Hydrogenated Boron Phosphide with the excellent tunability of electronic properties and Current-Voltage responses

Combining the first principles calculations and the non-equilibrium Green’s function formalisms, we decipher the structural, electronic, and transport properties of boron phosphide (BP) with hydrogenation. Hydrogenated BP monolayer is an indirect semiconductor with a wide-bandgap of 3.76 eV that is favorable in power devices. We find that the...

Prediction of the autogenous shrinkage and microcracking of alkali-activated slag and fly ash concrete

This study aims to predict the autogenous shrinkage of alkali-activated concrete (AAC) based on slag and fly ash. A variety of analytical and numerical models are available for the prediction of autogenous shrinkage of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete, but these models are found to show dramatic discrepancies when applied for AAC due...

Reactions of self-healing agents and the chemical binding of aggressive ions in sea water: Thermodynamics and kinetics

New self-healing agents that can chemically bind seawater ions invading cracked cementitious materials were proposed. The potential of self-healing and binding of seawater ions were investigated by thermodynamic modeling. It was found that CaO-NaAlO₂ and CaO-metakaolin agents can have Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻ and...

Sustainable Assessment Tools for Higher Education Institutions: Developing Two-Hierarchy Tools for China

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play an increasingly significant role in the practice of sustainability. For HEIs in their early stages of sustainability, they are still in need of sustainable assessment tools (SATs) that are suitable for their local context and also lead international sustainable development. The purpose of this paper is...

Operation-driven heterogeneity and overlooked feed-associated populations in global anaerobic digester microbiome

Anaerobic digester (AD) microbiomes harbor complex, interacting microbial populations to achieve biomass reduction and biogas production, however how they are influenced by operating conditions and feed sludge microorganisms remain unclear. These were addressed by analyzing the microbial communities of 90 full-scale digesters at 51 municipal...

A reappraisal of the ink-bottle effect and pore structure of cementitious materials using intrusion-extrusion cyclic mercury porosimetry

Reliable characterization of the pore structure is essentially important for transport-related durability studies of cementitious materials. Mercury intrusion porosimetry has been commonly used for pore structure measurement while the ink-bottle effect significantly affects the trustworthiness of pore size features of cementitious materials....

Mesoporous bioactive glass functionalized 3D Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds with improved surface bioactivity

Porous Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds fabricated by means of selective laser melting (SLM),<br/>having controllable geometrical features and preferable mechanical properties, have been developed as a class of biomaterials that hold promising potential for bone repair. However, the inherent bio-inertness of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy as the matrix of the scaffolds...

Horizontal Circulation Patterns in a Large Shallow Lake: Taihu Lake, China

Wind induced hydrodynamic circulations play significant roles in the transport and mixing process of pollutants and nutrients in large shallow lakes, but they have been usually overlooked, while environmental, biological, and ecological aspects of eutrophication problems get the most focus. Herein we use a three-dimensional model, driven by...

Study of carbonation rate of synthetic C-S-H by XRD, NMR and FTIR

Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) like fly ash (FA) and blast furnace slag (BFS) are broadly used in concrete to replace part of the Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) because of both economic and environmental issues. In concrete blended with SCMs, C-S-H with different C/S ratios, formed from the hydration and pozzolanic reactions of...

Wind effects on the water age in a large shallow lake

As the third largest fresh water lake in China, Taihu Lake is suffering from serious eutrophication, where nutrient loading from tributary and surrounding river networks is one of the main contributors. In this study, water age is used to investigate the impacts of tributary discharge and wind influence on nutrient status in Taihu Lake,...

Durable lubricant-infused anodic aluminum oxide surfaces with high-aspect-ratio nanochannels

Recently, lubricant-infused surfaces (LIS) have emerged as a prominent class of surface technology for antifouling, anti-icing and anticorrosion applications. However, long-term corrosion exposure and mechanical damages may deteriorate the practical performance of LIS during application. In this study, a robust LIS was fabricated by the...

Pore structure of blended cement paste by means of pressurization¿depressurization cycling mercury intrusion porosimetry

Concrete containing supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) has different durability properties from that containing pure Portland cement. The durability of concrete is always associated with the properties of microstructure, especially pore structure. Pressurization–Depressurization Cycling Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (PDC-MIP) was...