Dual Phase Change Thermal Diodes for Enhanced Rectification Ratios: Theory and Experiment

Thermal diodes are materials that allow for the preferential directional transport of heat and are highly promising devices for energy conservation, energy harvesting, and information processing applications. One form of a thermal diode consists of the junction between a phase change and phase invariant material, with rectification ratios that scale with the square root of the ratio of thermal conductivities of the two phases. In this work, the authors introduce and analyse the concept of a Dual Phase Change Thermal Diode (DPCTD) as the junction of two phase change materials with similar phase boundary temperatures but opposite temperature coefficients of thermal conductivity. Such systems possess a significantly enhanced optimal scaling of the rectification ratio as the square root of the product of the thermal conductivity ratios. Furthermore, the authors experimentally design and fabricate an ambient DPCTD enabled by the junction of an octadecane‐impregnated polystyrene foam, polymerized using a high internal phase emulsion template (PFH‐O) and a poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) aqueous solution. The DPCTD shows a significantly enhanced thermal rectification ratio both experimentally (2.6) and theoretically (2.6) as compared with ideal thermal diodes composed only of the constituent materials.     

树木发育中的阶段转变研究进展

无性繁殖在林业中应用很普遍,而由树木发育阶段转变带来的成熟效应问题,一直是无性系造林的障碍。在树木发育阶段转变过程中,不同发育阶段存在形态解剖、植物激素与多胺含量、特异蛋白质和蛋白表达量、DNA甲基化水平等差异。利用这些差异判别造林苗木的老化情况,可避免在无性繁殖中因成熟效应而带来的损失。加强植物激素、特异蛋白等在树木阶段转变中的作用机制研究,寻找在树木发育阶段转变中发挥主导作用的关键基因等,则是未来研究的重点。     

Solar and Thermal Radiation-Modulation Materials for Building Applications

Regulation of solar and thermal radiation of building envelope shows huge energy-saving potentials. Existing reviews mainly focus on the materials with fixed solar and thermal optical properties. Although there are reviews reporting the materials with modulated optical properties (e.g., radiative cooling materials with modulating thermal emissivity while maintaining high solar reflectance), they merely focus on either solar or thermal radiation modulation, which can provide limited or even negative building energy savings and thus may mislead the researchers to design low energy-efficient materials in practice. To help gain a holistic understanding of the state-of-the-art solar and thermal radiation-modulation materials (STRMMs) and guide researchers to develop more effective STRMMs for maximum building energy savings, here the STRMMs are reviewed in three categories, solar radiation modulation, thermal radiation modulation, and synergetic solar and thermal radiation modulation. In the former two categories, only single solar or thermal optical property is modulated while in the third category both solar and thermal optical properties are modulated. For STRMMs in each category, their working principles, representative examples, potential applications and future perspectives are compared and elaborated.     

Generation of Narrowband Tunable THz-Radiation via Optical Rectification in Periodically Poled Materials

The generation of tunableTHz-radiation via optical rectification offs-pulses in periodically poled nonlinearmaterials is reported and its applicationfor biomedical sensing using THz-senorsbased on planar wave guides is discussed indetail.     

利用飞秒激光研究微液滴的冻结相变特性

对微液滴冻结行为的认识在低温生物学、分析化学等方面具有重要意义.引入飞秒激光实验手段研究液滴及微量生物材料(蛋白)的冻结相变特性.实验考察了样品在多次冻结过程中荧光光谱的变化规律,结果表明:生物材料与非生物材料在冻结及复温过程中的荧光光谱变化趋势存在差异,非生物试剂在冻结过程中光谱下降,经历复温后,其光谱可回复到初始状态;而蛋白在冻结过程中光谱上升,经历复温后,由于降温/升温过程对其造成的不可逆损伤,光谱无法回复到初始状态.基于此提出了用以评估生物样品活性的非接触式飞秒激光测量方法.     

Characterization of Thermal Transport in One-dimensional Solid Materials

The TET (transient electro-thermal) technique is an effective approach developed to measure the thermal diffusivity of solid materials, including conductive, semi-conductive or nonconductive one-dimensional structures. This technique broadens the measurement scope of materials (conductive and nonconductive) and improves the accuracy and stability. If the sample (especially biomaterials, such as human head hair, spider silk, and silkworm silk) is not conductive, it will be coated with a gold layer to make it electronically conductive. The effect of parasitic conduction and radiative losses on the thermal diffusivity can be subtracted during data processing. Then the real thermal conductivity can be calculated with the given value of volume-based specific heat (ρc_p), which can be obtained from calibration, noncontact photo-thermal technique or measuring the density and specific heat separately. In this work, human head hair samples are used to show how to set up the experiment, process the experimental data, and subtract the effect of parasitic conduction and radiative losses.     

Flexible Solar Thermal Fuel Devices: Composites of Fabric and a Photoliquefiable Azobenzene Derivative

Controllable storage and release of solar energy has always been a highlighted scientific issue for its benefit of mankind. Solar thermal fuels (STFs) supply a closed cycle and renewable energy‐storage strategy by transforming solar energy into chemical energy stored in the conformation of molecular isomers, such as cis/trans‐azobenzene, and releasing it as heat under various stimuli. Although the potential high energy density of the STFs which are based on the hybrids of azobenzene derivatives and carbon nanomaterials has been reported the solvent‐assistant charging hinders their practicability. In this study, a solid‐state STF device is designed and fabricated by compositing one photoliquefiable azobenzene (PLAZ) derivative with a flexible fabric template. The photoinduced phase transition of the PLAZ derivative enables the charging of the flexible STFs to be totally solvent‐free. Interestingly, the energy‐storage capacity (energy density ≈201 J g^?1) of flexible PLAZ STFs has been improved by the soft fabric template. The exothermic situation is monitored with one infrared camera, which shows 4 °C temperature difference between charged and discharged samples under blue light stimulus. The flexible STFs are may be used in practice as heating equipment.     

无胶筛分毛细管电泳在分析苹果发育时期转变蛋白质变化规律中的应用

对无胶筛分毛细管电泳体系的筛分介质浓度、缓冲体系的离子强度、分离电压、进样量及温度等条件进行了优化,最终确定最佳分离条件为7.5% Dextran,7.5%丙三醇,0.15mol·L^-1 TB,0.1%SDS,分离电压23.5kV,进样量1.5psi×90秒,温度25℃。应用此方法对金冠×红玉苹果杂种后代韧皮部蛋白质进行测定,得到了多个与阶段转变相关的蛋白质,在韧皮部50节上,有分子量为5.0kDa的特异蛋白质出现,分子量为24.5kDa的蛋白质含量在阶段转变过程中明显升高。     

湖北海棠阶段转变过程中几种同工酶变化研究

采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳法、研究了湖北海棠1年生实生菌（S1）、4年生（S4）、14年生（S14）实生树及4年生成年芽嫁接树（G4）不同高度叶片的过氧化物酶（POX）、细胞色素氧化酶（COD）、酯酶（EST）、乙醇脱氢酶（ADH）同工酶的变化。结果表明：多年生实生树随着高度的增加,POX Rf 0.56、0.60,COD Rf0.50,EST Rf0.09、0.15、0.75、0.77,ADH Rf0.76等几条酶带呈现,邮童区和成年区各自特有的同工酶带,随高度童区特征酶带消失或成年区特征酶带的高度均保持在150－200cm之间,同当年植株开花最低位置相同,S4、S14童区与S1同工酶谱带完全一致,S4、S14成年区与G4同工酶谱基本保持一致,G4同工酶谱并未随高度增加而发生变化,四种同工酶可以作为阶段转变的指标。S4、S14童区与成年区谱带的差异是高度的结果,高度是湖北海棠阶段转变的重要因子。     

Synthesis and Characterization of Templated Mesoporous Materials Using Molecular Simulation

Abstract

Lattice Monte Carlo simulations are used to calculate equilibrium properties of surfactant-solvent-silica liquid-crystal systems under no-polymerization conditions. The formation of a high-surfactant high-silica concentration phase in equilibrium with a dilute phase is observed when the surfactant-silica interactions are stronger than the surfactant-solvent interactions. Different silica structures that are similar to the M41 family are observed, depending on the overall concentration of the system. The formation of a hexagonal phase is favored at a surfactant/silica ratio of 0.2, whereas a lamellar phase is observed a surfactant/silica ratio of 1.

Argon adsorption properties on a model porous structure of the MCM-41 type prepared using this mimetic simulation protocol are calculated using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation. Heats of adsorption are calculated from fluctuations in the energy and number of molecules [1] following the work of Nicholson and Parsonage [Computer Simulation and the Statistical Mechanics of Adsorption (Academic Press, London), 1982, p 97 8 pp]. A decrease in the heats of adsorption for coverage less than one statistical monolayer is evidence of surface heterogeneity. The results are in qualitative agreement with experimental measurements for argon on MCM-41.     

Thermal growth potential of Atlantic cod by the end of the 21st century

Ocean warming may lead to smaller body sizes of marine ectotherms, because metabolic rates increase exponentially with temperature while the capacity of the cardiorespiratory system to match enhanced oxygen demands is limited. Here, we explore the impact of rising sea water temperatures on Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), an economically important fish species. We focus on changes in the temperature‐dependent growth potential by a transfer function model combining growth observations with climate model ensemble temperatures. Growth potential is expressed in terms of asymptotic body weight and depends on water temperature. We consider changes between the periods 1985–2004 and 2081–2100, assuming that future sea water temperatures will evolve according to climate projections for IPCC AR5 scenario RCP8.5. Our model projects a response of Atlantic cod to future warming, differentiated according to ocean regions, leading to increases of asymptotic weight in the Barents Sea, while weights are projected to decline at the southern margin of the biogeographic range. Southern spawning areas will disappear due to thermal limitation of spawning stages. These projections match the currently observed biogeographic shifts and the temperature‐ and oxygen‐dependent decline in routine aerobic scope at southern distribution limits.     

固相萃取材料在蛋白质组学研究中的应用进展

随着蛋白质组学的发展,蛋白质的分离将发挥越来越重要的作用。固相萃取是近年发展起来的一种样品预处理技术,在对某些目标蛋白质的分离纯化中作用明显。与传统的液液萃取法相比,固相萃取可以提高分析物的回收率,操作简便、省时省力。萃取材料的选择对固相萃取效果有着极为重要的影响,硅胶和磁性纳米材料是常用的萃取材料。石墨烯的出现为萃取技术的发展提供了新思路。我们简要综述了近年来固相萃取材料在蛋白质组学研究中的应用进展。     

Thermal Buffering of Microhabitats is a Critical Factor Mediating Warming Vulnerability of Frogs in the Philippine Biodiversity Hotspot

Species may circumvent the impacts of climate warming if the habitats they use reduce ambient temperature. In this study, we identified which frog species from a tropical montane rain forest in the Philippines may be vulnerable to climate warming. To do so, we selected five anuran species that utilize four breeding habitats and identified the sensitivity and exposure of tadpoles and direct‐developer eggs to heat by measuring their critical thermal maximums (CT_max) and the habitat‐specific temperatures they experience. Our study species included two direct‐developer frogs—one species that lays its eggs on exposed leaves, and another that lays its eggs in ferns—and three species that produce aquatic free‐swimming tadpoles—two stream breeders, and one phytotelm (tree hole) breeder. We compared thermal tolerances derived from microclimates of breeding habitats with tolerances derived from macroclimate (i.e., non‐buffered air temperature taken from the rain forest canopy). We also examined whether differences in CT_max existed across life‐history stages (egg, metamorph/young‐of‐year, and adult) for the two direct‐developer frog species. Habitats buffered ambient temperature and expanded thermal tolerances of all frog species. We found that direct‐developers, however, are more vulnerable to increased temperatures than aquatic breeders—indicated by their high sensitivity to temperature, and exposure to high temperatures. Direct‐developer eggs were more sensitive to warming than both metamorph and adult life‐history stages. Thermally buffered microhabitats may represent the only protection against current and impending climate warming. Our data highlight the importance of considering sensitivity and exposure in unison when deciphering warming vulnerability of frogs.     

Improved Functionality of Lithium‐Ion Batteries Enabled by Atomic Layer Deposition on the Porous Microstructure of Polymer Separators and Coating Electrodes

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al₂O₃ is applied on a polypropylene separator for lithium‐ion batteries. A thin Al₂O₃ layer (<10 nm) is coated on every surface of the porous polymer microframework without significantly increasing the total separator thickness. The thin Al₂O₃ ALD coating results in significantly suppressed thermal shrinkage, which may lead to improved safety of the batteries. More importantly, the wettability of Al₂O₃ ALD‐coated separators in an extremely polar electrolyte based on pure propylene carbonate (PC) solvent is demonstrated, without any decrease in electrochemical performances such as capacity, rate capability, and cycle life. Finally, a LiCoO₂/natural graphite full cell is demonstrated under extremely severe conditions (pure PC‐based electrolyte and high (4.5 V) upper cut‐off potential), which is enabled by the Al₂O₃ ALD coating on all three components (cathode, anode, and separator).     

Materials and Energy Flow Analysis of Paper Consumption in the United Kingdom, 1987-2010

This article presents the results of a life-cycle materials and energy flow analysis for the pulp and paper cycle in the United Kingdom. Material flows are reconstructed for the period be-tween 1987 and 1996 for all major processes associated with the paper cycle, and system energy requirements are calculated over this period using the best available data. Attention is drawn to the import dependence of U.K. paper demand, and the significant energy requirements associated with upstream forestry processes. The historical trend analysis is then used to model possible future developments in materials and energy consumption until 2010 under a variety of assumptions about process technology improvements, wastepaper utilization rates, and changing demand trends. The results indicate that policy options to increase recycling yield some energy benefits, but these are small by comparison with the benefits to be gained by reducing consumption of paper and improving process technology. The structure of the electricity supply industry in the United Kingdom means that global energy benefits could also be achieved by increasing the contribution from imported pulp.     

Thermal response of demersal and pelagic juvenile fishes from the surf zone during a heat‐wave simulation

Experimental measurements were collected in the laboratory to evaluate the maximum thermal limit and thermal plasticity of Neotropical juvenile fish with different life habitats (demersal and pelagic) from surf zone in response to a “heat‐wave experiment”. Trials were conducted using two temperature acclimations (T_a), including the current average temperature of Southeastern Brazil (T_a: 14 days at 25°C) and the “heat‐wave experiment” (T_a: 14 days at 30°C), simulating a heat‐wave event that occurs when the daily maximum temperature of more than five consecutive days exceeds the average maximum temperature by 5°C. Typical species of the surf zone were used: the demersal White sea catfish (Genidens barbus) and Gulf kingcroaker (Menticirrhus littoralis), and the pelagic fishes Great pompano (Trachinotus goodei) and Long‐fin mullet (Mugil brevirostris). The thermal range and plasticity values for the both life‐habitats species were verified through current and heat‐wave acclimation. The thermal tolerance at high temperatures (CT_max) of these species differed between T_a, habitat and species. Fish showed a species‐specific response to temperature increase, regardless of their habitat even under similar abiotic conditions. However, at the heat‐wave simulation, the demersal fish presented a greater thermal plasticity in relation to the pelagic fish. Despite the higher thermal tolerance when exposed to heat‐wave simulation, all fish species displayed a lower thermal edge safety that is markedly close to their maximum thermal limits.     

Pressure-induced Shape Change of Phospholipid Vesicles: Implication of Compression and Phase Transition

A microscopic study has allowed the analysis of modifications of various shapes acquired by phospholipid vesicles during a hydrostatic pressure treatment of up to 300 MPa. Giant vesicles of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine / phosphatidylserine (DMPC/PS) prepared at 40°C mainly presented a shape change resembling budding during pressure release. This comportment was reinforced by the incorporation of 1,2-dioleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) or by higher temperature (60°C) processing. The thermotropic main phase transition (Lα to Pβ′) of the different vesicles prepared was determined under pressure through a spectrofluorimetric study of 6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylamino-naphtalene (Laurdan) incorporated into the vesicles’ bilayer. This analysis was performed by microfluorescence observation of single vesicles. The phase transition was found to begin at about 80 MPa and 120 MPa for DMPC/PS vesicles at, respectively, 40°C and 60°C. At 60°C the liquid-to-gel transition phase was not complete within 250 MPa. Addition of DMPE at 40°C does not significantly shift the onset boundary of the phase transition but extends the transition region. At 40°C, the gel phase was obtained at, respectively, 110 MPa and 160 MPa for DMPC/PS and DMPC/PS/DOPE vesicles. In comparing volume data obtained from image analysis and Laurdan signal, we assume the shape change is a consequence of the difference between lateral compressibility of the membrane and bulk water. The phase transition contributes to the membrane compression but seems not necessary to induce shape change of vesicles. The high compressibility of the Lα phase at 60°C allows induction on DMPC/PS vesicles of a morphological transition without phase change.     

Unique Role of Refractory Ta Alloying in Enhancing the Figure of Merit of NbFeSb Thermoelectric Materials

NbFeSb‐based half‐Heusler alloys have been recently identified as promising high‐temperature thermoelectric materials with a figure of merit zT > 1, but their thermal conductivity is still relatively high. Alloying Ta at the Nb site would be highly desirable because the large mass fluctuation between them could effectively scatter phonons and reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. However, practically it is a great challenge due to the high melting point of refractory Ta. Here, the successful synthesis of Ta‐alloyed (Nb_1?xTa_x)_0.8Ti_0.2FeSb (x = 0 – 0.4) solid solutions with significantly reduced thermal conductivity by levitation melting is reported. Because of the similar atomic sizes and chemistry of Nb and Ta, the solid solutions exhibit almost unaltered electrical properties. As a result, an overall zT enhancement from 300 to 1200 K is realized in the single‐phase Ta‐alloyed solid solutions, and the compounds with x = 0.36 and 0.4 reach a maximum zT of 1.6 at 1200 K. This work also highlights that the isoelectronic substitution by atoms with similar size and chemical nature but large mass difference should reduce the lattice thermal conductivity but maintain good electrical properties in thermoelectric materials, which can be a guide for optimizing the figure of merit by alloying.