Cable-like carbon nanotubes decorated metal-organic framework derived ultrathin CoSe2/CNTs nanosheets for electrocatalytic overall water splitting

The high cost and low reserves of noble metals greatly hinder their practical applications in new energy production and conversion. The exploration of cost-effective alternative electrocatalysts with the ability to drive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is extremely significant to promote overall water splitting. Herein, ultrathin CoSe₂/CNTs nanocomposites have been synthesized by a facile two-step method, where the ultrathin Co-MOF (metal organic-framework) decorated with cable-like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) (Co-MOF/CNTs) was initially fabricated, and followed a low-temperature selenization process. The ultrathin CoSe₂ nanosheets as well as the superior conductivity of CNTs synergistically resulted in abundant active sites and enhanced conductivity to boost the electrocatalytic activity. The as-prepared CoSe₂/CNTs electrocatalysts exhibited an overpotential of 190 mV and 300 mV vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) at a current density of 10 mA/cm² for the HER and OER in alkaline solution, respectively, and demonstrated superior durability. Furthermore, the as-prepared bifunctional CoSe₂/CNTs electrocatalysts can act as cathode and anode in an electrolyzer, showing a cell voltage of 1.75 V at 10 mA/cm² for overall water splitting.     

Directional transport and random motion of particles in ALF ultrasonic cavitation structure

The motion of particles of different properties and sizes in ALF ultrasonic cavitation structure is investigated experimentally with high-speed photography. Particles tend to transport along the bubble chain and move towards the focus repeatedly and predictably in ALF cavitation structures. Particles at the focus aggregate and separate alternately over time. The separation of particles mainly occurs in the expansion process of cavitation bubbles, while the movement and aggregation of particles mostly take place during the collapse stage. The directional transport of particles along the bubble chain of ALF cavitation cloud and the random aggregation and dispersion at the focus of ALF are all related to the cavitation bubbles attached to the particles. The directional transportation (predictable, repeatable and pipeline-free) and aggregation of particles in ALF cavitation clouds may be used in special occasions, for example, drug delivery and targeted therapy.     

Wake modes of rotationally oscillating cylinders at Re=150

The wake structure of a circular cylinder undergoing forced rotary oscillations is studied at Re=150. Cylinder forcing conditions range between 0.17≤θ_PP≤5.58, where θ_PP is the peak-to-peak oscillation amplitude in radians and 0.67≤F_R≤3.5, where F_R is the ratio of forcing frequency to natural shedding frequency. DPIV and spectral analysis are used to obtain quantitative data about the wake structure. Wake modes and their dependence on forcing conditions are identified. These include previously unknown wake modes present at higher frequencies. Wake mode boundaries are identified on the parameter space. These lead to a better understanding of wake formation at low Re.     

Lattice Boltzmann modeling of shallow water flows over discontinuous beds

Numerical modeling of shallow water flows over discontinuous beds is presented. The flows are described with the shallow water equations and the equations are solved using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) with single relaxation time (Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook‐LBM (BGK‐LBM)) and the multiple relaxation time (MRT‐LBM). The weighted centered scheme for force term together with the bed height for a bed slope is described to improve simulation of flows over discontinuous bed. Furthermore, the resistance stress is added to include the local head loss caused by flow over a step. Four test cases, one‐dimensional tidal over regular bed and steps, dam‐break flows, and two‐dimensional shallow water flow over a square block, are considered to verify the present method. Agreements between predictions and analytical solutions are satisfactory. Furthermore, the performance and CPU cost time of BGK‐LBM and MRT‐LBM are compared and studied. The results have shown that the lattice Boltzmann method is simple and accurate for simulating shallow water flows over discontinuous beds. This demonstrates the capability and applicability of the lattice Boltzmann method in modeling shallow water flows on bed topography with a discontinuity in practical hydraulic engineering. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The capacity and mechanisms of various oxidants on regulating the redox function of ZVI

It is well known that zero-valent iron(ZVI) could catalyze the oxidation of various oxidants to realize the rapid oxidation removal of pollutants. However, in this study, we found that the addition of different oxidants could regulate the redox function of ZVI system. In three different co-treatment systems, the effects of different oxidizers(peroxymonosulfate(PMS), persulfate(PDS), hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_2))dosages on the ratios of oxidative degradation rate and reductive degradation rate of p-nitrophenol(PNP)were studied. The effect of the H~+ released from oxidizers and the generated reactive oxygen species(ROS) in ZVI/PMS, ZVI/PDS, ZVI/H_2O_2 systems were detailed discussed. Especially, the contribution of generated ROS for reductive degradation of PNP was quantified in the ZVI/H_2O_2 system. Based on the results of TOC removal, UV–vis absorption spectra, and intermediates concentration curves, it was found that the degradation of PNP changed from reduction to oxidation with the increase of oxidant proportion.When the molar ratio of ZVI to oxidizer equal to 100, PNP was mainly degraded by reduction accompanied by slight oxidation. Combined with the results of SEM-EDS and XPS, it was confirmed that the enhanced degradation of PNP under the addition of oxidant was mainly related to the generated ROS,the additional H~+, and the corrosion products of ZVI.     

P-type Polymers in Semitransparent Organic Photovoltaics

P-type polymers are polymeric semiconducting materials that conduct holes and have extensive applications in optoelectronics such as organic photovoltaics. Taking the advantage of intrinsic discontinuous light absorption of organic semiconductors, semitransparent organic photovoltaics (STOPVs) present compelling opportunities in various potential applications such as building-integrated photovoltaics, agrivoltaics, automobiles, and wearable electronics. The characteristics of p-type polymers, including optical, electronic, and morphological properties, determine the performance of STOPVs, and the requirements for p-type polymers differ between opaque organic photovoltaics and STOPVs. Hence, in this Minireview, recent advances of p-type polymers used in STOPVs are systematically summarized, with emphasis on the effects of chemical structures, conformation structures, and aggregation structures of p-type polymers on the performance of STOPVs. Furthermore, new design concepts and guidelines are also proposed for p-type polymers to facilitate the future development of high-performance STOPVs.     

Background thermal noise correction methodology for average infrared radiation temperature of coal under uniaxial loading

This paper proposes a new background thermal noise correction (BTNC) Methodology for better utilization of average infrared radiation temperature (AIRT) as a precursor for rock fracturing and failure under uniaxial loading. The key innovative concept in the proposed Methodology is the introduction of control samples in the thermal infrared experimental setup. A strong linear correlation was observed between the background thermal noise (BTN) of the test samples and that of control samples, which was used to develop the AIRT-BTNC model. By utilizing the AIRT-BTNC model, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of AIRT can be improved by two orders of magnitude from a mean value of 0.40–70.69. The variation in the AIRT after BTNC on the surface of the uniaxial loading coal samples can be categorized into two types instead of the three reported by previous researchers. The above achievements will be useful in monitoring and forecasting the natural and engineering hazards related to rock/coal structural failures during mining activities.     

Effective E. coli inactivation of core-shell ZnO@ZIF-8 photocatalysis under visible light synergize with peroxymonosulfate: Efficiency and mechanism

How to utilize inexhaustible solar light as a means of disinfection technology for its cheap and green remains a challenge. In this work, core-shell ZnO@ZIF-8 was synthesized and used for bacterial inactivation synergizing with peroxymonosulfate（PMS） under visible light irradiation. It took 50 min to achieve thorough sterilization for 7.5-log Escherichia coli（E. coli） cells in vis/PMS/ZnO@ZIF-8 system, compared with that 4.5-log reduction completed in vis/PMS/Zn O system under the same condition...     

On the minimization of absolute distance in kernel density estimation

We given an algorithm for determining the window-size which minimizes mean absolute distance in kernel density estimation and discuss the practical implications of our results.