Energetic Carbon Research Articles

Detection of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on the stratified surface of Charon with JWST

Charon, Pluto’s largest moon, has been extensively studied, with research focusing on its primitive composition and changes due to radiation and photolysis. However, spectral data have so far been limited to wavelengths below 2.5 μm, leaving key aspects unresolved. Here we present the detection of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the surface of Charon’s northern hemisphere, using JWST data. These detections add to the known chemical inventory that includes crystalline water ice, ammonia-bearing species, and tholin-like darkening constituents previously revealed by ground- and space-based observations. The H2O2 presence indicates active radiolytic/photolytic processing of the water ice-rich surface by solar ultraviolet and interplanetary medium Lyman-α photons, solar wind, and galactic cosmic rays. Through spectral modeling of the surface, we show that the CO2 is present in pure crystalline form and, possibly, in intimately mixed states on the surface. Endogenically sourced subsurface CO2 exposed on the surface is likely the primary source of this component, with possible contributions from irradiation of hydrocarbons mixed with water ice, interfacial radiolysis between carbon deposits and water ice, and the implantation of energetic carbon ions from the solar wind and solar energetic particles.

Metal Acetylene Dicarboxylates as Catalyst for Printable Low Temperature Carbon Precursors

The synthesis of various metal acetylene dicarboxylates (MxADC, M = Cu, Ag, Fe, Co, Ni) via new methods are reported. The previously unknown crystal structures for Ag2ADC and FeADC are presented. The behaviour of the different metal dicarboxylates and their role as graphitization catalysts in a printable highly energetic carbon precursor is investigated in detail. Despite the copper compound has the lowest decomposition temperature of all studied acetylene dicarboxylates and is significantly enhancing the conductivity of carbon thin films obtained at low pyrolysis temperatures, the catalytic effect of cobalt and iron on graphitizing carbon results in a superior conductivity in carbon thin films pyrolyzed at lower temperatures down to 600°C. The newly designed precursors are demonstrated to produce micro‐supercapacitors with a 3D‐piezoelectric inkjet technique at low pyrolysis temperature.

Wear-resistant and adherent nanodiamond composite thin film for durable and sustainable silicon carbide mechanical seals

In response to environmental concerns, there is a growing demand for durable and sustainable mechanical seals, particularly in high-risk industries like chemical, petroleum, and nuclear sectors. This work proposes augmenting the durability and sustainability of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic seals with the application of a nanodiamond composite (NDC) film through coaxial arc plasma deposition (CAPD) in a vacuum atmosphere. The NDC coating, with a smooth surface roughness of Ra = 60 nm as substrate, demonstrated a thickness of 1.1 μm at a deposition rate of 2.6 μm/h. NDC film has demonstrated exceptional mechanical and tribological characteristics, such as a hardness (H) of 48.5 GPa, Young's modulus (E) of 496.7 GPa, plasticity index (H/E) of 0.098, and fracture toughness of H3/E2 = 0.46 GPa, respectively. These NDC films showcased commendable adhesion strength (>60 N), negligible wear, and low friction (≤0.18) during dry sliding against a SiC counter material. Raman analysis has confirmed the nanocomposite structure of NDC film, emphasizing the role of highly energetic carbon ions in enhancing film adhesion by forming SiC intermetallic compounds at the interface through the diffusion of silicon atoms from the substrate into the films. The abundance of grain boundaries and rehybridization of carbon sp3 to sp2 bonding is perceived to improve tribological performance. CAPD excels in synthesizing long-life eco-friendly NDC coatings for durable and sustainable mechanical seals, featuring smooth surfaces, superior adhesion, outstanding hardness, and wear resistance, making them high potential candidates for various tribological applications.

Cu-based nano-material catalysts for electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR)

With the emergence of the global energy crisis and global climate change, renewable energy systems, such as fuel cells that turn off energetic oxygen and carbon cycles, are becoming increasingly important. Carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO_2 RR) is an important electrocatalytic process on the gas diffusion electrode of CO_2 electrolyzer, which has been paid more and more attention by researchers. The problems of high cost, low efficiency, weak selectivity and stability of the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO_2 RR) also continue to be solved. Catalysts are considered a viable way to solve these problems. The Cu-based nanomaterial catalyst has been proven to have a good positive effect on the reaction. In this paper, the current research results of Cu-based nanomaterials on CO_2 RR were reviewed, and the catalytic effects of several different Cu-based nanomaterials on CO_2 RR reactions were compared. This paper collected the researches on the catalytic effect of copper-based nanomaterials on carbon dioxide reduction reactions in the past ten years, and found that most copper-based nanomaterials can improve the efficiency of the reactions and show good selectivity. The aim of this paper is to provide a possible catalytic direction for the improvement of carbon dioxide reduction reactions in industry

Surface engineering by rogue wave induced by energetic carbon clusters

Swift heavy ions are effective in nanostructuring material surfaces. The irradiation of lanthanum fluoride with 30 MeV C60 leads to the creation of surface nanohillocks of size larger than the ones produced by monoatomic heavy ions. The generation of the observed nano-sized hillocks is described here by a new approach that is based on ion-induced intensive electronic excitations that create localized rogue waves. Consequently, the induced nonlinear ion-acoustic rogue waves are considered a hallmark of nanohillock formation. Plasma hydrodynamic equations produce a relationship between normalised electron number density and crystal lattice spacing. Similarities to the hillock profile suggest the crucial primary role of electron density in the fabrication of surface nanostructures.

Growth of tin-free germanium carbon alloys using carbon tetrabromide (CBr4)

Direct bandgap group IV materials could provide intimate integration of lasers, amplifiers, and compact modulators within complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor for smaller, active silicon photonics. Dilute germanium carbides (GeC) with ∼1 at. % C offer a direct bandgap and strong optical emission, but energetic carbon sources such as plasmas and e-beam evaporation produce defective materials. In this work, we used CBr4 as a low-damage source of carbon in molecular beam epitaxy of tin-free GeC, with smooth surfaces and narrow x-ray diffraction peaks. Raman spectroscopy showed substitutional incorporation of C and no detectable sp2 bonding from amorphous or graphitic carbon, even without surfactants. Photoluminescence shows strong emission compared with Ge.

Rational regulation of 3D N-doped carbon macro-architectures toward low-temperature plasma catalysis: The roles of nitrogen content and hierarchical porous structure

The application of low-temperature plasma technology with optimized catalysts in water treatment has shown a good application prospect. However, the relationships between catalytic performance and composition (N atom-doping) and structure (hierarchical porous) of catalysts is still unclear. Here, 3D N-doped carbon macro-architectures is designed by thermolysis of energetic Zn-MOF, where triazole ligand with ultra-high nitrogen content provided the possibility for effective nitrogen doping and creation of hierarchical porous structure. In the DBD system, a series of energetic MOF-derived carbon (EMC-x) catalysts with different pyrolysis temperatures (from 700 to 1000 °C) were prepared, and the composition/structure-effective relationship was investigated in detail. Degradation mechanisms and pathways were analyzed by bursting experiments, quantitative detection of H2O2 and O3, three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (3D-EEM), LC-MS. The results confirmed that EMC-10 with high nitrogen content and hierarchical porous structure has a wide range of applications in synergistic plasma removal of TTCH from water bodies.

Flexible conductive energetic film based on energetic ionic liquids and carbon nanotubes for information security transient electronics

Transient electronics is an emerging class of functional electronics designed to address problems such as potential data leakage and information theft. In order to meet the unification of transient technology and electronics, we prepared a flexible conductive energetic film by assembling energetic ionic liquids (EILs) loaded single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and CuO functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). It was found that the interaction between EILs and SWNTs maintains the high conductivity of SWNTs and strengthens the flexibility of the film. The introduce of CuO functional MWNTs enhance the detonation performance of the films by catalyzing EILs combustion. Therefore, obtained flexible conductive energetic film has good conductivity (63.67 S/cm), high energy release (8037 kJ/kg), and high flexibility (1000 bends). It is confirmed that flexible conductive energetic film can meet the requirement of low-voltage operation and high-voltage self-destruction by replacing traditional circuit in an electronic device. The prepared transient chip is able to ignited in 10 ms and completely self-destruct within 0.7 s.

Synergistic effects of optimal negative bias-enhanced growth of quenched-produced diamond films on titanium substrates

We report on negative bias-enhanced growth of quenched-produced diamond films on titanium using hybrid coaxial arc plasma deposition at room temperature. Optimizing the bias voltage to −40 V resulted in a spontaneous formation of a titanium carbide interfacial layer, which caused a significant increase in the adhesion strength from 16 to 48 N. Selective etching of undesired sp 2–C bonded atoms and ultrafast quenching of the energetic carbon ions (C+) promoted the growth of dense sp 3–C bonded atoms, achieving a superhardness of 96 GPa, comparable to natural diamond. These pioneering findings have the potential to revolutionize multifunctional materials for biomedical applications.

Influence of different pretreatments on the adhesion of nanodiamond composite films on Ti substrates via coaxial arc plasma deposition

In this study, we report on the novel growth of nanodiamond composite (NDC) films on titanium (Ti) substrates using the coaxial arc plasma deposition (CAPD) at room temperature, which offers several advantages over conventional growth techniques. CAPD employs a unique coaxial arc plasma gun structure that provides a supersaturated condition of highly energetic carbon ions (C+) for ultrafast quenching on the substrate, promoting the growth of nanodiamond grains. This allows for NDC films’ growth on diverse substrates without the need for initial seeding or substrate heating. However, the growth of NDC films on Ti substrates at room temperature is challenging due to the native oxide layer (TiO2). Here, we grew NDC films on Ti substrates using three different pretreatments: (i) hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching, (ii) insertion of a titanium carbide (TiC) intermediate layer, and (iii) in situ Ar+ plasma etching. The morphology and structure of the grown NDC films were examined by 3D laser, high-resolution scanning electron microscopies (HR-SEM), Raman, and x-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies. Our results demonstrate that in situ Ar+ plasma etching is the most effective pretreatment method for completely removing the native TiO2 layer compared to the other two ex situ pretreatments, in which re-oxidation is more likely to occur after these pretreatments. Furthermore, NDC films grown using the hybrid Ar+ ion etching gun (IG) and CAPD exhibit the highest sp 3 content (63%) and adhesion strength (16 N).

Quasi-monoenergetic carbon ions generation from a double-layer target driven by extreme laser pulses

High quality energetic carbon ions produced via laser-plasma have many applications in tumor therapy, fast ignition and warm dense matter generation. However, the beam achieved in current experiments is still limited by either a large energy spread or a low peak energy. In this paper, a hybrid scheme for the generation of quasi-monoenergetic carbon ions is proposed by an ultra-intense laser pulse irradiating a double-layer target. Multi-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations show that the carbon ions are first accelerated via laser piston mechanism in the former carbon layer and then further accelerated by Coulomb repulsion force in the attached neon target. Since electrons are bunched synchronously in longitudinal and transverse direction by radiation reaction during the whole acceleration process, a quasi-monoenergetic carbon ion beam is eventually produced. In the following stage, the neon target provides the Coulomb field required for the continuous acceleration of the carbon ions which helps to prevent the carbon ion layer from diffusion. It is demonstrated that quasi-monoenergetic carbon ions with peak energy of 465 MeV u−1, energy spread of ∼13%, a divergence of ∼15∘, and laser-to-ion energy conversion of 20% can be achieved by using a laser pulse with intensity of 1.23 × 1023 W cm−2. An analytical model is also proposed to interpret the carbon ion acceleration, which is fairly consistent with the PIC simulations.

Design of a compact superconducting accelerator for advanced heavy-ion therapy

Radiotherapy using energetic carbon beams from the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) has been carried out at the National Institutes of Quantum Science and Technology (QST) since June 1994. Based on positive clinical results, carbon-ion radiotherapy was authorized as an Advanced Medical Technology by Japanese government from 2003 and it was subsequently approved for inclusion in the Japanese National Health Insurance system from 2016. For the widespread use of carbon-ion radiotherapy, design studies as well as related research and development projects were conducted to develop a compact accelerator facility from 2004. Based on these studies, five compact facilities were constructed in Japan. However, since the accelerators are large in size, construction of these facilities is currently limited to university hospitals or large medical centers, and hence development of a more compact accelerator is desired. To further promote widespread proliferation of heavy-ion facilities and concurrently to maximize the potential of heavy-ion therapy, a project to develop a compact superconducting accelerator, the Quantum Scalpel project, was proposed. The compact accelerator employs superconducting technology to reduce the footprint of the entire accelerator system and the accelerator can provide various therapeutic beams of helium, carbon, oxygen, and neon ions having the energy of 56-430 MeV/u to advanced heavy-ion therapy. In this article, we report the design of the compact superconducting accelerator for the advanced heavy-ion therapy and describe the progress of related research and development projects.

The Advance and Critical Functions of Energetic Carbon Dots in Carbon Dioxide Photo/Electroreduction Reactions.

As a unique carbon-based nano material, carbon dots (CDs) have attracted great attention because of their special structures and properties, and have been widely used in various fields, such as bio-imaging technology, catalyst design, pollutant degradation, chemical analysis, clean energy development and so on. CDs are used as catalysts or cocatalysts for multiple energy conversion reactions due to their advantages of valid visible light utilization, fast transmission of charge carriers, excellent catalytic activity, and good electrical conductivity. This review first summarizes the basic structure and properties of CDs. The advance and critical functions of energetic CDs in carbon dioxide photo/electroreduction reactions are discussed in detail. Due to the excellent optical absorption, electron transfer properties and good conductivity of CDs, they can enhance catalytic activity and stability effectively. In the end, the existing problems and future development opportunities of CDs-based catalysts in CO2 reduction reaction are proposed and outlined.

Drilling accurate nanopores for biosensors by energetic multi-wall carbon nanotubes: a molecular dynamics investigation.

Drilling precise nanopores in thin layers is in rapid demand for biosensing applications. We demonstrate that an energetic multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) can be a good candidate to fabricate nanopores on graphene from molecular dynamics simulations with a bond-order potential. High-quality nanopores with expected size and smooth margins could be created by an incident nanotube at chosen size and energy. Besides, a nanotube is in advantage of absorbing and translocating many biological macromolecules due to its strong adsorption capacity. It implies a feasible way to drill nanopores and carry big molecules through the fabricated nanopores in one step for fast biosensing applications.

Design and Magnetic Field Measurement of the Superconducting Magnets for the Next-Generation Rotating Gantry

This paper describes the design and reports the test results of the world's most compact rotating gantry for a heavy-ion therapy system mounted with superconducting bending and focusing magnets. A rotating gantry is cylindrical irradiation equipment with magnets for beam transport and beam scanning that delivers energetic carbon ions at up to 430 MeV/u precisely to a tumor from any direction without changing the posture of the patient. However, because of the high magnetic rigidity of therapeutic carbon ions, the rotating gantry was too big to be installed at general hospitals. Therefore, the superconducting rotating gantry had been developed in collaboration with Yamagata University. In the project, to achieve further downsizing of the rotating gantry, the length of the scanning irradiation system is reduced and the magnetic field of the superconducting magnet is increased to 3.5 T from the 2.88 T of the first superconducting gantry installed in the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST). As a result, the gantry is downsized to 2/3 of the first superconducting rotating gantry. This next-generation small superconducting rotating gantry has already been installed and is undergoing preclinical commissioning at Yamagata University.

Energy Deposition around Swift Carbon-Ion Tracks in Liquid Water.

Energetic carbon ions are promising projectiles used for cancer radiotherapy. A thorough knowledge of how the energy of these ions is deposited in biological media (mainly composed of liquid water) is required. This can be attained by means of detailed computer simulations, both macroscopically (relevant for appropriately delivering the dose) and at the nanoscale (important for determining the inflicted radiobiological damage). The energy lost per unit path length (i.e., the so-called stopping power) of carbon ions is here theoretically calculated within the dielectric formalism from the excitation spectrum of liquid water obtained from two complementary approaches (one relying on an optical-data model and the other exclusively on ab initio calculations). In addition, the energy carried at the nanometre scale by the generated secondary electrons around the ion’s path is simulated by means of a detailed Monte Carlo code. For this purpose, we use the ion and electron cross sections calculated by means of state-of-the art approaches suited to take into account the condensed-phase nature of the liquid water target. As a result of these simulations, the radial dose around the ion’s path is obtained, as well as the distributions of clustered events in nanometric volumes similar to the dimensions of DNA convolutions, contributing to the biological damage for carbon ions in a wide energy range, covering from the plateau to the maximum of the Bragg peak.

Energetic MOF-derived hollow carbon tubes with interconnected channels and encapsulated nickel-cobalt alloy sites as bifunctional catalysts for Zn–air batteries with stable cycling over 600 cycles

Energetic metal–organic frameworks (EMOFs) and EMOF-derived materials are currently a hot spot to replace precious-metal electrocatalysts. Here, the reasonable strategy and synthesis of an inventive class of alloy@C materials from EMOFs via one-step pyrolysis was reported as the first example. The freshly progressive NiCo@C with a individual hierarchical structure, being composed of uniformly distributive metal alloy nanoparticles (MANPs) decorated by N-doped porous hollow carbon nanotubes (HCNTs), displayed the extraordinary bifunctional catalytic activity (oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions) than that of commercial precious-metal catalysts. Experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations revealed the vital role of Ni-Co alloy doping in adjusting both performances. Moreover, as an air electrode in Zn–air batteries, NiCo@C demonstrated a large peak power density (170 mW cm−2) and superior long-term stability over 600 cycles. Inconsideration of the expansive category of EMOFs and the governable fixation of single/multiple metal particles, this strategy gives evidence of a capacious scientific range.

Identifying carbon processing based on molecular differences between groundwater and water-extractable aquifer sediment dissolved organic matter in a Quaternary alluvial-lacustrine aquifer

Dissolved organic matter in groundwater (GDOM) plays an important role in many biogeochemical processes. The molecular composition of GDOM varies with the source and processing pathways, and also affects its reactivity. Sedimentary organic matter (SOM) is a key carbon source in groundwater, but its association with GDOM remains unclear. In this study, Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) and comprehensive data analysis were used to identify the molecular characteristics of SOM and the fate of DOM in groundwater by comparing the differences between the GDOM with depth-matched water-extractable aquifer SOM (WEOM; the most bioavailable and dynamic pool of organic carbon in SOM) in a Quaternary alluvial-lacustrine aquifer with abundant SOM in Jianghan Plain, central China. The results show that WEOM is a key carbon source in groundwater as reflected by the strong correlation (rs = 0.76, P = 0.028) of the DOC content between GDOM and WEOM, and the large proportion (70.64 ± 14.09%) of common compounds present both in GDOM and WEOM. However, the molecular compositions of GDOM and WEOM are significantly different even for common compounds when considering the relative abundance. WEOM contains relatively high abundance of low molecular weight and thermodynamically more favorable components for microbial oxidation (aminosugars and carbohydrates), making WEOM an energetic carbon source for groundwater that can fuel reduction half-reactions such as iron oxide reduction. Although the hydrochemical compositions and the DOC content of groundwater are quite different, the molecular composition of GDOM is relatively similar and enriched in oxygen-poor highly unsaturated and phenolic compounds compared with WEOM. This indicates that organic matter is gradually processed into stable components with relatively medium aromaticity, low average nominal carbon oxidation state, low O/C and medium H/C; these transformations occur through adsorption to minerals and biodegradation after being mobilized from aquifer sediment into groundwater. We identified the processing pathways of GDOM based on comprehensive comparisons of molecular compositions between aquifer WEOM and GDOM, and highlight the combined influence of aquifer SOM and processing pathways on the GDOM molecular compositions in the alluvial-lacustrine aquifer with abundant aquifer SOM.

Energetic Mof-Derived Hollow Carbon Tubes with Interconnected Channels and Encapsulated Nickel-Cobalt Alloy Sites as Bifunctional Catalysts for Zn–Air Batteries with Stable Cycling Over 600 Cycles

Energetic Mof-Derived Hollow Carbon Tubes with Interconnected Channels and Encapsulated Nickel-Cobalt Alloy Sites as Bifunctional Catalysts for Zn–Air Batteries with Stable Cycling Over 600 Cycles

Flexible Conductive Energetic Film Based on Energetic Ionic Liquids and Carbon Nanotubes for Information Security Transient Electronics

Flexible Conductive Energetic Film Based on Energetic Ionic Liquids and Carbon Nanotubes for Information Security Transient Electronics