Alkaline oxygen evolution: exploring synergy between fcc and hcp cobalt nanoparticles entrapped in N-doped graphene

Herein, we report a Mott-Schottky catalyst by entrapping cobalt nanoparticles inside the N-doped graphene shell (Co@NC). The Co@NC delivered excellent oxygen evolution activity with an overpotential of merely 248 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^–2 with promising long-term stability. The importance of Co encapsulated in NC has further been demonstrated by synthesizing Co nanoparticles without NC shell. The synergy between the hexagonal close-packed (hcp) and face-centered cubic (fcc) Co plays a major role to improve the OER activity, whereas the NC shell optimizes the electronic structure, improves the electron conductivity, and offers a large number of active sites in Co@NC. The density functional theory calculations have revealed that the hcp Co has a dominant role in the surface reaction of electrocatalytic oxygen evolution, whereas the fcc phase induces the built-in electric field at the interfaces with N-doped graphene to accelerate the H⁺ ion transport.     

Dimensional variation in production of high-aspect-ratio micro-pillars array by micro powder injection molding

Micro powder injection molding (μPIM) is one of the potential processes for the mass production of metallic microstructures and micro components. Here, μPIM is the miniaturization of conventional PIM, which involves four processing steps: mixing, injection molding, debinding and sintering. This paper looks into the feasibility and effectiveness of μPIM as a key mass production process for the fabrication of metallic micro components. For it to be an effective re-production process, it is imperative to examine how well parts can be duplicated/fabricated from a master mold. In this work, the dimensional variation of high-aspect-ratio micro-pillars arrays, in particular the dimensional shrinkage, global warpage, and surface roughness at each stage of the μPIM process for a range of molding pressures, are quantified and compared in detail. The sensitivity of the dimensional variation of the microstructures to the packing pressure is reported. The mechanism behind the dimensional variation is analyzed. PACS 81.20.Ev; 81.20.Hy; 81.70.Fy; 07.60.Ly; 81.05.-t     

An efficient two-step synthesis of 3-allylindoles

A two-step synthetic sequence for an efficient synthesis of 3-allylindoles is described.     

An Efficient, One-Pot Synthesis of Carbamates from the Corresponding Alcohols Using Mitsunobu’s Reagent

A novel Mitsunobu-based protocol was developed for the synthesis of carbamates from the corresponding alcohols using carbon dioxide and amines in good to excellent yields. This protocol is mild, chemoselective, and efficient compared to other reported methods.     

Feedback stabilization of snap-through buckling in a preloaded two-bar linkage with hysteresis

We study a linearly damped preloaded two-bar linkage that exhibits hysteresis due to the presence of multiple attracting equilibria. The dynamics at the unstable equilibrium, through which a snap-through buckle occurs, are not linearizable due to a solution-dependent singularity. We stabilize the unstable equilibrium using two distinct non-linear controllers. The feedback-linearization controller requires knowledge of the linkage parameters, whereas the robust version of the intrinsic non-linear proportional-derivative controller requires only an upper bound on the stiffness.     

PIC simulation of effect of energy-dependent foil transparency in an axially-extracted vircator

We have performed two-dimensional, relativistic, electromagnetic, particle-in-cell simulations for an axially extracted vircator. With a copper foil anode, the output frequency of the vircator is found to be strongly dependent upon the variation of foil transparency with electron energy. Using an average transparency for all electron energies yields results that are markedly different from those obtained using the actual variation. However, the output power shows only mild sensitivity. Using the full energy-dependent form of the transparency, we get fairly good agreement with published experimental results. Increasing the energy resolution for the calculation of foil transparency increases the accuracy of calculation of the dominant frequency, although the frequency tends to saturate beyond a certain resolution. However, an increase in the resolution must necessarily be accompanied by an increase in the number of simulation particles, in order to limit statistical fluctuations to an acceptable level. A physical explanation has also been provided for these trends.     

On sequential procedures for the point estimation of the mean of a normal population

The sequential procedures developed by Starr (1966, Ann. Math. Statist., 37, 1173–1185) for estimating the mean of a normal population are further analyzed. Asymptotic properties of the regret and first two moments of the stopping rules are studied and second-order approximations are derived.     

pH-metric studies on some ternary complexes of lanthanones

Stepwise mixed ligand complex formation has been cited for the formation of 111,Ln(III)—NTA—catechol ternary complexes potentiometrically [whereLn(III)=La(III), Pr(III) or Nd(III)]. The results of titration curves indicate the formation of 11,Ln(III)—NTA complexes in beginning and the addition of catechol, takes place later on in the higher buffer region. The relative stability of these ternary complexes in terms of metal ion has been reported as La(III)< 相似文献   

Morphology of solution crystallized trans-1,4-polyisoprene

The film formation method has been successfully used to grow single crystals and other complex morphological features of low melting form (LMF) and high melting form (HMF) of trans-1,4-polyisoprene (TPIP). Below 40 °C dilute amyl acetate solution gave hexagonal shaped LMF crystals. Thick and elongated hexagonal shaped morphology was shown by HMF crystals at temperatures above 40 °C. Straight faces and sharp corners of the single crystals, and also of complex crystals, acquired round shapes when highly polydispersed TPIP was used for crystallization.