Surface charging behaviors of electrocatalytic interfaces with partially charged chemisorbates

The surface charge is a key concept in electrochemistry. Mathematically, the surface charge is obtained from a spatial integration of the volume charge along a particular direction. Ambiguities thus arise in choosing the starting and ending points of the integration. As for electrocatalytic interfaces, the presence of chemisorbates further complicates the situation. In this minireview, I adopt a definition of the surface charge within a continuum picture of the electric double layer. I will introduce surface charging behaviors of firstly ordinary electrochemical interfaces and then electrocatalytic interfaces featuring partially charged chemisorbates. Particularly, the origin of nonmonotonic surface charging behaviors of electrocatalytic interfaces is explained using a primitive model. Finally, a brief account of previous studies on the nonmonotonic surface charging behavior is presented, as a subline of the spectacular history of electric double layer.     

单层MXene纳米片Ti2N电磁特性的过渡金属(Sc、V、Zr)掺杂效应

二维材料MXene纳米片由于具有较大的比表面积和较高的电子迁移率而受到广泛的关注。本文采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理计算,对单层MXene纳米片Ti₂N电磁特性的过渡金属(Sc、V、Zr)掺杂效应进行了系统研究。结果表明,所有过渡金属掺杂体系结合能均为负值,结构均稳定;其中Ti₂N-Sc体系的形成能为-2.242 eV,结构更易形成,且保持稳定;掺杂后Ti₂N-Sc、Ti₂N-Zr体系磁矩增大;此外,Ti₂N-Sc体系中保留了较高的自旋极化率,达到84.9%,可预测该体系在自旋电子学中具有潜在的应用价值。     

Multivariate optimization and comparison between conventional extraction (CE) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) of carotenoid extraction from cashew apple

Carotenoids are an essential component of cashew and can be used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, natural pigment, food additives, among other applications. The present work focuses on optimizing and comparing conventional and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods. Every optimization step took place with a 1:1 (w:w) mixture of yellow and red cashew apples lyophilized and ground in a cryogenic mill. A Simplex-centroid design was applied for both methods, and the solvents acetone, methanol, ethanol, and petroleum ether were evaluated. After choosing the extractor solvent, a central composite design was applied to optimize the sample mass (59–201 mg) and extraction time (6–34 min). The optimum conditions for the extractor solvent were 38% acetone, 30% ethanol, and 32% petroleum ether for CE and a mixture of 44% acetone and 56% methanol for UAE. The best experimental conditions for UAE were a sonication time of 19 min and a sample mass of 153 mg, while the CE was 23 min and 136 mg. Comparing red and yellow cashews, red cashews showed a higher carotenoid content in both methodologies. The UAE methodology was ca. 21% faster, presented a more straightforward composition of extracting solution, showed an average yield of superior carotenoid content in all samples compared to CE. Therefore, UAE has demonstrated a simple, efficient, fast, low-cost adjustment methodology and a reliable alternative for other applications involving these bioactive compounds in the studied or similar matrix.     

Development of a Chitosan/Nickel Phthalocyanine Composite Based Conductometric Micro-sensor for Methanol Detection

Thin-film composite of chitosan/nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) was electrochemically deposited on the fingers of interdigitated gold electrodes, applying chronoamperometric polymerization technique. The presence of crystallized NiPc in the chitosan was confirmed by EDX and FTIR analysis. Acetone, ethanol, and methanol gas-sensing properties of the films prepared at optimum conditions were studied at atmospheric temperature, through differential measurements at an optimized frequency of 10 kHz, using a lock-in amplifier. The conductometric sensor presents the highest sensitivity of 60.2 μS.cm⁻¹(v/v) for methanol and 700 ppm as the limit of detection. For validation, the methanol content of a commercial rubbing alcohol was determined.     

SAPO-34提升铁钒基催化剂抗碱性能研究

采用浸渍法制备Fe-VO_x/SAPO-34和Fe-VO_x/TiO₂脱硝催化剂,探究SAPO-34分子筛与TiO₂两种载体负载铁钒基氧化物催化活性及抗碱性能的差异。借助X射线衍射(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、氨气程序升温脱附(NH₃-TPD)、氢气程序升温还原(H₂-TPR)、原位红外漫反射(in-situ DRIFTs)等表征手段对催化剂的骨架结构、表面物化性质、氧化还原能力以及对反应气体的吸脱附情况进行分析。结果表明:SAPO-34分子筛内部特定的孔道结构和稳定的骨架,有利于活性组分在载体上均匀分散,降低碱金属对表面活性中心的物理覆盖作用;同时其表面丰富的酸位点能够作为碱金属捕获位,保护催化剂表面的活性中心,保证催化剂的吸附-反应过程能够正常进行,从而使Fe-VO_x/SAPO-34表现出良好的抗碱金属能力。     

Theoretical study on the mechanism for the excited-state double proton transfer process of an asymmetric Schiff base ligand

Excited-state double proton transfer (ESDPT) in the 1-[(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzylidene)-hydrazonomethyl]-naphthalen-2-ol (HYDRAVH₂) ligand was studied by the density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory method. The analysis of frontier molecular orbitals, infrared spectra, and non-covalent interactions have cross-validated that the asymmetric structure has an influence on the proton transfer, which makes the proton transfer ability of the two hydrogen protons different. The potential energy surfaces in both S₀ and S₁ states were scanned with varying O-H bond lengths. The results of potential energy surface analysis adequately proved that the HYDRAVH₂ can undergo the ESDPT process in the S₁ state and the double proton transfer process is a stepwise proton transfer mechanism. Our work can pave the way towards the design and synthesis of new molecules.     

Majorana fermions induced fast-and slow-light in a hybrid semiconducting nanowire/superconductor device

We investigate theoretically Rabi-like splitting and Fano resonance in absorption spectra of quantum dots(QDs)based on a hybrid QD-semiconducting nanowire/superconductor(SNW/SC)device mediated by Majorana fermions(MFs).Under the condition of pump on-resonance and off-resonance,the absorption spectrum experiences the conversion from Fano resonance to Rabi-like splitting in different parametric regimes.In addition,the Fano resonances are accompanied by the rapid normal phase dispersion,which will indicate the coherent optical propagation.The results indicate that the group velocity index is tunable with controlling the interaction between the QD and MFs,which can reach the conversion between the fast-and slow-light.Fano resonance will be another method to detect MFs and our research may indicate prospective applications in quantum information processing based on the hybrid QD-SNW/SC devices.     

Effect of strain on charge density wave order in α-U

The effect of strain on charge density wave (CDW) order in $\alpha$-U is investigated within the framework of relativistic density-functional theory. The energetical stability of $\alpha$-U with CDW distortion is enhanced by the tensile strain along $a$ and $b$ axes, which is similar to the case of negative pressure and normal. However, the tensile strain along $c$ axis suppresses the energetical stability of CDW phase. This abnormal effect could be understood from the emergence of a new one-dimensional atomic chain along $c$ axis in $\alpha$-U. Furthermore, this effect is supported by the calculations of Fermi surface and phonon mode, in which the topological objects and the dynamical instability show opposite behaviors between strains along $a$/$b$ and $c$ axes.     

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.     

A general framework for describing photofission observables of actinides at an average excitation energy below 30 MeV

A reasonable prediction of photofission observables plays a paramount role in understanding the photofission process and guiding various photofission-induced applications, such as short-lived isotope production, nuclear waste disposal, and nuclear safeguards. However, the available experimental data for photofission observables are limited, and the existing models and programs have mainly been developed for neutron-induced fission processes. In this study, a general framework is proposed for characterizing the photofission observables of actinides, including the mass yield distributions (MYD) and isobaric charge distributions (ICD) of fission fragments and the multiplicity and energy distributions of prompt neutrons (n_p) and prompt γ rays (γ_p). The framework encompasses various systematic neutron models and empirical models considering the Bohr hypothesis and does not rely on the experimental data as input. These models are then validated individually against experimental data at an average excitation energy below 30 MeV, which shows the reliability and robustness of the general framework. Finally, we employ this framework to predict the characteristics of photofission fragments and the emissions of prompt particles for typical actinides including ²³²Th, ^{235, 238}U and ²⁴⁰Pu. It is found that the ²³⁸U(γ, f) reaction is more suitable for producing neutron-rich nuclei compared to the ²³²Th(γ, f) reaction. In addition, the average multiplicity number of both n_p and γ_p increases with the average excitation energy.