Highly Converged Valence Bands and Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity for High-Performance SnTe Thermoelectrics

A two-step optimization strategy is used to improve the thermoelectric performance of SnTe via modulating the electronic structure and phonon transport. The electrical transport of self-compensated SnTe (that is, Sn_1.03Te) was first optimized by Ag doping, which resulted in an optimized carrier concentration. Subsequently, Mn doping in Sn_1.03−xAg_xTe resulted in highly converged valence bands, which improved the Seebeck coefficient. The energy gap between the light and heavy hole bands, i.e. ΔE_v decreases to 0.10 eV in Sn_0.83Ag_0.03Mn_0.17Te compared to the value of 0.35 eV in pristine SnTe. As a result, a high power factor of ca. 24.8 μW cm⁻¹ K⁻² at 816 K in Sn_0.83Ag_0.03Mn_0.17Te was attained. The lattice thermal conductivity of Sn_0.83Ag_0.03Mn_0.17Te reached to an ultralow value (ca. 0.3 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹) at 865 K, owing to the formation of Ag₇Te₄ nanoprecipitates in SnTe matrix. A high thermoelectric figure of merit (z T≈1.45 at 865 K) was obtained in Sn_0.83Ag_0.03Mn_0.17Te.     

Highly Converged Valence Bands and Ultralow Lattice Thermal Conductivity for High‐Performance SnTe Thermoelectrics

A two‐step optimization strategy is used to improve the thermoelectric performance of SnTe via modulating the electronic structure and phonon transport. The electrical transport of self‐compensated SnTe (that is, Sn_1.03Te) was first optimized by Ag doping, which resulted in an optimized carrier concentration. Subsequently, Mn doping in Sn_1.03?xAg_xTe resulted in highly converged valence bands, which improved the Seebeck coefficient. The energy gap between the light and heavy hole bands, i.e. ΔE_v decreases to 0.10 eV in Sn_0.83Ag_0.03Mn_0.17Te compared to the value of 0.35 eV in pristine SnTe. As a result, a high power factor of ca. 24.8 μW cm^?1 K^?2 at 816 K in Sn_0.83Ag_0.03Mn_0.17Te was attained. The lattice thermal conductivity of Sn_0.83Ag_0.03Mn_0.17Te reached to an ultralow value (ca. 0.3 W m^?1 K^?1) at 865 K, owing to the formation of Ag₇Te₄ nanoprecipitates in SnTe matrix. A high thermoelectric figure of merit (z T≈1.45 at 865 K) was obtained in Sn_0.83Ag_0.03Mn_0.17Te.     

Concerted Rattling in CsAg5Te3 Leading to Ultralow Thermal Conductivity and High Thermoelectric Performance

Thermoelectric (TE) materials convert heat energy directly into electricity, and introducing new materials with high conversion efficiency is a great challenge because of the rare combination of interdependent electrical and thermal transport properties required to be present in a single material. The TE efficiency is defined by the figure of merit ZT=(S²σ) T/κ, where S is the Seebeck coefficient, σ is the electrical conductivity, κ is the total thermal conductivity, and T is the absolute temperature. A new p‐type thermoelectric material, CsAg₅Te₃, is presented that exhibits ultralow lattice thermal conductivity (ca. 0.18 Wm^?1 K^?1) and a high figure of merit of about 1.5 at 727 K. The lattice thermal conductivity is the lowest among state‐of‐the‐art thermoelectrics; it is attributed to a previously unrecognized phonon scattering mechanism that involves the concerted rattling of a group of Ag ions that strongly raises the Grüneisen parameters of the material.     

Embedding Group VIII Elements into a 2D Rigid pc-C3N2 Monolayer to Achieve Single-Atom Catalysts with Excellent OER Activity: A DFT Theoretical Study

Under DFT calculations, a systematic investigation is carried out to explore the structures and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalytic activities of a series of 2D single-atom catalyst (SAC) systems, which are constructed by doping the transition metal (TM) atoms in group VIII into the cavities of rigid phthalocyanine carbide (pc-C₃N₂). We can find that when Co, Rh, Ir and Ru atoms are doped in the small or large cavities of a pc-C₃N₂ monolayer, they can be used as high-activity centers of OER. All these four new TM@C₃N₂ nanostructures can exhibit very low overpotential values in the range of 0.33~0.48 V, even smaller than the state-of-the-art IrO₂ (0.56 V), which indicates considerably high OER catalytic activity. In particular, the Rh@C₃N₂ system can show the best OER performance, given that doped Rh atoms can uniformly serve as high-OER-active centers, regardless of the size of cavity. In addition, a detailed mechanism analysis was carried out. It is found that in these doped pc-C₃N₂ systems, the number of outer electrons, the periodic number of doped TM atoms and the size of the embedded cavity can be considered the key factors affecting the OER catalytic activity, and excellent OER catalytic performance can be achieved through their effective cooperation. These fascinating findings can be advantageous for realizing low-cost and high-performance SAC catalysts for OER in the near future.     

Thermal Properties of Polycrystalline ZnIn2Se4

A pulse method was used to measure the thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity C _p and thermal diffusivityξ of polycrystalline ZnIn₂Se₄ in the temperature range 300–600 K. The temperature dependence of λ, C _p and ξ demonstrated a light decrease for this material in the temperature range 300–600 K, indicating that there is not a significant change in the structure in this temperature range; this was confirmed by DTA measurements. The results showed that the mechanism of heat transfer is due mainly to phonons; the contributions of electrons and dipoles are very small. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hole-phonon Scattering and Thermal Conductivity of p-type InSb from 2 to 100 K

The hole-phonon interaction contributing to the thermal conductivity of three p-type samples of InSb is analyzed between temperatures of 2 and 100 K. In addition to the phonon scattering by bound and free holes, other phonon scattering such as boundary, point defect and phonons are considered. Both relaxation rates for q≤2k _F and for q>2k _F are used for free hole-phonon scattering. The role of screening due to plasma on hole-phonon scattering is also included. The Callaway model for thermal conductivity is utilized from which an excellent fit to the experimental data is obtained over the whole temperature range. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synthesis of γ-Fe2O3 by Thermal Decomposition of Ferrous Gluconate Dihydrate

Ferrous gluconate dihydrate (FeC₁₂H₂₂O₁₄⋅2H₂O), was prepared and its thermal decomposition was studied by means of simultaneous thermal analysis, supplemented with a two probe d.c. electrical conductivity measurements under the atmospheres of static air, dynamic air and dynamic nitrogen. Under all the atmospheres final product was found to be α-Fe₂O₃ with FeO, γ-Fe₂O₃, Fe₃O₄ etc. as probable intermediates. γ-Fe₂O₃ was formed under the atmosphere of dynamic air containing water vapour. γ-Fe₂O₃ thus synthesised was characterised for its structure, morphology, thermal and magnetic behaviour. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Al2O3/PDMS复合材料热传导的分子动力学模拟

采用分子动力学模拟方法研究了Al2O3/聚甲基二硅氧烷(PDMS)复合材料在300 K时的传热行为,通过分析热传导、温度梯度以及导热增强等理论数据,讨论了不同半径以及不同浓度的Al2O3填料粒子对PDMS传热的影响.结果 表明随着体积分数的增大,Al2O3/PDMS复合材料的热传导先减小后增加.并且当Al2O3填充粒子...     

Thermal decomposition of Me3SnO2PCl2, Me2Sn(O2PCl2)2 and Ph3SnO2PCl2

TG and DTA studies on Me₃SnO₂PCl₂, Me₂Sn(O₂PCl₂)₂ and Ph₃SnO₂PCl₂ were carried out under dynamic argon atmosphere. The results show that the decomposition proceeds in different stages leading to the formation of Sn₃(PO₄)₂ as a stable product. This compound was characterized by IR spectroscopy. Decomposition schemes involving reductive elimination reactions were proposed.     

Mg-Al-CO3与Zn-Al-CO3水滑石热稳定性差异的研究

层状双金属氢氧化物（Ｌayered double hydroxides,简称ＬＤＨs）是一种类近年来发展迅速的阴离了型粘土,又称水滑石,其组成通式为[M（II）1－xM(III)x(OH)2]x(OH)2]^x＋Ax/n^n-mH2O,其中M（II）是二介金属离子,M（III）是三价金属离子,A^n-是阴离子,这种材料是由相互平行的层板组成,层板带有永在电荷,层间具有可交换的阴离子以维持电荷平衡,通过离子交换可在层间嵌入不同的基团,制备许多功能材料,被广泛作催化剂、吸附剂及油田化学品等,已引起人们的关注^[1-4]。有关Mg-Al-CO3与Zn-Al-CO3水滑石的合成及性能研究国内外已有大量报道^[1,2],本文对两者热稳定性存在的差异进行了研究,这对深化此类材料的认识具有参考作用。     

Thermal behaviour of CO2 laser-irradiated CeO2 doped with Yb2O3

Results concerning the thermal behaviour of Yb₂O₃-doped CeO₂ samples irradiated with CO₂ laser beams in continuous wave are presented.

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Zusammenfassung Es werden Ergebnisse einer Untersuchung des thermischen Verhaltens von CeO₂-Proben dargelegt, die mit CO₂-Laser bestraht wurden.

     

Efficient Room-Temperature Synthesis and Antimicrobial Study of Novel 2-Aroylbenzofuran-3-ols from Substituted Methyl Salicylates and Phenacyl Bromides

The article describes a convenient and efficient synthetic route for the construction of 2-aroylbenzofuran-3-ols from readily available diverse methyl salicylates and phenacyl bromides using K₂CO₃ as catalyst in dimethylformamide as solvent at room temperature. The reaction involves two steps, which occur in quick succession within 1 h to deliver the product with reasonably high yields. All the synthesized 2-aroylbenzofuran-3-ols (4a–u) were subjected for their antimicrobial studies, and some of these have shown prominent activity.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® for the following free supplemental resource(s): Full experimental and spectral details.]     

The Thermal Properties and Firing Characteristics of Zr/KClO4 Priming Compositions Containing Graphite,Fe2O3 and Al2O3 additives

Thermal decomposition of Zr/KClO₄ priming compositions containing different concentration of additives, such as graphite, Fe₂O₃ and Al₂O₃ have been studied by DSC/TG techniques. The firing characteristics of these primer mixtures have also been examined by Bruceton test and by adiabatic calorimeter. The results of these experiments suggest that strong interaction has been occurred between KClO₄ and Fe₂O₃ in the solid state. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Simultaneous Observation of Hyperfine Multistage Transitions of BaTiO3 with Thermal Analysis and Thermal Expansion

A new method to measure heat flux and thermal expansion simultaneously with a temperature resolution of milli-Kelvin is presented to observe the multistage transitions. At least six thermal anomalies are observed between 402 and 403 K in BaTiO₃ simultaneously in heat flux and thermal expansion in the cooling process. The correspondence of the anomalies observed in the two physical properties is excellent. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Determination of Equilibrium Dispersion of Pt on Al2O3 Support in Sintering Process

The variation of dispersion of Pt on Al₂O₃ support with sintering time is measured and the value of equilibrium dispersion of Pt is obtained directly. It is found that a General Power Law Expression can fit the experimental data well.     

Cr2(WO4)3和Cr2(MoO4)3的负热膨胀特性研究

用液相反应-前驱物烧结法制备了Cr₂(WO₄)₃和Cr₂(MoO₄)₃粉体。298～1 073 K的原位粉末X射线衍射数据表明Cr₂(WO₄)₃和Cr₂(MoO₄)₃的晶胞体积随温度的升高而增大, 本征线热膨胀系数分别为(1.274±0.003)×10^-6 K^-1和(1.612±0.003)×10^-6 K^-1。用热膨胀仪研究了Cr₂(WO₄)₃和Cr₂(MoO₄)₃在静态空气中298～1 073 K范围内热膨胀行为，即开始表现为正热膨胀，随后在相转变点达到最大值，最后表现为负热膨胀，其负热膨胀系数分别为(-7.033±0.014)×10^-6 K^-1和(-9.282±0.019)×10^-6 K^-1。     

零维/二维MXene复合膜的制备及其超级电容器性能

采用水热法制备了0D/2D复合Ti₃C₂T_x MXene,利用X射线衍射、动态光散射和荧光光谱表征了其结构与形貌,结果表明形成了量子点吸附于纳米片的Ti₃C₂T_x复合结构（QDT）。相比未引入量子点的Ti₃C₂T_x,由QDT组装得到的自支撑膜电极的电化学性能有了显著提高：在三电极体系中,扫速为5 mV·s^-1时,比电容为338 F·g^-1,当扫速达到2 000 mV·s^-1,电容保持率达到46%;在两电极体系中,0.5 A·g^-1时的比电容达到216 F·g^-1,10 000次循环后电容保持率为87%。以上性能可归结于：量子点提供了更多的离子吸附位点,且纳米片尺寸减小,缩短了离子传输路径。     

The Ternary System Li2O-Al2O3-B2O3: Compounds and Phase Relations

The ternary system Li₂O-Al₂O₃-B₂O₃ is reinvestigated with solid-state reaction and X-ray powder diffraction technique to clarify some long-standing uncertainties. The phase relations are constructed based on the phase identifications of 51 ternary samples. Six ternary compounds, Li₂AlB₅O₁₀, LiAlB₂O₅, Li₃AlB₂O₆, Li₂AlBO₄, LiAl₇B₄O₁₇ and a compound with a composition close to 0.66Li₂O·0.06Al₂O₃·0.28B₂O₃, are observed or confirmed in this system, and the thermal stability of these ternary compounds is also discussed on the basis of DTA experimental results.     

Investigation on The Thermal Properties of Fe2O(SO4)2. Part II

Fe₂O(SO₄)₂ is a secondary product of the decomposition of FeSO₄⋅H₂O. Part I of this study presents results on the synthesis of Fe₂O(SO₄)₂ in gaseous environment containing either low or high concentration of oxygen. In this paper the existence of differences between the structures of Fe₂O(SO₄)₂ and Fe₂(SO₄)₃ is proved on the basis of a detailed thermal study of Fe₂O(SO₄)₂ upon dynamic heating (differential thermal analysis) and upon isothermal heating (thermal-analytic balance) in various gaseous environments as well as by presenting kinetic data on the processes of decomposition of both compounds. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

单晶菱形CeOHCO3片状物的制备及其向CeO2的热转换

以硝酸铈铵和尿素为反应物,γ-氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷(KH550)为助剂,通过沉淀反应制得了单晶菱形CeOHCO3片状物。然后将CeOHCO3在600℃空气气氛中灼烧获得了菱形CeO2。通过XRD和SEM对反应物中是否含有KH550助剂所得的产物进行了分析,结果发现只有含有KH550才能获得菱形CeOHCO3片状物,并且在灼烧过程中产物的形貌仍保持菱形。然后采用TEM对菱形CeOHCO3和CeO2进行了表征,结果发现CeOHCO3为单晶产物而灼烧后所得的CeO2为多晶产物。