Monte Carlo simulation of grain growth in polycrystalline materials

Understanding the kinetics of grain growth, under the influence of second phase (such as impurities, voids and bubbles) is fundamental to advances in the control of microstructural evolution. As a precursor to this objective, we have investigated the grain growth kinetics in a polycrystalline material using a standard Q-state Potts’ model under Monte Carlo settings. Based on physical reasoning, new modifications are suggested to circumvent some of the disadvantages in the basic Potts model. The efficacy of these modifications vis-à-vis the basic model is verified. The influence of second phase particles on the impurity loaded grain boundaries is investigated for the study of grain growth kinetics.     

10.1007/s10955-006-9040-z

We derive hydrodynamic equations describing the evolution of a binary fluid segregated into two regions, each rich in one species,which are separated (on the macroscopic scale) by a sharp interface. Our starting point is a Vlasov-Boltzmann (VB) equation describing the evolution of the one particle position and velocity distributions, f_i (x, v, t), i = 1, 2. The solution of the VB equation is developed in a Hilbert expansion appropriate for this system. This yields incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for the velocity field u and a jump boundary condition for the pressure across the interface. The interface, in turn, moves with a velocity given by the normal component of u.     

Synthesis of Surface-Modified Nanoparticles via Cycloaddition-Reactions

Summary. The surface modification of nanoparticles via azide/alkine-1,3-dipolar cycloaddition-reactions is described. Ligand exchange onto various nanoparticles was monitored by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and formed the basis for the attachment of ligands onto the nanoparticles and their subsequent modification by dipolar cycloaddition reactions. Nanoparticle-surfaces were monitored by binding onto self-assembled monolayers derivatized with matching supramolecular interactions after derivatization.     

Activity evaluation of carbon paste electrodes loaded with pt nanoparticles prepared in different radiolytic conditions

Three Pt-based catalysts prepared in different radiolytic conditions and supported on graphite powder were packed into a carbon paste electrode configuration. They were compared to each other, to the commercial (Pt) deposited on activated carbon powder (Johnson Matthey) and to pure Vulcan XC-72 for their respective abilities toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The Tafel parameters were determined for all these electrodes. From the I–V curves and their quantitative treatment, the following order of activity emerged unambiguously and reads: (PtCO)₂ (fcc structure) > (PtCO)₁ (Chini cluster) > (Pt)_neat > (Pt)_JM (Johnson Matthey) ≫ (Vulcan XC-72). As expected, all the Pt-loaded electrodes were more efficient than Vulcan XC-72. The classification appears to be linked with the mean nanoparticle size, and for comparable sizes, with the surface morphology of the materials. The results and the stability of the electrodes suggest that the small particle sizes and the good dispersity on the carbon support were maintained during the HER.     

Symmetric form of the Hudson-Parthasarathy stochastic equation

We prove that the Hudson-Parthasarathy equation corresponds, up to unitary equivalence, to the strong resolvent limit of Schrödinger Hamiltonians in Fock space and that the symmetric form of this equation corresponds to the weak limit of the Schrödinger Hamiltonians.Translated fromMatematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 60, No. 5, pp. 726–750, November, 1996.     

The Smoluchowski limit for a simple mechanical model

We consider a vertical stick constantly accelerated along thex-axis by a forceF and which elastically collides with point particles of the same mass (atoms). The atoms are initially Poisson distributed and are allowed to have four velocities only. It is shown that under suitable scaling of the system the displacementQ(t) of the stick satisfies a nontrivial CLT:Q(t)=vFt+D ^1/2 W(t) (Smoluchowski equation), where the values ofv andD depend on the fact that one atom may collide several times.     

Ti－Si沸石的催化氧化性能Ⅱ．环己醇的氧化及环己酮的肟化

Ｔｉ－Ｓｉ沸石的催化氧化性能Ⅱ．环己醇的氧化及环己酮的肟化夏清华，王公慰，应慕良，郑禄彬（中国科学院大连化学物理研究所，大连１１６０１２）关键词Ｔｉ－Ｓｉ沸石催化剂，Ｈ_２Ｏ_２氧化剂，环己醇氧化，环己酮肟化．１．前言环己酮肟是生产ε－己内酰胺的关键中...     

Solution structure, mutagenesis, and NH exchange studies of the MutT enzyme–Mg-8-oxo-dGMP complex

The MutT pyrophosphohydrolase from E. coli (129 residues) catalyzes the hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphates (NTP), including 8-oxo-dGTP, by substitution at Pβ, to yield NMP and pyrophosphate. The product, 8-oxo-dGMP is an unusually tight binding, slowly exchanging inhibitor with a K_D=52 nM, (ΔG°=−9.8 kcal/mol) which is 6.1 kcal/mol tighter than the binding of dGMP (ΔG°=−3.7 kcal/mol). The higher affinity for 8-oxo-dGMP results from a more favorable ΔH_binding (−32 kcal/mol) despite an unfavorable −TΔS°_binding (+22 kcal/mol). The solution structure of the MutT–Mg²⁺-8-oxo-dGMP complex shows a narrowed, hydrophobic nucleotide-binding cleft with Asn-119 and Arg-78 among the few polar residues. The N119A, N119D, R78K and R78A single mutations, and the R78K+N119A double mutant all showed largely intact active sites, on the basis of small changes in the kinetic parameters of dGTP hydrolysis and in ¹H–¹⁵N HSQC spectra. However, the N119A mutation profoundly weakened the active site binding of 8-oxo-dGMP by 4.3 kcal/mol (1650-fold). The N119D mutation also weakened 8-oxo-dGMP binding but only by 2.1 kcal/mol (37-fold), suggesting that Asn-119 functioned both as a hydrogen bond donor to C8=O, and a hydrogen bond acceptor from N7H of 8-oxo-dGMP, while aspartate at position −119 functioned as an acceptor of a single hydrogen bond. Much smaller weakening effects (0.3–0.4 kcal/mol) on the binding of dGMP and dAMP were found, indicating specific hydrogen bonding of Asn-119 to 8-oxo-dGMP. While formation of the wild type MutT–Mg²⁺-8-oxo-dGMP complex slowed the backbone NH exchange rates of 45 residues distributed throughout the protein, the same complex of the N119A mutant slowed the exchange rates of only 11 residues at or near the active site, indicating an increase in conformational flexibility of the N119A mutant. The R78K and R78A mutations weakened the binding of 8-oxo-dGMP by 1.7 and 1.1 kcal/mol, respectively, indicating a lesser role of Arg-78 than of Asn-119 in the selective binding of 8-oxo-dGMP, likely donating a single hydrogen bond to its C6=O. The R78K+N119A double mutant weakened the binding of 8-oxo-dGMP (K_I^slope=3.1 mM) by 6.5±0.2 kcal/mol which overlaps, within error with the sum of the effects of the two single mutants (6.0±0.3 kcal/mol). Such additive effects of the two single mutants in the double mutant are most simply explained by the independent functioning of Asn-119 and Arg-78 in the binding of 8-oxo-dGMP. Independent functioning of these two residues in nucleotide binding is consistent with their locations in the MutT–Mg²⁺-8-oxo-dGMP complex, on opposite sides of the active site cleft, with a distance of 8.4±0.5 Å between their side chain nitrogens.     

A hydrogen rearrangement of formamidine and the solvent effects thereupon

The nature of the 1,3 hydrogen rearrangement of formamidine (H₂N-CH=NH) and the solvent effects on that reaction are studied with ab initio molecular orbital calculations on the basis of the supermolecule model. The reaction path and the motion of the migrating hydrogen atom are traced by using the concept of the intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC). Four types of orientation of one water molecule to formamidine at the transition state of reaction are examined and the results are discussed from the standpoint of the orbital interactions.     

Synthesis and crystal structure of a new one-dimensional system with end-to-end single dicyanamide bridges between nickel(II) centres

The complex [Ni(tn)₂{N(CN)₂}]ClO₄ (tn=trimethylenediamine) has been synthesized and the structure has been determined. The complex forms a one-dimensional chain structure via the bidentate bridging ligand dicyanamide. A two-dimensional networks is formed via interchain hydrogen bond interactions.