China in Africa

The group of WANG Xiaodong at CAS Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has applied „chemical looping“ for the preparation of syngas. In the reaction process, syngas (H2/CO=2) is prepared with 95 % selectivity from methane or a water-carbon dioxide mixture through intelligent switching between iron-based perovskites and Fe@0 oxides. An Fe-based La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.8Al0.2O3 composite with perovskite structure does not only stabilize the high-valent Fe4+ ions, but, after reduction by methane, nearly 50% of the Fe ions are reduced to zero valence, with high oxygen storage and release capacity, and a core-shell structure of Fe0@oxides.

CAS news release, September 7, 2018

According to a statement at a press conference of the State Council, 9.47 % of all Chinese have some scientific qualification in 2018, and the goal ist o reach 10 % by the end of 2020. In 2015, only 6.2 % of Chinese were scientifically educated.

Japan JST China news release, September 7, 2018

Before visiting the shop, guests can order dishes through an App or Alipay, and specify the time to pick up the dish. The customer can also order at the store using the smartphone, open the app to receive a QR code, and then pick up the dish.

Japan JST China news, September 7, 2018

A solid fuel space exploration rocket “SQX-1Z” was launched by Beijing’s iSpace Technology Co, a private commercial rocket company, at Jiuquan Satellite launch center deep within the wasteland of Gansu province. Jiuquan is the largest integrated rocket and satellite launch center and China’s first. It is also China’s only manned spacecraft launch site. Within 60 years, 145 satellites, eleven spacecrafts and two space laboratories were launched from here.

http://www.i-space.com.cn

Japan JST China news, September 6, 2018

The Converse Ei5 taxis have a range of about 260 – 270 kilometers which corresponds to the daily mileage. Slow 100 % charging takes 5,5 hours, and quick charging up to 80% about 40 minutes. The energy consumption efficiency is about two times better compared to gasoline vehicles, and there are high energy saving and emission effects. The taxis are gradually introduced from mid September and will provide fixed point support to the 1st China International Import Exposition. They have larger capacity of boarding space and an expanded rear trunk. Converse Ei 5 is equipped with a smart sound alarm, bluetooth communication, QR code-based settlement of bills, driver face authentication, and safe active observation and control.

Japan JST China news, September 5, 2018

Academician LI Can and colleagues at CAS Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics have loaded surface promoters Au or Au and CoOx on a BiVO4 surface which effectively promoted oxygen production performance of BiVO4. When coupled with a ZrO2/TaON surface through a potassium hexacyanoferrate mediator,  a highly efficient water decomposition system with an apparent quantum efficiency of more than 10% was achieved at visible light (420 nm) excitation).

CAS news release, September 3, 2018

How quickly potatos sprout closely depends on covering ratio of water and air of the plant’s surface. WU Zhengyan’s team has developed a method to enhance sprouting by NPA, an amphiphilic nanocomposite made from silica in an anattapulgite network. Apart from faster sprouting, this application increased yields by 14 %, decreased soil bulk density, and facilitated earthworms growth. Water toxicity on fish and nematodes was low.

CAS news release, September 3, 2018

The group of Xinhe BAO at Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has designed a series of graphene-complexed 3d transition metals such as manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper as catalytic material. They found that a graphene-complexed single iron center can directly convert methane to C1 oxygenate at room temperature with hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. DFT theoretical calculations showed that the conversion of methane follows a free radical reaction route. The O-FeN4-O formed in situ during the reaction has high activity, and the methane is first converted into CH3OH and CH3OOH by free radicals, and further converted to HOCH2OOH and HCOOH.

CAS news release, August 31, 2018

Eleven students from Egypt, Botswana, Namibia and other African countries are presently involved in a desertification prevention and ecological restoration training group at CAS Gansu Provincial Sand Research Institute. They study China’s technologies on desertification prevention, such as fixing sand transport and recovery of plants, systematic construction of oasis and trunk protection.

Japan JST China news release, August 30, 2018

A team from the University of Nebraska-Linconl and from Huazhong Agricultural University has found that violet cress oil contains up to 50 % of two C-24 fatty acids as components of their seed oil. The two fatty acids were named nebraskanic acid and wuhanic acid. The fatty acids may be linked to one another through the hydroxyl groups to form a complex matrix. That unique assembly and structure could account for the corresponding oil’s superior performance as a lubricant, which was tested at the University of North Texas (UNT): compared with castor oil, the violet cress oil reduced friction between steel surfaces by 20 percent at 25 degrees Celsius and by about 300 percent at 100 degrees Celsius.

CAS news release, August 29, 2018

Fatty acids of Chinese violet cress seed oil

The team of LI Dong isolated two cocci, Paracoccus denitrificans Y5 and Habitatella paracoccus versutus D6 which could grow heterotrophically on glucose and ammonia and autotrophically on biogas slurry (CO2 as inorganic carbon source and ammonia nitrogen) under conditions of providing reducing power. The protein contents of strains Y5 and D6 was 67 – 74 % of dry weight, much higher than the protein content of soybean, and amino acid composition resembled that of soybeans.

CAS news release, August 29, 2018

The team of LIU Jian at Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has designed a submicron reactor of eggshell structure, loaded with metal nanoparticles into a zinc oxide-microporous carbon core shell (Pd&ZnO@carbon) which showed high selectivity (> 99%) in the hydrogenation of phenylacetylene to styrene. Conversion and selectivity were much higher compared to Pd/ZnO (2.2 times) and Pd/C (1.7 times) particles under the same Pd loading. In addition, the Pd&ZnO@carbon submicron reactor showed excellent catalytic stability and remained active after 25 hours of reaction.

CAS news release, August 29, 2018

China’s AG600 amphibian plane

The largest China-built amphibian airplane, built mainly for large fire extinguishment and marine rescue, after successful completion of the first flight on December 24, 2017, was now stationed in Hubei Provincial Jingmen Zhanghe Airport.

Japan JST China news, August 28, 2018

According to the National Forestry and Grassland Bureau, China will complete afforestation of 73,000 km2 each year, and set the forest ratio nationwide to 26% by 2035. By 2020, 200 national „forest cities“ will be built, including six forest city clusters and 20,000 forest settlements. Cultivating high-quality seedlings will guarantee forest conservation and preservation rate. There will be red lines of forests, grasslands, wetlands and sand protection, and natural forests will be restored, prohibiting logging for commercial purposes in state-owned natural forests.

Japan JST China news, August 29, 2018

The group of SUN Jibin at Tianjins Institute of Industrial Biotechnology rationally designed and experimentally engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum to serve as a methanol-dependent synthetic methylotroph. The cell growth of the methanol-dependent strain relies on co-utilization of methanol and xylose, and methanol is an indispensable carbon source. Due to the methanol-dependent characteristic, adaptive laboratory evolution was successfully applied to improving methanol utilization. The evolved mutant showed a 20-fold increase in cell growth on methanol-xylose minimal medium and utilized methanol and xylose with a high mole ratio of 3.83:1. ¹³C-labeling experiments demonstrated that the carbon derived from methanol was assimilated into intracellular building blocks, high-energy carriers, cofactors, and biomass (up to 63% ¹³C-labeling). By inhibiting cell wall biosynthesis, methanol-dependent glutamate production was also achieved, demonstrating the potential application in bioconversion of methanol into useful chemicals.

CAS news release, August 28, 2018