Engineering Silver-Enriched Copper Core-Shell Electrocatalysts to Enhance the Production of Ethylene and C2+ Chemicals from Carbon Dioxide at Low Cell Potentials

Copper catalysts are widely studied for the electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to value-added hydrocarbon products. Controlling the surface composition of copper nanomaterials may provide the electronic and structural properties necessary for carbon-carbon coupling, thus increasing the Faradaic efficiency (FE) towards ethylene and other multi-carbon (C₂₊) products. Synthesis and catalytic study of silver-coated copper nanoparticles (Cu@Ag NPs) for the reduction of CO₂ are presented. Bimetallic CuAg NPs are typically difficult to produce due to the bulk immiscibility between these two metals. Slow injection of the silver precursor, concentrations of organic capping agents, and gas environment proved critical to control the size and metal distribution of the Cu@Ag NPs. The optimized Cu@Ag electrocatalyst exhibited a very low onset cell potential of −2.25 V for ethylene formation, reaching a FE towards C₂₊ products (FE_C2+) of 43% at −2.50 V, which is 1.0 V lower than a reference Cu catalyst to reach a similar FE_C2+. The high ethylene formation at low potentials is attributed to enhanced C C coupling on the Ag enriched shell of the Cu@Ag electrocatalysts. This study offers a new catalyst design towards increasing the efficiency for the electroreduction of CO₂ to value-added chemicals.     

Study on Flow Behavior and Heat Exchange Characteristics of a Capillary Tube-Suction Line Heat Exchanger

The present research is to develop a homogenous mathematical model to simulate capillary tube-suction line heat exchanger (CT-SL HX) based on the fundamentals of conservations of mass, momentum and energy with comprehensive experimental result validations. The computer model is fully validated by 72 experimental data with error bands of ±15%, ±2°C and ±35% on the mass flow rate prediction, the suction pipe outlet temperature, and the heat exchange estimation respectively. The results suggest that the internal diameter of the capillary tube, and the heat-transfer length of the CT-SL HX have demonstrated an apparent impact on the capillary tube outlet conditions and heat transfer across the segment.     

白鲢肌原纤维结合型丝氨酸蛋白酶单域抗体文本库构建及淘选

鱼肉中的肌原纤维结合型丝氨酸蛋白酶(myofibril-bound serine proteinase,MBSP)在加工过程中可降解肌原纤维,引起鱼糜制品的凝胶劣化。一种新型特异性高的鲨源抗体——单域抗体(single-domain antib odies,sdAbs),能直接与抗原结合并抑制酶的活性。研究主要完成了针对MBSP单域抗体制备的前期工作:文本库建立及淘选过程,以克隆表达的MBSP为抗原免疫铰口鲨鱼(nurse shark,Ginglymostoma cirratum),构建鲨鱼单域抗体文本库,并从中淘选针对MBSP的特异性单域抗体噬菌粒,最终得到31个能与MBSP特异性结合的噬菌粒,为获得抗MBSP单域抗体鉴定了基础,以期抑制或消除MBSP的活性,解决现有鱼糜制品凝胶劣化的问题。     

草地退化对土壤理化性质的影响

文章以张家川县不同退化程度草地为研究对象,探讨草地退化对土壤理化性质的影响。结果显示:土壤密度和含水量均随着草地退化程度的增加而下降,有机碳和速效磷则随着草地退化程度增加呈现出先上升后下降的趋势。同时,不同退化程度的草地0~2.5 cm层土壤全氮和全磷含量基本均高于深层,土壤全钾含量在2.5~5 cm层高于其他层。总之,草地退化影响着土壤理化性质。     

盐-冻耦合作用下水泥基风积沙改性土基坑填料的性能研究

为了研究风积沙改性土基坑填料力学性质和结构受盐-冻作用的影响规律,观测不同循环次数下样品的腐蚀程度并进行化学成分分析,开展无侧限压缩试验,评价其力学性能的衰变规律.最后利用压汞试验对风积沙改性土的孔隙分布进行测量.结果 表明:在盐-冻耦合作用下,由于化学反应导致水泥凝胶体减少,改性土的腐蚀程度逐渐增加;无侧限抗压强度、弹性模量随盐-冻次数增加而呈衰减趋势,且速率先快后慢;无侧限抗压强度与孔隙体积呈负线性关系,水泥基风积沙改性土微结构中的孔隙变化是宏观性能衰变的内在原因.     

Special issue on progress in advanced energy technologies and materials

正This special issue of the Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering(CJCh E) concerns with the current progress in advanced energy technologies and materials related to chemical science and technology, especially the work in the field of renewable energy,energy storage, clean and efficient utilization of energy, aligning well to the scope of this Journal.The world is moving towards a sustainable, clean and low-carbon future via ‘Energy Transition', i.e.,     

WC-Ni硬质合金密封圈损伤失效研究

某核主泵采用的WC-Ni硬质合金O形密封圈在运行一段时间后,密封圈端面出现较多的裂纹。为研究密封圈端面损伤失效原因,对密封圈损伤区进行微观形貌分析、白光干涉测试分析、损伤区化学成分分析和表面残余应力测试,讨论WC-Ni硬质合金密封圈表面出现的损伤特征,并对其服役安全性进行评估。结果表明:裂纹源多在密封圈槽堰区和坝区的交界处产生,裂纹多数分布在坝区,坝区损伤程度相比槽堰区较大;裂纹区存在氧化现象,但氧化程度比较轻微,氧化产物主要为W的氧化物;裂纹的产生主要是由密封圈槽堰区和坝区之间较大的应力差导致的,但裂纹体积较小,损伤轻微,短期内不会对整体机械密封装备造成重要影响。     

Subtle variations in the structure of crosslinked epoxy networks and the impact upon mechanical and thermal properties

Presented here is an investigation of the structure–property relationships of crosslinked networks using three bi-functional glycidyl ether aromatic epoxy resins, two bi-aryl and one tri-aryl, cured with bi- and tri-aryl amines. Subtle changes to the monomer chemistry including changing aromatic substitution patterns from meta to para, methylene to isopropyl and isopropyl to ether were explored. Changing an epoxy resin backbone from methylene to isopropyl enhances backbone rigidity thus increasing glass transition temperature (T_g), yield strength, and strain despite reducing modulus. Changing meta-substitution to para increases T_g and yield strain while leaving strength unaffected and reducing modulus. Changing isopropyl linkages to ether reduces modulus, strength, T_g, and yield strain reflecting increased molecular flexibility. Using three instead of two aromatic rings increases the molecular weight between crosslinks thereby decreasing T_g and yield strain while increasing modulus and strength. Despite the complexities of multiple systems for varying epoxy resins and amine hardeners, the effect upon network properties is explained in terms of short- and long-range molecular and segmental mobility, crosslink density, and equilibrium packing density. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48874.     

Autothermal hybridization and controlled production of hydrogen-rich syngas in a molten salt solar gasifier

High efficiency solar steam gasification of biomass is carried out in a prototype molten salt reactor for solar-only and solar-autothermal hybrid operation. Previous demonstration of the prototype 3-kW solar gasifier for steam gasification of cellulose at stoichiometric conditions demonstrated thermal efficiency of 44% during continuous operation at 1200 K. The present work expands the range of operating conditions to consider two challenges. Hybridization between solar and autothermal modes of operation is accomplished by adding oxygen directly to the reactor. Control of the H₂:CO ratio of the product gas is accomplished through in-situ steam shifting. Hybridization stabilized temperatures for variations in radiative input as large as a 30% reduction in power, corresponding to conditions where both sensible and chemical heat demands for the process were fully met by exothermic heat release with no significant challenges. Peak efficiencies and carbon conversion values observed are 45% and 99.5% respectively. The resulting product gas stream composition was shifted from a hydrogen and carbon monoxide ratio of 1:1 with stoichiometric steam delivery to a ratio of 1.7:1 with steam at nine times the stoichiometric amount, only slightly lower than equilibrium predictions. The results demonstrate very favorable attributes for the molten salt reactor in a continuous fuel production process.