CPC Corporation (Chinese: 台灣中油; pinyin: Táiwān Zhōngyóu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-oân Tiong-iû; lit. 'Taiwan Chinese Petroleum') is a state-owned petroleum, natural gas, and gasoline company in Taiwan and is the core of the Taiwanese petrochemicals industry.
The objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of hydrocarbon-bearing zones within the 3D seismic data of the deep-water area offshore SW Taiwan. We identified and evaluated regions with exploration potential by seismic attribute and seismic facies analysis. Two research areas, N area and S area, focused on Upper Miocene and Upper Pliocene formations are selected based on seismic interpretation and sequence analysis results. The assessment result reveals that major elongated sand bodies are distributed in the Upper Miocene of the N area, whereas smaller sand bodies are scattered in the others. The elongated sand bodies indicate channel complexes and the distribution of sand bodies shows that sedimentary environments changed in the Late Miocene and Late Pliocene. The analysis results indicate the Upper Miocene formation in the N area should have high exploration potential.
Background The scleractinian coral, Polycyathus chaishanensis , first discovered in the Chaishan region of southern Taiwan, is an endangered species covered by the Taiwan Wildlife Protection Act (2017). At present, its population continues to decline due to environmental pressures. To develop and implement effective conservation strategies, better understanding of the distribution of this species is essential. However, because of its low population density, P. chaishanensis has been difficult to locate using conventional field surveys. In this study, we conducted an environmental DNA metabarcoding (eDNA-M) survey for scleractinian corals to infer the distribution of P. chaishanensis in Taiwan. Surface seawater was collected at 35 coastal sites along the main island of Taiwan and surrounding offshore islands. Coral eDNA were detected by PCR amplification of mitochondrial 12S rDNA fragments followed by amplicon sequencing. Results An eDNA-based database of scleractinian corals at 35 coastal sites in Taiwan was developed. eDNA signals matching P. chaishanensis mitochondrial sequences were detected at 13 sites, including several locations with previous records of this species. Notably, putative P. chaishanensis -derived eDNA signals were also detected at multiple sites where the species had not been previously reported, suggesting a broader potential distribution than currently recognized. Conclusions Although direct field verification at these suggested sites will be required in the future, our results demonstrate that eDNA-M is a viable approach for estimating distributions of rare and endangered corals. By enabling more targeted ecological surveys, this method is expected to support development of effective conservation and protection measures for P. chaishanensis .
Industrial biocatalytic applications are frequently constrained by poor recombinant enzyme solubility and limited functional recovery in conventional microbial expression systems. To address this challenge, we developed a baculovirus–insect cell whole-cell biocatalysis platform and evaluated its feasibility using N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuNAc) biosynthesis as a model system. Comparative analysis of three heterologous expression hosts—Escherichia coli, Pichia pastoris, and baculovirus-infected insect cells—showed that, under the baseline expression conditions evaluated in this study, insect cells provided higher soluble enzyme recovery and process-level bioconversion performance for GlcNAc 2-epimerase (2ep) and NeuNAc aldolase (NanA). Using baculovirus-infected Sf9 cells, both purified-enzyme and whole-cell configurations were established for sequential and one-pot biocatalysis. The whole-cell system enabled direct conversion without protein purification and achieved approximately 23
Abstract To achieve high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries, the development of high-voltage cathode materials remains a critical challenge. Although LiNixMn2-xO4 (LNMO) exhibits an intrinsically high operating voltage, its practical application is hindered by structural instability and interfacial degradation. In this study, core–shell LNMO cathodes with tunable Ni/Mn distributions were designed to regulate structural and electronic properties and enhance electrochemical performance. Three configurations (AC, AB, and BA) were synthesized and systematically investigated. Among them, the LNMO-AC sample exhibits a highly disordered spinel structure with a uniform nanoscale shell and reduced particle aggregation. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis reveals composition-dependent variations in Mn valence states, while electron magnetic resonance (EMR) and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements suggest distinct magnetic responses associated with local structural heterogeneity and defect-induced interactions. Operando X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical measurements indicate that lithium intercalation in LNMO-AC tends to follow a more continuous, solid-solution-like reaction behavior compared to the pristine sample, which contributes to improved structural stability during cycling. The enhanced electrochemical performance is attributed to the synergistic effect of a disordered core facilitating lithium transport and a structurally stable shell suppressing interfacial degradation. These findings highlight the interplay between cation disorder, magnetic behavior, and electrochemical functionality, providing insights into the rational design of high-voltage LNMO cathodes for advanced lithium-ion batteries.
Ni-rich Li(Ni,Co,Mn)O2 (NCM)-based lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) offer high capacity and energy density but suffer from significant thermal runaway risks, primarily associated with oxygen release from the cathode and subsequent reactions with the anode and electrolyte that can lead to combustion. Herein, we demonstrate a polymer-based surface-shielding strategy for graphite anodes by constructing a protective interphase designed to reduce the severity of thermal runaway. A nanometer-scale (∼2 nm) cross-linked lithium sulfonated chitosan (LiSCS) layer is employed as an artificial solid electrolyte interphase (A-SEI), leveraging its high lithium-ion conductivity and transference number, together with enhanced thermal robustness and low oxygen permeability. In addition to improving the cycling stability and rate capability of graphite anodes, differential scanning calorimetry analyses reveal that the LiSCS coating substantially reduces heat release associated with SEI decomposition and reactions involving lithiated graphite and oxygen released during LiNi0.83Co0.12Mn0.05O2 (NCM83) decomposition or present in the environment. Large-scale safety validation using 1 Ah NCM83∥graphite pouch cells further shows that LiSCS-coated cells exhibit no ignition during nail-penetration tests, in contrast to the violent combustion observed in cells with bare graphite anodes. We propose a surface-shielding effect of the LiSCS coating to mitigate oxygen-assisted exothermic reactions at the anode interface, thereby reducing the progression toward catastrophic thermal runaway. This straightforward and scalable polymer surface-shielding strategy provides a practical pathway toward safer, high-energy-density LIBs.
