Pointing the way to the products? Comparison of the stress tensor and the second-derivative tensor of the electron density

The eigenvectors of the electronic stress tensor can be used to identify where new bond paths form in a chemical reaction. In cases where the eigenvectors of the stress tensor are not available, the gradient-expansion-approximation suggests using the eigenvalues of the second derivative tensor of the electron density instead; this approximation can be made quantitatively accurate by scaling and shifting the second-derivative tensor, but it has a weaker physical basis and less predictive power for chemical reactivity than the stress tensor. These tools provide an extension of the quantum theory of atoms and molecules from the characterization of molecular electronic structure to the prediction of chemical reactivity.     

Is the ion-linear quadrupole capture rate constant anisotropic with respect to the sign of the product of the charge on the ion and the quadrupole moment of the molecule?

The sign of the charge-quadrupole moment product is shown to affect the rate of ion-linear quadrupole capture.

---

- .

     

Is the dynamical polarization a significant part of the contribution of the triples to the correlation energy?

One may call dynamical polarization of doubly excited configurations the energy lowering of these configurations under the response of the other electrons to the so-created fluctuation of the electric field. This contribution of triply excited configurations may be identified and calculated through a computation that only requires a computation time proportional to the sixth power of the number of molecular orbitals (MOs), instead of the seventh power for the total contribution of the triples. Its amplitude depends on the choice of the MOs and becomes important when localized MOs are used.     

Does the Temperature of the prise de mousse Affect the Effervescence and the Foam of Sparkling Wines?

The persistence of effervescence and foam collar during a Champagne or sparkling wine tasting constitute one, among others, specific consumer preference for these products. Many different factors related to the product or to the tasting conditions might influence their behavior in the glass. However, the underlying factor behind the fizziness of these wines involves a second in-bottle alcoholic fermentation, also well known as the prise de mousse. The aim of this study was to assess whether a low temperature (13 °C) or a high temperature (20 °C) during the in-bottle fermentation might have an impact on the effervescence and the foaming properties (i.e., collar height and bubble size) of three French sparkling wines (a Crémant de Loire and two Champagne wines), under standard tasting conditions. Our results showed that sparkling wines elaborated at 13 °C and served in standard tasting conditions (i.e., 100 mL, 18 °C) had better ability to keep the dissolved CO₂ (between 0.09 and 0.30 g/L) in the liquid phase than those elaborated at 20 °C (with P < 0.05). Most interestingly, we also observed, for the Crémant de Loire and for one Champagne wine, that the lower the temperature of the prise de mousse, the smaller (with P < 0.05) the bubbles in the foam collar throughout the wine tasting.     

Self-sorting: the exception or the rule?

In this paper, we pose the question of whether self-sorting in designed systems is exceptional behavior or whether it is likely to become a more general phenomenon governing molecular recognition and self-assembly. To address this question we prepared a mixture comprising two of Davis' self-assembled ionophores, Rebek's tennis ball and calixarene tetraurea capsule, Meijer's ureidopyrimidinone, Reinhoudt's calixarene bis(rosette), and two molecular clips in CDCl(3) solution and observed the behavior of this ensemble by (1)H NMR. As hypothesized, high-fidelity self-sorting behavior was observed. The influence of several key variables-temperature, concentration, equilibrium constants, and the presence of competitors-on the fidelity of self-sorting is described. These results show that self-sorting is neither the exception nor the rule. They suggest, however, that the subset of known molecular aggregates that exceed the criteria required for thermodynamic self-sorting is larger than previously appreciated and potentially quite broad.     

Micellar Copolymerization: the State of the Arts

Over the past two decades, hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymers (HMWSPs), particularly hydrophobically associating polyacrylamides (HAPAMs), have attracted increased interest owing to their practical and fundamental importance[1]. This system usually consists of a hydrophilic backbone with a small proportion (generally less than 2 mol %) of hydrophobic pendent groups. When dissolved in aqueous solutions, the apolar moieties tend to exclude water and are held together by intra- a…     

Correlation Analysis of the Runoff of the Rivers and the Seisms in China

In recent hundred years the annual discharge variations of the Changjiang River (represented by the Yichang station) and the Huanghe River (represented by Shanxian and Tangnaihe, respectively) have closely related to the geographical distribution of the earthquakes coming about in China in the same year, Both the occurrence of the destructive seism or seismic swarm in the river basins and the disappearance of the shocks in the east and south of the basins are the conditions that the Changjiang and Huanghe Rivers are the high flow while that the strong earthquake of magnitude 7 or more occurred in North China is the condition for the Changjiang low flow year and that of 6 or more in the Qilian Mountains area is for the Huanghe River. In the latter part of this paper, a 2-year sample is given to explain that the conditions of the 2 rivers being high flow years are that the north-south seismic belt is active and in the meanwhile no seism occurred in South China, and those of the low flow year are that the     

Exploration on the Biotechnological Aspect of the Ureolytic Bacteria for the Production of the Cementitious Materials—a Review

Biomineralization is a process that leads to the formation of minerals using the biologically or biotechnologically mediated route. Calcium carbonate is one such biomineral that is secreted by the ureolytic bacteria which contributes for the strengthening and improvement of cementitious and sandy materials. It is a new and innovative area in the geotechnological engineering and structural engineering due to its wide range of implications in strengthening of soil, sand, stone, and cementitious materials. The shape and size of the calcium carbonate particle vary with the strain of the bacterium used, and it is species specific. This paper aims in the critical review of the mechanism of calcium carbonate precipitation by the bacterium, various bacteria involved, and the useful outputs of the technique of biomineralization. Based on the critical review, it also recommends the future development and research in the field to develop a technology that can strengthen the existing and the proposed structures.     

Noninvasive Detection of the Gases Inside the Sealed Batteries by the On-line Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometer is connected through an adaptor to a sealed small battery to probe the gas phase changes inside the battery. The factors influencing the response time are analyzed with a simplified model. The feasibility of the new technique is demonstrated with a Ni-Cd battery, showing different profiles of MS intensities for O2 and H2. Compared with gas chromatography, this technique has the advantage of being noninvasive and should be useful for the study and diagnostic examination of small sealed batteries.     

Studies on the Performance and Structure of Supported Catalysts for the Partial Oxidation of Methane to Syngas

The catalytic properties of several supported metal catalysts on different carriers were studied in the partial oxidation of methane (POM) to syngas. In our experiment, supported noble metal catalysts exhibited better performance than the other supported transition metal catalysts. The catalyst performances were significantly influenced by the d-electron configuration of the active metal components and the dispersion of active metal components on the support. A catalyst with a moderate number of unpaired electrons in the d-orbital of the active metal support without obvious acidity or redox activity (e.g. MgO) was suitable for POM performance. The Rh/SiO2 catalyst was the best in the POM reaction, among those investigated. Reaction conditions apparently also affected the POM performance of the catalyst. The conversion of methane and the selectivity for CO increased with the reaction temperature, and a high CH4/O2 ratio was not beneficial for POM performance.     

EFFECTS OF ALKALI AND RARE EATTH METAL OXIDES ON THE THERMAL STABILITY AND THE CARBON DEPOSITION OVER A NiO/Al_2O_3 CATALYST

采用固定床流动反应装置、ＣＯ吸附、ＴＧ、ＴＰＯ、ＸＰＳ和ＸＲＤ等手段考察了ＮｉＯ／Ａｌ２Ｏ３和ＬｉＮｉＬａＯ／Ａｌ２Ｏ３催化剂上的甲烷部分氧化反应。实验结果表明，ＬｉＮｉＬａＯ／Ａｌ２Ｏ３对甲烷部分氧化反应具有较高的反应活性。锂和镧的添加不仅改善了活性组分镍的分散度，而且提高了ＮｉＯ／Ａｌ２Ｏ３的抗积碳能力和热稳定性     

甲烷在Ni/TiO2催化剂表面的活化

考察了Ni/TiO2催化剂甲烷部分氧化和二氧化碳重整制合成气的反应活性,实验表明,以TiO2为载体的镍系催化剂对于甲烷部分氧化制合成气反应具有较好的活性,尤其对H2的选择性较高,对二氧化碳重整制合成气反应具有较好的低温反应活性.采用脉冲-质谱在线分析等技术,在无气相氧条件下向Ni/TiO2催化剂脉冲CH4,发现甲烷在催化剂表面的活化（转化）及其氧化产物的选择性与金属催化剂表面氧的浓度密切相关.CH4与Ni/TiO2催化剂作用过程中存在明显的氢溢流和氧溢流现象,可能是这种溢流效应使得Ni/TiO2催化剂具有良好的反应活性和抗积碳性能.     

甲烷在Ni/TiO_2催化剂表面的活化

考察了Ｎｉ／ＴｉＯ２催化剂甲烷部分氧化和二氧化碳重整制合成气的反应活性,实验表明,以ＴｉＯ２为载体的镍系催化剂对于甲烷部分氧化制合成气反应具有较好的活性,尤其对Ｈ２的选择性较高,对二氧化碳重整制合成气反应具有较好的低温反应活性．采用脉冲－质谱在线分析等技术,在无气相氧条件下向Ｎｉ／ＴｉＯ２催化剂脉冲ＣＨ４,发现甲烷在催化剂表面的活化（转化）及其氧化产物的选择性与金属催化剂表面氧的浓度密切相关．ＣＨ４与Ｎｉ／ＴｉＯ２催化剂作用过程中存在明显的氢溢流和氧溢流现象,可能是这种溢流效应使得Ｎ／ＴｉＯ２催化剂具有良好的反应活性和抗积碳性能．     

A Review on Complete Oxidation of Methane at Low Temperatures

This paper reviews recent developments in complete oxidation of methane at low temperatures over noble metal catalysts in the past 20 years. The Pd/A1203 catalyst system is fully discussed. The review mainly focuses on the kinetic aspects of methane oxidation over this catalyst, and methane activation behavior over Pd and PdO phases (the form of PdO on the surface, transient behavior, the nature of the active sites, the influence of metal particle size and their structure sensitivities, and so on). Some Pd catalysts supported on other oxides besides the Al2O3 support are briefly discussed. Possible routes of non-noble metal catalysts as substitutes for the Pd catalyst are also proposed.     

Effect of CeO2 preparation method and Cu loading on CuO/CeO2 catalysts for methane combustion

CeO2 was synthesized by sol-gel, hydrothermal, nitrate thermal decomposition methods, respectively, and used as support to prepare CuO/CeO2 catalysts. According to characterization and reaction results, preparation method of CeO2 had a great influence on the physicochemical properties and activities of CuO/CeO2 catalysts. CuO with high dispersion and strong interaction with CeO2 was highly active in methane combustion, while CuO particles less associated with CeO2 showed less activity. The CuO catalyst supported on CeO2 which was prepared via nitrate thermal decomposition method showed the largest area, the smallest particle size, the highest dispersion of copper species and strong support metal interactions. Therefore, it presented the highest redox ability and activity for methane combustion. Activities of the catalysts with different copper content kept increasing until 5% Cu loading and from then on kept constant. Moreover, methane conversion decreased as methane space velocities increased on CuO/CeO2 catalyst. Addition of CO2 to the feed did not produce a significant effect on the catalytic activity, but the presence of H2O provoked a remarkable decrease on the activity of CuO/CeO2 catalyst.     

Characterization and Catalytic Behavior of Nano Pt/MgO Catalysts

"Pt/MgO catalysts were prepared by using wet impregnation method. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microcopy (TEM), electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, and temperature programmed surface reaction (TPSR) were used to characterize the calcined and used catalysts. Partial Oxidation of Methane (POM) to synthesis gas was carried out in a fixed bed micro-reactor to test the catalytic activity. TEM images revealed that Pt particles have the size of less than 10 nm, the size of the support MgO is about 50-200 nm. At 800 oC, the Pt/MgO catalyst exhibited a very high activity and stability for POM reaction. Both the conversion of methane and selectivities to CO and H2 remained almost constant up to 120 h. The dispersed Pt existed in the metallic state. The state and the dispersion of active Pt and the structure of support MgO were very stable, together with the high ability to resist carbon deposition, made the catalysts show a very high stability for POM under stoichiometric reaction conditions."     

Effect of Nano‐support and Type of Active Metal on Reforming of CH4 with CO2

Two series of Co and Ni based catalysts supported over commercial (ZrO₂, CeO₂, and Al₂O₃) nano supports were investigated for dry reforming of methane. The catalytic activity of both Co and Ni based catalysts were assessed at different reaction temperatures ranging from 500—800 °C; however, for stability the time on stream experiments were conducted at 700 °C for 6 h. Various techniques such as N₂ adsorption‐desorption isotherm, temperature‐programmed reduction (H₂‐TPR), temperature‐programmed desorption (CO₂‐TPD), temperature‐programmed oxidation (TPO), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were applied for characterization of fresh and spent catalysts. The catalytic activity and stability tests clearly showed that the performance of catalyst is strongly dependent on type of active metal and support. Furthermore, active metal particle size and Lewis basicity are key factors which have significant influence on catalytic performance. The results indicated that Ni supported over nano ZrO₂ exhibited highest activity among all tested catalysts due to its unique properties including thermal stability and reducibility. The minimum carbon deposition and thus relatively stable performance was observed in case of Co‐Al catalyst, since this catalyst has shown highest Lewis basicity.     

Reinforced nickel and nickel-platinum catalysts for performing the thermally coupled reactions of methane steam reforming and hydrogen oxidation

The formation of composite nickel and nickel-platinum catalysts reinforced with steel gauze was studied. The catalysts were prepared by sintering powdered nickel metal and a supported nickel catalyst (GIAP-3 or NIAP-18) with a chromium oxide additive in the case of nickel-containing composite catalysts or by sintering powdered nickel, aluminum, and a supported platinum catalyst in the case of catalysts containing nickel-platinum. With the use of electron microscopy, mercury porosimetry, and X-ray electron probe microanalysis, it was found that a metal matrix, in the pores of which supported catalyst particles were distributed, was formed in the composite catalysts. The reinforced nickel catalysts prepared were active in the reaction of methane steam reforming, and the catalysts containing nickel-platinum were active in the reaction of hydrogen oxidation. An increase in the activity of reinforced nickel catalysts in the course of the reaction was found. It is believed that the increase of the activity was due to the reduction of nickel oxide from an inactive difficult-to-reduce oxide film containing nickel and chromium oxides under the action of the reaction atmosphere.     

制备方法对Ni/CeO2-Al2O3催化剂甲烷部分氧化催化性能的影响

采用浸渍-沉淀法、水热合成法、共沉淀法和柠檬酸络合法制备了Ni/CeO₂-Al₂O₃催化剂,考察了制备方法对该催化剂的物理结构和甲烷部分氧化(POM)催化性能的影响。利用N₂物理吸附、X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、H₂-程序升温还原(H₂-TPR)、NH₃-程序升温脱附(NH₃-TPD)、热重(TG)分析等手段对反应前后催化剂的物理化学性质进行了表征。实验结果表明,浸渍-沉淀法制备催化剂的活性和产物H₂和CO的选择性最低。而柠檬酸络合法制备的Ni/CeO₂-Al₂O₃表现出最大的CH₄转化率和最高的CO、H₂选择性。BET和XRD表征结果表明,柠檬酸络合法制备的Ni/CeO₂-Al₂O₃的比表面积最大,且CeO₂晶粒粒径小、分散均匀;H₂-TPR测试表明,该催化剂负载的Ni物种和Ni与Al₂O₃相互作用产生的尖晶石NiAl₂O₄都较容易被还原成金属Ni,产生更多的活性中心;NH₃-TPD和TG分析表明,该催化剂具有较多酸性位点和表面积炭,但相比较于它的高反应活性,积炭速率较低、稳定性较高。