A Blinking Mesoporous TiO2−x Composed of Nanosized Anatase with Unusually Long‐Lived Trapped Charge Carriers

A mesoporous TiO_2?x material comprised of small, crystalline, vacancy‐rich anatase nanoparticles (NPs) shows unique optical, thermal, and electronic properties. It is synthesized using polymer‐derived mesoporous carbon (PDMC) as a template. The PDMC pores serve as physical barriers during the condensation and pyrolysis of a titania precursor, preventing the titania NPs from growing beyond 10 nm in size. Unlike most titania nanomaterials, during pyrolysis the NPs undergo no transition from the anatase to rutile phase and they become catalytically active reduced TiO_2?x. When exposed to a slow electron beam, the NPs exhibit a charge/discharge behavior, lighting up and fading away for an average period of 15 s for an extended period of time. The NPs also show a 50 nm red‐shift in their UV/Vis absorption and long‐lived charge carriers (electrons and holes) at room temperature in the dark, even long after UV irradiation. The NPs as photocatalysts show a good activity for CO₂ reduction.     

The Stabilization Effect of CO2 in Lithium–Oxygen/CO2 Batteries

The lithium (Li)–air battery has an ultrahigh theoretical specific energy, however, even in pure oxygen (O₂), the vulnerability of conventional organic electrolytes and carbon cathodes towards reaction intermediates, especially O₂^?, and corrosive oxidation and crack/pulverization of Li metal anode lead to poor cycling stability of the Li‐air battery. Even worse, the water and/or CO₂ in air bring parasitic reactions and safety issues. Therefore, applying such systems in open‐air environment is challenging. Herein, contrary to previous assertions, we have found that CO₂ can improve the stability of both anode and electrolyte, and a high‐performance rechargeable Li–O₂/CO₂ battery is developed. The CO₂ not only facilitates the in situ formation of a passivated protective Li₂CO₃ film on the Li anode, but also restrains side reactions involving electrolyte and cathode by capturing O₂^?. Moreover, the Pd/CNT catalyst in the cathode can extend the battery lifespan by effectively tuning the product morphology and catalyzing the decomposition of Li₂CO₃. The Li–O₂/CO₂ battery achieves a full discharge capacity of 6628 mAh g^?1 and a long life of 715 cycles, which is even better than those of pure Li–O₂ batteries.     

Kinetic Isotope Effect as a Tool To Investigate the Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Pt-based Electrocatalysts – Part II: Effect of Platinum Dispersion

We investigated the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) mechanism on Pt nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed on several carbon blacks with various physicochemical properties (i. e. specific surface ranging from 80 to 900 m² g⁻¹, different graphitization degree, etc.). Using the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) along with various electrochemical characterizations, we determined that the rate determining step (RDS) of the ORR is a proton-independent step when the density of Pt NPs on the surface of the carbon support is high. Upon decrease of the density of Pt NPs on the surface, the RDS of the ORR starts involving a proton, as denoted by an increase of the KIE >1. This underlined the critical role played by the carbon support in the oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysis by Pt supported on high surface area carbon.     

Experimental Evidence of CO2 Photoreduction Activity of SnO2 Nanoparticles

Tin dioxide (SnO₂) has intrinsic characteristics that do not favor its photocatalytic activity. However, we evidenced that surface modification can positively influence its performance for CO₂ photoreduction in the gas phase. The hydroxylation of the SnO₂ surface played a role in the CO₂ affinity decreasing its reduction potential. The results showed that a certain selectivity for methane (CH₄), carbon monoxide (CO), and ethylene (C₂H₄) is related to different SnO₂ hydrothermal annealing. The best performance was seen for SnO₂ annealed at 150 °C, with a production of 20.4 μmol g⁻¹ for CH₄ and 16.45 μmol g⁻¹ for CO, while for SnO₂ at 200 °C the system produced more C₂H₄, probably due to a decrease of surface −OH groups.     

Photocatalysis: an overview of recent developments and technological advancements

Photocatalysis,which is the catalyzation of redox reactions via the use of energy obtained from light sources,is a topic that has garnered a lot of attention in recent years as a means of addressing the environmental and economic issues plaguing society today.Of particular interest are photosynthesis can potentially mimic a variety of vital reactions,many of which hold the key to develop sustainable energy economy.In light of this,many of the technological and procedural advancements that have recently occurred in the field are discussed in this review,namely those linked to:(1)photocatalysts made from metal oxides,nitride,and sulfides;(2)photocatalysis via polymeric carbon nitride(PCN);and(3)general advances and mechanistic insights related to TiO2-based catalysts.The challenges and opportunities that have arisen over the past few years are discussed in detail.Basic concepts and experimental procedures which could be useful for eventually overcoming the problems associated with photocatalysis are presented herein.     

Heinz Gerrens Revisited: A New Look at the Impact of Reactor Type on Polymer Chain Morphology

The equations for predicting molecular weight distribution, copolymer composition distribution, and copolymer sequence distribution for three polymerization mechanisms (monomer linkage with termination, monomer linkage without termination, and polymer linkage), and three reactor types (batch/plug flow, homogenous continuous stirred tank, and segregated continuous stirred tank) are assembled from various sources and compared and contrasted.     

Molybdenum Carbide‐Embedded Multichannel Hollow Carbon Nanofibers as Bifunctional Catalysts for Water Splitting

With the environmental pollution and non‐renewable fossil fuels, it is imperative to develop eco‐friendly, renewable, and highly efficient electrocatalysts for sustainable energy. Herein, a simple electrospinning process used to synthesis Mo₂C‐embedded multichannel hollow carbon nanofibers (Mo₂C‐MCNFs) and followed by the pyrolysis process. As prepared lotus root‐like nanoarchitecture could offer rich porosity and facilitate the electrolyte infiltration, the Mo₂C‐MCNFs delivered favourable catalytic activity for HER and OER. The resultant catalysts exhibit low overpotentials of 114 mV and 320 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 for HER and OER, respectively. Furthermore, using the Mo₂C‐MCNFs catalysts as a bifunctional electrode toward overall water splitting, which only needs a small cell voltage of 1.68 V to afford a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 in the home‐made alkaline electrolyzer. This interesting work presents a simple and effective strategy to further fabricating tunable nanostructures for energy‐related applications.     

High performance of nitrogen-doped carbon-supported cobalt catalyst for the mild and selective synthesis of primary amines

A nitrogen-doped carbon-supported Co catalyst (Co/N-C-800) was discovered to be highly active for the reductive amination of carbonyl compounds with NH₃ and the hydrogenation of nitriles into primary amines using H₂ as the hydrogen source. Structurally diverse carbonyl compounds were selectively transformed into primary amines with good to excellent yields (82.8–99.6%) under mild conditions. The Co/N-C-800 catalyst showed comparable or better catalytic performance than the reported noble metal catalysts. The Co/N-C-800 catalyst also showed high activity for the hydrogenation of nitriles, affording the corresponding primary amines with high yields (81.7–99.0%). An overall reaction mechanism is proposed for the reductive amination of benzaldehyde and the hydrogenation of benzonitrile, which involves the same intermediates of phenylmethanimine and N-benzylidenebenzylamine.     

电镀金刚石刀具钻削碳纤维复合材料磨粒磨损特征研究

采用电镀金刚石钻磨组合刀具钻削碳纤维复合材料能够有效地减小或消除毛刺和分层等加工缺陷,刀具的使用寿命主要取决于电镀金刚石磨粒的使用寿命．为此,对研制的刀具表面电镀金刚石磨粒的加工磨损形态进行了系统的统计观测．研究结果表明：采用电镀金刚石钻磨组合刀具钻削T300碳纤维复合材料过程中,电镀层的金刚石磨粒具有独特的初期不稳定磨损、混合磨损和正常磨损3个阶段,其磨损形态与钻削产生的轴向力具有显著的线性关系．随着钻孔数目的增加,钻磨孔的轴向力逐渐增大,但是加工出的孔径在刀具经过初期磨损后仍然能够较长时间地稳定在0．024mm误差范围内．