3D-structured carbon-coated MnO/graphene nanocomposites with exceptional electrochemical performance for Li-ion battery anodes

MnO has a high theoretical capacity, moderate discharge plateau, and low polarization when it is used as the anode material in lithium battery. However, the issues that limit its application are its poor conductivity and large volume changes, which can easily result in the collapse of electrode structure during long-term cycling. In the present work, a carbon-coated MnO/graphene 3D-network anode material is synthesized by an electrostatic adsorption of dispersed precipitates precipitation method. The MnO nanoparticles coated by carbon are uniformly distributed on the surface of graphene nanosheets and form a 3D sandwich-like nanostructure. A carbon layer is coated on the surface of MnO nanoparticles, which slows down the volume expansion in the process of lithium intercalation. The graphene nanosheets are cross-linked through carbons in this 3D nanostructure, which provides mechanical support and effective electron conduction pathways during the charge-discharge. The electrochemical tests indicate that the prepared 3D carbon-coated MnO/graphene electrode exhibits an excellent rate capacity of 1247.3 and 713.2 mAh g^?1 at 100 and 1000 mA g^?1, respectively. The capacity is 792.2 mAh g^?1 after long cycle at a current density of 1000 mA g^?1. The specific capacity is higher than that of MnO-based composite lithium anode materials currently reported. The superior rate and cycling performances are attributed to the unique 3D-network structure, which provides an effectively conductive network, buffers volume expansion, and prevents falling and aggregation of MnO in the charge and discharge process of the electrode materials. The 3D-structured carbon-coated MnO/graphene anode material will have an excellent application prospect.

Open image in new window

Graphical abstract Cyclic performance at 1 A g^?1 and SEM images (inset) of the 3D-structured carbon-coated MnO/graphene nanocomposite.

     

热图法测量激光强度时空分布的重构理论研究

为了把量热法应用于远场激光强度时空分布测量,研究了基于热像仪靶面温度测量反演入射激光强度时空分布的重构理论。针对背光面两种不同边界条件(对流-辐射热流边界和恒定温度边界)推导出了由靶面温度分布反演激光束时空分布的重构表达式。获得的分析表达式对广泛的材料具有适用性。通过引入广义参量F0=α/L2,分别就F0》1和F0《1情况给出了重构近似表达式,并对满足F0》1条件的回推算法进行了数值模拟验证。数值结果表明,两种背光面边界条件下回推得到的激光束时空分布与原始激光束达到了很好的一致,但存在一与靶材傅里叶数相关的最小起始回推时间τ0。成果可用于强激光远场参量测量设备的研制。     

Identification of Biomarker Volatile Organic Compounds Released by Three Stored-Grain Insect Pests in Wheat

Monitoring and early detection of stored-grain insect infestation is essential to implement timely and effective pest management decisions to protect stored grains. We report a reliable analytical procedure based on headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) to assess stored-grain infestation through the detection of volatile compounds emitted by insects. Four different fibre coatings were assessed; 85 µm CAR/PDMS had optimal efficiency in the extraction of analytes from wheat. The headspace profiles of volatile compounds produced by Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius), and Sitophilus granarius (Linnaeus), either alone or with wheat, were compared with those of non-infested wheat grains. Qualitative analysis of chromatograms showed the presence of different volatile compound profiles in wheat with pest infestation compared with the wheat controls. Wheat-specific and insect-specific volatile compounds were identified, including the aggregation pheromones, dominicalure-1 and dominicalure-2, from R. dominica, and benzoquinones homologs from T. castaneum. For the first time, the presence of 3-hydroxy-2-butanone was reported from S. granarius, which might function as an alarm pheromone. These identified candidate biomarker compounds can be utilized in insect surveillance and monitoring in stored grain to safeguard our grain products in future.     

用于单载波频域均衡水声通信的可分近似稀疏信道估计

针对单载波频域均衡水声通信中信道估计易受噪声干扰的问题,提出了一种低复杂度的信道估计方法。考虑水声信道的时域稀疏特性,导出频域输入、输出信号与信道冲激响应的关系式,并引入稀疏正则项,构造稀疏信道估计的目标函数。然后利用可分近似对目标函数进行迭代优化,再经过稀疏化与去偏处理,得到信道传递函数的最终估计。最后,利用数值仿真和海试数据对所提出方法的性能和运算效率进行评估。较之传统信道估计方法,所提出的方法在估计精度和计算复杂度方面具有一定的优势。     

重离子冷却储存环CSRm双电子复合实验研究类锂36,40Ar15+离子同位素移动

配备电子冷却装置的重离子储存环为开展高电荷态离子的双电子复合（dielectronic recombination,DR）精密谱学研究提供了绝佳的实验平台。本工作在兰州重离子加速器冷却储存环主环（HIRFL-CSRm）上开展了类锂36,40Ar15+离子的双电子复合实验,实验观测了电子-离子质心系能量范围为0~35 eV的双电子复合速率系数谱。通过外推法获得了36,40Ar15+离子2s_1/2→2p_1/2和2s_1/2→2p_3/2的跃迁能量。同时利用GRASP2K程序理论计算了36,40Ar15+离子2s_1/2→2p_1/2和2s_1/2→2p_3/2跃迁的质量移动因子和场移动因子,进而得到双电子复合谱的同位素移动值。36,40Ar15+离子2s_1/2→2p_1/2和2s_1/2→2p_3/2同位素移动分别为0.861 meV和0.868 meV。它们均小于目前CSRm上双电子复合实验的实验分辨为~10 meV,进而解释了实验测量的DR谱上未能观察到同位素移动的原因。然而,高电荷态离子的同位素移动场效应与原子序数Z5成正比,因此,在重离子加速器冷却储存环实验环（HIRFL-CSRe）以及未来大型加速器--强流重离子加速器装置（HIAF）上有望通过DR精密谱学方法研究高电荷态重离子甚至放射性离子的同位素移动,进而获得相关原子核的核电荷半径等信息。The cooler storage ring is equipped with an electron-cooler. It is an excellent experimental platform for dielectronic recombination (DR) experiment of highly-charged ions. In this paper, the dielectronic recombination experiments of lithium-like Ar15+ ions with mass number 36 and 40 are conducted at the HIRFL-CSRm(main ring of the Cooling Storage Ring of Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou). The experimental electron-ion collision energy scale is from 0 eV to 35 eV. Extrapolation method is exploited to obtain the excitation energies of transitions 2s_1/2→2p_1/2 and 2s_1/2→2p_3/2 of the 36,40Ar15+ ions from experimental data. Meanwhile, GRASP2K program is utilized to calculate the mass shift factors and field shift factors of 36,40Ar15+ ions for 2s_1/2→2p_1/2 and 2s_1/2→2p_3/2 transitions to obtain isotope shifts in DR spectra. In theoretical calculation, isotope shifts of 36,40Ar15+ ions corresponding to 2s_1/2→2p_1/2 and 2s_1/2→2p_3/2 are 0.861 meV and 0.868 meV, respectively. They are both less than the experimental precision (~10 meV) of these dielectronic recombination experiments at the CSRm, which explains that isotope shifts cannot be distinguished from the experimental dielectronic recombination spectra. However, the field shift of highly-charged ions is proportional to Z5. In the future, the dielectronic recombination experiments of highly-charged heavy ions even radioactive ions will be conducted at the HIRFL-CSRe (experimental ring of the Cooling Storage Ring of Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou) and the future large accelerator facility--HIAF(High intensity Heavy-ion Accelerator Facility) to measure isotope shifts to obtain the nuclear charge radius information.     

Arrays of Ru nanoclusters with narrow size distribution templated by monolayer graphene on Ru

Ru nanoclusters self-assemble over macroscopic sample areas during vapor deposition of Ru on monolayer graphene (MLG) on Ru(0001). The Ru nanoclusters form arrays with a mean lateral cluster diameter of ~ 20 Å, cluster heights of 1 or 2 ML, and a size distribution that remains nearly constant with increasing coverage. Combined scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory (DFT) show that the clusters are templated by the MLG/Ru(0001) moiré unit cell and identify the preferred binding site of the clusters as the low fcc region of the moiré. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM contrast simulations experimentally demonstrate that the interaction of the Ru clusters with the underlying MLG/Ru(0001) leads to a local lifting of the graphene layer of the template. DFT calculations confirm this mechanism of interaction of the Ru clusters with the strongly coupled MLG/Ru(0001). Weakening of the graphene-support coupling via oxygen intercalation is shown to have a major effect on the assembly of Ru nanocluster arrays. With a preferred binding site lacking on decoupled graphene, the Ru nanoclusters grow significantly larger, and clusters with 1 to 4 ML height can coexist.     

HIAF BRing及高能外靶实验终端的辐射屏蔽设计

强流重离子加速器（HIAF）是中国科学院近代物理研究所自主研制的一台高能强流重离子加速器,它可以实现p到U的全离子加速。为了保证HIAF运行时的辐射安全,针对该装置的增强器（BRing）及高能外靶实验终端,利用蒙特卡洛程序FLUKA及外推法计算得到了加速p,C及U三种离子时所需的辐射屏蔽。结果表明,加速质子时所需屏蔽厚度最大,并以此为依据给出了全地下结构的屏蔽设计。在此基础上,提出了一种估算高能质子/重离子加速器束流均匀损失时横向屏蔽厚度的方法。结果显示,估算结果与FLUKA计算结果符合较好,验证了该方法的有效性和准确性。High Intensity heavy-ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) is designed by the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, which can accelerate particles from proton up to uranium. To guarantee the radiation safety of HIAF during operation, the FLUKA code and extrapolation method were adopted to calculate the shielding thickness. The calculations were based on proton, carbon and uranium particles when losing on the Booster Ring (BRing) and the high-energy experimental terminal. The results indicate that the shielding thickness required for accelerating protons was the largest. Basing on the results, a method for estimating the lateral shielding of a high-energy proton/heavy-ion accelerator was proposed. A good agreement shows between the estimated results and the FLUKA calculated results, the validity and accuracy of the method were verified.     

One-step hydrothermal synthesis of feather duster-like NiS@MoS<Subscript>2</Subscript> with hierarchical array structure for the Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cell

Novel feather duster-like nickel sulfide (NiS) @ molybdenum sulfide (MoS₂) with hierarchical array structure is synthesized via a simple one-step hydrothermal method, in which a major structure of rod-like NiS in the center and a secondary structure of MoS₂ nanosheets with a thickness of about 15–55 nm on the surface. The feather duster-like NiS@MoS₂ is employed as the counter electrode (CE) material for the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), which exhibits superior electrocatalytic activity due to its feather duster-like hierarchical array structure can not only support the fast electron transfer and electrolyte diffusion channels, but also can provide high specific surface area (238.19 m² g^?1) with abundant active catalytic sites and large electron injection efficiency from CE to electrolyte. The DSSC based on the NiS@MoS₂ CE achieves a competitive photoelectric conversion efficiency of 8.58%, which is higher than that of the NiS (7.13%), MoS₂ (7.33%), and Pt (8.16%) CEs under the same conditions.

Open image in new window

Graphical abstract Novel feather duster-like NiS@MoS₂ hierarchical structure array with superior electrocatalytic activity was fabricated by a simple one-step hydrothermal method.

     

掺磷TiO_2优化TiO_2/MBA/Ag三明治结构的SERS性能

本文以磷酸为磷源,通过溶胶水热法制备磷掺杂TiO_2,利用Lee和Meisel的方法制备银溶胶,以4-巯基苯甲酸(MBA)为探针分子,通过构建TiO_2/MBA/Ag三明治结构,研究磷掺杂二氧化钛对该基底表面增强拉曼(SERS)性能的提升。通过TEM、XRD、XPS、DRS和拉曼光谱图表征二氧化钛的形貌结构、化学组成、光学和拉曼性能,结果表明,制备出的磷掺杂二氧化钛为锐钛矿型纳米颗粒,粒径范围6~12nm,XPS显示磷以P~(5+)替代了Ti~(4+),形成O-P-O键掺入TiO_2的晶格中,当磷的掺杂量在1.77%时,TiO_2/MBA/Ag三明治体系具有最佳的SERS信号,这是因为适量的磷掺杂降低了TiO_2的能带间隙,丰富TiO_2的表面态,这能促进TiO_2向MBA分子的电荷转移。