Instantaneous Free Radical Scavenging by CeO2 Nanoparticles Adjacent to the Fe−N4 Active Sites for Durable Fuel Cells

To achieve the Fe−N−C materials with both high activity and durability in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, the attack of free radicals on Fe−N₄ sites must be overcome. Herein, we report a strategy to effectively eliminate radicals at the source to mitigate the degradation by anchoring CeO₂ nanoparticles as radicals scavengers adjacent (Sca^ad-CeO2) to the Fe−N₄ sites. Radicals such as ⋅OH and HO₂⋅ that form at Fe−N₄ sites can be instantaneously eliminated by adjacent CeO₂, which shortens the survival time of radicals and the regional space of their damage. As a result, the CeO₂ scavengers in Fe−NC/Sca^ad-CeO2 achieved ∼80 % elimination of the radicals generated at the Fe−N₄ sites. A fuel cell prepared with the Fe−NC/Sca^ad-CeO2 showed a smaller peak power density decay after 30,000 cycles determined with US DOE PGM-relevant AST, increasing the decay of Fe−NC_Phen from 69 % to 28 % decay.     

丝氨酸蛋白酶中催化三元组内氢键的作用

为了探究丝氨酸蛋白酶催化效率的来源,本文分别研究了丝氨酸酶催化水解多肽CI2、MCTI-A和六肽(SUB)的过程中催化三元组内的氢键所起的作用. 首先采用QM/MM-MD方法计算了在酶-底物复合物和过渡态下组氨酸和天冬氨酸之间质子转移的自由能曲线. 结果表明低能垒氢键仅在CI2酰化反应的过渡态区域形成,而在MCTI-A和SUB酰化反应中均是正常氢键. 与MCTI-A相比,CI2和SUB体系中氢键强度在过渡态时显著增强,因此相应的酰化反应能垒明显降低. 过渡态区域形成的低能垒氢键显然有助于加速酰化反应,同时研究也表明正常氢键也有可能降低能垒. 氢键降低能垒的关键则在于过渡态下氢键强度的增加程度,而不是其是否生成了低能垒氢键. 本文为研究催化三元组间的氢键在丝氨酸蛋白酶中的作用提供了新思路,并有助于理解丝氨酸蛋白酶中催化三元组的催化机制.     

Academic maturity of students in an extended programme in mathematics

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on the students who are registered in the University of Pretoria’s academic development programme, named the Four-year Programme (FYP). The programme was introduced as a gateway for students who are underprepared but have the potential to succeed and then continue their studies into the mainstream science programmes. Our research focuses on measuring the change in the academic maturity of these students. In the theoretical framework that we developed, academic maturity is subdivided into two components namely non-subject based maturity and subject based maturity (mathematical maturity). This paper focuses on measuring non-subject based academic maturity. The survey used for this purpose is called the Student Academic Readiness Survey (STARS), taken at the beginning of the year and after the first semester respectively. The results of the surveys are compared to measure the change in students’ views. Results show that in all constructs there is a surprising decline in students’ perceptions regarding their own abilities over the first semester at university. We use the Dunning–Kruger effect to explain this unexpected decline, in that students seem to develop a more realistic view of their own maturity, which in itself can be seen as a growth in academic maturity.     

Bi4B2O9晶体及其熔体结构的高温原位拉曼光谱研究

利用密度泛函理论计算了Bi₄B₂O₉晶体的常温拉曼光谱, 并通过与实验拉曼光谱对比, 对其振动模式进行了归属. 利用高温原位拉曼光谱研究了Bi₄B₂O₉从常温到750 ℃升温过程中微结构的变化. 随着温度的升高, 晶体的平均键长变长, 键角分布变宽, 熔化后晶体中的BiO₄和BiO₅多面体解体, BO₃构型则保持三配位不变. 运用量子化学从头算法模拟了Bi₄B₂O₉的熔体结构并与实验拉曼光谱进行了对比分析, 发现在Bi₄B₂O₉熔体中B原子团簇为孤立的BO₃构型, Bi ³⁺游离于BO₃之间, 并结合未参与形成BO₃的O原子起到平衡电荷的作用.     

General π‐Electron‐Assisted Strategy for Ir,Pt, Ru,Pd, Fe,Ni Single‐Atom Electrocatalysts with Bifunctional Active Sites for Highly Efficient Water Splitting

Both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are crucial to water splitting, but require alternative active sites. Now, a general π‐electron‐assisted strategy to anchor single‐atom sites (M=Ir, Pt, Ru, Pd, Fe, Ni) on a heterogeneous support is reported. The M atoms can simultaneously anchor on two distinct domains of the hybrid support, four‐fold N/C atoms (M@NC), and centers of Co octahedra (M@Co), which are expected to serve as bifunctional electrocatalysts towards the HER and the OER. The Ir catalyst exhibits the best water‐splitting performance, showing a low applied potential of 1.603 V to achieve 10 mA cm^?2 in 1.0 m KOH solution with cycling over 5 h. DFT calculations indicate that the Ir@Co (Ir) sites can accelerate the OER, while the Ir@NC₃ sites are responsible for the enhanced HER, clarifying the unprecedented performance of this bifunctional catalyst towards full water splitting.     

微流控芯片毛细管电泳在蛋白质分离分析中的应用研究进展

重点介绍了近年来国内外在微流控芯片毛细管电泳法用于蛋白质分离分析方面的研究进展。按照分离模式的不同,综述了各种应用于蛋白质分离的微流控芯片毛细管电泳系统,讨论了抑制芯片中的蛋白吸附的各种方法,并展望了芯片毛细管电泳系统在蛋白质分离领域的发展前景。引用文献47篇。     

Ligand‐Free Palladium‐Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Coupling of Carboxylic Anhydrides with Arylboronic Acids

We report a new, effective and environmentally friendly protocol for selective aerobic oxidative coupling of arylboronic acids with carboxylic anhydrides in the presence of ligand‐free palladium catalyst. The aryl benzoates are obtained in good to excellent yields.     

赶酸对微波消解-氢化物发生-原子荧光法测定谷物中砷元素的影响

在利用氢化物发生-原子荧光分测定谷物类样品中砷元素时,硫脲-抗坏血酸的还原效果会受到硝酸含量的影响,试液中硝酸含量过高,会与硫脲-抗坏血酸溶液发生氧化还原反应,降低其还原效率。本研究通过对赶酸时间和赶酸温度进行试验,获得最佳的赶酸条件,结合微波消解技术,利用氢化物发生-原子荧光光谱法测定谷物中的微量砷,结果表明,谷物中砷浓度与荧光强度呈线性关系,线性方程为 y=0.0028x-0.1728,线性相关系数R2=0.9993,检出限为1.72ng/g。 通过对9份样品进行检测,其相对标准偏差RSD在4.32-7.59%之间,其准确度相对误差RE均小于±6.50%。经多次检测证实该方法较稳定,可用于谷物类样品中砷元素的快速测定。