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At present, artificial intelligence (AI) technology, as a disruptive and frontier technology, is changing people's production and lifestyle with the cross combination of other scientific fields. Under the background of Green and low-carbon transition in energy, the construction of new type power systems (NTPS) is the future direction of the transformation and development of the power industry. AI is an important supporting technology for the digital transformation of the power industry, which can accelerate the construction of NTPS and new energy systems. This article provides the author's viewpoints on application of AI technologies in NTPS, mainly involving the development of electric power AI and the main problems it currently faced. The discussion on the bottlenecks of AI application will be focused on data and models. Some future research directions are also presented.

Surface terminations profoundly influence the intrinsic properties of MXenes, but existing terminations are limited to monoatomic layers or simple groups, showing disordered arrangements and inferior stability. Here we present the synthesis of MXenes with triatomic-layer borate polyanion terminations (OBO terminations) through a flux-assisted eutectic molten etching approach. During the synthesis, Lewis acidic salts act as the etching agent to obtain the MXene backbone, while borax generates BO2−species, which cap the MXene surface with an O–B–O configuration. In contrast to conventional chlorine/oxygen-terminated Nb2C with localized charge transport, OBO-terminated Nb2C features band transport described by the Drude model, exhibiting a 15-fold increase in electrical conductivity and a 10-fold improvement in charge mobility at the d.c. limit. This transition is attributed to surface ordering that effectively mitigates charge carrier backscattering and trapping. Additionally, OBO terminations provide Ti3C2MXene with substantially enriched Li+-hosting sites and thereby a large charge-storage capacity of 420 mAh g−1. Our findings illustrate the potential of intricate termination configurations in MXenes and their applications for (opto)electronics and energy storage.

MXenes are emerging layered materials that are promising for electrochemical energy storage and (opto-)electronic applications. A fundamental understanding of charge transport in MXenes is essential for such applications, but has remained under debate. While theoretical studies pointed to efficient band transport, device measurements have revealed thermally activated, hopping-type transport. Here we present a unifying picture of charge transport in two model MXenes by combining ultrafast terahertz and static electrical transport measurements to distinguish the short- and long-range transport characteristics. We find that band-like transport dominates short-range, intra-flake charge conduction in MXenes, whereas long-range, inter-flake transport occurs through thermally activated hopping, and limits charge percolation across the MXene flakes. Our analysis of the intra-flake charge carrier scattering rate shows that it is dominated by scattering from longitudinal optical phonons with a small coupling constant (α≈ 1), for both semiconducting and metallic MXenes. This indicates the formation of large polarons in MXenes. Our work therefore provides insight into the polaronic nature of free charges in MXenes, and unveils intra- and inter-flake transport mechanisms in the MXene materials, which are relevant for both fundamental studies and applications.

Wading event of new energy electric vehicles occurs frequently, and wading safety of lithium-ion batteries has been increasingly paid great attention. Here, hydrogen releasing kinetics of waded lithium-ion battery packs are systematically studied. Structural damage of waded lithium-ion batteries are carefully investigated in real time by in-situ computed tomography, and its thermal runaway and explosion limit is further analyzed. The results demonstrate that wading corrosion leads to a significant releasing of hydrogen gas, and hydrogen producing rate is positively correlated with total dissolved solids and the terminal voltage of the battery pack in different water bodies, such as tap water, river water and lake water. Wading corrosion can cause issues such as falling off and displacement of connection nickel plate, thinning of anode metal cap, perforation and failure of the safety valve. Thermal runaway characteristics of Li-ion batteries are obviously affected by wading events, and excessive wading corrosion of anode metal cap causes the battery to lose its explosive characteristic. This research has important theoretical and practical value in solving the wading safety problem of lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle design.

Sodium (Na)-ion capacitors possess higher energy density than supercapacitors and higher power density than Na-ion batteries. However, kinetic mismatches between fast capacitive charge storage on the cathode and sluggish battery-type reactions on the anode lead to a poor charge/discharge rate capability and insufficient power output of Na-ion capacitors. Thus, developing suitable anode materials for Na-ion capacitors is urgently desirable. This work demonstrates an electrochemically exfoliated graphite (EEG) anode with enhanced capacitive charge storage, greatly boosting the Na-ion reaction kinetics of co-intercalation. The EEG anode shows a high reversible capacity of 109 mAh g–1and maintains a good capacity retention of 90% after 1000 cycles. The assembled Na-ion capacitor using the EEG anode can finish the charge/discharge process in less than 10 s, which achieves an ultrahigh power density of 17,500 W kg–1with an energy density of 17 Wh kg–1. The high capacitive contributions at both the anode and cathode contribute to the fast rate capability and high power output of the fabricated Na-ion capacitors. This work will promote the development of ultrafast charging sodium-ion storage devices.

Tight sandstone oil reservoirs in the Yanchang Formation of the Ordos Basin have great resource potential. Reservoir quality plays a crucial role in the aggregation and development of tight sandstone oil. The quality of tight sandstone reservoirs is indirectly controlled by diagenesis, which is directly manifested in the differences in pore structure characteristics. At present, there are many studies on the relationship between reservoir quality and diagenesis in the tight sandstone reservoirs of the Yanchang Formation, but there is still no unified method for classifying the diagenetic facies types and characterizing the full-scale pore structure. In this study, based on the large field of view cast thin section analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) technology, the clustering analysis method was utilized to classify the diagenetic facie types. Combining low-temperature nitrogen adsorption (LTNA), high-pressure mercury intrusion (HPMI), and constant-velocity mercury intrusion (CMI), a new method based on a weighted approach to characterize the full pore size of tight sandstone reservoirs was proposed. Four types of diagenetic facies are mainly developed in the study area: felsic weakly compacted diagenetic facies (A), dissolution diagenetic facies (B), carbonate cemented diagenetic facies (C), and tightly compacted diagenetic facies (D). The full pore size distribution curve of diagenetic facies B shows a multipeak distribution, in which the peak with the largest value is located from 0.4 to 0.8 μm. The full pore size distribution curves of diagenetic facies A, C, and D all show a single-peak pattern, with peak positions corresponding to decreasing pore diameters from 0.1 to 0.2 μm, 0.07 to 0.1 μm, and 0.007 to 0.13 μm, respectively. The presence of brittle minerals, such as quartz, and the occurrence of dissolution favor reservoir quality. Cementation destroys reservoir storage space, but this occurs when the cement content exceeds a certain threshold. Micropores and mesopores are more clearly related to diagenesis than nanopores. Diagenesis affects reservoir quality by controlling the development of micropores and mesopores. Finally, the correlation between diagenetic facies and the wireline logs was established, and it is clear that the development of diagenetic facies A and diagenetic facies B is associated with better reservoir quality. The study provides insights into how the diagenetic facies of tight sandstone reservoirs are correlated with reservoir quality and pore structures. It has reference significance for sweet spot evaluation in tight sandstone reservoirs.

Although titanium dioxide (TiO2) exhibits excellent promise in electrode materials for supercapacitors, its poor conductivity and low areal specific capacitance hamper further development. In this work, we have designed a clever way to deposit manganese dioxide (MnO2) in order to improve its electrochemical performance via a facile and typical hydrothermal method. In a hydrothermal process, carbon (C), which deposited via new gas thermal penetration, acts as a reducing agent, while a potassium permanganate (KMnO4) solution acts as an oxidant. In this way, MnO2, which has a high theoretical capacity, is generated on TiO2nanotube arrays (denoted as TNTs) successfully. Remarkably, a TNTs/C/MnO2film prepared at a hydrothermal temperature of 90 °C and 0.3 g of KMnO4revealed a superior electrochemical property with 55 mF/cm2areal capacitance at a scan rate of 5 mV/s, 23 times more enhanced than that of a TNTs/C film. Also, the energy density of a TNTs/C/MnO2film reached 46.8 Wh/cm2when the power density was 0.12 mW/cm2, and the energy density still remained at 22.4 Wh/cm2at a high power density of 0.8 mW/cm2. After 1000 cycle tests, 93.2% capacitance was still retained, indicating excellent reversibility and cycle stability of TNTs/C/MnO2electrode. This work opens up a facile path for efficient growth of electrode materials with high performance for energy storage devices.

Interleukin-34 (IL-34), a relatively newly identified cytokine, binds to colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF-1R) to activate several signaling pathways. It thus performs essential roles in immune surveillance, the inflammatory response, cell proliferation, and cell migration. In this study, the homologues of IL-34 (designated ‘CaIL-34′) and two types of CSF-1R (designated ‘CaCSF-1R1′ and ‘CaCSF-1R2′) are identified and described in the snakehead, Channa argus. Analysis of the amino acid sequence revealed that CaIL-34 has relatively conservative structural characteristics. CaCSF-1R1 and CaCSF-1R2 both contain four immunoglobulin-like domains and a tyrosine kinase domain. Their transcriptions were detected in all the tissues examined in healthy individuals, with relatively high transcription levels in immune-related tissues. The two major bacterial pathogens, Nocardia seriolaeand Aeromonas schubertii, both induced their transcription in the head kidney and spleen tissues of snakeheads in vivo. The three classical pathogen-associated molecular patterns, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), and polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid (poly[I:C]), and six recombinant cytokines of the snakehead, recombinant tumor necrosis factor-α1 (TNF-α1), TNF-α2, IL-1β, IL-18, IL-20, and IL-21, all increased their transcription in the head kidney leukocytes (HKLs) in vitro, albeit at different levels. Recombinant CaIL-34 (rCaIL-34) protein was expressed in a prokaryotic system. After stimulation with rCaIL-34, the transcription of the IL-1β, TNF-α1, TNF-α2, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) genes, and endogenous CaIL-34, CaCSF-1R1, and CaCSF-1R2, was enhanced in HKLs, and HKL proliferation was promoted. A subcellular localization analysis showed that CaIL-34 was exclusively located in the cytoplasm of HEK293T cells. The overexpression of CaIL-34 activated the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and activator protein 1 (AP-1) signaling, albeit to different levels. In summary, CaIL-34 and two types of CSF-1R of C. argusparticipate strongly in its antibacterial responses, leukocyte proliferation, and the activation of NF-κB and AP-1 signaling.

Carbon-encapsulated 3d-transition metal (TM) hybrid structure (denoted as M@C) have been considered as a promising candidate for HER. In recent years, the Co@C composites have exhibited effective HER catalytic performance in acidic media. However, the catalytic performance of Co@C in alkaline media is still unsatisfactory because of the sluggish water dissociation in Volmer step. In this work, by using carbon encapsulated metal Co nanoparticles hybrid structure (CoNP@C) as precatalyst, we firstly demonstrate that the HER activity of Co-based precatalysts could be unprecedentedly promoted through a simple in situ electrochemical activation process. Compared with initial CoNPs@C precatalyst, the activated catalyst realizes about 3.5-fold improved activity and the overpotential greatly decreases from 191 mV to 58 mV at 10 mA cm−2. Specially, the remarkable reduced Tafel slope (from 113 mV dec−1to 51 mV dec−1) indicates that the sluggish kinetics of the water dissociation step (Volmer step) is effectively speeded up by in situ electrochemical activation. Such a highly enhanced catalytic performance is mainly due to the in situ introduction of cobalt hydroxides NPs as water dissociation promoter and the synergetic effects among core Co NPs, middle layered carbon structure and outer cobalt hydroxides NPs. Our study offers a generic strategy for development of high-performance 3d-transition metal hybrid based HER catalysts in alkaline media.

The utilization of a highly active and robust bifunctional catalyst for simultaneously producing H2and O2is still a major challenging issue, which is vital for improving the efficiency of overall water splitting. Herein, we employ a novel plasma-assisted strategy to rapidly and conveniently synthesize the three-dimensional (3D) porous composite nanosheets assembled on monodispersed Co nanoparticles encapsulated in a carbon framework (CoNPs@C) on a carbon cloth. Such a novel 3D hierarchical porous nanosheet improves the exposure and accessibility of active sites as well as ensures high electroconductibility. Moreover, the coating of a few graphene layers on the surface of catalysts favors improvement of the catalytic activity. Benefited from these multiple merits, the CoNPs@C composite nanosheets enable a low overpotential of 153 mV at −10 mA cm–2for hydrogen evolution reaction. Furthermore, they are also capable of catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction with high efficiency to achieve current density of 10 mA cm–2at the overpotential of 270 mV. Remarkably, when assembled as an alkaline water electrolyzer, the bifunctional CoNPs@C composite nanosheets can afford a water-splitting current density of 10 mA cm–2at a cell voltage of 1.65 V.

Suspended particle transport is frequently involved in many geophysical processes and subsurface engineering applications. Although common and important, the effect of liquid cohesion on particle clogging has been overlooked in previous studies. We conduct visualized experiments of dilute suspension flow in a rough fracture and find a dramatic enhancement of clogging by a tiny amount of additional immiscible wetting liquid, even at weight percentage ω≤ 0.5%. An experimental phase diagram of clogging patterns is obtained in the space of secondary liquid content and flow rate. The combined effect of suspension composition and hydrodynamic condition on the clogging behavior is analyzed to explain transitions of clogging regimes. A theoretical model of agglomerate size is proposed to quantify the capillary cohesion effect. This work improves the understanding of fines migration and particle‐clogging behaviors in the subsurface and paves the way for possibility of controlling particle transport and clogging in various applications. Suspended particle flow and clogging in rock fractures are involved in many subsurface engineering applications and natural processes. Water‐wet particles dispersed in oil are cohesive and tend to agglomerate, clogging flow channels of crude oil to resist further recovery. Despite being common and important, the effect of liquid cohesion on particle clogging has been overlooked in previous studies. Here, we conduct visualized experiments of dilute suspension flow in a rough fracture. We, for the first time, find a dramatic enhancement of clogging by a tiny amount of additional immiscible wetting liquid, even at a weight percentage as low as 0.1%–0.5%. We obtain an experimental phase diagram of clogging patterns in the space of wetting liquid content and flow rate. The transitions of clogging regimes are explained through the combined control of clogging behavior by the suspension composition and hydrodynamic condition. We propose a theoretical model of agglomerate size to quantify the effect of capillary cohesion induced by the additional wetting liquid. The experimental and theoretical results improve our understanding of suspension flow and clogging behaviors and pave the way for the possibility of controlling particle transport and clogging processes in various applications by adjusting multiphase liquid composition and flowrate. A tiny amount of immiscible wetting liquid added into dilute suspension can dramatically enhance particle clogging in rough fractureAn experimental phase diagram of clogging patterns is obtained, showing the synergistic control of liquid cohesion and flow erosionA model of particle agglomerate size as a function of secondary liquid content is proposed to explain the cohesion effect on clogging A tiny amount of immiscible wetting liquid added into dilute suspension can dramatically enhance particle clogging in rough fracture An experimental phase diagram of clogging patterns is obtained, showing the synergistic control of liquid cohesion and flow erosion A model of particle agglomerate size as a function of secondary liquid content is proposed to explain the cohesion effect on clogging

Magnetic phase transitions of Fe wedges grown epitaxially on Cu(100) are detected via the surface magneto-optical Kerr effect and used to construct a phase diagram for face centered Fe. Also, the confinement of Cu sp- and d-quantum-well states is studied for Cu/Co(wedge)/Cu(100) utilizing undulator-based photoemission experiments.

Using angle-resolved synchrotron-radiation photoemission, we have studied the many-body satellite spectra of gadolinium and dysprosium overlayers on several substrates, including Cu(100), Ni(111), Si(111) and W(110). In addition to a 6 eV valence band satellite previous reported, we report the observation of a constant-kinetic-energy (CKE) satellite. We propose a model that describes both the 6 eV satellite as well as the newly observed CKE satellite. Our model explains in a single picture the presence and absence of the 6 eV satellite for a variety of film growth conditions.

Boron-carbon thin films have been successfully deposited on Si (111) from the synchrotron radiation induced decomposition of the nido-2,3-diethyl-dicarbahexaborane, (CH3CH2)2C2B4H6. There are indications that molecular precursor states to complete dissociation exist, and that dissociation is the rate limiting step. As with deposition of boron from decaborane, there is an activation barrier to dissociation of diethylcarborane on Si (111). The composition of the growing film, as determined by the boron to carbon ratio, is strongly dependent upon the boron concentration at the surface of the substrate. The boron concentration of the film increases with increasing film thickness.

Printing solutions have attracted wide attention from various research fields, but thin films made by printing technologies still cannot match the quality of the films made by conventional thin-film deposition methods. In this study, a flash-evaporation printing (FEP) technology, which employed a freestanding carbon nanotube (CNT) flash evaporator, was developed to address this issue and to achieve a compact physical vapor deposition geometry. The target material precoated on the CNT flash evaporator was printed onto a substrate by gas-phase transportation. The FEP methodology presented a printable solution for hybrid perovskite thin films. The as-fabricated photovoltaic devices showed power conversion efficiencies of ∼10.3%, and the thin films were also utilized as potential photodetectors. In addition, this technology can also be used to print patterns and a wide variety of materials on large panels. The environmentally friendly and cost-effective FEP technology will be of significant benefit to printed electronics, organic electronics and future flexible electronics.