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In-based catalysts offer an attractive approach for electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 (eCO2RR) into formate. However, precisely controlling the adsorption of competitive intermediates (*COOH and *OCHO) on Inbased catalysts remains a tremendous challenge. Based on that, Ga is introduced for optimizing the electronic structure of In and adsorption of competitive intermediates. Here the indium--gallium metal organic framework (InGaMOF) with rich In--Ga bimetal sites is synthesized by a simple two-step method. The best InGaMOF(5 : 1) catalyst exhibits an excellent formate faradaic efficiency of 93% at -0.5 V (vs. RHE). The structure-activity relationship is revealed by in situ electrochemical Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and other techniques. The characterization data indicate that the generated In--Ga bimetal sites in InGaMOF(5 : 1) provide co-adsorbed sites for CO2 molecules, facilitating their initial adsorption and activation into *CO2-. Moreover, the atomic bridging of Ga with In atoms efficiently optimizes the electronic structure of In, which results in weaker In--C hybridization of competitive *COOH (for CO) and stronger In--O hybridization of *OCHO (for formate). This study provides a new insight for understanding the important role of Ga in Ga-based bimetal electrocatalysts towards the eCO2RR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the production of polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers (PAN-CFs), preoxidation is a key step to improving the thermal stability of the fibers and forming their structural prototype. However, structural evaluation of PAN fibers during preoxidation remains ambiguous, partly due to a lack of in situ studies. This contribution reports an in situ study of the preoxidation of PAN fibers using wide-angle X-ray scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering techniques on a synchrotron radiation beamline. The structural changes of the skeleton and pores in the fibers are revealed and correspond to five kinds of diffraction spots (peaks) and two kinds of scattering streaks, respectively. The preoxidation shows obvious stages, and the corresponding possible mechanism is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more individuals who live without any children (empty nesters) in China, and there was little studies focused on their quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine the quality of life, subjective well-being, and their influencing factors among rural individuals who live without any children (empty nesters) in China. Multi-stage random sampling was used to select empty nesters in 60 natural villages from 6 cities of Henan Province in China. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze factors influencing the subjective well-being of empty nesters. The Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to assess the quality of life of empty nesters. 2,490 empty nesters participated, of which 81.6% reported feeling "happy." The logistic regression analysis indicated that empty nesters who were older, had a spouse, had filial piety, had fewer chronic diseases, had medical convenience, and had children's filial piety as a source of income were more likely to report feeling happy. Regarding quality of life, scores on the role-physical, vitality, and role-emotional scales of the SF-36 among Henan rural empty nesters were higher (P <0.05) than were those of Zhejiang and Shanghai empty nesters, while scores on the bodily pain and social functioning scales were lower (P <0.05). Children should be more concerned and provide care that is more active for elderly relatives. Furthermore, these elderly individuals' social support should be further strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α-Fe2O3nanoparticles with various morphologies (including spindles, rods, tubes, disks and nanorings) were synthesized under the influence of H2PO4−ions viaa simply hydrothermal method. It was found that the morphologies of the α-Fe2O3nanoparticles were highly sensitive to the concentration of H2PO4−ions. The special all doubly coordinated surface hydroxyl configuration on (001) facets of α-Fe2O3was the most important factor for the morphology evolution. The final morphologies of the samples mainly depend on how the H2PO4−anions oriented the growth of the (001) facet. All morphologies of the synthesized α-Fe2O3nanoparticles could be systemically evaluated by the competition of Fe3+and H2PO4−ions on the (001) facets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-crystal α-Fe2O3hexagonal nanorings with hexagonal inner hole were synthesized under the stepwise influence of different anionic ligands (F−and SCN−). This is a new method to design and modify crystal structures of transition metal oxide nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the concentration difference of exposed dangling Fe3+ ions on different crystal facets, an "oriented dissolution" along direction of α-Fe2O3 was carried out via a redox reaction between coordinative ions SCN- and exposed Fe3+ ions. It is a new effective route to modify the morphology of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]