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Solid oxide cells (SOCs) can switch between fuel cell and electrolysis cell modes, which alleviate environmental and energy problems. In this study, the La0.3Sr0.7Fe0.9Ti0.1O3-δ (LSFTi 91) perovskite is innovatively used as a symmetric electrode for solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). LSFTi 91 exhibits a pure perovskite phase in both oxidizing and reducing atmospheres, and the maximum conductivity in air and 5% H2/Ar is 150 and 1.1 S cm-1, respectively, which meets the requirement of the symmetric electrode. The polarization resistance (Rp) at 1.5 V is as low as 0.09 Ω cm2 in the SOEC mode due to the excellent CO2 adsorption capacity. The current density can reach 1.9 A cm-2 at 1.5 V and 800 °C, which is the highest electrolytic performance in the reported single-phase electrodes. LSFTi 91 also exhibits eminent oxygen reduction reaction and hydrogen oxidation reaction (ORR and HOR) activities, with Rp of 0.022 and 0.15 Ω cm2 in air and wet H2, respectively. The peak power density of SOFC could reach 847 mW cm-2 at 800 °C. In addition, good reversibility is confirmed in the cyclic operation of SOFC and SOEC.

A comparative study on CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 slag and CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–Cr2O3 slag was conducted to investigate the distribution of the elements at the gas-slag interface. The effect of redox states of chromium on the distribution of sulfur and oxygen at the interface was revealed by gas-slag equilibrium method using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at 1873K. From the analysis of the S2p core-level spectra, the negative divalent sulfur(S2−) was detected at the interface in the Cr-bearing slag, which directly proved that sulfur exists in the form of S2− in the slag for the first time. However, the S2− peak is very weak at the interface of Cr-free slag. The reason for the difference between the two slags may be due to chromium changing the interface structure. According to the O1s and Cr2p core-level spectra, non-bridged oxygen(O−) increased, while bridged oxygen(O0) decreased with the etching depth deepened. The increase of NBO/BO and Cr2+/Cr3+ elucidates that Cr3+ can modify the structure of the slag as basicity substance, but its effect is weaker than that of Cr2+. Meanwhile, due to the affinity of sulfur and chromium, the addition of chromium may also lead to the enhancement of the S2− peak at the gas-slag interface. Gradient change of elements at the interface proved the existence of the boundary layer.

We demonstrate a distributed feedback (DFB) semiconductor laser based on i-line lithography and surface periodic current injection technologies with a lasing wavelength of 795 nm, which corresponds to the D1 spectrum of Rb and has many applications with respect to alkali vapor lasers and atomic clocks. The maximum output power, side mode suppression ratio (SMSR), and single-longitudinal-mode tunable range of our device are 50.89 mW (at 20 °C), 34.56 dB, and 12.792 nm, respectively. The rate of change in wavelength with temperature of the laser is 0.401 nm/°C, which is equivalent to that of a Fabry-Perot (FP) laser and much better than that of a general DFB device. This device has a cavity the same as an FP laser without any etching gratings, meanwhile the lasing spectrum behaves a single longitudinal mode characteristic as a DFB laser.

Organo–mineral interactions have long been the focus in the fields of biomineralization and geomineralization, since such interactions not only modulate the dynamics of crystal nucleation and growth but may also change crystal phases, morphologies, and structures. The utilization of an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based dynamic force spectroscopy (DFS) technique makes it possible to quantify the single-molecule scale organo–mineral binding free energy (ΔGb) correlated with interfacial free energy (γ) and the nucleation energy barrier (ΔG). In this highlight, we briefly review theories of force spectroscopy (FS) and DFS, indicating that single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) can be distinguished with the worm-like chain (WLC) model, and linear and nonlinear DFS data can be analyzed with the Bell–Evans and Friddle–Noy–De Yoreo models to derive noncovalent binding information through the introduction of detailed procedures for DFS experiments from AFM tip modification to FS collection. Moreover, we present some application cases of DFS in unraveling the mechanisms underlying organo-modified nucleation rates, nucleus critical sizes, and phase transformations as well as facet-dependent organo–mineral interactions. The use of an AFM-based DFS technique will improve the fundamental understanding of organo–mineral interactions that affect organo-modified crystal nucleation and growth in both biomineralization and geomineralization processes.

Tailings from the vanadium extraction process are discarded each year as waste, which contain approximately 30wt% of Fe. In our previous work, we extracted Fe and Mn from vanadium slag, and Fe and Mn existed in the form of FeCl2 and MnCl2 after chlorination by NH4Cl to achieve effective and green usage of waste containing Fe and Mn. In this work, square wave voltammetry (SWV) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were applied to investigate the electrochemical behaviors of Fe2+ and Mn2+ in NaCl-KCl melt at 800°C. The reduction processes of Fe2+ and Mn2+ were found to involve one step. The diffusion coefficients of FeCl2 and MnCl2 in molten salt of eutectic mixtures NaCl-KCl molten salt were measured. The electrodeposition of Fe and Mn were performed using two electrodes at a constant cell voltage. The Mn/Fe mass ratio of the electrodeposited product in NaCl-KCl-2.13wt%FeCl2-1.07wt%MnCl2 was 0.0625 at 2.3 V. After the electrolysis of NaCl-KCl-2.13wt%FeCl2-1.07wt%MnCl2 melted at 2.3 V, the electrolysis was again started under 3.0 V and the Mn/Fe mass ratio of the electrodeposited product was 36.4. This process provides a novel method to effectively separate Fe and Mn from simulated chlorinated vanadium slag.

Lignocellulosic-biomass-derived transparent nanopaper is an emerging substrate or functional component for next-generation green optoelectronics. The fabrication of such transparent nanopaper typic...

(E)-2-(2-(2,3-dibromo-4,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)hydrazinyl)-4-(3,4-difluorophenyl) thiazole (DDH-1) is novel small molecule compound synthesized in our previous work. This study found that DDH-1 could inhibit the proliferation of various human lung cancer cells. Particularly, the IC50 for A549 cells was 8.59 μM. Interestingly, we found that DDH-1 inhibits eIF4E/eIF4G interaction. The flow cytometry (FACS) results have indicated that DDH-1 may induce G0/G1 cycle arrest by inhibiting the expression of Cyclin D1 and CDK4. DDH-1 may also cause apoptosis through the caspase-dependent pathway. Study of these mechanisms has shown that DDH-1 may prompt reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, decrease the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and stimulate DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in A549 cells. Study of the signal pathway has indicated that DDH-1 could activate JNK phosphorylation and inhibit ERK phosphorylation. Interestingly, NAC, which scavenges ROS, reversed the MMP decline, DNA damage, JNK phosphorylation activation, and ERK phosphorylation inhibition caused by DDH-1. Overall, these findings provide evidence that the eIF4E/eIF4G interaction inhibitors DDH-1 induces DNA damage and apoptosis in human lung cancer A549 cells.

Background Cancer is a complex heterogeneous disease to which singular modes of treatment mostly fail to produce a desired therapeutic efficacy. Targeting different cellular pathways using combinational therapies has been gaining popularity in cancer treatment, with the added benefit of reducing dosage and side effects. Methods A gold nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery nanoplatform was developed for co-delivery of doxorubicin and polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) siRNA. Gold nanoparticles were coated with polyethyleneimine to facilitate assembly of PLK1 on the surface. Doxorubicin was loaded on nanoparticles through a pH-sensitive linker with a thiol group at one terminal end for controlled release. Results The therapeutic efficiency of this co-delivery system was evaluated in 2D and 3D cultured systems. The reduced IC50 value clearly demonstrated the synergistic effect of combined drug and gene delivery over their individual delivery in a cancer treatment model. Conclusion This study may provide an adaptable, facile platform to investigate drug-siRNA combinations for cancer inhibition.

Rutile titania (TiO2) was successfully prepared via hydrolysis of TiCl4 in the presence of AlCl3. The powders were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. In the present system, AlCl3 functions as a nucleating agent and induces the formation of rutile TiO2. The influences of HCl and isopropanol concentrations on the purity and morphology of the rutile TiO2 were investigated. The purity of the rutile TiO2 increased with increasing concentration of HCl. Evenly dispersed rutile TiO2 particles with a spherical morphology were obtained when the HCl and isopropanol concentrations were 0.5 and 1 mol·L−1, respectively. Furthermore, the prepared TiO2 powders were used in adsorption tests of the heavy metal pollutant Cr(VI). Rutile TiO2 sample S-9 demonstrated greater adsorption performance and a removal efficiency that was greater than 99.95% after 60 min of adsorption when the Cr(VI) concentration was 200 mg·L−1 The maximum adsorption capacity on rutile TiO2 was 28.9 mg·g−1. This work provides an easy path to prepare a high-performance rutile TiO2 adsorbent with potential applications in water pollution treatment.

Minimizing lattice thermal conductivity, κl, of thermoelectric materials is an effective strategy to enhance their figure-of-merit, zT. However, the amorphous limit of κl affects the ceiling of the attainable zT. Herein, we fabricate hierarchical structures by using an in situ microwave synthesis to break the amorphous limit of κl for achieving a high zT in (Sn0.985In0.015Te)1–x(AgCl)x alloys. Our results from detailed electron microscopy characterizations suggest that the as-sintered (Sn0.985In0.015Te)1–x(AgCl)x alloys contain a range of lattice imperfections, including microsized grains with dense grain boundaries, nanopores with sizes from several to hundreds of nanometers, and nanoscale precipitates, which result in strong phonon scatterings and in turn lead to a minimized κl of 0.245 W m–1 K–1. Moreover, the calculated band structures reveal the introduction of resonance level by In doping, which dramatically enhances the electrical transport properties to ensure a high power factor of 26.4 μW cm–1 K–2 at 823 K and a maximum zT of 0.86 (823 K) in hierarchically structured (Sn0.985In0.015Te)0.90(AgCl)0.10. This work provides a new approach to modulate the hierarchical structures for optimizing thermal and electronic transport properties.

A prototype of temperature-responsive protective fabric assembly with shape memory alloy (SMA) spring was developed. The effect of moisture on the thermal protective performance of fabric was investigated under radiant heat exposure and hot surface contact. The thermal liner of fabric system was pretreated with moisture amount of 25%, 50%, and 100%. Meanwhile, the thermal protection of fabric assembly with SMA springs in different positions between the fabric layers was explored. The results showed that moisture above 25% had a positive influence on thermal protective performance of both traditional and SMA fabric assembly under two hazardous environments. The effect of moisture in SMA fabric assembly was more remarkable than that in fabric without spring. And the SMA spring located between thermal liner and moisture barrier provided better thermal protective performance. The research findings will be beneficial for manufacturing high-performance temperature-responsive fabric.

Faced with the challenge of high energy ablation problems, especially for laser ablation, effective energy dissipation protective materials fabricate by efficient preparation method is a feasible solution. The Ni-graphite/SiO2 coatings with different Ni content were prepared by plasma spraying method with optimized plasma spraying parameters. All coatings are pure without oxidation and dense. Their ablation behaviors were investigated by high power continuous wave laser. The results indicate that the Ni-graphite/SiO2 coating with appropriate Ni content could realize the purpose of energy consumption by endothermal reaction of graphite/SiO2 and reflection improvement. High Ni content will block the occurrence of endothermal reaction of graphite/SiO2 and increase the heat diffusion to interior part of coating, which can make the ablation situation of coating more serious.

In this contribution, readily available 5-methyl furfural (MF) derived from biomass was used as an excellent substitute of the chemically unstable 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) for preparing the commercial precursor 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). MF was catalytically oxidized by air into FDCA in acetic acid over homogeneous Co/Mn/Br catalysts at 130–170 °C. It was found that both the substitute reactivity and the ring chemical stability have a remarkable impact on the yield of aromatic dicarboxylic acids. The effects of reaction temperature, pressure, catalyst composition and concentration, water concentration in the solvent, and substrate/solvent mass ratio on both the main reaction and the side reaction were investigated systematically and thoroughly using HPLC and an online tail gas monitoring system. Under optimized conditions, the oxidation of MF gave 100% conversion of MF and 75.8% yield of FDCA with 99.6% purity. It was also proven that the addition of 200 ppm cerium could work well at low temperatures (130–140 °C) for enhancing FDCA selectivity via suppressing the side reactions.

Recently, architectural designs with dynamic facades have been introduced as a strategy for improving building environmental performance. Currently, such as those capable of rotation and folding motion, are widely used. An investigation of the effect of these two motions on the energy and daylight performance can contribute to enhanced energy efficiency and occupant comfort. Therefore, a parametric simulation approach was implemented for the design optimisation of dynamic facades capable of two motions in a high-rise tropical office building near the Equator. 72 cases representing the two motions and different transmittance values, axes, and dimensions were compared for determining the best compromise between minimum energy consumption and maximum daylight comfort. The results indicate that energy consumption can be decreased by 14–21% through the implementation of dynamic facade compared with base case. The folding motion exhibits better performance in all four orientations than the rotation motion. For daylighting, the area of adequate illuminance increases by 15–32% with the optimal configuration. The value obtained for the rotational motion exceeds that for the folding motion. Based on the overall optimal solutions in terms of energy and illuminance performance, the optimal design for all orientations corresponds to the rotation motion. Furthermore, the results indicated that optimal angles are concentrated within a certain range that typically corresponds to 15° from the fully open position. This study provides a performance-based approach to aid designers in making decisions in the early design stage, from the energy and visual comfort perspectives, and not simply from the aesthetic viewpoint.

BACKGROUND: Zero‐valent iron (ZVI) is an environmentally friendly and cost‐efficient material for the removal of contaminants. However, its application is challenged by problems such as surface passivation and pH increase in the reaction media. As a potential solution for this problem, pyrite, a waste of the mining industry, was used together with ZVI for reductive removal of azo dyes. RESULTS: In comparison with ZVI alone, the ZVI/pyrite mixture showed dramatically enhanced efficiency and reusability for dye removal, although pyrite itself can hardly remove dyes. The reaction rate constant kₒbₛ for the removal of Orange II at the initial pH (pH₀) of 7.0 was enhanced 9.4‐ to 28.0‐fold by using the mixture at a pyrite/ZVI mass ratio ranging from 1 to 4, respectively. The mechanism studies indicate that pyrite not only helped produce more iron(II) by facilitating iron corrosion and the iron(II)/iron(III) cycle in the mixed system, but also activated the ZVI surface by in situ sulfidation. The high reactivity of the adsorbed iron(II) in the mixed system significantly contributed to dye removal, especially at the alkalescent pH. CONCLUSION: Pyrite accelerated the reductive removal of dyes by ZVI, through inhibiting its surface passivation and suppressing the pH increase in the reaction media. Therefore, this research proposes a facile method for enhancing the reactivity and applicability of ZVI in environmental remediation. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a family of enzymes that play an important role in DNA repair. We designed 2-(2,3,6-tribromo-4,5-dimethoxybenzylidene) hydrazinecarbothioamide (BTH-8) as a novel human PARP (PARP-1) inhibitor with anticancer activities in vitro and in vivo. With an IC50 value of 79.79 ± 2.16 nM, BTH-8 caused DNA double-strand breaks, increased the foci quantitation of γ-H2AX and inhibited poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) formation. BTH-8 could bind to PARP-1 with the target affinity [KD (equilibrium dissociation constant) value] of 1.372 μM. BTH-8 can inhibit the proliferation of a variety of tumor cells, especially BRCA-deficient cells (HCC-1937 and Capan-1). Further investigation showed that BTH-8 effectively induced a significant amount of G2/M cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis in HCC-1937 cells. BTH-8 also exhibited antitumor activity in vivo, which was achieved by the inhibition of PARP-1. In sum, our study indicates that BTH-8 might be a novel suitable PARP-1 inhibitor to treat human breast cancer.

A dense discrete phase model combined with the kinetic theory of granular flows was used to study the bubbling characteristics and segregation of poly-dispersed particle mixtures in a thin fluidized bed. Our simulations showed that in using the hybrid Eulerian–Lagrangian method, the common use of one computational cell in the thickness direction of the thin bed does not predict wall friction correctly. Instead, a three-cell discretization of the thickness direction does predict the wall friction well but six cells were needed to prevent overprediction of the bed expansion. The change in specularity factor (SF) of the model not only affected the predictions of the velocity of particles, but also had a considerable impact on their flow pattern. A decrease in SF, which decreases wall friction, showed an over-prediction in the size of bubbles, particle velocities, and void fraction of the bed, and led to a shift in the circulation center toward the bottom of the bed. The segregation of the Geldart B particles was studied in the narrow range from 400 to 600 μm with a standard deviation less than 10% of the average diameter. Simulations showed that large particles accumulated close to the distributor at the bottom of the bed and the center of the bed, but small particles moved towards the wall and top surface. The decrease in the mean particle size and spread in shape of the distribution improves mixing by up to 30% at a superficial gas velocity of around 2.5 times the minimum fluidization velocity. Log-normal mixtures with a small proportion of large particles had the most uniform distribution with a thin layer of jetsam forming at the bottom of the bed. Finally, experimental verification of the segregation and mixing of polydisperse particles with narrow size distribution is suggested.

Multi-arc ion plating was used to deposit TiAlN/CrN multilayer coatings with different bilayer thicknesses on Type 316L stainless steel. The impacts of the bilayer thickness on the electrochemical performance of the TiAlN/CrN multilayer coatings were explored in a neutral saline (3.5% NaCl) solution. The fracture cross-sectional morphology of the as-deposited coatings were investigated by scanning electron microscope. The crystal structure and preferred orientation were analyzed by x-ray diffraction. The interface characteristic was detected by transmission electron microscopy. The potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used for as-deposited coatings. Corroded surface morphology and EIS of the 15-day immersion coatings and substrate were examined to analyze the anticorrosion performance. EIS showed an increase of polarization resistance (Rp) and a decrease in constant-phase element (CPE) for multilayer coatings with a decrease in bilayer thickness. After 15 days of immersion, the EIS plot showed that the C3 coating (with 20 bilayers) had the lowest electrical double-layer capacitance (CPEdl) and highest charge transfer resistance (Rct) in all samples. The relative decay of the Rp of the C3 coating was the smallest compared with the as-deposited coatings, which shows a satisfactory corrosion resistance. The electrochemical tests and immersion corrosion morphology showed that the existence of a large number of interfaces between individual layers in a multilayer structure inhibits the pitting propagation significantly and enhances the corrosion resistance.

GeTe-based materials usually possess brilliant thermoelectric performance through band degeneracy and optimized carrier concentration. In this study, Ti doping is effective for the realization of b...

Amelotin (AMTN) as a matrix protein exerts a direct effect on biomineralization by modulating apatite (HAP) formation during the dental enamel maturation stage through the specific interaction of a potentially phosphorylated Ser-Ser-Glu-Glu-Leu (SSEEL) peptide fragment with calcium phosphate (Ca-P) surfaces. However, the roles of (non)phosphorylation of this evolutionarily conserved subdomain within AMTN remain poorly understood. Here, we show, by time-resolved atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging of in situ HAP crystallization via the HPO42--rich amorphous calcium phosphate (acidic ACP), the on/off switching of the phase transformation process through a nonphosphorylation-to-phosphorylation transition of the SSEEL motif. Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), we observed that the acidic ACP phase is stabilized by the phosphorylated SSEEL motif, delaying its transformation to HAP, whereas the nonphosphorylated counterpart promotes HAP formation by accelerating the dissolution-recrystallization of the acidic ACP substrate. Dynamic force spectroscopy measurements demonstrate greater binding energies of nonphosphorylated SSEEL to the acidic ACP substrate by the formation of molecular peptide-ACP bonding, explaining the enhanced dissolution of the acidic ACP substrate by stronger complexion with surface Ca2+ ions. Our findings demonstrate direct evidence for the switching role of (non)phosphorylation of an evolutionarily conserved subdomain within AMTN in controlling the phase transition of growing enamel and designing tissue regeneration biomaterials.

The laser-matter interaction contains complex thermophysical and thermochemical responses. The variation of energy and composition happen in thermophysical and thermochemical process will totally change the interaction behaviors. In order to obtain an accurate mechanism and promote the understanding of laser-matter interaction, all thermophysical and thermochemical responses, especially the thermochemical part, should be considered and investigated. In this study, a coupled heat-matter diffusion model based on thermodynamic chemical equilibrium finite-element method and thermochemical ablation theory was established. The materials with complex reaction enthalpy change in high temperature environment were chosen to validate the model. The results show that this model is accurate, as the maximum error of back-surface temperature response is just 4.0% between experimental and calculation values. The detailed variations of composition, temperature and optical reflection were obtained and analyzed, which is in good agreement with the experiment. This coupled heat-matter diffusion model including all thermophysical and thermochemical response has the great potential in nearly all laser-matter interaction involved application.

p-Type FeNbSb-based half-Heusler compounds exhibit promising thermoelectric (TE) performance under high temperatures. Herein, the optimal sintering temperature and pressure of these compounds were determined. Sintering temperature can affect relative density, and consequently, improve TE performance. In addition, a series of Sn-doped FeNbSb compounds was prepared in accordance with the optimal sintering temperature and pressure. Results showed that Sn optimized the power factor and reduced lattice thermal conductivity by enhancing point defect phonon scattering. A high ZT of 0.66 was attained at 923 K for FeNbSb0.84Sn0.16. The findings of this study lay the foundation for reducing the thermal conductivity of FeNbSb-based compounds.

The formation of iron oxide mineral–organic associations can regulate long-term preservation of soil organic matter (SOM) by providing shelter for SOM from degradation through adsorption on different crystalline/amorphous phase surfaces. However, little is known about the energetic basis for the phase- and facet-dependent SOM–iron oxide interactions at the molecular scale. Here, we use a representative organic molecule, alginate, which is present ubiquitously in soils, and investigate its adsorption on the surfaces of amorphous iron oxides (FexOy) or hematite (α-Fe2O3) by calculating the Kelvin potential difference and measuring the binding energy (ΔGB) between an alginate molecule and a specific surface of the hematite or amorphous FexOy phase by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Single-molecule determination of alginate–amorphous FexOy/hematite interactions provides mechanisms of the origin of the phase- or facet-dependent adsorption by systematically changing the pH and ionic strength/compositions of environmentally relevant reaction solutions. We show that the adsorption capacities of alginate follow the order amorphous FexOy > the (100) > (110) > (0001) faces of hematite. These molecular-scale investigations may improve our understanding of the phase-dependent or face-specific adsorption of SOM on other soil minerals in aqueous environments and potentially predict the preservation mechanisms and the fate of SOM.

Catalytic co-cracking of Fischer–Tropsch (FT) light distillate and methanol combines highly endothermic olefin cracking reaction with exothermic methanol conversion over ZSM-5 catalyst to produce light olefins through a nearly thermoneutral process. The kinetic behavior of co-cracking reactions was investigated by different feed conditions: methanol feed only, olefin feed only and co-feed of methanol with olefins or F–T distillate. The results showed that methanol converted to C2–C6 olefins in first-order parallel reaction at low space time, methylation and oligomerization–cracking prevailed for the co-feed of methanol and C2–C5 olefins, while for C6–C8 olefins, monomolecular cracking was the dominant reaction whether fed alone or co-fed with methanol. For FT distillate and methanol co-feed, alkanes were almost un-reactive, C3–C5 olefins were obtained as main products, accounting for 71 wt% for all products. A comprehensive co-cracking reaction scheme was proposed and the model parameters were estimated by the nonlinear least square method. It was verified by experimental data that the kinetic model was reliable to predict major product distribution for co-cracking of FT distillate with methanol and could be used for further reactor development and process design.

The interaction of bubbles is the key to understand gas–liquid bubbling flow. Two-dimensional axis-symmetry computational fluid dynamics simulations on the interactive bubbles were performed with VOF method, which was validated by experimental work. It is testified that several different bubble interactive behaviors could be acquired under different conditions. Firstly, for large bubbles (d: 4, 6, 8, 10 mm), the trailing bubble rising velocity and aspect ratio have negative correlations with liquid viscosity and surface tension. The influences of viscosity and surface tension on leading bubble are negligible. Secondly, for smaller bubbles (d: 1, 2 mm), the results are complicated. The two bubbles tend to move together due to the attractive force by the wake and the potential repulsive force. Especially for high viscous or high surface tension liquid, the bubble pairs undergo several times acceleration and deceleration. In addition, bubble deformation plays an important role during bubble interaction which cannot be neglected.

To improve thermal protection of protective clothing, temperature-responsive protective fabrics incorporated with shape memory alloy (SMA) springs varying on four different deformation heights and five types arrangement modes were designed. The thermal protection was investigated under radiant heat exposure of 0.39 cal/cm2 s. The results indicated that the air gap between fabric layers produced by SMA springs effectively improved protective performance. The thermal protection of fabrics with different SAM arrangement modes and sizes showed different trends, and the interaction effects of arrangement mode and size were analyzed. Moreover, the optimized arrangement and size of SMA springs were suggested. The regression models were established to assess the relationship between the air gap and thermal protection. This study demonstrated that the combination of flame-resistant fabric with SMA was feasible to develop temperature-responsive protective clothing because it could improve thermal insulating property by producing intelligent air gaps that responded to environment change.

High-pressure homogenization (HPH) has the potential to improve the exaction yield of bioactive compound from food and food waste. This study investigated the use of HPH or microfluidization as an alternative assisted method for sulforaphane extraction from raw broccoli seeds. The mean particle size, morphological characteristics, and extraction yields of all samples processed at different HPH pressure levels (3000-23,000 psi) and passes (1–5) were examined. After HPH, the particle size of broccoli seeds was reduced 2–10 times and the particle size distribution pattern also changed from bimodal to unimodal with increasing pressures and number of passes. The highest sulforaphane content obtained with HPH at 5000 psi and 5 passes was 2199 μg sulforaphane/g broccoli seeds, which is 3 times more than the control one. Particular interest was given to the relationship between sulforaphane yield and particle size. Generally, the extraction yield increased with decreasing particle size; however, excessive size reduction did not necessarily result in significant increase in sulforaphane content. In addition, the pressure is not the higher the better (

The dynamic rheological properties of peanut protein isolate (PPI) aggregation suspension and acid-induced PPI gels were studied. The strain sweep, frequency sweep, steady state shear flow test, and the time sweep were carried out on PPI aggregation suspension (23%–27%) and acid-induced PPI gel (14%–22%) separately. The frequency sweep curve fits the Power Law model very well, and the G′ of PPI aggregation suspensions and PPI gel were shown a greatly frequency dependence within the frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz. The steady-state shear curve indicated well matched with the Carreau and Power Law model, which figured a shear-thinning behavior of the concentrations, and the constants estimated empirically showed shear rate dependence. The acid-induced PPI gel showed a Type I behavior (thinning of the strain), which the chains of acid-induced PPI consisted of a protein entanglement in the linear viscoelastic region (LVR), where the modulus is constant. With the strain rising, the protein chains disentangle and then correspond with the flow region. It was easily broken down and protein gel molecules have small opportunity to re-establish the entanglement.

The substitution of elements has attracted great interest to enhance the electrochemical properties of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, the P2–Na0.67Co0.35Ti0.20Mn0.45–xLaxO2 electrode samples were prepared via a solid-state route. The effect of La3+ substitution was researched as high-rate SIBs cathode. The Na0.67Co0.35Ti0.20Mn0.44La0.01O2 exhibits a superior initial specific capacity of 162.7 and 125.9 mA·h/g after 50 cycles at 0.1C rate, and the initial specific discharge capacity of 115.2 mA·h/g with 60.6% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 1C. In addition, the Na0.67Co0.35Ti0.20Mn0.44La0.01O2 sample shows an excellent rate capacity of 91.9 and 60.4 mA·h/g with 46.9% and 50.9% capacity retentions even at 8C and 10C rate after 100 cycles, respectively. The promising La-substituted P2-type Na0.67Co0.35Ti0.20Mn0.45–xLaxO2 material provides a new strategy for designing high-rate performance of SIBs.

Co-free La0.6Sr0.4FeO3-δ (LSFNb0) and La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.9Nb0.1O3-δ (LSFNb0.1) perovskite oxides were prepared by a standard solid-state reaction method. The structural stability and electrochemical performance of La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.9Nb0.1O3-δ as both cathode and anode were studied. Nb dopant in LSFNb0 significantly enhances the structural and chemical stability in anode condition. At 800 °C, the polarization resistances (Rp) of LSFNb0.1 symmetric electrode based on YSZ electrolyte are 0.5 and 0.05 Ω cm2 in H2 and air, respectively. The peak power densities of LSFNb0.1 based on LSGM electrolyte-supported SSOFCs are 934 and 707 mW cm−2 at 850 °C in H2 (3% H2O) and dry CO, respectively. Moreover, the symmetric cell exhibits reasonable stability in both H2 and CO fuel, suggesting that La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.9Nb0.1O3-δ may be a potential symmetric electrode material for hydrogen and carbon monoxide SOFCs.

Er 3+-doped fluoroaluminate glasses with different concentrations were prepared by using melt-quenching method. Under a 638 nm laser diode pumping, efficient 3.5 μm emission was observed in the 18 mol% Er 3+ doped sample, which was ascribed to the Er 3+: 4F 9/2 → 4I 9/2 transition. The fluorescence properties such as radiative transition probability, energy level lifetime and branch ratio were predicted by the well-known Judd-Ofelt theory, while the emission and absorption cross-sections were calculated using the Füchtbauer-Ladenburg and McCumber theories, respectively. Both simulated and experimental results show that Er 3+-doped fluoroaluminate material is a promising gain medium for 3.5 μm laser applications.

Dental enamel possesses remarkable mechanical properties because of the hierarchical structural organization and hybridization of organic and inorganic components. Amelotin (AMTN), as an enamel mat...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically approved, minimally invasive therapeutic technique that can induce the regression of targeted lesions via generating excess cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. However, due to the limited penetration depth of visible excitation light and the intrinsic hypoxia microenvironment of solid tumors, the efficacy of PDT in the treatment of cancer, especially deep-seated or large tumors, is unsatisfactory. Herein, we developed an efficient in vivo PDT system based on a nanomaterial, dihydrolipoic acid coated gold nanocluster (AuNC@DHLA), that combined the advantages of large penetration depth in tissue, extremely high two-photon (TP) absorption cross section (σ2 ∼ 106 GM), efficient ROS generation, a type I photochemical mechanism, and negligible in vivo toxicity. With AuNC@DHLA as the photosensitizer, highly efficient in vivo TP-PDT has been achieved.

Interface engineering of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs)-based perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) is often necessary to facilitate the extraction and transport of charge carriers. In this work, poly[{9,9-bis[3'-(N,N-dimethyl)propyl]-2,7-fluorene}-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)] (PFN) and polystyrene (PS) are demonstrated to be effective surface modifiers of the TiO2 NPs electron-transporting layer in n-i-p PVSCs. The low-cost insulating polymer PS performs better than the PFN conjugated polymer owing to its high film quality, low surface energy and insulating characteristics. A peak power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.09 % with an open-circuit voltage (VOC ) of 1.05 V and a PCE of 17.13 % with an ultrahigh VOC of 1.18 V is achieved with TiO2 NPs/PS-based PVSCs using poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) and spiro-OMeTAD, respectively, as the hole-transporting material.

High power semiconductor disk lasers (SDLs) with near-diffraction limited beam quality were demonstrated. The influence of the incident angle, operation temperature, cavity length and curvature radius of the output coupler mirror on the beam quality were investigated. The condition for near-diffraction limited beam quality was analyzed. Choosing the pump spot size 10%–20% smaller than the fundamental mode size is the roughly optimized condition for achieving near-diffraction limited beam quality in SDLs. Finally, the SDL with an output power of 12.9 W and M2

Vanadium slag contains several critical elements like V, Ti, Cr, Fe and Mn. In our previous work, V and Cr have been enriched by selective chlorination, increasing from 10.05% to 14.95% and 5.84%–8.69% separately. V and Cr still maintain the trivalence state in molten salt. In the current work, the electrodeposition behaviors of V3+ and Cr3+ in NaCl–KCl molten salt at 800 °C were investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) with a tungsten electrode. It was found that the reduction processes of V3+ and Cr3+ consist of two steps, M3+/M2+, M2+/M. The diffusion coefficients of V3+ and Cr3+ in NaCl–KCl molten salt were measured by CV. The effect of VCl3/CrCl3 mass ratio on VCr alloy was investigated by a two-electrode under constant voltage. Pure Cr can be obtained at 2.8 V in the NaCl–KCl molten salt, while VCr alloy (3.71 mass % V-94.28 mass% Cr-2.01 mass % O) was obtained when electrolysis voltage was controlled to 2.8 V at 800 °C. The composition of VCr alloy can be designed by changing the molten salt composition. This method can be applied for direct preparation of VCr alloy from vanadium slag, thus offering the use of low cost raw materials with direct environmental benefits.

Two isostructural metal-organic frameworks, [NO3][M3(H2O)3O(TBA)3]·2DMF·6H2O(1 and 2)[M=In and Fe, H2TBA=4-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-benzoic acid], have been successfully synthesized. Compounds 1 and 2 have three- dimensional structures bridged via the typical 6-connected tri-nuclear cluster units M3O(COO)6 and linear linker H2TBA. The whole 3D framework possesses a 6-connected acs topology. Notably, by the fluorescence technique, compound 1 can detect nitro explosives through fluorescence quenching effect, especially for 2,4,6-trinitrophenol(TNP, Ksv=3.64× 104 L/mol). Furthermore, the fluorescence spectrum red shifts as the number of −NO2 group increases. Based on the aforementioned consideration, compound 1 can be considered as a potential luminescent probe for the detection of TNP.

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a versatile platform chemical, can be widely used for synthesizing various polymers and has the potential to replace terephthalic acid in the green polymer indust...

In order to obtain narrow linewidth semiconductor laser around 1564 nm, we design a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser with high-order Bragg gratings (HOBGs) using butterfly encapsulation. The DBR laser is fabricated only by i-line lithography technology with grating period of 4. 84 μ m , groove width of 1. 5 μ m and grating length of 72 μ m on a strip width of 4 μ m . The 1mm-long devices achieved an output power of 9.9 mW and a side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) more than 30 dB without facet coating at an injection current of 80 mA. The lasers showed ultra-narrow Lorentz linewidth of 70 kHz. This paper provides a simple method for large-scale production of narrow linewidth semiconductor lasers.

Faced with the challenge of ultra–high–temperature ablation problems, multi-synergy and efficient energy dissipation method is a feasible solution. A structure-modified silica-graphite composite with multiple copper layers was prepared by hot-pressing. The ablation behaviors and mechanisms were analyzed in detail. During the laser ablation, the designed composite exhibits excellent ablation resistance with a multi-synergy effects strategy. As ablation time increases, the ablation mechanisms change from reflection and horizontal thermal diffusion to reaction and horizontal thermal diffusion and vertical heat insulation. Moreover, the gap generated by the reaction volume contraction can further insulate against heat transfer in the vertical direction. The rate of increase of back-surface temperature can be further reduced. This multi-synergy effects strategy and designed structure accompanied with appropriate materials can greatly enhance the ablation resistance ability of the composite.

Oil produced by castor (Ricinus communis) has broad industrial applications. However, knowledge on the genetic diversity, especially genetic alterations that occurred during domestication and subsequent traits selection, of this oil crop is limited. Here, our population genomics analyses show that the Chinese castors have developed a geographic pattern, classified into the southern-, the middle-, and the northern-China groups. We detect a number of candidate genomic loci that are associated with the selection signals during the geographical differentiation and domestication. Using genome-wide association analysis, we identify candidate genes associated with nine agronomically important traits. One of the candidate genes encoding a glycosyltransferase related to cellulose and lignin biosynthesis is associated with both capsule dehiscence and endocarp thickness. We hypothesize that the abundance of cellulose or lignin in endocarp is an important factor for capsule dehiscence. Our results provide foundation for castor breeding and genetic study., Castor is an important industrial oil crop, but knowledge on its genetic diversity is limited. Here, Fan et al. show geographic pattern of Chinese castors that have developed during domestication by population genetic analyses, and reveal candidate genes associated with agronomically important traits.

A series of compressively strained AlGaInAs quantum well (QW) structures with different annealing treatment durations at 170 °C were investigated by temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL). An abnormal S-shaped behavior in emission energy and a non-monotone evolution in spectral band width were observed at low temperature. A significant negative linear correlation between full width at half maximum (FWHM) and emission energy at different test temperature was exhibited in samples with different heat treatment durations. The highly linear relation demonstrated that the dependencies and relationships between PL peak energy and FWHM vs temperature are consistent. The anomalous blue shift and concomitant narrowing of FWHM in AlGaInAs QW were affected by lattice strain fluctuations due to the difference of thermal expansion coefficients between adjacent layers and strong carriers’ localization at low temperature.

In this paper, we demonstrate a regrowth-free double-tapered gain-coupled distributed feedback semiconductor laser. It is designed based on periodic surface current injection to reach a high-power and single-longitudinal mode. A continuous-wave output power of over 1.2 W/facet is achieved at 4 A. High single-longitudinal-mode output power reaches up to 0.9 W/facet at 3 A at each uncoated facet. The side mode suppression ratio is nearly 30 dB at 980 nm. The 3 dB spectral width is less than 2.7 pm. The lateral far field divergence angle is only 14.5°, the beam quality factor M2 is 1.7, achieving a near-diffraction-limit emission. Our device, produced by standard i-line lithography, enhances the output power while obtaining the pleasurable spectral and spatial properties. It has great potential in widespread commercial applications such as high efficiency pumping sources for its low-cost, easy fabrication technique and excellent performance.

A traversal algorithm considering both of the mesa interval and the entire area of the mesas was applied to find a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array with minimal heat coupling factor. An optimized array was obtained and modeled in finite element software to simulate the thermal distribution. A conventional circular and an optimized array were fabricated. The maximum output power of optimized array is 14.3% higher than the conventional array and reaches 1.6 W operating in continuous wave (CW) mode. The wavelength shift of optimized VCSEL array is slightly slower than the reference device although its higher power.

Cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy) and glutathione (GSH) play many crucial physiological roles in organisms. Their abnormal levels can cause and indicate various diseases. In the present study, a small-molecule fluorescent probe 2-(imidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-2-yl)phenyl acrylate (IPPA) was designed, synthesized and characterized by NMR, FT-IR and HRMS. IPPA can selectively detect Cys over other analytes because of an approximately 76 times enhancement in fluorescence intensity. The limit of detection of IPPA for Cys was 0.33 μM. The pseudo-first-order rate constant of the reaction between IPPA and Cys was approximately 10 times that of the reaction between IPPA and Hcy (K(Cys) 3.18 × 10(−3) S(−1) vs K(Hcy) 4.92 × 10(−4) S(−1)), indicating that Cys can be distinguished from Hcy. In addition, IPPA exhibits strong anti-interference ability, small molecular weight, high efficiency, low toxicity and good cell permeability. It was successfully used in imaging HepG2 cells and zebrafish. The fluorescence response of IPPA for calf serum are powerful proofs for practical application. Therefore, IPPA has high potential for bioassay applications.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) activation and then hydrogenation is an alternative route to achieve the efficient control of CO2 emission. For activation, the neutral CO2 molecule is first chemisorbed as car...

P2-Na0.67Co0.25Mn0.75-xNbxO2 (x = 0, 0.015, 0.030, 0.045) cathode materials were obtained by a simple solid-state method. The Nb5+-doped effects on ameliorating the structural and electrochemical properties of the Na0.67Co0.25Mn0.75O2 parent material for sodium-ion batteries have been investigated. XRD measurements confirm a hexagonal main phase (P63/mmc) and some trace of orthorhombic NaNbO3 (P21ma). Rietveld refinements exhibit the higher lattice parameters and the bigger c/a values due to Nb5+ doping into the parent Na0.67Co0.25Mn0.75O2. The optimized 3.0 at.% Nb5+-doped P2-Na0.67Co0.25Mn0.75O2 sample delivers the initial discharge capacity of 126.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C in the voltage range of 1.8–4.0 V, and its capacity retention is 75.3% after 100 cycles, which is 63.7% higher than that of the pristine. Whereas at 10 C rate, the optimized sample presents the maximal discharge capacity of 72.8 mAh g−1 with an excellent high-rate cycling stability of 91.6% retention after 100 cycles, correspondingly the pristine shows 61.4 mAh g−1 and 73.1% retention. These excellent electrochemical performances are ascribed to better structural stability, and lower charge transfer resistance and higher Na+ diffusion coefficient after Nb5+ doping. Therefore, the Nb5+-doped P2-type cathode materials can be deemed as a beneficial improvement for researches on sodium-ion batteries.

A 2D lead(II) metal–organic framework, namely [PbL(NO3)]n (namely complex 1), was successfully prepared based on 5-aminonicotinic acid (HL) ligand using the solvothermal method. The as-synthesized sample was studied and characterised in detail by single crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis (C, H and N), powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and luminescent property. Thanks to the solid stability and luminescent property, the as-synthesized sample can be applied and considered as a bifunctional luminescent sensor for selective sensing of nitroaromatic compounds and detecting the temperature. The corresponding Ksv value of picric acid (namely PA) was accurately calculated about 1.1 × 104 M−1; meanwhile, the detection limit of complex 1 for PA can achieve as low as 1.68 × 10−5 mol L−1. Complex 1 also has good stability and recyclability even after four runs. In addition, the luminescent signals of complex 1 shown a good linear with the temperature from 20 to 150 K with R2 = 0.9961.

High-power, low-threshold stable single-mode operation buried distributed feedback quantum cascade laser by incorporating sampled grating emitting at λ ~ 4.87 μm is demonstrated. The high continuous wave (CW) output power of 948 mW and 649 mW for a 6-mm and 4-mm cavity length is obtained at 20 °C, respectively, which benefits from the optimized optical field distribution of sampled grating. The single-mode yields of the devices are obviously enhanced by controlling cleaved positions of the two end facets precisely. As a result, stable single-mode emission and mode tuning linearly without any mode hopping of devices are obtained under the different heat sink temperatures or high injection currents.

We report a spatial light modulator (SLM) which consisted of 40 pairs of InGaAs/GaAs/GaAsP multiple-quantum wells (MQWs) that embedded in an asymmetric Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity formed by highly reflective back distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) and moderate reflective top DBRs. The center wavelength of FP cavity was designed to have a 20 nm redshift in comparison to the luminescence peaks of MQWs. The relationship between optical absorption spectrum of MQWs and the applied negative voltages was modeled based on the quantum-confined stark effect (QCSE). Large area SLMs with 3 mm diameter were fabricated, which exhibited a high contrast ratio of 12:1 at ≃940 nm with only 2 V bias. The QCSE effect varying with the applied voltage and the cavity resonant wavelength shifting with the incident angle were also analyzed theoretically and experimentally. The device is promising to improve system performance and reduce power consumption of fast emerging high-speed data transmission within data centers and short board to board interconnects.