Grain boundaries in noble metal catalysts have been identified as critical sites for enhancing catalytic activity in electrochemical reactions such as the oxygen reduction reaction. However, conventional methods to modify grain boundary density often alter particle size, shape, and morphology, obscuring the specific role of grain boundaries in catalytic performance. This study addresses these challenges by employing gold nanoparticle assemblies to control grain boundary density through the manipulation of nanoparticle collision frequency during synthesis. We demonstrate a direct correlation between increased grain boundary density and enhanced two-electron oxygen reduction reaction activity, achieving a significant improvement in both specific and mass activity. Additionally, the gold nanoparticle assemblies with high grain boundary density exhibit remarkable electrochemical stability, attributed to boron segregation at the grain boundaries, which prevents structural degradation. This work provides a promising strategy for optimizing the activity, selectivity, and stability of noble metal catalysts through precise grain boundary engineering.

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The increasing demand for short-range passenger air transport and the strong push for aircraft with electric propulsion has renewed research interest in propellers. Despite the unmatched aerodynamic efficiency of propellers, their relatively high noise emissions limit widespread application on aircraft. Previous research has not systematically addressed the tradeoff between aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance. This paper presents the results of an optimization study aimed at minimizing propeller noise without compromising aerodynamic efficiency. In the optimization, a blade-element-momentum-theory (BEMT) model is utilized which accounts for the effects of blade sweep on the blade loading. This BEMT model is coupled to a frequency-domain code for tonal noise prediction. A novel scaling approach is presented to directly relate the propeller noise emissions to the propeller thrust. Dedicated wind-tunnel experiments were performed to validate the analysis models. Good agreement between numerical and experimental results is obtained at low to moderate blade loading conditions. The optimization study shows that the blade sweep is an important design parameter to simultaneously maximize aerodynamic and acoustic performance. Compared to a modern baseline design, a noise reduction of 2.9 dB is achieved without reduction in propeller efficiency.@en