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.     

Rapid qualitative profiling and quantitative analysis of Juglandis Mandshuricae Cortex and seven flavonoids by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole/orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry

Juglandis Mandshuricae Cortex is the bark of Juglans mandshurica Maxim., which has been used as a folk medicine plant in China and India. In this study, an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole/orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry method was developed to clarify and quantify the chemical profiling of Juglandis Mandshuricae Cortex rapidly. A total of 113 compounds were characterized. Among them, seven flavonoids were simultaneously quantified in 15 min, including myricetin, myricetrin, taxifolin, kaempferol, quercetin, quercitrin, and naringenin. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, and the limits of detection and quantification. All calibration curves showed a good linear relationship (r > 0.9990) within test ranges. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were less than 2.16%. Accuracy validation showed that the recovery was between 95.6 and 101.3% with relative standard deviation values below 2.85%. The validated method was successfully applied to determine the contents of seven flavones in Juglandis Mandshuricae Cortex from seven sources and the contents of these places were calculated respectively. This method provides a theoretical basis for further developing the medicinal value of Juglandis Mandshuricae Cortex.     

Carbohydrate-based nanostructured catalysts: applications in organic transformations

The requirement of green and sustainable materials to prepare heterogeneous catalysts has intensified for practical reasons over the past few decades. Carbohydrates are possibly the most plentiful and renewable organic materials in nature with inimitable physiochemical properties, plausible low-cost and large-scale production, and sustainability features could be exploited in the generation of nanostructured heterogeneous catalysts. This review article outlines the organic transformations catalyzed by diverse carbohydrate-based nanostructured catalysts in greener and environmentally friendly processes. Selected examples are highlighted for a variety of organic reactions exploiting the proposed catalysts’ reactivity and reusability, and interactions with the intrinsic nature of the applied carbohydrate supports; advantages and speculated challenges of the introduced catalysts are deliberated as well.     

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.     

Current trends in the description of lanthanum strontium manganite oxygen electrode reaction mechanism in a high-temperature solid oxide cell

This review summarizes recent progress in understanding the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions at the lanthanum strontium manganite electrode of a high-temperature solid oxide cell. Information provided here is put into the perspective of the defect chemistry of lanthanum strontium manganite and its impact on the electrode reaction mechanisms itself. After summarizing recent views on the oxygen reduction reaction mechanism, the focus turns to the oxygen evolution reaction, which is significantly less treated in the literature. A combination of the information in the literature on both reactions was the basis for modified reaction mechanism of the oxygen evolution reaction to be proposed under consideration of recent experimental observations and theoretical findings.     

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.     

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.     

Analysis on First-stage Ignition of n-Heptane at Low Temperatures with a Lumped Skeletal Mechanism

Two-stage ignition exists in the low-temperature combustion process of n-heptane and the first-stage ignition also shows a negative temperature coefficient(NTC) phenomenon. To study key reactions and understand chemical principles affecting the first-stage ignition of n-heptane, a lumped skeletal mechanism with 62 species is obtained based on the detailed NUIGMech1.0 mechanism using the directed relation graph method assisted by sensitivity analysis and isomer lumping. The lumped mechanism shows good performance on ignition delay time under wide conditions. The study revealed that the temperature after the first-stage ignition is higher and a larger amount of fuel is consumed at lower initial temperatures. The temperature at the first-stage ignition is relatively insensitive to the initial temperature. Further sensitivity analysis and reaction path analysis carried out based on the lumped mechanism show that the decomposition of RO₂ to produce alkene and HO₂is the most important reaction to inhibit the first-stage ignitions. The chain branching explosion closely related to the first-stage ignition will be terminated when the rate constant for the RO₂ decomposition is larger than that of the isomerization of RO₂ to produce QOOH. The NTC behavior as well as other characteristics of the first-stage ignition can be rationalized from the competition between these two reactions.