High pressure synthesis and thermoelectric performances of Cu2Se compounds

The Cu₂Se samples were synthesized by high pressure directly at room temperature in several minutes. The composition evolution under high pressure demonstrates that the critical conditions to synthesize Cu₂Se are the pressure of 1 GPa and the reaction time of 5 min. The synthetic pressure can effectively tune the morphology, carrier concentration and the electrical transport properties. The low lattice thermal conductivity less than 0.5 Wm^?1 K^?1 is obtained because of the intrinsic superionic character and the microstructures by high pressure including abundant micropores and lattice defects. A maximum zT of 0.92 at 783 K is achieved for Cu₂Se synthesized at 1 GPa. This work indicates the potentiality of high pressure technique to further enhance the thermoelectric properties of Cu₂Se materials.     

Adsorption of nicotine and tar from the mainstream smoke of cigarettes by oxidized carbon nanotubes

The adsorption of nicotine and tar from the mainstream smoke (MS) by the filter tips filled respectively with oxidized carbon nanotubes (O-CNTs), activated carbon and zeolite (NaY) has been investigated. O-CNTs show exceptional removal efficiency and their adsorption mechanism is investigated. Capillary condensation of some ingredients from MS in the inner hole of O-CNTs is observed and may be the primary reason for their superior removal efficiency. The effect of O-CNTs mass on the removal efficiencies is also studied and the results show that about 20-30 mg O-CNTs per cigarette can effectively remove most of nicotine and tar.     

Complementary Standoff Chemical Imaging to Map and Identify Artist Materials in an Early Italian Renaissance Panel Painting

Two imaging modalities based on molecular and elemental spectroscopy were used to characterize a painting by Cosimo Tura. Visible‐to‐near‐infrared (400–1680 nm) reflectance imaging spectroscopy (RIS) and X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging spectroscopy were employed to identify pigments and determine their spatial distribution with higher confidence than from either technique alone. For example, Mary’s red robe was modeled through the distribution of an insect‐derived red lake (RIS map) and lead white (XRF lead map), rather than a layer of red lake on vermilion. The RIS image cube was also used to isolate the preparatory design by mapping the reflectance spectra associated with it. In conjunction with results from an earlier RIS study (1650–2500 nm) to map and identify the binding media, a more thorough understanding was gained of the materials and techniques used in the painting.     

Trace of the interesting "V"-shaped dynamic mechanism of interactions between water and ionic liquids

The mixture of ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, bmimBF4) and water (2.5%, molar fraction) under isothermal conditions at 80 degrees C was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy (2D-IR) methods. Three regions were focused: the OH stretching band of water (3755-3300 cm (-1)), the stretching band of CH on the imidazole ring (3300-3020 cm (-1)), and the BF stretching band of anions (1310-1260 cm (-1)). During this process, water was gradually evaporated as time passed, which produced influences on the interactions among cations, anions, and water molecules. In the FTIR analysis, we found an interesting "V"-shaped changing trend in peak areas of the C-H on the imidazole ring and the B-F stretching band; the inflection of the system was 913 s, gained through the "moving window" method. A two-step variation was accordingly found during this process. Hydrogen bonds formed by water molecules with cations or water molecules with anions were destroyed by the reduction of water, making a fall in the former period of "V" process, while electrostatic interactions newly formed between anions and cations leading to a rise during the latter period of this course. In this paper, various conformations formed among cations, anions, and water molecules were clearly assigned, and we managed to trace the whole dynamic mechanism of this isothermal process by 2D-IR techniques.     

Electric-field-induced fabrication of covalently linked second-order nonlinear optical multilayer films on nonconductive substrates

A highly stable second-order nonlinear optical multilayer film was constructed on insulating substrates using the electric-field-induced layer-by-layer assembly technique. The substrates used in this method could be arbitrary. In another, the substrates could be modified with polyanion solution by spin coating as cladding layer. Then, the nonlinear optical multilayer films were assembled on the cladding layer directly by the electric-field-induced layer-by-layer assembly technique. The resulting cross-linked multilayer films fabricated by this method displayed high optical transparency, good thermal stability, and excellent nonlinear optical properties which can be made into waveguide devices directly.     

Facile construction of the stable layer on the surface of Si/C electrode assisted by SWCNT coating

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Silicon as one of the most promising anode materials suffers from its low electronic conductivity and large volume changes during the...