Abstract: A composition composed of highly reactive metal particles that are ball milled, bead milled or blended and dispersed in a solvent with/without polymer for significantly reducing the viscosity of heavy oil for extracting viscous heavy oil, such that the composition reacts with water and oil to produce heat, H2 gas, and hydroxide to lower the oil viscosity and facilitate extraction from an underground formation or transport of heavy oil, such as in a pipe from one place to another place.

Abstract: A detoxification device for removing pathogens from air within an environment. The detoxification device may include a filtration media for catching and retaining particles larger than about 0.3 micrometers (?m) with an efficiency of at least 99%. The detoxification device may also include a heating element having a metallic foam. The heating element may be heated upon application of an electrical current to the heating element. The heating element may, upon being heated, heat the filtration media to a target temperature that is effective to kill a pathogen.

Abstract: A method for growing bulk boron arsenide (BA) crystals, the method comprising utilizing a seeded chemical vapor transport (CVT) growth mechanism to produce single BAs crystals which are used for further CVT growth, wherein a sparsity of nucleation centers is controlled during the further CVT growth. Also disclosed are bulk BAs crystals produced via the method.

Abstract: A stable water based nanofluid of graphene-based amphiphilic Janus nanosheets, where the nanofluid has a high salt-content while retaining the interfacial activities of the nanosheets. Such a nanofluid of amphiphilic Janus nanosheets may be used for enhanced oil recovery.

Abstract: An apparatus used with supplied power for treating air in an environment and method of use. A housing is mobile in the environment and has an intake and an exhaust. At least one prime mover is disposed in the housing and is operable to move the air in the environment through the housing from the intake to the exhaust. At least one ultraviolet light source is disposed in the housing, is in electrical communication with the supplied power, and is configured to generate ultraviolet radiation in at least one a portion of the housing through which the moved air passes from the intake to the exhaust. At least one permeable barrier is disposed in the housing and is configured to impede the moved air flow therethrough up to an impedance threshold. The permeable barrier is in electrical communication to the supplied power and is heated to a surface temperature.

Abstract: A method of thermoelectric power generation by converting heat to electricity via the use of a ZrCoBi-based thermoelectric material, wherein a thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the ZrCoBi-based thermoelectric material is greater than or equal to 7% at a temperature difference of up to 800 K.

Abstract: An electrode and system for electrocatalytic water splitting. The electrode for overall water splitting comprises a conductive substrate, and a bifunctional electrocatalyst comprising primarily metallic phosphides disposed on a surface of the substrate. The system comprises an anode and a cathode. Each of the anode and the cathode comprises a uniform distribution of a bifunctional electrocatalyst comprising metallic phosphides on a conductive substrate. The metallic phosphides can comprise iron phosphide (FeP) and dinickel phosphide (Ni2P). The bifunctional electrocatalyst promotes hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the cathode, and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode.

Abstract: Herein provided are cubic boron arsenide (c-BAs) single crystals having an unexpectedly high ambipolar mobility at room temperature, µa, at one or more locations thereof that is greater than or equal to 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000, or 10000 cm2V-1s-1, wherein the ambipolar mobility is defined as: µa = 2µeµh/(µe + µh), wherein µe is electron mobility and µh is hole mobility, and having a room temperature thermal conductivity at the one or more locations thereof that is greater than or equal to 1000 Wm-1K-1. Methods of making and using the c-BAs single crystals are also provided.

Abstract: A method of electrocatalytic water splitting by providing an anode and a cathode; and utilizing the anode and the cathode for alkaline water electrolysis. Each of the anode and the cathode comprises a uniform distribution of a bifunctional electrocatalyst comprising metallic phosphides on a conductive substrate. The metallic phosphides comprise arion phosphide (FeP) and dinickel phosphide (Ni2P). The bifunctional electrocatalyst promotes hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at the cathode, and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode.

Abstract: A superconductor levitation (superlev) vehicle system and method of transporting and storing coolant and fuel that includes a guideway comprising a conduit. The conduit includes a superconductor and a coolant coupled to the superconductor. The coolant is configured to cool the superconductor. A magnetic vehicle that is configured to be levitated a distance from the guideway via interaction between a magnetic field from the vehicle and a magnetic field from the superconductor. The superconductor may also be used to transport and store electrical power, and the conduit may be used to transport and store liquids and/or fuels.

Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure provides time and energy-efficient synthesis of catalysts for water electrolysis. An exemplary synthesis method includes dissolving amounts of Fe(NO3)3.9H2O and Na2S2O3.5H2O in deionized water at ambient temperature to form a solution, placing Ni foam into the solution where the Ni foam serves as a substrate and a Ni source for growth of sulfur-doped (Ni,Fe)OOH (S—(Ni,Fe)OOH) catalysts, leaving the Ni foam in the solution at ambient temperature for a duration between one minute and five minutes to provide a treated foam where the S—(Ni,Fe)OOH catalysts grow on the substrate during the duration, and removing the treated foam from the solution after the duration.

Abstract: A cleaning composition is provided herein. The cleaning composition includes a plurality of metal particles and a base fluid. The plurality of metal particles have an average size in a range of from about 1 nanometer (nm) to about 10,000 micrometers (?m), and are dispersed in the base fluid. The cleaning composition is configured to generate an exothermic reaction when contacted with one or more components on a surface and water to facilitate removal of the one or more components from the surface. Methods of making and utilizing the cleaning composition are also provided.

Abstract: A detoxification device for removing pathogens from air within an environment. The detoxification device may include a filtration media for catching and retaining particles larger than about 0.3 micrometers (?m) with an efficiency of at least 99%. The detoxification device may also include a heating element having a metallic foam. The heating element may be heated upon application of an electrical current to the heating element. The heating element may, upon being heated, heat the filtration media to a target temperature that is effective to kill a pathogen.

Abstract: Systems and methods discussed herein relate to Zintl-type thermoelectric materials, including a p-type thermoelectric material according to the formula AMyXy, and includes at least one of calcium (Ca), europium (Eu), ytterbium (Yb), and strontium (Sr), and has a ZT of the above about 0.60 above 675K. The n-type thermoelectric component includes magnesium (Mg), tellurium (Te), antimony (Sb), and bismuth (Bi) according to the formula Mg3.2Sb1.3Bi0.5-xTex that has an average ZT above 0.8 from 400K to 800K. The p-type and n-type materials discussed herein may be used alone, in combination with other materials, or in combination with each other in various configurations.

Abstract: A method for ambient-temperature synthesis of a catalyst for water electrolysis by dissolving an amount of an Fe2+ source and optionally an amount of a salt of another divalent cation in deionized water at ambient temperature to form a solution, placing nickel (Ni) foam into the solution, whereby the Ni foam serves as a substrate and/or a Ni source for growth of the catalyst, leaving the Ni foam in the solution at ambient temperature for a time duration in a range of from about 0.5 hour to about 4 hours to provide a treated foam, during which time duration, the catalyst is grown on the substrate, and removing the treated foam from the solution after the time duration, wherein the treated foam comprises the catalyst grown thereon.

Abstract: A method of forming a battery electrode by forming, on a first substrate, a polymer template comprising interconnected polymer fibers, forming, on the polymer template, a carbon coating to form a carbon-coated polymer template, removing the carbon-coated polymer template from the first substrate, subsequent to removing the carbon-coated polymer template from the first substrate, removing the polymer template from the carbon coating, and disposing the carbon coating on a second substrate. A solid electrolyte interphase layer (SEI) comprising the carbon coating produced via the method, a battery electrode comprising such an SEI layer, and a battery comprising such a battery electrode are also provided.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting comprising oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by growing electrocatalyst comprising primarily metallic phosphides on three-dimensional substrate by: immersing the substrate in an iron nitrate solution to form a once disposed substrate; subjecting the once disposed substrate to thermal phosphidation with phosphorus powder under inert gas to grow metal phosphides thereupon and form a once subjected substrate; cooling the once subjected substrate to form a cooled, once subjected substrate; immersing the cooled, once subjected substrate in an iron nitrate solution to form a twice disposed substrate; and subjecting the twice disposed substrate to thermal phosphidation with phosphorus powder under inert gas to provide an electrode comprising the bifunctional electrocatalyst on the three-dimensional substrate.

Abstract: A method of thermoelectric power generation by converting heat to electricity via the use of a ZrCoBi-based thermoelectric material, wherein a thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the ZrCoBi-based thermoelectric material is greater than or equal to 7% at a temperature difference of up to 800 K.

Abstract: A stable three-dimensional core-shell metal-nitride catalyst consisting of NiFeN nanoparticles decorated on NiMoN nanorods supported on porous Ni foam (NiMoN@NiFeN), which functions as an oxygen evolution reaction catalyst for alkaline seawater electrolysis. It yields large current densities of 500 and 1000 mA cm?2 at overpotentials of 369 and 398 mV, respectively, in alkaline natural seawater at 25° C. Combined with an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst of NiMoN nanorods, current densities of 500 and 1000 mA cm?2 at low voltages of 1.608 and 1.709 V, respectively are achieved for overall alkaline seawater splitting at 60° C.

Abstract: A detoxification device for removing pathogens from air within an environment. The detoxification device may include a filtration media for catching and retaining particles larger than about 0.3 micrometers (?m) with an efficiency of at least 99%. The detoxification device may also include a heating element having a metallic foam. The heating element may be heated upon application of an electrical current to the heating element. The heating element may, upon being heated, heat the filtration media to a target temperature that is effective to kill a pathogen.