预歧化处理的高性能锂离子电池SiO/C负极材料

以SiO和蔗糖为原料,SiO经高温歧化反应处理后,通过机械球磨、喷雾干燥、高温热解工艺制备出具有优异电化学性能的锂离子电池SiO/C负极材料。经XRD、FTIR、XPS、SEM、TEM结构分析表明,歧化反应处理的片状SiO包含非晶态SiO和纳米晶相Si、SiO_2,蔗糖热解形成的无定形碳包覆在细片状SiO的表面,组成球形SiO/C颗粒。电化学测试结果表明,预歧化处理的SiO/C复合材料的首次放电容量为1 314.6mAh/g,首次库伦效率达到71%;100周循环后的放电容量为851.2mAh/g,容量保持率达到78.5%,循环稳定性远高于未经歧化处理的SiO/C复合材料。电化学性能的提高归因于SiO预歧化反应及热解碳包覆。     

不同喷涂工艺下NiCoCrAlYTa涂层的显微结构和性能

为探索不同喷涂工艺对NiCoCrAlYTa涂层的显微结构和性能的影响规律,确定最优工艺,采用大气等离子、低压等离子、常规超音速火焰和低温超音速火焰4种工艺在镍基单晶高温合金表面制备了NiCoCrAlYTa涂层。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和显微硬度计等分析手段对喷涂态涂层的相组成、显微结构和显微硬度等进行了表征。结果表明,不同喷涂工艺下涂层的相组成均为γ′-Ni_3Al、β-NiAl和γ-Ni固溶体。低压等离子和超音速火焰喷涂的涂层致密且孔隙率低,其中超音速火焰喷涂的涂层孔隙率低于1%。低压等离子和低温超音速火焰喷涂的涂层氧含量很低,控制在0.3%~0.6%的范围。综合来说,低温超音速火焰喷涂工艺制备的涂层结构致密,孔隙率和氧含量很低。该工艺是沉积NiCoCrAlYTa涂层的首选。     

低压烧结温度对一步法制备超细晶WC-Co基硬质合金组织及性能的影响

采用等离子球磨技术制得W-C-10Co-0.9VC-0.3Cr_3C_2纳米复合粉体,并利用单向模压成型法将其压制成生坯,再经低压烧结一步法制备成硬质合金。研究表明,等离子球磨3h所获得的复合粉体呈片层状形貌,并且成分分布均匀。在1 380℃及1 400℃烧结时,由于等离子球磨的特殊作用,VC、Cr_3C_2对WC晶粒长大抑制作用突显。1 380℃烧结制备的硬质合金,致密度为99.2%,WC平均晶粒尺寸为250nm,硬度和横向断裂强度分别为92.3HRA和2 443 MPa,具有最佳的WC晶粒尺寸与致密度配合,以及最佳的综合力学性能。     

Synthesis of Pt nanocrystals with different shapes using the same protocol to optimize their catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction

Engineering the shape and thus surface structure of Pt nanocrystals is an effective strategy for optimizing their catalytic activities toward various reactions. However, different protocols are typically used to produce Pt nanocrystals with distinctive shapes, making it difficult to directly compare their catalytic activities owing to the complication of surface contamination. Here we demonstrate that Pt nanocrystals with a variety of shapes, including those enclosed with low- or high-index facets, can be synthesized using the same protocol by simply adjusting the concentration of reducing agent and/or the reaction time. Specifically, when the reducing agent was used at a relatively low concentration, Pt truncated cubes, cuboctahedrons, truncated octahedrons, and octahedrons were produced sequentially upon the increase in reaction time. When 67% more reducing agent was used, Pt cubes and concave cubes were obtained consecutively as the reaction time was prolonged. Our quantitative analysis suggests that the diversity of shape and difference in size can be resulted from the difference in reduction kinetics. In evaluating their structure–activity relationship for oxygen reduction, it was established that the high-index facets on Pt concave cubes possessed a specific activity of 6.3 and 1.3 times greater than those of Pt cubes and octahedrons exposed by {1?0?0} and {1?1?1} facets, respectively. This work not only offers a general method for the synthesis of Pt nanocrystals having diverse shapes and thus different types of facets but also highlights the significance of reduction kinetics in controlling the structure evolution of other metal nanocrystals.     

MWCNTs as Conductive Network for Monodispersed Fe3O4 Nanoparticles to Enhance the Wave Absorption Performances

Magnetic oxides are widely used as electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbers. To promote the absorption efficiency, tremendous efforts have been contributed to adjusting the composite, structure, and size of magnetic loss materials. Employing carbon materials (CNTs, CF, graphene, PANI) is an efficient way to improve the dielectric loss of the matrix. Anchoring the tiny‐monodispersed Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) onto the lightweight multi ? walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) leads to improve dielectric loss and impedance matching characteristic. Magnetic Fe₃O₄ NPs along the one‐dimensional nanotubes direction play a good synergetic role with MWCNTs due to the interfacial strong chemical and structure bonding. The as‐synthesized Fe₃O₄/MWCNTs nanocomposites exhibit efficient EM wave absorption characteristics (R_L av?10 dB) with a maximum reflection loss of ?63.64 dB at 12.08 GHz and a diminutive thickness of only 1.6 mm. The magnetic Fe₃O₄ NPs show strong chemical and structure bonding with the one‐dimensional MWCNTs. This work may show a way to broaden the application of such kinds of lightweight high‐performance absorbing materials frameworks.

     

Lighting Up MicroRNA in Living Cells by the Disassembly of Lock‐Like DNA‐Programmed UCNPs‐AuNPs through the Target Cycling Amplification Strategy

Intracellular microRNAs imaging based on upconversion nanoprobes has great potential in cancer diagnostics and treatments. However, the relatively low detection sensitivity limits their application. Herein, a lock‐like DNA (LLD) generated by a hairpin DNA (H1) hybridizing with a bolt DNA (bDNA) sequence is designed, which is used to program upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs, NaYF₄@NaYF₄:Yb, Er@NaYF₄) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The upconversion emission is quenched through luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET). The multiple LLD can be repeatedly opened by one copy of target microRNA under the aid of fuel hairpin DNA strands (H2) to trigger disassembly of AuNPs from the UCNP, resulting in the lighting up of UCNPs with a high detection signal gain. This strategy is verified using microRNA‐21 as model. The expression level of microRNA‐21 in various cells lines can be sensitively measured in vitro, meanwhile cancer cells and normal cells can be easily and accurately distinguished by intracellular microRNA‐21 imaging via the nanoprobes. The detection limit is about 1000 times lower than that of the previously reported upconversion nanoprobes without signal amplification. This is the first time a nonenzymatic signal amplification method has been combined with UCNPs for imaging intracellular microRNAs, which has great potential for cancer diagnosis.     

Large‐Stroke Electrochemical Carbon Nanotube/Graphene Hybrid Yarn Muscles

Artificial muscles are reported in which reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is trapped in the helical corridors of a carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn. When electrochemically driven in aqueous electrolytes, these coiled CNT/rGO yarn muscles can contract by 8.1%, which is over six times that of the previous results for CNT yarn muscles driven in an inorganic electrolyte (1.3%). They can contract to provide a final stress of over 14 MPa, which is about 40 times that of natural muscles. The hybrid yarn muscle shows a unique catch state, in which 95% of the contraction is retained for 1000 s following charging and subsequent disconnection from the power supply. Hence, they are unlike thermal muscles and natural muscles, which need to consume energy to maintain contraction. Additionally, these muscles can be reversibly cycled while lifting heavy loads.     

Pseudocapacitive Sodium Storage by Ferroelectric Sn2P2S6 with Layered Nanostructure

Sodium ion batteries (SIB) are considered promising alternative candidates for lithium ion batteries (LIB) because of the wide availability and low cost of sodium, therefore the development of alternative sodium storage materials with comparable performance to LIB is urgently desired. The sodium ions with larger sizes resist intercalation or alloying because of slow reaction kinetics. Most pseudocapacitive sodium storage materials are based on subtle nanomaterial engineering, which is difficult for large‐scale production. Here, ferroelectric Sn₂P₂S₆ with layered nanostructure is developed as sodium ion storage material. The ferroelectricity‐enhanced pseudocapacitance of sodium ion in the interlayer spacing makes the electrochemical reaction easier and faster, endowing the Sn₂P₂S₆ electrode with excellent rate capability and cycle stability. Furthermore, the facile solid state reaction synthesis and common electrode fabrication make the Sn₂P₂S₆ that becomes a promising anode material of SIB.