Commercial Applications Research Articles

Skeletonema marinoi ecotypes show specific habitat-related responses to fluctuating light supporting high potential for growth under photobioreactor light regime.

Diatoms are a diverse group of phytoplankton usually dominating areas characterized by rapidly shifting light conditions. Because of their high growth rates and interesting biochemical profile, their biomass is considered for various commercial applications. This study aimed at identifyingstrains with superior growth in a photobioreactor (PBR) by screening the natural intraspecific diversity of ecotypes isolated from different habitats. We investigated the effect of PBR light fluctuating on a millisecond scale (FL, simulating the light in a PBR) on 19 ecotypes of the diatom Skeletonema marinoi isolated from the North Sea-Baltic Sea area. We compare growth, pigment ratios, phylogeny, photo-physiological variables and photoacclimation strategies between all strains and perform qPCR and absorption spectra analysis on a subset of strains. Our results show that the ecotypes responded differently to FL, and have contrasting photo-physiological and photoprotective strategies. The strains from Kattegat performed better in FL, and shared common photoacclimation and photoprotection strategies that are the results of adaptation to the specific light climate of the Kattegat area. The strains that performed better with FL conditions had a high light (HL)-acclimated phenotype coupled with unique nonphotochemical quenching features. Based on their characteristics, three strains were identified as good candidates for growth in PBRs.

First principles investigation of Li[formula omitted]Si and Li[formula omitted]Sn alloys: Unraveling atomic-scale influences on material properties

Commercial batteries have currently reached their peak specific capacity, which proves insufficient for the ongoing global energy transition. Consequently, there has been a surge of interest in developing new materials over the last decade, especially those based on silicon (Si) and tin (Sn), known for their high capacity. Despite numerous publications highlighting the advantages of these materials, crucial questions remain regarding volume expansion that must be addressed to propose effective solutions and facilitate their widespread commercial application. In this study, density functional theory was employed to investigate the formation of LixM (M = Si, Sn). Our analysis delves into crystal (c-LixM), amorphous (a-LixM), and amorphous slab (s-LixM) configurations during structural optimization calculations, with the aim of comparing and contrasting relevant findings. The exploration encompasses energetic aspects, volume expansion, and electronic properties. The obtained data enables the simulation of lithiation potential curves for each structural type, directly comparable with experimental results of these materials functioning as anodes in lithium-ion batteries. Notably, the volume expansion of a-LixM exhibits non-linear behavior, correlating with characteristic plateaus in the voltage profile curves.

High efficiency and high color purity deep‐blue organic light‐emitting diodes with blue index >500

AbstractThermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) and phosphorescent blue organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been developed to overcome the relatively low triplet exciton utilization of traditional fluorescent OLEDs. However, broad emission spectra originating from charge transfer process limit the commercial application of such blue OLEDs. Herein, an effective phosphor‐sensitized fluorescent (PSF) OLED device structure was designed. PSF OLED exhibited a maximum blue index (BI) of 508 cd/A/CIEy with CIEy of 0.060, which has been the highest efficiency result reported for PSF deep‐blue OLEDs. A nearly 100% improvement in operational lifetime LT95 (L/L0 = 95%) was achieved successfully by using lower triplet energy (T1) and deuterated host materials. Impressively, the sensitized OLEDs maintained BI of 407 cd/A/CIEy, narrow emission spectra (FWHM = 17 nm), and high color purity (CIEy = 0.046), revealing the attractive technical advantages and commercial application potential.

Bimetallic Ni and Pt single atoms anchored on nitrogen–phosphorus doped porous carbon fibers to achieve significant electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The commercial application of water electrolysis for hydrogen production requires the development of low precious metal catalysts with a high crustal abundance. One feasible strategy is to utilize bimetallic catalysts composed of both transition and precious metals. In this study, a novel N/P-doped Ni/Pt bimetallic catalyst is developed (NiPt@C-NP, 3.68 % Ni, 0.2 % Pt) using polyacrylonitrile fibers as an inexpensive carbon source for catalyst support. Due to strong anchoring from the N and P heteroatoms, the nickel and platinum species are mono-atomically dispersed throughout the catalyst. Under acidic conditions, NiPt@C-NP exhibits a hydrogen evolution overpotential of 89 mV (10 mA cm−2), whereas an unsupported platinum catalyst gives an overpotential of 302 mV. The mass activity of Pt in NiPt@C-NP reaches 36.17 A mgPt−1, which is 33 times higher than 20 % Pt/C (1.07 A mgPt−1). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that synergistic interactions between Ni and Pt significantly increase the density of state near the Fermi level of NiPt@C-NP, resulting in a reduced bandgap and an enhanced charge transfer capability. Furthermore, the Gibbs free energy at the Pt and Ni sites is − 0.25 and − 0.63 eV, respectively, indicating fast reaction kinetics.

Stabilizing the Bulk-Phase and Solid Electrolyte Interphase of Silicon Microparticle Anode by Constructing Gradient-Hierarchically Ordered Conductive Networks.

The poor bulk-phase and interphase stability, attributable to adverse internal stress, impede the cycling performance of silicon microparticles (µSi) anodes and the commercial application for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries. In this work, a groundbreaking gradient-hierarchically ordered conductive (GHOC) network structure, ingeniously engineered to enhance the stability of both bulk-phase and the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) configurations of µSi, is proposed. Within the GHOC network architecture, two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides (Ti3C2Tx) act as a conductive "brick", establishing a highly conductive inner layer on µSi, while the porous outer layer, composed of one-dimensional (1D) Tempo-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TCNF) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) macromolecule, functions akin to structural "rebar" and "concrete", effectively preserves the tightly interconnected conductive framework through multiple bonding mechanisms, including covalent and hydrogen bonds. Additionally, Ti3C2Tx enhances the development of a LiF-enriched SEI. Consequently, the µSi-MTCNF-PAA anode presents a high discharge capacity of 1413.7 mAh g-1 even after 500 cycles at 1.0 C. Moreover, a full cell, integrating LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 with µSi-MTCNF-PAA, exhibits a capacity retention rate of 92.0% following 50 cycles. This GHOC network structure can offer an efficacious pathway for stabilizing both the bulk-phase and interphase structure of anode materials with high volumetric strain.

Boosting the performance of polymer field-effect transistors through fluorine atom substitutions and comparing the effect of various acceptor units and channel mobilities

Three conjugated copolymers, PDPP-2FTVT, PIID-2FTVT, and PNDI-2FTVT based on the 2,2′-(1E)-1,2-ethenediylbis[3-fluorothiophene] (2FTVT) core with varying acceptor units, diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP), isoindigo (IID), and naphthalenediimide (NDI) were developed for organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). Combined electron-withdrawing fluorine atoms and vinyl linkage in the 2FTVT unit not only reduce the frontier molecular orbital energies but also extended the absorption profile and planarize the polymer backbone, manifesting synergetic effect on the strengthened molecular interactions and charge-carrier properties. The resulted copolymer, PDPP-2FTVT show highly reliable thin film transistor properties with highest hole mobility of 1.93 cm2 V−1 s−1 compared to PIID-2FTV and PNDI-2FTVT. PIID-2FTV copolymer show ambipolar characteristic with hole and electron mobilities of 0.71 and 0.03 cm2 V−1 s−1 respectively while PNDI-2FTVT exhibited the highest electron mobility of 0.20 cm2 V−1 s−1 among three copolymers. Thin film micro-structure characterization reveal that the three copolymers formed lamellar, edge-on molecular packing (for PDPP-2FTVT and PIID-2FTV), increased crystallinity with smaller π-π stacking distances, and strengthen the planarity after thermal annealing. These results contribute important progresses in solution-processed OFET and could provide a greater possibility of 2FTVT based copolymers for commercial application.

High‐Voltage Spinel Cathode Materials: Navigating the Structural Evolution for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

AbstractHigh‐voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 (LNMO) spinel oxides are highly promising cobalt‐free cathode materials to cater to the surging demand for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). However, commercial application of LNMOs is still challenging despite decades of research. To address the challenge, the understanding of their crystallography and structural evolutions during synthesis and electrochemical operation is critical. This review aims to illustrate and update the fundamentals of crystallography, phase transition mechanisms, and electrochemical behaviors of LNMOs. First, we outline the research history of LNMO and its development into a LIB cathode material. Then we review the structural basics of LNMOs including the classic and updated views of the crystal polymorphism, interconversion between the polymorphs, and structure‐composition relationship. Afterwards, the phase transition mechanisms of LNMOs that connect structural and electrochemical properties are comprehensively discussed from fundamental thermodynamics to operando dynamics at intra‐ and inter‐particle levels. In addition, phase evolutions during overlithiation as well as thermal‐/electrochemical‐driven phase transformations of LNMOs are also discussed. Finally, we offer recommendations for the further development of LNMOs as well as other complex materials to unlock their full potential for future sustainable and powerful batteries.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Supported bimetallic PtNi-vinyl complex for hydrosilylation of straight-chain terminal alkenes with tertiary silanes: Effect of Ni promoter on catalytic performance

A bimetallic PtNi-vinyl complex as catalytic active center was created on modified rice straw biochar by introducing an appropriate amount of cheap Ni component as a catalytic promoter. The constructed bimetallic catalyst (PtNi-VTES-RSOC) was used to catalyze hydrosilylation of terminal alkenes with tertiary silanes to produce alkylsilanes with high commercial application value. The experimental results proved that the conversion of 1-octene 96.5 % and selectivity for target product 97.1 % were obtained in hydrosilylation of 1-octene with triethoxysilane catalyzed by PtNi-VTES-RSOC with mass ratio of Pt/Ni = 1.5:1 (molar ratio of Pt/Ni≈1:2) under mild conditions (atmospheric pressure, solvent-free, 50 ℃ and 3 h). It also possessed higher catalytic ability and regioselectivity for hydrosilyation of long-chain alkenes (1-octadecene) with tertiary silanes compared to the counterpart monometallic catalysts. The characterization and theoretical calculation results demonstrated that the introduced suitable amount of Ni(II) could affect the structure of original Pt(II)-vinyl complexes and form a stable and unique bimetallic vinyl coordination microstructure by using a shared vinyl group, thereby affecting morphology, structure, and catalytic performance of the as-prepared bimetallic catalyst with mass ratio of Pt/Ni = 1.5:1. Changing the introduction order and introducing excessive or insufficient of Ni(II) would both disrupt the formation of this special structure and affect the catalytic performance. Additionally, the formed stable complex structure with vinyl groups could well maintain the catalytic stability. The study results exposed that the as-prepared bimetallic catalyst would possess a great industrial application potential in the hydrosilylation of alkenes by efficiently increasing the product quality and reducing operation cost.

Bond Structure Engineering Induced the Mn Redox Stabilization Toward High‐Energy Mn‐Based Phosphate Cathode

AbstractManganese (Mn) ‐based phosphate is poised for commercial applications driven by its cost‐effectiveness, robust NASICON framework, and multi‐dimensional Na+ pathways. However, it encounters insufficient redox reactions and rapid structural collapse with severe lattice distortion as the culprit. Herein, one meticulously engineered substitutional solid solution cathode (integrating Na4MnCr(PO4)3 and Na3MnTi(PO4)3, denoted NMCTP) is proposed to regulate the local crystal structure of Mn─O bond to stabilize and promote the Mn redox reaction for optimizing the electrochemical performance. It is uncovered that the bulk framework with structural stability is constructed by strongly symmetric Mn─O bond lengths of MnO6 octahedrons and strengthened Mn─O covalency. In addition, the sufficient utilization of Mn redox is tightly correlated with redistributed Na2 occupancy and enhanced diffusion kinetics with accelerated electron transportation. By virtue of the above merits, The NMCTP performs ultra‐high capacity (150.3 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C) and appealing cycling stability (84.7% retention over 1000 cycles). Sodium storage mechanisms and potential factors at high potentials are unveiled in NMCTP materials. This work sheds light on fire‐new solid solution strengthening in view of the Mn─O bond structure for high‐performance Mn‐based phosphate cathodes.

Enterprise violation risk deduction combining generative AI and event evolution graph

AbstractIn the current realms of scientific research and commercial applications, the risk inference of regulatory violations by publicly listed enterprises has attracted considerable attention. However, there are some problems in the existing research on the deduction and prediction of violation risk of listed enterprises, such as the lack of analysis of the causal logic association between violation events, the low interpretability and effectiveness of the deduction and the lack of training data. To solve these problems, we propose a framework for enterprise violation risk deduction based on generative AI and event evolution graphs. First, the generative AI technology was used to generate a new text summary of the lengthy and complex enterprise violation announcement to realize a concise overview of the violation matters. Second, by fine‐tuning the generative AI model, an event entity and causality extraction framework based on automated data augmentation are proposed, and the UIE (Unified Structure Generation for Universal Information Extraction) event entity extraction model is used to create the event entity extraction for listed enterprises ‘violations. Then, a causality extraction model CDDP‐GAT (Event Causality Extraction Based on Chinese Dictionary and Dependency Parsing of GAT) is proposed. This model aims to identify and analyse the causal links between corporate breaches, thereby deepening the understanding of the event logic. Then, the merger of similar events was realized, and the causal correlation weights between enterprise violation‐related events were evaluated. Finally, the listed enterprise's violation risk event evolution graph was constructed, and the enterprise violation risk deduction was carried out to form an expert system of financial violations. The deduction results show that the method can effectively reveal signs of enterprise violations and adverse consequences.

Development and Deployment of a High-Precision Power Factor Measurement Meter

This research article presents the development and deployment of a high-accuracy power factor measurement meter. Power factor measurement is crucial for assessing the efficiency of electrical systems and ensuring optimal power usage. The proposed meter employs advanced signal processing techniques to accurately measure both leading and lagging power factors with high precision. The design incorporates robust hardware components such as ATMega8 micro- controlling chip and sophisticated algorithms to minimize errors and provide reliable measurements even in challenging operating conditions. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed meter in accurately measuring power factor across a wide range of electrical loads. The developed meter offers significant improvements in accuracy and reliability compared to existing solutions, making it suitable for various industrial and commercial applications where precise power factor measurement is essential for efficient energy management.

Utilization of waste high calcium oxide fly ash as hybrid activator for vulcanization of natural rubber/carbon black composites: Reducing zinc oxide requirement

A high calcium oxide fly ash (FA), a by-product waste of electric power generation has been used as hybrid activator in natural rubber (NR) composites filled with carbon black (CB). The aim of using FA is to reduce the environmental contamination by zinc oxide (ZnO) needed as activator for sulfur-vulcanization/crosslinking in final NR products. The FA was varied by adding in the composites with and without ZnO, and it was observed that chemical crosslinking could be generated although no ZnO was used anymore. The synergistic FA/ZnO-blend with FA 9 phr and ZnO 3 phr presented the best fit for the NR/CB composites, where it showed a proper crosslink density, reinforcement efficiency, cure characteristics, and mechanical properties in terms of modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break and tear resistance. This relates to the inorganic composition of the FA, in particular calcium oxide (CaO), which induces the thermal conductivity throughout the NR matrix and activates crosslinking between the NR molecules. The results showed effective use of FA in the composites, which can be applied to the CB-based formulations used in commercial NR applications like tires, barriers, and elastic stopper.

Functional Soft Materials with Resistance to Liquid Leakage for Thermal Energy Storage

AbstractFunctional soft materials have great potential commercial applications in thermal energy storage, which are required to have a long life, good flexibility, and resistance to liquid leakage. Herein, a composite hydrogel with thermal storage properties is prepared through coupling molecular self‐assembly and in situ polymerization. Hydrophobic stearic acid (SA), as a thermal storage phase change material (PCM), is dispersed in polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel network in the form of oil–water emulsion (O/W). The PAM polymer network with good flexibility physically limits high‐frequency collision between SA PCM droplets. This unique design avoids demulsification in phase change emulsion so that the as‐prepared hydrogel composite can resist liquid leakage. The PAM hydrogel network plays the role of heterogeneous nucleation, resulting in the super‐cooling of SA emulsion at only 0.3 °C. On the other hand, SA PCM droplets in as‐prepared soft material do not directly contact with liquid water, so melting/crystallization process is independent of water. As a result, the soft material exhibits a thermal storage density of up to 99.3 J g−1. The present study is an important step toward designing soft energy storage materials.

Synergistic strategy of rigid-bridge and flexible-bridge achieving high-performance and mechanical robustness all-Polymer solar cells

As the great potential of the all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) for wearable devices, both excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) and mechanical robustness are essential for commercial application. Unfortunately, the current photoelectric conversion efficiency and mechanical robustness of all-PSCs are always trade-off parameters. Here, a synergistic strategy of rigid-bridge and flexible-bridge in polymerized small molecular acceptors (PSMAs) affords four polymerized acceptors PY-IT, PY-IF1, PYF1-A and PYF1-B to simultaneously improve the PCE and mechanical property of the organic solar cells (OSCs). The different molecular structures from different bridges result in different molecular stacking, energy disorder, and mechanical robustness. The rigid-bridge PY-IT-based device yields a moderate PCE of 15.07% and flexible-bridge PY-IF1-based one shows a PCE of 11.73%. The terpolymer PYF1-A with the flexible-bridges partly replacing Y units also shows an unsatisfactory PCE of 13.60%. Interestingly, PYF1-B with the flexible-bridges partly replacing the rigid-bridges presents ordered molecular stacking, inducing the all-PSCs with PCE of 16.27%, which is the highest value in the flexible non-conjugated PSMAs-based devices. Besides, PM6:PYF1-B achieves an outstanding crack onset strain (COS) of 16.08% which is much better than 8.67% for PM6:PY-IT counterpart. Intrinsically flexibility enables the flexible device based on PYF1-B with preeminent bending tolerance. Besides, PM6:PYF1-B-based blend shows better comprehensive performance with an efficiency stretchability factor (ESF) of 2.16%, which is almost twice that of PM6:PY-IT counterpart. Our work provides a clear recognition of the rigid-bridges and flexible-bridges in the PSCs and promotes the development of all-PSCs in wearable electronic devices.

MOF-derived nanozyme CuOx@C and its application for cascade colorimetric detection of phytosterols.

Phytosterols (PSs), a class of naturally occurring bioactive lipid compounds, have been found to possess a significant cholesterol-lowering effect. In developing countries, the consumption of rapeseed oil is the primary pathway of PS intake for the general population. However, developing low-cost, real-time, and high-throughput screening techniques for PSs remains a challenge. Here, a Cu-based nanocomposite CuOx@C was synthesized via a simple method of the calcination of HKUST-1 and systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The CuOx@C demonstrated excellent peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity, functioning as a peroxidase mimic to facilitate the catalysis of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) into its oxidized form (oxTMB), thereby initiating a discernible color response. On the basis of this discovery, a CuOx@C-based colorimetric method for detecting total sterols in rapeseed was successfully constructed via cascade reactions. After optimizing the conditions, the high-throughput screening of total sterols in rapeseed could be completed in only 21min, which significantly facilitated the sensing of PSs. A linear range of 0.6-6mg/g was achieved for the detection of total sterols in rapeseed samples, thereby satisfying the requirements for detection. In addition, due to the high stability of CuOx@C and the specificity of cholesterol oxidase, the developed method had excellent stability and selectivity toward PSs, indicating that this work has huge prospects for commercial application. This innovative work overcomes the limitation of the instrumental method and provides a portable and reliable tool for total sterols detection. It can also facilitate the development of oilseeds with a high content of PSs.

Molecular‐Engineered Wool for Sustainable All‐Weather Radiative Cooling Textiles

AbstractPersonal thermal regulation through passive radiative cooling is an effective strategy to achieve sustainable development. Although recent advances have introduced various cooling textile designs, the extensive use of materials unsuitable for common textiles, alongside coating or compositing technologies, not only compromises the wearability and safety of these textiles but also impacts green sustainability. Herein, it is shown that wool is a promising natural material for transferring mid‐infrared human body radiation, but the high absorption in the solar spectrum prohibits wool from achieving satisfactory daytime radiative cooling. Thus the natural wool impregnates zinc ions into the protein chains to form a zinc‐ion woolen (wool‐Zn) fabric. The wool‐Zn fabric can provide humans with a cooling sensation both indoors and daytime outdoors, showing a temperature reduction of 2 °C on human skin indoors and a reduction of 7 °C on artificial skin under direct sunlight, respectively, when covered by wool‐Zn fabrics compared to when covered with cotton. Moreover, the wool‐Zn fabric shows desirable antibacterial properties and durability against washing and abrasion, while maintaining desirable wearability. As a result, the wool‐Zn fabric shows great potential for commercial application in personal thermoregulation and provides an effective avenue toward sustainable energy and environment.

Graph-based decomposition for electrical wiring design in interior finishing

Electrical wiring design within interior finishing is subject to various practical criteria, thereby resulting in time-intensive manual implementation. Despite this, most applications offer only basic collision detection tools, limiting design capabilities. In response, a graph-based decomposition approach is introduced, framing electrical wiring design as an optimization problem on a non-uniform grid graph derived from building information. This method breaks down the problem into two distinct subproblems, which are sequentially solved to achieve an optimal overall solution. Through experimentation across synthetic and real-world instances, performance improvements are demonstrated compared to two conventional integer programming solvers, yielding cost reductions averaging 12.3% when compared to a leading commercial application for interior design. These findings demonstrate the potential integration of this approach into building information modeling platforms, offering an efficient toolset for electrical wiring design in interior finishing.

Biodegradable polybutylene succinate: Purified method and oligomers investigation

The oligomers found in polybutylene succinate (PBS) have a significant impact on its properties. It is crucial to qualitative and quantitative analyze oligomers in PBS and remove them effectively. Three kinds of solvent dissolution/precipitation methods were used to extract oligomers from PBS. Ten oligomer components were identified in the molecular weight in a range of 200–1400 g/mol for each extraction method, and the component with molecular weight of 236 g/mol in PBS could be effectively extracted by hexafluoroisopropanol/tetrahydrofuran (HFIP/THF) method, accounting for 51.4 %. Oligomers have almost the same chemical structure as PBS, mainly cyclic structure with 2–6 repeating units. The thermal stability of the three oligomers is weaker than that of PBS, showing two-step decomposition. The recrystallization temperature of PBS is increased from 92.1 °C to 95.6–97.8 °C after purification. The findings in this study will significantly contribute to the purification and subsequent commercial application of PBS.

Perovskite photovoltaic effect and its application on solar cell

Perovskite photovoltaic effect and its application on solar cell

Large‐Area Graphene‐Based Ion‐Selective Membranes with Micro/Meso‐Pores for Osmotic Energy Harvesting

AbstractRenewable osmotic energy between seawater and river water shows great potential in meeting global energy demand. Reverse electrodialysis (RED) technique using ion‐selective membrane is particularly outstanding for its easy operation. Preparing low‐cost and large‐area ion‐selective membranes with excellent ion transport characteristics is particularly important to promote commercial applications. Herein, large‐area ion‐selective membrane is prepared by scraping slurry of flocculated GO (graphene oxide)/PAAS (sodium polyacrylate) solution and then coated with PVA (polyvinyl alcohol)/SA (sodium alginate) gel layer. The PVA/SA molecules can penetrate into the membrane through the unique micro/meso‐pores, which together increase the ion selectivity, membrane permeability, and stability. This ion‐selective membrane can achieve a power density of 8.65 W m−2 under a 50‐fold salinity gradient (NaCl) simulating the sea/river junction environment (with the testing area of 0.0314 mm2). This work significantly promotes the application of GO in large‐area preparation of low‐cost ion‐selective membrane.