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.     

Graphitic-C3N4/ZnCr-layered double hydroxide 2D/2D nanosheet heterojunction: Mesoporous photocatalyst for advanced oxidation of azo dyes with in situ produced H2O2

In this study the constructional modification of Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (GCN-ns) has been made with the aid of ZnCr layered double hydroxide (ZC-LDH) in a unique 2D-2D structure to enhance its visible light absorption. Optical and morphological study presents successful incorporation of ZC-LDH on the surface of GCN-ns. Through adjusting of GCN-ns by ZC-LDH lower recombination rate of e^?/h⁺ pairs, longer lifetimes and an increase in contamination reduction was brought out. The binary nanocomposite was employed to effectively degrade Rhodamine B under UV/vis light irradiation. The improvement in photocatalytic abilities was proven to be related to in situ self-production of H₂O₂ on GCN-ns/ZC-LDH surface by Xe light irradiation which in return accounts for additional hydroxide radical generation. Radical quenching experiments specified the main active species involved while the consequent step-scheme (S-scheme) charge transfer mechanism was proposed.     

Synthesis of a Fe3O4-rGO-ZnO-catalyzed photo-Fenton system with enhanced photocatalytic performance

In this work, we designed a magnetically-separable Fe₃O₄-rGO-ZnO ternary catalyst, ZnO anchored on the surface of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-wrapped Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles, where rGO, as an effective interlayer, can enhance the synergistic effect between ZnO and Fe₃O₄. The effects of three operational parameters, namely irradiation time, hydrogen peroxide dosage, and the catalyst dosage, on the photo-Fenton degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange were investigated. The results showed that the Fe₃O₄-rGO-ZnO had great potential for the destruction of organic compounds from wastewater using the Fenton chemical oxidation method at neutral pH. Repeatability of the photocatalytic activity after 5 cycles showed only a tiny drop in the catalytic efficiency.     

Secure lightweight password authenticated key exchange for heterogeneous wireless sensor networks

Several three-party password authenticated key exchange (3-PAKE) protocols have recently been proposed for heterogeneous wireless sensor networks (HWSN). These are efficient and designed to address security concerns in ad-hoc sensor network applications for a global Internet of Things framework, where a user may request access to sensitive information collected by resource-constrained sensors in clusters managed by gateway nodes. In this paper we first analyze three recently proposed 3-PAKE protocols and discuss their vulnerabilities. Then, based on Radio Frequency Identification technologies we propose a novel 3-PAKE protocol for HWSN applications, with two extensions for additional security features, that is provably secure, efficient and flexible.     

A semicontinuous approach for heterogeneous azeotropic distillation processes

The separation of azeotropes has substantial energy and investment costs, and the available methods require high capital costs for reconstruction of process plants. As an alternative, a semicontinuous configuration that utilizes an existing plant with minor modifications has been explored. In this paper, a semicontinuous, heterogeneous azeotropic distillation process is proposed and acetic acid dehydration process is used as a case study. To carry out the simulation work, Aspen HYSYS^® simulation software is used along with MATLAB^® and an interface program to handle the mode-transition of the semicontinuous process. Sensitivity analyses on operating parameters are performed to identify the process limits. Comparisons are made to conventional heterogeneous azeotropic distillation, and dividing-wall distillation column on the annual cost. The results proved that the semicontinuous system is the best setup in terms of total annual costs and energy requirements.     

Hierarchical multi-reservoir optimization modeling for real-world complexity with application to the Three Gorges system

High dimensionality in real-world multi-reservoir systems greatly hinders the application and popularity of evolutionary algorithms, especially for systems with heterogeneous units. An efficient hierarchical optimization framework is presented for search space reduction, determining the best water distributions, not only between cascade reservoirs, but also among different types of hydropower units. The framework is applied to the Three Gorges Project (TGP) system and the results demonstrate that the difficulties of multi-reservoir optimization caused by high dimensionality can be effectively solved by the proposed hierarchical method. For the day studied, power output could be increased by 6.79 GWh using an optimal decision with the same amount of water actually used; while the same amount of power could be generated with 2.59 × 10⁷ m³ less water compared to the historical policy. The methodology proposed is general in that it can be used for other reservoir systems and other types of heterogeneous unit generators.     

Optimized dual-function varistor-capacitor ceramics of core-shell structured xBi2/3Cu3Ti4O12/(1-x)CaCu3Ti4O12 composites

xBi_2/3Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂/(1-x)CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ composites were prepared by traditional solid-state reaction method. Extremely high nonlinear coefficient of 25 and breakdown field of 18.92 kV·cm⁻¹ were obtained in small current range of 0.1−1 mA·cm^-2. In addition, reduced dielectric loss of 0.055 was achieved with high dielectric constant of 1369. Optimized nonlinear and dielectric properties were integrated to make the composites a promising dual-function varistor-capacitor candidate. Microstructure analysis discovered two areas with various Bi/Ca ratio, designated as Bi-H and Bi-L respectively. It was found that the maximum ratio of Bi-H/Bi-L heterogeneous interface corresponded to optimized nonlinear and dielectric performance, which was associated with elevated potential barrier height and huge grain boundary resistance. Combined with relaxation analysis, a core-shell structure was proposed to elaborate microstructure evolution in xBi_2/3Cu₃Ti₄O₁₂/(1-x)CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ composite. According to the core-shell model, variation of heterogeneous interface was illustrated on how to influence nonlinear properties, which was well fitted to experimental results.     

Effect of Different Cosolvents on Transesterification of Waste Cooking Oil in a Microreactor

Biodiesel was prepared from waste cooking oil combined with methanol. The process was performed via transesterification in a microreactor using kettle limescale as a heterogeneous catalyst and various cosolvents under different conditions. n‐Hexane and tetrahydrofuran were selected as cosolvents to investigate fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). To optimize the reaction conditions, the main parameters affecting FAME% including reaction temperature, catalyst concentration, oil‐to‐methanol volumetric ratio, and cosolvent‐to‐methanol volumetric ratio were studied via response surface methodology. Under optimal reaction conditions and in the presence of the cosolvents n‐hexane and tetrahydrofuran, high FAME purities were achieved. Considering the experimental results, the limescale catalyst is a unique material, and the cosolvent method can reduce significantly the reaction time and biodiesel production cost.     

异构数据集成方法研究与实现

为解决异构数据集成的复杂性问题，文章提出了一种异构数据同步的新方法——半集成式中间件法。该方法成功地应用在重庆市社会保障综合信息系统中，具有易于实现、可扩展性、跨平台性和效率高等特点。     

Dissolution kinetics of ulexite in acetic acid solutions

Ulexite is an important boron mineral used for the production of boron compounds. The aims of this study are to examine the dissolution kinetics of ulexite in acetic acid solutions, and to present an alternative process to produce boric acid. In order to investigate the dissolution kinetics of ulexite in acetic acid solutions, the concentration of solution, reaction temperature, solid-to-liquid ratio, and particle size were selected as experimental parameters. It was determined that the dissolution rate of ulexite increased with increasing solution concentration and temperature and decreasing particle size and solid-to-liquid ratio. The activation energy of the process was found to be 55.8 kJ/mol.