Effects of fuel blending on first stage and overall ignition processes

The effects of blending ratio on mixtures of an alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel and a conventional petroleum-derived fuel on first stage ignition and overall ignition delay are examined at engine-relevant ambient conditions. Experiments are conducted in a high-temperature pressure vessel that maintains a small flow of dry air at the desired temperature (825 K and 900 K) and pressure (6 MPa and 9 MPa) for fuel injections from a custom single-hole, axially-oriented injector, representing medium (7.5 mg) and high (10 mg) engine loading. Formaldehyde, imaged using planar laser-induced fluorescence, is measured at discrete time steps throughout the first and second stage ignition process and is used as a marker of unburned short-chain hydrocarbons formed after the initial breakdown of the fuel. The formaldehyde images are used to calculate the first stage ignition delay for each ambient and fuel loading condition. Chemiluminescence imaging of excited hydroxyl radical at 75 kHz is used to determine the overall ignition delay. At all conditions, increased volume fraction of ATJ resulted in longer, but non-linearly increasing, overall ignition delay. Across all of the blends, first stage ignition delay accounted for about 15% of the increase in overall ignition delay compared to the military's aviation kerosene, F-24, which is Jet A with additives, while extended first stage ignition duration accounted for 85% of the increase. It is observed that blends consisting of 0–60% by volume of the low cetane number ATJ fuel produced nearly identical first stage ignition delays. These results will inform the development of ignition models that can capture the non-linear effects of fuel blending on ignition processes.     

Dearomatization of 3-Nitroindoles with Highly γ-Functionalized Allenoates in Formal (3+2) Cycloadditions

3-Nitroindoles are easily reacted with highly substituted γ-allenoates in the presence of a commercially available phosphine catalyst. For instance, allenoates derived from biomolecules such as amino and deoxycholic acids are combined for the first time with 3-nitroindole. The corresponding dearomatized (3+2) tricyclic cycloadducts are obtained as α-regioisomers exclusively. DFT computations shed light on this multi-step reaction mechanism and on the selectivities observed in the sequence.     

Fluoroalkyl Radical Generation by Homolytic Bond Dissociation in Pentacarbonylmanganese Derivatives

Thermal decarbonylation of the acyl compounds [Mn(CO)₅(COR_F)] (R_F=CF₃, CHF₂, CH₂CF₃, CF₂CH₃) yielded the corresponding alkyl derivatives [Mn(CO)₅(R_F)], some of which have not been previously reported. The compounds were fully characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods and by several single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The solution-phase IR characterization in the CO stretching region, with the assistance of DFT calculations, has allowed the assignment of several weak bands to vibrations of the [Mn(¹²CO)₄(eq-¹³CO)(R_F)] and [Mn(¹²CO)₄(ax-¹³CO)(R_F)] isotopomers and a ranking of the R_F donor power in the order CF₃<CHF₂<CH₂CF₃≈CF₂CH₃. The homolytic Mn−R_F bond cleavage in [Mn(CO)₅(R_F)] at various temperatures under saturation conditions with trapping of the generated R_F radicals by excess tris(trimethylsilyl)silane yielded activation parameters ΔH^≠ and ΔS^≠ that are believed to represent close estimates of the homolytic bond dissociation thermodynamic parameters. These values are in close agreement with those calculated in a recent DFT study (J. Organomet. Chem. 2018 , 864, 12–18). The ability of these complexes to undergo homolytic Mn−R_F bond cleavage was further demonstrated by the observation that [Mn(CO)₅(CF₃)] (the compound with the strongest Mn−R_F bond) initiated the radical polymerization of vinylidene fluoride (CH₂=CF₂) to produce poly(vinylidene fluoride) in good yields by either thermal (100 °C) or photochemical (UV or visible light) activation.     

Derivation of Lanthanide Series Crystal Field Parameters From First Principles

Two series of lanthanide complexes have been chosen to analyze trends in the magnetic properties and crystal field parameters (CFPs) along the two series: The highly symmetric LnZn₁₆(picHA)₁₆ series (Ln=Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb; picHA=picolinohydroxamic acid) and the [Ln(dpa)₃](C₃H₅N₂)₃ ⋅ 3H₂O series (Ln=Ce–Yb; dpa=2,6-dipicolinic acid) with approximate three-fold symmetry. The first series presents a compressed coordination sphere of eight oxygen atoms whereas in the second series, the coordination sphere consists of an elongated coordination sphere formed of six oxygen atoms. The CFPs have been deduced from ab initio calculations using two methods: The AILFT (ab initio ligand field theory) method, in which the parameters are determined at the orbital level, and the ITO (irreducible tensor operator) decomposition, in which the problems are treated at the many-electron level. It has been found that the CFPs are transferable from one derivative to another, within a given series, as a first approximation. The sign of the second-order parameter differs in the two series, reflecting the different environments. It has been found that the use of the strength parameter S allows for an easy comparison between complexes. Furthermore, in both series, the parameters have been found to decrease in magnitude along the series, and this decrease is attributed to covalent effects.     

On-Surface Synthesis and Characterization of Acene-Based Nanoribbons Incorporating Four-Membered Rings

A bottom up method for the synthesis of unique tetracene-based nanoribbons, which incorporate cyclobutadiene moieties as linkers between the acene segments, is reported. These structures were achieved through the formal [2+2] cycloaddition reaction of ortho-functionalized tetracene precursor monomers. The formation mechanism and the electronic and magnetic properties of these nanoribbons were comprehensively studied by means of a multitechnique approach. Ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy showed the occurrence of metal-coordinated nanostructures at room temperature and their evolution into nanoribbons through formal [2+2] cycloaddition at 475 K. Frequency-shift non-contact atomic force microscopy images clearly proved the presence of bridging cyclobutadiene moieties upon covalent coupling of activated tetracene molecules. Insight into the electronic and vibrational properties of the so-formed ribbons was obtained by scanning tunneling microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations. Magnetic properties were addressed from a computational point of view, allowing us to propose promising candidates to magnetic acene-based ribbons incorporating four-membered rings. The reported findings will increase the understanding and availability of new graphene-based nanoribbons with high potential in future spintronics.     

Identification of markers of thermal processing (“roasting”) in aqueous extracts of Coffea arabica L. seeds through NMR fingerprinting and chemometrics

Roasting of Coffea arabica L. seeds gives rise to chemical reactions that produce more than 800 compounds, some being responsible for the desired organoleptic properties for which the beverage called “coffee” is known. In the industry, the “roasting profile,” that is, the times and temperatures applied, is key to influence the composition of roasted coffee beans and the flavour of the beverage made from them. The impact of roasting on the chemical composition of coffee has been the subject of numerous studies, including by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. However, the roasting equipment and profiles applied in these studies are often far from real industrial conditions. In this work, the effects of two critical technological parameters of the roasting process, namely, the “development time” (the period of time after the “first crack,” a characteristic noise due to seed disruption) and the final roasting temperature on coffee extracts, were investigated. Seeds were roasted at pilot scale according to 13 industrial roasting profiles and extracted in D₂O. The extracts were analysed by ¹H NMR experiments. The NMR spectra were compared using (a) quantitative analysis of main signals by successive orders of magnitude and (b) chemometric tools (principal component analysis, partial least squares and sparse-orthogonal partial least squares analysis). This allowed to identify compounds, which may serve as markers of roasting and showed that changes in chemical composition can be detected even for slight change in final temperature (~1°C) or in total roasting time (~25 s).     

Reconstruction of physics objects at the Circular Electron Positron Collider with Arbor

After the Higgs discovery, precise measurements of the Higgs properties and the electroweak observables become vital for the experimental particle physics. A powerful Higgs/Z factory, the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) is proposed. The Particle Flow oriented detector design is proposed to the CEPC and a Particle Flow algorithm, Arbor is optimized accordingly. We summarize the physics object reconstruction performance of the Particle Flow oriented detector design with Arbor algorithm and conclude that this combination fulfills the physics requirement of CEPC.     

Lanthanide Identity Governs Guest-Induced Dimerization in LnIII[15-MC N(L-pheHA)-5])3+ Metallacrowns

Series of lanthanide-containing metallic coordination complexes are frequently presented as structurally analogous, due to the similar chemical and coordinative properties of the lanthanides. In the case of chiral (Ln^III[15-MC _N(L-pheHA)-5])³⁺ metallacrowns (MCs), which are well established supramolecular hosts, the formation of dimers templated by a dicarboxylate guest (muconate) in solution of neutral pH is herein shown to have a unique dependence on the identity of the MC's central lanthanide. Calorimetric data and nuclear magnetic resonance diffusion studies demonstrate that MCs containing larger or smaller lanthanides as the central metal only form monomeric host-guest complexes whereas analogues with intermediate lanthanides (for example, Eu, Gd, Dy) participate in formation of dimeric host-guest-host compartments. The driving force for the dimerization event across the series is thought to be a competition between formation of highly stable MCs (larger lanthanides) and optimally linked bridging guests (smaller lanthanides).