Nickel foam-supported Fe,Ni-Polyporphyrin microparticles: Efficient bifunctional catalysts for overall water splitting in alkaline media

Developing highly active, stable and sustainable electrocatalysts for overall water splitting is of great importance to generate renewable H₂ for fuel cells. Herein, we report the synthesis of electrocatalytically active, nickel foam-supported, spherical core-shell Fe-poly(tetraphenylporphyrin)/Ni-poly(tetraphenylporphyrin) microparticles (FeTPP@NiTPP/NF). We also show that FeTPP@NiTPP/NF exhibits efficient bifunctional electrocatalytic properties toward both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Electrochemical tests in KOH solution (1 M) reveal that FeTPP@NiTPP/NF electrocatalyzes the OER with 100 mA cm⁻² at an overpotential of 302 mV and the HER with 10 mA cm⁻² at an overpotential of 170 mV. Notably also, its catalytic performance for OER is better than that of RuO₂, the benchmark OER catalyst. Although its catalytic activity for HER is slightly lower than that of Pt/C (the benchmark HER electrocatalyst), it shows greater stability than the latter during the reaction. The material also exhibits electrocatalytic activity for overall water splitting reaction at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² with a cell voltage of 1.58 V, along with a good recovery property. Additionally, the work demonstrates a new synthetic strategy to an efficient, noble metal-free-coordinated covalent organic framework (COF)-based, bifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting.     

Systematic convergence of nonlinear stochastic estimators on the Special Orthogonal Group SO(3)

This paper introduces two novel nonlinear stochastic attitude estimators developed on the Special Orthogonal Group with the tracking error of the normalized Euclidean distance meeting predefined transient and steady‐state characteristics. The tracking error is confined to initially start within a predetermined large set such that the transient performance is guaranteed to obey dynamically reducing boundaries and decrease smoothly and asymptotically to the origin in probability from almost any initial condition. The proposed estimators produce accurate attitude estimates with remarkable convergence properties using measurements obtained from low‐cost inertial measurement units. The estimators proposed in continuous form are complemented by their discrete versions for the implementation purposes. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed estimators against uncertain measurements and large initialization error, whether in continuous or discrete form.     

Simultaneous determination of mycotoxin in commercial coffee

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi that usually contaminate food products. Coffee is a natural product susceptible to mycotoxin contamination. The present study evaluates the presence of nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, T-2 and HT-2 Toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, aflatoxin B₁, aflatoxin B₂, aflatoxin G₁, aflatoxin G₂, fumonisin B₁, fumonisin B₂, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, enniatin A, enniatin A₁, enniatin B, enniatin B₁, and beauvericin in coffee samples, using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results show that zearalenone was not present in any sample. In the positive samples the contents of fumonisins ranged from 58.62 to 537.45 μg/kg, emerging mycotoxins ranged from 0.10 to 3569.92 μg/kg, aflatoxins ranged from 0.25 to 13.12 μg/kg, and trichothecenes, excepting nivalenol, ranged from 5.70 to 325.68 μg/kg. Nivalenol presented the highest concentrations, from 0.40 to 25.86 mg/kg. Ochratoxin A ranged from 1.56 to 32.40 μg/kg, and five samples exceeded the maximum limit established by the European Commission.     

无源光网络标准发展及关键技术研究

无源光网络(Passive Optical Network,PON)作为当今接入网的主要技术解决方案,具有带宽使用效率高、传输距离远、抗干扰能力强等特点.通过研究PON技术的发展动态,本文首先归纳了各种PON技术的产生背景和应用特点,整理出各技术间的连接关系及主要标准;其次介绍了PON技术的帧结构,并对带宽、波长、传输模式等PON技术的主要参数进行了汇总;然后将国内外研究热点进行划分,围绕媒体访问控制协议、帧结构、动态带宽分配算法、节能机制等关键技术,阐述了其研究现状及在PON中的重要作用;最后对PON技术的发展趋势进行了展望.     

Biomineralization,strength and cytocompatibility improvement of bredigite scaffolds through doping/coating

Coprecipitation-derived, sacrificial polymeric (urethane) foam-fabricated bredigite (Ca₇MgSi₄O₁₆) scaffolds were processed by individual and combined treatments of fluoride doping and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) coating and then studied in terms of structure, mechanical strength, bioactivity and cell biocompatibility in vitro. According to scanning electron microscopy and Archimedes porosimetry, the geometrical characteristics of pores for all the scaffolds are in the appropriate range for hard tissue regeneration applications. The apatite-formation ability of the samples immersed in a simulated body fluid is improved by doping for both the bare and coated conditions, based on microscopic and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analyses. Both the treatments advantageously buffer physiological pH changes imposed due to the fast bioresorption of the ceramic. Also, the biodegradable PLGA coating typically enhances the compressive strength of the scaffolds, which is critical for bone tissue engineering. In accordance with the MTT assay on osteoblast-like cells (MG-63) cultures, both the processes individually enhance the cell viability, while the highest improvement is obtained for the combined application of them. It is finally concluded that fluoride doping and PLGA coating are impressive approaches to improve the bioperformance of bredigite-based scaffolds.     

Pull out of FRP reinforcement from masonry pillars: Experimental and numerical results

In this paper, debonding phenomena between carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips and masonry support were investigated on the basis of single-lap shear tests, considering different dimensions of the bond length. To capture the post-peak response of the CFRP–masonry joint, the slip between the support and the reinforcement strip was controlled using a clip gauge positioned at the end of the reinforcement. The tests were simulated by means of a finite element model able to capture the post-peak snap-back behavior due to the failure process. The numerical model is based on zero-thickness interface elements and on a proper non-linear cohesive law. The comparison between experimental and numerical results was performed in terms of overall response, measured by both the machine stroke and the clip gauge positioned at the free end of the reinforcement. The cases of effective bond length greater and lesser than the minimum anchorage length, suggested by the CNR Italian recommendation, were considered.     

Annealing and doping-dependent magnetoresistance in single layer poly(3-hexyl-thiophene) organic semiconductor device

We compare the current density–voltage (J–V) and magnetoconductance (MC) response of a poly(3-hexyl-thiophene) (P3HT) device (Au/P3HT(350 nm)/Al) before and after annealing above the glass transition temperature of 150 °C under vacuum. There is a decrease of more than 3 orders of magnitude in current density due to an increase of the charge injection barriers after de-doping through annealing. An increase, approaching 1 order of magnitude, in the negative MC response after annealing can be explained by a shift in the Fermi level due to de-doping, according to the bipolaron mechanism. We successfully tune the charge injection barrier through re-doping by photo-oxidation. This leads to the charge injection and transport transitioning from unipolar to ambipolar, as the bias increases, and we model the MC response using a combination of bipolaron and triplet-polaron interaction mechanisms.     

Simultaneous accommodation of Dy3+ at the lattice site of β-Ca3(PO4)2 and t-ZrO2 mixtures: Structural stability,mechanical, optical,and magnetic features

Structurally stable β-Ca₃(PO₄)₂/t-ZrO₂ composite mixtures with the aid of Dy³⁺ stabilizer were accomplished at 1500°C. The precursors comprising Ca²⁺, P⁵⁺, Zr⁴⁺, and Dy³⁺ have been varied to obtain five different combinations. The results revealed the fact that complete phase transformation of calcium-deficient apatite to β-Ca₃(PO₄)₂ occurred only at 1300°C, whereas the evidence of t-ZrO₂ crystallization is obvious at 900°C. The dual occupancy of Dy³⁺ at β-Ca₃(PO₄)₂ and t-ZrO₂ structures was evident; however, Dy³⁺ initially prefers to occupy β-Ca₃(PO₄)₂ lattice until its saturation limit and thereafter accommodates at the lattice site of ZrO₂. The typical absorption and emission behavior of Dy³⁺ were noticed in all the systems and, moreover, the surrounding symmetry of Dy³⁺ domains has been determined from the luminescence study. All the systems ensured paramagnetic response that is generally contributed by the presence of Dy³⁺. A gradual increment in the phase content of t-ZrO₂ in the composite mixtures ensured a significant improvement in the hardness and Young's modulus of the investigated compositions.     

Unraveling the effect of alumina-supported Y- doped ceria composition and method of preparation on the WGS activity of gold catalysts

The demands for high-purity hydrogen required in fuel-cell applications impose new goals and challenges for design of well performing water-gas shift (WGS) catalysts. Gold-based catalysts have exhibited high activity in the WGS reaction at low temperature. Preparation of appropriate and economically viable supports with complex composition by various synthesis procedures is an attractive approach to WGS performance improvement. The effect of two different preparation methods (wet impregnation or mechanical mixing) and ceria content (10, 20 or 30 wt%) on textural, structural, surface and reductive properties and WGS activity of gold catalysts was studied. Additionally, the role of Y₂O₃ as a promoter of ceria was examined. Long-term stability test was carried out at 260 °C over the most active catalyst. The composition of the best performing sample (composed of about 70 wt% alumina), prepared by mechanical mixing, was considered promising in case of practical applications because of its cost efficiency. The combination of gold nanoparticles and alumina supported Y-doped ceria proved an advantageous approach for developing new catalytic formulations with high effectiveness in clean hydrogen production.