A simple route to prepare supramolecular block copolymers using telechelic polystyrene/polydimethyls
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We provide an efficient recursive formula to compute the canonical forms of arbitrary d-dimensional simple polytopes, which are convex polytopes such that every vertex lies precisely on d facets. For illustration purposes, we explicitly derive recursive formulae for the canonical forms of Stokes polytopes, which play a similar role for a theory with quartic interaction as the Associahedron does in planar bi-adjoint φ 3 theory. As a by-product, our formula also suggests a new way to obtain the full planar amplitude in φ 4 theory by taking suitable limits of the canonical forms of constituent Stokes polytopes.
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Numerous configurations are available for the separation of a multicomponent mixture by distillation; each of which has different energy requirements. Here, we classify heat integration (a valuable method of reducing energy requirements) within distillation into two categories: conventional thermal coupling with mass exchange between columns (TCM) and thermal coupling via heat transfer without mass exchange (TCH). The sharp split distillation configurations, with the lowest number of distillation sections and transfer streams, provide simple distillation configurations but are known to have heat duties that are much higher than the fully thermally coupled (FTC) or Petlyuk configuration. However, for a mixture with four or more components, FTC, having the maximum number of column sections, is a complex configuration to build and operate. Through specific examples of four and five component distillations, we present, for the first time, sharp split configurations, using only one TCH and no TCM, which have a lower heat duty than the corresponding FTC containing only TCM, without requiring substantial pressure changes in the system.
The clean activation of methane at low temperatures remains an eminent challenge and a field of competitive research. In particular, on late transition metal surfaces such as Pt(111) or Ni(111), higher temperatures are necessary to activate the hydrocarbon molecule, but a massive deposition of carbon makes the metal surface useless for catalytic activity. However, on very low-loaded M/CeO 2 (M = Pt, Ni, or Co) surfaces, the dissociation of methane occurs at room temperature, which is unexpected considering simple linear scaling relationships. This intriguing phenomenon has been studied using a combination of experimental techniques (ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, time-resolved X-ray diffraction, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy) and density functional theory-based calculations. The experimental and theoretical studies show that the size and morphology of the supported nanoparticles together with strong metal–support interactions are behind the deviations from the scaling relations. These findings point toward a possible strategy for circumventing scaling relations, producing active and stable catalysts that can be employed for methane activation and conversion.
Lithium-metal batteries with zero excess lithium on the anode side paired with a fully lithiated cathode are regarded as a form of the highest energy-density configuration. Unfortunately, the continuous lithium loss over cycling from a limited amount of lithium reservoir significantly degrades the overall cell performance in the anode-free system. To mitigate the deterioration, modifying the current collector for enhanced lithium cycling is an indispensable route. Here, we apply a Ag/Cu ion exchange to precipitate micro-sized Ag particles on the Cu current collector to enhance the lithium reversibility via (de)alloying process. Further, we show a smoother morphology of lithium upon alloying, which leads to a lowered nucleation potential as well as increased average Coulombic efficiency in Li||Cu cells regardless of electrolyte formulation. The preferred lithium adsorption on Ag and AgLi over Cu is demonstrated with density functional theory calculations, which supports that Li is forming a gamma-phase alloy in the last stage rather than being deposited beneath the alloy. Lastly, this simple Cu foil modification enhances lithium reversibility and reduces its nucleation barrier, thus mitigating the capacity fade of a Cu||LiFePO 4 with reduced polarization.
We introduce a necessary and sufficient condition for an arbitrary wavefunction to be collinear, i.e., its spin is quantized along some axis. It may be used to obtain a cheap and simple computational procedure to test for collinearity in electronic structure theory calculations. We adapt the procedure for Generalized Hartree Fock (GHF), and use it to study two dissociation pathways in CO{sub 2}. For these dissociation processes, the GHF wave functions transform from low-spin Unrestricted Hartree Fock (UHF) type states to noncollinear GHF states and on to high-spin UHF type states, phenomena that are succinctly illustrated by the constituents of the collinearity test. This complements earlier GHF work on this molecule.
We report on dual-polarization Dirac cones in a simple square lattice two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PC) based on transmission at accidental degeneracies centered at the k = 0 symmetry ( Γ <#comment/> ) point. Finite difference time domain simulations are used to identify the material and geometric parameters for Dirac-like dispersion. A configuration that produces a Dirac-like point for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations at the same frequency is presented. The PC dispersion shows the expected threefold degenerate linear branch crossings at the Dirac-like point. Full-field electromagnetic wave simulations exhibit some common behaviors of devices based on Dirac-like dispersion, such as cloaking and waveguiding. The configuration works for a considerable range of the parameter space, and thus is experimentally realizable with a wide range of materials.
Mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are generally considered more accurate than reanalysis products in characterizing the wind resource at heights of interest for wind energy, given their finer spatial resolution and more comprehensive physics. However, advancements in the latest ERA-5 reanalysis product motivate an assessment on whether ERA-5 can model wind speeds as well as a state-of-the-art NWP model – the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. We consider this research question for both simple terrain and offshore applications. Specifically, we compare wind profiles from ERA-5 and the preliminary WRF runs of the Wind Integration National Dataset (WIND) Toolkit Long-term Ensemble Dataset (WTK-LED) to those observed by lidars at a site in Oklahoma, United States, and in a United States Atlantic offshore wind energy area. We find that ERA-5 shows a significant negative bias (~-1ms-1) at both locations, with a larger bias at the land-based site. WTK-LED-predicted wind speed profiles show a limited negative bias (~-0.5ms-1) offshore and a slight positive bias (~+0.5ms-1) at the land-based site. On the other hand, we find that ERA-5 outperforms WTK-LED in terms of the centered root-mean-square error (cRMSE) and correlation coefficient, for both the land-based and offshore cases, in all atmospheric stability conditions. We find that WTK-LED's higher cRMSE is caused by its tendency to overpredict the amplitude of the wind speed diurnal cycle. At the land-based site, this is partially caused by wind plant wake effects not being accurately captured by WTK-LED.
Continued oceanic uptake of anthropogenic CO 2 is projected to significantly alter the chemistry of the upper oceans over the next three centuries, with potentially serious consequences for marine ecosystems. Relatively few models have the capability to make projections of ocean acidification, limiting our ability to assess the impacts and probabilities of ocean changes. In this study we examine the ability of Hector v1.1, a reduced-form global model, to project changes in the upper ocean carbonate system over the next three centuries, and quantify the model's sensitivity to parametric inputs. Hector is run under prescribed emission pathways from the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and compared to both observations and a suite of Coupled Model Intercomparison (CMIP5) model outputs. Current observations confirm that ocean acidification is already taking place, and CMIP5 models project significant changes occurring to 2300. Hector is consistent with the observational record within both the high- (> 55°) and low-latitude oceans (< 55°). The model projects low-latitude surface ocean pH to decrease from preindustrial levels of 8.17 to 7.77 in 2100, and to 7.50 in 2300; aragonite saturation levels (Ω Ar ) decrease from 4.1 units to 2.2 in 2100 and 1.4 in 2300 under RCP 8.5. These magnitudes and trends of ocean acidification within Hector are largely consistent with the CMIP5 model outputs, although we identify some small biases within Hector's carbonate system. Of the parameters tested, changes in [H + ] are most sensitive to parameters that directly affect atmospheric CO 2 concentrations – Q 10 (terrestrial respiration temperature response) as well as changes in ocean circulation, while changes in Ω Ar saturation levels are sensitive to changes in ocean salinity and Q 10 . We conclude that Hector is a robust tool well suited for rapid ocean acidification projections and sensitivity analyses, and it is capable of emulating both current observations and large-scale climate models under multiple emission pathways.
Here, we propose a new approach for the stabilization of linear tetrahedral finite elements in the case of nearly incompressible transient solid dynamics computations. Our method is based on a mixed formulation, in which the momentum equation is complemented by a rate equation for the evolution of the pressure field, approximated with piece-wise linear, continuous finite element functions. The pressure equation is stabilized to prevent spurious pressure oscillations in computations. Incidentally, it is also shown that many stabilized methods previously developed for the static case do not generalize easily to transient dynamics. Extensive tests in the context of linear and nonlinear elasticity are used to corroborate the claim that the proposed method is robust, stable, and accurate.
The demand for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) is increasing exponentially, which could have significant effects on the power grid, because charging one PEV is nearly equivalent to adding three houses to the power system. Even though PEVs increase demand on the electric grid, their capability to actively interact with the grid presents excellent opportunities for load management, demand response, and various other grid services. This paper proposes an innovative scheduling and control framework to enable smart PEV charging for grid services while meeting PEV owners’ travel needs. In the proposed framework, each set of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is equipped with a controller that estimates charging power and energy flexibility based on vehicle characteristics, EVSE power rating, battery energy state, and upcoming trip information. With the charging flexibility model received from each EVSE controller, the central coordinator determines the optimal power allocation for a look-ahead time window for the given grid services. The proposed charging coordination strategy can help reduce the computational complexity and communication requirement compared with existing methods. It is also scalable to the expanding PEV fleet and robust to uncertainties in upcoming vehicle trips and future system condition. The proposed method is studied using a prototypical feeder developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and detailed trip information extracted from the National Household Travel Survey.
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