Terahertz radiation from pentacene organic diode at room temperature

We investigate terahertz radiation(T-rays) from a pentacene organic diode at room temperature. The quantum chemistry calculation for frequency-related Huang–Rhys factor of pentacene is also carried out. The results demonstrate that the T-rays can come from a bending vibration of pentacene skeleton after the energy of pentacene exciton transferring to the vibrational excited state via electron–phonon coupling. Frequency and natural bond orbital analytics of pentacene and its derivatives are performed in order to explain the result and develop new materials to get higher emission. This work provides a new way to produce T-rays with a simple device at room temperature.     

Influence of external load on friction coefficient of Fe-polytetrafluoroethylene

A coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation model was developed in this study to investigate the friction process occurring between Fe and polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE).We investigated the effect of an external load on the friction coefficient of Fe–PTFE using the molecular dynamics simulations and experimental methods.The simulation results show that the friction coefficient decreases with the external load increasing,which is in a good agreement with the experimental results.The high external load could result in a larger contact area between the Fe and PTFE layers,severer springback as a consequence of the deformed PTFE molecules,and faster motion of the PTFE molecules,thereby affecting the friction force and normal force during friction and consequently varying the friction coefficient.     

The High Energy X-ray telescope (HE) onboard the Insight-HXMT astronomy satellite

The Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope(Insight-HXMT) is a broadband X-ray and γ-ray(1-3000 ke V) astronomy satellite. One of its three main telescopes is the High Energy X-ray telescope(HE). The main detector plane of HE comprises 18 Na I(Tl)/Cs I(Na) phoswich detectors, where Na I(Tl) is used as the primary detector to measure ~ 20-250 ke V photons incident from the field of view(FOV) defined by collimators, and Cs I(Na) is used as the active shielding detector to Na I(Tl) by pulse shape discrimination. Additionally, Cs I(Na) is used as an omnidirectional γ-ray monitor. The HE collimators have a diverse FOV,i.e. 1.1°×5.7°(15 units), 5.7°×5.7°(2 units), and blocked(1 unit). Therefore, the combined FOV of HE is approximately5.7°×5.7°. Each HE detector has a diameter of 190 mm resulting in a total geometrical area of approximately 5100 cm2, and the energy resolution is ~15% at 60 ke V. For each recorded X-ray event by HE, the timing accuracy is less than 10 μs and the deadtime is less than 10 μs. HE is used for observing spectra and temporal variability of X-ray sources in the 20-250 ke V band either by pointing observations for known sources or scanning observations to unveil new sources. Additionally, HE is used for monitoring the γ-ray burst in 0.2-3 Me V band. This paper not only presents the design and performance of HE instruments but also reports results of the on-ground calibration experiments.     

BiVO4/TiO2 heterojunction with rich oxygen vacancies for enhanced electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction

The large-scale production of ammonia mainly depends on the Haber–Bosch process, which will lead to the problems of high energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission. Electrochemical nitrogen fixation is considered to be an environmental friendly and sustainable process, but its efficiency largely depends on the activity and stability of the catalyst. Therefore, it is imperative to develop highefficient electrocatalysts in the field of nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). In this paper, we developed a BiVO₄/TiO₂ nanotube (BiVO₄/TNT) heterojunction composite with rich oxygen vacancies as an electrocatalytic NRR catalyst. The heterojunction interface and oxygen vacancy of BiVO₄/TNT can be the active site of N₂ dynamic activation and proton transition. The synergistic effect of TiO₂ and BiVO₄ shortens the proton transport path and reduces the over potential of chemical reaction. BiVO₄/TNT has high ammonia yield of 8.54 μg·h⁻¹·cm⁻² and high Faraday efficiency of 7.70% in −0.8 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M Na₂SO₄ solution.     

Strategies for Improving the Catalytic Performance of 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks for Hydrogen Evolution and Oxygen Evolution Reactions

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been deemed as clean and sustainable strategies to solve the energy crisis and environmental problems. Various catalysts have been developed to promote the process of HER and OER. Among them, two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) have received great attention due to their diverse and designable structure. In this minireview, we mainly summarize the diverse linkages of 2D COFs and strategies for enhancing the catalytic performance of 2D COFs for HER and OER, such as introducing active building blocks, metal ions and tailored linkages. Furthermore, a brief outlook for the development directions of COFs in the field of HER and OER is provided, expecting to stimulate new opportunities in future research.     

Controlled Synthesis of Ni-Doped MoS2 Hybrid Electrode for Synergistically Enhanced Water-Splitting Process

The development of high-efficiency, low-cost, and earth-abundant electrocatalysts for overall water splitting remains a challenge. In this work, Ni-modified MoS₂ hybrid catalysts are grown on carbon cloth (Ni-Mo-S@CC) through a one-step hydrothermal treatment. The optimized Ni-Mo-S@CC catalyst shows excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity with a low overpotential of 168 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² in 1.0 m KOH, which is lower than those of Ni-Mo-S@CC (1:1), Ni-Mo-S@CC (3:1), and pure MoS₂. Significantly, the Ni-Mo-S@CC hybrid catalyst also displays outstanding oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with a low overpotential of 320 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², and remarkable long-term stability for 30 h at a constant current density of 10 mA cm⁻². Experimental results and theoretical analysis based on density functional theory demonstrate that the excellent electrocatalytic performance can be attributed mainly to the remarkable conductivity, abundant active sites, and synergistic effect of the Ni-doped MoS₂. This work sheds light on a unique strategy for the design of high-performance and stable electrocatalysts for water-splitting electrolyzers.