DataSheet1_The apparent focal depth, emergence angle, and take-off angle of seismic wave measured by YRY-4-type borehole strainmeter as one kind of strain seismograph.ZIP

Introduction: In theory, the observation objects and principles of strain seismograph and traditional pendulum seismograph are different, and the characteristics of observed signals should also be dissimilar. The observation results of pendulum seismograph show that seismic waves in inhomogeneous media will undergo refraction, reflection, and attenuation. Then, what signal characteristics can be detected by strain seismograph is great significance for understanding and explaining the observation results.Methods: Using YRY-4 type four-gauge borehole strainmeter as one kind of strain seismograph to detect the strain tensor change of the plane seismic wave emitted from the surface, a five-site strain seismograph observation network was built in Shanxi Province, with continuous observation for 2 years at a sampling rate of 100 Hz. In this paper, two local events occurring in the area covered by the strain seismograph observation network are taken as examples. We systematically studied the characteristics of seismic wave signals recorded by strain seismographs at five sites, inverted for the focal depth of the two local earthquakes and the relationship between the wave velocity and the wave velocity gradient of the focal depth, and calculated the apparent focal depth, the emergence angle and the take-off angle of seismic waves.Results: These results show stable uniqueness and apparent regularity, especially since the inverted focal depths are basically consistent with the seismic solutions based on those traditional pendulum seismographs. The observations from this study show that the strain seismograph can be used as an effective supplement to the pendulum seismograph.Discussion: In the future, we will continue to study the rupture process and focal mechanism of moderate-strong earthquakes and teleseismic earthquakes by combining two kinds of observations.</p

Achieving Fully Reversible Conversion in MoO₃ for Lithium Ion Batteries by Rational Introduction of CoMoO₄

Electrode materials based on conversion reactions with lithium ions generally show much higher energy density. One of the main challenges in the design of these electrode materials is to improve initial Coulombic efficiency and alleviate the volume changes during the lithiation–delithiation processes. Here, we achieve fully reversible conversion in MoO₃ as an anode for lithium ion batteries by the hybridization of CoMoO₄. The porous MoO₃–CoMoO₄ microspheres are constructed by homogeneously dispersed MoO₃ and CoMoO₄ subunits and their lithiation/delithiation processes were studied by <i>ex situ</i> TEM to reveal the mechanism of the reversible conversion reaction. Co nanoparticles are <i>in situ</i> formed from CoMoO₄ during the lithiation process, which then act as the catalyst to guarantee the reversible decomposition of Li₂O, thus effectively improving the reversible specific capacity and initial Coulombic efficiency. Moreover, the pores in MoO₃–CoMoO₄ microspheres also greatly enhance their mechanical strength and provide enough cavity to alleviate volume changes during repeated cycling. Such a design concept makes MoO₃ to be a potential promising anode in practical applications. The full cell (LiFePO₄ cathode/MoO₃–CoMoO₄ anode) displays a high capacity up to 155.7 mAh g^–1 at 0.1 C and an initial Coulombic efficiency as high as 97.35%. This work provides impetus for further development in electrochemical charge storage devices

Interface Control of Semiconducting Metal Oxide Layers for Efficient and Stable Inverted Polymer Solar Cells with Open-Circuit Voltages over 1.0 Volt

Inverted polymer solar cells (PSCs) with high open-circuit voltages of 1.00–1.06 V are fabricated by using an indenofluorene-containing copolymer (PIFTBT8) as an electron donor material and [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC₇₁BM) as an electron acceptor material. To improve the photovoltaic performance, interface control of various low-temperature processed ZnO films as cathode buffer layers is systematically investigated for effective electron transportation, while transition metal oxides including MoO₃, WO₃, NiO, and Cu₂O are employed as anode buffer layers for hole-extraction. Incorporation of optimized semiconducting metal oxide interlayers can minimize interfacial power losses, which thus affords large open-circuit voltages (<i>V</i>_oc), increased short-circuit current densities (<i>J</i>_sc), and fill factors (FF), eventually contributing to higher power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) as well as better device stability. Due to the improved interfacial contacts and fine-matching energy levels, inverted PSCs with a device configuration of ITO/ZnO/PIFTBT8:PC₇₁BM/MoO₃/Ag exhibit a high PCE of 5.05% with a large <i>V</i>_oc of 1.04 V, a <i>J</i>_sc of 9.74 mA cm^–2, and an FF of 50.1%. For the single junction inverted PSCs with efficiencies over 5.0%, 1.04 V is the largest <i>V</i>_oc ever achieved. By controlling the processing conditions of the active layer, the <i>V</i>_oc can further be improved to 1.05 and 1.06 V, with PCEs of 4.70% and 4.18%, respectively. More importantly, the inverted PSCs are ascertained to maintain a PCE of 4.55% (>90% of its initial efficiency) and a <i>V</i>_oc of 1.05 V over 180 days, demonstrating good long-term stability, which is much better than that of the conventional devices. The results suggest that the interface engineering of metal oxide interlayers is an important strategy to develop PSCs with good performance

Insight into Influence of Glycerol on Preparing α‑CaSO₄·1/2H₂O from Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum in Glycerol–Water Solutions with Succinic Acid and NaCl

The conversion of CaSO₄·2H₂O (DH) to CaSO₄·1/2H₂O (HH) was facilitated by increasing glycerol content from 55% to 85% in glycerol–water mixtures; the average length and diameter of produced α-HH crystals decreased from 60.97 to 7.21 μm and from 15.21 to 5.17 μm, respectively, resulting in a decrease in the average aspect ratio from 4.06 to 1.41. The phase transformation was reduced dramatically from 30 to 3 h. As glycerol content increased in the mixtures, an increase in α-HH maximal relative supersaturation and decrease of ion diffusion rate were hypothesized as explanations for the morphology change in the alpha-hemihydrate (α-HH) produced. The kinematic feasibility of FGD gypsum transition to α-HH in the mixed solutions with the increase of glycerol should also be attributed to the enhancement of maximal relative supersaturation for α-HH precipitation

Palladacycle from Cyclometalation of the Unsubstituted Cyclopentadienyl Ring in Ferrocene: Synthesis, Characterization, Theoretical Studies, and Application to Suzuki–Miyaura Reaction

The ferrocenylimines of general formula [(η⁵-C₅H₅)­Fe­(η⁵-C₅H₄)-CH₂NCH-C­(R)CH-C₆H₅] with R = H (<b>2a</b>) and CH₃ (<b>2b</b>) were conveniently prepared from ferrocenylmethylamine. Reaction of <b>2a</b>,<b>b</b> with lithium tetrachloropalladate in methanol in the presence of anhydrous sodium acetate resulted in the formation of the di-μ-chloro-bridged heteroannular cyclopalladated complexes <b>3a</b>,<b>b</b> via the unsubstituted ferrocenyl C–H bond activation of the related ligands. Treatment of <b>3a</b>,<b>b</b> with triphenylphosphine gave Pd­{[(η⁵-C₅H₄)­Fe­(η⁵-C₅H₄)­CH₂NCH-CHCH-C₆H₅]}­ClPPh₃ (<b>4a</b>) and Pd­{[(η⁵-C₅H₄)­Fe­(η⁵-C₅H₄)-CH₂NCH-C­(CH₃)CH-C₆H₅]}­ClPPh₃ (<b>4b</b>), respectively. The crystal structures of <b>4a</b>,<b>b</b> confirmed the formation of a carbon–palladium bond by using a carbon atom in the unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl ring. Additionally, theoretical studies using density functional theory calculations were carried out in order to account for the regioselectivity of cyclometalation. As for the catalysts, using 0.1% of palladacycles <b>4a</b>,<b>b</b> in the presence of K₃PO₄·7H₂O as base exhibited excellent yields in the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction of aryl bromides with phenylboronic acid

Rational Construction of Multivoids-Assembled Hybrid Nanospheres Based on VPO₄ Encapsulated in Porous Carbon with Superior Lithium Storage Performance

The design of a new nanostructured anode material with high tap density while still keeping the common advantages of the hollow structure is a great challenge for future lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, multivoids-assembled hierarchically meso-macroporous nanospheres based on VPO₄ encapsulated in porous carbon (MVHP-VPO₄@C NSs) were designed and fabricated. This unique structure can evidently decrease the excessive interior space in hollow spheres or multishelled hollow spheres to gain high volumetric energy density and at the same time can alleviate the large mechanical strain during the cycling process. As expected, MVHP-VPO₄@C NSs show good lithium storage behavior with gravimetric discharge capacity of 628 mAh g^–1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g^–1. Furthermore, the full cell (LiFePO₄ cathode//MVHP-VPO₄@C NSs anode) also exhibits outstanding lithium storage performance. The insight obtained from this structure may provide guidance for the design of other electrode materials experiencing large volume variation during the lithiation–delithiation process

Shell Structure Control of PPy-Modified CuO Composite Nanoleaves for Lithium Batteries with Improved Cyclic Performance

Polypyrrole (PPy)-modified CuO nanocomposites (NCs) with various shell structures have been synthesized by controlling the polymerization time of pyrrole in the presence of leaf-like CuO nanobelts (NBs) as wire templates. The synthesized CuO/PPy NCs and CuO NBs are characterized by XRD, FT–IR, TGA, SEM, TEM, STEM, and EDX line analysis/elemental mapping. The formation mechanism of CuO/PPy core–shell NCs is also illustrated. Electrochemical lithium-storage properties of all the products are evaluated by using them as anode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs). It is found that the polymerization time of pyrrole plays a significant role in affecting the shell structures and subsequent lithium-storage properties of the hybrid CuO/PPy NCs. With the extension of polymerization time, CuO/PPy NCs gradually form typical core–shell structures, where the doped PPy with increasing content is steadily and uniformly coated on the CuO surface. Correspondingly, the discharge/charge capacity and cyclic durability of CuO/PPy NCs are significantly enhanced. For the core–shell NCs made by the 3 h polymerization, a greatly improved initial capacity of 1114 mAh g^–1 and a high reversible capacity of 760 mAh g^–1 are achieved, which are much better than those of the bare CuO NBs and the NCs without core–shell structures. The improved performance of core–shell CuO/PPy NCs can be attributed to their advantageous structure features that buffer volume variations of the rigid CuO, allow short Li-ion diffusion length, form good interface interaction between PPy and CuO for charge transfer, and avoid direct contacts between CuO and electrolytes during charge–discharge processes. This study indicates that the structural tuning of polymer/metal oxide composites by controlling the polymerization time is a simple and promising way to improve the electrode performance of NCs for energy storage

Palladacycle from Cyclometalation of the Unsubstituted Cyclopentadienyl Ring in Ferrocene: Synthesis, Characterization, Theoretical Studies, and Application to Suzuki–Miyaura Reaction

The ferrocenylimines of general formula [(η⁵-C₅H₅)­Fe­(η⁵-C₅H₄)-CH₂NCH-C­(R)CH-C₆H₅] with R = H (<b>2a</b>) and CH₃ (<b>2b</b>) were conveniently prepared from ferrocenylmethylamine. Reaction of <b>2a</b>,<b>b</b> with lithium tetrachloropalladate in methanol in the presence of anhydrous sodium acetate resulted in the formation of the di-μ-chloro-bridged heteroannular cyclopalladated complexes <b>3a</b>,<b>b</b> via the unsubstituted ferrocenyl C–H bond activation of the related ligands. Treatment of <b>3a</b>,<b>b</b> with triphenylphosphine gave Pd­{[(η⁵-C₅H₄)­Fe­(η⁵-C₅H₄)­CH₂NCH-CHCH-C₆H₅]}­ClPPh₃ (<b>4a</b>) and Pd­{[(η⁵-C₅H₄)­Fe­(η⁵-C₅H₄)-CH₂NCH-C­(CH₃)CH-C₆H₅]}­ClPPh₃ (<b>4b</b>), respectively. The crystal structures of <b>4a</b>,<b>b</b> confirmed the formation of a carbon–palladium bond by using a carbon atom in the unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl ring. Additionally, theoretical studies using density functional theory calculations were carried out in order to account for the regioselectivity of cyclometalation. As for the catalysts, using 0.1% of palladacycles <b>4a</b>,<b>b</b> in the presence of K₃PO₄·7H₂O as base exhibited excellent yields in the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction of aryl bromides with phenylboronic acid

Preparation and Characterization of GX-50 and Vitamin C Co-encapsulated Microcapsules by a Water-in-Oil-in-Water (W₁/O/W₂) Double Emulsion–Complex Coacervation Method

Co-encapsulated xanthoxylin (GX-50) and vitamin C (Vc) microcapsules (GX-50-Vc-M) were prepared by the combination of a water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsion with complex coacervation. The W1/O/W2 double emulsion was prepared by two-step emulsification, and it has a uniform particle size of 8.388 μm and high encapsulation efficiencies of GX-50 (85.95%) and Vc (67.35%) under optimized process conditions. Complex coacervation occurs at pHs 4.0–4.7, which has the highest encapsulation efficiency of GX-50 and Vc at pH 4.5. The complex coacervate with tannic acid solidifying (namely, wet microcapsules) has better mechanical properties and also enhances the ability of co-encapsulation of active ingredients. The resulting microcapsules by freeze-drying of wet microcapsules were characterized by UV–vis absorbance spectroscopy (UV–vis), Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FI-IR), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) radical scavenging, and in vitro permeation measurements. Under optimal conditions, the encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of GX-50-Vc-M for GX-50 and Vc are, respectively, 78.38 ± 0.51 and 59.34 ± 0.56%, and 35.6 ± 0.68 and 29.8 ± 0.92%. A slight shift in the FTIR peak between single GX-50 or Vc and GX-50-Vc-M confirmed the successful co-encapsulation of GX-50 and Vc in microcapsules. GX-50-Vc-M has bridged irregular spherical aggregates, while GX-50 and Vc are, respectively, encapsulated in hydrophobic and hydrophilic cavities of microcapsules in an amorphous dissolved state. GX-50-Vc-M has the highest DPPH· radical scavenging rate of 62.51%, and the scavenging process of GX-50-Vc-M on DPPH· radicals is more in line with the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation model. Moreover, the in vitro permeation of GX-50 and Vc in GX-50-Vc-M can reach maximum values of 40 and 60%, respectively. This concludes that GX-50-Vc-M is a promising delivery system for the penetration of the antioxidant into the deeper layers of the skin for the antioxidant effect

Two-component organogels of phosphorous-based organic acids and diamine

<p>Phosphorous-based organic acids (P) and diamine (M) were used to produce a supramolecular PM complex at a 2:1 molar ratio, which then formed a stable gel in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF). According to SEM, the morphologies of the aggregates depended on the steric substitute of phosphorous-based organic acids and the structure of the complementary diamine. ³¹P NMR and FTIR spectroscopies revealed that hydrogen bonding within the PM complex was the main driving force for the self-aggregation. XRD studies revealed that the two-component gelators mainly assemble into a stricter lamellar structure when increasing the rigidity of the complementary component. In contrast, the gelators with the aliphatic unit mainly assembled into a random lamellar structure and showed more possibility of deforming. As such, the results in this paper demonstrate how structure effects in two-component gel system of phosphorous-based organic acids and diamine can control self-assembly process.</p