Experimental and Numerical Study of Pd/Ta and PdCu/Ta Composites for Thermocatalytic Hydrogen Permeation.

The development of stable and durable hydrogen (H) separation technology is essential for the effective use of H energy. Thus, the use of H permeable membranes, made of palladium (Pd), has been extensively studied in the literature. However, Pd has considerable constraints in large-scale applications due to disadvantages such as very high cost and H embrittlement.

Clinical application of a new hemostatic material using mussel-inspired catecholamine hemostat: A pilot study.

Backgrounds/aims: This study aimed to evaluate clinical application of InnoSEAL Plus (a mussel-inspired catecholamine hemostat) as a new hemostatic material for humans.

Methods: Patients treated with topical hemostatic patches after liver resection were enrolled. They were divided into an experimental group (InnoSEAL Plus group) and two control groups (TachoSil group and Surgicel Fibrillar group) for efficacy evaluation.

Controlled Coprecipitation of Amorphous Cerium-Based Carbonates with Suitable Morphology as Precursors of Ceramic Electrolytes for IT-SOFCs.

To be suitable as electrolytes in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC), ceramic precursors have to be characterized by high sintering aptitude for producing fully densified products which are needed for this kind of application. Therefore, synthesis processes able to prepare highly reactive powders with low costs are noteworthy to be highlighted. It has been shown that amorphous coprecipitates based on cerium doped (and codoped) hydrated hydroxycarbonates can lead to synthesized ceramics with such desired characteristics.

Hybrid Electrodes of Carbon Nanotube and Reduced Graphene Oxide for Energy Storage Applications.

The choice of electrode materials in lithium ion batteries and supercapacitors is important for the stability, capacity, and cycle life of the device. Despite its low capacity, graphite has often been used as an electrode material due to its inherent stability. Due to an increasing demand for large-capacity energy storage systems, there is also a demand for the development of large-capacity Li ion batteries and supercapacitors.

Synthesis and Characterization of ZIF-7 Membranes by In Situ Method.

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) have been the focus of interest in adsorption, catalysis, and membrane applications due to their superior thermal and chemical stability, tunable microporous channels, and tailorable physical/chemical properties. In this study, ZIF-7 membranes were successfully prepared on macroporous a-alumina substrate by in situ solvothermal method, without the necessity of seeding or surface modification step. Addition of sodium formate during the reaction facilitates continuous well-intergrown crystalline ZIF-7 layer.

Interface modification in solar cell contact electrode using pre-cleaning treatment chemistries.

Promoting and employing photovoltaic power as an alternative energy source, the solar cell industry has made rapid strides. However, improving the efficiency of these solar cells using low-cost fabrication processes is still needed. The interface between the Si surface and the electrode plays a very important role in the process of electrode formation of the solar cell.

Effect of gold subsurface layer on the surface activity and segregation in Pt/Au/Pt3M (where M = 3d transition metals) alloy catalyst from first-principles.

The effect of a subsurface hetero layer (thin gold) on the activity and stability of Pt skin surface in Pt3M system (M = 3d transition metals) is investigated using the spin-polarized density functional theory calculation. First, we find that the heterometallic interaction between the Pt skin surface and the gold subsurface in Pt/Au/Pt3M system can significantly modify the electronic structure of the Pt skin surface. In particular, the local density of states projected onto the d states of Pt skin surface near the Fermi level is drastically decreased compared to the Pt/Pt/Pt3M case, leading to the reduction of the oxygen binding strength of the Pt skin surface.

Mechanisms of enhanced sulfur tolerance on samarium (Sm)-doped cerium oxide (CeO2) from first principles.

The role of samarium (Sm) 4f states and Sm-perturbed O 2p states in determining the sulfur tolerance of Sm-doped CeO2 was elucidated by using the density functional theory (DFT) + U calculation. We find that the sulfur tolerance of Sm-doped CeO2 is closely related to the modification of O 2p states by the strong interaction between Sm 4f and O 2p states. In particular, the availability of unoccupied O 2p states near the Fermi level is responsible for enhancing the sulfur tolerance of Sm-doped CeO2 compared to the pure CeO2 by increasing the activity of the surface lattice oxygen toward sulfur adsorption, by weakening the interaction between Sm-O, and by increasing the migration tendency of the subsurface oxygen ion toward the surface.