Digital Transformation, Top Management Team Heterogeneity, and Corporate Innovation: Evidence from A Quasi-Natural Experiment in China

Digitalization has brought great changes to economic and social development, and corporate digital transformation has gradually become the focus of academic attention. We explore the economic impacts of digital transformation from the perspective of corporate innovation utilizing a sample of China’s A-share listed manufacturing firms from 2008 to 2020, depending on the quasi-natural experiment of “Integration of Informatization & Industrialization”. Using the difference-in-differences (DID) model, we document that the growth of innovation considerably tends to rise via corporate digital transformation, and top management team (TMT) heterogeneity plays a positively moderating role in this process. The findings are still reliable after the parallel trend test, PSM-DID, placebo test, and the test of excluding alternative explanations. Extended analyses find that the innovation incentive effect of digital transformation will enhance corporate value in the later stage. Our findings not only contribute to the advancement of the study in digital transformation, but also offer theoretical support and useful advice for furthering corporate digitalization and upgrading the mechanism for creative growth

Digital Transformation, Top Management Team Heterogeneity, and Corporate Innovation: Evidence from A Quasi-Natural Experiment in China

Digitalization has brought great changes to economic and social development, and corporate digital transformation has gradually become the focus of academic attention. We explore the economic impacts of digital transformation from the perspective of corporate innovation utilizing a sample of China’s A-share listed manufacturing firms from 2008 to 2020, depending on the quasi-natural experiment of “Integration of Informatization & Industrialization”. Using the difference-in-differences (DID) model, we document that the growth of innovation considerably tends to rise via corporate digital transformation, and top management team (TMT) heterogeneity plays a positively moderating role in this process. The findings are still reliable after the parallel trend test, PSM-DID, placebo test, and the test of excluding alternative explanations. Extended analyses find that the innovation incentive effect of digital transformation will enhance corporate value in the later stage. Our findings not only contribute to the advancement of the study in digital transformation, but also offer theoretical support and useful advice for furthering corporate digitalization and upgrading the mechanism for creative growth

Corporate Digital Transformation and Green Innovation: A Quasi-Natural Experiment from Integration of Informatization and Industrialization in China

In the era of the digital economy, the rise and application of digital technologies have led to a series of systematic changes and disruptive innovations within enterprises. Based on the quasi-natural experiment of “Integration of Informatization and Industrialization”, this paper examines the economic consequences of digital transformation from the standpoint of corporate green innovation, utilizing China’s listed manufacturing firms as the research object. Using the DID model, it is discovered that through the implementation of corporate digital transformation, the output of green innovation increases significantly. The conclusions are still robust when using the parallel trend test, PSM-DID, placebo test, and the test of deleting the sample entering the pilot in the current year. Extended analyses find that corporate digital transformation has a greater effect on green innovation in regions with weaker digital economy, in industries with less rivalry, and in firms with larger size. The conclusions of this paper not only advance research on digital transformation and its economic consequences, but also provides theoretical proof and practical insights for advancing corporate digital transformation and enhancing the green development system

Preparation of Wear-Resistant Coating on Ti6Al4V Alloy by Cold Spraying and Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation

In order to improve the wear resistance of Ti6Al4V alloy, the alloy was first coated with alumina-reinforced aluminum coating (CS-coating) by cold spraying, and then the alloy with CS-coating was processed by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) under unipolar mode and soft sparking mode, respectively, to prepare wear-resistant PEO coatings. For comparison, Ti6Al4V alloy without CS-coating was also subjected to PEO treatment. The microstructure, phase composition, hardness, and wear resistance of the PEO coatings formed on Ti6Al4V alloy with and without CS-coating were investigated. The results revealed that PEO coatings formed on Ti6Al4V alloy with CS-coating under soft sparking mode contained more α-Al2O3, possessed larger thickness, more compact microstructure, and higher microhardness than that formed under unipolar mode. The PEO coating formed on Ti6Al4V substrate was mainly composed of TiO2 and had pores and cracks. Among all these coatings, PEO coating formed on Ti6Al4V alloy with CS-coating under soft sparking mode exhibited the best wear resistance with a wear rate of 1.18 × 10−5 mm3/(Nm), which was only 15.28% of that of the Ti6Al4V substrate. The investigation indicated that the combination of cold spraying and PEO under soft sparking mode is a promising technique for improving the wear resistance of titanium alloy

A Top-Down Approach to the Fabrication of Flame-Retardant Wood Aerogel with In Situ-Synthesized Borax and Zinc Borate

In this study, a top-down approach was employed for the fabrication of flame-retardant wood aerogels. The process involved the removal of lignin and the removal of hemicellulose utilizing NaOH concomitantly with the incorporation of ZnO and urea. Subsequently, an in situ reaction with boric acid was conducted to prepare flame-retardant wood aerogels. The morphology, chemical composition, thermal stability, and flame retardancy of the samples were studied. The results show that the NaOH treatment transformed the wood into a layered structure, and flame-retardant particles were uniformly distributed on the surface of the aerogel. The peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) of the flame-retardant aerogel were significantly reduced compared with the control samples. Meanwhile, its vertical burning test (UL-94) rating reached the V-0 level, and the Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) could exceed 90%. The flame-retardant wood aerogel exhibited excellent flame retardancy and self-extinguishing properties

High-Resolution Dynamic Pressure Sensor Array Based on Piezo-phototronic Effect Tuned Photoluminescence Imaging

A high-resolution dynamic tactile/pressure display is indispensable to the comprehensive perception of force/mechanical stimulations such as electronic skin, biomechanical imaging/analysis, or personalized signatures. Here, we present a dynamic pressure sensor array based on pressure/strain tuned photoluminescence imaging without the need for electricity. Each sensor is a nanopillar that consists of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells. Its photoluminescence intensity can be modulated dramatically and linearly by small strain (0-0.15%) owing to the piezo-phototronic effect. The sensor array has a high pixel density of 6350 dpi and exceptional small standard deviation of photoluminescence. High-quality tactile/pressure sensing distribution can be real-time recorded by parallel photoluminescence,imaging without any cross-talk. The sensor array can be inexpensively fabricated over large areas by semiconductor product lines. The proposed dynamic all-optical pressure imaging with excellent resolution, high sensitivity, good uniformity, and ultrafast response time offers a electromechanical systems

Mn4+-Substituted Li-Rich Li1.2Mn0.43+Mnx4+Ti0.4-xO2 Materials with High Energy Density

In this work, Li-rich Li1.2Mn0.43+Mnx4+Ti0.4-xO2 (LMMxTO, 0 <= x <= 0.4) oxides have been studied for the first time. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show a cation-disordered rocksalt structure when x ranges from 0 to 0.2. After Mn4+ substitution, LMM0.2TO delivers a high specific capacity of 322 mAh g(-1) at room temperature (30 degrees C, 30 mA g(-1)) and even 352 mAh g(-1) (45 degrees C, 30 mA g(-1)) with an energy density of 1041 Wh kg(-1). The reason for such a high capacity of LMM0.2TO is ascribed to the increase of both cationic (Mn) and anionic (O) redox after Mn4+ substitution, which is proved by dQ/dV curves, X-ray absorption near edge structure, DFT calculations, and in situ XRD results. In addition, the roles of Mn3+ and Ti4+ in LMM0.2TO are also discussed in detail. A ternary phase diagram is established to comprehend and further optimize the earth-abundant Mn3+-Mn4+-Ti4+ system. This work gives an innovative strategy to improve the energy density, broadening the ideas of designing Li-rich materials with better performance