英国国家科研与创新署学科交叉研究资助机制及启示

Newly established in 2018, the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) strengthens the strategic coordination of the UK research and innovation system by bringing together seven Research Councils, Research England, and Innovate UK. Through its nine organizations, UKRI funds multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in a number of priority areas. It also runs the Strategic Priorities Fund to support multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in strategic areas identified by government policies as well as the Global Challenges Research Fund to promote challenge-led interdisciplinary research needed by developing countries. The UKRI makes significant efforts to engage stakeholders in the development, design, and implementation of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary programs. It has also developed a range of mechanisms to improve the evaluation of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary projects. Chinese science and innovation funding agencies could draw upon the UKRI experience from four aspects to advance interdisciplinary research in China.     

Effects of intramolecular hydrogen bonds on phosphorescence emission: A theoretical perspective

Importing intramolecular hydrogen bond in phosphorescent transition metal complexes has been considered one of the excellent approaches to improve the electroluminescence performance of organic light-emitting diodes in real applications. However, the relationships between such H-bond structure and phosphorescent properties have not been theoretically revealed yet. In this study, two types of intramolecular hydrogen bonds are introduced into the two classes of traditional materials, that is, Pt(II) and Ir(III) complexes ( 1a and 2a ) to completely elucidate their influence on the structures and properties by comparing with the original phosphors ( 1b and 2b ) using density functional theory/time-dependent density functional theory for the first time. A comprehensive analysis of the geometric structures, molecular orbitals, and luminescence properties (including phosphorescence emission wavelengths and radiative and nonradiative decay processes) has been carried out. Our theoretical model highlights that complexes 1a and 2a embedded with H-bonds significantly promote the phosphorescence emission band blue-shifted and restrict molecular deformations compared with the corresponding 1b and 2b , which can provide helpful guidance to regulate and design several aspects of highly efficient blue phosphorescent emitters.     

Kinetic study of hydrogen sulfide decomposition on Pt(111) surface

In this work, kinetic of H₂S conversion to H₂ molecule on the surface of Pt(111) is studied using kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. The results of simulation were fitted to the experimental temperature-programed desorption spectra. The good agreement between the empirical and the simulated data confirms the proposed mechanism and kinetic data (activated energies and pre-exponential factors). The influence of variables such as temperature and concentrations of H₂S and H₂ on the overall results of hydrogen production is studied. The condition is proposed in which the best yield of reaction at minimum temperature is obtained. Results show that platinum is a perfect catalyst for converting H₂S to H₂ and it has a perfect performance (98%) after 5 μs at low temperature of 227°C.     

Kinetics studies of 5-methyl-2-hexanol, 2,2-dimethyl-3-hexanol,and 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentanol with chlorine atoms: Photooxidation mechanism of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentanol

The rate constants for the reaction between chlorine atoms and either 5-methyl-2-hexanol, 2,2-dimethyl-3-hexanol, or 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentanol at 298 K were determined using the relative method with 2-butanol and 1-pentanol as reference compounds. The values obtained for 5-methyl-2-hexanol, 2,2-dimethyl-3-hexanol, and 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentanol (k × 10¹⁰ cm³ molec⁻¹ s⁻¹) were, respectively, (2.64 ± 0.5), (2.72 ± 0.5), and (2.50 ± 0.4), in agreement with the values of the rate constants reported in bibliography for similar alcohols and the values estimated by structure activity relationship methods. The photooxidation products of 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentanol initiated by chlorine atoms were identified (formaldehyde, 2-propanone, 2,2-dimethyl propanal, 4,4,-dimethyl-2-pentanone, and 3,3-dimethylbutanal), and the reaction mechanism was determined.     

Kinetic modeling of ZnO-rGO catalyzed degradation of methylene blue

Photodegradation of organic pollutants strongly depends on design of metal oxide semiconductor photocatalysts. Graphene, if composited with ZnO, can effectively enhance its photocatalytic performance for the eradication of pollutants from aqueous medium. Here in, ZnO-rGO is reported as highly active catalyst for degradation of methylene blue. A 200-mg/L solution of methylene blue dye was completely degraded within 1 h in comparison to 74% and 56% degradation over ZnO and rGO, respectively. The commonly used mechanisms of heterogeneous catalytic reactions, the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism, and the Eley-Rideal mechanisms, were used to describe the reaction kinetics. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism was found as more favorable in this study. Apparent activation energy, E_ap, true activation energy, E_T, entropy, ΔS, and enthalpy, ΔH were calculated as 36.2 kJ/mol, 13.1 kJ/mol, 197.5 J/mol, and 23.1 kJ/mol, respectively.     

Experimental and kinetic modeling study of the oxidation of cyclopentane and methylcyclopentane at atmospheric pressure

Cyclopentane and methylcyclopentane oxidation was investigated in a jet-stirred reactor at atmospheric pressure, over temperatures ranging from 900 to 1250 K, for fuel-lean, stoichiometric, and fuel-rich mixtures at a constant residence time of 70 ms. The initial mole fraction of both fuels was kept constant at 1000 ppm. The reactants were highly diluted by a flow of nitrogen to ensure thermal homogeneity. Samples of the reacting mixture were analyzed online and off-line by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography. A detailed kinetic mechanism consisting of 590 species involved in 3469 reactions was developed, and simulation results were compared to these new experimental data and previously reported ignition delays. Reaction pathways analysis as well as sensitivity analyses were performed to get insights into the differences observed during the oxidation process of cyclopentane and methylcyclopentane.     

Defining the Scope of the Acid-Catalyzed Glycosidation of Glycosyl Bromides

Following the recent discovery that traditional silver(I) oxide-promoted glycosidations of glycosyl bromides (Koenigs–Knorr reaction) can be greatly accelerated in the presence of catalytic TMSOTf, reported herein is a dedicated study of all major aspects of this reaction. A thorough investigation of numerous silver salts and careful refinement of the reaction conditions led to an improved mechanistic understanding. This, in turn, led to a significant reduction in the amount of silver salt required for these glycosylations. The progress of this reaction can be monitored by naked eye, and the completion of the reaction can be judged by the disappearance of characteristic dark color of Ag₂O. Further evidence on higher reactivity of benzoylated α-bromides in comparison to that of their benzylated counterparts has been acquired.     

Enhanced Operational Durability of Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence-Based Organic Light-Emitting Diodes with a Triazine Electron Transporter

In organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on materials that show thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), the internal quantum efficiency of 100 % can be obtained without using phosphorescence-based organometallics that contain rare metals. Therefore, with TADF-based emitters, it is possible to fabricate high-performing OLEDs at a lower cost. However, compared with fluorescence- and phosphorescence-based OLEDs, an understanding of degradation mechanisms in TADF-based OLEDs is still insufficient for future commercialization. In particular, it is widely recognized that the development of electron transport materials is crucial for improving OLED characteristics, especially driving voltages and operational durability. In this study, it was demonstrated that the operational durability of TADF-based OLEDs was greatly improved by introducing a triazine-based material of 2,4,6-tris(1,1′-biphenyl-4-yl)-[1,3,5]triazine (pT2T) as a hole-blocking layer (HBL) compared with a conventional HBL material of 2,4,6-tris(biphenyl-3-yl)-[1,3,5]triazine (T2T). Several experiments were carried out to make the reasons of the improved durability clearer, and attributed the improved durability to the shift of a carrier recombination zone from the emitting layer/HBL interface and the suppressed formation of excited-state quenchers in the pT2T HBL, because of the higher electron mobility of pT2T and the better stability of its radical anion state.     

A Mechanistically and Operationally Simple Route to Metal–N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) Complexes

We have been puzzled by the involvement of weak organic and inorganic bases in the synthesis of metal–N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes. Such bases are insufficiently strong to permit the presumed required deprotonation of the azolium salt (the carbene precursor) prior to metal binding. Experimental and computational studies provide support for a base-assisted concerted process that does not require free NHC formation. The synthetic protocol was found applicable to a number of transition-metal- and main-group-centered NHC compounds and could become the synthetic route of choice to form M–NHC bonds.     

Magnetic field as a means to identify initiating reaction in oxidation of organic substances with molecular oxygen

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