A High-Efficiency Hematite Photoanode with Enhanced Bonding Energy Around Fe Atoms

Hematite nanoarrays are important photoanode materials. However, they suffer from serious problems of charge transfer and surface states; in particular, the surface states hinder the increase in photocurrent. A previous strategy to suppress the surface state is the deposition of an Fe-free metal oxide overlayer. Herein, from the viewpoint of atomic bonding energy, it is found that the strength of bonding around Fe atoms in the hematite is the key to suppressing the surface states. By treating the surface of hematite with Se and NaBH₄, the Fe₂O₃ transforms to a double-layer nanostructure. In the outer layer, the Fe−O bonding is reinforced and the Fe−Se bonding is even stronger. Therefore, the surface states are inhibited and the increase in the photocurrent density becomes much faster. Besides, the treatment constructs a nanoscale p–n junction to promote the charge transfer. Improvements are achieved in onset potential (0.25 V shift) and in photocurrent density (5.8 times). This work pinpoints the key to suppressing the surface states and preparing a high-efficiency hematite nanoarray, and deepens our understanding of hematite photoanodes.     

Cathodes for Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries: Materials,Mechanisms, and Kinetics

As concerns about the safety of lithium-ions batteries (LIBs) increases, aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) with a lower cost, higher safety, and higher co-efficiency have attracted more and more interest. However, finding suitable cathode materials is still an urgent problem in ZIBs. In recent years, a lot of significant works have been reported, including manganese-based cathodes, vanadium-based cathodes, Prussian blue analog-based materials, and sustainable quinone cathodes. In this review, some typical cathode materials are introduced. The detailed storage mechanisms and methods for improving the reaction kinetics of the zinc ions are summarized. Finally, the issues, challenges, and the research directions are provided.     

Research on the optical fiber gas flowmeters based on intermodal interference

In this work, a self-heating type optical fiber flowmeter with high sensitivity was proposed. The core-offset fiber structures were employed to couple a part of signal light into the fiber cladding layer, and the other part of light still propagated in the core layer. The intermodal interference between the two parts of light happened when the cladding modes were coupled back into core layer. Meanwhile, the high power laser was also introduced into fiber to heat the silver film coated on the surface of the cladding layer. When the cool gas flow passed, the temperature of the sensor probe decreased due to the heat transfer process. Because of the thermo-optic effect in the fiber, interference spectrum could be shifted when the temperature was changed. The experimental results showed the resolution of the proposed sensor was 2×10⁻² m/s in the region of 0–8 m/s. The highest sensitivity could achieve 1537 pm/(m/s).     

Nonlinear FCS-MPC strategy of NPC/H-5 L inverter based on satisfactory optimization algorithm

In the design of the cost function in the nonlinear finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) system, the traditional method based on weighting factors demonstrates some limitations, such as the weighting factors adjusting and heavy predictive calculation due to the increased number of voltage vectors applied in controlling multilevel converters. This paper proposes a simplified FCS-MPC method based on common mode voltage satisfactory optimization, which could considerably reduce the predictive calculation by the optimized switch combination and simplify the cost function design. Moreover, satisfactory optimization is adopted to achieve the accuracy control of common-mode voltage amplitude without adjusting process of weighting factors. The simulation and experimental results verify the feasibility of this control strategy.     

Enhancement of thermal stability and photoluminescent performance of blue light emitting material by incorporating adamantane moieties into carbazole system

A facile route to improve photoluminescent performance and service lifetime of a promising blue light emitting material is reported and demonstrated here using a copolymer system of N-(2-ethylhexyl)-2,7-carbazole (Cz) and 1,3,5,7-tetrakis- (4-bromophenyl) adamantane (TBA). The copolymers were successfully synthesized by palladium-catalyzed Suzuki coupling reactions. Structure and molecular weight of the materials were characterized by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopies, elemental analysis and gel permeation chromatography. The influence of adamantane content on the thermal stability and photoluminescent performance of the synthesized copolymers was investigated in detail. DSC results showed that glass transition temperature increased dramatically, from 68°C for neat carbazole, to 88°C, 120°C and 152°C, after the addition of 10%, 20%, and 30% TBA, respectively. The same trend was found when thermal decomposition temperature at 5% weight loss was evaluated from TGA data. Importantly, this increased stability can be extended to thermo-optical performance, with the Cz-TBA system showing higher color purity and stronger emission intensity within blue light wavelength than carbazole alone. Nevertheless, measurements of emitting spectral stability at a broader temperature range (100–200°C) and photoluminescence quantum yield suggested that there is a delicate trade-off between the performance and adamantane content.     

Real-time extended-field-of-view ultrasound based on a standard PC

Extended field-of-view (EFOV) can acquire a full field of vision, which can help doctors to make more objective and accurate diagnosis. Current EFOV techniques suffer from the low computation speed due to the large amount of ultrasound data to be processed. This paper describes an efficient technique to register 2D multiframe ultrasound images and produce EFOV images with significantly reduced computation time based on a standard PC. For registration of any two adjacent images, we propose to select less image blocks which are regarded as the most valid blocks based on the importance of image content. In registration of a sequence of images, with an assumption that the moving direction and speed of the probe are nearly identical during the data collection, we estimate the moving speed of the probe at the beginning of data collection and ignore redundant image data by processing a smaller number of frames according to a frame interval. The experimental results show that the computation speed of our method is increased by 7–80 times in comparison with two traditional methods, and can accurately produce EFOV images in real-time.     

Quantum Pfaffians and hyper-Pfaffians

The concept of the quantum Pfaffian is rigorously examined and refurbished using the new method of quantum exterior algebras. We derive a complete family of Plücker relations for the quantum linear transformations, and then use them to give an optimal set of relations required for the quantum Pfaffian. We then give the formula between the quantum determinant and the quantum Pfaffian and prove that any quantum determinant can be expressed as a quantum Pfaffian. Finally the quantum hyper-Pfaffian is introduced, and we prove a similar result of expressing quantum determinants in terms of quantum hyper-Pfaffians at modular cases.     

Camptothecin@HMSNs/thermosensitive hydrogel composite for applications in preventing local breast cancer recurrence

The CPT was loaded into the HMSNs with the high loading capacity. Then the CPT@HMSNs were loaded into the PLEL thermosensitive hydrogels for local therapy to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer after the tumor was resected.     

Activity Essential Residue Analysis of Taxoid 10β-O-Acetyl Transferase for Enzymatic Synthesis of Baccatin

Taxoid 10β-O-acetyl transferase (DBAT) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the famous anticancer drug paclitaxel, which catalyses the formation of baccatin III from 10-deacetylbaccatin III (10-DAB). However, the activity essential residues of the enzyme are still unknown, and the acylation mechanism from its natural substrate 10-deacetylbaccatin III and acetyl CoA to baccatin III remains unclear. In this study, the homology modelling, molecular docking, site-directed mutagenesis, and kinetic parameter determination of the enzyme were carried out. The results showed that the enzyme mutant DBAT^H162A resulted in complete loss of enzymatic activity, suggesting that the residue histidine at 162 was essential to DBAT activity. Residues D166 and R363 which were located in the pocket of the enzyme by homology modelling and molecular docking were also important for DBAT activity through the site-directed mutations. Furthermore, four amino acid residues including S31 and D34 from motif SXXD, D372 and G376 from motif DFGWG also played important roles on acylation. This was the first report of the elucidation of the activity essential residues of DBAT, making it possible for the further structural-based re-design of the enzyme for efficient biotransformation of baccatin III and paclitaxel.