Hierarchical nanostructured composite cathode with carbon nanotubes as conductive scaffold for lithium-sulfur batteries

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are excellent scaffolds for advanced electrode materials, resulting from their intrinsic sp2 carbon hybridization, interconnected electron pathway, large aspect ratio, hierarchical porous structures, and low cost at a large-scale production. How to make full utilization of the mass produced CNTs as building blocks for nanocomposite electrodes is not well understood yet. Herein, a composite cathode containing commercial agglomerated multi-walled CNTs and S for Li-S battery was fabricated by a facile melt-diffusion strategy. The hierarchical CNT@S coaxial nanocables exhibited a discharging capacity of 1020 and 740 mAh g-1 at 0.5 and 2.0 C, respectively. A rapid capacity decay of 0.7% per cycle at the initial 10 cycles and a slow decay rate of 0.14% per cycle for the later 140 cycles were detected. Such hierarchical agglomerated CNT@S cathodes show advantages in easy fabrication, environmentally benign, low cost, excellent scalability, and good Li ion storage performance, which are extraordinary composites for high performance Li-S battery.     

Annihilation of persistent slip bands and its effect on the fatigue life of copper single crystals

In single-slip-oriented copper single crystals, which were cyclically deformed under constant plastic shear strain amplitude control, a persistent slip band (PSB) was initiated on the persistent slip line (PSL) that first formed in the matrix vein dislocation structure. During intermediate temperature recovery (ITR) treatment in vacuum at 245 to 400°C, the variations in dislocation configurations and other defects of fatigued specimens were studied by using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) electron channelling contrast (ECC) and the positron annihilation life (PAL) techniques. The results show that the ladders in the PSBs became curved and broken, or escaped locally until the PSBs disappeared completely during ITR treatment. The annihilation of the PSBs and other dislocation structures in the fatigued specimens prolonged the fatigue life to a certain extent.     

Imide‐functionalized naphthodithiophene based donor‐acceptor conjugated polymers for solar cells

Donor‐acceptor conjugated polymers containing a new imide‐functionalized naphthodithiophene (INDT) as the acceptor unit and a 2,2'‐bithiophene with varied substituents as the donor unit have been synthesized. The bandgaps of these polymers depend strongly on the dihedral angle of the 2,2'‐bithiophene unit. The 3,3'‐dialkoxy substitution (polymers PDOR / PBOR ) leads to near planar bithiophene conformation due to the well‐known S–O short contact, while the 3,3'‐dialkyl substitution (polymer PDR ) results in significant twisting due to the steric effect. Consequently PDOR / PBOR shows the lowest bandgap of 1.82/1.85 eV while PDR has a bandgap of 2.38 eV. Bulk‐heterojunction solar cells of the polymer/fullerene blends have been fabricated. Preliminary results show that PBOR gives the best device performance with power conversion efficiencies as high as 2.45% in air without any thermal annealing treatment, indicating the promising potential of INDT‐containing conjugated polymers for efficient solar cells. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 3818–3828     

厄尔尼诺和南方涛动海气耦合模型中参数估计的变分方法

提出一种基于变分原理估计厄尔尼诺和南方涛动海气耦合模型中未知参数的方法. 首先将所研究的非线性海气耦合动力方程引入到目标泛函中; 接着利用变分方法导出伴随方程和待辨识参数泛函梯度的公式; 然后设计了估计未知参数的算法.数值试验结果表明变分方法是一 种能有效估计海气耦合非线性系统未知参数的方法.     

Substrate-controlled and highly stereoselective synthesis of 2-aminobut-2-ene-1, 4-diones

2-Methylthio-substituted 1,4-enediones, obtained from readily available aryl methyl ketones, were reacted with primary or secondary amines to afford the desired 1,4-diaryl-2-aminobut-2-ene-1,4-diones in excellent yields with high Z/E-stereoselectivity.     

A modular approach to the synthesis of 1,4,5-substituted-2-aminoimidazoles

Diversified 1,4,5-substituted-2-aminoimidazoles were rapidly assembled via sequential N–H insertion and Grignard addition to α-diazoesters. Lead compounds were identified as antibiotics against Gram-positive bacteria with an MIC value as low as 2 μg/mL.     

Transfer hydrogenation of imines with carboxyl-tailed benzothiazoline as readily removable hydrogen donor

A benzothiazoline bearing 4-carboxyphenyl group at 2-position was developed as an efficient hydrogen donor for the transfer hydrogenation reaction. Introduction of the carboxyl group significantly facilitated the removal of the residual benzothiazoline and benzothiazole by washing with aqueous basic solution. The present approach provides a convenient and straightforward access to various amines with broad substrate scope and in good yields.