News on China's scientific and technological development.

For the next generation Internet, China lits up the world's first 1.2 Tbit/s super high speed fibre optic network. This network connection of 3000 km long links Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou. All the hardware and software components of it are indigenous.

我国开通全球首条1.2T超高速下一代互联网主干通路​

今天上午（11月13日），连接北京-武汉-广州的全球首条1.2T超高速下一代互联网主干通路开通新闻发布会在清华大学举行。这条超高速下一代互联网主干通路基于我国自主研发的下一代互联网核心路由器1.2T超高速IPv6接口、3X400G超高速多光路聚合等关键核心技术，总长3000多公里，实现了系统软、硬件设备的全部国产和自主可控。

据介绍，1.2T通路能够在1秒完成150部高清电影的传输，传输效率是当前100G网络的10倍以上。随着AI大模型的爆火，算力成为数字经济时代的新型生产力，该通路构建了算力时代的关键基础设施，实现大带宽、低时延、高可靠的品质联接，为算力网络提供重要保障。

目前，全球互联网400G主干通路技术刚刚开始进入商业，人们普遍预测“T比特”超高速主干通路技术将在2025年前后出现。本次全球首条1.2T超高速下一代互联网主干通路的开通是全球互联网基础设施发展的一个重要里程碑。

1.2T超高速下一代互联网主干通路既是清华大学承担“国家重大科技基础设施未来网络试验设施：未来互联网试验设施FITI”项目的一个重大技术试验成果，又是FITI高性能主干网的重要组成部分，目前该通路运行平稳可靠，通过各项试验测试，达到了设计指标。

FITI项目负责人、中国工程院院士、清华大学教授吴建平表示，1.2T超高速下一代互联网主干通路的建成开通，为我国建设超高速下一代互联网提供了重要技术储备，必将成为中国对全球下一代互联网发展作出的重要贡献。

This robotic AI chemist created by USTC synthesized oxygen-producing catalysts from Martian meteriorites. The robot took 2 months to identify the optimal catalyst formula out of millions of possible compositions.

"Given five different local Martian ores as feedstocks, there are 3,764,376 possible formulas, estimated by the combination of integer percentages in 1% intervals; finding the optimal formula would require 2,000 years of human labour to finish such a screening, where each complete experiment takes 5 hours, at least."

Automated synthesis of oxygen-producing catalysts from Martian meteorites by a robotic AI chemist​

Abstract​

Living on Mars requires the ability to synthesize chemicals that are essential for survival, such as oxygen, from local Martian resources. However, this is a challenging task. Here we demonstrate a robotic artificial-intelligence chemist for automated synthesis and intelligent optimization of catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction from Martian meteorites. The entire process, including Martian ore pretreatment, catalyst synthesis, characterization, testing and, most importantly, the search for the optimal catalyst formula, is performed without human intervention. Using a machine-learning model derived from both first-principles data and experimental measurements, this method automatically and rapidly identifies the optimal catalyst formula from more than three million possible compositions. The synthesized catalyst operates at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 for over 550,000 s of operation with an overpotential of 445.1 mV, demonstrating the feasibility of the artificial-intelligence chemist in the automated synthesis of chemicals and materials for Mars exploration.

中国科大机器化学家采用火星陨石智能创制产氧催化剂​

据中国科学技术大学网站11月14日消息，近日，中国科学技术大学罗毅教授、江俊教授、尚伟伟副教授团队与深空探测实验室张哲研究员等合作，采用中国科大机器化学家“小来”平台，高效融合人工智能和自动化机器实验，利用火星陨石制备出实用的产氧电催化剂，在2个月内就完成需要穷举2000年才能完成的复杂优化工作。这一具有里程碑意义的研究成果以“Automated synthesis of oxygen-producing catalysts from Martian meteorites by a robotic AI chemist”为题发表在国际期刊《自然·合成》上（Nature Synthesis），并被编辑选为当期热点论文予以专门推荐。

“小来”通过其精准的自动化操作能力，能够执行高通量实验任务，与此同时其“计算大脑”同步进行量子化学仿真模拟，通过融合理论大数据和实验小数据产生具有预测能力的机器学习模型，最终调用贝叶斯优化算法预测并机器验证全局最优的催化剂配方。这种理实交融的研究范式极大地加速了新材料发现过程，能够从数百万种可能配方中迅速识别最佳组合。

该工作成功展示了在地外星系上因地制宜创制化学品的智能化全流程，为未来地外文明探索提供了新的技术手段，对我国在未来月球、火星空间站上实现星际资源的原位综合利用建立了独特的方案。 国际审稿人评价道：“this article reports an exciting approach for synthesizing OER catalyst on Mars by a robotic AI-Chemist system（本文报道了通过机器化学家系统在火星上合成OER催化剂的令人兴奋的方法）”，“as an example of how AI and automation can come together to design and manufacture complex materials under challenging circumstances（作为人工智能和自动化相结合的典型案例，在充满挑战的环境下设计和制造复杂材料）”。

论文第一作者为中国科学技术大学朱青博士，共同第一作者为黄炎博士、周东来博士和赵路远博士，通讯作者为尚伟伟副教授、江俊教授和罗毅教授。该工作得到中国科学院稳定支持基础研究领域青年团队计划、国家自然科学基金等项目的支持。

A Chinese research team recently published their significant progress in the field of ultra-fast gated framing technology. Researchers obtained laser implosion images with a time resolution of less than 10 picoseconds, a first for gated framing technology developed in China.

Alpha90, China's 1st unmanned truck for general transportation at open pit mines, was put into use recently in NW China. Without a driving cab, the truck is available for remote control, replacing manual work in hazardous environments for workers' safety. ..

Scientists from Tsinghua, Fuzhou University, CAS and BIT created line-filtering electrochemical capacitor with ultra low resistence and twice of the previously reported highest areal capacitance. It shows "excellent filtering performances and circuit compatibility", "high integration density" in IC and allows "on-demand customization of capacitance and voltage".


Paper:

Ultralow-resistance electrochemical capacitor for integrable line filtering​

Abstract​

Electrochemical capacitors are expected to replace conventional electrolytic capacitors in line filtering for integrated circuits and portable electronics,,,,,,,. However, practical implementation of electrochemical capacitors into line-filtering circuits has not yet been achieved owing to the difficulty in synergistic accomplishment of fast responses, high specific capacitance, miniaturization and circuit-compatible integration,,,,,,. Here we propose an electric-field enhancement strategy to promote frequency characteristics and capacitance simultaneously. By downscaling the channel width with femtosecond-laser scribing, a miniaturized narrow-channel in-plane electrochemical capacitor shows drastically reduced ionic resistances within both the electrode material and the electrolyte, leading to an ultralow series resistance of 39 mΩ cm2 at 120 Hz. As a consequence, an ultrahigh areal capacitance of up to 5.2 mF cm−2 is achieved with a phase angle of −80° at 120 Hz, twice as large as one of the highest reported previously,,, and little degradation is observed over 1,000,000 cycles. Scalable integration of this electrochemical capacitor into microcircuitry shows a high integration density of 80 cells cm−2 and on-demand customization of capacitance and voltage. In light of excellent filtering performances and circuit compatibility, this work presents an important step of line-filtering electrochemical capacitors towards practical applications in integrated circuits and flexible electronics.


News story:

清华大学实现超低阻可集成电化学滤波电容器。 2023年11月15日，清华大学化学系曲良体教授团队在Nature期刊上发表了题为Ultralow-resistance electrochemical capacitor for integrable line filtering的研究成果。

该成果报道了一种超低阻平面型微型插指电化学电容器，通过飞秒激光构建超窄沟道，利用内建强电场极大地促进了离子动力学，从而实现了在频率为120Hz相角为-80°时，5.2 mF cm-2的超高面容量；并且研制出高一致性、高集成度的芯片式器件，在集成电路中验证了其高性能滤波能力。

论文第一作者为清华大学化学系胡亚杰和福州大学吴明懋副教授，合作者包括中国科学院力学所刘峰副研究员和北京理工大学姜澜教授等。

电容器是三大被动元器件之一，在电子电路中起到至关重要的作用。随着信息化时代的发展，单单一部手机内使用的电容就有成百上千个。据统计，每年的全球电容消费市场份额达200亿美元，中国是世界上最大的基础电子元件市场，一年消耗的电容数以万亿计，然而高端电容器一直受日美垄断。其中，滤波电容是电路中不可或缺的重要器件，起到滤波、稳压、纹波滤除的作用，从而保证中央处理器、记忆存储器等精密电子器件的平稳运行，决定了先进电子器件/设备性能。

目前的商用滤波电容器以电解电容器为主，但是其庞大的体积占据了电路板中极大的空间，限制了电路微型化乃至设备小型化的进程。提高容量、缩小体积、提升性能是各大高端电容厂商争相追逐的目标。

电化学电容器的比容量较电解电容器高3个数量级，这为发展微型化、集成化的滤波电容提供了可能；但受限于缓慢的离子迁移动力学，无法做到滤波需求的高频率响应能力。因此，电化学电容器往往需要以牺牲比容量的方式，平衡高频率的需求，到目前为止还难以实现实际应用。

该工作中，曲良体教授团队报道了一种电场增强离子迁移的新策略，通过提升局部电场强度促进内部离子迁移速率以降低串联内阻，弥补电化学电容器高频特性的不足。基于垂直取向石墨烯与PEDOT：PSS衍生的复合活性电极，以及5微米的窄沟道结构，将面积比电容较之前工作提升一倍，达到5.2 mF cm-2；在与商用电解质电容器频率性能相当的同时，比容量较之提升2个数量级。并且通过飞秒激光的加工方法，实现了高密度、高一致性的集成，解决了电容器额定电压/电容的定制化问题。在实场验证中，该电容器表现出优异的滤波性能和电路兼容性，甚至针对于柔性电子电路也表现出优异的稳定滤波能力。

CAS created an abradable and anti-corrosive seal coating for aero engines.

Paper:

An abradable and anti-corrosive CuAl-Ni/C seal coating for aero-engine​

Abstract​

Abradable seal coatings (ASCs) can be deemed as the critical component for the aircraft turbine engines, which can enhance the aero-engine efficiency and protect the blades. However, high-performance and long-duration operation of ASCs is still limited by both corrosion and mechanical degradation. Herein, we develop a CuAl-Ni/C ASC by thermal spraying for the aero-engine, which synergistically enhances mechanical properties and improves corrosion resistance. Morphology characterizations firstly demonstrate a complete three-layer structure and excellent interlayer combination of the as-sprayed CuAl-Ni/C coating. Based on the service performance evaluation, the coating not only presents a low weight loss of 0.327 mg cm−2 by erosion tests and a low consumed energy of 0.325 J by abrasion tests, but also allows a high oxidate resistance at 500 °C, indicating an excellent combination of high erosion resistance, sufficient abradability and anti-oxidation at high temperature. In addition, the coating features a superior anti-corrosive performance and enhanced mechanical properties after 500 h spray tests. Finally, DFT calculation and MD simulations reveal the superior corrosion resistance of the coating originated from the existence of compound AlCu4, effectively suppressing corrosion of the coating. This study not only provides an effective strategy for delicate design of the high-performance ASCs at the high-temperature and corrosive marine environment, but also elucidates the inherent essence for the anti-corrosive behavior of CuAl-Ni/C ASC from atomic level, which offers a novel insight for study on corrosion of multiphase system.


News story:

航空发动机封严涂层腐蚀研究获进展​

可磨耗封严涂层作为飞机发动机中的关键技术，可在保护叶片的前提下同时提高航空发动机的整体气密性，是提高发动机整机效率、保障其安全运行的有效手段。随着我国海上航空大力发展，在高湿、高盐、高热的海洋大气环境下，可磨耗封严涂层的腐蚀问题成为困扰发动机运行稳定性和安全性的关键问题，开发新一代耐常温海洋大气腐蚀的可磨耗封严涂层势在必行。

近期，中国科学院金属研究所材料腐蚀与防护中心腐蚀电化学课题组在可磨耗封严涂层腐蚀领域取得新进展。研究发现：在Al-BN封严涂层基础上以Cu代替部分Al制备的CuAl-Ni/C封严涂层，兼具优异的可磨耗性、抗冲蚀性及抗高温氧化性（图1）；由于涂层中CuAl中间相的存在，涂层的耐常温腐蚀能力显著提升（图1）。研究发现，在常温腐蚀的初期阶段，涂层中Cu元素发生活性溶解，且溶解速度高于Al元素，这一现象与Al元素的活性显著高于Cu元素的常规认知相悖。进一步，该团队利用第一性原理计算和分子动力学计算等方法（图2），在综合分析涂层各合金相中表面Cu、Al原子活性以及Cl-在各合金相表面的吸附和扩散能力的基础上，阐释了Cu溶解速度高于Al的根本原因源于CuAl中间相的优先腐蚀。

该研究不仅验证了通过合理的成分设计可以有效提高封严涂层的综合使役性能，而且展示了第一性原理计算和分子动力学计算等理论计算方法在预测和阐释合金元素的腐蚀活性方面的潜力，为腐蚀电化学理论研究提供了新途径。相关研究成果以An abradable and anti-corrosive CuAl-Ni/C seal coating for aero-engine为题，发表在《化学工程杂志》（Chemical Engineering Journal）上。

Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of CAS set a new record for the highest working frequency of intravenous ultrasound (IVUS) imaging system in the world. At 120MHz, it doubles the previous record of 60MHz since 2017. As a result, image resolution also almost doubles.


深圳先进院最高频率血管内超声成像系统亮相第25届高交会


血管内超声成像（IVUS）是目前受到国内外临床专家广泛推荐的用于评估冠状动脉粥样硬化疾病的腔内影像手段，被誉为冠状动脉腔内影像检查新的“金标准”。2017年，IVUS系统提升至60兆赫，此后再无技术性突破，分辨率始终受限，无法对易损斑块进行早期精准识别，以及对支架放置策略进行全面的评估指导。


深圳先进院生物医学与健康工程研究所所长助理马腾研究员介绍，易损斑块是指易于形成血栓或可能迅速发展成病变的不稳定斑块，该系统在未来获批上市后，将成为首款超高清双频率血管内超声成像系统，也将是应用于人体最高工作频率的超声系统，对易损斑块特征的研究及早期识别，对临床评估心血管疾病风险及制定高危患者的治疗策略有重大意义。

“超声探头就好比具有透视功能的摄像头，我们原来单反相机或者手机长期只有一个摄像头，拍摄时焦点调节范围比较局限。这次我们不仅通过技术革新提升了主摄像头的清晰度，而且通过微型封装技术的突破，在同等的空间内增加了一枚新的摄像头，类似于特写及聚焦镜头，在临床诊疗中对于病灶既能看得更全面，还能看得更精准”。马腾介绍。

Ceremic aerogel created by Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) is 10 times stronger and 10 times more than other ceremic aerogels while maintaining good thermal stability in wide temporature range and good thermal insulation performance with low thermal conductivity.

Paper:

Strong yet flexible ceramic aerogel​

Abstract​

Ceramic aerogels are highly efficient, lightweight, and chemically stable thermal insulation materials but their application is hindered by their brittleness and low strength. Flexible nanostructure-assembled compressible aerogels have been developed to overcome the brittleness but they still show low strength, leading to insufficient load-bearing capacity. Here we designed and fabricated a laminated SiC-SiOx nanowire aerogel that exhibits reversible compressibility, recoverable buckling deformation, ductile tensile deformation, and simultaneous high strength of up to an order of magnitude larger than other ceramic aerogels. The aerogel also shows good thermal stability ranging from −196 °C in liquid nitrogen to above 1200 °C in butane blow torch, and good thermal insulation performance with a thermal conductivity of 39.3 ± 0.4 mW m−1 K−1. These integrated properties make the aerogel a promising candidate for mechanically robust and highly efficient flexible thermal insulation materials.

News story:

西安交大在陶瓷气凝胶研究方面取得新进展

陶瓷气凝胶具有轻质、化学稳定和超级隔热等优点，但其应用受到脆性和低强度的限制。为了提高其使用性能，近年来，国内外研究人员相继开发了一系列由柔性陶瓷纳米结构构筑而成的弹性陶瓷气凝胶。该气凝胶克服了传统陶瓷气凝胶的脆性，实现了压缩回弹，但其强度偏低，导致承载能力不足。提高密度是提高气凝胶强度的有效方法，但密度的提高又会引起材料变形能力和隔热性能的降低。因此，陶瓷气凝胶的强度、变形和隔热性能之间存在着复杂的相互关联。

西安交大王红洁教授课题组基于前期在弹性陶瓷气凝胶变形和隔热机理方面的相关研究，从结构设计的角度，提出并制备了一种由碳化硅基陶瓷纳米线构筑的层状陶瓷气凝胶。该设计既可以提高纳米线在气凝胶变形过程中的变形抗力，又保持了纳米线在变形中的柔性和可变形能力，实现高强度和高柔性；同时还可以引导热流定向传输，保证其良好的隔热性能。所获得的层状SiC-SiOx纳米线气凝胶，除具有可回复的压缩性能、弹塑性拉伸变形，以及弯曲变形能力外，与其它弹性陶瓷气凝胶相比，其强度和模量增幅最高可达10倍以上，是一种柔而强的陶瓷气凝胶。此外，该气凝胶在较宽的温度范围内（-196到1200°C以上）还表现出良好的热稳定性，以及较低的热导率。

CAS developed a "high throughput" strategy for "rapid evaluation of fatigue reliability of structrual engineering materials". It allows to obtain fatigue limits of materials within a week, a quarter of the traditional methods.

Paper:

Abstract​

A high-throughput strategy using miniature specimens to evaluate the ASTM-defined fatigue endurance limits of some engineering materials through a high-throughput symmetry bending fatigue testing system is proposed. Employing such a high-throughput testing method for examining some typical engineering materials, we reveal that the fatigue limits obtained by the traditional testing standard can be directly determined by the high-throughput method-obtained fatigue limit multiplied by a suitable conversion factor. Such a high-throughput method was validated theoretically by the proposed crack initiation model and experimentally by the F316 stainless steel specimens subjected to different aging treatments and Gamma-ray irradiation.

News story:

近期，中国科学院金属研究所沈阳材料科学国家研究中心研究员张广平团队与东北大学教授张滨团队合作，为在役工程构件疲劳可靠性“体检”提供了新思路。相关研究成果日前发表于《国际疲劳杂志》。

疲劳失效是工程构件长期可靠服役面临的重要问题。传统方法评价材料疲劳可靠性耗时又耗材。如何建立高通量，即一次性对多个样本进行检测的疲劳测试方法与表征技术，实现低成本、快速评估，是一个待解决的关键问题。

为此，张广平等人对核电、高铁、汽车等领域用的几种典型工程材料进行高通量疲劳测试，建立了材料疲劳性能的高通量测试技术和方法。该技术既可模拟标准规定的疲劳极限升降法快速获得材料的疲劳极限，也可一次性获得应力幅或应变幅与疲劳寿命之间的曲线，并在一周内快速获得材料的疲劳数据，耗时仅为传统方法的1/4。

在此基础上，科研团队建立了该测试技术所获得的材料疲劳极限与标准试样疲劳极限间转换因子的理论预测模型，验证了该方法在工程实际中的适用性，为先进材料的疲劳性能快速评价提供了新策略。

面向具体应用领域，该高通量疲劳性能测试系统、技术与原理的建立不仅为核电等在役关键工程构件疲劳性能测试提供了一种低成本、高效快速的新方法，而且为微小区域的本征疲劳性能评价提供了有效策略。