Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yi Di, Tianshi Qin
Summary: Incorporating plasmonic ZrN@TiO2 nanostructures into the photoanode of DSSC can efficiently improve the photovoltaic performance, showing potential applications.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhonghua Zhang, Shizhen Li, Yang Liu
Summary: Understanding the mechanisms of sintering Cu-Ag core-shell nanoparticles is crucial for optimizing sintering processes and designing desired sintering structures. Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted in this study to investigate the sintering behaviors and mechanisms of CS NPs, considering shell thickness, particle size, and temperature. The results showed that dislocation loops played a key role in sintering by facilitating crystal evolution and reducing amorphous structures. The state of dislocation loops could be controlled by shell thickness and NP size.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Maya Endo-Kimura, Kunlei Wang, Zuzanna Bielan, Marcin Janczarek, Agata Markowska-Szczupak, Ewa Kowalska
Summary: This study introduces a porous core@shell photocatalytic structure with a less stable core (CuxO) and a firm shell (TiO2) that has unique antimicrobial properties. The Cux-O@TiO2 photocatalysts with different compositions and morphologies have been prepared and characterized. The antibacterial tests show that the morphology plays a decisive role in the overall antibacterial performance.
SURFACES AND INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Jaya Verma, Avi Gupta, Deepak Kumar
Summary: This research focused on developing a highly efficient and cost-effective multifunctional nanocoating by incorporating silica-titania core-shell particles into polyurethane for various applications. The core-shell structure combined the mechanical properties improvement of silica with the antimicrobial and hydrophobic enhancement of titania. Through testing and analysis, it was found that a concentration of 4% (wt) of nano core-shell particles in the PU coating system produced the best results for multipurpose applications.
PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS
(2022)
Article
Optics
Lijie Wang, Tsz Him Chow, Malte Oppermann, Jianfang Wang, Majed Chergui
Summary: We report on the deep-to-near-UV transient absorption spectra of Au/SiO2 and Au/TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) and UV-excited bare anatase TiO2 NPs. The presence of electrons/holes in the conduction/valence band of the material is indicated by the bleaching of the first excitonic transition of anatase TiO2 at -3.8 eV. Two-photon excitation does not occur in bare TiO2 NPs, but takes place in the TiO2 shell of Au/TiO2 core-shell NPs due to plasmon resonance enhancement. The bleach of the 3.8 eV band of TiO2 lives significantly longer in the core-shell NPs, indicating longer storage of excess electrons/holes.
PHOTONICS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ping Wang, Luwei Zhang, Zhenxi Zhang, Sijia Wang, Cuiping Yao
Summary: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising tumor therapy, but the aggregation of hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) reduces its efficiency. In this study, a stable Au@TiO2 core-shell nanostructure with HMME was synthesized and factors influencing PDT efficiency were studied.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jeannie Z. Y. Tan, Stelios Gavrielides, M. Mercedes Maroto-Valer
Summary: Propylene carbonates are important solvents and feedstocks, and their sustainable production using CO2 and solar energy is crucial. Developing microstructured photocatalysts with desired properties plays a key role in efficient propylene carbonate production.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
T. Raguram, K. S. Rajni
Summary: In this study, copper-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with different molar concentrations of copper precursor were synthesized via sol-gel technique. The effects of copper doping on the properties of TiO2 were analyzed systematically, and it was found that 0.1 M concentration of Cu was the optimum dopant concentration for DSSC and photocatalytic applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lijing Wang, Fen Xia, Wangshu Xu, Guanghua Wang, Shuqing Hong, Fangwen Cheng, Binghui Wu, Nanfeng Zheng
Summary: Copper pastes have attracted attention for their non-toxicity and cost-effectiveness. However, their long-term stability is challenging due to oxidation. Researchers have developed stable copper nanoparticles containing a Cu(0)-Cu(I) core-shell structure with a surface passivation layer. These copper pastes can be sintered in less than one minute, exhibiting high electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and long-term stability comparable to silver pastes. They have potential applications in printed electronics, particularly in the fabrication of flexible devices.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kunlei Wang, Zuzanna Bielan, Maya Endo-Kimura, Marcin Janczarek, Dong Zhang, Damian Kowalski, Anna Zielinska-Jurek, Agata Markowska-Szczupak, Bunsho Ohtani, Ewa Kowalska
Summary: Titania is a commonly used photocatalyst with important environmental applications, but it has shortcomings such as charge carrier recombination and inactivity under visible light. Doping, surface modification, and coupling with other ions/compounds have been used to enhance the activity of titania-based photocatalysts, but stability remains a challenge.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Aaron Bayles, Shu Tian, Jingyi Zhou, Lin Yuan, Yigao Yuan, Christian R. Jacobson, Corbin Farr, Ming Zhang, Dayne F. Swearer, David Solti, Minghe Lou, Henry O. Everitt, Peter Nordlander, Naomi J. Halas
Summary: This study introduces Al@TiO2 core-shell nanoparticles as active photocatalysts for hot electron-mediated H-2 dissociation reaction and hot hole-mediated methanol dehydration. The research indicates that the photocatalytic mechanism involves plasmonic hot carrier generation and subsequent transfer into the TiO2 layer. The Al@TiO2 antenna-reactor offers an earth-abundant solution for the future design of visible-light-driven plasmonic photocatalysts.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Igor V. Zagaynov, Anatoly A. Konovalov
Summary: A series of CeO2-TiO2 composites were synthesized using the sol-gel method, and their structures were investigated using HR TEM, XRD, TG-DSC-MS, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. The titania coating layer consisting of fine crystallites contributes to the properties of the CeO2@TiO2 nanocomposite. A fast, simple, and facile route for synthesizing novel CeO2@TiO2 core-shell nanocomposite particles was suggested. Increasing the concentration of the titania precursor was found to increase the shell thickness but also led to the formation of a small amount of independent titania clusters. The increase in titania content resulted in a larger proportion of the rutile phase and a decrease in the proportion of metastable anatase and brookite, while reducing the particle size of the initial ceria core and the specific surface area due to the closer connections between nanoparticles caused by the titania shells.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Julien Reboul, Z. Y. Li, Jun Yuan, Kazuki Nakatsuka, Masakazu Saito, Kohsuke Mori, Hiromi Yamashita, Yu Xia, Catherine Louis
Summary: This study successfully prepared small gold-nickel bimetallic nanoparticles supported on titania using the galvanic replacement reaction method. It was shown that this preparation method allowed control of gold and nickel contents, resulting in the formation of small bimetallic nanoparticles with strained core-shell structures. Catalytic characterization revealed that nickel-based nanocatalysts containing a small amount of gold exhibited higher selectivity and activity compared to pure nickel catalysts.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Olga A. Shilova, Anastasiya S. Kovalenko, Anton M. Nikolaev, Sergey Mjakin, Alexander A. Sinel'nikov, Vladimir P. Chelibanov, Yulia E. Gorshkova, Nataliya Tsvigun, Olim N. Ruzimuradov, Gennady P. Kopitsa
Summary: The surface of TiO2 nanoparticles was modified with silica prepared by acid hydrolysis, resulting in a twofold increase in specific surface area. The modification also changed the surface functionality from Lewis acidity to Brönsted acidity. The resulting TiO2@SiO2 core-shell particles exhibited significantly enhanced singlet oxygen generation and photocatalytic activity.
JOURNAL OF SOL-GEL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Abdisa Habtamu, Masaki Ujihara
Summary: Environmental pollution is a global concern, and solar energy-driven photocatalysis shows promise for pollutant decomposition in water systems. This study analyzed the efficiency and mechanism of WO3-loaded TiO2 nanocomposites with different structures. The nanocomposites were synthesized using sol-gel reactions and core-shell approaches, and their photocatalytic activity was analyzed for the degradation of methylene blue and methyl orange. The results showed that adjusting the nanocomposite structure could control the photoreaction mechanisms. These findings have implications for the design of photocatalysts for environmental remediation.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shitong Fang, Houfan Du, Tao Yan, Keyu Chen, Zhiyuan Li, Xiaoqing Ma, Zhihui Lai, Shengxi Zhou
Summary: This paper proposes a new type of nonlinear VIV energy harvester (ANVEH) that compensates for the decrease in peak energy output at low wind speeds by introducing an auxiliary structure. Theoretical and experimental results show that ANVEH performs better than traditional nonlinear VIV energy harvesters under various system parameter variations.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wei Jiang, Shuo Zhang, Teng Wang, Yufei Zhang, Aimin Sha, Jingjing Xiao, Dongdong Yuan
Summary: A standardized method was developed to evaluate the availability of solar energy resources in road areas, which combined the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Geographic Information System (GIS). By analyzing critical factors and using a multi-indicator evaluation method, the method accurately evaluated the utilization of solar energy resources and guided the optimal location selection for road photovoltaic (PV) projects. The results provided guidance for the application of road PV projects and site selection for route corridors worldwide, promoting the integration of transportation and energy.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Chang Liu, Jacob A. Wrubel, Elliot Padgett, Guido Bender
Summary: The study investigates the effects of coating defects on the performance of the anode porous transport layer (PTL) in water electrolyzers. The results show that an increasing fraction of uncoated regions on the PTL leads to decreased cell performance, with continuous uncoated regions having a more severe impact compared to multiple thin uncoated strips.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Marcos Tostado-Veliz, Xiaolong Jin, Rohit Bhakar, Francisco Jurado
Summary: In this paper, a coordinated charging price mechanism for clusters of parking lots is proposed. The research shows that enabling vehicle-to-grid characteristics can bring significant economic benefits for users and the cluster coordinator, and vehicle-to-grid impacts noticeably on the risk-averse character of the uncertainty-aware strategies. The developed pricing mechanism can reduce the cost for users, avoiding to directly translate the energy cost to charging points.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Duan Kang
Summary: Building an energy superpower is a key strategy for China and a long-term goal for other countries. This study proposes an evaluation system and index for measuring energy superpower, and finds that China has significantly improved its ranking over the past 21 years, surpassing other countries.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Fucheng Deng, Yifei Wang, Xiaosen Li, Gang Li, Yi Wang, Bin Huang
Summary: This study investigated the synergistic blockage mechanism of sand and hydrate in gravel filling layer and the evolution of permeability in the layer. Experimental models and modified permeability models were established to analyze the effects of sand particles and hydrate formation on permeability. The study provided valuable insights for the safe and efficient exploitation of hydrate reservoirs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hao Wang, Xiwen Chen, Natan Vital, Edward Duffy, Abolfazl Razi
Summary: This study proposes a HVAC energy optimization model based on deep reinforcement learning algorithm. It achieves 37% energy savings and ensures thermal comfort for open office buildings. The model has a low complexity, uses a few controllable factors, and has a short training time with good generalizability.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Moyue Cong, Yongzhuo Gao, Weidong Wang, Long He, Xiwang Mao, Yi Long, Wei Dong
Summary: This study introduces a multi-strategy ultra-wideband energy harvesting device that achieves high power output without the need for external power input. By utilizing asymmetry, stagger array, magnetic coupling, and nonlinearity strategies, the device maintains a stable output voltage and high power density output at non-resonant frequencies. Temperature and humidity monitoring are performed using Bluetooth sensors to adaptively assess the device.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Tianshu Dong, Xiudong Duan, Yuanyuan Huang, Danji Huang, Yingdong Luo, Ziyu Liu, Xiaomeng Ai, Jiakun Fang, Chaolong Song
Summary: Electrochemical water splitting is crucial for hydrogen production, and improving the hydrogen separation rate from the electrode is essential for enhancing water electrolyzer performance. However, issues such as air bubble adhesion to the electrode plate hinder the process. Therefore, a methodology to investigate the two-phase flow within the electrolyzer is in high demand. This study proposes using a microfluidic system as a simulator for the electrolyzer and optimizing the two-phase flow by manipulating the micro-structure of the flow.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shuo Han, Yifan Yuan, Mengjiao He, Ziwen Zhao, Beibei Xu, Diyi Chen, Jakub Jurasz
Summary: Giving full play to the flexibility of hydropower and integrating more variable renewable energy is of great significance for accelerating the transformation of China's power energy system. This study proposes a novel day-ahead scheduling model that considers the flexibility limited by irregular vibration zones (VZs) and the probability of flexibility shortage in a hydropower-variable renewable energy hybrid generation system. The model is applied to a real hydropower station and effectively improves the flexibility supply capacity of hydropower, especially during heavy load demand in flood season.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhen Wang, Kangqi Fan, Shizhong Zhao, Shuxin Wu, Xuan Zhang, Kangjia Zhai, Zhiqi Li, Hua He
Summary: This study developed a high-performance rotary energy harvester (AI-REH) inspired by archery, which efficiently accumulates and releases ultralow-frequency vibration energy. By utilizing a magnetic coupling strategy and an accumulator spring, the AI-REH achieves significantly accelerated rotor speeds and enhanced electric outputs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yi Yang, Qianyi Xing, Kang Wang, Caihong Li, Jianzhou Wang, Xiaojia Huang
Summary: In this study, a novel hybrid Quantile Regression (QR) model is proposed for Probabilistic Load Forecasting (PLF). The model integrates causal dilated convolution, residual connection, and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) for multi-scale feature extraction. In addition, a Combined Probabilistic Load Forecasting System (CPLFS) is proposed to overcome the inherent flaws of relying on a single model. Simulation results show that the hybrid QR outperforms traditional models and CPLFS exceeds the best benchmarks in terms of prediction accuracy and stability.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wen-Jiang Zou, Young-Bae Kim, Seunghun Jung
Summary: This paper proposes a dynamic prediction model for capacity fade in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The model accurately predicts changes in electrolyte volume and capacity fade, enhancing the competitiveness of VRFBs in energy storage applications.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yuechao Ma, Shengtie Wang, Guangchen Liu, Guizhen Tian, Jianwei Zhang, Ruiming Liu
Summary: This paper focuses on the balance of state of charge (SOC) among multiple battery energy storage units (MBESUs) and bus voltage balance in an islanded bipolar DC microgrid. A SOC automatic balancing strategy is proposed considering the energy flow relationship and utilizing the adaptive virtual resistance algorithm. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in achieving SOC balancing and decreasing bus voltage unbalance.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Raad Z. Homod, Basil Sh. Munahi, Hayder Ibrahim Mohammed, Musatafa Abbas Abbood Albadr, Aissa Abderrahmane, Jasim M. Mahdi, Mohamed Bechir Ben Hamida, Bilal Naji Alhasnawi, A. S. Albahri, Hussein Togun, Umar F. Alqsair, Zaher Mundher Yaseen
Summary: In this study, the control problem of the multiple-boiler system (MBS) is formulated as a dynamic Markov decision process and a deep clustering reinforcement learning approach is applied to obtain the optimal control policy. The proposed strategy, based on bang-bang action, shows superior response and achieves more than 32% energy saving compared to conventional fixed parameter controllers under dynamic indoor/outdoor actual conditions.