Developing Flexible Quinacridone-Derivatives-Based Photothermal Evaporaters for Solar Steam and Thermoelectric Power Generation

Solar-driven interfacial vaporization by localizing solar-thermal energy conversion to the air−water interface has attracted tremendous attention. In the process of converting solar energy into heat energy, photothermal materials play an essential role. Herein, a flexible solar-thermal material di-cyan substituted 5,12-dibutylquinacridone (DCN−4CQA)@Paper was developed by coating photothermal quinacridone derivatives on the cellulose paper. The DCN−4CQA@Paper combines desired chemical and physical properties, broadband light-absorbing, and shape-conforming abilities that render efficient photothermic vaporization. Notably, synergetic coupling of solar-steam and solar-electricity technologies by integrating DCN−4CQA@Paper and the thermoelectric devices is realized without trade-offs, highlighting the practical consideration toward more impactful solar heat exploitation. Such solar distillation and low-grade heat-to-electricity generation functions can provide potential opportunities for fresh water and electricity supply in off-grid or remote areas.     

Phosphoric-Acid Retention in High-Temperature Proton-Exchange Membranes

Great efforts have been conducted to develop high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) due to its features of enhanced electrocatalyst reactivity, simplified hydrothermal management system and high CO tolerance of catalysts, and remarkable progress has been achieved. However, the easy leaching of phosphoric acid (PA) from the membranes during operation limits its commercial scale-up in complicated environments. This concept here mainly focuses on the recent developments for mitigation of PA loss in PEMs. The probable mechanisms of PA loss are proposed. The approaches to improve PA retention for example via introduction of phosphonic acid by covalent bond, using ion-pairs interaction and siphoning effect, and blending with inorganic nanoparticles are described in detail. Among these strategies, the siphoning effect from the intrinsic microporous PEMs is the most efficient and enables the cell to operate flexibly within a broad temperature range. Therefore, this concept may provide new ideas for the scientists to retain PA, to improve the cell performance and expand the potential applications of PA doped PEMs at elevated humidity and wide temperature range.     

Carbon-Based Materials as Lithium Hosts for Lithium Batteries

Lithium (Li) metal has attracted significant attention in areas that range from basic research to various commercial applications due to its high theoretical specific capacity (3860 mA h g⁻¹) and low electrochemical potential (−3.04 vs. standard hydrogen electrode). However, dendrites often form on the surfaces of Li metal anodes during cycling and thus lead to battery failure and, in some cases, raise safety concerns. To overcome this problem, a variety of approaches that vary the electrolyte, membrane, and/or anode have been proposed. Among these efforts, the use of three-dimensional frameworks as Li hosts, which can homogenize and minimize the current density at the anode surface, is an effective approach to suppress the formation of Li dendrites. Herein, we describe the development of using carbon-based materials as Li hosts. While these materials can be fabricated into a variety of porous structures, they have a number of intrinsic advantages including low costs, high specific surface areas, high electrical conductivities, and wide electrochemical stabilities. After briefly summarizing the formation mechanisms of Li dendrites, various methods for controlling structural and surface chemistry will be described for different types of carbon-based materials from the viewpoint of improving their performance as Li hosts. Finally, we provide perspective on the future development of Li host materials needed to meet the requirements for their use in flexible and wearable devices and other contemporary energy storage techniques.     

EicC对撞光学设计

EicC是中国科学院近代物理研究所计划建造的中国电子-离子对撞机装置,该对撞机质心能位于20 GeV附近,是研究海夸克的最佳能量窗口,同时还可研究胶子和价夸克。EicC对撞粒子为高极化率质子和电子束团,质子环pRing采用八字环设计方案,可以更好地保持极化质子束团极化率,电子环eRing采用跑道形环设计方案,可以更好地利用隧道空间。该装置电子束流能量中心值为3.5 GeV,电子束RMS发射度为水平方向60 nm·rad,垂直方向60 nm·rad,对撞点b函数为水平方向0.4 m,垂直方向0.12 m;质子束流能量中心值20 GeV,质子束RMS发射度为水平方向300 nm·rad,垂直方向180 nm·rad,对撞点b函数为水平方向0.08 m,垂直方向0.04 m,设计亮度2×1033 cm–2s–1。EicC采用双对撞区非对称光学设计,通过对EicC不同色品补偿方案的研究,最终确定了弧区加短直线节共同补偿的色品补偿方案;通过研究对撞点处b函数以及对撞点间相移对动力学孔径的影响,最终得到pRing动力学孔径大于8 s(s为束团RMS尺寸)、eRing动力学孔径大于20 s,满足大于束团尺寸6 s的要求。     

基于PLC 的中央空调制冷系统变频控制研究

针对现有中央空调系统能源消耗严重的现状,基于可编程逻辑控制器(Programmable Logic Controller,PLC)对中央空调系统进行变流量节能改造。分析改造后中央空调系统的结构组成和变频运行原理,并提出适用于冷冻水泵和冷却水泵的分段速温差控制和PID温差控制设计方案。控制硬件选用三菱FX3U系列PLC和台达VFD-EL变频器,软件选用GX Work2编程软件及力控组态软件。将控制方案进行实验验证,实验结果表明,所设计的两种控制策略不仅跟随系统末端负荷变化快速达到稳定运行状态,提高运行能效比,而且节能效果显著,节能率分别为40.2%和48.7%。     

Computational Study on the Charge Transport and Optical Spectra of Anthracene Derivatives in Aggregates

A recent experiment [Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017 , 56, 722–727] found that a (1 : 9) blend film of two anthracene derivatives, 2-fluorenyl-2-anthracene ( FlAnt ) and 2-anthryl-2-anthracence ( 2 A ), exhibit both efficient white light emission and high hole mobility, thus promising for organic light-emitting transistors (OLETs). Employing quantum chemistry at the polarizable continuum model (PCM) and the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) levels, we investigated the excited-state structures, optical spectra, band structure and the carrier mobility for FlAnt and 2 A from solution to aggregate phases. We suggest using the ratio of intermolecular excitonic coupling J and intramolecular excited state relaxation energy E to judge the bathochromic shift in optical emission in aggregates. For FlAnt , ρ=J/E is calculated to be less than 0.17, a critical value we identified earlier, and the spectra in solution and aggregate phases present quite similar features (blue emission). However, ρ is ∼0.5 for 2 A systems, and the calculated emission in the aggregate phase exhibits a remarkable bathochromic shift. In addition, the 0–0 emission is strongly suppressed in the herringbone stacking. These observations justify the experimental findings that (i) 2 A is blue emissive in solution but yellow-green in the aggregate phase, whereas FlAnt is always blue, and (ii) the blend of them show white emission. By using the “quantum nuclear tunneling” model we proposed earlier, we found the hole mobility for FlAnt and 2 A are 0.5 and 4.2 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively, indicating both are good hole transport materials.     

Can (H2O) n (n = 1–2) as effective catalysts in the CH2OO + H2S reaction under tropospheric conditions?

The addition reaction of CH₂OO?+?H₂S → HSCH₂OOH without and with catalyst X (X?=?H₂O and (H₂O)₂) has been investigated by CCSD(T)-F12a/VTZ-F12//B3LYP/aug-cc-pVTZ method and canonical variational transition state theory with small curvature tunneling correction. When H₂O was introduced in the CH₂OO?+?H₂S reaction, it not only acts as a catalyst for producing HSCH₂OOH, but also plays as a reactant to forming HOCH₂OOH. The formation channel of HSCH₂OOH is more important than the formation channel of HOCH₂OOH with its calculated rate constant larger by 11.0–43.2 times within the temperature 280–320?K. Then, (H₂O)₂ catalysed CH₂OO?+?H₂S → HSCH₂OOH reaction has been taken into account with its rate lower 1.9–4.2 times than the reaction of CH₂OO?+?H₂S → HSCH₂OOH with water. Also, CH₂OO?+?H₂S with H₂O cannot compete with the CH₂OO?+?H₂S reaction without water. This is different from CH₂OO?+?(H₂O)₂ reaction, which is about 4 orders of magnitude larger than the rate constant for CH₂OO?+?H₂O reaction. Such discrepancy is possible because C(CH₂OO)···O(H₂O) interaction has been enhanced more obviously by H₂O as compared to that of C(CH₂OO)···O(H₂S) interaction.     

Anisotropic phononic crystal structure with low-frequency bandgap and heat flux manipulation

This study presents a two-dimensional phononic crystal with heat flux manipulation and wide bandgaps of out-of-plane modes within the low-frequency range. The anisotropic matrix made of spiral-multilayered materials with different thermal conductivities, and the coating layer inserted with metal are designed for heat flux manipulation. Rubber-coated metal cylinders are periodically embedded in the anisotropic matrix to obtain the low-frequency bandgaps of out-of-plane modes. Numerical simulation is carried out to validate the heat and elastic characteristics of the spiral-multilayered anisotropic structure and reveal the effects of the laying angle and temperature on the bandgaps. Subsequently, a spiral-multilayered plate with periodic structures is studied, which shows an obvious vibration attenuation in the frequency ranges of the bandgaps and a deflected heat flux from the initial propagation direction. In the experimental investigation, the multi-phase spiral-multilayered anisotropic plate is simplified to a single-phase anisotropic plate made of aluminum. The characteristics of this type of anisotropic phononic crystal structure may pave the way for the design of a new kind of thermo-acoustic metamaterial serving in combined thermal and acoustic environments.     

An improved evaluation of the neutron background in the PandaX-Ⅱ experiment

In dark matter direct detection experiments,neutron is a serious source of background,which can mimic the dark matter-nucleus scattering signals.In this paper,we present an improved evaluation of the neutron background in the PandaX-II dark matter experiment by a novel approach.Instead of fully relying on the Monte Carlo simulation,the overall neutron background is determined from the neutron-induced high energy signals in the data.In addition,the probability of producing a dark-matter-like background per neutron is evaluated with a complete Monte Carlo generator,where the correlated emission of neutron(s)andγ(s)in the(α,n)reactions and spontaneous fissions is taken into consideration.With this method,the neutron backgrounds in the Run 9(26-ton-day)and Run 10(28-ton-day)data sets of PandaX-II are estimated to be(0.66±0.24)and(0.47±0.25)events,respectively.     

A DFT study on mechanisms of CO2 coupling with propargylic alcohols using alkali carbonates

The mechanisms of CO₂ coupling with the propargylic alcohol using alkali carbonates M₂CO₃ (M = Li, Na, K, Cs) have been investigated by means of density functional theory calculations. The calculations reveal that the target product tetronic acid (TA) is yielded through two stages: (a) the formation of the α-alkylidene cyclic carbonate (αACC) intermediate via Cs₂CO₃-mediated carboxylative cyclization of the propargylic alcohol with CO₂, and (b) the conversion of the αACC intermediate with Cs₂CO₃ to produce the cesium salt of the TA. Since the overall kinetic barriers for the two stages are comparable and affordable, the excellent chemoselectivity to the TA should be primarily originated from the high thermodynamic stability of the cesium salt of the TA. Moreover, relative to the TA, the possibility to yield the by-product acyclic carbonate can be excluded due to the both kinetics and thermodynamic inferiority. This result is different from the organic base-mediated reaction. Alternatively, our calculations predict that CsHCO₃ together generated with the cesium salt of the TA might also be an available mediating reagent for the incorporation of CO₂ with the propargylic alcohol. Compared to other alkali carbonates M₂CO₃ (M = Li, Na, K), the stronger basicity of Cs₂CO₃ and the lower ionic potential of cesium ion can raise the effective concentration of the αACC intermediate, and thus the conversion of the αACC intermediate into the cesium salt of the TA can be achieved with high yield.