Giant magnetocaloric effect for (Mn, Fe, V)2(P, Si) alloys with low hysteresis

The Fe₂P type Mn–Fe–P–Si alloys exhibit a giant magneto-elastic first-order transition, but the large hysteresis limits their performance. Crystal structure evolution and magnetocaloric performance were investigated by varying the Mn and Fe contents at a constant V substitution of 0.02 in Fe₂P-type (Mn_1.17-xFe...

The estimation of carbon imbalance and driving factors in China's urban residential building sector

Understanding the imbalance of carbon emissions in the urban residential building (URB) sector is beneficial for equitable and effective emission reduction policies. However, carbon imbalance in URB and its major driving factors remain unclear. Therefore, according to the Kaya identity and Zenga index, this study aims to analyze the imbalance...

Incentive initiatives on energy-efficient renovation of existing buildings towards carbon–neutral blueprints in China: Advancements, challenges and prospects

Under China's national strategy of carbon neutrality by 2060, it is urgently necessary and challenging for the governments to proactively explore policy tools to facilitate energy-efficient renovation of existing buildings. Currently, a considerable number of studies have been conducted on building energy-efficient renovation and its...

Magnetocaloric effect in the (Mn,Fe)₂(P,Si) system: From bulk to nano

In the field of nanoscale magnetocaloric materials, novel concepts like micro-refrigerators, thermal switches, microfluidic pumps, energy harvesting devices and biomedical applications have been proposed. However, reports on nanoscale (Mn,Fe)₂(P,Si)-based materials, which are one of the most promising bulk materials for solid-state...

Ultra-low Hysteresis in Giant Magnetocaloric Mn_1-xV_xFe_0.95(P,Si,B) Compounds

Large thermal hysteresis in the (Mn,Fe)2(P,Si) system hinders an efficient heat exchange and thus limits the magnetocaloric applications. Substitution of manganese by vanadium in the Mn1-x1Vx1Fe0.95P0.593Si0.33B0.077 and Mn1-x2Vx2Fe0.95P0.563Si0.36B0.077 compounds enable a significant reduction in the thermal hysteresis without losing the giant...

Tuning the magneto-elastic transition of (Mn,Fe,V)₂(P,Si) alloys to low magnetic field applications

The first-order magneto-elastic transition in the Mn–Fe–P–Si alloys can be tailored by vanadium substitution. Alloys with a suitable V substitution provide an excellent magnetocaloric effect with minor hysteresis in low magnetic fields up to 1.2 T. Mössbauer measurements show that the hyperfine field is reduced by V substitution. Neutron...

Conjugated donor-acceptor (D-A) supramolecule catalyst for visible-light-driven photocatalytic removal of bromate in water

To guarantee drinking water security, removal of bromate (BrO₃ ⁻) has garnered plenty of attention in water treatment. In current study, we have developed a novel conjugated donor-acceptor (D-A) photocatalyst (4,4′'-bis(diphenylamino)-[1,1′:4′,1′'-terphenyl]-2′,5′-dicarbaldehyde, BDTD) with supramolecule architecture...

Combined effect of annealing temperature and vanadium substitution for mangetocaloric Mn_1.2-xV_xFe_0.75P_0.5Si_0.5 alloys

Approaching the border of the first order transition and second order transition is significant to optimize the giant magnetocaloric materials performance. The influence of vanadium substitution in the Mn_1.2-xV_xFe_0.75P_0.5Si_0.5 alloys is investigated for annealing temperatures of 1323,...

Reversible low-field magnetocaloric effect in Ni-Mn-In-based Heusler alloys

Ni-Mn-X (X = In, Sn, and Sb) based Heusler alloys show a strong potential for magnetic refrigeration owing to their large magnetocaloric effect (MCE) associated with first-order magnetostructural transition. However, the irreversibility of the MCE under low field change of 0–1 T directly hinders its application as an efficient magnetic coolant....

Thermoluminescence investigation of donor (Ce3+, Pr3+, Tb3+) acceptor (Eu3+, Yb3+) pairs in Y3Al5O12

The thermoluminescence properties of Y3Al5O12 (YAG) doped with an electron donor lanthanide (Ce3+, Pr3+, or Tb3+) together with an electron acceptor lanthanide (Yb3+ or Eu3+) were studied with the aim to locate the energy levels of each divalent and each trivalent lanthanide within the band gap. The activation energies needed to liberate...