Evolution of electrical conductivity and semiconductor to metal transition of iron oxides at extreme conditions

Iron oxides are widely found as ores in Earth's crust and are also important constituents of its interiors. Their polymorphism, composition changes, and electronic structures play essential roles in controlling the structure and geodynamic properties of the solid Earth. While all-natural occurring iron oxides are semiconductors or insulators at ambient pressure, they start to metalize under pressure. Here in this work, we review the electronic conductivity and metallization of iron oxides under high-pressure conditions found in Earth's lower mantle. We summarize that the metallization of iron oxides is generally controlled by the pressure-induced bandgap closure near the Fermi level. After metallization, they possess much higher electrical and thermal conductivity, which will facilitate the thermal convection, support a more stable and thicker D^{$\prime\prime$} layer, and formulate Earth's magnetic field, all of which will constrain the large-scale dynamos of the mantle and core.     

A branch-and-bound method for the minimum k−enclosing ball problem

The minimum k-enclosing ball problem seeks the ball with smallest radius that contains at least k of m given points. This problem is NP-hard. We present a branch-and-bound algorithm on the tree of the subsets of k points to solve this problem. Our method is able to solve the problem exactly in a short amount of time for small and medium sized datasets.     

Synthesis of 29H,31H-phthalocyanine and chloro (29H,31H-phthalocyaninato) aluminum derivatives showed anti-cancer and anti-bacterial actions

Continuous administration of most chemotherapeutic drugs can induce different types of side effects. There has been growing interest in exploring an alternative approach to synthesizing compounds that are most effective and have fewer side effects. We synthesized 29H,31H-Phthalocyanine, and Chloro (29H,31H- phthalocyaninato) aluminum at low temperatures using lithium in the present study with diisopropylamide as the nucleophile. The physical characteristics of 29H,31H-Phthalocyanine, and Chloro (29H,31H- phthalocyaninato) aluminum were confirmed by FT-IR method, XRD, SEM, and the impact of these compounds on human colorectal carcinoma (HCT-116) and human cervical cells (HeLa) was examined. Treatment with 29H,31H-Phthalocyanine significantly decreased cancer cell growth and proliferation, as determined by MTT and DAPI staining analysis. In contrast, Chloro (29H,31H- phthalocyaninato) aluminum treatment did not show any inhibitory action on colon or cervical cancer cells. We also calculated the inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 29H,31H-Phthalocyanine, which was 30 µg/ml (HCT-116) and 33 µg/ml (HeLa cells). The antibacterial effectiveness of 29H,31H-Phthalocyanine, and chloro (29H,31H- phthalocyaninato) aluminum was studied using Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis). The CFU (colony frequency unit) assay confirmed significant activity against the test bacterium after treatment with 29H,31H-Phthalocyanine. However, no activity was seen upon treatment with chloro (29H,31H- phthalocyaninato) aluminum against E. faecalis.     

Four-Step Spin Crossover in a New Cyano-Bridged Iron-Silver Coordination Polymer

Spin-crossover complexes with multistep transitions attract much attention due to their potential applications as multi-switches and for data storage. A four-step spin crossover is observed in the new iron(II)-based cyanometallic guest-free framework compound Fe(2-ethoxypyrazine)₂{Ag(CN)₂}₂ during the transition from the low-spin to the high-spin state. A reverse process occurs in three steps. Crystallographic studies reveal an associated stepwise evolution of the crystal structures. Multiple transitions in the reported complex originate from distinct Fe^II sites which exist due to the packing of the ligand with a bulky substituent.     

Catalytic Nitrene Transfer by an FeIV-Imido Complex Generated by a Comproportionation Process

Nitrene transfer reactions have emerged as one of the most powerful and versatile ways to insert an amine function to various kinds of hydrocarbon substrates. However, the mechanisms of nitrene generation have not been studied in depth albeit their formation is taken for granted in most cases without definitive evidence of their occurrence. In the present work, we compare the generation of tosylimido iron species and NTs transfer from Fe^II and Fe^III precursors where the metal is embedded in a tetracarbene macrocycle. Catalytic nitrene transfer to reference substrates (thioanisole, styrene, ethylbenzene and cyclohexane) revealed that the same active species was at play, irrespective of the ferrous versus ferric nature of the precursor. Through combination of spectroscopic (UV-visible, Mössbauer), ESI-MS and DFT studies, an Fe^IV tosylimido species was identified as the catalytically active species and was characterized spectroscopically and computationally. Whereas its formation from the Fe^II precursor was expected by a two-electron oxidative addition, its formation from an Fe^III precursor was unprecedented. Thanks to a combination of spectroscopic (UV-visible, EPR, Hyscore and Mössbauer), ESI-MS and DFT studies, we found that, when starting from the Fe^III precursor, an Fe^III tosyliodinane adduct was formed and decomposed into an Fe^V tosylimido species which generated the catalytically active Fe^IV tosylimide through a comproportionation process with the Fe^III precursor.     

输电铁塔四地脚螺栓塔脚板抗拉承载力试验与计算方法研究

针对架空输电线路铁塔中常用的四地脚螺栓塔脚板进行了抗拉承载力试验和理论计算方法研究。首先,选取8个试件进行塔脚板抗拉承载力试验研究,分析塔脚底板板厚及有无加劲板对塔脚板抗拉承载力的影响;其次,通过有限元模拟塔脚板的应力分布情况,并结合“塑性分析,弹性设计”的思想,提出了一种基于屈服线理论的四地脚螺栓塔脚板抗拉承载力计算公式;最后,与试验结果、有限元仿真结果、已有技术规定中的计算结果进行了对比。结果表明:建议公式与试验结果和仿真结果较为吻合,相关技术规定中的计算结果偏于保守,验证了本文建议公式的精确性;底板厚度和加劲板的作用对塔脚板承载力影响较大。研究结果可为输电铁塔四地脚螺栓塔脚板结构设计提供参考。     

“多才多艺”的铁元素*

铁在自然界中含量丰富,化学性质活泼,能够形成多种应用广泛的物质及材料,富有发展潜力。简述了铁元素的发现与性质,并重点介绍了铁的功能与应用。其中铁的应用主要围绕铁及其化合物在医学治疗、能源材料和环境保护领域所发挥的重要作用进行了阐述。     

Structured water chains in external electric fields

ABSTRACT

We study the structural, energetic and electronic properties of the structured water chain clusters within the density functional theory. We refer the structured water chains to those water clusters that have specific geometric patterns stretched along one direction. External electric field required to keep the structures open chain, thereby preventing them to form closed structures, is applied along the length of the chain. The structures are essentially periodic with basic repeating unit consisting of the corner- or edge-sharing 4-, 5- or 6-membered ring water clusters. Our calculations underscore the possible existence of such structured water clusters in the electrostatic environments, which we simulate in its simplicity employing a dipolar, uniform and static electric field. Analysis reveals that the 5-membered ring water chain clusters, i.e. the pentamer chain clusters have the lowest average dipole moment per water molecule while the threshold field, that marks the onset of the field-induced closure of the HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital)-LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) energy gap, is highest, followed by that for the tetramer and hexamer chains. The results suggest that the pentamer chains are the most stable clusters over a wide range of electric fields.