Fabrication of core/shell hybrid organic–inorganic polymer microspheres via Pickering emulsion polymerization using laponite nanoparticles

Oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions of styrene, as monomer oil in water, were achieved successfully via Pickering emulsification with laponite nanoparticles as the sole inorganic stabilizers. The formed emulsions showed excellent stability not only against droplets coalescence (before polymerization) but also against microparticles coagulation (after polymerization). Generally, the number of composite polystyrene microparticles (PS) increased and their sizes decreased with the content of solid nanoparticles used in stabilizing the precursor o/w emulsions. This is consistent with the formation of rigid layer(s) of the inorganic nanoparticles around the PS microparticles thus a better stability was achieved. The composite microparticles were characterized using various techniques such as surface charge, stability, transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR). Coating films of the prepared latexes were applied to flat glass surfaces and showed reasonable adhesion compared to PS latex particles prepared with conventional surfactants. The effect of employed conditions on the features of the resulting emulsions in terms of stability and particle size has been discussed.     

Colloidal hybrid heterostructures based on II–VI semiconductor nanocrystals for photocatalytic hydrogen generation

Hydrogen generated through the photochemical cleavage of water using renewable solar energy is considered to be an environmentally friendly chemical fuel of the future, which neither results in air pollution nor leads to the emission of greenhouse gases. The photocatalytic materials for water cleavage are required to perform at least two fundamental functions: light harvesting of the maximal possible part of the solar energy spectrum and a catalytic function for efficient water decomposition into oxygen and hydrogen. Photocatalytic systems based on colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals offer a number of advantages in comparison with photoelectrochemical cells based on bulk electrodes: (i) a broad range of material types are available; (ii) higher efficiencies are expected due to short distance charge transport; (iii) large surface areas are beneficial for the catalytic processes; (iv) flexibility in fabrication and design which also allows for tuning of the electronic and optical properties by employing quantum confinement effects. The presence of co-catalysts on colloidal semiconductors is an important part of the overall design of the photocatalytic colloidal systems necessary to maximize the water splitting efficiency. This review article discusses the rational choice of colloidal nanoheterostructured materials based on light-harvesting II–VI semiconductor nanocrystals combined with a variety of metal and/or non-metal co-catalysts, with optimized light harvesting, charge separation, and photocatalytic functions.     

ZIF-67 derived hollow Ni-Co-Se nano-polyhedrons for flexible hybrid supercapacitors with remarkable electrochemical performances

Nano-polyhedral NiSe₂/CoSe₂ (Ni-Co-Se) with hollow architectures are synthesized by selenizing the precursors of Ni-Co bimetallic hydroxides that are directly derived from ZIF-67. The as-fabricated Ni-Co-Se electrodes exhibit high specific capacitance of 1668 F/g at 1 A/g accompanying with outstanding rate capability (about 82.8% retention of the initial capacity at 20 A/g). The corresponding Ni-Co-Se//AC all-solid-state hybrid supercapacitors are assembled by directly using the Ni-Co-Se on carbon fabric as the positive electrode, which deliver high energy density and power density (38.5 Wh/kg at 802.1 W/kg, 32.0 Wh/kg at 8008.8 W/kg), excellent cyclic stability (82.3% retention after 5000 cycle) and robust mechanical flexibility (no obvious attenuation at bending to different angles). This work will provide a new and smart route for constructing transition metal selenides for supercapacitor devices.     

Nonlinear free vibrations of porous composite microplates incorporating various microstructural-dependent strain gradient tensors

The main objective of the present numerical analysis is to predict the nonlinear frequency ratios associated with the nonlinear free vibration response of porous composite plates at microscale in the presence of different microstructural gradient tensors. To achieve this end, by taking cubic-type elements into account, isogeometric models of porous composite microplates are obtained with and without a central cutout and relevant to various porosity patterns of distribution along the plate thickness. The established unconventional models have the capability to capture the effects of various unconventional gradient tensors continuity on the basis of a refined shear deformable plate formulation. For the simply supported microsized uniform porous functionally graded material (U-PFGM) plate having the oscillation amplitude equal to the plate thickness, it is revealed that the rotation gradient tensor causes to reduce the frequency ratio about 0.73%, the dilatation gradient tensor causes to reduce it about 1.93%, and the deviatoric stretch gradient tensor leads to a decrease of it about 5.19%. On the other hand, for the clamped microsized U-PFGM plate having the oscillation amplitude equal to the plate thickness, these percentages are equal to 0.62%, 1.64%, and 4.40%, respectively. Accordingly, it is found that by changing the boundary conditions from clamped to simply supported, the effect of microsize on the reduction of frequency ratio decreases a bit.

     

Novel filled polymer composites prepared from in situ polymerization via a colloidal approach: II. Blends of kaolin/Nylon-6 in situ composites with conventional Nylon-6 and -66

A novel in situ composite comprised of kaolin clay fillers and polyamide 6 (Nylon-6) was synthesized via a colloidal approach by suspending kaolin particles in aqueous caprolactam and then polymerizing the caprolactam under elevated temperature and pressure. This in situ polymerization technique enables the deposition of nylon molecules directly onto the filler surface. It offers a much larger contact surface area for the nylon molecules to interact with the filler particles and enhances filler/matrix interaction through polymer miscibility. The kaolin particles were shown to be uniformly dispersed in Nylon-6 matrix without appreciable agglomeration. In the highly clay-loaded composites such as the 50/50 kaolin/Nylon-6 in situ composite, the deposited nylon molecules probably form a coated layer on the filler particles. This kind of nylon coated fillers may be applied as a reinforcing entity to commercial Nylon-6 or −;66 by improving particle dispersion and melt processability. The 50/50 kaolin/Nylon-6 in situ composites have been used as a masterbatch for blending with commercial Nylon-6 and Nylon-66 to take advantage of their good properties and to reduce cost. Rheology and mechanical properties of the masterbatch/nylon composites have been investigated in comparison with those of the conventional melt-mixed composites. The improvement of rheological and mechanical properties of the in situ composites has been discussed in relation to the composite structure. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

振荡Robin混合边值齐次化问题

该文研究了振荡Robin混合边值齐次化问题解的收敛率.该工作的困难之处在于Robin边值上出现的振荡因子以及边界交叉项的处理.该文利用对偶方法巧妙得对振荡积分进行了估计.文中建立了解的H1和L2收敛率,所得结果明显地依赖于维数.该文可以视为将对偶方法和光滑算子,延拓到处理振荡Robin混合边值问题的情形.     

CONTINUUM TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION FOR MONOLITHIC COMPLIANT MECHANISMS OF MICRO-ACTUATORS

A multi-objective scheme for structural topology optimization of distributed compliant mechanisms of micro-actuators in MEMS condition is presented in this work, in which mechanical flexibility and structural stiffness are both considered as objective functions. The compliant micro-mechanism developed in this way can not only provide sufficient output work but also have sufficient rigidity to resist reaction forces and maintain its shape when holding the work-piece. A density filtering approach is also proposed to eliminate numerical instabilities such as checkerboards, mesh-dependency and one-node connected hinges occurring in resulting mechanisms. SIMP is used as the interpolation scheme to indicate the dependence of material modulus on element-regularized densities. The sequential convex programming method, such as the method of moving asymptotes (MMA), is used to solve the optimization problem. The validation of the presented methodologies is demonstrated by a typical numerical example.     

On the inflation and deflation dynamics of liquid-filled,hyperelastic balloons

We derive a reduced-order model describing the inflation and deflation dynamics of a liquid-filled hyperelastic balloon, focusing on inviscid laminar flow and the extensional motion of the balloon. We initially study the flow and pressure fields for dictated motion of the solid, which throughout deflation are obtained by solving the potential problem. However, during inflation, flow separation creates a jet within the balloon, requiring a different approach. The analyses of both flow regimes lead to a simple piecewise model, describing the fluidic pressure during inflation and deflation, which is verified by finite element computations. We then use a variational approach to derive the equation describing the interaction between the extensional mode of the balloon and the entrapped fluid, yielding a nonlinear hybrid oscillator equation. Analytical and graphical investigations of the suggested model are presented, shedding light on its static and dynamic behaviour under different operating conditions. Our simplified model and its underlying assumptions are verified utilizing a fully coupled finite element scheme, showing excellent agreement.     

玻色化方法在超对称可积系统的应用

利用玻色化方法可以避免超对称可积系统中反对易费米场带来的计算困难. 本文以N=1超对称mKdVB系统为例, 利用玻色化方法, 将其转化为只有玻色场的耦合系统. 应用标准的WTC方法, 证明了该耦合系统具有Painlevé性质. 运用Painlevé截断方法, 可以得到玻色化后超对称mKdVB系统的非局域对称. 为了求解与非局域对称相关的Lie第一性原理, 引入新的场将玻色化后系统拓展为更大的系统. 通过引入新的场, 该非局域对称局域化为Lie点对称. 因此, 可以利用Lie点对称约化方法研究拓展后的系统, 得到超对称mKdVB系统的孤子与其他孤波相互作用解.     

若干高维可积和不可积模型的严格解

可积和不可积模型可以描述自然科学中的诸多现象, 寻找高维非线性模型的严格解已成为可积系统的一个重要研究内容. 结合达布变换法和多线性分离变量法, 可以得到多个(2+1)维非线性模型包含任意函数的严格解, 通过选取不同的任意函数, 构造这些非线性模型新的相互激发模式. 进一步推广了形变映射理论, 建立了变系数 场和sine-Gordon以及双sine-Gordon场的形变映射关系, 从而得到高维不可积模型包含任意函数的新严格解. 对任意函数的不同选择, 构造了sine-Gordon和双sine-Gordon可积模型丰富的局域解和周期解, 如多solitoff解及其周期波推广、周期形变的蛇形孤波解以及变模的拟周期解等.