Photophysics and Electrochemistry of Biomimetic Pyranoflavyliums: What Can Bioinspiration from Red Wines Offer?

Natural dyes and pigments offer incomparable diversity of structures and functionalities, making them an excellent source of inspiration for the design and development of synthetic chromophores with a myriad of emerging properties. Formed during maturation of red wines, pyranoanthocyanins are electron-deficient cationic pyranoflavylium dyes with broad absorption in the visible spectral region and pronounced chemical and photostability. Herein, we survey the optical and electrochemical properties of synthetic pyranoflavylium dyes functionalized with different electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups, which vary their reduction potentials over a range of about 400 mV. Despite their highly electron-deficient cores, the exploration of pyranoflavyliums as photosensitizers has been limited to the “classical” n-type dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) where they act as electron donors. In light of their electrochemical and spectroscopic properties, however, these biomimetic synthetic dyes should prove to be immensely beneficial as chromophores in p-type DSSCs, where their ability to act as photooxidants, along with their pronounced photostability, can benefit key advances in solar-energy science and engineering.

Efficient light harvesting and photon sensing via engineered cooperative effects

Efficient devices for light harvesting and photon sensing are fundamental building blocks of basic energy science and many essential technologies. Recent efforts have turned to biomimicry to design the next generation of light-capturing devices, partially fueled by an appreciation of the fantastic efficiency of the initial stages of natural photosynthetic systems at capturing photons. In such systems extended excitonic states are thought to play a fundamental functional role, inducing cooperative coherent effects, such as superabsorption of light and supertransfer of photoexcitations. Inspired by this observation, we design an artificial light-harvesting and photodetection device that maximally harnesses cooperative effects to enhance efficiency. The design relies on separating absorption and transfer processes (energetically and spatially) in order to overcome the fundamental obstacle to exploiting cooperative effects to enhance light capture: the enhanced emission processes that accompany superabsorption. This engineered separation of processes greatly improves the efficiency and the scalability of the system.

Electrochemically Driven C-N Bond Formation from CO2 and Ammonia at the Triple-Phase Boundary

<p>Electrosynthetic techniques are gaining prominence across the fields of chemistry, engineering and energy science. However, most works within the direction of synthetic heterogeneous electrocatalysis focus on water electrolysis and CO₂ reduction. In this work, we moved to expand the scope of this technology by developing a synthetic scheme which couples CO₂ and NH₃ at a gas-liquid-solid triple-phase boundary to produce species with C-N bonds. Specifically, by bringing in CO₂ from the gas phase and NH₃ from the liquid phase together over solid copper catalysts, we have succeeded in forming formamide and acetamide products for the first time. In a subsequent complementary step, we have combined electrochemical analysis and a newly developed <i>operando </i>spectroelectrochemical method, capable of probing the aforementioned triple phase boundary, to extract an initial level of mechanistic analysis regarding the reaction pathways of these reactions and the current system’s limitations. We believe that the development and understanding of this set of reaction pathways will play an exceptionally significant role in expanding the community’s understanding of on-surface electrosynthetic reactions as well as push this set of inherently sustainable technologies towards widespread applicability. </p>

Path Exploration of Integrating Ideological and Political Elements into the Teaching of “Biomass Power Generation Engineering”

Curriculum ideological and political education is not only an important way for the education reform in colleges and universities, but also the internal requirement for the fundamental task of building morality and cultivating students. Biomass power generation engineering is an essential and featured professional course of new energy science and engineering major. Taking the course teaching of "biomass power generation engineering" as an example, this study analyzed the necessity of carrying out the ideological and political education, and explored the top-level design scheme of the curriculum ideological and political education and the trinity educational objectives. Meanwhile, the ways of mutual integration of ideological and political elements and professional knowledge points were discussed, and the curriculum teaching reform and practical exploration were carried out, so that the ideological and political education could run throughout the whole process of course learning. The purpose is to provide reference for the ideological and political teaching of science and engineering courses.

Calculation of neutronic characteristics in different reflector materials with a 15-MWt reactor core using VVR-KN fuel type

VVR-KN is one of the low enriched fuel types intended for a research reactor of a newCentre for Nuclear Energy Science and Technology (CNEST) of Viet Nam. As a part of design orientation for the new research reactor, the calculations of neutronic characteristics in a reactor core reflector using different materials were carried out. The investigated core configuration is a 15-MWt power loaded with VVR-KN fuel assemblies and surrounded by a reflector using beryllium, heavy water or graphite respectively. MCNP5 code together with up-to-date nuclear data libraries were used for these calculations. This paper presents the calculation results of neutron energy spectrum, neutron spatial distribution in the reflector using the above-mentioned materials. Besides, neutronic characteristics calculated for silicon doping irradiation holes in the reflector are also presented and the utilization capabilities of different reflector materials are discussed.

Antimicrobial activity of copper and silver metal nanoparticles synthesized from Riccia fluitans

Riccia bryophyte, a genus of liverworts that comes under the family of Ricciaceae, order Marchantiales. The plants are primitive plant structure, that's not differentiated into root, stem, and leaf. The material utilized in this study was a Spp of a Riccia fluitans, that grows on damp soil or, less unremarkably, floating in ponds, and is usually utilized in aquariums. The nanoparticles utilized in this study exhibit potential medicinal drug activity. Advantages of its therapeutic potential can be utilized in a sizable number of fields like health care, cosmetics, biomedical, food and feed, drug-gene delivery, surroundings, health mechanics, optics, chemical industries, physical science, area industries, energy science, catalysis, lightweight emitters, single lepton transistors, nonlinear optical devices, and photo-electrochemical applications. This study aimed to gauge the medicinal drug activity of Riccian nanoparticles, copper-loaded nanoparticles, and silver-loaded nanoparticles against varied microorganisms. The result of the study showed that the Nanoparticle, Ag-NP and Cu-Np synthesized from Riccia is having good antimicrobial activity against tested organisms.