Thermal decomposition of some ruthenium carbonyl hydrides

The thermal stability of α-H₄Ru₄(CO)₁₂, H₄Ru₄(CO)₁₀P₂, H₄Ru₄(CO)₉P₃, H₄Ru₄(CO)₈P₄ (where P=triphenylphosphine) has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and by thermogravimetric analysis under argon dynamic atmosphere.The TG curves of the triphenylphosphine substituted derivatives of α-H₄Ru₄(CO)₁₂ suggest the release of the carbonyl and of the phenyl groups through a not well-defined pattern and overlapping decomposition reactions up to the retention of phosphorus in the residue, while α-H₄Ru₄(CO)₁₂ decomposes to metallic ruthenium. The decomposition heat of α-H₄Ru₄(CO)₁₂ and the isomerization heat of H₄Ru₄(CO)₈P₄ have been evaluated.     

Polyimide and SU-8 microfluidic devices manufactured by heat-depolymerizable sacrificial material technique

The following paper describes a sacrificial layer method for the manufacturing of microfluidic devices in polyimide and SU-8. The technique uses heat-depolymerizable polycarbonates embedded in polyimide or SU-8 for the generation of microchannels and sealed cavities. The volatile decomposition products originating from thermolysis of the sacrificial material escape out of the embedding material by diffusion through the cover layer. The fabrication process was studied experimentally and theoretically with a focus on the decomposition of the sacrificial materials and their diffusion through the polyimide or SU-8 cover layer. It is demonstrated that the sacrificial material removal process is independent of the actual channel geometry and advances linearly with time unlike conventional sacrificial layer techniques. The fabrication method provides a versatile and fast technique for the manufacturing of microfluidic devices for applications in the field of microTAS and Lab-on-a-Chip.     

Characterization of methylated nanoscale MCM-41 material

In this study, nanoscale MCM-41 molecular sieve was prepared under a basic condition by a hydrothermal method using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a template and tetraethyl orthosilicate as a silica source. Methylated nanoscale MCM-41 molecular sieve was prepared from the nanoscale MCM-41 by post-synthesis method using trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) as coupling agent. The product was characterized by means of element analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption technique at 77 K, scanning electron microscopic (SEM), thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA). Powder XRD showed that the framework of the molecular sieve was well retained and the degree of ordering of the methylated MCM-41 decreases. IR spectra and the low-temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption technique suggested that methyl was successfully grafted to the inner surface of the methylated MCM-41 and the mesoporous channels of the methylated MCM-41 were still maintained. Scanning electron microscopic results showed that the average size of the methylated MCM-41 prepared was 112 nm. Differential thermal analysis showed that the prepared material has preferable thermal stability and the methylated MCM-41 can be stable at 903 °C.     

A solution-processed nanoscale COF-like material towards optoelectronic applications

Two-dimensional(2 D)covalent organic frameworks(COFs)with periodic functionalπ-electron systems are an emerging class of optoelectronic materials.However,almost all conjugated COFs so far are insoluble and hard to process,which hampers severely their optoelectronic applications.Here,a solution-processable,nanoscale and sp2 carbon-conjugated COF-like material,PDPP-C20 was successfully designed and synthesized.The solution-processed PDPP-C20 films exhibit high crystallinity and excellent charge transport properties along out-of-plane directions,combined with the highest occupied molecular orbital(HOMO)/lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(LUMO)levels of-5.36/-3.75 e V,making PDPP-C20 suitable for electronic device applications.An efficiency as high as 21.92%has been demonstrated when it was used as a functional interfacial layer in perovskite solar cells,coupled with dramatically improved stability in comparison with the control device due to the superior hydrophobicity of PDPP-C20 layer as well as its passivation effect on perovskite surface.Furthermore,the soluble PDPP-C20 could also be used as donor in bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells and an initial efficiency of 2.46%has been achieved.These results indicate that this new class of soluble and nanoscale COF-like materials should offer a new arena of functional materials for optoelectronic devices.     

Electrocatalysis by Polyoxometalate-Protected Gold Nanoparticles

Electrocatalysis by polyoxometalate (POM)-monolayer protected gold nanoparticles is herein demonstrated using a newly discovered phenomenon that makes it possible to observe the electrochemistry of dilute aqueous solutions of these colloidal nanostructures. To preserve the integrity of the gold nanoparticles’ electrostatically-stabilized POM-monolayer structures, deposition and drying of the POM-protected metal(0) NPs on the electrode surface must be avoided. Overcoming this constraint, we here show that POM-monolayer protected gold nanoparticles can be induced to reversibly associate with electrode surfaces, resulting in dramatic current amplification and well behaved, quasi-reversible cyclic voltammetric behavior at remarkably small electrolyte concentrations, thus making it possible to investigate electrocatalysis by dilute aqueous solutions of POM-protected gold NPs.     

Formation of low molecular weight carbonyl compounds by sensitized photochemical decomposition of aliphatic hydrocarbons in seawater

Summary Anthraquinone has been found to be a compound occuring frequently in seawater. Excited by solar radiation it acts as one of many natural and man-made photosensitizers and can thus be used as a model substance for the study of sensitized photochemical reactions of environmental chemicals. Experimentally it has been shown to mediate the oxidative photochemical decomposition of aliphatic hydrocarbons which, lacking absorption bands in the solar UV range at sea level, are by themselves photochemically inert. Formaldehyde, smaller amounts of acetaldehyde and acetone as well as a still unidentified carbonyl compound are the principal low molecular weight products generated in the anthraquinone-sensitized photooxidation, with natural as well as artificial sunlight, of straight chain saturated hydrocarbons accommodated in high purity water. Qualitatively the same results were obtained in natural seawater as reaction medium from which particles were removed by glass fiber filtration and organic compounds by adsorption on activated charcoal. The concomittant generation of homologous series of methylketones and terminal alkenes suggest a decomposition mechanism involving cyclic electron rearrangement in a 6-membered transition state. Based on HPLC analysis of their 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones, the rates of volatile carbonyl generation in the sensitized photo-oxidation of n-tetradecane was determined in the liquid phase. Also determined was the rate of formaldehyde formation in the gas phase from n-tetradecane and from two Brazilian crude oils. The rates of generation of acetaldehyde and acetone could not be determined in the experiments with crude oils because of irregular changes of concentrations with time. The rate of concentration increase of formaldehyde in the vapour phase over the hydrocarbon surface film was similar to that in the water underneath. The artifical light source was a high pressure xenon lamp whose emission spectrum closely resembles that of natural sunlight at sea level. It was calibrated against the intensity of natural sunlight using pnitroacetophenone/pyridine as binary chemical actinometer.     

可反应性纳米二氧化硅填充聚氯乙烯树脂在空气中的热分解行为

利用热重分析和差热重量分析(TG/DTG)技术研究了可反应性纳米二氧化硅填充聚氯乙烯(PVC/n-SiO2)树脂在空气气氛中的热分解行为,利用Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW)方程和Friedman方程对其热分解进行了动力学分析.结果表明,可反应性纳米SiO2对PVC树脂热分解的第一阶段影响比较明显,当纳米S...     

Promotion of sulfidized W/Al2O3 systems by the decomposition of chemisorbed nickel carbonyl

The state of tungsten in sulfidized samples of W/Al₂O₃ with various tungsten contents was studied by x-ray photolectron spectroscopy (XPS) and IR spectroscopy. It was shown that both tungsten in the composition of a WS₂-like structure and tungsten in a state with the highest valence +VI are present simultaneously on the surface of the support. The fraction of WS₂ depends on the tungsten content. It was then shown that nickel carbonyl is chemisorbed mainly on the tungsten disulfide. In this way a high degree of promotion is obtained in the deposited tungsten disulfide. The small promoting effect (low specific activity calculated per gram-atom of metal) for the samples with a low tungsten content is explained by the decrease in the fraction of WS₂ and of the active nickel associated with it.N. D. Zelinskii Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117913 Moscow. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1282–1286, June, 1992.     

Electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction by lanthanum-strontium manganate

The electrocatalysis of the oxygen reduction reaction by lanthanum-strontium manganate La_0.5Sr_0.5MnO₃ (LSM) has been studied by cyclic voltammetry using the rotating ring-disc electrode technique (RRDE) in alkaline medium. From the ring-disc data and other kinetic parameters it was concluded that the oxygen reduction occurs by dissociative chemisorption at low overpotentials. At higher overpotentials, the formation of hydrogen peroxide (HO₂⁻ in this case) on the electrocatalyst has been observed. The apparent exchange current density for oxygen reduction on LSM has been found to be 2 × 10⁻⁷ A cm⁻², while the corresponding Tafel slope is 0.100 V per decade. The possible reaction mechanism for electroreduction of oxygen on this oxide catalyst has been discussed. Published in Russian in Elektrokhimiya, 2008, Vol. 44, No. 7, pp. 919–923. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Recent Progress on Two-dimensional Electrocatalysis

Due to their unique electronic and structural properties triggered by high atomic utilization and easy surface modification, two-dimensional(2D) materials have prodigious potential in electrocatalysis for energy conversion technology in recent years. In this review, we discuss the recent progress on two-dimensional nanomaterials for electrocatalysis. Five categories including metals, transition metal compounds, non-metal, metal-organic framework and other emerging 2D nanomaterials are successively introduced. Finally, the challenges and future development directions of 2D materials for electrocatalysis are also prospected. We hope this review may be helpful for guiding the design and application of 2D nanomaterials in energy conversion technologies.     

Electrocatalysis of redox reactions by metal nanoparticles on graphite electrodes

A selection of graphitic materials of both scientific as well as commercial importance has been modified by deposition of various metals at very low coverages under overpotential or underpotential conditions. Nanoparticles were found with some metals. The changes in the electrocatalytic activity of the supporting electrode by the metal modification were studied using electrochemical impedance measurements of a fast redox system. The carbon/solution interface was characterized with surface Raman spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance measurements, and cyclic voltammetry. Electronic Publication     

Adenosine Triphosphate Sensing by Electrocatalysis with DNAzyme

Electrocatalysis of redox enzymes shows wide application for biosensing. DNAzymes exhibiting specific catalytic activities have aroused great interest recently. However, there are few studies on the electrocatalysis between DNAzyme and electron mediator. In this paper, based on the electrocatalysis of methylene blue (MB) and horseradish peroxidase mimicking DNAzyme (HRP‐DNAzyme), an amplified electrochemical biosensor for the detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was designed. In the present system, by means of the ATP‐aptamer interaction, two guanine‐rich DNA sequences, one of which was labeled with MB at the 5′ end, were assembled on the gold electrode. In the presence of K⁺ and hemin, the guanine‐rich DNA sequences transferred to HRP‐DNAzyme. The conformational change of the structure resulted in the approaching of MB and HRP‐DNAzyme which made the electrocatalytic process between MB and HRP‐DNAzyme possible. We used cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to study the electrocatalytic process. The system was therefore utilized for amplified detection of ATP without imposing any new constraints to the platform which showed satisfactory result.     

Electrocatalysis on enzyme-modified carbon materials

Electrocatalytic systems of the conversion of organic and inorganic compounds on carbonaceous materials modified by redox and hydrolytic enzymes are studied. Special attention is given to the activation methods of carbon materials, the means of covalent attachment of the enzymes to the electrode surface, and the macrokinetic behaviour of the electrocatalytic systems.     

Preface to Special Column on Electrocatalysis

Energy is the most important problem that we are facing.The limited fossil fuel reserves and the air pollution caused by the consuming of fossil fuels force the governments,industries and academia to look for renewable energies and their conversion-storage devices.Some novel concepts based on the electrochemical reactions have been considered as promising solutions to help solve energy problems and improve the quality of our lives.Electrocatalysis plays a critical role in the advanced electrochemical energy systems such as fuell cells,metal-air batteries,and electrolyzers.     

Synthesis of MnP nanocrystals by treatment of metal carbonyl complexes with phosphines: a new, versatile route to nanoscale transition metal phosphides

The reaction of Mn2(CO)10 with P(SiMe3)3 in coordinating solvents at T >/= 220 degrees C yields low polydispersity, highly crystalline MnP nanoparticles for the first time. The effect of dimensional limiting has resulted in the stabilization of a ferromagnetic ground state at low temperatures, rather than the metamagnetic state observed in bulk (microcrystalline) MnP. The synthetic methodology reported here is demonstrated to be general for a number of different metals and phosphine sources.     

Polymerization photosensitized by carbonyl compounds

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate and styrene photosensitized by acetone, aldehydes, ethyl pyruvate, 2,3-butanedione, and 2,3-pentanedione has been investigated and the effect of several additives (carbon tetrachloride, cumene, diethyl amine, triethyl amine, 2-pentanol, and tetrahydrofuran) on initiation efficiency has been evaluated. The initiation efficiency of a given system depends on several factors, the most important of which are the relative rates of quenching by the monomers and the additives and type of product obtained.     

Electrocatalysis by foreign metal monolayers: Oxidation of formic acid on platinum

It was demonstrated that some foreign metal monolayers formed by underpotential deposition have pronounced catalytic effects on the oxidation of formic acid on platinum. The explanation of these effects was sought within the framewor of existing data on the formic acid oxidation and the underpotential deposition. It was found that the catalytic effect of foreign metal monolayers originates in the decrease of hydrogen adsorption thus preventing the formation of the main poisoning species COH. At the same time these experiments confirm the previously postulated mechanism of formation of the poisoning species involving adsorbed hydrogen.