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Abstract Nanoparticle‐stabilized, bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels (bijels) find potential applications as battery, separation membrane, and chemical reactor materials. Decreasing the liquid domain sizes of bijels to sub‐micrometer dimensions requires surfactants, complicating bijel synthesis and postprocessing into functional nanomaterials. This work introduces surfactant‐free bijels with sub‐micrometer domains, solely stabilized by nanoparticles. To this end, the covalent surface functionalization of silica nanoparticles is characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, mass spectrometry, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. Bijels are generated with the functionalized nanoparticles via solvent transfer induced phase separation (STrIPS), enabling the optimization of nanoparticle functionalization and surface ionization. Nanoparticles of intermediate functionalization and controlled negative surface charge stabilize bijels with sub‐micrometer liquid domains. This remarkable control over bijel synthesis provides urgently needed progress to facilitate the widespread implementation of bijels as nanomaterials in research and applications.

Nanoparticle‐stabilized, bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels (bijels) find potential applications as battery, separation membrane, and chemical reactor materials. Decreasing the liquid domain sizes of bijels to sub‐micrometer dimensions requires surfactants, complicating bijel synthesis and postprocessing into functional nanomaterials. This work introduces surfactant‐free bijels with sub‐micrometer domains, solely stabilized by nanoparticles. To this end, the covalent surface functionalization of silica nanoparticles is characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, mass spectrometry, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. Bijels are generated with the functionalized nanoparticles via solvent transfer induced phase separation (STrIPS), enabling the optimization of nanoparticle functionalization and surface ionization. Nanoparticles of intermediate functionalization and controlled negative surface charge stabilize bijels with sub‐micrometer liquid domains. This remarkable control over bijel synthesis provides urgently needed progress to facilitate the widespread implementation of bijels as nanomaterials in research and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a proposal for reforming unemployment assistance in Germany through the introduction of unemployment accounts (UAs). Instead of paying taxes that finance the unemployment assistance, employed people make ongoing contributions to their UAs and can make withdrawals from these accounts during periods of unemployment. The aim of this policy proposal is to improve employment incentives without significant changes in the current redistribution scheme. We provide a detailed account of how such a system of UAs can be designed and implemented in Germany. To make the influence of UAs as transparent as possible and to avoid introducing other reforms that may make significant bodies of people worse off, we assume that UAs are integrated within the existing unemployment support system, keeping all institutional rules regarding conditions, duration and size of entitlements as well as interpersonal redistribution unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soot formation process in the high temperature - high pressure pyrolysis of ethylene has been studied in a conventional diaphragm-type shock lube behind reflected shock waves. The investigated ranges of temperature and pressure were 1600-2200 K and 9-13 bar, respectively. Light scattering/extinction measurements in the visible, and extinction measurements in the near infrared have been analysed to characterise the soot formation process. Pyrolytic products, formed prior lo sool particles, have been evidenced by continuous absorption measurements, with high time/spectral resolution, in the UV-visible range. The absorption spectra have been analysed according to the Tauc optical band-gap model. In the investigated experimental conditions, the characteristic optical band-gaps of aromatic structures with 2-4 rings at most have been observed before soot-inception. After the soot-inception, a sharp decrease of the band-gap has been revealed, indicating a high degree of aromaticity of sool particles [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]