Investigations of supported Au-Pd nanoparticles on synthesized CeO2 with different morphologies and application in solvent-free benzyl alcohol oxidation

Au-Pd bimetallic nanoparticles immobilized on series of CeO2 supports with different morphologies, e.g., rod, cube, and polyhedrons were prepared through the deposition-precipitation method with a consequent investigation on their catalytic performances for benzyl alcohol oxidation in the absence of solvent. The experimental results exhibited that the morphology of CeO2 has a markedly impact on the catalytic performance of Au-Pd/CeO2. In which Au-Pd supported on CeO2 rod could achieve higher benzyl alcohol conversion than that supported on CeO2 polyhedrons and CeO2 cube, however, CeO2 cube supported Au-Pd showed the highest selectivity towards the production of benzaldehyde. ICP-AES, XRD, Raman, N2-BET, TEM, HAADF-STEM, and XPS were conducted to characterize the catalysts. The results revealed that the excellent behavior of Au-Pd/CeO2-rod in benzyl alcohol oxidation was closely related with the smaller size of CeO2 particle, the higher concentration of oxygen defects in support and the higher number of Ce3+ and Pd2+ species on the catalyst surface. The present study on the morphologies of CeO2 support in solvent-free benzyl alcohol oxidation would offer a notable approach for the future catalyst design

Au-Pd nanoparticles immobilized on TiO2 nanosheet as an active and durable catalyst for solvent-free selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol

TiO2 nanocrystals with controlled facets have been extensively investigated due to their excellent photocatalytic performance in sustainable and green energy field. However, the applications in thermal catalysis without applying UV irradiation are comparably less and the identification of their intrinsic roles, especially the different catalytic behaviors of each crystal facet, remains not fully recognized. In this study, bimetallic AuPd nanoparticles supported on anatase TiO2 nanosheets exposing {0 0 1} facets or TiO2 nanospindles exposing {1 0 1} as a catalyst were prepared by sol-immobilization method and used for solvent-free benzyl alcohol oxidation. The experimental results indicated that the exposed facet of the support has a significant effect on the catalytic performance. AuPd/TiO2-001 catalyst exhibited a higher benzyl alcohol conversion than that of the AuPd/TiO2-101. Meanwhile, all the prepared AuPd/TiO2 catalysts were characterized by XRD, ICP-AES, XPS, BET, TEM, and HRTEM. The results revealed that the higher number of oxygen vacancies in TiO2-sheets with the exposed {0 0 1} facets of higher surface energy could be responsible for the observed enhancement in the catalytic performance of benzyl alcohol oxidation. The present study displays that it is plausible to enhance the catalytic performance for the benzyl alcohol oxidation by tailoring the exposed facet of the TiO2 as a catalyst support

A review on modelling methods, tools and service of integrated energy systems in China

An integrated energy system (IES) is responsible for aggregating various energy carriers, such as electricity, gas, heating, and cooling, with a focus on integrating these components to provide an efficient, low-carbon, and reliable energy supply. This paper aims to review the modeling methods, tools, and service modes of IES in China to evaluate opportunities for improving current practices. The models reviewed in this paper are classified as demand forecasting or energy system optimization models based on their modeling progress. Additionally, the main components involved in the IES modeling process are presented, and typical domestic tools utilized in the modeling processes are discussed. Finally, based on a review of several demonstration projects of IES, future development directions of IES are summarized as the integration of data-driven and engineering models, improvements in policies and mechanisms, the establishment of regional energy management centers, and the promotion of new energy equipment

Solar Ring Mission: Building a Panorama of the Sun and Inner-heliosphere

Solar Ring (SOR) is a proposed space science mission to monitor and study the Sun and inner heliosphere from a full 360{\deg} perspective in the ecliptic plane. It will deploy three 120{\deg}-separated spacecraft on the 1-AU orbit. The first spacecraft, S1, locates 30{\deg} upstream of the Earth, the second, S2, 90{\deg} downstream, and the third, S3, completes the configuration. This design with necessary science instruments, e.g., the Doppler-velocity and vector magnetic field imager, wide-angle coronagraph, and in-situ instruments, will allow us to establish many unprecedented capabilities: (1) provide simultaneous Doppler-velocity observations of the whole solar surface to understand the deep interior, (2) provide vector magnetograms of the whole photosphere - the inner boundary of the solar atmosphere and heliosphere, (3) provide the information of the whole lifetime evolution of solar featured structures, and (4) provide the whole view of solar transients and space weather in the inner heliosphere. With these capabilities, Solar Ring mission aims to address outstanding questions about the origin of solar cycle, the origin of solar eruptions and the origin of extreme space weather events. The successful accomplishment of the mission will construct a panorama of the Sun and inner-heliosphere, and therefore advance our understanding of the star and the space environment that holds our life.Comment: 41 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, to be published in Advances in Space Researc

Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE), Life and Health

Light has profoundly impacted modern medicine and healthcare, with numerous luminescent agents and imaging techniques currently being used to assess health and treat diseases. As an emerging concept in luminescence, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) has shown great potential in biological applications due to its advantages in terms of brightness, biocompatibility, photostability, and positive correlation with concentration. This review provides a comprehensive summary of AIE luminogens applied in imaging of biological structure and dynamic physiological processes, disease diagnosis and treatment, and detection and monitoring of specific analytes, followed by representative works. Discussions on critical issues and perspectives on future directions are also included. This review aims to stimulate the interest of researchers from different fields, including chemistry, biology, materials science, medicine, etc., thus promoting the development of AIE in the fields of life and health

Space advanced technology demonstration satellite

The Space Advanced Technology demonstration satellite (SATech-01), a mission for low-cost space science and new technology experiments, organized by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was successfully launched into a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of similar to 500 km on July 27, 2022, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. Serving as an experimental platform for space science exploration and the demonstration of advanced common technologies in orbit, SATech-01 is equipped with 16 experimental payloads, including the solar upper transition region imager (SUTRI), the lobster eye imager for astronomy (LEIA), the high energy burst searcher (HEBS), and a High Precision Magnetic Field Measurement System based on a CPT Magnetometer (CPT). It also incorporates an imager with freeform optics, an integrated thermal imaging sensor, and a multi-functional integrated imager, etc. This paper provides an overview of SATech-01, including a technical description of the satellite and its scientific payloads, along with their on-orbit performance

Regional Short-term Micro-climate Air Temperature Prediction with CBPNN

This paper proposes a novel short-term air temperature prediction with three-layer Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) for the regional application of next 1-12 hours. With the continuous collection of eight real-time micro-climate parameters in the experimentation and demonstration stations in our university, the Multiple Stepwise Regression (MSR) is employed to screen the original historical data to find the parameter factors with greater contribution rate. On the basis of the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) value evaluating the optimal fitting degree of the stepwise regression, the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) and the Resilient Propagation (R-Prop) training algorithm are employed to construct a Combined BPNN (CBPNN) with two MSR inputs. Compared with the known micro-climate data sets, the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) is to evaluate the applicability of CBPNN prediction model. The experimentation shows that the MAE is within 4°C in the next 12 hours. This proposal will be deployed in stations in our university for extreme weather warnings, and could be applied to some regional short-term parameter prediction for the future agricultural production service

Regional Short-term Micro-climate Air Temperature Prediction with CBPNN

This paper proposes a novel short-term air temperature prediction with three-layer Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) for the regional application of next 1-12 hours. With the continuous collection of eight real-time micro-climate parameters in the experimentation and demonstration stations in our university, the Multiple Stepwise Regression (MSR) is employed to screen the original historical data to find the parameter factors with greater contribution rate. On the basis of the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) value evaluating the optimal fitting degree of the stepwise regression, the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) and the Resilient Propagation (R-Prop) training algorithm are employed to construct a Combined BPNN (CBPNN) with two MSR inputs. Compared with the known micro-climate data sets, the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) is to evaluate the applicability of CBPNN prediction model. The experimentation shows that the MAE is within 4°C in the next 12 hours. This proposal will be deployed in stations in our university for extreme weather warnings, and could be applied to some regional short-term parameter prediction for the future agricultural production service

Variations of Bioactive Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Capacity of Navel Orange Peel in Response to Different Drying Methods

The effects of five different drying methods, namely, freeze drying (FD), shade drying (SD), hot-air oven drying at 50 °C (OD50), 70 °C (OD70), and microwave drying (MD) on the bioactive phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity of navel orange peel were assessed and comprehensively discussed in detail. Compared with other drying methods, MD-treated peel contained the lowest total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The peel subjected to OD70 treatment was superior in TPC relative to other treatments and the highest TFC was found in the peels treated with FD. HPLC analysis identified thirteen flavonoids involving three flavanone glycosides (FGs) and ten polymethoxyflavones (PMFs) in navel orange peel and revealed that PMFs in peel were stable under all these drying methods, whereas the three major FGs (narirutin, hesperidin, and didymin) in peel significantly degraded in response to MD treatment. The peels subjected to OD50/OD70 treatments had the most potent antioxidant capacity when compared to other drying methods. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed. The results revealed here allow us to recommend the use of OD50 or OD70 for the drying of orange peel, both of which help the maintenance of bioactive compounds in the peel and improve its antioxidant capacity

Comparison of Phytochemical Profile, Mineral Content, and In Vitro Antioxidant Activities of Corchorus capsularis and Corchorus olitorius Leaf Extracts from Different Populations

In addition to fiber, Corchorus (jute) leaf is also rich in secondary metabolites and is used in folk medicine in jute-producing communities. It has been reported that jute halts progression of and helps manage different chronic diseases like tumors, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Various phytochemical, mineral, and antioxidant potency properties of 30 genotypes belonging to Corchorus capsularis and Corchorus olitorius were evaluated in the current study. The results demonstrate that the range of total flavonoids and polyphenols was 3.04 to 13.66 mg rutin equivalent (RE)/g and 5.12 to 7.78 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g DW, respectively. Total tannin and saponin content in both species was 13.08 to 26.95 mg tannic acid (TAE)/g and 34.45 to 114.59 mg tea saponin (TSE)/g DW, respectively, when analyzed for the first time. Moreover, this study sincerely establishes that jute leaf is a great source of mineral elements (magnesium, zinc, and selenium) and could also be a good energy source. The antioxidant properties of samples were examined with three unique strategies, including DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS values of leaf extract ranging from 206.42 to 351.77 μg/ml (IC50), 16.69 to 94.69 mmol Fe (II)/g DW, and 50.27 to 149.90 mmol trolox equivalent (TE)/g DW, respectively. A principle component analysis (PCA) explained 58.52% of the variance, while a hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was performed to construct five distinct groups based on their secondary compound metabolites content and antioxidant activities. Therefore, this study facilitates selection of the high genotypes that might be used as new materials for developing industrial and medicinal uses in addition to sorting genotypes for future genetic engineering purposes in order to enhance a particular bioactive compound and its natural antioxidants that are beneficial for human health