There have been some studies on the microscopic properties of ester-functionalized ionic liquids (ILs), but the microscopic properties of their mixtures with co-solvents have seldom been reported. In practical applications, ILs are usually used together with co-solvents. Therefore, it is very important to study the microstructure of ester-functionalized ILs and co-solvents. In this work, the hydrogen bonding interactions between ester-functionalized IL 1-acetoxyethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (AOEMIMBF₄) and DMSO were studied using spectroscopic methods and quantum chemical calculations. Non-functionalized IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIMBF₄) and DMSO were used for comparison. The results indicate that (1) by adding DMSO, the hydrogen bonding interactions of ν(C2–H) were enhanced, and DMSO could form hydrogen bonds with anions and cations simultaneously. (2) The incorporation of an ester group could enhance the hydrogen bonding interactions. (3) Both the stretching vibration of C2–H and CO indicated changes in the microscopic structure: AOEMIMBF₄ ion clusters first interacted with DMSO, then broke into AOEMIMBF₄–DMSO complexes and finally existed as [AOEMIM]⁺/[BF₄]⁻–DMSO complexes.

Thermal functional Materials have wide applications in thermal management fields, and inserting highly thermal conductive materials is effective in enhancing thermal conductivity of matrix. In this paper, copper nanoparticles were selected as the additive to prepare polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) based nanocomposite with enhanced thermal properties. Uniform copper nanoparticles with pure face-centered lattice were prepared by liquid phase reduction method. Then, they were added into PMMA/N, N-Dimethylmethanamide (DMF) solution according to the different mass fraction for uniform dispersion. After DMF was evaporated, Cu-PMMA nanocomposites were gained. The thermal analysis measurement results showed that the decomposition temperature of nanocomposites decreased gradually with the increasing particle loadings. The thermal conductivity of the Cu-PMMA nanocomposites rose with the increasing contents of copper nanoparticles. With a 20 vol.% addition, the thermal conductivity was up to 1.2 W/m· K, a 380.5% increase compared to the pure PMMA. The results demonstrate that copper nanoparticles have great potential in enhancing thermal transport properties of polymer.

Change management is an essential component of an engineering–procurement–construction (EPC) project, which is the process of gathering data on change orders, examining the information in change reports, revising related drawings and updating cost data resulting from changes. Nevertheless, the current information system for change management is primarily centralised, relying on external parties, opaque in its information, lacking trustworthiness and prone to data loss. To overcome these challenges, this paper proposes a blockchain-based information-management system for managing change information in EPC general contracting projects. A blockchain is used to automate the review processes for changes, ensuring transparency, decentralisation and resistance to tampering. This proposed framework addresses the security, transparency, tamper resistance and reliability shortcomings of conventional methods by harnessing the inherent advantages of blockchains, smart contracts, decentralised InterPlanetary File System storage and building information modelling integration. Subsequently, by utilising the Hyperledger Fabric platform, an information-management system was developed to store and manage data about modifications. The proposed system was validated using actual change data from EPC general contracting projects, which demonstrated the efficacy of blockchain technology in ensuring the security and authenticity of change data. This advancement enhances the security of change data and augments the efficiency of change-management practices in EPC projects.

This study proposes a novel framework integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with real-time crowd analytics from Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) for quantitative walkability assessment. The framework extends open data standards (IFC and CityGML) to model infrastructural and pedestrian flow attributes comprehensively. A walkability scoring mechanism quantifies route quality based on accessibility, efficiency, and physical comfort, differentiating among pedestrian groups, such as individuals sensitive to weather conditions or carrying belongings. Implemented at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), results indicate that the framework effectively captures variations in walkability scores due to directional differences (uphill vs. downhill), crowd conditions, and operational constraints like facility closures. Statistical tests confirm significant differences in walking costs across these scenarios with variations of up to 30%, demonstrating the framework’s robustness and practical utility for real-time, human-centric urban infrastructure planning.

The presented research conducted a bibliometric analysis regarding academic publications, especially journal publications, in the area of urban underground infrastructure (UI) systems (which include sewer pipes, drinking water pipes, cables, tunnels, etc.). In total, 547 journal papers published from 2002 to July 2022 (around 20 years period) were retrieved from Scopus using the proposed data collection method. Bibliometric analysis was conducted to extract and map the hidden information from retrieved papers. As a result, networks regarding co-citation, co-authorship, and keywords co-occurrence were generated to visualise and analyse the knowledge domain, patterns, and relationships. The eight most investigated topics in the UI research are identified and discussed, which provides an overview of the research history and focuses. Further, five potential research directions are suggested for researchers in the UI research area. The main contribution of this research is on revealing the knowledge domain of UI research in a quantitative manner as well as identifying the possible research directions.