Terahertz generation in quantum cascade structures by two-color deriving fields: An approach to reach inversion population via optical pumping

In this paper, a quantum cascade laser (QCL) design is proposed based on GaAs/AlGaAs material system, which simultaneously operates at three widely separated wavelengths (${\lambda }_1=11.1\mu m,{\lambda }_2=14.1\mu m$ and ${\lambda }_{THz}=60\mu m$). In the design, all the wavelength radiations are achieved by the engineering of the electronic spectrum via the quantum-well widths and the applied electric field in a single active region within a same waveguide. The mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelengths are obtained by adoption a dual-upper-state active region, and the proposed design aims to use both the mid-IR radiations as the coherent deriving fields to populate the upper THz lasing state to aid the THz-laser population inversion via optical pumping instead of direct electrical injection. A detailed analysis of electronic transport in the structure is carried out using a multi-level rate-equation model. The results show that the proposed structure offers an alternative approach to room temperature THz generation in QCLs.     

水热法制备二氧化锡/钨酸铋复合光催化材料及其催化活性研究

本文用水热法制备了正交晶系的纳米球状结构的二氧化锡和正交晶系的由片状聚集成球状结构的钨酸铋,并且对二者进行了复合,制备出了二氧化锡/钨酸铋复合光催化材料。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、比表面积测试仪(BET)、紫外可见分光光度计等技术对复合样品的结构、形貌、比表面积、孔容孔径和光学性质进行了表征。用碘钨灯模拟太阳光,分别以二氧化锡、钨酸铋和二氧化锡/钨酸铋复合材料为催化剂降解罗丹明B(RhB),研究所制备的二氧化锡/钨酸铋复合材料的光催化活性。光催化90 min时二氧化锡、钨酸铋和二氧化锡/钨酸铋对罗丹明B的降解率分别是9%、22%和30%。实验结果表明,在可见光下,二氧化锡/钨酸铋复合材料的光催化活性要高于单一的二氧化锡和钨酸铋。     

Characterization and gas adsorption of a novel three‐dimensional metal–organic framework (MOF) generated from a new polydentate fluorene‐bridged ligand

A polydentate ligand bridged by a fluorene group, namely 9,9‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐2,7‐bis(pyridin‐4‐yl)fluorene (L), has been prepared under solvothermal conditions in acetonitrile. Crystals of the three‐dimensional metal–organic framework (MOF) poly[[[μ₃‐9,9‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐2,7‐bis(pyridin‐4‐yl)fluorene‐κ³N:N′:O]bis(methanol‐κO)(μ‐sulfato‐κ²O:O′)nickel(II)] methanol disolvate], {[Ni(SO₄)(C₂₇H₂₄N₂O₂)(CH₃OH)]·2CH₃OH}_n, (I), were obtained by the solvothermal reaction of L and NiSO₄ in methanol. The ligand L forms a two‐dimensional network in the crystallographic bc plane via two groups of O—H…N hydrogen bonds and neighbouring two‐dimensional planes are completely parallel and stack to form a three‐dimensional structure. In (I), the Ni^II ions are linked by sulfate ions through Ni—O bonds to form inorganic chains and these Ni‐containing chains are linked into a three‐dimensional framework via Ni—O and Ni—N bonds involving the polydentate ligand L. With one of the hydroxy groups of L coordinating to the Ni^II atom, the torsion angle of the hydroxyethyl group changes from that of the uncoordinated molecule. In addition, the adsorption properties of (I) with carbon dioxide were investigated.     

硫化镉反蛋白石光子晶体制备及光解水制氢

对硫化镉反蛋白石结构光子晶体薄膜进行了可控合成,用巯基乙酸修饰的纳米晶和P(St-MMA-SPMAP)高分子小球共组装,成功地构筑了反蛋白石结构并用于可见光光解水产氢。结果表明,在可见光(λ≥420 nm)照射下,Cd S-310反蛋白石结构薄膜的光解水产氢性能比硫化镉纳米颗粒提高了一倍。这主要是因为等级孔结构反蛋白石光子晶体特性对催化剂的光催化性能的提升:首先,反蛋白石的周期性结构增加了光子在材料中的传播,提高了催化剂对太阳光的利用率;同时,大孔孔壁是由纳米颗粒堆积而成的,在反应中提供了更多的反应活性位点;此外,孔结构有利于物质的传输和分子的吸附。     

X-ray absorption signatures of hydrogen-bond structure in water–alcohol solutions

Despite fundamental importance, the experimental characterization of the hydrogen bond network, particularly in multicomponent protic solutions, remains a challenge. Although recent work has experimentally validated that the oxygen K-edge X-ray absorption spectra is sensitive to local hydrogen bond patterns in pure water and aqueous alcohol solutions, the generality of this observation is unknown—as is the sensitivity to the electronic structure of the alcohol cosolvent. In this work, we investigate the electronic structure of water solvated alcohol model geometries using energy specific time-dependent density functional theory to calculate oxygen K-edge X-ray excitations. We find that the geometry of dangling hydrogen bonds in pure water is the main contributor to the pre-edge feature seen in the X-ray absorption spectra, agreeing with previous experimental and theoretical work. We then extend this result to solvated alcohol systems and observe a similar phenomenon, yet importantly, the increase of electron donation from alkyl chains to the alcohol OH group directly correlates to the strength of the core excitation on the dangling hydrogen bond model geometry. This trend arises from a stronger transition dipole moment due to electron localization on the OH group.     

Catalytic Generation and Chemoselective Transfer of Nucleophilic Hydrides from Dihydrogen

Copper(I)–N-heterocyclic-carbene (NHC) complexes enabled the catalytic generation of nucleophilic hydrides from dihydrogen (H₂) and their subsequent transfer to allylic chlorides. The highly chemoselective catalyst displayed no concomitant hydrogenation reactivity; in fact, the terminal double bond formed in the hydride transfer remained intact. Switching to deuterium gas (D₂) allowed for regioselective monodeuteration with excellent isotope incorporation.     

Advantageous Interfacial Effects of AgPd/g-C3N4 for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution: Electronic Structure and H2O Dissociation

Bimetallic AgPd nanoparticles have been synthesized before, but the interfacial electronic effects of AgPd on the photocatalytic performance have been investigated less. In this work, the results of hydrogen evolution suggest that the bimetallic AgPd/g-C₃N₄ sample has superior activity to Ag/g-C₃N₄ and Pd/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts. The UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, CO adsorption diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy, and FTIR results demonstrate that in the AgPd/g-C₃N₄, the surface electronic structures of Pd and Ag are changed, which is beneficial for faster photogenerated electron transfer and greater H₂O molecule adsorption. In situ ESR spectra suggest that, under visible light irradiation, there is more H₂O dissociation to radical species on the AgPd/g-C₃N₄ photocatalyst. Furthermore, DFT calculations confirm the interfacial electronic effects of AgPd/g-C₃N₄, that is, Pd^δ−⋅⋅⋅Ag^δ+, and the activation energy of H₂O molecule dissociation on AgPd/g-C₃N₄ is the lowest, which is the main contributor to the enhanced photocatalytic H₂ evolution.     

Facile preparation of Ag/Ag2WO4/g‐C3N4 ternary plasmonic photocatalyst and its visible‐light photocatalytic activity

Introducing plasmonic metals into semiconductor materials has been proven to be an attractive strategy for enhancing photocatalytic activity in the visible region. In this work, a novel and efficient Ag/Ag₂WO₄/g‐C₃N₄ (AACN) ternary plasmonic photocatalyst was successfully synthesized using a facile one‐step in situ hydrothermal method. The composition, structure, morphology and optical absorption properties of AACN were investigated using X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. Photocatalytic performance of AACN was evaluated via rhodamine B and tetracycline degradation. The results indicated that AACN had excellent photocatalytic performance for rhodamine B degradation with a rate constant of 0.0125 min^?1, which was higher than those of Ag₂WO₄ and Ag/Ag₂WO₄. Characterization and photocatalytic tests showed that the strong coupling effect between the Ag/Ag₂WO₄ nanoparticles and the exfoliated ultrathin g‐C₃N₄ nanosheets was superior for visible‐light responsivity and reduced the recombination rate of photogenerated electrons and holes. A proposed mechanism is also discussed according to the band energy structure and the experimental results.     

Solvent‐free ring‐opening polymerization of lactones with hydrogen‐bonding bisurea catalyst

Development of effective organocatalysts for the living ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of lactones is highly desired for the preparation of biocompatible and biodegradable polyesters with controlled microstructures and physical properties. Herein, a new class of hydrogen‐bond donating bisurea catalysts is reported for the ROP of lactones under solvent‐free conditions. ROP of lactones mediated by the bisurea/7‐methyl‐1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene (MTBD) catalyst exhibits a living/controlled manner, affording the polymers and copolymers with the well‐defined structure, predictable molecular weight, narrow molecular weight distribution, and high selectivity for monomer at low catalyst loadings at ambient temperature. The possible mechanism of bisurea/MTBD‐catalyzed ROP of lactones is proposed, in which the bisurea activates the carbonyl group of lactones while MTBD facilitates the nucleophilic attack of the initiating/propagating alcohol by hydrogen bonding. Moreover, the poly(ε‐caprolactone‐co‐δ‐valerolactone) [P(CL‐co‐VL)] random copolymers with various compositions were synthesized using the bisurea/MTBD catalyst. The measurements of thermal properties and crystalline structure demonstrate that the CL and VL units are cocrystallized in the crystalline phase of P(CL‐co‐VL) copolymers. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 90–100