyond that exemplary results for low-energy baryons are discussed, as obtained over the past years in the framework of the relativistic constituent-quark model based on Goldstone-boson-exchange dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu/ZnO/C–P were prepared via the deposition-precipitation for CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol. At 280 °C, Cu/ZnO/C–P reached the maximum methanol space-time yield (STY) of 0.66 g CH3OH ·g cat −1·h−1, significantly higher than Cu/ZnO (0.48 g CH3OH ·g cat −1·h−1). The addition of C–P escalated the reduction of Cu2+ and made Cu/ZnO interface much tighter. Phosphorus-doped Carbon (C–P) was not only favorable for the formation of Cu/ZnO contact interfaces and boosted Cu0 amount at the Cu/ZnO interfaces, but also further strengthened the interaction between Cu0 and ZnO. Cu0/ZnO interfaces also improved the adsorption and activation of CO 2 and H 2 , eventually advanced methanol formation. The variation trend between methanol STY and Cu0 species content at the Cu/ZnO interface was in good agreement with each other. Cu0 species strongly interacted with ZnO at the Cu/ZnO contact interfaces may be indispensable for methanol generation on Cu/ZnO/C–P. The Cu0/ZnO interface serves as the active center to efficiently escalate CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol. [Display omitted] • Phosphorus-doped carbon materials were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method. • C–P promoted the generation of Cu/ZnO interfaces and enhanced the interaction between Cu0 and ZnO. • Cu0/ZnO interfaces were the active sites of Cu/ZnO/C–P for CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol. • Cu/ZnO modified by appropriate amount of C–P promoted the methanol formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two stages in the process of low-temperature nuclear fusion. The first stage corresponds to the bringing together of nuclei due to attraction to the negative charge in the internuclear space. This charge is formed by massive electron pairs located in a circular orbit. According to hadronic mechanics, the attraction of electrons (with opposite spins) is ensured by contact interaction. The second stage corresponds to the exchange of nuclei by pions, which begins when the nuclei approach each other to a distance equal to the strong interaction radius Rs, To estimate the maximum value of Rs*, the concepts of hadron mechanics about the πn0 - meson as a bound electron - positron (e- e 1+ pair are used. The main attention is paid to the visual interpretation of the electromagnetic interaction (e- e+) - pairs with nuclei, promoting the attraction of nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiplicity distributions of charged particles and their combinants for pp collisions at LHC energies are studied within the Multipomeron Exchange Model (MEM) that takes into account the phenomenon of string fusion. It is shown that the use of Gaussian-type distributions for multiplicity distributions at a fixed number of pomerons allows, within the MEM framework, the reproduction of the resulting multiplicity distributions and the oscillatory behavior of combinants, found in the ALICE and CMS pp collision data at LHC energies. It is important that in the proposed approach, the parameters of these Gaussian-type distributions are not considered free, but are calculated from the two-particle correlation function of a single string. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the production of particles outside the region of nucleon–nucleon kinematics due to interactions involving dense cold clusters of quark-gluon matter in nuclei is calculated. The possibility of observing this process in the region of central rapidities and large transverse momenta in heavy ion collisions at low energies with MPD detector at the NICA collider is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent progresses on charmoniumlike state have significantly enriched the discovery of new hadronic states, providing exciting opportunities for further investigations into the fascinating realm of charmonium physics. In this letter, we focus on the vector charmonium family and perform a detailed analysis of the recently observed e+e−→π+D0D⁎− process. Our findings demonstrate a agreement between the observed peak structures and the predicted characterized energy level structure of higher vector charmonia including the ψ(4220), ψ(4380), ψ(4415), and ψ(4500), which are derived from an unquenched potential model. This discovery challenges conventional understanding of higher charmonia above 4 GeV and offers fresh insights into the dynamics of charm and anti-charm quarks in the formation of these states. Furthermore, the identification of these higher charmonia in the precisely measured π+D0D⁎− open-charm decay channel would serve as compelling evidence supporting the unquenched scenario and contribute to a deeper understanding of the nonperturbative aspects of the strong interaction.

The multiplicity distributions of charged particles and their combinants for pp collisions at LHC energies are studied within the Multipomeron Exchange Model (MEM) that takes into account the phenomenon of string fusion. It is shown that the use of Gaussian-type distributions for multiplicity distributions at a fixed number of pomerons allows, within the MEM framework, the reproduction of the resulting multiplicity distributions and the oscillatory behavior of combinants, found in the ALICE and CMS pp collision data at LHC energies. It is important that in the proposed approach, the parameters of these Gaussian-type distributions are not considered free, but are calculated from the two-particle correlation function of a single string.

In this paper, the production of particles outside the region of nucleon–nucleon kinematics due to interactions involving dense cold clusters of quark-gluon matter in nuclei is calculated. The possibility of observing this process in the region of central rapidities and large transverse momenta in heavy ion collisions at low energies with MPD detector at the NICA collider is demonstrated.

Traditional powder catalysts are not suitable for industrial applications due to low utilization of active phase and easy sintering. Therefore, monolithic catalyst MCCF with good stability and water-resistance was designed for the catalytic oxidation of toluene-acetone mixture, in which amorphous MnO x derived via pyrolysis of Mn-MOFs loaded on copper foam (CF) and different transition layers were employed between MnO x and CF to regulate Cu-Mn interaction. The combined action of amorphous MnO x and the Cu-Mn strong interaction enhanced the catalytic degradation of toluene-acetone mixture. The existence of amorphous MnO x and the impacts of Cu-Mn interaction on weakening Mn-O bonds and stimulating reactive oxygen species were verified by various characterizations. Furthermore, the reaction pathways of toluene and acetone on catalyst MCCF were revealed as well as their interactions within the mixture. • The main active phase MnO x derived from Mn-MOFs grown on Cu foam is amorphous. • Different transition layers are employed to regulate Cu-Mn interaction. • Strong Cu-Mn interaction weakens Mn-O bonds and promotes catalytic activity. • The weaker Mn-O bond stimulates more reactive oxygen species. • Catalyst MCCF exhibits excellent toluene-acetone mixture catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the migration distance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and enhancing interfacial electron transfer represent effective approaches for enhancing the reactivity of heterogeneous catalysts, albeit still posing significant challenges. Herein, we successfully synthesized ultrasmall cobalt nanoclusters-confined g-C 3 N 4 macroscopic beads with N-doped carbon dots (Co/NC@CN beads). Compared to unconfined Co/C and Co/C@CN beads, Co/NC@CN beads demonstrated remarkable utilization efficiency of PMS (84.3%), achieving complete degradation of TC within 20 min at a rate of 162.1 min-1·M-1, surpassing most reported catalysts. Besides, Co/NC@CN beads predominantly generated singlet oxygen (1O 2), ensuring efficient removal of micropollutants with resistance to pH and complex water bodies. Experiments have proven that the strong interaction between Co clusters and g-C 3 N 4 beads containing NC dots facilitated the generation of interfacial electron transfer by optimizing the electronic structure of Co nanoclusters, thereby Co/NC@CN beads could capture electrons from tetracycline (TC) and PMS molecules towards dissolved oxygen (DO) to form O 2 ·-, which subsequently converted into 1O 2. More importantly, the efficiency of the flow-through unit in the continuous degradation of TC with zero discharge was substantiated by long-term experiments, and its performance could be restored through a straightforward low-temperature carbonization process. This study offers a universal design framework for the creation of various confined macroscopic beads, enabling the achievement of highly effective wastewater treatment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borocarbonitride (BCN) catalysts, boasting multiple redox sites, have shown considerable potential in alkane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) to olefin molecules. However, their catalytic efficiency still lags behind that of leading commercial catalysts, primarily due to the limited reactivity of oxygen functional groups. In this study, a groundbreaking hybrid catalyst is developed, featuring BCN nanotubes (BCNNTs) encapsulated with manganese (Mn) clusters, crafted through a meticulous supramolecular self-assembly and postcalcination strategy. This novel catalyst demonstrates a remarkable enhancement in activity, achieving 30% conversion and ≈100% selectivity toward styrene in ethylbenzene ODH reactions. Notably, its performance surpasses both pure BCNNTs and those hosting Mn nanoparticles. Structural and kinetic analyses unveil a robust interaction between BCNNTs and the Mn component, substantially boosting the catalytic activity of BCNNTs. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate that BCNNTs encapsulated with Mn clusters not only stabilize key intermediates (─B─O─O─B─) but also enhance the nucleophilicity of active sites through electron transfer from the Mn cluster to the BCNNTs. This electron transfer mechanism effectively lowers the energy barrier for ─C─H cleavage, resulting in a 13% improvement in catalytic activity compared to pure BCNNTs., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) is widely proposed as a key factor in tuning catalytic performances. Herein, the classical SMSI between Au nanoparticles (NPs) and BiVO 4 (BVO) supports (Au/BVO-SMSI) is discovered and used innovatively for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Owing to the SMSI, the electrons transfer from V 4+ to Au NPs, leading to the formation of electron-rich Au species (Au δ- ) and strong electronic interaction (i.e., Au δ- -O v -V 4+ ), which readily contributes to extract photogenerated holes and promote charge separation. Benefitted from the SMSI effect, the as-prepared Au/BVO-SMSI photoanode exhibits a superior photocurrent density of 6.25 mA cm -2 at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode after the deposition of FeOOH/NiOOH cocatalysts. This work provides a pioneering view for extending SMSI effect to bimetal oxide supports for PEC water splitting, and guides the interfacial electronic and geometric structure modulation of photoanodes consisting of metal NPs and reducible oxides for improved solar energy conversion efficiency., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The interactions between the catalyst and support are widely used in many important catalytic reactions but the construction of strong interaction with definite microenvironments to understand the structure-activity relationship is still challenging. Here, strongly-interacted composites are prepared via selective exsolution of active NiSe 2 from the host matrix of NiFe 2 O 4 (S-NiSe 2 /NiFe 2 O 4 ) taking advantage of the differences of migration energy, in which the NiSe 2 possessed both high dispersion and small size. The characteristics of spatially resolved scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) coupled with analytical Mössbauer spectra for the surface and bulk electronic structures unveiled that this strongly interacted composite triggered more charge transfers from the NiSe 2 to the host of NiFe 2 O 4 while stabilizing the inherent atomic coordination of NiFe 2 O 4 . The obtained S-NiSe 2 /NiFe 2 O 4 exhibits overpotentials of 290 mV at 10 mA cm -2 for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This strategy is general and can be extended to other supported catalysts, providing a powerful tool for modulating the catalytic performance of strongly-interacted composites., (© 2023 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The high photoelectric conversion efficiency and low cost of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have further inspired people's determination to push this technology toward industrialization. The high-quality perovskite films and high-efficiency and stable PSCs are the crucial factors. Ionic liquids have been proven to be an effective strategy for regulating high-quality perovskite films and high-performance PSCs. However, the regulation mechanism between ionic liquids and perovskites still needs further clarification. In this study, a novel sulfonic acid-functionalized ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (BSO 3 HMImOTf), was used as an effective additive to regulate high-quality perovskite films and high-performance devices. Microscopic mechanism studies revealed strong interactions between BSO 3 HMImOTf and Pb 2+ ions as well as halogens in the perovskite. The perovskite film is effectively passivated with the controlled crystal growth, suppressed ion migration, facilitating to the greatly improved photovoltaic performance, and superior long-term stability. This article reveals the regulatory mechanism of sulfonic acid type ionic liquids through testing characterization and mechanism analysis, providing a new approach for the preparation of high-quality perovskite devices.

Recent progresses on charmoniumlike state have significantly enriched the discovery of new hadronic states, providing exciting opportunities for further investigations into the fascinating realm of charmonium physics. In this letter, we focus on the vector charmonium family and perform a detailed analysis of the recently observed e + e − → π + D 0 D ⁎ − process. Our findings demonstrate a agreement between the observed peak structures and the predicted characterized energy level structure of higher vector charmonia including the ψ (4220) , ψ (4380) , ψ (4415) , and ψ (4500) , which are derived from an unquenched potential model. This discovery challenges conventional understanding of higher charmonia above 4 GeV and offers fresh insights into the dynamics of charm and anti-charm quarks in the formation of these states. Furthermore, the identification of these higher charmonia in the precisely measured π + D 0 D ⁎ − open-charm decay channel would serve as compelling evidence supporting the unquenched scenario and contribute to a deeper understanding of the nonperturbative aspects of the strong interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A variety of Ni 2 P/GaAlO x catalysts with various Ga doping were prepared. • The doping of Ga influences the surface acidity, MSI, morphology, and electronic structure of Ni 2 P. • Ni 2 P/GaAlO x -0.50 exhibits optimal HDS performance with 70.1% 4,6-DMDBT conversion. • Ni 2 P/GaAlO x -0.50 shows higher k HDS and TOF than that of the other counterparts. Modifying the structure of active phase is an effective protocol to improve the catalytic activity of hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalyst. Here, a variety of mesoporous GaAlO x supports with various Ga doping amount were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal strategy. The corresponding Ni 2 P supported catalysts were fabricated via a conventional impregnation and temperature-programmed reduction method, and their catalytic performances for 4,6-DMDBT HDS were examined. The experimental analyses show that the introduction of Ga substantially influences the geometric and electrical structure of Ni 2 P active phase on Ni 2 P/GaAlO x catalysts. The metal-support interaction is effectively abated with the elevation of Ga doping amount, thereby increasing the d-electron density of Ni species and boosting the pre-hydrogenation (HYD) route, thereupon enhancing the HDS performances of corresponding Ni 2 P/GaAlO x catalysts. Therein, Ni 2 P/GaAlO x -0.50 exhibits the highest activity with 70.1% 4,6-DMDBT conversion because of the optimal morphology and percentage of active phase, as well as distinguished redox and acid property. Further increasing the Ga loading, however, inhibits the HDS activity of Ni 2 P/GaAlO x -1.0 catalyst due to the decrease in the fraction and dispersion of active phases. Therefore, this work may shine light on the understanding of structure–activity of HDS catalyst and thereafter the preparation of HDS catalysts with high efficiency in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong nuclear force gives rise to the widely studied neutron scattering states and MeV-energy nuclear bound states. Whether this same interaction could lead to low-energy bound states for a neutron in the nuclear force field of a cluster of nuclei is an open question. Here, we computationally demonstrate the existence of μeV-level neutronic bound states originating from the strong interactions in nanocrystals with a spatial extent of tens of nanometers. These negative-energy neutron wave functions depend on the size, dimension, and nuclear spin polarization of the nanoparticles, providing engineering degrees of freedom for the artificial neutronic "molecule".