First principles calculations of oxygen reduction reaction at fuel cell cathodes

The efficiency of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) depends critically on materials, in particular for the cathode where the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) occurs. Typically, mixed conducting perovskite ABO₃-type materials are used for this purpose. The dominating surface terminations are (001) AO and BO₂, with the relative fractions depending on materials composition and ambient conditions.Here, results of recent large-scale first principles (ab initio) calculations for the two alternative polar (La,Sr)O and MnO₂ (001) terminations of (La,Sr)MnO₃ cathode materials are discussed. The surface oxygen vacancy concentration for the (La,Sr)O termination is more than 5 orders of magnitude smaller compared to MnO₂, which leads to drastically decreased estimated ORR rates. Thus, it is predicted for prototypical SOFC cathode materials that the BO₂ termination largely determines the ORR kinetics, although with Sr surface segregation (long-term degradation) its fraction of the total surface area decreases, which slows down cathode kinetics.     

La单掺4H-SiC电子结构和光学性质的第一性原理研究

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理计算方法,对未掺杂及La掺杂4H-SiC的电子结构和光学性质进行理论计算。计算结果表明,未掺杂4C-SiC其禁带宽度为2.257 eV。La掺杂后带隙宽度下降为1.1143eV,导带最低点为G点,价带最高点为F点,是P型间接半导体。掺杂La原子在价带的低能区间贡献比较大,而对价带的高能区和导带的贡献比较小。未掺杂4H-SiC在光子能量为6.25 eV时,出现一个介电峰,这是由于价带电子向导带电子跃迁产生。而La掺杂后,出现3个介电峰,分别对应的光子能量为0.47eV、2.67eV、6.21eV,前两个介电峰是由于价带电子向杂质能级跃迁产生,第三个介电峰是由于价带电子向导带电子跃迁产生。La掺杂后4H-SiC变成负介电半导体材料。未掺杂4h-SiC的静态介电常数为2.01,La掺杂的静态常数为12.01。     

Ce掺杂6H-SiC电子结构和光学性质的第一性原理研究

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理计算方法,对未掺杂及Ce掺杂6H-SiC的电子结构和光学性质进行理论计算.计算结果表明,未掺杂6H-SiC是间接带隙半导体,其禁带宽度为2.045 eV,掺杂Ce元素,带隙宽度下降为0.812 eV.未掺杂6H-SiC在价带的低能区,Si-3s、C-2s电子轨道对态密度的贡献较大,在价带的高能区,主要是由Si-3p、Si-3s、C-2p态组成.掺杂后Ce原子的4f轨道主要贡献在导带部分,掺杂后电导率提高.未掺杂时,只有一个介电峰,是价带电子跃迁到导带电子所致,掺杂后有两个介电峰,第一个介电峰是由于导带电子跃迁到Ce原子4f轨道上产生,第二个峰是价带电子向导带电子跃迁产生.未掺杂6H-SiC,在能量为10.31 eV处吸收系数达到最大值,掺杂后在能量为6.57 eV处,吸收系数达到最大值.     

Investigation,by single photon ionisation (SPI)–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS), of the effect of different cigarette-lighting devices on the chemical composition of the first cigarette puff

Soft single-photon ionisation (SPI)–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) has been used to investigate the effect of different cigarette-lighting devices on the chemical composition of the mainstream smoke from the first cigarette puff. Lighting devices examined were a Borgwaldt electric lighter, a propane/butane gas lighter, a match, a candle, and the burning zone of another cigarette. To eliminate the effects of the different masses of tobacco burnt by use of the different lighting methods a normalisation procedure was performed which enabled investigation of changes in the chemical patterns of the resulting smoke. When another cigarette was used as the lighting device, elevated levels of ammonia and other nitrogen-containing substances were observed. These are high in the sidestream smoke of the cigarette used for lighting and would be drawn into the mainstream smoke of the cigarette being lit. In contrast, smoke from the cigarette lit by the electric lighter contained slightly higher normalised amounts of isoprene. Lighting the cigarette by use of a candle resulted in larger amounts of substances, e.g. benzene, which most probably originated from thermal decomposition of wax. The composition of the first puff of smoke obtained by use of the three lighting methods with open flames (gas lighter, match, and candle) was usually similar whereas the composition of the smoke produced by use of the electric lighter and the cigarette as the lighter were more unique. The chemical patterns generated by the different lighting devices could, however, be separated by principal-component analyses. Two additional test series were also studied. In the first the cigarette was lit with an electric lighter, then extinguished, the ash was cut off, and the cigarette was re-lit. In the second the cigarette was heated in an oven to 80 °C for 5 min before being lit. These treatments did not result in changes in the chemical composition compared with cigarettes lit in the ordinary way. Figure Time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) has been used to investigate the effect of different cigarette-lighting devices on the chemical composition of the mainstream smoke from the first cigarette puff     

二维TiC层表面H2的化学吸附与物理吸附

第一性原理计算研究发现由于二维TiC单原子层具有高的比表面积与大量的暴露在表面的Ti原子,其是一种非常有潜力的储氢材料.计算结果显示H2可以在二维TiC单原子层表面进行物理吸附与化学吸附.其中化学吸附能为每个氢分子0.36 eV,物理吸附能是每个氢分子0.09 eV.覆盖度为1和1/4层(ML)时,H2分子在二维TiC单原子层表面的离解势垒分别为1.12和0.33 eV.因此,除了物理吸附与化学吸附,TiC表面还存在H单原子吸附.最大的H2储存率可以达到7.69％(质量分数).其中,离解的H原子、化学吸附的H2、物理吸附的H2的储存率分别为1.54％、3.07％、3.07％.符合Kubas吸附特征的储存率为3.07％.化学吸附能随覆盖度的变化非常小,这有利于H2分子的吸附与释放.     

Hydrodynamic diffusivity of spherical particles in polymer solution

In this research experiments were performed to examine the hydrodynamic diffusion of spherical particles in a highly filled suspension. The suspension consisted of nearly monodisperse polymethylmethacrylate spheres in a density matched polymer solution. The polymer solution was prepared by dissolving 0–700 ppm of polyacrylamide in a mixture of ethyleneglycol and glycerine. The polymer solution did not show appreciable shear thinning. The particle loading was varied from 30 to 55%. The hydrodynamic diffusivity was estimated by measuring the time-dependent viscosity when the suspension was subjected to a circular Couette flow with an air bubble trapped under the rotor of the Couette apparatus. The results show that the dimensionless diffusivity (D/γ˙a ²) of particles in polymer solution is not proportional to shear rate (γ˙), as in the case of a Newtonian fluid, but that it decreases with increasing shear rate. The diffusivity also decreases with increasing polymer concentration. It is suggested that the elongational thickening behaviour and the increased lubrication force due to the first normal stress difference may be responsible for the reduction of diffusivity in the polymer solution. Received: 18 January 2000 Accepted: 6 April 2000     

具有第二次多选择服务的M[X]/G/1排队系统

本文研究成批到达的具有第二次多选择服务的单服务员排队系统．顾客的到达形成一广义泊松过程，不同批的顾客按先到先服务的规则，而同一批的顾客按随机次序接受服务．两次服务的服务时间都是一般分布且相互独立．本文采用补充变量法，求得在瞬态和稳态情况下系统队长的概率母函数，然后又计算出顾客的平均队长和平均等待时间．     

红外光谱在定量分析中的应用

本文对近十年红外光谱在定量分析中的应用进行了概述。偏最小二乘法,一阶导数、二阶导数等化学计量法在定量分析中得到了普遍的应用,反射、探针、漫反射等技术的发展拓宽了红外光谱定量分析的领域。固体、液体、气体均可计量的优势更加突出。实现了单一物质,二元或多元物质的定量测定。     

Full potential calculation of electronic properties of rutile RO2 (R=Si, Ge, Sn and Pb) compounds via modified Becke Johnson potential

The electronic properties of RO₂ (R=Si, Ge, Sn and Pb; a group IVA element) compounds in rutile structure have been calculated using WIEN2k implementation of full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FPLAPW) method. The exchange and correlation (XC) effects are taken into account by an orbital independent modified Becke Johnson (MBJ) potential as coupled with Local Density Approximation (LDA) for all the compounds except for PbO₂ where only Generalized Gradient Approximation (GGA) is considered for the same. We predict a direct band gap in all these compounds with continuous decrease as the atomic size of IVA element increases such that there is an appearance of semimetallic band structure for the last compound, PbO₂. The largest band gap (7.66 eV) has been found for SiO₂, which governs its insulating nature. We observe that MBJLDA results for band gaps of these compounds are far better than those obtained using GGA and Engel-Vosko's GGA (EV-GGA). A very good agreement is observed between MBJLDA band gaps with corresponding experimental values as compared to other calculations. The electronic band structures are also analyzed in terms of contributions from various electrons.     

Sound transmission from stiffened double laminated composite plates

An analytical model is developed to investigate the sound transmission loss from orthogonally rib-stiffened double laminated composite plates structure under a plane sound wave excitation, in which first order shear deformation theory is presented for laminated composite plates. By using the space harmonic approach and virtual work principle, the sound transmission loss is described analytically. The validity and feasibility of the model are verified by comparing the present theoretical predictions with numerical results published previously. The influences of structure geometrical parameters on sound transmission loss are subsequently presented. Through numerical results, it can be concluded that the proposed analytical model is accurate and simple in solving the vibroacoustic behavior of an orthogonally rib-stiffened double laminated composite plates.