Zhifeng Ren

Bio: Zhifeng Ren is an academic researcher from Texas Center for Superconductivity. The author has contributed to research in topics: Thermoelectric effect & Thermoelectric materials. The author has an hindex of 122, co-authored 695 publications receiving 71212 citations. Previous affiliations of Zhifeng Ren include Massachusetts Institute of Technology & University of Cincinnati.

Thermal expansion coefficient and lattice anharmonicity of cubic boron arsenide

Abstract: Recent measurements of an unusual high thermal conductivity of around 1000 W m-1 K-1 at room temperature in cubic boron arsenide (BAs) confirm predictions from theory and suggest potential applications of this semiconductor compound for thermal management applications. Knowledge of the thermal expansion coefficient and Gruneisen parameter of a material contributes both to the fundamental understanding of its lattice anharmonicity and to assessing its utility as a thermal-management material. However, previous theoretical calculations of the thermal expansion coefficient and Gruneisen parameter of BAs yield inconsistent results. Here we report the linear thermal expansion coefficient of BAs obtained from the X-ray diffraction measurements from 300 K to 773 K. The measurement results are in good agreement with our ab initio calculations that account for atomic interactions up to fifth nearest neighbours. With the measured thermal expansion coefficient and specific heat, a Gruneisen parameter of BAs of 0.84 +/- 0.09 is obtained at 300 K, in excellent agreement with the value of 0.82 calculated from first principles and much lower than prior theoretical results. Our results confirm that BAs exhibits a better thermal expansion coefficient match with commonly used semiconductors than other high-thermal conductivity materials such as diamond and cubic boron nitride.

Effect of dehydrated-attapulgite nanoinclusions on the thermoelectric properties of BiSbTe alloys

Abstract: Dehydrated-attapulgite (D-ATP) is a kind of oxide possessing nanorod structure; its major component is SiO2 with Mg2+ and Al3+ cations. Here, we fabricated p-type BiSbTe alloys with D-ATP nanoinclusions by zone melting method and investigated their thermoelectric performance. Both the electrical and thermal transport properties have been optimized by adding D-ATP, especially the lattice thermal conductivity was decreased significantly. The maximum thermoelectric figure of merit ZT reached 1.3 at 420 K, which is a very profitable value for commercial applications.

Determination of Thermal History by Photoluminescence of Core‐Shelled Quantum Dots Going Through Heating Events

Abstract: A kind of novel thermal history nanosensors are theoretically designed and experimentally demonstrated to permanently record thermal events. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of core-shelled quantum dots (QDs) CdSe/ZnS irreversibly shifts with heating histories (temperature and duration) of thermal events. The induced PL shift of the QDs CdSe/ZnS is employed to permanently record thermal histories. We further model a kind of thermal history nanosensor based on the thermal-induced phenomena of core-shelled QDs to permanently record thermal histories at microscale and demonstrate to reconstruct temperature and duration of heating events simultaneously from PL spectra of the QDs. The physical mechanism of the sensors is discussed.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

Carbon Nanotubes--the Route Toward Applications

Abstract: Many potential applications have been proposed for carbon nanotubes, including conductive and high-strength composites; energy storage and energy conversion devices; sensors; field emission displays and radiation sources; hydrogen storage media; and nanometer-sized semiconductor devices, probes, and interconnects. Some of these applications are now realized in products. Others are demonstrated in early to advanced devices, and one, hydrogen storage, is clouded by controversy. Nanotube cost, polydispersity in nanotube type, and limitations in processing and assembly methods are important barriers for some applications of single-walled nanotubes.