Studies with model membranes. X. Evaluation of the thermodynamically effective fixed charge density and permselectivity of mercuric and cupric iodide parchment-supported membranes

Thermodynamically effective fixed charge densities of mercuric and cupric iodide parchment supported membranes were estimated by methods of Teorell, Meyer, and Sievers; Altug and Hair; and the most recent one of Kobatake and co-workers based on the thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The two limiting forms of Kobatake's equation for dilute and concentrated ranges gave identical values of charge densities. It is interesting to note that these two values of limiting cases are closer to the Teorell-Meyer-Sievers and Altug-Hair values. The theoretical predictions for membrane potential by the Kobatake equation were borne out quite satisfactorily by experimental results obtained with both the membranes.     

The rectified second law of thermodynamics

Equilibrium thermodynamics is combined with Jarzynski's irreversible work theorem to quantify the excess entropy produced by irreversible processes. The resulting rectified form of the second law parallels the first law, in the sense that it facilitates the experimental measurement of excess entropy changes resulting from irreversible work and heat exchanges, just as the first law quantifies energy changes produced by either reversible or irreversible work and heat exchanges. The general form of the rectified second law is further applied to a broad class of quasi-static irreverisble (QSI) processes, for which all of the thermodynamic functions of both the system and surroundings remain continuously well-defined, thus facilitating excess entropy measurements by integrating exact differential functions along QSI paths. The results are illustrated by calculating the mechanical and thermal excess entropy produced by the irreversible unfolding of an RNA molecule.     

Relaxation of surfactants adsorption layers at liquid interfaces

The relaxation behaviour of surfactant layers provides a deep insight into the composition and structure of adsorbed layers at liquid interfaces. The development of professional experimental tools created a helpful basis for an increasing interest in these studies. In addition, the theoretical basis has been improved in many aspects such that for several surfactant systems a quantitative understanding is already possible. In particular the consideration of the changes in molar area of adsorbed molecules, introduced into the thermodynamics of adsorbed layers first by Fainerman in 1995, due to changes in the surface coverage allowed a considerably better, in many cases even quantitative understanding of the surface relaxation. Another important additional property, introduced into the thermodynamics and consequently also into the mechanisms of relaxation processes in interfacial layers, is the two-dimensional compressibility, important for the response to deformations of rather packed interfacial layers. The experimentally observed negative dilational viscosity is discussed only briefly and considered essentially in terms of experimental and theoretical shortcomings. The relaxation behaviour of nano- and microparticles, in literature often addressed is compounds able to act “instead of surfactants” are also addressed and some peculiarities discussed, while the obvious interrelation between the dilational rheology and stability of foams and emulsions is not analysed in detail.     

Universality and individuality as complementary factors to optimize and reproduce cell populations

Irreversible thermodynamics allows us to formulate the law of mass action for a large number of reactions running off in open systems. By applying it to cell populations, these ensembles are supposed to be installed by defined increments. Stationary ensembles are then predicted to be optimized in the sense of thermodynamics of irreversible processes. General relations for describing the cell size distribution or the intracellular length distribution of proteins are deduced. During cell growth and multiplication, the cell size distributions change systematically in the course of time; yet, they are all reproduced by only adjusting the standard energy. This phenomenon is considered to originate with process-dependent constraints according to irreversible thermodynamics characterized by hidden variables. In agreement with the theoretical demands, all the different realizations belong to the same universal cell size distribution. Moreover, the universal stationary cell size distribution is classified by a single parameter, p. It is then of great importance that the stationary size distributions of cells of bacteria, yeast and human melanocytes all belong to the p=3 type, irrespective of the external conditions and of the individual chemical structure of the constituents. Universality also classifies the intracellular length distribution of proteins. The results discussed are enough to uncover as to how the genetically perfect production of the individual constituents and the thermodynamic optimization of the whole cell population are logistically coordinated.     

关于热力学自发过程及其判据的讨论

文章指出现有各种自发过程的判据都是在指定的约束条件下才能应用,缺乏普适性是自发过程定义多样化的引发原因。在无约束条件下将热力学第一定律代入总熵判据得出并分析讨论了总熵判据的另一种形式,结合自发过程的特点总结出了热力学变化过程中能量变化的本质,给出了自发过程的通用定义。进一步指出原总熵判据只能分辨可逆与不可逆,不能分辨自发与非自发。文章给出的总熵判据的另一种形式——封闭系统任意过程的做功能力判据具有分辨自发与非自发的能力。通过理论研讨和实际应用表明,做功能力判据与总熵判据完全等价,在相应约束条件下可还原为当前热力学中各类方向判据。填补了常见的变温过程和变压过程在以前的教科书中无自发和非自发判据的空白。以前教科书中由于自发过程定义和解释的混乱而出现的一些疑难问题,在通用定义和做功能力判据面前都能得到满意的解答。     

Theoretical methods in thermodynamics of condensed phases

Theoretical possibilities of determining energetic and thermodynamic characteristics of chemical entities in gaseous and condensed (solid and liquid) phases are briefly reviewed. The considerations include quantum chemistry methods which enable evaluation of energetic quantities and statistical thermodynamics dependencies necessary for determining other thermodynamic characteristics. The possible applications of these methods are also discussed in brief.     

Transport phenomena in membranes

The realization that many elementary biological processes occur at membrane-like structures has led to renewed interest in the theory of molecular transport through membranes. Coupling phenomena in membranes, some of which are very complex, can now be rationally described with the aid of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The investigation of theoretical membrane models has proved a valuable complement to the thermodynamic method.     

Thermodynamics of Electrochemical Lithium Storage

The thermodynamics of electrochemical lithium storage are examined by taking into account that it is the point defects that enable storage. While the Li defects are mobile, most of the other point defects have to be considered as frozen owing to the performance temperature being low compared to the melting point of the electrode materials. The defect chemistry needs to be considered to fully understand equilibrium charge/discharge curves. On this basis, single phase and multiphase storage mechanisms can be discussed in terms of theoretical storage capacity and theoretical voltage. Of paramount interest in the field of Li batteries are metastable materials, in particular nanocrystalline and amorphous materials. The thermodynamics of storage and voltage, also at interfaces, thus deserve a special treatment. The relationship between reversible cell voltage and lithium content is derived for the novel job‐sharing mechanism. With respect to the classic storage modes, thermodynamic differences for cathodes and anodes are elaborated with a special attention being paid to the search for new materials. As this contribution concentrates on the equilibrium state, current‐related phenomena (irreversible thermodynamics) are only briefly touched upon.     

Molecular dynamic simulations of systems undergoing shear

Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics have been used to simulate, at a molecular level, fluids undergoing planar Couette flow. The results give a microscopic picture of the processes involved in viscoelasticity, shear dilatancy, shear birefringence, normal stress effects and shear thinning behavior. The calculations prove that shear dilatant fluids are not necessarily shear thickening. The results also suggest that the constitutive relations governing non-Newtonian behavior are non-analytic functions of strain rate.The calculations have led directly to the development of non-linear irreversible thermodynamics. This generalization of thermodynamics provides a macroscopic understanding of such processes as shear induced phase changes and the relation of shear dilatancy to shear induced energy changes.     

A statistical study of the kinetics of phase separation for a liquid crystalline mixture

The kinetics of cholesteric phase growth during the phase separation of an isotropic liquid crystalline mixture was studied by polarizing optical microscopy within the framework of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes. The rules governing time-dependent changes in the parameters of the statistical droplet size distribution of the cholesteric phase were determined. The influence of the thickness of the liquid crystalline mixture layer on the size of the droplets formed was studied.     

Separation processes with membranes

Membrane separation processes of practical importance are discussed from a phenomenological point of view in terms of thermodynamics of irreversible processes. This includes transport phenomena caused by chemical reactions taking place inside catalytically active membranes. Special attention is placed on unexpected transport phenomena caused by coupling of flows e.g. incongruent transport of solutes, negative osmosis, negative hyperfiltration effect, and active transport. p]The phenomenological treatment of membrane separation is supplemented by a brief discussion of membrane models which give an insight into the physical reasons of selective membrane transport.     

Relative Boltzmann entropy, evolution equations for fluctuations of thermodynamic intensive variables, and a statistical mechanical representation of the zeroth law of thermodynamics

Generalized thermodynamics or extended irreversible thermodynamics presumes the existence of thermodynamic intensive variables (e.g., temperature, pressure, chemical potentials, generalized potentials) even if the system is removed from equilibrium. It is necessary to properly understand the nature of such intensive variables and, in particular, of their fluctuations, that is, their deviations from those defined in the extended irreversible thermodynamic sense. The meaning of temperature is examined by means of a kinetic theory of macroscopic irreversible processes to assess the validity of the generalized (or extended) thermodynamic method applied to nonequilibrium phenomena. The Boltzmann equation is used for the purpose. Since the relative Boltzmann entropy has been known to be intimately related to the evolution of the aforementioned fluctuations in the intensive thermodynamic variables, we derive the evolution equations for such fluctuations of intensive variables to lay the foundation for investigating the physical implications and evolution of the relative Boltzmann entropy, so that the range of validity of the thermodynamic theory of irreversible processes can be elucidated. Within the framework of this work, we examine a special case of the evolution equations for the aforementioned fluctuations of intensive variables, which also facilitate investigation of the molecular theory meaning of the zeroth law of thermodynamics. We derive an evolution equation describing the relaxation of temperature fluctuations from its local value and present a formula for the temperature relaxation time.     

On the nature of intramolecular dephasing processes in polyatomic molecules

Intramolecular dephasing processes in polyatomic molecules are discussed with relation to coherent transient spectroscopy, radiationless transitions, multiphoton molecular processes, and overtone spectroscopy. A distinction is made between proper and improper dephasing processes (PDP, IDP) depending on whether they arise due to changes in populations or not. It is shown that the type of experiment and, consequently, the way we partition the hamiltonian are closely related to this distinction. We consider several experimental and theoretical approaches for studying intramolecular dynamics and discuss under what conditions it is necessary and useful to introduce explicitly dephasing interactions.     

Theory of self diffusion in electrolytes

Starting from the concept of marked ions, the problem of self diffusion in electrolyte solutions is discussed from the point of view of irreversible thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. On the basis of the diffusion approach to the theory of transport processes in electrolytes, we derive the statistical theory of self diffusion and an expression for the self diffusion coefficient in terms of the radial distribution function. Results for the concentration dependence of the self-diffusion coefficient are presented.     

非恒稳含时电极过程中涨落-耗散的电化学效应——恒电势滴汞电极体系的随机热力学模型

以滴汞电极体系为模型,对非恒稳恒电势动态不可逆电极过程中的耗散-涨落效应进行了系统的研究.基于滴汞电极体系的电化学特征,提出了一个简化的含时随机热力学模型,从而可能对这类重要的含时物理化学过程进行涨落和耗散的定量分析.借助该简化的模型,成功地建立了恒电势滴汞电极过程的基本随机热力学公式,由此推出耗散-涨落效应的理论极谱曲线.在滴汞电极生长缓慢及扩散步骤严重滞后情况下,含时的滴汞电极过程将趋于在有效扩散层厚度演化的慢流型上的准定态过程.在这种准定态近似下,具体分析了涨落对极谱曲线的影响.结果表明,在涨落影响可以忽略的近平衡区,从耗散-涨落导出的极谱方程与从平衡态Nernst公式导出的极谱方程完全吻合.还计算了一个涨落诱导的极谱曲线偏离的典型范例.     

Use of supercritical fluids in inorganic analysis

The possibilities, advantages, shortcomings, and prospects of using supercritical fluids for separating and extracting metal complexes with organic reagents are considered. The theoretical bases of supercritical fluid chromatography and factors influencing the separation of metal complexes (nature of the organic reagent, solubility of reagents and complexes in a supercritical fluid, type of column, motionless phase, addition of a modifier into the mobile phase, and the test solvent) are discussed. The processes occurring in complexes during chromatography are discussed. The bases of supercritical fluid extraction and factors influencing extraction of metals (nature and solubility in a supercritical fluid of an organic reagent and complexes; concentration and ways of introducing the reagent into the system; addition of the modifier, water, and surfactants; the collector; and the matrix) are considered. The possibilities of methods for determining metals in various objects are shown.     

Experimental observation of light-induced solitary waves of analyte bands in capillary electrophoresis.

The phenomenon of electrophoresis in free solution has been studied theoretically down to the molecular level for decades. In addition, intermolecular photo-induced proton transfer reactions, which occur in a wide class of molecules (phenols and aminoarenes) as well as proteins (green fluorescent protein), were also studied extensively. However, the study of the effect of light-induced electrophoretic mobility changes of the analytes in electrophoresis was begun only recently. In the present work, capillary zone electrophoresis was chosen as the environment to measure the magnitude of these electrophoretic mobility shifts induced by light. Background electrolytes (running electrolytes) with high refractive indices were developed, allowing the capillary to work like an optical fiber. The experimental conditions for obtaining stable coupling and guided laser light along the liquid core are discussed. Experimental evidence of band compression is observed, leading to a solitary wave behavior of the analyte band (2-naphthol). These solitary waves result from competition between thermal diffusion (dispersion mechanism) and a nonlinear (band compression) effect due to the combined electrophoresis phenomenon and absorption of guided light by the molecules of the band (which are subjected to a "reversible intermolecular proton transfer reaction" as one of their decay routes). The possibilities of applying this effect to different methods and techniques are also discussed.