Soft‐Chemical Exfoliation Route to Layered Cobalt Oxide Monolayers and Its Application for Film Deposition and Nanoparticle Synthesis

A colloidal suspension of exfoliated, layered cobalt oxide nanosheets has been synthesized through the intercalation of quaternary tetramethylammonium ions into protonated lithium cobalt oxide. According to atomic force microscopy, exfoliated nanosheets of layered cobalt oxide show a plateau‐like height profile with nanometer‐level height, underscoring the formation of unilamellar 2D nanosheets. The exfoliation of layered cobalt oxide was cross‐confirmed by X‐ray diffraction, UV/Vis spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The maintenance of the hexagonal in‐plane structure of the cobalt oxide lattice after the exfoliation process was evidenced by selected‐area electron diffraction and Co K‐edge X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure analysis. The zeta‐potential measurements clearly demonstrated the negative surface charge of cobalt oxide nanosheets. Adopting the nanosheets of layered cobalt oxide as a precursor, we were able to prepare the monodisperse CoO nanocrystals with a particle size of ≈10 nm as well as the heterolayered film composed of cobalt oxide monolayer and polycation.     

Enhanced self-diffusion on Cu(111) by trace amounts of s: chemical-reaction-limited kinetics

We find that less than 0.01 monolayer of S can enhance surface self-diffusion on Cu(111) by several orders of magnitude. The measured dependence of two-dimensional island decay rates on S coverage (theta(S)) is consistent with the proposal that Cu3S3 clusters are responsible for the enhancement. Unexpectedly, the decay and ripening are diffusion limited with very low and very high theta(S) but not for intermediate theta(S). To explain this result we propose that surface mass transport in the intermediate region is limited by the rate of reaction to form Cu3S3 clusters on the terraces.     

Synchronizing weighted complex networks

Real networks often consist of local units, which interact with each other via asymmetric and heterogeneous connections. In this work, we explore the constructive role played by such a directed and weighted wiring for the synchronization of networks of coupled dynamical systems. The stability condition for the synchronous state is obtained from the spectrum of the respective coupling matrices. In particular, we consider a coupling scheme in which the relative importance of a link depends on the number of shortest paths through it. We illustrate our findings for networks with different topologies: scale free, small world, and random wirings.     

A novel three-dimensional digital watermarking scheme basing on integral imaging

A novel integral imaging-based three-dimensional (3D) digital watermarking scheme is presented. In the proposed method, an elemental image array (EIA) obtained by recording the rays coming from a 3D object through a pinhole array in the integral imaging system is employed as a new 3D watermark. The EIA is composed of a number of small elemental images having their own perspectives of a 3D object, and from this recorded EIA various depth-dependent 3D object images can be reconstructed by using the computational integral imaging reconstruction (CIIR) technique. This 3D property of the EIA watermark can make a robust reconstruction of the watermark image available even though there are some data losses in the embedded watermark by attacks. To show the robustness of the proposed scheme against attacks, some experiments are carried out and the results are discussed.     

Theoretical study on structure of boron nitride fullerenes

We propose the parameters of the Stillinger-Weber potential for hexagonal boron nitride (BN) structures. For the reliability of these parameters, the structural property of BN fullerenes is investigated. The stability of BN fullerenes increases with increasing the number of atoms, due to the reduction of the curvature effect of BN fullerenes. The structures of the relative stable fullerenes are B₁₆N₁₆, B₁₈N₁₈, B₂₂N₂₂, B₂₅N₂₅, and B₂₈N₂₈.     

Shifted identical bands: A new phenomenon

The levels in ¹⁶²Gd were identified in spontaneous fission studies. Its transition energies are remarkably similar to those in ¹⁶⁰Gd. From that work, an analysis of yrast bands in even-even proton to neutron-rich Ba to Pb nuclei led to the discovery of a new phenomenon, shifted identical bands (SIB). SIBs are yrast bands in neighboring nuclei (a, b) with moments of inertia which are identical when shifted by a constant amount κ, so J _1a (1+κ)=J _1b , from 2⁺ to 8⁺ and higher to 16⁺. Out of over 700 comparisons, 55 SIBs were found from stable to the most neutron-rich Ce-W nuclei with $\left| {\bar k} \right|$ between 1.5% and 13%, where the spread in κ is less than ±1%, and only four identical bands ( $\bar k \cong 0$ ). As examples, we found for ¹⁵⁸Sm-¹⁶⁰Gd, $\bar k = \left( { - 3.2_{ - 0.2}^{ + 0.1} } \right)\%$ (where the ± is the total spread in κ from ?3.1 to ?3.4); ¹⁵⁶Nd-¹⁶⁰Gd, (?10.6 _?0.2 ^+0.4 )%; ¹⁵⁸Sm-¹⁶⁰Sm, (3.4 _?0.3 ^+0.5 )%. The J ₁ values were fitted to a variable moment of inertia model with parameters J ₀ and C whose values correlate with the SIB J ₁ values. The SIBs are not correlated either with deformation or with the N _p N _n product of the IBA model.     

A recurrence relation for the square root

The behavior of the sequence x_{n + 1} = x_n(3N − x_n²)/2N is studied for N > 0 and varying real x₀. When 0 < x₀ < (3N)^1/2 the sequence converges quadratically to N^1/2. When x₀ > (5N)^1/2 the sequence oscillates infinitely. There is an increasing sequence β_r, with β₋₁ = (3N)^1/2 which converges to (5N)^1/2 and is such that when β_r < x₀ < β_{r + 1} the sequence {x_n} converges to (−1)^rN^1/2. For x₀ = 0, β₋₁, β₀,… the sequence converges to 0. For x₀ = (5N)^1/2 the sequence oscillates: x_n = (−1)ⁿ(5N)^1/2. The behavior for negative x₀ is obtained by symmetry.     

Heat transfer to magnetohydrodynamic flow in a flat duct

Zusammenfassung Die Untersuchung befasst sich mit der Wärmeübertragung von den Wänden eines flachwandigen Kanals auf eine elektrisch leitende Flüssigkeit bei erzwungener Laminarströmung und in Gegenwart eines quergerichteten Magnetfeldes. Betrachtet wird der Fall konstanter Wandtemperatur mit variierender innerer Wärmeentwicklung durch viskose und elektrische Energiedissipation. Die massgebende Differentialgleichung wird durch eine Differenzengleichung ersetzt und mit der elektronischen Rechenmaschine gelöst. Als Resultat wird die Nusseltzahl angegeben, für die Prandtlzahl 1, die Hartmannzahlen 0, 4, 10 und die Graetzzahlen von 10 bis 10 000, wobei die Kennzahlen für Zähigkeit und elektrische Feldstärke als Parameter auftreten.     

关于容许全脐超曲面正交族的Einstein流形

The aim of the present paper is to study globally the Riemannian manifold admitting two or more mutually orthogonal families of totally umbilical hypersurfaccs of which each is Einsteinian. This paper consists of four parts: (i) to establish anew the canonical form of the metric of (M,g) admitting p (p≥2) families of mutually orthogonal totally umbilical hypcrsurf aces from the standpoint of global differential geometry; (ii) to prove in a n-dimensional (n>2) Einsteinian manifold E_n of nonvanishing scalar curvature there doesn't exist one family of compact totally geodesic Einsteinian hypersurfaces (Theorem 1);(iii) to prove in a n-dimensional (n≥5) Einsteinian manifold E_n of nonnegative scalar curvature R there don't exist two orthogonal families of totally umbilical but not geodesic complete Einsteinian hypersurfaces (Theorem Ⅱ);(iv) to show that a n-dimensional (n≥5) Riemannian manifold of negative constant scalar curvature R.     

First-principles computational approach for innovative design of highly functional electrocatalysts in fuel cells

Design of highly active and stable electrocatalyst is a major objective in a fuel cell. The special situation imposed to the electrocatalyst such as one of the most sluggish catalysis of oxygen reduction reaction, inherent structural instability of dispersed nanoparticle, harsh electrochemical conditions of electric potential and nonzero pH aqueous solution requires unique attention in the design. Considering that various attempts have been made for the purpose, high-speed but rigorous formalisms to evaluate the performance of candidates are crucial.This review article briefly introduces recently developed first-principles computational methodologies mainly applied to catalytic activity and electrochemical stability of electrocatalysts in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Innovative design principles deduced from the outcomes are clearly discussed.