Laser-assisted preparation of monolithic acidic catalysts for biomass conversion

5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural (5-HMF) is a vital platform molecule from which a variety of high-value-added fine chemicals and polymerizable monomers can be prepared. The use of solid acids to catalyze the conversion of biomass into 5-HMF is environmentally friendly and economical. However, exploiting the high yield of 5-HMF in a highly concentrated reactant system is challenging. Herein, we present a laser-assisted method for preparing highly acidic monolithic acidic catalysts. A monolithic acidic catalyst based on metal Zr sheets was synthesized and used to catalytically convert 30 wt% fructose into 5-HMF (conversion rate: 96%; yield: 95%). The catalyst was immediately separated from the reaction solution by direct removal at the end of the reaction. Catalytic efficiency was largely unaffected after 10 cycles of use, and the same catalytic efficiency was observed after laser-regeneration, highlighting the potential industrial applicability of the developed catalyst.     

The influence of inner material with different average thermal conductivity on the performance of whole insulation system for liquid hydrogen on orbit storage

At present, several composite insulation systems were proposed that can be used for passive insulation systems, including foam-variable density multilayer insulation (VDMLI), aerogel-VDMLI and hollow glass microspheres (HGMs)-VDMLI. The passive insulation systems with different inner material (IM) showed different performances. However, the relationship between the average thermal conductivity of IM and the insulation performance of the whole system has rarely been investigated. It is of great significance for efficient configuration and matching of the passive insulation system. In this paper, a series of average thermal conductivity of IM were assumed to predict the insulation performance of the whole system at 20 K–300 K and high vacuum. In order to further illustrate the relationship between IM and MLI/VDMLI, the foam was replaced by the HGMs as 5 mm a unit forming a series of HGMs-foam-MLI/VDMLI insulation systems. The performance of the systems was investigated. After the foam was completely replaced by the HGMs, the performance of MLI and VDMLI systems was improved 33% and 13%, respectively. Moreover, each mode of heat transfer including solid conduction, radiation, and gas conduction for foam-MLI/VDMLI and HGMs-MLI/VDMLI insulation systems were calculated and analyzed.     

Exploration of amorphous hollow FeOOH@C nanosphere on energy storage for sodium ion batteries

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) have enjoyed a high profile in recent years and gradually been commercialized to supplement the lithium-ion batteries system. However, the large volume expansion of anode materials within discharging and low electrical conductivity hinder the application of SIBs. In this work, a FeOOH@C composite was synthesized with the use of hydrothermal method and pyrolyzing of polydopamine. The amorphous FeOOH exhibits a hollow spherical structure to offer free space for buffering the volumetric variation. Furthermore, the outer carbon served as a protective shell could maintain the sphere integrity and enhance the electrical conductivity. Hence, benefiting from the achieved synergy of the hollow architecture, amorphous structure and carbon shell, the composite presented a long cycle life (316 mA h g^?1 after 500 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g^?1 and 234.5 mA h g^?1 after 400 cycles at 2 A g^?1) and high-rate performance (180 mA h g^?1 at 5 A g^?1), revealing a potential to be a promising candidate for electrode material of SIBs.     

Microstructure and hydrogen storage properties of Ti–V–Cr based BCC-type high entropy alloys

In this work, the crystal structure and hydrogen storage properties of V₃₅Ti₃₀Cr₂₅Fe₁₀, V₃₅Ti₃₀Cr₂₅Mn₁₀, V₃₀Ti₃₀Cr₂₅Fe₁₀Nb₅ and V₃₅Ti₃₀Cr₂₅Fe₅Mn₅ BCC-type high entropy alloys have been investigated. It was found that high entropy promotes the formation of BCC phase while large atomic difference (δ) has the opposite effect. Among the four alloys, the V₃₅Ti₃₀Cr₂₅Mn₁₀ alloy shows the highest hydrogen absorption capacity while the V₃₅Ti₃₀Cr₂₆Fe₅Mn₅ alloy exhibits the highest reversible capacity. The cause of the loss of desorption capacity is mainly due to the high stability of the hydrides. The higher room-temperature desorption capacity of the V₃₅Ti₃₀Cr₂₅Fe₅Mn₅ alloy is due to higher hydrogen desorption pressure. After pumping at 400 °C, the hydrides can return to the original BCC structure with only a small expansion in the cell volume.     

ZnSe/CoSe/NCDPH composites as anode materials for lithium ion batteries with high capacity and long cycle

In this paper, dopamine hydrochloride (DPH) is introduced to synthesize ZIF-8@ZIF-67@DPH in the preparation of ZIF-8@ZIF-67. ZnSe/CoSe/NC_DPH (N-doped carbon) composites are calcined in a high-temperature inert atmosphere with ZIF-8@ZIF-67@DPH as the precursor, selenium powder as the selenium source. ZnSe/CoSe/NC_DPH has high discharge specific capacity, good cycle stability and outstanding rate performance. The first discharge capacity of ZnSe/CoSe/NC_DPH is 1616.6 mAh g⁻¹ at the current density of 0.1 A g⁻¹, and the reversible capacity remains at 1214.2 mAh g⁻¹ after 100 cycles, the reversible capacity is 416.7 mAh g⁻¹ after 1000 cycles at 1 A g⁻¹. Therefore, ZnSe/CoSe/NC_DPH composites provide a new step for the research and synthesis of new stable, high-capacity, and safe high-performance lithium ion batteries. The bimetallic selenide composites not only have bimetallic active sites, but also can form synergistic effect between different metal phases, which can effectively reduce the capacity attenuation caused by volume expansion and reactive stress enrichment during lithium storage of metal oxide anode materials. Meanwhile, N-doped carbon can improve the conductivity and provide more active sites to store lithium, thus improving its lithium storage capacity.     

An overview of reactive hydride composite (RHC) for solid-state hydrogen storage materials

Hydrogen storage using the metal hydrides and complex hydrides is the most convenient method because it is safe, enables high hydrogen capacity and requires optimum operating condition. Metal hydrides and complex hydrides offer high gravimetric capacity that allows storage of large amounts of hydrogen. However, the high operating temperature and low reversibility hindered the practical implementation of the metal hydrides and complex hydrides. An approach of combining two or more hydrides, which are called reactive hydride composites (RHCs), was introduced to improve the performance of the metal hydrides and complex hydrides. The RHC system approach has significantly enhanced the hydrogen storage performance of the metal hydrides and complex hydrides by modifying the thermodynamics of the composite system through the metathesis reaction that occurred between the hydrides, hence enhancing the kinetic and reversibility performance of the composite system. In this paper, the overview of the RHC system was presented in detail. The challenges and perspectives of the RHC system are also discussed. This is the first review report on the RHC system for solid-state hydrogen storage.     

Microcystis aeruginosa supported-Mn catalyst as a new promising supercapacitor electrode: A dual functional material

In the present study, a Mn-supported catalyst material developed from Microcystis aeruginosa microalgae for hydrogen generation was tested as a supercapacitor electrode material for the first time. The catalyst material (MA-HCl-Mn) was examined for hydrogen generation through methanolysis of NaBH₄, and it demonstrated good catalytic activity. Symmetric and asymmetric supercapacitor cells were prepared using MA-HCl-Mn as the electrode material. The electrochemical performance of the cells were evaluated by a two-electrode system using 2 M KOH as the electrolyte. The gravimetric capacitance of the symmetric and asymmetric cells found to be 40 F/g and 71 F/g, respectively. It was concluded that MA-HCl-Mn served as a sustainable, dual functional material showing a high catalytic activity for the hydrogen generation and a promising electrochemical performance as the supercapacitor electrode.     

Mild hydrogen production from the hydrolysis of Al–Bi–Zn composite powder

The development of mild hydrogen-generating materials is of great significance to improve the working life of hydrogen–oxygen fuel cells. In this study, Al–Bi–Zn composite powders were designed by phase diagram calculation and then prepared via the gas atomization method. The results indicated that the conversion yield of Al–12Bi–7Zn (wt.%) powder reached 98% with stable hydrogen production within 280 min at 50 °C. When composite powder reacted with NaCl solution to produce hydrogen, the dormant period of the reaction process was significantly shortened, but the conversion rate was slightly reduced. Additionally, the evolution of powder morphology during the reaction was investigated. The results showed that the continuous cracking of the powder led to the continuous exposure of fresh Al to react.     

EFPI-FBG复合光纤传感器高温大应变试验研究

由于缺乏航空发动机/燃气轮机服役环境下叶片温度、应变有效性检测的技术与装置，所以工作叶片的温度环境、载荷环境和应变分布等关键数据的缺失是故障检修工作中的最大困难之一。采用非本征型法布里-珀罗(Extrinsic Farby Perot Interferometric,EFPI)与光纤光栅(Fiber Bragg Grating,FBG)传感技术，研制了一种基于单模光纤的EFPI FBG复合光纤传感器及其解调设备。通过搭建高温拉伸试验平台，开展了基于DZ125材料试件的复合光纤传感器高温、大应变测量的性能测试。试验结果表明：复合光纤传感器的工作温度范围为26 ℃~1 100 ℃，温度测量精度不超过全量程的5%，分辨率为0.066 ℃；F-P传感器的应变测量范围为0~19 468 με，在1 100 ℃下的相对误差为1.96%，分辨率为0.053 με。