Functional Group Modification and Bonding Characteristics of Ti3C2 MXene-Organic Composites from First-Principles Calculations

The unique physical structure and abundant surface functional groups of MXene make the grafted organic molecules exhibit specific electrical and optical properties. This work reports the results of first-principles calculations to investigate the composite systems formed by different organic molecular monomers, namely acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM), 1-aziridineethanol (1-AD) and glucose, and Ti₃C₂ MXene saturated with different functional groups, namely −OH, −O and −F. The results show that the interaction between organic molecules and the MXene surface depends on the type of functional groups of the organic molecules, while the strength of the interaction is determined by the type of surface functional groups and the number of hydrogen bonds. The bare Ti₃C₂ and Ti₃C₂(OH)₂ can readily form strong chemical and hydrogen bonds with AA and AM molecules, leading to strong adsorption energy and a large amount of charge transfer, while the interaction between organic molecules and MXene saturated by −F or −O groups mainly exhibits physical interactions, accompanied by low adsorption energy and a small amount of charge transfer. This research provides theoretical guidance for the synthesis of high-performance MXene organic composite systems.     

Monolayer 1T and 1T′ MoSO as Promising Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution based on First Principle Calculations

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has been regarded as one of the most promising candidates for replacing Pt group noble metals as an efficient electrocatalyst to enhance the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in consideration of its relatively high earth abundance. Recent studies show that the catalytic efficiency of MoS₂ for HER can be promoted by the presence of 1T-phase MoS₂. It is hard to precisely control the formation of 1T-MoS₂, however, due to its metastability relative to 2H-MoS₂. Elevating the stability of 1T phase allotrope is therefore of great importance and could be realized by replacing divalent S with monovalent elements or groups according to crystal field theory, which has been demonstrated through our first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculation results. Differential Gibbs free energy analysis for hydrogen adsorption (ΔG_H*) suggest that 1T and 1T′ MoSO (O doped MoS₂) might be taken as potential candidate catalysts for HER process with better performance than 1T and 1T′ MoS₂. We also propose a probable approach to synthesize 1T and 1T′ MoSO under oxidation circumstance environment of graphene oxide.     

Diboron Bonds Between BX3 (X=H,F, CH3) and BYZ2 (Y=H,F; Z=CO,N2, CNH)

The ability of B atoms on two different molecules to engage with one another in a noncovalent diboron bond is studied by ab initio calculations. Due to electron donation from its substituents, the trivalent B atom of BYZ₂ (Z=CO, N₂, and CNH; Y=H and F) has the ability to in turn donate charge to the B of a BX₃ molecule (X=H, F, and CH₃), thus forming a B⋅⋅⋅B diboron bond. These bonds are of two different strengths and character. BH(CO)₂ and BH(CNH)₂, and their fluorosubstituted analogues BF(CO)₂ and BF(CNH)₂, engage in a typical noncovalent bond with B(CH₃)₃ and BF₃, with interaction energies in the 3–8 kcal/mol range. Certain other combinations result in a much stronger diboron bond, in the 26–44 kcal/mol range, and with a high degree of covalent character. Bonds of this type occur when BH₃ is added to BH(CO)₂, BH(CNH)₂, BH(N₂)₂, and BF(CO)₂, or in the complexes of BH(N₂)₂ with B(CH₃)₃ and BF₃. The weaker noncovalent bonds are held together by roughly equal electrostatic and dispersion components, complemented by smaller polarization energy, while polarization is primarily responsible for the stronger ones.     

过渡金属-配体σ键键能在碳-氢键活化中的应用

过渡金属催化的碳-氢(C-H)键活化因其优异的原子经济性及步骤简便性在过去几十年间蓬勃发展,已成为当前构建复杂化合物最常用的策略之一.对该过程中活性中间体的热力学研究有助于加深人们对反应机理的理解,指导新催化剂、新反应的理性设计.然而,近年来该领域的发展颇为缓慢,相应的报道十分零散,缺少系统的归纳和总结.本综述简要梳理了过渡金属-配体σ键键能的研究历程,并举例阐述了这些热力学参数在分析反应可行性、判断反应选择性等方面的应用,旨在推动过渡金属络合物相关的热力学研究的快速发展.     

Theoretical investigation of the interaction between the metal phthalocyanine [MPc]a(M = Sc,Ti, and V; a = –1, 0, and +1) complexes and formaldehyde

Formaldehyde (FA, CH₂O) is one of the toxic volatile organic compounds that cause harmful effects on the human body. In this work, the interaction of FA gas with metal phthalocyanine (MPc) molecules was studied by employing density functional theory calculations. A variety of [MPc]^a (M = Sc, Ti, and V; a = –1, 0, and +1) complexes were studied, and the electronic properties, interaction energies, and charge transfer properties of all of the studied molecules were systematically discussed. Among the studied complexes, the Sc and Ti phthalocyanines were more reactive toward the adsorption of FA gas. Moreover, it was revealed that the interaction of the [ScPc]⁺¹ and [TiPc]⁰ complexes with the CH₂O molecule was stronger, in which the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy gap of 46% and 36% decreased after FA adsorption. The results indicated that the MPc-based materials may be a promising candidate for the detection of FA gas.     

Effect of Filtrated Osmotic Solution Based on Concentrated Chokeberry Juice and Mint Extract on the Drying Kinetics,Energy Consumption and Physicochemical Properties of Dried Apples

Background: Filtration of osmotic solution affects selective penetration during osmotic dehydration (OD), and after drying is finished, this can influence the chemical composition of the material, which is also modified by OD. Methods: Osmotic dehydration was carried out in filtrated and non-filtrated concentrated chokeberry juice with the addition of mint infusion. Then, this underwent convective drying, vacuum-microwave drying and combined convective pre-drying, followed by vacuum-microwave finishing drying. Drying kinetics were presented and mathematical models were selected. The specific energy consumption for each drying method was calculated and the energy efficiency was determined. Results and Discussion: The study revealed that filtration of osmotic solution did not have significant effect on drying kinetics; however, it affected selective penetration during OD. The highest specific energy consumption was obtained for the samples treated by convective drying (CD) (around 170 kJ·g⁻¹ fresh weight (fw)) and the lowest for the samples treated by vacuum-microwave drying (VMD) (around 30 kJ·g⁻¹ fw), which is due to the differences in the time of drying and when these methods are applied. Conclusions: Filtration of the osmotic solution can be used to obtain the desired material after drying and the VMD method is the most appropriate considering both phenolic acid content and the energy aspect of drying.     

Graphdiyne:A Versatile Material in Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage

Graphdiyne(GDY),which is composed of sp2-/sp-hybridized carbon atoms,has attracted increasing attention.In the structure of GDY,the existence of large triangular-like pores,well dispersed electron-rich cavities as well as a large π-conjugated structure endows GDY with a natural bandgap,fast electron/ion transport,and tunable electronic properties.These unique features make GDY competitive in areas of gas separation and capture,electronics,detectors,catalysts,biomedicine and therapy,and energy-related fields.Benefiting from the facile synthesis method,various GDY structures and GDY-based composites have been successfully prepared and show great potential in the practical application of energy storage and catalysis areas.Here,this review aims at providing a timely and comprehensive update on the preparation and application of GDY materials.The current development of GDY materials in various electrochemical fields especially in energy conversion,energy storage,and catalysis is mainly summarized.Moreover,the potential development prospects are also discussed.     

溯源辨析“活化分子”概念在化学教材中的角色定位*

“活化分子”作为国内化学教育领域广为人知的科学概念,在各类相关化学教材中都有介绍。然而在国外多种经典化学教材中却完全没有“活化分子”的概念,反映出国内外化学教育领域对化学反应速率理论相关知识点的处理上存在明显的差异与分歧。通过溯源关键历史文献,回顾了“活化分子”概念的形成及其在化学反应速率理论发展过程中的角色演变,指出“活化分子”概念已经退出反应速率理论的舞台,在教材中应更多地呈现其在科学史方面的价值,而不是科学价值。     

In silico analysis of carbohydrate-binding pockets in the lectin genes from various species of Canavalia

Legumes are endowed with an opulent class of proteins called lectins that can detect tenuous variations in carbohydrate structures and bind them reversibly with high affinity and specificity. The genus Canavalia, in the family of Leguminosae, is considered to be an affluent source of lectin. An effort has been made to analyse the sequences encoded by the lectin gene and its carbohydrate binding pockets from three species of Canavalia, including C. virosa, C. rosea, and C. pubescens. Crude seed extract showed highest haemagglutination titer against buffalo RBCs and has high affinity to mannose and trehalose. Amplification of the lectin gene by gene-specific primers showed the presence of an 870 bp amplicon. Physicochemical characterization using various bioinformatic tools showed that the isoelectric point was below 7, suggesting that lectin molecules were acidic. A high aliphatic index and high instability index were observed, which indicated that lectin molecules were stable towards a wide range of temperatures. The occurrence of N-glycosylation sites at two sites was also identified in all three species. Prediction of secondary structure showed that approximately 59.05 %, 56.76 % and 54.88 % of the elements were random coils in the case of C. virosa, C. pubescens and C. rosea, respectively. Comparative modelling of the proteins and docking of hypothetical models with sugar moieties that inhibited the agglutination activity suggested that asparagine, serine, alanine, valine, tyrosine and threonine were the major residues involved in hydrogen bonding and other stacking interactions. This can further provide insights on its prospective antibiosis property.     

Interaction mechanism between serine functional groups and single‐walled carbon nanotubes

The adsorption of serine (Ser) on the (8, 8) and (10, 0) single‐walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was studied by density‐functional tight‐binding calculations. For Ser, the two most stable configurations were chosen to research the interactions with the CNT. It found that the most stable Ser/(8, 8) and Ser/(10, 0) complexes have similar structures, in which the amino group, carboxyl, and side chain of serine directly interact with the CNT. The binding energies, charge transfer properties, the shortest distance (d₁) between the H atom and the corresponding benzene ring, distance (d₂) between the H atom and the center of benzene ring (HCB), and the angle (α) between the HCB line and the corresponding benzene ring plane were analyzed to explain the interactions. Because of the interaction, the ?CH of the main chain runs away from the surface of CNT, and the angles between the ?C?H bond of the main chain and the carboxyl, the amino group, and the side chain of the Ser become small. The strain energies and changes of angles and dihedral angles of the serine after adsorption were analyzed to illustrate the deformation. The interactions of Ser with the CNT were further illustrated by calculating the molecular orbitals and the partial density of states of the stable complexes. We further compared the binding energies of armchair (n, n) and zigzag (n, 0) CNTs to investigate the diameter dependence of binding energies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.