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.     

Sample preparation,instrumental analysis,and natural distribution of complex organic pollutants in the wastewater from unconventional gas production

Large amounts of flowback and produced water (FPW) have been generated from hydraulic fracturing process for the production of unconventional gas such as shale gas. Complex organic pollutants are abundantly present in FPW with revealed toxicity to aquatic organisms and these contaminants may transfer into surrounding aquatic environment. Characterization and determination of complicated organic pollutants in FPW remains a challenge due to its complex composition and high salinity matrix. This review article covers the progress of recent 5 years regarding the sample preparation and instrumental analysis methods and thus summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of these methods for critical analysis of organic contaminants in FPW samples. Furthermore, the natural distribution of detected organic compounds and their transformation were reviewed and discussed to enhance the understanding of spatial and temporal behaviors of these organic pollutants in natural environment, paving the way for future development of pollution control policies and strategies. Enlightened by the studies of FPW contamination in the US, the investigations of FPW contamination in China continued to grow due to rapidly growing production of shale gas in China and resulted pollution.     

Pure annihilation decay of strange beauty meson into two charm heavy mesons

In this study, the heavy to heavy decay of \begin{document}$ B^0_s\rightarrow D^{*+}D^- $\end{document} is evaluated through the factorization approach by using the final state interaction as an effective correction. Under the factorization approach, this decay mode occurs only through the annihilation process, so a small amount is produced. Feynman's rules state that six meson pairs can be assumed for the intermediate states before the final meson pairs are produced. By taking into account the effects of twelve final state interaction diagrams in the calculations, a significant correction is obtained. These effects correct the value of the branching ratio obtained by the pure factorization approach from \begin{document}$ (2.41\pm1.37)\times10^{-5} $\end{document} to \begin{document}$ (8.27\pm2.23)\times10^{-5} $\end{document}. The value obtained for the branching ratio of the \begin{document}$ B^0_s\rightarrow D^{*+}D^- $\end{document} decay is consistent with the experimental results.     

局部分数阶拉普拉斯算子的狄利克雷问题弱解的细正则性

In this paper, we study the Holder regularity of weak solutions to the Dirichlet problem associated with the regional fractional Laplacian (-△)^αΩ on a bounded open set Ω ■R(N ≥ 2) with C^(1,1) boundary ■Ω. We prove that when f ∈ L^p(Ω), and g ∈ C(Ω), the following problem (-△)^αΩu = f in Ω, u = g on ■Ω, admits a unique weak solution u ∈ W^(α,2)(Ω) ∩ C(Ω),where p >N/2-2α and 1/2< α < 1. To solve this problem, we consider it into two special cases, i.e.,g ≡ 0 on ■Ω and f ≡ 0 in Ω. Finally, taking into account the preceding two cases, the general conclusion is drawn.     

Diffusion Model of a Non-Integer Order PIγ Controller with TCP/UDP Streams

In this article, a way to employ the diffusion approximation to model interplay between TCP and UDP flows is presented. In order to control traffic congestion, an environment of IP routers applying AQM (Active Queue Management) algorithms has been introduced. Furthermore, the impact of the fractional controller PIγ and its parameters on the transport protocols is investigated. The controller has been elaborated in accordance with the control theory. The TCP and UDP flows are transmitted simultaneously and are mutually independent. Only the TCP is controlled by the AQM algorithm. Our diffusion model allows a single TCP or UDP flow to start or end at any time, which distinguishes it from those previously described in the literature.     

广西经济增长、金融发展与城乡收入差距的实证研究

探讨了经济增长及金融发展与城乡收入差距之间互动影响,刻画了三者间的逻辑关系,并基于广西1990-2017年的统计数据,运用状态空间模型及卡尔曼滤波算法对三者间动态关系进行了实证分析.结果显示:经济增长对城乡收入差距呈现倒U型曲线形态,而金融发展则显示出具有不断缩小城乡收入差距的趋势.     

Negative thermal expansion in NbF_3 and NbOF_2:A comparative theoretical study

Thermal expansion control is always an obstructive factor and challenging in high precision engineering field. Here,the negative thermal expansion of Nb F_3 and Nb OF_2 was predicted by first-principles calculation with density functional theory and the quasi-harmonic approximation(QHA). We studied the total charge density, thermal vibration, and lattice dynamic to investigate the thermal expansion mechanism. We found that the presence of O induced the relatively strong covalent bond in Nb OF_2, thus weakening the transverse vibration of F and O in Nb OF_2, compared with the case of Nb F_3.In this study, we proposed a way to tailor negative thermal expansion of metal fluorides by introducing the oxygen atoms.The present work not only predicts two NTE compounds, but also provides an insight on thermal expansion control by designing chemical bond type.     

Ultrahigh Loading Copper Single Atom Catalyst for Palladium-free Wacker Oxidation

Wacker oxidation is an industry-adopted process to transform olefins into value-added epoxides and carbonyls. However, traditional Wacker oxidation involves the use of homogeneous palladium and copper catalysts for the olefin addition and reductive elimination. Here, we demonstrated an ultrahigh loading Cu single atom catalyst(14% Cu, mass fraction) for the palladium-free Wacker oxidation of 4-vinylanisole into the corresponding ketone with N-methylhydroxylamine hydrochloride as an additive under mild conditions. Mechanistic studies by ¹⁸O and deuterium isotope labelling revealed a hydrogen shift mechanism in this palladium-free process using N-methylhydroxylamine hydrochloride as the oxygen source. The reaction scope can be further extended to Kucherov oxidation. Our study paves the way to replace noble metal catalysts in the traditional homogeneous processes with single atom catalysts.     

石墨烯负载的氧配位钴单原子稳定金属锂负极

Lithium (Li)-based batteries are the dominant energy source for consumer electronics, grid storage, and electrified transportation. However, the development of batteries based on graphite anodes is hindered by their limited energy density. With its ultrahigh theoretical capacity (3860 mAh∙g⁻¹), low redox potential (−3.04 V), and satisfactorily low density (0.54 g∙cm⁻³), Li metal is the most promising anode for next-generation high-energy-density batteries. Unfortunately, the limited cycling life and safety issues raised by dendrite growth, unstable solid electrolyte interphase, and "dead Li" have inhibited their practical use. An effective strategy is to develop a suitable lithiophilic matrix for regulating initial Li nucleation behavior and controlling subsequent Li growth. Herein, single-atom cobalt coordinated to oxygen sites on graphene (Co-O-G SA) is demonstrated as a Li plating substrate to efficiently regulate Li metal nucleation and growth. Owing to its dense and more uniform lithiophilic sites than single-atom cobalt coordinated to nitrogen sites on graphene (Co-N-G SA), high electronic conductivity, and high specific surface area (519 m²∙g⁻¹), Co-O-G SA could significantly reduce the local current density and promote the reversibility of Li plating and stripping. As a result, the Co-O-G SA based Li anodes exhibited a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.9% at a current density of 1 mA∙cm⁻² with a capacity of 1 mAh∙cm⁻², and excellent rate capability (high current density of 8 mA∙cm⁻²). Even at a high plating capacity of 6 mAh∙cm⁻², the Co-O-G SA electrode could stably cycle for an ultralong lifespan of 1300 h. In the symmetric battery, the Co-O-G SA based Li anode (Co-O-G SA/Li) possessed a stable voltage profile of 18 mV for 780 h at 1 mA∙cm⁻², and even at a high current density of 3 mA∙cm⁻², its overpotential maintained a small hysteresis of approximately 24 mV for > 550 h. Density functional theory calculations showed that the surface of Co-O-G SA had a stronger interaction with Li atoms with a larger binding energy, −3.1 eV, than that of Co-N-G SA (−2.5 eV), leading to a uniform distribution of metallic Li on the Co-O-G SA surface. More importantly, when matched with a sulfur cathode, the resulting Co-O-G SA/lithium sulfur full batteries exhibited a high capacity of 1002 mAh∙g⁻¹, improved kinetics with a small polarization of 191 mV, and an ultralow capacity decay rate of 0.036% per cycle for 1000 cycles at 0.5C (1C = 1675 mA∙g⁻¹) with a steady Coulombic efficiency of nearly 100%. Therefore, this work provides novel insights into the coordination environment of single atoms for the chemistry of Li metal anodes for high-energy-density batteries.