Water-assisted mechanical testing of polymeric thin-films

Thin films with a nanometer-scale thickness are of great interest to both scientific and industrial communities due to their numerous applications and unique behaviors different from the bulk. However, the understanding of thin-film mechanics is still greatly hampered due to their intrinsic fragility and the lack of commercially available experimental instruments. In this review, we first discuss the progression of thin-film mechanical testing methods based on the supporting substrate: film-on-solid substrate method, film-on-water tensile tests, and water-assisted free-standing tensile tests. By comparing past studies on a model polymer, polystyrene, the effect of different substrates and confinement effect on the thin-film mechanics is evaluated. These techniques have generated fruitful scientific knowledge in the field of organic semiconductors for the understanding of structure–mechanical property relationships. We end this review by providing our perspective for their bright prospects in much broader applications and materials of interest.     

团簇Co3FeP异构化反应的热力学与动力学研究

为了寻找团簇Co₃FeP的稳定性、结构和内部作用力等规律，利用密度泛函理论，在B3LYP/Lanl2dz的量化水平下对团簇Co₃FeP进行理论计算，得到5种优化构型，并从化学反应热力学与动力学的角度对其异构化反应中的反应物、过渡态和生成物进行了讨论分析。结果表明，所有构型均为C1对称且构型的空间结构对其熵值有影响；构型的稳定性主要由金属原子与非金属原子所决定，并且在常温常压下构型1^（3）、2^（3）和3^（3）可以稳定存在，是大部分异构化反应的最终产物。因此，在实际材料的开发中，不仅需要注意金属原子与非金属原子之间的作用力以确保构型的稳定性，还应首先考虑对稳定构型1^（3）、2^（3）和3^（3）进行相关研究。     

Secondary Metabolites of Litchi chinensis

Chemistry of Natural Compounds -     

Developing Flexible Quinacridone-Derivatives-Based Photothermal Evaporaters for Solar Steam and Thermoelectric Power Generation

Solar-driven interfacial vaporization by localizing solar-thermal energy conversion to the air−water interface has attracted tremendous attention. In the process of converting solar energy into heat energy, photothermal materials play an essential role. Herein, a flexible solar-thermal material di-cyan substituted 5,12-dibutylquinacridone (DCN−4CQA)@Paper was developed by coating photothermal quinacridone derivatives on the cellulose paper. The DCN−4CQA@Paper combines desired chemical and physical properties, broadband light-absorbing, and shape-conforming abilities that render efficient photothermic vaporization. Notably, synergetic coupling of solar-steam and solar-electricity technologies by integrating DCN−4CQA@Paper and the thermoelectric devices is realized without trade-offs, highlighting the practical consideration toward more impactful solar heat exploitation. Such solar distillation and low-grade heat-to-electricity generation functions can provide potential opportunities for fresh water and electricity supply in off-grid or remote areas.     

Hydrophobic Monomers Recognize Microenvironments in Hydrogel Microspheres during Free-Radical-Seeded Emulsion Polymerization

The three-dimensional structure of nanocomposite microgels was precisely determined by cryo-electron micrography. Several nanocomposite microgels that differ with respect to their nanocomposite structure, which were obtained from seeded emulsion polymerization in the presence of microgels, were used as model nanocomposite materials for cryo-electron micrography. The obtained three-dimensional segmentation images of these nanocomposite microgels provide important insights into the interactions between the hydrophobic monomers and the microgels, that is, hydrophobic styrene monomers recognize molecular-scale differences in polarity within the microgels during the emulsion polymerization. This result led to the formation of unprecedented multi-layered nanocomposite microgels, which promise substantial potential in colloidal applications.     

Direct visualization of the nanoscopic three‐phase structure and stiffness of NBR/PVC blends by AFM nanomechanical mapping

The PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping based on atomic force microscope (AFM) is employed to first visualize and then quantify the elastic properties of a model nitrile rubber/poly(vinyl chloride) (NBR/PVC) blend at the nanoscale. This method allows us to consistently observe the changes in mechanical properties of each phase in polymer blends. Beyond measuring and discriminating elastic modulus and adhesion forces of each phase, we tune the AFM tips and the peak force parameters in order to reliably image samples. In view of viscoelastic difference in each phase, a three‐phase coexistence of an unmixed NBR phase, the mixed phase, and PVC microcrystallites is directly visualized in NBR/PVC blends. The nanomechanical investigation is also capable of recognizing the crosslinked rubber phase in cured rubber. The contribution of the mixed phase was quantified and it was found that the mechanical properties of blends are mainly determined by the homogeneity and stiffness of the mixed phase. This study furthers our understanding the structure–mechanical property relationship of thermoplastic elastomers, which is important for their potential design and applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019 , 57, 662–669     

土壤肥料学实验课程的教学改革与实践

为全面培育卓越农林人才，提高教学培养质量，本研究结合土壤肥料学的课程内容、教学特点及实验方法，对存在的问题进行了剖析，并结合实际针对存在问题做出了相应改革，适时调整《土壤肥料学》实验课程内容和形式。通过删减验证性实验内容，增设综合性实验，传统部分教学内容实现网络化等三方面对该课程的实验课部分进行了改革与实践，以期提高学生综合运用所学《土壤肥料学》的相关知识来解决生产实际问题的能力。     

氧化还原介体催化强化污染物厌氧降解研究进展

 由于厌氧生物处理技术具有产生剩余污泥少、可回收能源等优点而被广泛用于处理各种有机污染物，尤其在有毒、有害、难降解污染物的去除方面取得了良好的效果。然而，厌氧生物法的处理速率通常比较低，而氧化还原介体可通过自身不断的氧化和还原来传递电子，提高电子在氧化还原反应过程中的传递速率，从而促进污染物高效厌氧降解。醌类物质和腐殖酸是应用较多的氧化还原介体，在催化难降解污染物降解方面取得了一定效果。讨论了氧化还原介体的特点、作用机制，并总结了其对偶氮染料厌氧脱色、反硝化和多氯联苯厌氧降解的强化作用，提出了氧化还原介体未来的研究方向。