Double emulsion (W/O/W) gel stabilised by polyglycerol polyricinoleate and calcium caseinate as mangiferin carrier: insights on formulation and stability properties

Mangiferin (MGF) is a phenolic compound isolated from mango, but its poor solubility significantly limits its use. In this study, MGF was embedded into the inner aqueous phase of W₁/O/W₂ emulsions. Firstly, the dissolution method of MGF was determined. MGF remained stable in solution with pH 13 at 30 min, and its solubility reached 10 mg mL⁻¹. When the pH of MGF solutions was adjusted from pH 13 to pH 6, MGF did not immediately crystallise, providing sufficient time to construct the MGF-loaded W₁/O/W₂ emulsions. Subsequently, the MGF-loaded W₁/O/W₂ emulsions were constructed using polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) and calcium caseinate (CAS). The formation and stability of the W₁/O/W₂ emulsions were investigated. The MGF-loaded W₁/O/W₂ emulsions stabilised with 1% PGPR and 1% – 3% CAS exhibited a low viscosity, limited loading capacity, and poor stability. Conversely, the MGF-loaded W₁/O/W₂ emulsions stabilised by 3%PGPR–3%CAS exhibited optimal loading capacity (encapsulation efficiency = 95.31% and loading efficiency = 0.91%) and stability, which was attributed to the fact that high viscosity and gel state retarded the migration of inner aqueous phase. These results indicated that the W₁/O/W₂ emulsions stabilised by PGPR and CAS may be a potential alternative for encapsulating mangiferin.     

Fabrication of barium titanate ceramics via digital light processing 3D printing by using high refractive index monomer

A digital light processing (DLP) technology has been developed for 3D printing lead-free barium titanate (BTO) piezoelectric ceramics. By comparing the curing and rheological properties of slurries with different photosensitive monomer, a high refractive index monomer acryloyl morpholine (ACMO) was chosen, and a design and preparation method of BTO slurry with high solid content, low viscosity and high curing ability was proposed. By further selecting the printing parameters, the single-layer exposure time was reduced and the forming efficiency has been greatly improved. Sintered specimens were obtained after a nitrogen-air double-step debinding and furnace sintering process, and the BTO ceramics fabricated with 80 wt% slurry shows the highest relative density (95.32 %) and piezoelectric constant (168.1 pC/N). Furthermore, complex-structured BTO ceramics were prepared, impregnated by epoxy resin and finally assembly made into hydrophones, which has significance for the future design and manufacture of piezoelectric ceramic-based composites that used in functional devices.     

The influence of FeNi nanoparticles on the microstructures and soft magnetic properties of FeSi soft magnetic composites

In this work, a new type of FeSi/FeNi soft magnetic powder core (SMPC) was successfully fabricated by coating FeNi nanoparticles on the surface of FeSi micrometer powder. The effects of different contents of FeNi nanoparticles on the micromorphology, internal structures, and soft magnetic properties of SMPCs were studied. The results show that FeNi nanoparticles adhere to the surface of FeSi powder, which can effectively fill the air gap between FeSi powder and is beneficial to the compaction of the powder cores during the pressing process. Thus, the density of the SMPCs is increased. Compared to FeSi SMPCs, the comprehensive soft magnetic properties of FeSi/FeNi SMPCs have been greatly improved. When adding 15 wt% FeNi nanoparticles, the SMPCs exhibit excellent magnetic properties with high effective permeability (increased by 43.8 %) and low core loss (decreased by 22.1 %). The high performance FeSi/FeNi SMPCs prepared in this work are expected to be widely used in power choke coils, uninterruptible power supplies, and boosts and inverter inductors.     

Brönsted方程动力学模型研究ZSM-5催化乙烯齐聚及芳构化活性和酸强度分布之间的定量关系

乙烯催化齐聚和芳构化是烯烃高值化和合成液体燃料的关键过程，采用NH₃-TPD谱图分析计算方法得到的探针分子脱附活化能作为催化剂的酸位点强度分布的参数，结合线性自由能理论在Br?nsted方程中引入酸强度对反应的影响因子γ作为动力学方程参数关联探针分子脱附活化能与反应活化能，明确固体酸酸强度的基准在催化动力学方程中的物理意义。建立同为MFI拓扑结构 Si /Al摩尔比为12.5、19、25、60、70的ZSM-5分子筛催化剂上不同酸强度位和乙烯齐聚及芳构化中氢转移、齐聚、芳构化各单元步骤以及对应的烷烃、低碳烯烃和芳烃产物分布的定量关系。根据拟合得到动力学参数γ可以发现不同强度的酸位点对乙烯齐聚及芳构化具有不同的作用系数。氨脱附活化能(DAE)为90 kJ·mol^-1的酸位点是氢转移反应的主要活性位点，而对于乙烯齐聚反应中主要的活性酸位点为DAE 90 kJ·mol^-1和124 kJ·mol^-1，DAE为150 kJ·mol^-1的酸位点是芳构化反应的主要活性位点。     

Self-assembled cubic-hexagonal perovskite nanocomposite as intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell cathode

Self-assembly is an emerging strategy for preparing composite cathodes with good oxygen electrochemical reduction activity and congenital chemical compatibility for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC). Here we report that a self-assembled BaCo_0.6Zr_0.4O_3-δ (BZC-BC) nanocomposite is prepared through one-pot glycine-nitrate process and exhibits high cathode performance. The BZC-BC nanocomposite is composed of 62 mol% cubic perovskite BaZr_0.82Co_0.18O_3-δ (BZC) as an ionic conductor and 38 mol% hexagonal perovskite BaCo_0.96Zr_0.04O_2.6+δ (12H-BC) as a mixed ionic and electronic conductor. The BZC-BC nanocomposite has the pomegranate-like particles aggregated with a larger number of nanoparticles (50-100 nm) which greatly enlarge the three-phase boundary sites. The BZC-BC nanocomposite exhibits a thermal expansion coefficient of 12.89 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ well-matched with that of Ce_0.8Gd_0.2O_3-δ (12.84 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹) electrolyte. The high electro-catalytic activity of BZC-BC nanocomposite cathode for oxygen reduction is reflected by the low polarization resistances of oxygen ions incorporation at cathode/electrolyte interface (0.02823 Ω cm²), oxygen species diffusion (0.03702 Ω cm²) and oxygen adsorptive dissociation (0.07609 Ω cm²) at 700 °C. The single cell with BZC-BC nanocomposite cathode achieves the maximum power density of 1094 mW cm⁻² at 650 °C and shows good stability under 25 h run.     

Simultaneous improvement of thermal conductivity and mechanical properties for mechanically mixed ABS/h-BN composites by using small amounts of hyperbranched polymer additives

Recently, thermal interface materials (TIMs) are in great demands for modern electronics. For mechanically mixed polymer composite TIMs, the thermal conductivity and the mechanical properties are generally lower than expected values due to the sharply increased viscosity and poor filler dispersion. This work shows that addition of a small amount of polyester-based hyperbranched polymer (HBP) avoided the trade-off in mechanically mixed ABS/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) composites. After adding 0.5 wt% HBP, the maximum h-BN content in the composites increased from 50 to 60 wt%. The out-of-plane, in-plane thermal conductivity, and tensile strength of ABS/h-BN with 50 wt% h-BN were 0.408, 0.517 W/mK, and 18 MPa, respectively, and were increased to 0.729, 0.847 W/mK, and 32 MPa by adding 0.5 wt% HBP, while 0.972, 1.12 W/mK, and 29.5 MPa were achieved for ABS/h-BN/HBP with 60 wt% h-BN. The morphological and rheological results proved that these enhancements are due to the improved h-BN dispersion by decreasing viscosity of composites during mixing. Theoretical modeling based on the modified effective medium theory confirmed such results and showed that the interfacial thermal resistance also decreased slightly. Thus, this work demonstrates a facile and scalable method for simultaneously improving the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of thermoplastic-based TIMs.     

Effects of the film thickness and poling electric field on photovoltaic performances of (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 ferroelectric thin film-based devices

The ferroelectric photovoltaic (FPV) effect obtained in inorganic perovskite ferroelectric materials has received much attention because of its large potential in preparing FPV devices with superior stability, high open-circuit voltage (V_oc) and large short-circuit current density (J_sc). In order to obtain suitable thickness for the ferroelectric thin film as light absorption layer, in which, the sunlight can be fully absorbed and the photo-generated electrons and holes are recombined as few as possible, we prepare Pb_0.93La_0.07(Zr_0.6Ti_0.4)_0.9825O₃ (PLZT) ferroelectric thin films with different layer numbers by the sol-gel method and based on these thin films, obtain FPV devices with FTO/PLZT/Au structure. By measuring photovoltaic properties, it is found that the device with 4 layer-PLZT thin film (~300 nm thickness) exhibits the largest V_oc and J_sc and the photovoltaic effect obviously depends on the value and direction of the poling electric field. When the device is applied a negative poling electric field, both the V_oc and J_sc are significantly higher than those of the device applied the positive poling electric field, due to the depolarization field resulting from the remnant polarization in the same direction with the built-in electric field induced by the Schottky barrier, and the higher the negative poling electric field, the larger the V_oc and J_sc. At a -333 kV/cm poling electric field, the FPV device exhibits the most superior photovoltaic properties with a V_oc of as high as 0.73 V and J_sc of as large as 2.11 μA/cm². This work opens a new way for developing ferroelectric photovoltaic devices with good properties.     

Low shear rheological behaviour of two-phase mesophase pitch

The low shear rate rheology of two phase mesophase pitches derived from coal tar pitch has been investigated. Particulate quinoline insolubles (QI) stabilised the mesophase spheres against coalescence. Viscosity measurements over the range 10–10⁶ Pa s were made at appropriate temperature ranges. Increasing shear thinning behaviour was evident with increasing mesophase content. At low mesophase contents the dominant effect on the near Newtonian viscosity was temperature but at higher contents it was the shear rate; temperature dependence declined to near zero. The data indicated that agglomeration could be occurring at intermediate mesophase volume fractions, 0.2–0.3. The Krieger–Dougherty function and its emulsion analogue indicated that in this region the mesophase pitch emulsions actually behaved like ‘hard’ sphere systems and the effective volume fraction was estimated as a function of shear rate illustrating the change in extent of agglomeration. At the higher volume fractions approaching the maximum packing fraction, which could only be measured at higher temperatures, the shear thinning behaviour changed in character and it is considered that this is possibly due to shear induced deformation and breakup of dispersed drops in the shear field.     

等时格架下陆相页岩多尺度岩相精细识别及控制因素分析——以渤海湾盆地东营凹陷为例

由于陆相页岩控制因素的多样性与复杂性，使得页岩岩相的精细识别及预测具有一定的难度，同时，页岩岩相发育的控制因素也一直没有明确。通过近年来对渤海湾盆地东营凹陷泥页岩岩相及控制因素的持续研究，总结了不同级次等时地层格架下陆相页岩岩相多尺度精细识别标志与发育特征，提出了2种尺度的控制因素。岩相可分为层耦、层耦组、岩相域和岩相层序4个尺度，其中层耦受古生产力、季风、氧化—还原条件联合控制，层耦组—岩相域—岩相层序受物源、气候、构造联合控制，多种因素叠合造就了陆相页岩岩相的复杂性与多样性。研究成果对于系统刻画中国陆相页岩岩相特征、深入理解不同尺度岩相形成机理具有重要意义。