Corrected Navier-Stokes equations for compressible flows

For gas flows, the Navier-Stokes (NS) equations are established by mathematically expressing conservations of mass, momentum and energy. The advantage of the NS equations over the Euler equations is that the NS equations have taken into account the viscous stress caused by the thermal motion of molecules. The viscous stress arises from applying Isaac Newton's second law to fluid motion, together with the assumption that the stress is proportional to the gradient of velocity1. Thus, the assumption is the only empirical element in the NS equations, and this is actually the reason why the NS equations perform poorly under special circumstances. For example, the NS equations cannot describe rarefied gas flows and shock structure. This work proposed a correction to the NS equations with an argument that the viscous stress is proportional to the gradient of momentum when the flow is under compression, with zero additional empirical parameters. For the first time, the NS equations have been capable of accurately solving shock structure and rarefied gas flows. In addition, even for perfect gas, the accuracy of the prediction of heat flux rate is greatly improved. The corrected NS equations can readily be used to improve the accuracy in the computation of flows with density variations which is common in nature.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure

Lipid droplets: a classic organelle with new outfits

Lipid droplets are depots of neutral lipids that exist virtually in any kind of cell. Recent studies have revealed that the lipid droplet is not a mere lipid blob, but a major contributor not only to lipid homeostasis but also to diverse cellular functions. Because of the unique structure as well as the functional importance in relation to obesity, steatosis, and other prevailing diseases, the lipid droplet is now reborn as a brand new organelle, attracting interests from researchers of many disciplines

Organics- and Surfactant-Free Molten Salt Medium Controlled Synthesis of Pt‑M (M = Cu and Pd) Bi- and Trimetallic Nanocubes and Nanosheets

We present a novel synthetic strategy for the shape-controlled synthesis of Pt-based alloy nanoparticles (NPs) in inorganic molten salt without using any organic surfactants or capping agents. Graphene oxide (GO) was chosen as the stabilizer in the inorganic molten salt synthetic strategy, due to the existence of various oxygen-containing functional groups on its surface, which adsorb, anchor, and stabilize the metal ions or NPs. After GO was added in molten salt, the PtPd nanosheets were formed on its surface in H₂ atmosphere. In addition, when KI was chosen as the shape-inducing agent to selectively adsorb on and fully protect the (100) facets of alloys, PtPd nanocubes with core–shell structure, PtCu nanohemicubes, and PtPdCu nanocubes were prepared successfully on the surface of GO in molten salt. Introduction of GO as the stabilizer in molten salt proves a new approach in synthesis of Pt-based nanocrystals with controlled morphologies

Synergistic Effect Induced High Photothermal Performance of Au Nanorod@Cu₇S₄ Yolk–Shell Nanooctahedron Particles

Au nanorod (NR) which has strong LSPR (longitudinal surface plasmon resonance) effect in near-infrared (NIR) region was introduced into the Cu₇S₄ hollow NPs to form Au NR@Cu₇S₄ yolk–shell structured nanoparticles (YSNPs) for improving the photothermal property of NPs. The optimum photothermal conversion efficiency of the as-prepared YSNPs is 68.6%. The hybrid YSNPs had the highest photothermal property compared with the equivalent used Au NR and pure Cu₇S₄ because of the synergistic effect of metal and semiconductor. In this case, the synergistic effect in YSNPs was discussed by tuning sizes of the YSNPs and the thickness of Cu₇S₄ shell. The experimental results demonstrated that the NIR photoabsorption and the photothermal conversion performance of Au NR@Cu₇S₄ YSNPs were much dependent on the geometric change of YSNPs, since the electrical field interaction between inner Au NR core and outer Cu₇S₄ shell is closely effected by the distance of two materials and thickness of out-shell, as confirmed by the 3D finite-difference time domain simulation (FDTD) theory simulation. Moreover, we proved that the hollow yolk–shell structure of the YSNPs also endowed the NPs with a large potential in drug delivery

Structural and Electronic Stabilization of PtNi Concave Octahedral Nanoparticles by P Doping for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Electrolytes

The enhancement in the catalytic activity of PtM (transition metals, TMs) alloy nanoparticles (NPs) results from the electronic structure of Pt being modified by the TM. However, the oxidation of the TM would lead to the electronegativity difference between Pt and TM being much lowered, which induces a decrease in the number of electrons transferred from the TM to Pt, resulting in excessive oxygenated species accumulating on the surface of Pt, thus deteriorating their performance. In this work, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance of PtNi (Pt₆₈Ni₃₂) concave octahedral NPs (CONPs) in alkaline electrolytes is much improved by doping small amounts of phosphorus. The P-doped PtNi CONPs (P-PtNi) show about 2 and 10 times enhancement for ORR compared to PtNi and commercial Pt/C catalysts. The high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping characterizations reveal that the P dopant uniformly distributes throughout the CONPs, Pt mainly locates at the edges and corners, whereas Ni situates at the center, forming a P-doped Pt-frame@Ni quasi-core–shell CONP. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra indicate that the P dopant obviously increases the electron density of Pt compared with that of PtNi NPs, which contributes to the stabilization of the electronic structure of PtNi CONPs, thus restraining the excessive HO₂^– species produced on the catalysts, which endow them with a high catalytic performance in the ORR. In addition, the P attached to the Ni sites in the PtNi NPs partially prevents the Ni atoms being oxidized by the external O species, which is conducive to the structural and electrochemical stability of the PtNi NPs during the ORR. The present results provide a new insight into the development of ORR catalysts with low utilization of Pt