Synthesis and Energetics of Gold Nanoclusters Tailored by Interfacial Bonding Structure

In addition to the well known quantum confinement effects resulted from size and shape, interfacial bond structure is another factor, affecting the properties of the nanomaterial that is rarely studied. Inspired by the “Au-S-Au” staple motif discovered from the crystal structure of monothiol protected Au102 nanocluster (Science, 2007, 318, 430), dithiol molecules (e. g. 1, 2-dithiol, 1, 4-dithiol, etc.) with molecular structural constraint have been employed to create dithiolate protected clusters or mixed monothiolate and dithiolate protected clusters. The structure and properties of the Au clusters are expected to change due to two effects: The entropy gain of dithiol over monothiol protection and the constraint to the formation of the thiol bridging motif. DMPS (1, 2-dithiol molecule) stabilized clusters with characteristic absorption bands have been obtained, and characterized by multiple techniques. Monolayer reaction on gold core surface between the monothiol tiopronin and dithiol DMPS has been performed, and the mechanism has been probed. Mixed phenylethanethiolate and durene-dithiolate (1, 4-dithiol molecule) protected Au130 clusters with rich electrochemical features have been created, and the optical and electrochemical energetics have been successfully correlated based on core and core-ligand energy states. Furthermore, the impact of 1, 4-dithiolate-Au bonding on the near infrared luminescence has been studied

Optimising the transformation and yield to ultimate strength ratio of Nb-Ti micro-alloyed low carbon line pipe steels through alloy and microstructural control

Thinner walled (about 6 mm thickness) line pipe steels for smaller diameter pipelines tend to have a relatively high ratio of yield strength to ultimate tensile strength (YS/UTS) of 0.93 or higher. This study focused on the effect of the microstructures, prior deformation in the austenite, cooling rate, coiling simulation and the additions of some micro-alloying elements on the YS/UTS ratio of a currently produced Nb-Ti and some experimental Nb-Ti-Mo line pipe steels. The experimental research included the design of the chemical compositions for five experimental alloys, simulation of the controlled hot rolling process, the determination of the strain-free as well as the strain affected continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams, phase identification and quantitative assessment of the microstructures by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the latter especially on shadowed carbon extraction replicas and, tensile tests etc. This study indicated that the transformed microstructures of the alloys were a mixture of acicular ferrite plus polygonal ferrite and the volume fraction of acicular ferrite varied from 46.3 to 55.4%. Molybdenum additions did not markedly affect the formation of acicular ferrite after hot rolling and rapid cooling. The microstructural details of the acicular ferrite were successfully revealed by TEM on shadowed extraction replicas. This technique was useful to distinguish the acicular ferrite from the polygonal ferrite through a more smooth surface relief after etching in 2% Nital of the little etched polygonal ferrite whereas the deeper etched acicular ferrite showed parallel sets of internal striations. This made it possible to measure the volume fraction of acicular ferrite in the mixed microstructures of acicular ferrite and polygonal ferrite. The continuous cooling transformation behaviors of two alloys with no molybdenum and with 0.22% Mo were constructed with no prior deformation as well as with prior deformation of the austenite. Molybdenum additions shifted the strain-free CCT diagram towards longer times and expanded the region in which acicular ferrite formed from a cooling rate range of 0.3 to 5 ºCs-1 (Mo-free) to 0.1 to 15 ºCs-1 (with 0.22% Mo). However, its effect was significantly overshadowed by prior deformation in the austenite. The strain affected CCT diagrams for both alloys appear to be similar. The prior deformation had a stronger effect on the CCT diagram than molybdenum additions and promoted acicular ferrite formation, whereas it suppressed the formation of bainite. The prior deformation had two effects in acicular ferrite formation: it promoted nucleation and suppressed its growth and, therefore, resulted in a finer overall grain size. The effect on the YS/UTS ratio at various cooling rates ranging from 1 to 34, 51, 54 or 60 ºCs-1 was investigated in three cases: (i) without prior deformation and coiling simulation, (ii) with no prior deformation but with coiling simulation at 575 and 600 ºC and, (iii) with prior deformation of 33% reduction in the austenite below the Tnr followed by coiling simulation at 575 ºC for 1 hour. It was determined that the YS/UTS ratio was a function of the microstructure and cooling rate in the case treatment (i)) without any coiling simulation and prior deformation. The coarse bainite or acicular ferrite, which was formed at high cooling rates, raised the YS/UTS ratio under conditions of no deformation prior to the transformation. The yield strength and ultimate tensile strength also increased with an increase in cooling rate. With coiling conditions (treatment (ii)), the ratio was not sensitive to the cooling rate or the microstructure for the reference Mo-free alloy #6 because the coiling allows recovery of dislocations, thereby decreasing the difference in dislocation density that had arisen between a low and a high cooling rate. The YS/UTS ratio ranged from 0.75 to 0.8 after a simulated coiling at 575 ºC and from 0.76 to 0.78 after a coiling simulation at 600 ºC. Prior deformation (treatment (iii)) in the austenite raised the ratio from 0.81 to 0.86. However, the YS/UTS ratio was not sensitive to cooling rate after coiling at 575 ºC for 1 hour in the cases with and without prior deformation in the austenite. Deformation with a 33% reduction below the Tnr prior to the transformation increased the yield strength more than the ultimate tensile strength, leading to a high YS/UTS ratio that ranged from 0.81 to 0.86. The prior deformation, therefore, had a stronger effect on the YS/UTS ratio than the microstructure. Towards cache optimization in finite automataThesis (PhD (Metallurgical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2007.Materials Science and Metallurgical EngineeringPhDunrestricte

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Resin Matrix Composites

Carbon fi ber reinforced polymer matrix composites have been the focus of research. As the most widely used epoxyresin in all matrix materials, it is also the most studied. In this paper, the modification of TDE-85 epoxy resin, thecuring properties of curing agent and the preparation method of prepreg were reviewed. The progress and applicationof carbon fi ber reinforced epoxy resin composites at home and abroad were reviewed, made carbon fi ber / epoxy resincomposite materials in the automotive fuel cell application prospects

Effects of Linpan nature therapy on health benefits in older women with and without hypertension

BackgroundNature therapy can significantly benefit the physiology and psychology of middle-aged and older people, but previous studies have focused on forest environments. The restoration potential of rural environments in urban fringe areas, which are more accessible to older people on a daily basis, has not been fully studied. This study assessed the effects of nature therapy on the physical and mental health of older women in a rural setting (locally known as Linpan) in the urban fringe area of Chengdu, China.MethodsWe recruited a total of 60 older women (65.3 ± 5.5 years old) living in cities for 3 days of nature therapy in the winter (30 subjects) and spring (30 subjects), including 20 hypertensive patients.ResultsThe results showed that the overall blood pressure, pulse and sleep dysfunction rating scores of the participants were significantly lower than the pretest levels, and the finger blood oxygen saturation, mid-day salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol were increased post-treatment. Increases in these biomarker indicates and increase in stress. There were significant differences in the changes in systolic blood pressure between the hypertension group (HTN) and the normal group (normal) (HTN decreased by 8.8%, normal decreased by 5.4%), salivary alpha-amylase content (HTN decreased by 0.3%, normal increased by 16.9%), and sleep dysfunction rating scores (HTN decreased by 59.6%, normal decreased by 54%). The decreases in systolic blood pressure and pulse in the winter group were higher than those in the spring group by 1.8 and 4.4%, respectively, while the increases in salivary alpha-amylase content and salivary cortisol content were lower than those in the spring group by 11.7 and 11.2%, respectively, and the decrease in sleep dysfunction rating scores was lower than that in the spring group by 7.1%.ConclusionOur study concluded that nature therapy based on various health activities in the Linpan has significant health effects on older women. It can regulate blood pressure and pulse in older women, relieve cardiovascular disease, improve sleep quality. Meanwhile, older women with high blood pressure experienced a more significant effect than the healthy group

Neutrino Physics with JUNO

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a 20 kton multi-purposeunderground liquid scintillator detector, was proposed with the determinationof the neutrino mass hierarchy as a primary physics goal. It is also capable ofobserving neutrinos from terrestrial and extra-terrestrial sources, includingsupernova burst neutrinos, diffuse supernova neutrino background, geoneutrinos,atmospheric neutrinos, solar neutrinos, as well as exotic searches such asnucleon decays, dark matter, sterile neutrinos, etc. We present the physicsmotivations and the anticipated performance of the JUNO detector for variousproposed measurements. By detecting reactor antineutrinos from two power plantsat 53-km distance, JUNO will determine the neutrino mass hierarchy at a 3-4sigma significance with six years of running. The measurement of antineutrinospectrum will also lead to the precise determination of three out of the sixoscillation parameters to an accuracy of better than 1\%. Neutrino burst from atypical core-collapse supernova at 10 kpc would lead to ~5000inverse-beta-decay events and ~2000 all-flavor neutrino-proton elasticscattering events in JUNO. Detection of DSNB would provide valuable informationon the cosmic star-formation rate and the average core-collapsed neutrinoenergy spectrum. Geo-neutrinos can be detected in JUNO with a rate of ~400events per year, significantly improving the statistics of existing geoneutrinosamples. The JUNO detector is sensitive to several exotic searches, e.g. protondecay via the $p\to K^++\bar\nu$ decay channel. The JUNO detector will providea unique facility to address many outstanding crucial questions in particle andastrophysics. It holds the great potential for further advancing our quest tounderstanding the fundamental properties of neutrinos, one of the buildingblocks of our Universe

Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalyzed by Noble Metal Clusters

Highly-efficient catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have been extensively investigated for the development of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The state-of-the-art Pt/C catalysts suffer from high price, limited accessibility of Pt, sluggish reaction kinetics, as well as undesirable long-term durability. Engineering ultra-small noble metal clusters with high surface-to-volume ratios and robust stabilities for ORR represents a new avenue. After a simple introduction regarding the significance of ORR and the recent development of noble metal clusters, the general ORR mechanism in both acidic and basic media is firstly discussed. Subsequently, we will summarize the recent efforts employing Pt, Au, Ag, Pd and Ru clusters, as well as the alloyed bi-metallic clusters for acquiring highly efficient catalysts to enhance both the activity and stability of ORR. Molecular noble metal clusters with definitive composition to reveal the relevant ORR mechanism will be particularly highlighted. Finally, the current challenges, the future outlook, as well as the perspectives in this booming field will be proposed, featuring the great opportunities and potentials to engineering noble metal clusters as highly-efficient and durable cathodic catalysts for fuel cell applications

The effect of microstructure and processing variables on the yield to ultimate tensile strength ratio in a Nb–Ti and a Nb–Ti–Mo line pipe steel

In a hot rolled Nb–Ti and a Nb–Ti–0.09%Mo micro-alloyed steel, the ratio of yield strength to tensile strength (YS/UTS) was found to be a function of the microstructure and cooling rate in those tests where no coiling simulation and no prior deformation. The coarse bainite or acicular ferrite, which was formed at high cooling rates, raised the YS/UTS ratio under these process conditions. With coiling simulation, the ratio was not sensitive to the cooling rate or the microstructure as coiling allows the recovery of dislocations, thereby decreasing the difference in dislocation density that had arisen between a low and a high cooling rate. Deformation with a 33% reduction below the nil-recrystallisation temperature (Tnr) prior to the transformation, led to a high YS/UTS ratio that ranged from 0.81 to 0.86. The prior deformation, therefore, had a stronger effect on the YS/UTS ratio than microstructural changes through cooling rate variations

Study on Spacing Threshold of Nonsubmerged Spur Dikes with Alternate Layout

This paper investigated the spacing threshold of nonsubmerged spur dikes with alternate layout to classify the impact scale of spur dikes. A mathematical model was built based on standard k-ε model, finite volume method (FVM), and rigid lid assumption and was verified by experimental data. According to dimensional analysis, three indices, that is, Fr (Froude number), B/b (channel width to dike length), and B/h (channel width to water depth), were identified as the influencing factors on the spacing threshold, based on which fifteen sets of conditions were simulated. The calculation results indicate that B/h is the most influencing parameter on Sc/b (spacing threshold to dike length), followed by B/b and Fr. A dimensionless empirical formula of spacing threshold is fitted by multivariate regression. The results of four sets of additional conditions illustrate that the generalization of empirical formula is satisfactory and the precision of interpolation is higher than that of extrapolation. Furthermore, the spacing threshold of alternate spur dikes is generally smaller than ipsilateral spur dikes