Wuhan University of Technology

About: Wuhan University of Technology is a education organization based out in Wuhan, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Microstructure & Catalysis. The organization has 40384 authors who have published 36724 publications receiving 575695 citations. The organization is also known as: WUT.

The Role of Zn in Chalcopyrite CuFeS2: Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of Cu1–xZnxFeS2 with In Situ Nanoprecipitates

Abstract: Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) is a widespread natural mineral, composed of earth-abundant and nontoxic elements It has been considered a promising n-type material for thermoelectric applications In this work, a series of Zn-doped Cu1–xZnxFeS2 (x = 0–01) compounds are synthesized by vacuum melting combined with the plasma activated sintering process The role of Zn in the chalcopyrite and its different effects on thermoelectric properties, depending on its concentration and location in the crystal lattice, are discussed It is found that Zn is an effective donor which increases the carrier concentration and improves the thermoelectric properties of CuFeS2 When the content of Zn exceeds the solubility limit, Zn partially enters the Cu sites and forms in situ ZnS nanophase This, in turn, shifts the balance between the anion and cation species which is re-established by the formation of antisite Fe/Cu defects Beyond maintaining charge neutrality of the structure, such antisite defects relieve the lattice strain in the matrix and increase the solubility of Zn further The highest ZT value of 026 is achieved at 630 K for Cu092Zn008FeS2, which represents an enhancement of about 80% over that of the pristine CuFeS2 sample

Iron-embedded nitrogen doped carbon frameworks as robust catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cells

Abstract: A kind of 3D Fe-embedded N doped carbon framework catalyst is successfully developed and tested in the present work as a robust cathode catalyst for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Due to the well-arranged mesopores, the high surface area, the interconnected conductive networks as well as the finely dispersed Fe-N active species, the as-prepared 3D Fe-N-C catalyst exhibits significantly enhanced ORR activity compared to commercial Pt/C. More precisely, the 3D Fe-N-C yields a more-positive half-wave potential of −0.08 V (vs . SCE) and remarkably stable limiting current of ∼6.2 mA cm −2 . The 3D Fe-N-C shows also an excellent tolerance to methanol as well as remarkably long-term stability with more than 82.4% retention of its initial activity after 55.5 h operation. Based on the as-prepared 3D Fe-N-C as the air cathode catalyst, a stable microbial fuel cell (MFC) device is fabricated and tested, performing a maximum power density of 3118.9 mW m −2 at a high current density of 9980.8 mA m −2 . More importantly, it is found that the Fe-N-C MAFC device could steadily operate for more than 250 h in a feed period, which is substantially longer than the Pt/C-MFC device.

Multiplexed NIR-II Probes for Lymph Node-Invaded Cancer Detection and Imaging-Guided Surgery

Abstract: Tumor-lymph node (LN) metastasis is the dominant prognostic factor for tumor staging and therapeutic decision-making. However, concurrently visualizing metastasis and performing imaging-guided lymph node surgery is challenging. Here, a multiplexed-near-infrared-II (NIR-II) in vivo imaging system using nonoverlapping NIR-II probes with markedly suppressed photon scattering and zero-autofluorescence is reported, which enables visualization of the metastatic tumor and the tumor metastatic proximal LNs resection. A bright and tumor-seeking donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) dye, IR-FD, is screened for primary/metastatic tumor imaging in the NIR-IIa (1100-1300 nm) window. This optimized D-A-D dye exhibits greatly improved quantum yield of organic D-A-D fluorophores in aqueous solutions (≈6.0%) and good in vivo performance. Ultrabright PbS/CdS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) with dense polymer coating are used to visualize cancer-invaded sentinel LNs in the NIR-IIb (>1500 nm) window. Compared to clinically used indocyanine green, the QDs show superior brightness and photostability (no obvious bleaching even after continuous laser irradiation for 5 h); thus, only a picomolar dose is required for sentinel LNs detection. This combination of dual-NIR-II image-guided surgery can be performed under bright light, adding to its convenience and appeal in clinical use.

Highly efficient TiO2 single-crystal photocatalyst with spatially separated Ag and F− bi-cocatalysts: orientation transfer of photogenerated charges and their rapid interfacial reaction

Abstract: For an efficient photocatalytic system, the rapid orientation transfer of photogenerated electron–hole pairs inside the photocatalyst and their effective interfacial catalytic reactions are significantly critical for achieving a high photocatalytic performance. However, it is quite difficult for a general photocatalyst to realize the crucial functions. In this study, the above idea was easily realized via a coupling strategy of crystal-facet engineering and spatially separated cocatalyst modification, namely, a TiO2 single-crystal photocatalyst with spatially separated Ag and F− bi-cocatalysts (Ag/F–TiO2). In this case, the F ions (as a hole cocatalyst) and Ag nanoparticles (as an electron cocatalyst) were selectively modified on the hole-rich (001) and electron-rich (101) facets of TiO2 single crystals, respectively. Photocatalytic results demonstrated that the resultant spatially separated Ag/F–TiO2 photocatalyst exhibited an obviously higher photocatalytic performance than pure TiO2, single-cocatalyst modified TiO2 (F–TiO2 and Ag/TiO2) and randomly Ag-deposited TiO2 (Ag/F–TiO2(R)). The main reason for the enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the excellent synergistic effect of orientation transfer of photogenerated charges and their rapid interfacial reaction via the efficient coupling strategy of crystal-facet engineering and cocatalyst modification, namely, the TiO2 single crystal structure can self-induce the orientation transfer of photogenerated charges to different crystal facets, while the spatially separated cocatalysts function as the effective active sites for the rapid interfacial catalytic reactions of those spatially separated charges (Ag nanoparticles on the (101) facets work as the active centres for oxygen-reduction reactions, and F ions on the (001) facets serve as the active sites for oxidation reactions of organic substances). The present coupling strategy of crystal-facet engineering and cocatalyst modification may also provide new ideas for the design and preparation of other highly efficient semiconductor photocatalysts.

Engineered Graphene Materials: Synthesis and Applications for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells.

Abstract: Engineered graphene materials (EGMs) with unique structures and properties have been incorporated into various components of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) such as electrode, membrane, and bipolar plates to achieve enhanced performances in terms of electrical conductivity, mechanical durability, corrosion resistance, and electrochemical surface area. This research news article provides an overview of the recent development in EGMs and EGM-based PEMFCs with a focus on the effects of EGMs on PEMFC performance when they are incorporated into different components of PEMFCs. The challenges of EGMs for practical PEMFC applications in terms of production scale, stability, conductivity, and coupling capability with other materials are also discussed and the corresponding measures and future research trends to overcome such challenges are proposed.