News & Events

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!   We wish you peace, joy and prosperity throughout the coming year.   Thank you for your continued support and partnership.   As this year draws to a close, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for the trust you've placed in us and your invaluable collaboration. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Holiday Season, and we eagerly look forward to engaging in exciting new projects together in the upcoming year of 2024.

Energy storage is considered to be the last step in the development of new energy, and is the key to whether new energy can play a major role and whether it can realize the goal of "carbon neutrality". As a new type of energy storage technology, supercapacitors, with high power density, low temperature, long cycle life, wide operating temperature range, and other characteristics, can be widely used in new energy vehicles, wind power, photovoltaic power generation, as well as consumer electronics, has attracted much attention in recent years. To further improve the performance of supercapacitors, in addition to the existing technology, but also to consider the development of new technologies and new materials, the Shandong Advanced Electromagnetic Drive Technology Research Institute of Researchers Sun has deep and extensive research on this.     To meet the demand for research on various types of energy storage materials, the group of researcher Sun introduced in October 2021 a tungsten filament scanning electron microscope (SEM) independently developed by CIQTEK. It is understood that scanning electron microscopy is an important research tool in materials science, which is mainly applied in the study of material structure, morphology, composition, properties, and failure analysis. At present, the materials tested by the Institute using the CIQTEK SEM include activated carbon, metal oxides, soft carbon, hard carbon, and other electrode materials. At the same time, the group also uses SEM to analyze the causes of failure of supercapacitors and battery monomers.   "The previous electron microscope required taking a picture with a cell phone to remember the sample location before selecting the sample. The scanning electron microscope of CIQTEK has an optical navigation function, which makes it very intuitive to find the sample after it is put in. Compared with past electron microscopes, the biggest feature of the scanning electron microscope of CIQTEK is the convenient operation and high degree of automation, all the operations can be completed through the mouse point and click, with no need to operate the mouse and knob, it is convenient to move the sample and select the sample, and it is very easy to get started." Talking about the experience of using CIQTEK SEM, researcher Sun gave this example.     This perfect automation function is suitable for students without too much experience and greatly optimizes the cost of personnel training. The good experience of using the scanning electron microscope makes researcher Sun look forward to the development of the CIQTEK scanning electron microscope.

Recently, CIQTEK Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope SEM5000 was delivered to the Major Platform Center of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences of China and officially put into use.   SEM5000 can provide morphological observation services: (1) For the observation of already dried tissue samples, you can directly book the use of the instrument reservation platform. (2) Fresh tissue samples that need to be dried and processed can be fixed with fixative and then sent to the platform for sample processing. (3) Notes on fixation of fresh tissue samples:   Samples are taken within 3 mm and fixed with glutaraldehyde (animal tissues) or FAA (plant tissues) fixative, a vacuum pump can be used to assist fixation to improve fixation efficiency. After fixation is completed, the sample is placed in a 2 ml centrifuge tube, replenished with fixative, and sent to the 115 electron microscopy room.     SEM5000 Performance Characteristics    SEM5000 is a field emission scanning electron microscope with high resolution and rich features. The advanced barrel design, high-voltage tunneling technology (SuperTunnel), and low aberration magnetic leakage-free objective lens design realize low-voltage high-resolution imaging, while magnetic samples can be applied. Optical navigation, perfect automatic functions, well-designed human-machine interaction, optimized operation, and use of the process, regardless of experience, can quickly get started to complete high-resolution shooting tasks.   1、 High-resolution, high-resolution imaging at a low accelerating voltage 2、Electromagnetic complex mirrors, reducing aberrations, significantly improving resolution at low voltages, and allowing observation of magnetic samples.3、High-voltage tunneling technology (SuperTunnel), the electrons in the tunnel can maintain high energy, reducing the space charge effect, and low voltage resolution is guaranteed. 4、The electron optical path has no cross, which effectively reduces the system aberration and improves the resolving power. 5、Water-cooled thermostatic objective lens to ensure the stability, reliability, and repeatability of the objective lens work. 6、Magnetic deflection six-aperture adjustable diaphragm, automatic switching of diaphragm aperture without mechanical adjustment, realizing rapid switching of high-resolution observation or large-beam analysis mode.   Test Sample Display      

       Recently, the group of Jiangfeng Du and Development Shi at the Key Laboratory of Microscopic Magnetic Resonance, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), together with Yuefeng Nie and Yurong Yang at Nanjing University, has made progress in the experimental study of scanning magnetic imaging of antiferromagnetic thin films by using diamond nitrogen-vacancy chromatography (NV chromatography for short) to perform in situ stress-tuned scanning imaging of self-supported films of antiferromagnetic BiFeO3. The research results were published as "Observation of uniaxial strain tuned spin cycloid in a freestanding BiFeO3 film" in Advanced Functional Materials [Adv. Funct. Mater. 2023, 2213725].            BiFeO3 (BFO) is an antiferromagnetic material with cycloidal order due to Dzyalonshinskii-Moriya interaction, and the mechanism of interaction between cycloidal order and stress within BFO is a major research focus in this field. Current studies have used epitaxial methods to regulate stress in BFO materials, which are difficult to modulate in situ and continuously. This makes it difficult to experimentally investigate some important issues in the magnetic-stress interaction, such as the change of magnetic order under arbitrary orientation stress and the evolution process near the phase transition of the magnetic order.          In this work, the researchers prepared a self-supported BFO film by a process of molecular beam epitaxy and soluble sacrificial layer, and performed scanning magnetic imaging of the film under stress modulation with a scanning NV microscope. The imaging results show that the cycloidal sequence twists about 12.6° at a strain of 1.5%. First principles calculations show that the experimentally observed inverse magnetic sequence twist has the lowest energy at the corresponding stress.     Figure 1. (a), (b) Real-space scanning magnetic imaging results of the BFO in the free state and at 1.5% strain. (c), (d) Fourier transform results of the scanned imaging data. (e) Statistical results of the angular distribution of the Fourier transform results in the free state and 1.5% strain state showing 12.6° of torsion.   This work is the first study of the magnetic order of BFO self-supported thin films, and the in situ modulation and high spatial resolution of the scanning imaging technique provide a new way of thinking for the study of magnetic-stress interactions. This result is valuable for the theoretical study of antiferromagnetic thin films and the application of new magnetic memory devices.     Fig. 2. The energy-pendulum line sequence period relationship curve calculated by the first nature principle. The calculated results for the pendulum line sequence direction parallel to the crystal direction are shown in blue curves, and the energy curves for the angles of 7°, 14°, ...

On May 31, "How to accurately measure pore size?" held by the Magnetic Resonance Laboratory of Tsinghua University Analysis Center. The lecture series was officially opened, and Xia Pan, General Manager of State Instrument Precision Measurement, shared the report of "Key points of accurate determination of material pore size and analysis of testing examples", and nearly 60 researchers in related fields attended and exchanged in-depth exchanges offline and online.   Off-line venue of the seminar          Prof. Yang Haijun pointed out that the pore structure of materials directly affects the performance of materials, and the precise measurement of material pore size is widely used in many disciplines and industries. The lecture series will focus on the theme of "How to accurately measure pores" and invite experts in related fields to continue to share different methods of pore analysis.      Prof. Yang Haijun, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University          Xia Pan from CIQTEK said in his report that the principle of low-temperature nitrogen adsorption for specific surface area and pore size analysis is a commonly used test method in the international arena, with mature theoretical support and perfect standard guidance. In the actual testing process, the testing requirements are different for different types of materials and different pore size ranges. Combining with a variety of gas adsorption analysis instruments independently developed by CIQTEK, he explained in his report the analysis and testing for different types of ultramicroporous, microporous and mesoporous. In particular, he shared in detail about the pore size analysis of ultra-microporous and microporous materials, which are increasingly widely used, from the selection of instruments to the setting of parameters in the testing process, the selection of models for test data analysis and the interpretation of test results, especially the pore size analysis of ultra-microporous materials with pore size less than 0.7 nm.     CIQTEK General Manager Xia Pan          Recently, the  EASY-V 1440, a high-performance microporous analyzer, was officially delivered to Tsinghua University Analysis Center. Xia Pan introduced that this instrument focuses on the surface characterization of microporous materials. Based on the stainless steel pipeline, the device has a breakthrough design of VCR metal surface sealed sample tube, which improves the overall sealing during the flow of gas pipeline and has the advantages of long time vacuum retention, ultra-low partial pressure ratio, constant temperature control and multiple fluxes. It can be widely used in environmental protection, fuel cell, pharmaceutical and catalytic industries, and is especially suitable for researchers who have higher requirements for microporous and ultra-microporous analysis. After the presentation, Mr. Yang and Mr. X...

We are pleased to announce that the CIQTEK EPR spectroscopy has contributed to over 100 high-level research publications! (The list is shown below in Section #2) Section 1. One of the Selected Results    Vanadium-Catalyzed Dinitrogen Reduction to Ammonia via a [V]═NNH2 Intermediate.Journal of the American Chemical Society (2023) Wenshuang Huang, Ling-Ya Peng, Jiayu Zhang, Chenrui Liu, Guoyong Song, Ji-Hu Su, Wei-Hai Fang, Ganglong Cui, and Shaowei Hu   Abstract The Earth's atmosphere is rich in N2 (78%), but the activation and conversion of nitrogen have been challenging due to its chemical inertness. The ammonia industry uses high-temperature and high-pressure conditions to convert N2 and H2 to NH3 on the surface of solid catalysts. Under ambient conditions, certain microorganisms can bind and convert N2 to NH3 via Fe(Mo/V)-based nitrogen fixation enzymes. Although great progress has been made in the structure and intermediates of nitrogen fixation enzymes, the nature of N2 binding to the active site and the detailed mechanism of N2 reduction remains uncertain. Various studies on the activation of N2 with transition metal complexes have been carried out to better understand the reaction mechanism and to develop catalysts for ammonia synthesis under mild conditions. However, the catalytic conversion of N2 to NH3 by transition metal complexes remains challenging. Despite the crucial role of vanadium in biological nitrogen fixation, few well-defined vanadium complexes can catalyze the conversion of N2 to NH3. In particular, the V(NxHy) intermediates obtained from the proton/electron transfer reactions of ligated N2 remain unknown. Herein, this paper reports the vanadium metal complex-catalyzed reduction of nitrogen to ammonia and the first isolation and characterization of a neutral hydrazide complex intermediate ([V]=NNH2) from a nitrogen-activated system, with the cyclic conversion process simulated by the reduction of the protonated vanadium amino complex ([V]-NH2) to obtain a dinitrogen compound and release of ammonia. These findings provide unprecedented insights into the mechanism of N2 reduction associated with FeV nitrogen-fixing enzymes by combining theoretical calculations to elucidate the possible conversion of nitrogen to ammonia via the distal pathway in this catalytic system.   The group of Prof. Dr. Shaowei Hu at Beijing Normal University is dedicated to the development of transition metal complexes for the activation of inert small molecules. Recently, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Ganglong Cui's group, we reported the reduction of nitrogen to ammonia catalyzed by vanadium metal complexes through a combination of theoretical calculations and experimental studies. The results of this study were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, and Wenshang Huang (M.S. student) and Lingya Peng (Ph. D. student) were the co-first authors of t...

On January 18, CIQTEK annual year-end party 2023 was successfully held. The main venue in Hefei and all the CIQTEK team in the five sub-venues across China reviewed the exciting 2022 and looked forward to the new 2023.         ↓ Watch the video to check the highlights of CIQTEK Annual Year-end Party 2023 ↓    Looking back on 2022, CIQTEK CEO Dr. Yu He presented a series of bright results and detailed case studies. He said, "Helping customers achieve value" is our reason for existence, and "helping peers achieve value" is our fundamental approach.   In 2022, CIQTEK released the Diamond Microscope, a precision measurement instrument, the SEM3300, which redefines the tungsten filament scanning electron microscope, and the new gas adsorption series, which leads the industry benchmark, and other high-end scientific instruments.   In 2022, CIQTEK's measurement and control products were delivered to over 500 customers, and the application center measured samples for customers more than 8,000 times. Meanwhile, It successfully held the first "Science and Technology Festival", "CIQTEK Forum" and other innovative activities.   In 2022, CIQTEK won the first batch of the National Innovation Base of Metrology Culture and Science Education, the first prize in the Science and Technology Progress Award of Anhui Province, and the first prize of the Postdoctoral Research Station of Anhui Province, and other 16 qualification awards.   In 2023, we will be fearless and going forward! In 2023, we will live up to every choice and bring good products, good service, and a good platform to every fellow traveler!    

On January 4, Wu Jinsong and other experts from Anhui Provincial Department of Science and Technology visited CIQTEK, and CIQTEK CEO Dr. Yu He welcomed them warmly.  Dr. Yu He introduced the company to the visiting experts at the CIQTEK exhibition hall   In the CIQTEK exhibition hall, Dr. Yu He introduced the development of the company and its self-developed core instruments and equipment such as the Scanning NV Microscope (SNVM), atomic magnetometer, scanning electron microscope, electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer, and measurement control series products, specific surface and pore size analyzer.   In the subsequent symposium, Dr. He Yu listed the latest progress of some of CIQTEK's major research projects and made suggestions for the development of technology scientific instruments, scenario applications, and talent needs.   The expert delegation of the provincial science and technology department expressed recognition of CIQTEK's achievements and also said that the provincial science and technology department will focus on the concerns of enterprises, keep an eye on their needs, do a good job of service work, and provide strong support for the prosperous development of industry in Anhui Province.   High-end scientific instruments are the cornerstone of science and technology innovation and the first station for the transformation of scientific research results. CIQTEK will adhere to the original intention, continue to make efforts in the key core technology, continuously improve the development and application of high-end scientific instruments, and contribute to the technology development.