An Advanced Design Concept of Mansion-like Freestanding Silicon Anodes with Improved Lithium Storage Performances

To conquer inherently low conductivity,volume swelling,and labile solid electrolyte interphase （SEI） films of Si anode in lithium ion battery （LIBs）,it is widely accepted that appropriate structure design of Si-C hybrids performs effectively,especially for nanosize Si particles.Herein,inspired by the sturdy construction of high-rise buildings,a mansion-like 3D structured Si@SiO₂/PBC/RGO （SSPBG） with separated rooms is developed based on 0D core-shell Si@SiO₂,1D pyrolytic ba...     

Numerical study of dynamic zigzag patterns in migrating epithelial tissue

Collective cell migration plays a crucial role in embryonic development, metastasis, and wound healing. Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, how the coordination between the cell motility and deformations affects the collective motion of epithelial cells is not fully understood. In this work, we propose a modified self-propelled Voronoi model for epithelial cell migration incorporating the coupling between the self-propulsion of cells and the polarization of the cell elongation. At a high coupling strength,we observe the emergence of backward traveling band structures formed by highly aligned cells, which can be regulated by cell elongations or shape anisotropy. Increasing the cell shape anisotropy, we find that large bands split into multiple small microbands. The latter essentially forms a dynamic zigzag pattern, in which the angle between the polarization direction of the bands and the migration direction switches alternatively between π/4 and-π/4 because the cells are forced to move preferentially in the anterior direction. We also analyzed the disclinations in the cell monolayer, force distribution near the domain boundaries and the shape alignment of the epithelial monolayer during the formation of this dynamic pattern. The present findings may further our understanding of stripe pattern formations in living systems and inspire potential designs for cell sorting.     

Copper-catalyzed diversified annulations between α-diketones and alkynyl α-diketones

Copper-catalyzed divergent annulations between α-diketones and alkynyl α-diketones have been achieved, delivering a series of highly functionalized and biologically important cis-hexahydro-2Hcyclopenta[b]furan(HCPF) and 2-hydroxydihydrofuran-3(2H)-one(HDFO) products with high levels of stereoselectivity under identical conditions. The protocol features the use of earth-abundant copper catalyst, mild conditions, shortening synthetic routes in constructing different molecular frameworks, and reduc...     

Effects of structure and electronic properties of D-π-A organic dyes on photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

Herein,we examine the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells containing five D-π-A organic dyes designed by systematic modification of π-bridge size and geometric structure.Each dye has a simple push-pull structure with a triarylamino group as an electron donor,bithiophene-4,4-dimethyl-4 H-cyclopenta 1,2-b:5,4-b’]dithiophene(M11),4,4-dimethyl-4 H-cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b’]dithiophenethiophene(M12),thiophene-4,4-dimethyl-4 H-cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b’]dithiophene(M13),4,4-dimethyl-4 H-cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b’]dithiophene-benzene(M14),and 4,4-dimethyl-4 H-cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b’]dithiophene(M15)units asπ-bridges,and cyanoacrylic acid as an electron acceptor/anchor.The extension of theπ-bridge linkage favors wide-range absorption but,because of the concomitant molecular volume increase,hinders the efficient adsorption of dyes on the TiO₂ film surface.Hence,higher loadings are achieved for smaller dye molecules,resulting in(i)a shift of the TiO₂ conduction band edge to more negative values,(ii)a greater photocurrent,and(iii)suppressed charge recombination between the photoanode and the redox couple in the electrolyte.Consequently,under one-sun equivalent illumination(AM 1.5 G,100 mW/cm²),the highest photovoltage,photocurrent,and conversion efficiency(η=7.19%)are observed for M15,which has the smallest molecular volume among M series dyes.     

Highly transparent ceramics for the spectral range from 1.0 to 60.0μm based on solid solutions of the system AgBr-AgI-TlI-TlBr

The article is devoted to the technology for obtaining optical ceramics of Ag Br-Tl I and Ag Br-Tl Br_0.46I_0.54 systems and manufacturing samples with different compositions.The new heterophase crystal ceramics are transparent without absorption windows in the spectral range from 1.0 to 60.0μm.In the ceramics’transparency spectra based on the Ag Br-Tl I and Ag Br-Tl Br_0.46I_0.54 systems fusibility diagrams,with an increase in the thallium halides mass fraction,as well as the replacement of the bromine ion with iodine,the maximum transparency shifts to a long infrared region.     

Design of broadband achromatic metasurface device based on phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5

Based on the phase-change material Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST), achromatic metasurface optical device in the longer-infrared wavelength is designed. With the combination of the linear phase gradient GST nanopillar and the adjustment of the crystalline fraction m value of GST, the polarization insensitive achromic metalenses and beam deflector metasurface within the longer-infrared wavelength 9.5 μm to 13 μm are realized. The design results show that the achromatic metalenses can be focused on the same focal plane within the working waveband. The simulation calculation results show that the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the focusing spot reaches the diffraction limit at each wavelength. In addition, the same method is also used to design a broadband achromatic beam deflector metasurface with the same deflection angle of 19°. The method proposed in this article not only provides new ideas for the design of achromatic metasurfaces, but also provides new possibilities for the integration of optical imaging, optical coding and other related optical systems.     

The spin-isospin decomposition of the nuclear symmetry energy from low to high density

The energy per particle BA in nuclear matter is calculated up to high baryon density in the whole isospin asymmetry range from symmetric matter to pure neutron matter.The results,obtained in the framework of the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approximation with two-and three-body forces,confirm the well-known parabolic dependence on the asymmetry parameterβ=(N?Z)/A(β^2 law)that is valid in a wide density range.To investigate the extent to which this behavior can be traced back to the properties of the underlying interaction,aside from the mean field approximation,the spin-isospin decomposition of BA is performed.Theoretical indications suggest that theβ^2 law could be violated at higher densities as a consequence of the three-body forces.This raises the problem that the symmetry energy,calculated according to theβ^2 law as a difference between BA in pure neutron matter and symmetric nuclear matter,cannot be applied to neutron stars.One should return to the proper definition of the nuclear symmetry energy as a response of the nuclear system to small isospin imbalance from the Z=N nuclei and pure neutron matter.     

A modern approach to the solution and analysis of the Simha-Somcynsky model for the description of pressure-volume-temperature properties of polymer fluids

We revisit the Simha-Somcynsky model of polymer fluids with the purpose of developing novel theoretical and computational approaches to simplify and speed up its solution as well as the fitting of experimental data, and decrease its level of mathematical complexity. We report a novel method that allows us to solve one of the two equations of the model exactly, thus putting the level of mathematical difficulty on a par with the one of other models for polymer fluids. Moreover, we describe a computational algorithm capable of fitting all five parameters of the model in an unbiased way. The results obtained reproduce literature results and fit experimental pressure-volume-temperature and solubility parameter data for three polymers very accurately. Moreover, the new techniques allow for the investigation of the model at very low temperatures. Unexpectedly, the model predicts behaviors that could be interpreted as a glass transition, as routinely observed in dilatometry and differential scanning calorimetry, and a glass phase. We compared the predicted and experimental T g’s for cis poly(1,4-butadiene) and found an excellent quantitative agreement.     

ON A PAIR OF NON-ISOMETRIC ISOSPECTRAL DOMAINS WITH FRACTAL BOUNDARIES AND THE WEYL-BERRY CONJECTURE

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