Metal-Free B,N co-Doped Hierarchical Porous Carbon Electrocatalyst with an Excellent O2 Reduction Performance

Fuel cells have attracted increasing attention due to their low cost, high energy density, low environmental pollution, and abundant raw materials. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a core technology of fuel cells, and the development of new electrocatalysts with high ORR performance is highly desirable. Herein, we synthesize a series of B, N co-doped hierarchical porous carbons using a soft template method with the integration of self-assembly, calcination and etching. The obtained materials exhibit hierarchical porous structures, controllable pore distribution, partial graphite structures, and B, N co-doping. They can function as the cost-effective and metal-free electrocatalysts, facilitating the diffusion of electrolyte ions and the improvement of ORR performance. Especially, the B, N co-doped porous carbon with the B-to-N molar ratio of 5 (BNC-5) displays a high ORR activity with a half-wave potential (E_1/2) of 0.73 V, an onset potential (E_onset) of 0.94 V, and a high limiting current density (J_L) of 5.98 mA cm⁻², superior to the N-doped C (NC) and BNC-1 (the B-to-N molar ratio=1), BNC-3 (the B-to-N molar ratio=3) and BNC-7 (the B-to-N molar ratio=7) under the identical conditions. Moreover, the BNC-5 exhibits good cycling stability after 5000 cyclic voltammetry (CV) cycles and excellent tolerance toward even 3 M methanol. This research provides a new approach for the facile synthesis of dual element-doped carbon electrocatalysts with high ORR performance.     

Understanding the Effect of Solvent Environment on the Interaction of Hydronium Ion with Biomass Derived Species: A Molecular Dynamics and Metadynamics Investigation

The addition of aprotic solvents results in higher reactivities and selectivities in many key aqueous phase biomass reactions, including the acid-catalyzed conversion of fructose to 5-hydroxyl methyl furfural (HMF). The addition of certain co-solvents inhibits the formation of humins via preferential solvation of key functional groups and can alter reaction kinetics. An important factor in this context is the relative stability of the hydronium ion (the catalyst) in the vicinity of the biomass moiety as compared to that in bulk, as it could determine its efficacy in the protonation step. Hence, in the present work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of HMF (the model product) and fructose (the model reactant) in acidic water and water-DMSO mixtures are performed to analyze their interaction with the hydronium ions. We show that the presence of DMSO favors the interaction of the hydronium ion with fructose, whereas it has a detrimental effect on the interaction of hydronium ion with HMF. Well-tempered metadynamics (WT-MTD) simulations are performed to determine the relative stability of the hydronium ion in the immediate vicinity of fructose and HMF, as compared to that in the bulk solvent phase, as a function of solvent composition. We find that DMSO improves the stabilization of the hydronium ions in the first solvation shell of fructose compared to that in the bulk solvent. On the other hand, hydronium ions become less stable in the immediate vicinity of HMF, as the concentration of DMSO increases.     

Alkaloids Analysis of Habranthus cardenasianus (Amaryllidaceae), Anti-Cholinesterase Activity and Biomass Production by Propagation Strategies

Plants in the Amaryllidaceae family synthesize a diversity of bioactive alkaloids. Some of these plant species are not abundant and have a low natural multiplication rate. The aims of this work were the alkaloids analysis of a Habranthus cardenasianus bulbs extract, the evaluation of its inhibitory activity against cholinesterases, and to test several propagation strategies for biomass production. Eleven compounds were characterized by GC-MS in the alkaloid extract, which showed a relatively high proportion of tazettine. The known alkaloids tazettine, haemanthamine, and the epimer mixture haemanthidine/6-epi-haemanthidine were isolated and identified by spectroscopic methods. Inhibitory cholinesterases activity was not detected. Three forms of propagation were performed: bulb propagation from seed, cut-induced bulb division, and micropropagated bulbs. Finally, different imbibition and post-collection times were evaluated in seed germination assays. The best propagation method was cut-induced bulb division with longitudinal cuts into quarters (T1) while the best conditions for seed germination were 0-day of post-collection and two days of imbibition. The alkaloids analyses of the H. cardenasianus bulbs showed that they are a source of anti-tumoral alkaloids, especially pretazettine (tazettine) and T1 is a sustainable strategy for its propagation and domestication to produce bioactive alkaloids.     

Copper Nanoparticles In鄄Situ Anchored on Nitrogen鄄Doped Carbon for High鄄Efficiency Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalyst北大核心CSCD

Compared with noble metal platinum (Pt)-based catalysts, inexpensive non-noble metal electrocatalysts have attracted extensive attention for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, chitosan as a kind of biomass resource rich in nitrogen and carbon was used to prepare nitrogen-doped carbon (N-C) and N-C in-situ anchored by copper nanoparticles (Cu/N-C). The as-obtained N-C and Cu/N-C nanoparticles were successfully used as non-noble eletrocatalysts tested for ORR. Compared with the N-C, the Cu/N-C showed the high surface area of 607.3 m2窑g-1 with the mean pore size of 2.5 nm and the pore volume of 0.40 cm3窑g-1. The most positive Gibbs free energy change was the rate determining step for ORR process with the 4e mechanism, where the value of the Cu (111)/N-C(-0.39 eV) was lower than that of the N-C(-0.26 eV). The Cu/N-C exhibited superior onset and half-wave potentials (0.96 V and 0.84 V, respectively) in alkaline media (0.1 mol窑L-1 KOH), all of which are much better than those measured for N-C and commercial Pt/C. Furthermore, the Cu/N-C showed superior methanol crossover avoidance and oxygen reduction stability. © 2021 Authors. All rights reserved.     

PEMFC阴极催化层结构分析

采用CCS法（catalyst coated substrate）构建铂纳米颗粒（Pt-NPs）和铂纳米线（Pt-NWs）双层催化层结构,分析其对单电池电化学性能的影响。对于富铂/贫铂双层铂纳米颗粒结构,靠近质子交换膜侧的富铂层中致密的铂颗粒结构能促进ORR速率,而靠近气体扩散层一侧的具有更高的孔隙率和平均孔尺寸的贫铂层,有利于反应气体的传输和扩散,当贫富铂层铂载量比为1:2时,单电池测试表现出最优性能,在0.6 V时的电流密度达到了1.05 A·cm^-2,峰值功率密度为0.69 W·cm^-2,较常规单层催化层结构提升了21%。在以Pt-NPs作为基底层时生长Pt-NWs时,得到了梯度分布的双层结构。铂颗粒的存在促进了铂前驱体的还原,并为新形成的铂原子提供了沉积位置。在Pt-NPs基底上生长的Pt-NWs具有更均匀的分布以及更致密的绒毛结构,并且自然形成了一种梯度分布。优化后的Pt-NWs催化层在0.6 V时的电流密度提高了21%。含有双层催化层结构的膜电极具有更高的催化剂利用率,对阴极催化层结构的优化和制备提供了新思路。     

电喷汽油机燃用大比例含水乙醇汽油的试验

在一台JL368Q双燃料多点电喷发动机上进行台架试验,对比分析了3种含水乙醇汽油(E15W、E30W、E50W)的动力性、经济性和排放特性.结果表明:在汽油机结构及参数未做任何调整下,低速时,含水乙醇汽油的转距、功率和93#汽油基本相当,随着转速增大,E15W、E50W略低于93#汽油,E30W仍和汽油基本相当;油耗率E15W比汽油低大约0.35%,随着含醇量的增大,油耗率逐渐升高;3种乙醇汽油的NOx排放均略高于93#汽油,但CO的排放都低于93#汽油,E30W的CO排放在整个测试区间最优.随着含醇量的增加,HC排放能得到不断的改善.     

燃料电池混合动力汽车控制策略研究

提出一种燃料电池功率主导轻型混合动力汽车的整车控制策略. 构建了燃料电池混合动力系统构型,建立了高压燃料电池发电系统控制约束模型,制定了7种工作模式和以燃料电池输出功率为主导、电池组SOC维持型的控制逻辑. 整车试验结果表明,燃料电池输出功率能很好地跟踪驾驶员踏板的功率需求,整车燃氢经济性为2.464 kg/100 km.     

反气相色谱法测定燃料乙醇专用吸附剂对水和乙醇的吸附

利用反气相色谱法研究了燃料乙醇专用吸附剂在60～130?℃范围内对水和乙醇的吸附,并用环境扫描电镜对吸附剂的性质进行了表征。由气相色谱的保留时间计算出水和乙醇的分离因子和吸附剂吸附水、乙醇的吉布斯自由能变化（ΔG_s）、吸附焓变（ΔH_s）等热力学参数。实验结果表明,水和乙醇的吸附焓变分别为-37.41、-4.59kJ/mol,属于物理吸附过程。吸附的ΔG_s、ΔH_s均为负值,说明该吸附过程是自发的放热过程,低温度有利于吸附。吸附剂对水的吸附比乙醇强烈得多,可以选择性吸附水分,达到脱水的目的。     

基于Flowmaster的飞机燃油供油系统仿真研究

飞机燃油系统作为飞机不可或缺的功能和保障系统,对飞机的安全性有着重大的影响。针对飞机燃油供油系统的故障诊断问题,利用流体仿真软件Flowmaster建立了供油系统模型。仿真了飞机燃油系统增压泵供油、交输供油、重力供油的工作情况。分析了飞机燃油供油系统的故障模式,仿真了在几种典型故障模型下的工作情况,并对仿真结果进行了分析。结果表明利用Flowmaster所建立的供油系统模型能有效地仿真飞机燃油系统正常与故障工作情况,为飞机燃油系统的故障诊断打下了基础。     

氧化还原可逆Nb2TiO7复合阴极电解池高温水蒸气电解研究

系统地研究Nb₂TiO₇与Nb_1.33Ti_0.67O₄材料相互转变的氧化还原循环可逆性能,同时研究Nb2TiO7和Nb_1.33Ti_0.67O₄样品随温度和氧分压变化的电导率,并与复合电极对称电池和电解池的电化学性能相关联. 在830 oC下,对Nb_1.33Ti_0.67O₄复合电极电解池进行水蒸气的电解研究测试. 电流电压曲线和电解池短期性能测试表明在低电压下主要为电极的还原和活化过程;而在高电压下主要为水蒸气的电解. 当3%H₂O/Ar/4%H_{2气体通入阴极时电解池水蒸气电解的法拉第效率为98.9%;而当通入气体转换为3%H2O/Ar时效率为89%.}