Advancing global aerosol classification: Source-compositional typology and variability from 30years (1993-2024) of AERONET observations.

This study explores the efficacy of plasma-activated water (PAW), produced using a laboratory-made pin-hole air plasma jet, in the reduction of pesticide residues, including clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and propoxur. The physicochemical analysis indicated that PAW’s pH decreased significantly with longer discharge times, while oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) and electrical conductivity (EC) increased. Nitrogen and oxygen species in the plasma state were confirmed using optical emission spectroscopy. These results reflected the formation of rich reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS), including hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and nitrate, contributing to its strong oxidative properties. The optimal PAW parameters for pesticide degradation were determined, and pesticide reduction was assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS). After 25 min of treatment, maximum reduction rates of 65%, 93%, and 88% were achieved for clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and propoxur, respectively. Only clothianidin yielded a single degradation product which is suggested to be formed by cyclic rearrangement following the loss of Cl and NO2, while those of thiamethoxam and propoxur were not detected. PAW produced by atmospheric pin-hole air plasma jet demonstrated superior degradation efficiency with minimal toxic by-product formation. The findings contribute valuable insights into sustainable practices for environmental detoxification.

In this work, we studied the magnetization reversal (MR) phenomenon in the perovskite solid solution TmCr1-xCoxO3, where magnetic Cr3+ ions were substituted by non-magnetic low-spin (LS) Co3+ ions. Magnetic measurements and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were performed following a field-cooling (FC) protocol. Samples of TmCr1-xCoxO3 with 0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.8 were synthesized and structurally characterized. Samples with 0.1 ≤ x < 0.5 were synthesized at 1200 °C in the air atmosphere, while those with 0.5 ≤ x ≤ 0.8 were synthesized at 1000 °C under high O2 pressure. A model was implemented to simulate the FC magnetization curves, taking into account the coupling between Tm3+ and Cr3+ ions. This model is based on a classical Heisenberg spin Hamiltonian with realistic interactions. We showed that it is possible to reproduce the MR phenomenon with MC simulations in perovskite oxides with magnetic rare earth and transition metal sublattices. MC simulations accurately described all the FC curves except for x = 0.6 because this composition is near the percolation threshold, where fluctuations in the distribution of Co3+ ions can alter the magnetic properties. Another explanation could be a possible spin reorientation of the Cr3+ ions sublattice that makes experimental magnetization depart from the predicted one. In addition, it was found that the antiferromagnetic superexchange interactions between Cr3+ ions increase with Co3+ content.

ABSTRACT Based on the policy of building a beautiful China and the increasing demand for natural gas, the technology of converting coal to natural gas is receiving more and more attention. The Ni‐based methanation catalyst is prone to being poisoned and deactivated because coal‐based synthesis gas contains sulfides. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a sulfur‐tolerant methanation catalyst. MoS 2 /CeO 2 –Al 2 O 3 sulfur‐tolerant methanation catalysts were prepared with a DBD plasma fluidized bed. The effect of plasma atmospheres (Ar, H 2 , and air) and promoters (Ni and Co) on catalyst structure and performance was studied. It was found that catalysts pretreated in an air atmosphere exhibited the highest CO conversion, which is over 10% higher than that in Ar and H 2 , and CH 4 selectivity is also 8.94% higher than traditional calcination. Co doping resulted in more S vacancies in the catalyst, increasing its activity to 36.42%. Ni is more attached to the carrier in the form of oxides, forming Ni 3 S 2 after sulfurization, which covers some of the hydrogenation active sites and leads to a decrease in activity.

Lifetime prediction of thermo-oxidative degradation of a modified epoxy resin and its glass fiber composite in air atmosphere and correlation with long-term aging behavior

Continuous measurement of radon progeny in atmospheric aerosol using a NaI(Tl) detector and a High Volume Air Sampler.

Study on the thermal decomposition characteristics of different carbohydrates by TG-FTIR-GC/MS.

Characteristics and sources of wintertime nitrous acid (HONO): Insights from year-to-year variations and the impact of COVID-19.

Knowledge-informed deep learning to mitigate bias in joint air pollutant prediction.

The dynamics of laser-produced plasma plume expansion involves complex interactions between the ablated material and ambient air. This study investigates and compares the performance of three OpenFOAM solvers, namely twoPhaseEulerFoam (tPEF), rhoCentralFoam (rCF), and sonicFoam (sF) using an identical initial setup of geometry and parameters. The primary objective of this study is to affirm the applicability and reliability of the tPEF solver in modeling the laser-produced plasmas for multispecies cases. The focus is on the evaluating the tPEF solver’s ability to simulate plasma plume dynamics under atmospheric air pressure. Propagation of plasma shockwave, mesh generation, initial and boundary conditions, and hydrodynamics of single- and multi-phase equations are analyzed. Critical flow variables, such as pressure, velocity, temperature, and density, were monitored spatially and temporally to evaluate the solver performance. The simulation results demonstrate that tPEF produces stable and reliable results that align with physical expectations and previously published data. It was found to be particularly effective in capturing the plume’s hydrodynamic features, including multi-species behavior and interaction with the ambient environment. The findings affirm applicability of tPEF for modeling laser-induced plasma plumes, especially in capturing complex fluid dynamics and species evolution. This study will provide computational foundations essential for specific engineering applications involving pulsed laser ablation of multi-component materials.

ABSTRACT According to the results of soil air humidity monitoring experiments, the earth-air activity in extremely arid areas changes frequently. When the atmospheric pressure (AP) drops, the earth-air rises and moist earth-air flows out from the soil. When the AP increases, the earth-air is compressed, and dry atmospheric air flows into the soil. This paper demonstrates earth-air experiments conducted with a specialized device in an extremely arid area. The quantity, characteristics, and regularity of the flux of earth-air were thus determined on daily/yearly timescales. The formation mechanism, main driving sources, and key influencing factors were subsequently investigated. The evaporation of water from the soil is the main reason for the increase in the outflow of earth-air. The earth-air movement is caused by the fluctuation in the AP. The quantitative results for the exchange between earth-air and atmosphere has universal significance for the understanding of land–atmosphere processes, hydrology and geophysics.

In the study, raw and torrefied chicken manure (CM) and rose pulp (RP), blended with low-grade Kale lignite (KL), to enhance the understanding of their co-combustion behavior. While previous studies have independently examined biomass or its blends with coal, the coupled effects of torrefaction and kinetic synergy in triple-component fuel systems remain largely unexplored. Here, this work addresses this gap by analyzing combustion indices, and model-free kinetic parameters via the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa method. CM and RP were torrefied at 275 °C for 1 hr and six fuel blends were prepared containing 20–34 wt% KL with proportional amounts of CM and RP. Thermogravimetric (TG) analyses were performed in the range of 25–1,000 °C under air atmosphere at 5, 10, 15, and 20 °C min−1. Torrefaction significantly improved fuel characteristics by reducing moisture (CM: 7.16%–0.10%) and increasing fixed carbon (RP: 15.63%–19.43%) and calorific value (RP: 4,106–4,284 kcal/kg). Activation energies were reduced post-torrefaction (CM: 127.14–69.61 kJ/mol), indicating enhanced devolatilization and thermal uniformity. Synergistic effects in raw blends (R 2 = 0.7435) weakened after torrefaction (R 2 = 0.9881), reflecting increased additive behavior. These results reveal that torrefaction not only alters fuel composition but also modulates combustion reactivity and kinetics.

Abstract. Cooling towers are essential components of thermal power plants, serving as heat rejection devices that transfer thermal energy from hot water to atmospheric air. This study investigates the performance of counter flow induced draft cooling towers through experimental methods and two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis conducted on an industry-operating tower. The key factors affecting tower efficiency include inlet water temperature, water and air mass flow rates, and the method of exposing water to air—whether by trickling or forming thin layers for direct contact with the upward-moving air stream. During operation, the heat transfer process increases the air’s temperature and raises its relative humidity to saturation, allowing the moist air to be expelled into the atmosphere. Additional parameters such as range, tower characteristic ratio, outer region pressure, and temperature variation are also examined for their impact on performance. This research specifically aims to conduct dynamic analysis on a tall cooling tower to evaluate thermal effects on the inner layer and the influence of wind pressure on structural stability, considering temperature gradients, crack propagation, overall stability, resistivity, forces, and displacement.

With the increasing volumes of spent lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles and the concurrent increase in raw materials cost for cathode production, finding effective methods for recycling battery materials has become critically important. This study investigated a pyrometallurgical approach using microwave irradiation to achieve carbothermal reduction of LiCoO2. FactSage thermodynamic calculations were performed for process simulation and an infrared thermal camera was employed for temperature measurements, allowing the authors to optimize the process parameters to obtain metallic cobalt. Specifically, the research included microwave experiments on mixed black mass samples of anode and cathode materials in different proportions, treated at varying power levels and exposure times under air atmosphere. The effect of the process parameters and therefore of the temperature on microstructure was studied with SEM-EDS and XRD analysis. The feasibility of a wet magnetic separation method between cobalt and lithium compounds formed during the reaction was also evaluated. The results obtained from the final separation process indicated that individual compounds can be obtained at the end of the cycle; moreover, the optimization of time, temperature, and graphite additions during the tests allowed the authors to obtain promising results.

Abstract In this study, a numerical approach for modeling streamer discharge in atmospheric air was developed based on adaptive mesh reconstruction and conservative correction of logarithmic fields. The formulation employs logarithmic representation for charged species and photoionization to enhance numerical stability and ensure positivity. The adaptive meshing strategy is driven by a characteristic length field constructed from the spatial distributions of electron energy and density, enabling dynamic refinement and coarsening. A remapping procedure is introduced to transfer the solution between meshes, involving target mass integration over polygonal intersections and constrained optimization via the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker solver. The algorithm reproduces the results obtained on a fixed mesh, maintaining mass conservation error below 0.35% across 81 remeshing cycles. Simulation results show a consistent streamer length and electron energy profile compared to the fixed-grid model. The adaptive approach reduces the computational time by up to 1.5 times while preserving key integral characteristics such as discharge current and electrodynamic force.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is the promising electrolysis method in energy-efficient hydrogen conversion. Considerable research has been focused on electrocatalysts that can enhance electrochemical performance in high potential and acidic condition. However, such harsh conditions of PEMWE deteriorate catalyst stability. Herein, we propose stable titanium dioxide support with various approaches of carbon shell formation. The role of the carbon shell is to compensate for the low conductivity of titanium dioxide and fabricating it as less corrosive.ZIF-8, Zinc based metal organic framework, exhibits a high surface area with wide range of pore distributions. NC itself exhibits 722 m2/g. Especially, through titanium dioxide nanoparticle encapsulation in NC shell, active surface area increased to 830 m2/g. With large surface area of support, catalyst enables to have more available active sites. Also, the mesopore ratio increased, compared to sole NC shell or nanoparticle attached on NC shell, which generate favorable bubble detachment. Besides Ti sites, nitrogen anchoring sites are newly exhibited, which enhances electron transfer leading to higher catalyst activity. By using conductive material, noble metal based OER catalyst can take advantage of lowering the usage of Iridium. About 4 times lower amount of Iridium (0.028 mgIr/cm2) was used, compared to US DOE for PEMWEs. The activity of exhibited 265 mV, which is lower than commercial iridium dioxide catalyst (299 mV). To further, 20 times higher mass activity (1905 mA/mgIr) is obtained than commercial Iridium dioxide, due to high conductivity with favorable bubble detachment. To make it more durable, we oxidized samples in air atmosphere. As a result, it exhibited superior stability even after constant operation at 10 mA/cm2 for 9 hours.Hydrocarbon, derived from pitch, is simply coated on titanium dioxide nanoparticle. Coating solvent is extracted by simple method of mixing organic solvent with pitch powder. From MALDI-MS results, we obtained 300-500 m/z oriented size of small hydrocarbon molecules. Our approach was to adjust the amount of hydrocarbon, to be uniformly coated with additional annealing. Highest overpotential is shown on which exhibited overpotential of 258 mV at 10 mA/cm2. For powder resistivity measurement, constant decrease of resistivity is found by increasing amount of hydrocarbon, showing increase of conductivity. This showed a similar tendency to electrochemical tests by obtaining higher current density. Sample exhibited exceptional mass activity of 1905 mA/mgIr at 1.55 VRHE . Specifically, annealing support at inert atmosphere improves stability of catalyst, making strong metal-support interaction. It showed exceptional stability at constant 10 mA/cm2 for 23 hours. Since commercial iridium dioxide exhibits lower stability with a higher degradation rate of 6.2 mV/h, this catalyst exhibited 2.5 mV/h low degradation rate.Above 1.5V, it is quite harsh for carbon support to corrode in acidic electrolyte. Therefore, interaction between titanium and carbon would take an important role in stability. Consequently, highly conductive carbon support not only enhances stability with less corrosion but also reduces noble metal usage. To further, the catalyst targeting 5 cm2 active area was electro-sprayed with both catalysts, expecting to obtain high stability with lower degradation rate in single cell condition. Therefore, our research can aid the sustainability of PEMWE. Figure 1

Due to the significant amounts of carbon dioxide produced by economic development, there is an increasing demand for green energy sources to address global warming and the greenhouse effect. To address this issue, low-emission energy sources are being prioritized. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) and Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cells (SOECs) are promising solution towards sustainable provision of energy and hydrogen, respectively.A widely used electrode material for these types of electrochemical cells is currently a nickel and yttria-stabilized zirconia (Ni-YSZ) composite. This is because of its high electronic-ionic conductivity and good chemical activity, while being relatively inexpensive. It also provides enough mechanical strength and matches the thermal expansion coefficient of the electrolyte. Although electrochemical performance depends on the development of the inner surface of the electrode and accessibility of the so-called triple phase boundary (TPB). Therefore, obtaining a proper microstructure of the electrode is of major importance. Nanostructuring is an interesting attempt to alter the properties of the conventional materials to enhance their desired properties, especially for electrocatalytic water/CO2 splitting.A nanostructured NiO-YSZ composite was prepared via a novel, one-pot synthesis route. It is based on a dual soft-hard templating on a micelle-forming system composed of CTAB/Pluronic P123 and crystallizing NaCl. Because of that, it was possible to produce a wormhole-like submicrometric microstructure of the materials with nearly full open porosity. This approach allowed to produced powders with incredible ease of shaping really thin electrodes (<500 μm) via simple dry pressing. The density and porosity were calculated using the Archimedes principle. The electrical conductivity and microstructure of the sintered electrodes were analyzed using the direct current 4-wire conductivity method (DC4W) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The development of the TPB was characterized by 3D microtomography and compared to conventionally fabricated electrodes.Sintering profiles and thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) were obtained under an air atmosphere through dilatometry on both pressed pellets and sintered samples. The sintering profiles were optimized to obtain crack and wrinkle-free 0.5” and 1” ceramic supports. The synthesis route allowed to lower the sintering temperature of the composite by ~100 ̊C. A set of samples was subjected to the deposition of a thin 8YSZ electrolyte via suspension spraying or screenprinting. The final products were checked for the quality of the base layer and gas tightness of the electrolyte. The substrates were subjected to preliminary tests of stability under high water vapor concentration and polarization. Acknowledgment This work was supported by a project OPUS22 funded by National Science Centre Poland, based on decision UMO-2021/43/B/ST8/01831.

Na₃PS₄ (NPS) is a promising solid-state electrolyte for sodium-ion batteries due to its high ionic conductivity and favorable mechanical properties. However, it is widely believed to be highly sensitive to moisture, leading to hydrolysis, H₂S release, and degraded ionic conductivity under ambient conditions. Despite these concerns, current understanding of NPS moisture stability remains largely qualitative, typically comparing dry room (<0.1% RH) and ambient (~20–50% RH) conditions without clear thresholds for process control. A quantitative understanding of NPS moisture tolerance could enable cost-effective manufacturing environments without compromising performance. In this work, we developed a custom-built glovebox system capable of precisely controlling ambient moisture levels (1–50% RH in air atmosphere) to systematically investigate the moisture stability of NPS. We exposed NPS samples to varying humidity levels and evaluated their structural, electrochemical, and battery performance metrics. Our results reveal a critical humidity threshold below which NPS retains recoverable ionic conductivity and stable battery cycling performance, along with distinct reaction mechanisms across different humidity levels. These findings define a process window for practical handling and integration of NPS outside of ultra-dry environments. This work establishes an experimental framework for quantitatively evaluating the moisture tolerance of solid-state electrolytes and other moisture-sensitive materials. The insights gained offer practical guidelines for scalable, cost-effective manufacturing of high-performance solid-state batteries.

1. Introduction Nickel migration of Ni-YSZ fuel electrode is one of the major degradation mechanisms of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)1. Ni migration reduces the density of triple-phase boundaries (TPBs), which significantly impairs efficiency and durability of SOFCs. Ni migration is known to be affected by polarization. However, since overpotential depends on temperature, gas composition and operating current, material, etc., understanding their effects is crucial for predicting Ni migration. Many studies have focused on elucidating how operating conditions influence Ni migration. Mogensen et al.2 demonstrated that at higher temperatures, polarization mode and steam partial pressure gradient determine the direction and extent of Ni redistribution. Rinaldi et al.3 observed that Ni migrates toward the electrolyte in SOFC mode, but direction reverses under electrolysis (SOEC) mode, especially when operating at high polarization. Moreover, Hauch et al.4,5 demonstrated that at high steam partial pressures (PH2O > 0.5 atm), gaseous Ni(OH)2 formation becomes dominant. However, most studies rely on postmortem analyses that provide only static insights of microstructural evolution6. Recently, patterned electrode cells have attracted attention, as they simplify the complex three-dimensional electrode structure into two-dimensional configuration, which facilitates direct observation of Ni migration. Jiao and Shikazono7 first reported Ni migration on the surface of patterned Ni-YSZ electrodes. Ouyang et al.8 investigated the influence of transition metal elements on Ni migration in FC operation, providing new insights into the underlying migration mechanisms.This research aims to clarify the relationship between polarization and Ni migration in SOFCs. By applying a simplified two-dimensional patterned electrode, this work focuses on quantifying the role of polarization on Ni migration. The primary objective is to measure the direction and extent of Ni migration under controlled conditions, including steam partial pressure, temperature, and applied voltage, etc. This approach is expected to bridge the gap between empirical observations and theoretical models of polarization-driven degradation. 2. Methodology A 500 μm thick 8YSZ pellet is mirror polished and prepared for the electrolyte. On one side of the electrolyte, gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) and lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF) are printed as the barrier layer and air electrode, respectively. The GDC and LSCF layers are sintered at 1300°C for 3 hours and 1150°C for 1 hour in air atmosphere, respectively. On the other side, patterned Ni is sputtered as fuel electrode9.An electrochemical testing system is used for the ex-situ experiment8. The cell is sealed with gold rings between the alumina tubes to prevent gas leakage. A Pt wire is used as the reference electrode. Pt and Au meshes are employed as current collectors for the fuel and air electrodes, respectively. N2 is supplied to prevent oxidation during heating up. After reaching the designated temperature, a mixture gas is supplied to the fuel electrode with various PH2O (3%-30%), and pure oxygen is supplied to the air electrode side. Voltage is varied from OCV to 0.6 V between the fuel and reference electrodes.Operando observation is conducted inside the test device equipped with a window for observation9,10. The cell is fixed on a stainless sub-chamber using ceramic paste. Platinum meshes are used as current collectors for both fuel and air electrodes. The voltage is applied between the fuel and air electrodes. A confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) is used to observe the dynamic change of fuel electrode surface during operation. The control of applied voltage and gas is consistent with ex-situ experiments.After testing, the cells are cooled down to room temperature under the same atmosphere. The CLSM is used to quantify Ni migration. These measurements are repeated at each polarization level, forming a detailed voltage–migration distance relationship. 3. Results and discussion The Ni morphologies from the ex-situ experiments are observed after operating for one hour at 800°C and a steam partial pressure of 3%, as shown in Fig. 1. At low polarization (at higher voltages), Ni migration is not observed, where thermal sintering becomes dominant and resulted in Ni front retraction. At higher polarization (lower voltage), Ni migrates inward on the YSZ surface11. The results showed the existence of critical threshold voltage, at which Ni migration abruptly initiates beyond the threshold. These findings align with the previous studies, showing that high current density or strong anodic bias accelerates Ni migration2,11. The sharp transition highlights the need to control the operating conditions to mitigate Ni migration and to enhance electrode durability. 4. Conclusion At high anodic polarization, a threshold voltage was observed for Ni migration, beyond which severe Ni migration occurred. On the other hand, at low polarization conditions, high-temperature sintering became dominant. These findings are critical to provide insights for optimizing SOFC operation and electrode designs, contributing to the commercial application of SOFC technology in sustainable energy systems.

An increasing demand for environmentally sustainable energy sources resulted in a search for alternatives to traditional fossil fuel consumption. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) offer exceptional efficiency in converting chemical energy from fuels into electricity and vice versa. A common electrolyte material in SOFCs is 8 mol.% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ). It is used due to its ability to conduct oxygen ions efficiently, good mechanical properties, low price, and matching thermal expansion coefficients with other components of the cell. However, sintering 8YSZ typically necessitates high temperatures to facilitate the densification and grain growth processes. To reduce the energy requirements for sintering and allow using alternative electrode materials, it is essential to enhance the sintering kinetics by adding different sintering aids, so it can be accomplished at far lower temperatures. This work was focused on the influence of Li, Bi and Co nitrates on the densification of 8YSZ in a temperature range of 1200-1300 °C. The amount of the metal nitrates added was set to – 3 mol.% for Li/Bi, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 mol.% for Co nitrate. Porosity, electrochemical conductivity, microstructure, and chemical environment of these sintered electrolytes were analyzed using Archimedes’ principle density measurement, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The sintering profiles and thermal expansion coefficients (TECs) were collected under air atmosphere using dilatometry on pressed pellets and sintered samples. The sintering profiles were extremely influenced by the addition of the secondary metal oxides into 8YSZ powders, of which the Co-containing samples were characterized by the highest densification rates even at the lowest temperature range. Enhanced grain growth and densification were observed with increasing additions of Co oxide, whereas the other dopants had a neutral or a negative effect on these processes. Co oxide-doped 8YSZ revealed a dense structure on SEM, which was further proven by porosity measurement. After the addition of 3 mol.% Co oxide into 8YSZ the total porosity went down from 15.1% to 5.9% (1300 °C), 31.8% to 11.0% (1250 °C), and 35.7% to 14.6% (1200 °C). The SEM images revealed strong growth of the zirconia grains after the addition of Co ions into the structure. No easily visible secondary phases were recognizable from SEM images, however after the analysis of XRD diffractograms, trace amount of CoO-like phases were found in each diffractogram. The reference and Co oxide-containing pellets sintered at selected temperatures to achieve 95% density (1350 °C for reference and 1 mol.%, 1300 °C for 2, 3 and 4 mol.%, and 1250 °C for 5 and 6 mol.%) underwent electrochemical conductivity measurements via EIS technique to describe the possible changes in the mechanisms of conductivity. It was found that increased Co oxide content correlated with a slight decrease in conductivity. Use of EIS allowed for differentiating between grain and grain boundary resistances. The XAS measurements allowed to distinguish the changes in chemical environment of the Co ions when the amount of the sintering aid was increased. The dependence between the grain conductivity and the solubility limit were determined. Acknowledgment This work was supported by a project OPUS22 funded by National Science Centre Poland, based on decision UMO-2021/43/B/ST8/01831.