Fabrication of crescent-shaped ceramic microparticles based on single emulsion microfluidics

Ceramic microparticles have great potentials in various fields such as materials engineering, biotechnology, microelectromechanical systems, etc. Morphology of the microparticle performs an important role on their application. To date, it remains difficult to find an effective and controllable way for fabricating nonspherical ceramic microparticles with 3D features. This work demonstrates a method that combines UV light lithography and single emulsion opaque-droplet-templated microfluidic molding to prepare the crescent-shaped ceramic microparticles. By tailoring the intensity of UV light and flow rate of fluid, the shapes of microparticles are accordingly tuned. Therefore, varieties of crescent-shaped microparticles and their variations have been fabricated. After sintering, the crescent-shaped alumina ceramic microparticles were obtained. Benefitting from the light absorption and scattering behavior of most ceramic nanoparticles, this system can serve as a general platform to produce crescent-shaped microparticles made from different materials, and hold great potentials for applications in microrobotics, structural materials in MEMS, and biotechnology.     

Estimating long-term time-resolved indoor PM2.5 of outdoor and indoor origin using easily obtainable inputs

To evaluate the separate impacts on human health and establish effective control strategies, it is crucial to estimate the contribution of outdoor infiltration and indoor emission to indoor PM_2.5 in buildings. This study used an algorithm to automatically estimate the long-term time-resolved indoor PM_2.5 of outdoor and indoor origin in real apartments with natural ventilation. The inputs for the algorithm were only the time-resolved indoor/outdoor PM_2.5 concentrations and occupants’ window actions, which were easily obtained from the low-cost sensors. This study first applied the algorithm in an apartment in Tianjin, China. The indoor/outdoor contribution to the gross indoor exposure and time-resolved infiltration factor were automatically estimated using the algorithm. The influence of outdoor PM_2.5 data source and algorithm parameters on the estimated results was analyzed. The algorithm was then applied in four other apartments located in Chongqing, Shenyang, Xi'an, and Urumqi to further demonstrate its feasibility. The results provided indirect evidence, such as the plausible explanations for seasonal and spatial variation, to partially support the success of the algorithm used in real apartments. Through the analysis, this study also identified several further development directions to facilitate the practical applications of the algorithm, such as robust long-term outdoor PM_2.5 monitoring using low-cost light-scattering sensors.     

Ratiometric Detection of Glutathione Based on Disulfide Linkage Rupture between a FRET Coumarin Donor and a Rhodamine Acceptor

Abnormal levels of glutathione, a cellular antioxidant, can lead to a variety of diseases. We have constructed a near-infrared ratiometric fluorescent probe to detect glutathione concentrations in biological samples. The probe consists of a coumarin donor, which is connected through a disulfide-tethered linker to a rhodamine acceptor. Under the excitation of the coumarin donor at 405 nm, the probe shows weak visible fluorescence of the coumarin donor at 470 nm and strong near-infrared fluorescence of the rhodamine acceptor at 652 nm due to efficient Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the donor to the acceptor. Glutathione breaks the disulfide bond through reduction, which results in a dramatic increase in coumarin fluorescence and a corresponding decrease in rhodamine fluorescence. The probe possesses excellent cell permeability, biocompatibility, and good ratiometric fluorescence responses to glutathione and cysteine with a self-calibration capability. The probe was utilized to ratiometrically visualize glutathione concentration alterations in HeLa cells and Drosophila melanogaster larvae.     

Effects of (Li0.5Sm0.5)/W co-substitution and sintering temperature on the structure and electrical properties of ultrahigh Curie temperature piezoceramics,Ca0.92(Li0.5Sm0.5)0.08Bi2Nb2-xWxO9

With co-substitution of (Li_0.5Sm_0.5) at A site and W at B site, the electrical properties of modified Ca_0.92(Li_0.5Sm_0.5)_0.08Bi₂Nb_2-xW_xO₉ [(CLS)BN-xW, x = 0, 0.015 and 0.03] piezoceramics with ultrahigh Curie temperature (T_C) of > 930 °C were enhanced dramatically. The increased resistivity induced by the co-substitution ensure them to be polarized under an enough high field. Combined with the increase of spontaneous ferroelectric polarization (P_S), the significant enhancements in the piezoelectric, dielectric and ferroelectric properties can be obtained in the composition x = 0.015. Furthermore, the piezoelectric activity (d₃₃) and bulk resistivity (ρ_b) of (CLS)BN-0.015 W can be further enhanced at an appropriate sintering temperature. This optimum composition sintered at 1170 °C shows ultrahigh T_C of ～948 °C, d₃₃ of ～17.3 pC/N and ρ_b of ～6.9 MΩ cm at 600 °C, which are comparable to those of the reported high-temperature Aurivillius piezoceramics with T_C > 850 °C.     

Constructing magnetically recoverable CdS/CaFe2O4 P–N heterojunctions for enhanced photoelectrochemical properties towards H2 evolution reaction

A novel CdS/CaFe₂O₄ (CS/CFO) heterogeneous p-n junction was created by thermal deposition of CaFe₂O₄ nanoparticles on CdS rods. The CS/CFO hetero-structured photocatalysts exhibited increasingly efficient visible light harvesting compared to the bare CdS. The CS/CFO composites also presented higher photocurrent and slower decay of photoluminescence, suggesting a better separation of the photo-generated electrons and holes. The photocatalytic H₂ evolution quantity on the optimized CS/CFO composite from water in the presence of ethanol was up to 2200 μmol after 3-h visible light illumination, which is more than twice that of the pristine CdS. The chemical interaction between CdS and CaFe₂O₄ was confirmed by the shifts in the XPS peaks, which made it possible for the charge carriers to transfer across the p-n junction interface. This research highlights the importance of forming an interfacial p-n heterojunction between two semiconductors for efficient charge separation and improved photocatalytic performance.     

基于TRNSYS的茯砖茶生产工艺能源系统节能环保特性研究

茯砖茶发酵、干燥过程中，烘房内温湿度稳定性和能源系统低能耗是保证茯砖茶品质与成本的重要因素。本文采用TRNSYS仿真与实验研究相结合的方法，对咸阳某茯砖茶厂实际使用的空气源热泵系统进行建模，通过研究各季节典型代表月烘房温湿度的波动情况，确定该空气源热泵系统在全年的运行状态是否满足工艺要求，在此基础上，对比了该系统在全年可运行季节代表月与该生产厂房早期使用的燃气锅炉系统的能耗仿真结果，对空气源热泵系统的节能与环保特性进行研究。结果表明：由于夏季送风质量流量过大且室外空气含湿量较高，7月烘房温湿度不满足工艺要求。热泵系统在1、4、10月的总标煤消耗量的平均值是锅炉系统的44.42%，平均CO2、SO2、NOx排放量分别为锅炉系统的34.13%、44.1%、40.60%。在茯砖茶发酵、干燥的过程中，相比于燃气锅炉系统，空气源热泵系统具有更好的节能与环保特性。     

Effect of MoS2/PTFE coatings on performance of Si3N4/TiC ceramics in dry sliding against WC/Co

To enhance the tribological performance of Si₃N₄/TiC ceramics, MoS₂/PTFE composite coatings were deposited on the ceramic substrate through spraying method. The micrographs and basic properties of the MoS₂/PTFE coated samples were investigated. Dry sliding friction experiments against WC/Co ball were performed with the coated ceramics and traditional ones. These results showed that the composite coatings could significantly reduce the friction coefficient of ceramics, and protect the substrate from adhesion wear. The primary tribological mechanisms of the coated ceramics were abrasive wear, coating spalling and delamination, and the tribological property was transited from slight wear to serious wear with the increase of load because of the lower surface hardness and shear strength. The possible mechanisms for the effects of MoS₂/PTFE composite coatings on the friction performance of ceramics were discussed.     

一种商用车MT变速箱简易推式分离机构设计

为了提升大型载货车、专用车用变速箱分离机构分离性能,满足大离合器盘分离需求,设计出一种分离机构.该机构通过机械原理实现放大输入端推力来满足离合器摩擦片分离.该分离机构结构简单、成本低廉,值得推广.