A Gel Polymer Electrolyte with High Uniform Na+ Flux and its Constructed Hybrid Interface Synergistically to Facilitate High-Performance Sodium Batteries.

Sodium metal batteries (SMBs) can be developed on a large scale to achieve low-cost and high-capacity energy storage systems. Gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) can relieve volatilization of liquid electrolyte, adapt to volume changes in electrodes, and better satisfy the requirements of long-term SMBs. Herein, a dense polyurethane-based GPE modified with polyacrylonitrile is synthesized by rapidly swelling two-component polyurethane/polyacrylonitrile electrospun fiber film. Compared to traditional porous GPEs obtained by swelling porous matrixes, the fiber film provides uniform high Na+ flux inside GPE due to its partial solubility property and ability to dissociate salts. Therefore, it can reduce the polarization effect and induce uniform metal deposition under high current in conjunction with its constructed hybrid N/F-containing solid electrolyte interface (SEI) that possesses low ionic diffusion barrier. The study demonstrates that GPE has an ionic conductivity of 1.816 mS cm-1 at 20 °C and an ion transference number of 0.53. The full battery (NVP/GPE/Na) assembled with this GPE and Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP) cathode shows 90.8% capacity retention rate after 1000 cycles at 10 C. Considering the convenient preparation and outstanding electrochemical performances of the obtained GPE, it can also be matched with other electrodes in the future to expand the application of sodium-based batteries.

The Effect of the Barrier Layer on the Uniformity of the Transport Characteristics of AlGaN/GaN Heterostructures on HR-Si(111).

The high transport characteristics of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures are critical components for high-performance electronic and radio-frequency (RF) devices. We report the transport characteristics of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures grown on a high-resistivity (HR) Si(111) substrate, which are unevenly distributed in the central and edge regions of the wafer. The relationship between the composition, stress, and polarization effects was discussed, and the main factors affecting the concentration and mobility of two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) were clarified. We further demonstrated that the mechanism of changes in polarization intensity and scattering originates from the uneven distribution of Al composition and stress in the AlGaN barrier layer during the growth process. Furthermore, our results provide an important guide on the significance of accomplishing 6 inch AlGaN/GaN HEMT with excellent properties for RF applications.

Thioredoxin Reductase-Mediated Reaction Evokes In Situ Surface Polarization Effect on BiOIO3: Toward a New Sensing Strategy for Cathodic Photoelectrochemistry.

We have witnessed the fast progress of cathodic photoelectrochemistry over the past decades, though its signal transduction tactic still lacks diversity. Exploring new sensing strategies for cathodic photoelectrochemistry is extremely demanding yet hugely challenging. This article puts forward a unique idea to incorporate an enzymatic reaction-invoked surface polarization effect (SPE) on the surface of BiOIO3 to implement an innovative cathodic photoelectrochemical (PEC) bioanalysis. Specifically, the thioredoxin reductase (TrxR)-mediated reaction produced the polar glutathione (GSH), which spontaneously coordinated to the surface of BiOIO3 and induced SPE by forming a polarized electric field, resulting in improved electron (e-) and hole (h+) pair separation efficiency and an enhanced photocurrent output. Correlating this phenomenon with the detection of TrxR exhibited a high performance in terms of sensitivity and selectivity, achieving a linear range of 0.007-0.5 µM and a low detection limit of 2.0 nM (S/N = 3). This study brings refreshing inspiration for the cathodic PEC signal transduction tactic through enzyme-mediated in situ reaction to introduce SPE, which enriches the diversity of available signaling molecules. Moreover, this study unveils the potential of in situ generated SPE for extended and futuristic applications.

Investigation of CO2 Absorption Rate in Gas/Liquid Membrane Contactors with Inserting 3D Printing Mini-Channel Turbulence Promoters.

The CO2 absorption by Monoethanolamine (MEA) solutions as chemical absorption was conducted in the membrane gas absorption module with inserting 3D mini-channel turbulence promoters of the present work. A mathematical modeling of CO2 absorption flux was analyzed by using the chemical absorption theory based on mass-transfer resistances in series. The membrane absorption module with embedding 3D mini-channel turbulence promoters in the current study indicated that the CO2 absorption rate improvement is achieved due to the diminishing concentration polarization effect nearby the membrane surfaces. A simplified regression equation of the average Sherwood number was correlated to express the enhanced mass-transfer coefficient of the CO2 absorption. The experimental results and theoretical predictions showed that the absorption flux improvement was significantly improved with implementing 3D mini-channel turbulence promoters. The experimental results of CO2 absorption fluxes were performed in good agreement with the theoretical predictions in aqueous MEA solutions. A further absorption flux enhancement up to 30.56% was accomplished as compared to the results in the previous work, which the module was inserted the promoter without mini channels. The influences of the MEA absorbent flow rates and inlet CO2 concentrations on the absorption flux and absorption flux improvement are also illustrated under both concurrent- and countercurrent-flow operations.

Chalcogen Bond Catalysis with Telluronium Cations for Bromination Reaction: Importance of Electrostatic and Polarization Effects.

Recently, chalcogen bond catalysts with telluronium cations have garnered considerable attention in organic reactions. In this work, chalcogen bond catalysis on the bromination reaction of anisole with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) with the telluronium cationic catalysts has been explored with density functional theory (DFT). The catalytic reaction is divided into two stages: the bromine transfer step and the proton transfer step. Based on the computational results, one can find the rate-determining step is the bromine transfer step. Moreover, the present study elucidates that a stronger chalcogen bond between catalysts and NBS will give better catalytic performance. Additionally, this work also clarified the importance of the electrostatic and polarization effects in the chalcogen bond between the oxygen atom of NBS and the Te atom of the catalyst in this bromination reaction. The electrostatic and polarization effects are significantly influenced by the electron-withdrawing ability of the substitution groups on the catalysts. Moreover, the structure-property relationship between the strength of chalcogen bond, electrostatic effect, polarization effect and catalytic performance are established for the design of more efficient chalcogen bond catalysts.

[Research progress on the effect of iron oxide nanoparticles in macrophage polarization].

Macrophages are important immune effector cells with significant plasticity and heterogeneity in the body immune system, and play an important role in normal physiological conditions and in the process of inflammation. It has been found that macrophage polarization involves a variety of cytokines and is a key link in immune regulation. Targeting macrophages by nanoparticles has a certain impact on the occurrence and development of a variety of diseases. Due to its characteristics, iron oxide nanoparticles have been used as the medium and carrier for cancer diagnosis and treatment, making full use of the special microenvironment of tumors to actively or passively aggregate drugs in tumor tissues, which has a good application prospect. However, the specific regulatory mechanism of reprogramming macrophages using iron oxide nanoparticles remains to be further explored. In this paper, the classification, polarization effect and metabolic mechanism of macrophages were firstly described. Secondly, the application of iron oxide nanoparticles and the induction of macrophage reprogramming were reviewed. Finally, the research prospect and difficulties and challenges of iron oxide nanoparticles were discussed to provide basic data and theoretical support for further research on the mechanism of the polarization effect of nanoparticles on macrophages.

Enhancing the surface polarization effect via Ni/NiMoOx heterojunction architecture for urea-assisted hydrogen generation.

Electrocatalytic urea oxidation (UOR) has attracted significant interest as a promising anodic half-reaction to replace sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) toward water splitting. However, the activation and decomposition of urea molecule maintains a challenge during electrocatalytic process because of its 6e- oxidation procedure. Herein, Ni nanoparticles decorated NiMoOx nanorod (Ni/NiMoOx) electrocatalyst with abundant heterojunction interfaces is fabricated and the density functional theory (DFT) calculation testifies that the interfaces are favorable for enhancing the conductivity and modulating the surface polarization of Ni/NiMoOx, thus improving its UOR's activity. The Ni/NiMoOx performs superb electrocatalytic capacities toward UOR with a potential of 1.355 V (vs RHE) at 20 mA cm-2, and HER with an overpotential of 98 mV at 10 mA cm-2. A hybrid two-electrode water splitting cell is further assembled via applying the Ni/NiMoOx as both anodic and cathodic electrodes with presence of 0.33 M urea, delivering 50 mA cm-2 at voltage of 1.589 V. The findings help to provide a reliable strategy for rational reconstruction of Ni based metal oxide with rich interfaces for diverse electrocatalytic reactions.

Research progress on the effect of iron oxide nanoparticles in macrophage polarization / 生物医学工程学杂志

Macrophages are important immune effector cells with significant plasticity and heterogeneity in the body immune system, and play an important role in normal physiological conditions and in the process of inflammation. It has been found that macrophage polarization involves a variety of cytokines and is a key link in immune regulation. Targeting macrophages by nanoparticles has a certain impact on the occurrence and development of a variety of diseases. Due to its characteristics, iron oxide nanoparticles have been used as the medium and carrier for cancer diagnosis and treatment, making full use of the special microenvironment of tumors to actively or passively aggregate drugs in tumor tissues, which has a good application prospect. However, the specific regulatory mechanism of reprogramming macrophages using iron oxide nanoparticles remains to be further explored. In this paper, the classification, polarization effect and metabolic mechanism of macrophages were firstly described. Secondly, the application of iron oxide nanoparticles and the induction of macrophage reprogramming were reviewed. Finally, the research prospect and difficulties and challenges of iron oxide nanoparticles were discussed to provide basic data and theoretical support for further research on the mechanism of the polarization effect of nanoparticles on macrophages.

Development of QM/MM (ABEEM polarizable force field) method to simulate the excision reaction mechanism of damaged cytosine.

DNA damages are regarded as having harmful effects on cell. The base excision repair mechanism combats these effects by removing damaged bases. The deglycosylation mechanism of excising damaged bases by DNA glycosylase and the state of the leaving base have been controversial. The enzymatic reaction of DNA glycosylase to remove the damaged bases involves not only the formation and breaking of chemical bonds, but also complex polarization effect and charge transfer, which cannot be accurately simulated by the QM/MM method combined with the fixed charge force field. This work has developed the ABEEM fluctuating polarizable force field combining with the QM method, that is (QM/MM[ABEEM]), to accurately simulate the proton transfer, charge transfer and the charge distribution. The piecewise function is used as the valence-state electronegativity in the QM/MM (ABEEM) to realize the accurate fitting of the charge distribution in reaction. And the charge transfer is accurately simulated by the local charge conservation conditions. Four deglycosylation mechanisms including the monofunctional and difunctional mechanisms of four neutral and protonated cytosine derivatives are explored. It is confirmed that the monofunctional mechanism of Asp-activated nucleophile water is a better deglycosylation mechanism and the base is protonated before the reaction occurs. Protonization of the base reduced the activation energy by 10.00-17.00 kcal/mol. Asp provides the necessary charge for the reaction, and DNA glycosylase preferentially cleaves ɛC. This work provides a theoretical basis for the research of excising damaged bases by DNA glycosylase.

A Direct-Reading MEMS Conductivity Sensor with a Parallel-Symmetric Four-Electrode Configuration.

This work proposes a design for a direct-reading conductivity sensor with a parallel symmetrical four-electrode structure, which integrates a silicon-based platinum thin-film strip electrode and a serpentine temperature compensation electrode. The optimal structural parameters of the electrode were determined by finite element simulations performed via COMSOL Multiphysics. Next, the designed conductivity sensor chip was fabricated using MEMS technology, and subsequently, the conductivity measurement circuit was designed to test the fabricated sensor's performance. In laboratory tests, the optimal AC excitation frequency was observed to be 1.067 kHz, while the maximum measurement range was 0-107.41 mS/cm and the measurement precision in low concentration range (0-76.422 mS/cm) was ±0.1 mS/cm. Furthermore, the maximum measurement error of the sensor evaluated using the National Center of Ocean Standards and Metrology was ±0.073 mS/cm. The designed sensor possesses the characteristics of high accuracy, high range, and miniaturization, and enables real-time reading of conductivity value and temperature compensation, which is of great significance for the on-site observation of the physical parameters of marine environment.

Preparation, Characterization and Application of Epitaxial Grown BiOBr (110) Film on ZnFe2O4 Surface with Enhanced Photocatalytic Fenton Oxidation Properties.

A novel BiOBr photocatalyst was epitaxially grown in situ onto the surface of ZnFe2O4, a ferroelectric material with a strong polarization effect. The formatted BiOBr/ZnFe2O4 composite (BOB/ZFO) showed excellent photocatalytic degradation performance of tetracycline antibiotics (TCs). One of the composites with ZnFe2O4 content of 10% (BOB/ZFO-10) showed the best properties; the degradation efficiency of TCs upon visible light irradiation for 180 min was 99.2%, which was 3.58 times higher than that of pure phase BiOBr. The functions of ZnFe2O4 are assumed to be such that the addition of this ferroeletric material not only regulated the spontaneous polarization of BiOBr in the process of synthesis, but also resulted in the construction of Z-scheme heterostructures due to the appropriate staggered band structure of BiOBr and ZnFe2O4. In the presence of ferroelectric material ZnFe2O4, the local structure of BiOBr may be distorted accordingly, resulting in preferential growth of a (110) crystal facet of BiOBr and enhancement of spontaneous polarization, which promotes the efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs of ZnFe2O4 and BiOBr, and therefore enhances the redox capacity of the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.

Unraveling the Interfacial Polarization Effect between Pd and Polymeric Carbon Nitride toward Efficient CO2 Electroreduction to CO.

The efficient electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon monoxide (CO) using renewable energy is an effective route to pursue carbon neutrality. Optimizing the binding energy of CO on palladium (Pd) metal-based materials used in this process is to make sure the timely desorption of CO from their active sites is critical. Tuning the electronic structure of the Pd center is an effective strategy to optimize its catalytic performance. Herein, we rationally design Pd nanoparticles (NPs)/polymeric carbon nitride (CN) (Pd/CN) composite, which alters the electronic structure of Pd by introducing the interfacial polarization effect to accelerate CO desorption and improve CO selectivity of Pd catalyst. The optimized Pd/CN exhibits a CO Faradaic efficiency of 92.7% at -0.9 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in CO2-saturated 0.1 M KHCO3 solution. Experimental investigations and theoretical calculations jointly confirm that the enhanced CO selectivity and stability originate from the electron transfer at the Pd/CN interface, and the weakened *CO adsorption on the palladium hydride surface.

How can green building development promote carbon emission reduction efficiency of the construction industry?--Based on the dual perspective of industry and space.

Green building development(GBD) plays an important role in improving carbon emission reduction efficiency of the construction industry(CEEOCI), and accelerating the construction industry to achieve carbon neutrality goals. In this paper, for the first time, the topic of "green building development promotes carbon neutrality in the construction industry" is included in the crossover research category of industrial economics and space economics. A framework for the analysis of the impact mechanism of GBD and CEEOCI under the dual perspective of "industry-space" is proposed. Based on China's provincial panel data from 2008 to 2019, using the intermediary adjustment model and the spatial Dubin model to analyze and test the industrial mechanism, spatial mechanism, and spatial effect attenuation boundary of the GBD effect on CEEOCI. The results show GBD is found to promote CEEOCI, and both the GBD and CEEOCI have a clear "center-periphery" spatial pattern. Meanwhile, the impact of GBD on CEEOCI has a "industry-space" two-dimensional mechanism. From an industrial perspective, GBD can change the supply-demand relationship of the construction market by promoting the greening of supporting industries in the construction industry and stimulating green consumption in the market, and ultimately achieve the overall improvement of CEEOCI. From a spatial perspective, GBD can form a new sectoral growth pole and provide elemental support for the improvement of CEEOCI through the polarization effect, but the polarization effect is higher in the range of 1000 km, while attenuation occurs outside the range of 1000 km. This paper provides not only a scientific and effective medium and macro analysis framework for green building development emission reduction performance evaluation but also a new theoretical basis and policy direction for the construction industry to improve carbon reduction efficiency and achieve industrial carbon neutrality.

Distillate Flux Enhancement of Direct Contact Membrane Distillation Modules with Inserting Cross-Diagonal Carbon-Fiber Spacers.

A new design of direct-contact membrane distillation (DCMD) modules with cross-diagonal carbon-fiber spacers of various hydrodynamic angles in flow channels to promote turbulence intensity was proposed to enhance pure water productivity. Attempts to reduce the temperature polarization coefficient were achieved by inserting cross-diagonal carbon-fiber spacers in channels, which create wakes and eddies in both heat and mass transfer behaviors to enhance the permeate flux enhancement. A simplified equation was formulated to obtain the theoretical predictions of heat transfer coefficients in the current DCMD device. The permeate fluxes and temperature distributions of both hot and cold feed streams are represented graphically with the inlet volumetric flow rate and inlet temperature of the hot saline feed stream as parameters. The higher distillate flux of countercurrent-flow operations for saline water desalination was accomplished as compared to the concurrent-flow operations of various hydrodynamic angles. The results show that the agreement between the theoretical predictions and experimental results is reasonably good. The effects of countercurrent-flow operations and inserting carbon fiber spacers have confirmed technical feasibility and device performance enhancement of up to 45%. The influences of operating and design parameters on the pure water productivity with the expense of energy consumption are also discussed.

Benchmark Force Fields for the Molecular Dynamic Simulation of G-Quadruplexes.

G-quadruplexes have drawn widespread attention for serving as a potential anti-cancer target and their application in material science. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is the key theoretical tool in the study of GQ's structure-function relationship. In this article, we systematically benchmarked the five force fields of parmbsc0, parmbsc1, OL15, AMOEBA, and Drude2017 on the MD simulation of G-quadruplex from four aspects: structural stability, central ion channel stability, description of Hoogsteen hydrogen bond network, and description of the main chain dihedral angle. The results show that the overall performance of the Drude force field is the best. Although there may be a certain over-polarization effect, it is still the best choice for the MD simulation of G-quadruplexes.

Small Exciton Binding Energies Enabling Direct Charge Photogeneration Towards Low-Driving-Force Organic Solar Cells.

Organic solar cells (OSCs) with nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) exhibit efficient charge generation under small interfacial energy offsets, leading to over 18 % efficiency for the single-junction devices based on the state-of-the-art NFA of Y6. Herein, to reveal the underlying charge generation mechanisms, we have investigated the exciton binding energy (Eb ) in Y6 by a joint theoretical and experimental study. The results show that owing to strong charge polarization effects, Y6 has remarkable small Eb of -0.11-0.15 eV, which is even lower than perovskites in many cases. Moreover, it is peculiar that the photoluminescence is enhanced with temperature, and the energy barrier for separating excitons into charges is evidently lower than the thermal energy according to the temperature dependence of photoluminescence, manifesting direct photogeneration of charge carriers enabled by weak Eb in Y6. Thus, charge generation in NFA-based OSCs shows little dependence on interfacial driving forces.

Impedance Modeling of Solid-State Electrolytes: Influence of the Contacted Space Charge Layer.

Understanding the interfacial impedance between the solid electrolyte and the electrode is a critical issue for the design of solid-state batteries. We propose a new equivalent circuit model that treats the interface not only as a capacitor but also includes the space charge layer resistance and the resultant polarization resistance. Moreover, the elements of the circuit model are quantified by the physical quantities based on the recently proposed modified Planck-Nernst-Poisson (MPNP) model, which includes the effect of the unoccupied regular lattice sites (vacancies) in the electro-diffusion problem and takes both the ion and electron contributions into the account. We provide a new analytical solution for the space charge layer capacitance. Comparative numerical results demonstrate that our proposed model with additional polarization resistance can explain well the real impedance tail at the low-frequency region, for which the pure capacitor interface model fails. The model is verified against the experimental impedance spectra of LiPON.

The Polarization Effect in Surface-Plasmon-Induced Photocatalysis on Au/TiO2 Nanoparticles.

Controlling the interaction of polarization light with an asymmetric nanostructure such as a metal/semiconductor heterostructure provides opportunities for tuning surface plasmon excitation and near-field spatial distribution. However, light polarization effects on interfacial charge transport and the photocatalysis of plasmonic metal/semiconductor photocatalysts are unclear. Herein, we reveal the polarization dependence of plasmonic charge separation and spatial distribution in Au/TiO2 nanoparticles under 45° incident light illumination at the single-particle level using a combination of photon-irradiated Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) and electromagnetic field simulation. We quantitatively uncover the relationship between the local charge density and polarization angle by investigating the polarization-dependent surface photovoltage (SPV). The plasmon-induced photocatalytic activity is enhanced when the polarization direction is perpendicular to the Au/TiO2 interface.

Effect of Deep-Level Defects on the Performance of CdZnTe Photon Counting Detectors.

The effect of deep-level defects is a key issue for the applications of CdZnTe high-flux photon counting devices of X-ray irradiations. However, the major trap energy levels and their quantitive relationship with the device's performance are not yet clearly understood. In this study, a 16-pixel CdZnTe X-ray photon counting detector with a non-uniform counting performance is investigated. The deep-level defect characteristics of each pixel region are analyzed by the current-voltage curves (I-V), infrared (IR) optical microscope photography, photoluminescence (PL) and thermally stimulated current (TSC) measurements, which indicate that the difference in counting performance is caused by the non-uniformly distributed deep-level defects in the CdZnTe crystals. Based on these results, we conclude that the CdZnTe detectors with a good photon counting performance should have a larger Te cd 2 + and Cd vacancy-related defect concentration and a lower A-center and Tei concentration. We consider the deep hole trap Tei, with the activation energy of 0.638-0.642 eV, to be the key deep-level trap affecting the photon counting performance. In addition, a theoretical model of the native defect reaction is proposed to understand the underlying relationships of resistivity, deep-level defect characteristics and photon counting performance.

Two Photon-Pumped Whispering-Gallery Mode Lasing and Dynamic Regulation.

Realizing the dynamic regulation of nonlinear optical signals has a great scientific significance for the development of new-type nonlinear optoelectronic devices and expands its application in the field of laser technology, spectroscopy, material structure analysis, etc. Here, two photon absorption-induced whispering-gallery mode lasing from a single ZnO microresonator with a relatively low lasing threshold (15 µW) and high quality factor (Q ≈ 3200) under ambient conditions is demonstrated. Furthermore, success is achieved in obtaining the dynamic regulation of two photon-pumped lasing mode in the UV gain region. The corresponding resonant wavelength can be tuned dynamically from 388.99 and 391.12 to 390.01 and 392.12 nm for TE33 and TE32 modes, respectively. This work provides a new strategy for building high-performance mode-adjustable frequency upconversion lasers.