Modified sepiolite/PVDF-HFP composite film with enhanced piezoelectric and dielectric properties

Flexible film with both piezoelectric and dielectric properties is considered to be a potential candidate for the energy conversion and storage devices. In this study, the Li⁺ and H₂O modified sepiolite/poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (LiSEP-H₂O/PVDF-HFP) composite films with both good piezoelectric and dielectric properties were prepared by traditional coating process. When the H₂O content was 13 wt %, the LiSEP-H₂O/PVDF-HFP composite exhibited high d₃₃ of 32 and dielectric constant of 48. Moreover, the effects of the Li⁺ and adsorbed H₂O on the d₃₃, F(β), dielectric constant, short-circuit currents were discussed. The adsorbed H₂O enhanced the β-phase by the hydrogen bonds and Li⁺ improved the polarization to realize the composite film with increased piezoelectric and dielectric properties respectively. We expected the common modification to lead other clay minerals realizing the future applications in the adjustment of composites' electric properties. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48412.     

Flame extension and the near field under the ceiling for travelling fires inside large compartments

Structures need to be designed to maintain their stability in the event of a fire. The travelling fire methodology (TFM) defines the thermal boundary condition for structural design of large compartments of fires that do not flashover, considering near field and far field regions. TFM assumes a near field temperature of 1200°C, where the flame is impinging on the ceiling without any extension and gives the temperature of the hot gases in the far field from Alpert correlations. This paper revisits the near field assumptions of the TFM and, for the first time, includes horizontal flame extension under the ceiling, which affects the heating exposure of the structural members thus their load-bearing capacity. It also formulates the thermal boundary condition in terms of heat flux rather than in terms of temperature as it is used in TFM, which allows for a more formal treatment of heat transfer. The Hasemi, Wakamatsu, and Lattimer models of heat flux from flame are investigated for the near field. The methodology is applied to an open-plan generic office compartment with a floor area of 960 m² and 3.60 m high with concrete and with protected and unprotected steel structural members. The near field length with flame extension (fTFM) is found to be between 1.5 and 6.5 times longer than without flame extension. The duration of the exposure to peak heat flux depends on the flame length, which is 53 min for fTFM compared with 17 min for TFM, in the case of a slow 5% floor area fire. The peak heat flux is from 112 to 236 kW/m² for the majority of fire sizes using the Wakamatsu model and from 80 to 120 kW/m² for the Hasemi and Lattimer models, compared with 215 to 228 kW/m² for TFM. The results show that for all cases, TFM results in higher structural temperatures compared with different fTFM models (600°C for concrete rebar and 800°C for protected steel beam), except for the Wakamatsu model that for small fires, leads to approximately 20% higher temperatures than TFM. These findings mitigate the uncertainty around the TFM near field model and confirm that it is conservative for calculation of the thermal load on structures. This study contributes to the creation of design tools for better structural fire engineering.     

Synthesis of Hierarchical 4H/fcc Ru Nanotubes for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution in Alkaline Media

Hierarchical metal nanostructures containing 1D nanobuilding blocks have stimulated great interest due to their abundant active sites for catalysis. Herein, hierarchical 4H/face‐centered cubic (fcc) Ru nanotubes (NTs) are synthesized by a hard template‐mediated method, in which 4H/fcc Au nanowires (NWs) serve as sacrificial templates which are then etched by copper ions (Cu²⁺) in dimethylformamide. The obtained hierarchical 4H/fcc Ru NTs contain ultrathin Ru shells (5–9 atomic layers) and tiny Ru nanorods with length of 4.2 ± 1.1 nm and diameter of 2.2 ± 0.5 nm vertically decorated on the surface of Ru shells. As an electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media, the hierarchical 4H/fcc Ru NTs exhibit excellent electrocatalytic performance, which is better than 4H/fcc Au‐Ru NWs, commercial Pt/C, Ru/C, and most of the reported electrocatalysts.     

Enhanced piezoelectric strain of BiFeO3–Ba(Zr0.02Ti0.98)O3 lead-free ceramics near the phase boundary

The xBiFeO₃-(1-x)Ba(Zr_0.02Ti_0.98)O₃ + 1.0 mol% MnO₂ (xBF-BZT) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction method. The structure, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that xBF-BZT ceramics exhibited pure perovskite structure with the coexistence of tetragonal and rhombohedral phases (0.66 ≤ x ≤ 0.74). The Curie temperature T_c, the dielectric constant ε_r (1 kHz), dielectric loss tanδ (1 kHz), piezoelectric constant d₃₃, coercive field E_c (80 kV/cm), and remnant polarization P_r (80 kV/cm) of 0.7BF-0.3BZT-Mn ceramics were 491°C, 633, 0.044, 165 pC/N, 35.6 kV/cm, and 22.6 μC/cm², respectively. The unipolar strain of 0.7BF-0.3BZT reached up to 0.20% under the electric field of 60 kV/cm, which is larger than that (0.15%) of BiFeO₃–BaTiO₃ ceramics. These results indicated that the xBF-BZT ceramics were promising candidates for high-temperature piezoelectric materials.     

[数据驱动的产品设计]基于功能模型和层次分析法的智能产品服务系统概念方案构建

为研究智能产品服务系统概念方案的构建，解决系统的复杂特性和功能耦合特性，提出应用发明问题解决理论（TRIZ）功能模型和层次分析法(AHP)两种工具，在概念设计阶段利用TRIZ功能模型定性地对其进行分析建模，并借助层次分析法对不同服务供应商所提供的服务功能模块进行定量的决策分析，通过择优集成相关功能模块，形成智能产品服务系统概念方案的构建方法。最后以3家服务供应商的服务功能模块构建为例，验证该方法的有效性。     

影响煤层气开发效果的地质因素再认识

地质特征认识对煤层气开发效果起着重要作用。在资源特征相差不大的情况下,发现煤层气相邻井的产量差异仍较大。排除工程因素后,通过选取8类地质参数,细致比对了保德区块低产井与邻井的参数特征,筛查出其关键因素为煤层微幅构造与顶板封盖条件,其中以微幅构造为主。据此,重新认识并划分出区块新的次生褶皱背斜单元、向斜单元和斜坡单元,获得了不同次生褶皱构造单元的开发特征。结果表明,高、低产井分布与次生褶皱背斜、向斜相关性高达92%。其中:高产井主要分布在次生褶皱背斜变化较缓、呈隆起状的“平台”,且煤层顶板以泥岩、碳质泥岩为主,封盖性较好;低产井主要分布在次生褶皱向斜,同一井台各井开发效果差异表现为从向斜条带轴部—向斜条带内—向斜条带外的煤层气井平均单井产量不断增加,到向斜轴部的距离大于向斜曲率半径73.5%的范围为主力产气区,小于向斜曲率半径40.0%范围为产水主力区。这对煤层气新井部署、生产管理、开发调整等,具有一定的指导意义。     

A Structural Rationale for N-Methylbicuculline Acting as a Promiscuous Competitive Antagonist of Inhibitory Pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channels

Bicuculline, a valued chemical tool in neurosciences research, is a competitive antagonist of specific GABA_A receptors and affects other pentameric ligand-gated ion channels including the glycine, nicotinic acetylcholine and 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptors. We used a fluorescence-quenching assay and isothermal titration calorimetry to record low-micromolar dissociation constants for N-methylbicuculline interacting with acetylcholine-binding protein and an engineered version called glycine-binding protein (GBP), which provides a surrogate for the heteromeric interface of the extracellular domain of the glycine receptor (GlyR). The 2.4 Å resolution crystal structure of the GBP:N-methylbicuculline complex, sequence and structural alignments reveal similarities and differences between GlyR and the GABA_A receptor–bicuculline interactions. N-methylbicuculline displays a similar conformation in different structures, but adopts distinct orientations enforced by interactions and steric blocks with key residues and plasticity in the binding sites. These features explain the promiscuous activity of bicuculline against the principal inhibitory pentameric ligand-gated ion channels in the CNS.     

7,8-Dihydro-8-oxoguanosine Lesions Inhibit the Theophylline Aptamer or Change Its Selectivity

Aptamers are attractive constructs due to their high affinity/selectivity towards a target. Here 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanosine (8-oxoG) has been used, due in part to its unique H-bonding capabilities (Watson–Crick or Hoogsteen), to expand the “RNA alphabet”. Its impact on the theophylline RNA aptamer was explored by modifying its binding pocket at positions G11, G25, or G26. Structural probing, with RNases A and T₁, showed that modification at G11 leads to a drastic structural change, whereas the G25-/G26-modified analogues exhibited cleavage patterns similar to that of the canonical construct. The recognition properties towards three xanthine derivatives were then explored through thermophoresis. Modifying the aptamer at position G11 led to binding inhibition. Modification at G25, however, changed the selectivity towards theobromine (K_d≈160 μm ), with a poor affinity for theophylline (K_d>1.5 mm ) being observed. Overall, 8-oxoG can have an impact on the structures of aptamers in a position-dependent manner, leading to altered target selectivity.     

三稳态压电能量采集器的动态特性与实验

为了探究三稳态压电振动能量采集器的动力学特性,以磁-机-压电耦合型三稳态压电振动能量采集器(tristable piezoelectric vibration energy harvester,简称TPVEH)为研究对象,利用磁荷法、力平衡和基尔霍夫定律分别建立了采集器末端磁铁与外部磁铁之间的非线性磁力模型和系统集总参数动力学模型。仿真分析了磁铁间距、激励加速度幅值和频率等参数对采集器动力学特性和采集电压的影响。研制了三稳态压电振动能量采集器原理样机,搭建了实验测试平台,实验验证了仿真结果的正确性。研究结果表明,随着激励加速度幅值增大,能量采集器依次经历单稳态、双稳态和三稳态3种运动状态,且三稳态运动时的工作频带和输出性能(位移、速度和采集电压)比双稳态和单稳态时要高。     

预压力对压电驱动履带移动系统的性能影响

为了提高夹心式压电驱动移动系统的机械输出性能，提出了一种U型预压力调节机构，并开展了预压力对夹心式压电驱动履带移动系统输出性能影响关系的实验研究。首先，针对U型预压力调节机构的安装对夹心式压电振子的振动特性影响关系开展了有限元仿真分析，发现U型预压力调节机构始终处在夹心式压电振子的两相工作模态振动节点位置；其次，开展了夹心式压电驱动履带移动系统的原理样机的预压力调节测试实验，确定了系统的最大输出牵引力及其所对应的最佳预压力；最后，在最佳预压力工作状态下，开展了原理样机的牵引力特性、越障性能以及模拟月壤环境下的运动特性实验。研究结果表明，在最佳预压力工作状态下，夹心式压电驱动履带移动系统的机械输出性能最佳，为其进一步在月面巡视器上的应用提供了技术支持和试验基础。