A method for preparing copper-nickel cobaltate nanowires includes steps of: (1) dissolving a soluble nickel salt, cobalt salt and copper salt in ultrapure water, and preparing same into a mixed salt solution A; (2) adding 1-4 mmol of sodium dodecyl sulfate to solution A, and dissolving same with stirring; (3) dissolving 12-30 mmol of hexamethylenetetramine in 20 mL of ultrapure water to form solution B; (4) slowly dropwise adding solution B to solution A via a separatory funnel to form solution C, and stirring same for 0.5-1 h; and (5) further transferring same into a 100 mL reaction vessel, reacting same at 100-160 C. for 8-20 h, suction filtration and washing, and drying same at 40-60 C. in a vacuum oven, and further reacting same at 350-800 C. for 1-4 h in a muffle furnace.

The present disclosure relates to a porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme that includes a high surface area solid and a liquid film substantially covering the high surface area solid. The porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme may be contacted with a fluid that is immiscible with the liquid film such that a liquid-fluid interface is formed. The liquid film may facilitate mass transfer of a substance or substrate across the liquid-fluid interface. The present disclosure also provides methods of performing liquid-based extractions and enzymatic reactions utilizing the porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure relates to a porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme system that includes a high surface area solid and a liquid film substantially covering the high surface area solid. The porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme may be contacted with a fluid that is immiscible with the liquid film such that a liquid-fluid interface is formed. The liquid film may facilitate mass transfer of a substance or substrate across the liquid-fluid interface. The present disclosure also provides methods of performing liquid-based extractions and enzymatic reactions utilizing the porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme of the present disclosure. The present disclosure also provides methods for selecting the components of the porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme system and methods of self-replenishing the used liquid coating.

A process of growth in the thickness of at least one facet of a colloidal inorganic sheet. By sheet is meant a structure having at least one dimension, the thickness, of nanometric size and lateral dimensions great compared to the thickness, typically more than 5 times the thickness. By homostructured is meant a material of homogeneous composition in the thickness and by heterostructured is meant a material of heterogeneous composition in the thickness. The process allows the deposition of at least one monolayer of atoms on at least one inorganic colloidal sheet, this monolayer being constituted of atoms of the type of those contained or not in the sheet. Homostructured and heterostructured materials resulting from such process as well as the applications of the materials are also described.

Embodiments of the present invention include a filter element for decomposing contaminants including a substrate, and a photocatalytic composition comprising at least a photocatalyst and a co-catalyst. The embodiments of the present invention also includes a system for decomposing contaminants including a substrate, and a photocatalytic composition comprising at least a photocatalyst and a co-catalyst; and a method using the system.

A process of operating a spark-ignited internal combustion engine (SI-ICE) with improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions including under steady state and under lean-operating conditions at high overall air to fuel (AFR) ratios. A first supply of high octane hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline or natural gas, and a first supply of oxidant are fed to a fuel reformer to produce a gaseous reformate with a reforming efficiency of greater than 75 percent relative to equilibrium. The gaseous reformate is mixed with a second supply of oxidant, after which the resulting reformate blended oxidant is fed with a second supply of high octane hydrocarbon fuel to the SI-ICE for combustion. Steady state fuel efficiency is improved by more than 3 percent, when the reformate comprises from greater than about 1 to less than about 18 percent of the total volume of reformate blended oxidant fed to the engine.

A composition consisting essentially of a perovskite crystalline structure, the composition comprising: ions of a first metal M.sup.1 which occupies an A-site of the perovskite crystalline structure; ions of a second metal M.sup.2 which occupies a B-site of the perovskite crystalline structure, M.sup.2 having two oxidation states capable of forming a redox couple suitable for reversibly catalyzing an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and an oxygen evolution reaction (OER); ions of a third metal M.sup.3 at least a portion of which substitutes for M.sup.1 in the A-site of the perovskite crystalline structure, and at least a portion of which optionally also substitutes for M.sup.2 in the B-site of the perovskite crystalline structure, at least some of the atoms M.sup.3 having a different oxidation state to the atoms M.sup.1; and atoms of an element X, which is a chalcogen; wherein the metal ions M.sup.1, M.sup.2 and M.sup.3 are present in the atomic ratios (a) or (b): (a) 25 to 49.9 atomic % M.sup.1, 30 to 60 atomic % M.sup.2, and 5 to 45 atomic % M.sup.3; (b) 10 to 30 atomic % M.sup.1, 50.1 to 60 atomic % M.sup.2, and 25 to 45 atomic % M.sup.3; each expressed as a percentage of the total metal ions in the composition excluding oxygen; wherein the presence of the M.sup.3 ions causes a change in the oxidation state of some of the M.sup.2 ions in the structure, thereby creating the redox couple suitable for reversibly catalyzing the ORR and OER.

Nanowires useful as heterogeneous catalysts are provided. The nanowire catalysts are prepared by polymer templated methods and are useful in a variety of catalytic reactions, for example, the oxidative coupling of methane to ethane and/or ethylene. Related methods for use and manufacture of the same are also disclosed.

Disclosed herein are composite materials and methods of making and use thereof. The composite materials disclosed herein can comprise: a first metal oxide particle having a thermal stability and a specific reversible oxygen storage capacity, wherein the first metal oxide particle comprises a first metal oxide comprising a transition metal oxide; and a second metal oxide disposed on the first metal oxide particle; wherein the composite material has a thermal stability and a specific reversible oxygen storage capacity; and wherein the thermal stability of the composite material is greater than the thermal stability of the first metal oxide particle. The methods of use of the composite materials described herein can comprise using the composite material as a catalyst, as an oxygen carrier, as a catalyst support, in a fuel cell, in a catalytic converter, or a combination thereof.

The invention discloses environment-controlling fibers and fabrics using the same, which adopts polyolefin material, optoelectronic material, thermoelectric material, piezoelectric material and catalyst material, to make fibers and fabric by melting, mixing, drawing and weaving. The fabrics are used in all kinds of environmental control products or for organic agriculture. To use green energy such as solar light energy, solar thermal energy, wind energy, hydro energy, geothermal energy and other renewable energy to stimulate the function of the special material within the fibers, so that the fabrics can remove pollutants in the environment and produce self-purification function to achieve the purpose of improving the environmental conditions or promote plant growth.