Morphological and optical properties of PdxAg1-x alloy nanoparticles

Alloy nanoparticles (NPs) can offer a wide range of opportunities for various applications due to their composition and structure dependent properties such as multifunctionality, electronic heterogeneity, site-specific response, and multiple plasmon resonance bands. In this work, the fabrication of self-assembled Pd_xAg_1-x NPs alloy nanostructures with distinct size, density, shape, and composition is demonstrated via the solid-state dewetting of sputtered Pd/Ag thin films on c-plane sapphire. The initial stage of bilayer dewetting exhibits the nucleation of voids, followed by the expansion of voids and cluster breakdown and finally shape transformation along with the temperature control. Bilayer composition shows a substantial influence on the dewetting such that the overall dewetting is enhanced along with the increased Ag composition, i.e. Pd_0.25Ag_0.75 > Pd_0.5Ag_0.5 > Pd_0.75Ag_0.25. On the other hand, the size and density of NPs can be efficiently controlled by varying the initial thickness of bilayers. Reflectance peaks in UV and near-infrared (NIR) regions and a wide absorption band in the visible region arisen from the surface plasmon resonance are observed in reflectance spectra. The peak intensity depends on the composition of Pd_xAg_1-x NPs and the NIR peaks gradually blue-shift with the size decrement.     

Thermodynamic Modeling of Pure Co Accounting Two Magnetic States for the Fcc Phase

The thermodynamic functions of the pure Co were assessed using CALPAHD method for the third generation thermodynamic databases. To model the magnetic properties of the cobalt, a two-state magnetic model was accounted for the fcc phase. Calculated results were compared with the experimental information and a good fit to the experimental data was achieved.     

One‐Step Construction of N,P‐Codoped Porous Carbon Sheets/CoP Hybrids with Enhanced Lithium and Potassium Storage

Despite the desirable advancement in synthesizing transition‐metal phosphides (TMPs)‐based hybrid structures, most methods depend on foreign‐template‐based multistep procedures for tailoring the specific structure. Herein, a self‐template and recrystallization–self‐assembly strategy for the one‐step synthesis of core–shell‐like cobalt phosphide (CoP) nanoparticles embedded into nitrogen and phosphorus codoped porous carbon sheets (CoP?NPPCS), is first proposed. Relying on the unusual coordination ability of melamine with metal ions and the cooperative hydrogen bonding of melamine and phytic acid to form a 2D network, a self‐synthesized single precursor can be attained. Importantly, this approach can be easily expanded to synthesize other TMPs?NPPCS. Due to the unique compositional and structural characteristics, these CoP?NPPCSs manifest outstanding electrochemical performances as anode materials for both lithium‐ and potassium‐ion batteries. The unusual hybrid architecture, the high specific surface area, and porous features make the CoP?NPPCS attractive for other potential applications, such as supercapacitors and electrocatalysis.     

Mechanism of enhancement in magnetoresistance properties of manganite perovskite ceramics by current annealing

Studies on spintronics have provided solid evidence that the grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline manganite can produce a strong extrinsic magnetoresistance (MR). This type of MR, called Low-field MR (LFMR), is larger than the intrinsic MR and can be triggered over a wide range of temperature. However, the existence of more GBs would bring about the weakening of magnetism and decrease the magnitude of MR simultaneously. Here we show that during annealing the application of electric-current to a representative ferromagnetic manganite perovskite, polycrystalline La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃ (LSMO), can produce more GBs and improve low-field magnetization, which leads to enhanced MR effect and field-response sensitivity as compared to the traditional-annealed sample. By using static micromagnetic models combined with the theories of spin-polarized intergrain tunneling and charge carrier hopping across domain wall, the observed enhancement of magnetoresistive response in current-annealed LSMO can be well explained.     

Scalable Production of Wearable Solid-State Li-Ion Capacitors from N-Doped Hierarchical Carbon

Smart and wearable electronics have aroused substantial demand for flexible portable power sources, but it remains a large challenge to realize scalable production of wearable batteries/supercapacitors with high electrochemical performance and remarkable flexibility simultaneously. Here, a scalable approach is developed to prepare wearable solid-state lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) with superior performance enabled by synergetic engineering from materials to device architecture. Nitrogen-doped hierarchical carbon (HC) composed of 1D carbon nanofibers welded with 2D carbon nanosheets is synthesized via a unique self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) technique, which exhibits superior electrochemical performance. Subsequently, inspired by origami, here, wave-shaped LIC punch-cells based on the above materials are designed by employing a compatible and scalable post-imprint technology. Finite elemental analysis (FEA) confirms that the bending stress of the punch-cell can be offset effectively, benefiting from the wave architecture. The wearable solid-state LIC punch-cell exhibits large energy density, long cyclic stability, and superior flexibility. This study demonstrates great promise for scalable fabrication of wearable energy-storage systems.     

攀西微细粒钛铁矿工艺矿物学研究

采用普通光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜、能谱探针、X射线衍射分析技术和MLA矿物自动分析仪对红格微细粒钛铁矿进行了工艺矿物学研究。通过传统工艺矿物学研究手段和现代分析测试技术的有机结合,系统鉴定了矿石的矿物组成、结构构造、嵌布特征,统计了主要矿物的粒度特征。运用多种分析手段重点分析了产品中有益元素和有害元素的赋存状态。研究表明,钛铁矿大部分集中在-0.019 mm,主要矿物及含量分别为钛铁矿32.37%、钛磁铁矿3.7%,黄铁矿0.22%,脉石矿物主要为辉石和橄榄石,其总量可达63.71%。产品中主要矿物解离度依次为钛铁矿(75.84%)、黄铁矿(69.97%)、透辉石(80.51%)、橄榄石(81.51%)、斜长石(63.73%),钛铁矿解离充分,没有进一步磨矿的必要。选矿工作的重点应放在强化钛铁矿与辉石和橄榄石分离的方面,特别注意这种细粒级脉石在浮选过程中的行为研究。     

Optimization of C/TiCx duplex diffusion barrier coatings for SiCf/Ti composites based on interfacial structure evolution exploration

Introducing a carbon single coating is a popular method used to protect SiC_f/Ti composites from severe interface reactions. However, carbon coatings lose their protective effect on SiC fibres at high temperature, even after a short period time. As such, given the strong demand for high temperature applications in aeronautics and astronautics a more coating which is more effective at high temperatures is desirable. In order to improve the high temperature interfacial stability of SiC_f/Ti composites, a C/TiC_x duplex coating system with different C contents in TiC_x was introduced to explore the protection of fibres at 1200?°C for 1?h. The results show that the C/quasi-stoichiometric TiC coating system protects the SiC fibres most effectively. Based on insights from the evolution of the interface structure, TiC_x has been identified as an interfacial reaction product from the C single coating, exhibiting a gradient in C content and grain size, which is different from a deposited TiC layer with a well-distributed composition and structure. The different coating structure gives rise to different ability to resist C diffusion at high temperatures, in which poor resistance ability appears in TiC_x interfacial reaction layer coming from C single coating due to short-circuit diffusion in C-rich fine-grained TiC layer and fast intracrystalline diffusion trigged by amounts of vacancies in sub-stoichiometric coarse-grained TiC layer. Therefore, C/quasi-stoichiometric TiC duplex coatings with a thick, coarse-grained quasi-stoichiometric TiC layer could effectively inhibit C diffusion by comparison to C single coatings, and is more effective than C/rich-carbon TiC duplex coatings due to the existence of short-circuit diffusion in the latter. As such, C/quasi-stoichiometric TiC duplex coatings appear to be an optimal diffusion barrier for SiC_f/Ti composites at high temperature.     

Knowledge convergence and organization innovation: the moderating role of relational embeddedness

Knowledge convergence is an important means of innovation. The study aims to explore how knowledge convergence influences innovation performance at an organizational level. Furthermore, we address the moderating role of network relational embeddedness on the innovation deriving from knowledge convergence. Our empirical analyses adopting negative binomial regression models employ patent counts and patent citations from the nanotechnology field. The findings reveal that the scientific intensity in the convergence between scientific knowledge and technological knowledge has an inverted U-shaped influence on innovation performance and that this association is flattened in organizations with high network relational diversity. Also, we find that the technological scope in convergence of technological knowledge self has an inverted U-shaped influence on innovation performance and that this association is steepened in organizations with high network relational strength. Our findings add understandings of knowledge convergence on organization innovation and also have important practical and political implications.

     

An effective approach for reliability-based robust design optimization of uncertain powertrain mounting systems involving imprecise information

The uncertain parameters of automotive powertrain mounting systems (PMSs) may involve imprecise information (e.g., incomplete, different and conflicting information) in engineering practice. An effective approach is proposed for the reliability-based robust design optimization (RBRDO) of uncertain PMSs involving imprecise information. In the proposed approach, the imprecise information of uncertain parameters is firstly addressed and combined based on evidence theory, and the uncertain parameters are treated as evidence variables. Then, an uncertainty analysis method named evidence perturbation-central difference method (EPCDM) is derived to fast estimate the mean intervals, standard deviation intervals, and the belief and plausibility measures related to system inherent characteristics. A reference method named evidence-Monte Carlo method (EMCM) is developed to verify the effectiveness of EPCDM. Next, to conduct robustness design, the weighted sum of the lower bounds of means and the upper bounds of standard deviations of system inherent characteristics are taken to construct optimization objective; while to perform reliability design, the belief measures related to system inherent characteristics are used to create reliability constraints. Afterwards, a nested RBRDO model is established to explore the optimum design of the PMS, which considers both reliability and robustness simultaneously. The nested PBRDO can be effectively simplified based on EPCDM. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is finally demonstrated by the application example.