Strain effects on an electrostrictive polymer composite for power harvesting: experiments and modeling

In the field of vibrational energy harvesting, the electromechanical conversion demonstrated the many advantages of using electrostrictive polymers. These materials present advantageous features such as high productivity and high flexibility. The aim of this work is to provide a solution for artificially increasing the current flowing through the sample when simultaneously driven by an electrical field and a mechanical excitation in order to determine the optimal range of deformation for a good efficiency of the electromechanical conversion. Thus, by using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis, our experimental results, shown clearly that under certain conditions of strain S (S?4 %), the efficiency of energy harvesting becomes significant, indicating that the mechanical parameter S was a crucial parameter for a better efficiency of electromechanical conversion. Furthermore, a good agreement between theoretical and experimental results was found. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

面向能源领域的石墨烯研究

化石能源枯竭以及地球环境污染已经成为并且在未来相当长一段时期内都将是人类面临的最严峻的危机之一.因此,寻找清洁的替代能源形式、有效的能量存储方式以及高效的能源利用途径是目前科学研究的热点.自从其高质量样品被制备和研究以来,石墨烯一直吸引着全世界科研工作者的兴趣;它的一系列独特的物理化学性质,为其在能源领域的应用提供了无限前景.本文对石墨烯在能源领域的最新研究进展以及其工业化应用作了简要综述,具体内容包括石墨烯材料在以下领域的应用：能源储存器件类,如超级电容器和锂离子电池;能源转化装置类,如燃料电池和太阳能电池.     

The role of material behavior in the performances of electroactive polymer energy harvesters

Electroactive polymer energy harvesters are promising devices for the conversion of mechanical work to electrical energy. The performances of these devices are strongly dependent on the mechanical response of the polymeric material and on the type of electromechanical cycle, and these are limited by the occurrence of dielectric breakdown, compression induced wrinkling and electromechanical instability (pull‐in). To identify the optimal electromechanical cycle that complies with all of these limitations, we set‐up and solve a constraint optimization problem and we critically discuss the influence of material behavior of the polymer in the optimal performances of the energy harvesting device. Finally, we show that if the rate‐independent dissipative behavior of the polymer (Mullins effect) is neglected, the optimization procedure may lead to quite unsatisfactory predictions: by making reference to explicit experimental data from literature we show that an optimal harvesting cycle deduced by neglecting the Mullins effect is far from being optimal when this is taken in consideration. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 1303–1314     

Analysis of effect of electrolyte types on electrokinetic energy conversion in nanoscale capillaries

An analytical study on the effect of electrolyte types on the electrokinetic energy conversion is presented using nanoscale cylindrical capillary, which is either positively or negatively charged. The sign of surface charge determines the role and concentration magnitude of ions in the capillary and the energy conversion performance. Our study shows that the electrokinetic energy conversion performance (maximum efficiency, pressure rise and streaming potential) are approximately identical for 1:1 (KCl), 2:1 (CaCl₂) and 3:1 (LaCl₃) electrolytes when capillary is positively charged. For negatively charged capillary, energy conversion performance degrades significantly with the increase of counter‐ion valence. For both positively and negatively charged capillaries, higher maximum efficiency can be resulted in low bulk concentration and surface charge density regimes. However, high maximum pressure rise generation for the pumping is found in the low bulk concentration and high surface charge density regimes. For the electric power generation, higher maximum streaming potential is found when both bulk concentration and surface charge density are low.     

Self-amplifying sensory materials: energy migration in polymer semiconductors

Signal amplification for ultra-sensitive detection has been achieved by energy migration in conjugated semiconducting polymeric assemblies. Critical to optimizing this effect is the synthesis of non-aggregate polymers, the multidimensional directional transport of excited states (excitons), and extending the intrinsic excited state lifetime of conjugated polymers. We developed new water-soluble non-ionic conjugated polymers for use in biosensory applications, which can be used to provide highly sensitive/specific ultra-trace detection that is immune to specificity problems that plauge ionic conjugated polymers.     

Ab initio simulations of liquid electrolytes for energy conversion and storage

Understanding physicochemical properties of liquid electrolytes is essential for predicting and optimizing device performance for a wide variety of emerging energy technologies, including photoelectrochemical water splitting, supercapacitors, and batteries. In this work, we review recent progress and open challenges in predicting structural, dynamical, and electronic properties of the liquids using first-principles approaches. We briefly summarize the basic concepts of first-principles molecular dynamics (FPMD), and we discuss how FPMD methods have enriched our understanding of a number of liquids, including aqueous solutions, organic electrolytes and ionic liquids. We also discuss technical challenges in extending FPMD simulations to the study of liquid electrolytes in more complex environments, including the interface between electrolytes and electrodes, which is a key component in many energy storage and conversion systems.     

The fractal dimension as estimator of the fractional content of metal matrix composite materials

Electrochemical techniques are applied to estimate the fractal dimension value of electroactive surface structures. However, the fractal dimension value is an abstract concept, which sometimes is hard to understand. Herein, this abstract concept is used to calculate the fractional content of the nickel/graphite–polypropylene hybrid composite material, putting into practice this concept in the study of composite materials.     

Electrorheology and characterization of acrylic rubber and lead titanate composite materials

Oxide one‐pot synthesis was used to synthesize a polymer precursor to lead titanate, PbTiO₃. Perovskite lead titanate, PbTiO₃, was synthesized via the sol–gel process. The dielectric constant, electrical conductivity and loss tangent of our acrylic rubber (AR71)–lead titanate (PT) composite material (AR/PT_8) were 14.15, 2.62 × 10^?7/Ω m, and 0.093, respectively, measured at 27 °C and 1000 Hz. SEM micrographs of composites between the AR71 elastomer and PbTiO₃ showed that the particles were reinforced within the matrix. The electrorheological properties of the AR71/PT composites were investigated as functions of electric field strength from 0 to 2 kV/mm and PbTiO₃ particle volume fraction. The storage modulus increased linearly with particle volume fraction, with or without an electric field. Without an electric field, the particles merely acted as a filler to absorb or store additional stress. With the electric field on, particle‐induced dipole moments were generated, leading to interparticle interactions, and thus a substantial increase in storage modulus. With PbTiO₃ particle volume fractions as small as 10^?4 embedded in the elastomer matrix, the modulus increased by nearly a factor of 2 as the electric field strength varied from 0 to 2 kV/mm. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel molecularly hybridized polyethylene/silica composite materials: Polymerization of ethylene with supported titanocenes by mesoporous silicates

A novel molecularly hybridized polyethylene/silica composite thin film was obtained by the gas‐phase polymerization of ethylene with a titanocene‐mounted mesoporous silica layer on a mica plate with mesoscopic pores arranged on the film surface. However, the use of titanocene‐mounted hexagonal domains of mesoporous silica on a glass plate for the gas‐phase polymerization of ethylene resulted in the formation of an islanded polyethylene/silica hybridized material. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4821–4825, 2000     

邻氨基苯甲酸/SiO2复合材料制备及其光热特性

有机发光体以其较高的发光效率、快速响应能力和较宽的可调谐波长被广泛应用于光转换材料、非线性光学材料和激光材料[1-3]。但是有机物的光学性能不稳定和热稳定性较差,使其在许多方面的应用受到限制。为了提高其光学和热稳定性,常用的方法是将各种有机发光体掺杂在以正硅酸乙酯为原料制得的SiO2凝胶玻璃基质中[4-6]。SiO2凝胶通常采用溶胶 凝胶法通过水解缩合制备。制备时一般采用无机酸作催化剂在酸性条件下进行,对质子酸作用敏感的有机物在酸性条件下往往热稳定性、光学性能下降,甚至遭到破坏。本文以廉价水玻璃为原料,在潜伏酸的…     

Effects of fluid slippage on pressure-driven electrokinetic energy conversion in conical nanochannels

The effects of fluid slippage on the pressure-driven electrokinetic energy conversion in conical nanochannels are systematically investigated in this paper. We present a multiphysical model that couples the Planck–Nernst–Poisson equations and the Navier–Stokes equation with a Navier slip condition to fulfill this purpose. We systematically look into the variation of various performance indicators of electrokinetic energy conversion, for example, streaming current, streaming potential, generation power, energy conversion efficiency, regulation parameter, and enchantment ratio, with the conicity of nanochannels and the slip length for two pressure differences of the same magnitude but opposite directions. Particularly, enhancement ratios related to streaming current, streaming potential, generation power, and energy conversion efficiency are defined to comprehensively measure the enhancement of the performance of electrokinetic energy conversion due to the slip length. The results demonstrate that a combination of large slip length and small conicity enhances the electrokinetic energy conversion performance significantly. Furthermore, the fluid slippage-induced enhancement of the electrokinetic energy conversion in the backward pressure difference mode is stronger than that in the forward pressure difference mode. Our results provide design and operation guidelines for pressure-driven electrokinetic energy conversion devices.     

Preparation and performance of (Co,Mn)3O4 spinel coating on Crofer alloy by composite electrodeposition and step-heating thermal conversion

The preparation and performance improvement of the spinel coating on the surface of ferritic alloy is of wide interest for its application in the metallic interconnects of the solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The Co Mn₂O₃ composite coating is prepared on the surface of the Crofer alloy by the composite electrodeposition method. A step-heating thermal conversion process is subsequently used to convert the composite coating into a spinel coating, while a direct-heating process is implemented as the control experiment. Isothermal oxidation tests are then carried out for the prepared samples in order to present the high temperature performance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and area-specific resistance (ASR) are used to analyze the properties of the matrix and coatings. The experimental results reveal that the coatings by step-heating thermal conversion exhibit better performance of electrical conductivity and oxidation resistance than the coatings by direct-heating process. Furthermore, with the increase of oxidation time, the atomic proportion of Cr element diffusing to the surface of the matrix is maintained at about 3%–4% for the samples with spinel coatings by step heating, which effectively prevent the Cr volatilization in the matrix. The preparation of spinel coatings on the ferritic alloy by composite electrodeposition and step-heating thermal conversion is helpful to stimulate new ideas for the development of reliable and cost-effective metallic interconnect.     

Solar energy conversion from water photolysis by biological and chemical systems

The production of chemicals and fuels, or energy-rich compounds, from water by sunlight is described as a particularly attractive means for the conversion of solar energy to a valuable renewable resource. The redox properties of photoexcited molecules and the operating mechanism of light-driven systems are first considered. The mechanism of water oxidation carried out by higher plants and green algae-which is actually one of the most important biochemical reactions—as well as that of artificial photosystems, up-to-now designed trying to simulate the natural process with higher efficiency and simplicity, are likewise discussed. A number of biological and chemical light-driven systems are presented as practical ways to solar energy conversion.     

Improvement of the traceability of reference materials certified for purity: evaluation of a semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography approach

A semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography process was evaluated as a tool to quantitatively determine the purity or percentage mass fraction content (% m/m) of organic compounds. The method is simple and does not require the identification and subsequent quantitation of organic-related structure impurities. A protocol was developed and tested on four reference materials certified for purity from 95% m/m to 99.3% m/m. Comparing the purity results of each certified reference material using the new approach with their respective certified values showed no significant analytical bias. Semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography has proved the potential to be a primary method directly traceable to mass with an uncertainty statement written down also in terms of mass with expanding uncertainty ranging from 0.8% to 1.3% m/m compared to 0.3 to 2.0% m/m for the certified purity values at the 95% confidence interval.     

Studies of effect of heterocyclic dyes in photogalvanic cells for solar energy conversion and storage: NaLS-ascorbic acid system

The photogalvanic effect has been studied in three systems using photogalvanic cells and NaLS-ascorbic acid-azur A, NaLS-ascorbic acid-azur B, NaLS-ascorbic acid-azur C systems. The photopotential and photocurrent generated by these systems are 7700, 9710, 623·0 mV and 160·0, 185·0, 145·0 (μA respectively. The effects of different parameters on the electrical outputs of the cell have been observed and current-voltage characteristics of the cell studied, and a mechanism has been proposed for the generation of photocurrent in photogalvanic cells. The conversion efficiencies for azur A, azur B and azur C are 0·5461, 0·9646 and 0·4567% and storage capacity 110, 135 and 95 min respectively.     

Polymer Incompatibility Caused by Different Molecular Architectures: Modeling via Chain Connectivity and Conformational Relaxation

The calculation of phase diagrams for blends of linear and branched polymers made up of identical monomeric units is modeled using an approach that subdivides the mixing process into two steps: i) contact formation between the different components, keeping their chain conformations and the volume of the system constant; and, ii) relaxation of the macromolecules into their equilibrium state by molecular rearrangements. It is assumed that step (ii) causes shape‐induced polymer incompatibility and that the degree of branching can be quantified in terms of the volumes the isolated coils of the branched polymer occupy in relation to the volume the linear product with the same molecular weight occupies. Under these premises, it is possible to work out how the critical conditions depend on the molar masses of the components and on the degree of branching of the non‐linear polymer by means of only one system‐specific parameter, measuring the effects of conformational relaxation. Detailed phase diagrams show how the binodal and spinodal conditions reflect the conformational variability of the blend components.

     

Enhancing UV Photopolymerization by a Red-light Preirradiation: Kinetics and Modeling Strategies for Reduced Oxygen Inhibition

A novel strategy for red-light-controlled oxygen inhibition for improved UV-light-initiated monomer conversion is theoretically presented for the first time. The dual-wavelength kinetic equations are derived, numerically and analytically solved for the oxygen and photoinitiator concentration profiles. The UV-light-initiated Type I conversion efficacy is an increasing function of its concentration (C₂₀) and the light dose at transient state, but it is a decreasing function of the light intensity, scaled by [C₂₀/I₂₀]^0.5, at steady state. In contrast, the red-light-initiated Type II efficacy is mainly dose dependent. Longer red-light preirradiation time (T_P) leads to a shorter UV-light T_ID of UV-light conversion, which is strongly red-light dose dependent, rather than intensity dependent. The numerical new finding is also predicted by the analytic formulas showing that oxygen and monomer conversion are strongly red-light dose dependent in a Type II mechanism. Finally, strategies for controlled initiation–inhibition switch based on two mechanisms, (a) oxygen inhibition for improved conversion and (b) radical inhibition for spatial confirmation in 3D printing, are presented. To conclude, UV-light conversion could be improved by a red-light preirradiation and more importantly and could be customizely tailored by the controlled induction time. UV-light photopolymerization conversion could be improved by a red-light preirradiation and could be customizely tailored by the controlled induction time. The UV-light-initiated Type I conversion efficacy is an increasing function of its concentration and the light dose at transient state, but it is a decreasing function of the light intensity at steady state. In contrast, the red-light-initiated Type II efficacy is mainly dose dependent. Longer red-light preirradiation time leads to a shorter UV light. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 58, 683–691     

Potential energy surface and highly excited vibrational lines of NO2 via algebraic approach

The algebraic Hamiltonian of NO₂ is optimized using U(4) algebra via fitting to 102 observed vibrational lines. The RMS error of the fitting is 2.39 cm^?1. We calculated highly excited vibrational energy levels using this optimized Hamiltonian, and then obtained the potential energy surface for the electronic ground state by using the classical limit of the U(4) algebraic Hamiltonian. We also calculated the dissociation energies, the force constants etc. Our results are in good agreement with the other theoretical results. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008