Promising bulk nanostructured Cu₂Se thermoelectrics via high throughput and rapid chemical synthesis

A facile and high yield synthesis route was developed for the fabrication of bulk nanostructured copper selenide (Cu2Se) with high thermoelectric efficiency. Starting from readily available precursor materials and by means of rapid and energy-efficient microwave-assisted thermolysis, nanopowders of Cu2Se were synthesized. Powder samples and compacted pellets have been characterized in detail for their structural, microstructural and transport properties. alpha to beta phase transition of Cu2Se was confirmed using temperature dependent X-ray powder diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry analyses. Scanning electron microscopy analysis reveals the presence of secondary globular nanostructures in the order of 200 nm consisting of <50 nm primary particles. High resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis confirmed the highly crystalline nature of the primary particles with irregular truncated morphology. Through a detailed investigation of different parameters in the compaction process, such as applied load, heating rate, and cooling profiles, pellets with preserved nanostructured grains were obtained. An applied load during the controlled cooling profile was demonstrated to have a big impact on the final thermoelectric efficiency of the consolidated pellets. A very high thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) above 2 was obtained at 900 K for SPS-compacted Cu2Se nanopowders in the absence of the applied load during the controlled cooling step. The obtained ZT exceeds the state of the art in the temperature ranges above phase transition, approaching up to 25% improvement at 900 K. The results demonstrate the prominent improvement in ZT attributed both to the low thermal conductivity, as low as 0.38 W m(-1) K-1 at 900 K, and the enhancement in the power factor of nanostructured Cu2Se. The proposed synthesis scheme as well as the consolidation could lead to reliable production of large scale thermoelectric nanopowders for niche applications

Thermoelectric inks and power factor tunability in hybrid films through all solution process

Thermoelectric (TE) materials can have a strong benefit to harvest thermal energy if they can be applied to large areas without losing their performance over time. One way of achieving large-area films is through hybrid materials, where a blend of TE materials with polymers can be applied as coating. Here, we present the development of all solution-processed TE ink and hybrid films with varying contents of TE Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3 nanomaterials, along with their characterization. Using (1-methoxy-2-propyl) acetate (MPA) as the solvent and poly (methyl methacrylate) as the durable polymer, large-area homogeneous hybrid TE films have been fabricated. The conductivity and TE power factor improve with nanoparticle volume fraction, peaking around 60–70% solid material fill factor. For larger fill factors, the conductivity drops, possibly because of an increase in the interface resistance through interface defects and reduced connectivity between the platelets in the medium. The use of dodecanethiol (DDT) as an additive in the ink formulation enabled an improvement in the electrical conductivity through modification of interfaces and the compactness of the resultant films, leading to a 4–5 times increase in the power factor for both p- and n-type hybrid TE films, respectively. The observed trends were captured by combining percolation theory with analytical resistive theory, with the above assumption of increasing interface resistance and connectivity with polymer volume reduction. The results obtained on these hybrid films open a new low-cost route to produce and implement TE coatings on a large scale, which can be ideal for driving flexible, large-area energy scavenging technologies such as personal medical devices and the IoT

Совершенствование маркетинговой деятельности промышленного предприятия (на примере РУП «Белоруснефть-Особино»)

We report a detailed computational and experimental study of the interaction of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with the drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzyme, CYP3A4. Dose-dependent inhibition of CYP3A4-mediated conversion of the model compound, testosterone, to its major metabolite, 6β-hydroxy testosterone was noted. Evidence for a direct interaction between SWCNTs and CYP3A4 was also provided. The inhibition of enzyme activity was alleviated when SWCNTs were pre-coated with bovine serum albumin. Furthermore, covalent functionalization of SWCNTs with polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains mitigated the inhibition of CYP3A4 enzymatic activity. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested that inhibition of the catalytic activity of CYP3A4 is mainly due to blocking of the exit channel for substrates/products through a complex binding mechanism. This work suggests that SWCNTs could interfere with metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics and provides a molecular mechanism for this toxicity. Our study also suggests means to reduce this toxicity, eg., by surface modification

Engineered PMMA-CuO nanocomposites for improving the electric arc interruption process in electrical switching applications

Polymer-based nanocomposites (PNCs) display fascinating functionalities to be useful in electrical switching applications like circuit breakers, switch gears, etc. These PNCs are fabricated by incorporating nanoparticles (NPs) into a polymer by in-situ polymerization. When the PNCs interrupt the high energetic fault currents generate between the two contacts in a circuit breaker, they outgas (ablation) chemical species and cooling gases, which change the thermodynamic properties of the arcing environment leading to quench the electrical arcs quickly. Two PNCs are fabricated with different wt% of oleic acid modified CuO NPs and a polymer matrix i.e. poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA). These PNCs are tested with the electrical arcs of a prospective current of 1.6 kA generated in the test-setup. The electrical signals (arc current and voltage) and computed dissipated enegy i.e., ∫()() help to understand the effect of PNCs on the electrical arcs. In addition to that, the computed joule integral and mass loss of the PNCs due to outgassing is reported. The re-depositions of the chemical species are analyzed by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the morphological changes on the surface of outgassed PNCs are analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These results help to understand the effect of PNCs on the arc interruption process in circuit breakers.Qc 20170303</p

Engineered PMMA-CuO nanocomposites for improving the electric arc interruption process in electrical switching applications

Polymer-based nanocomposites (PNCs) display fascinating functionalities to be useful in electrical switching applications like circuit breakers, switch gears, etc. These PNCs are fabricated by incorporating nanoparticles (NPs) into a polymer by in-situ polymerization. When the PNCs interrupt the high energetic fault currents generate between the two contacts in a circuit breaker, they outgas (ablation) chemical species and cooling gases, which change the thermodynamic properties of the arcing environment leading to quench the electrical arcs quickly. Two PNCs are fabricated with different wt% of oleic acid modified CuO NPs and a polymer matrix i.e. poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA). These PNCs are tested with the electrical arcs of a prospective current of 1.6 kA generated in the test-setup. The electrical signals (arc current and voltage) and computed dissipated enegy i.e., ∫()() help to understand the effect of PNCs on the electrical arcs. In addition to that, the computed joule integral and mass loss of the PNCs due to outgassing is reported. The re-depositions of the chemical species are analyzed by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the morphological changes on the surface of outgassed PNCs are analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These results help to understand the effect of PNCs on the arc interruption process in circuit breakers.Qc 20170303</p

Engineered PMMA-CuO nanocomposites for improving the electric arc interruption process in electrical switching applications

Polymer-based nanocomposites (PNCs) display fascinating functionalities to be useful in electrical switching applications like circuit breakers, switch gears, etc. These PNCs are fabricated by incorporating nanoparticles (NPs) into a polymer by in-situ polymerization. When the PNCs interrupt the high energetic fault currents generate between the two contacts in a circuit breaker, they outgas (ablation) chemical species and cooling gases, which change the thermodynamic properties of the arcing environment leading to quench the electrical arcs quickly. Two PNCs are fabricated with different wt% of oleic acid modified CuO NPs and a polymer matrix i.e. poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA). These PNCs are tested with the electrical arcs of a prospective current of 1.6 kA generated in the test-setup. The electrical signals (arc current and voltage) and computed dissipated enegy i.e., ∫()() help to understand the effect of PNCs on the electrical arcs. In addition to that, the computed joule integral and mass loss of the PNCs due to outgassing is reported. The re-depositions of the chemical species are analyzed by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the morphological changes on the surface of outgassed PNCs are analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These results help to understand the effect of PNCs on the arc interruption process in circuit breakers.Qc 20170303</p