Preparation of Nano Spinel Doped TiO2 and Its Photocatalytic Activity Evaluation Under Visible Light Irradiation.

Nano MgFe-TiO2 photocatalyst was prepared by mixing nanoscale spinel compounds such as magnesium ferrite (MgFe) and TiO2. The cations produced by MgFe are affected by various influencing factors such as calcination temperature, precursor, and mass ratio of Mg and Fe. This study is to evaluate the photocatalytic efficiency of nano MgFe-doped TiO2 under visible light according to the composition ratio of Mg, Fe and TiO2. With an increase the percentage of doping (i.e., Mg and Fe) over TiO2, the band gap between conduction band and valance band decreases, therefore showing better photocatalytic activity in visible light. Also as percentage of doping over TiO2 increases, surface area of the catalyst also increases subsequently resulting in an increase in the adsorption capacity.

Realizing the Creep and Damage Effect on Masonry Panel Design Based on Reliability Analysis.

In this study, a masonry panel under a high compressive stress to strength ratio is considered. The panel is modeled as a composite structure by considering a repeated unit cell of mortar and brick. Load redistributions due to creep in mortar and brick as composite materials are accounted for. A step-by-step in-time analysis is performed to calculate the load redistribution in the composite masonry. Time-dependent system reliability analysis of the masonry panel is performed by defining the component and system limit state functions at each time step. While the reliability index of ductile materials depends on the load level in each part of masonry, the reliability index of brittle materials depends only on the overall load. By proposing the reliability index of quasi-brittle materials being between these two reliability index bounds, the reliability index of quasi-brittle materials depends on both the load level in each part and the overall load. Using the proposed reliability index of quasi-brittle materials, partial safety factors for masonry panel design considering creep and damage are calibrated based on the Hasofer and Lind method. A design example using the proposed partial safety factor is presented.

Flexible MoS2 Anchored on Ge-Containing Carbon Nanofibers.

Germanium is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of its high theoretical specific capacity, high ion diffusivity, and rate capability. However, large volume changes and pulverization deteriorate the cycling performance. In this study, flexible electrospun germanium/carbon nanofibers (Ge/CNFs) were prepared via electrospinning followed by heat treatment. MoS2 nanoparticles were subsequently anchored on the flexible Ge/CNFs via hydrothermal synthesis. Flexible MoS2 anchored on Ge/CNFs (MoS2@Ge/CNFs) was used as a self-standing binder-free anode in an SIB. Because of the high electronic conductivity of CNFs and the many active sites of MoS2 nanoparticles, a high initial capacity of over 880 mAh/g was achieved at a current density of 0.1 A/g. Moreover, the flexible binder-free MoS2@Ge/CNFs exhibited an excellent C-rate performance with a reversible capacity of over 300 mAh/g at a current density of 2 A/g. Therefore, we demonstrated that flexible binder-free MoS2@Ge/CNFs are a promising electrode candidate for a high-performance rechargeable battery.

Centrifugally Spun PVA/PVP Based B, N, F Doped Carbon Nanofiber Electrodes for Sodium Ion Batteries.

Owing to their high electrical conductivity, high surface area, low density, high thermal stability, and chemical stability, carbon nanofibers have been used in many fields, including energy storage, electromagnetic shielding, filtering, composites, sensors, and tissue engineering. Considering the environmental impact of petroleum-based polymers, it is vital to fabricate carbon nanofibers from environmentally-friendly materials using fast and safe techniques. PVA/PVP nanofibers were fabricated via centrifugal spinning and the effects of variations in the PVP content on the morphology and thermal properties of PVA/PVP-blend nanofibers were studied using SEM and DSC analyses. Moreover, the effects of carbonization conditions, including stabilization time, stabilization temperature, carbonization time, and carbonization temperature on the morphology and carbon yield, were investigated. Centrifugally spun PVA/PVP-based carbon nanofiber electrodes with an average fiber diameter around 300 nm are reported here for the first time. Furthermore, centrifugally spun PVA/PVP-based B, N, F-doped carbon nanofibers were fabricated by combining centrifugal spinning and heat treatment. Through B, N, F doping, CNFs demonstrated a high reversible capacity of more than 150 mAh/g in 200 cycles with stable cycling performance.