The Coordination Chemistry of f-Block Elements in Molten Salts

The coordination chemistry of f-block elements (lanthanide and actinide) in molten salts has become a resounding topic in view of its great importance to the research and development (R&D) of molten salt reactors and pyroprocessing. In this Review article, a general overview of the coordination chemistry of f-block elements in molten salts is provided including past achievements and recent advances. Particular emphases are placed on the oxidation state, speciation, and solution structure of f-block metal ions in molten salts, as well as their relationships with the salt composition. Furthermore, this review briefly discusses the spectroscopic and theoretical methods that complement each other in revealing the coordination properties.     

Sensitive targeted multiple protein quantification based on elemental detection of Quantum Dots

A generic strategy based on the use of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots (QDs) as elemental labels for protein quantification, using immunoassays with elemental mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), detection is presented. In this strategy, streptavidin modified QDs (QDs-SA) are bioconjugated to a biotinylated secondary antibody (b-Ab₂). After a multi-technique characterization of the synthesized generic platform (QDs-SA-b-Ab₂) it was applied to the sequential quantification of five proteins (transferrin, complement C3, apolipoprotein A1, transthyretin and apolipoprotein A4) at different concentration levels in human serum samples. It is shown how this generic strategy does only require the appropriate unlabeled primary antibody for each protein to be detected. Therefore, it introduces a way out to the need for the cumbersome and specific bioconjugation of the QDs to the corresponding specific recognition antibody for every target analyte (protein). Results obtained were validated with those obtained using UV–vis spectrophotometry and commercial ELISA Kits.     

Time dependent Schrödinger equation for black hole evaporation: No information loss

In 1976 S. Hawking claimed that “Because part of the information about the state of the system is lost down the hole, the final situation is represented by a density matrix rather than a pure quantum state”. ¹ This was the starting point of the popular “black hole (BH) information paradox”.     

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.     

Metamorphic InAs(Sb)/InGaAs/InAlAs nanoheterostructures grown on GaAs for efficient mid-IR emitters

High-efficiency semiconductor lasers and light-emitting diodes operating in the 3–5?μm mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral range are currently of great demand for a wide variety of applications, in particular, gas sensing, noninvasive medical tests, IR spectroscopy etc. III-V compounds with a lattice constant of about 6.1?Å are traditionally used for this spectral range. The attractive idea to fabricate such emitters on GaAs substrates by using In(Ga,Al)As compounds is restricted by either the minimum operating wavelength of ～8?μm in case of pseudomorphic AlGaAs-based quantum cascade lasers or requires utilization of thick metamorphic In_xAl_1-xAs buffer layers (MBLs) playing a key role in reducing the density of threading dislocations (TDs) in an active region, which otherwise result in a strong decay of the quantum efficiency of such mid-IR emitters. In this review we present the results of careful investigations of employing the convex-graded In_xAl_1-xAs MBLs for fabrication by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (001) substrates of In(Ga,Al)As heterostructures with a combined type-II/type-I InSb/InAs/InGaAs quantum well (QW) for efficient mid-IR emitters (3–3.6?μm). The issues of strain relaxation, elastic stress balance, efficiency of radiative and non-radiative recombination at T?=?10–300?K are discussed in relation to molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth conditions and designs of the structures. A wide complex of techniques including in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning and transmission electron microscopies, X-ray diffractometry, reciprocal space mapping, selective area electron diffraction, as well as photoluminescence (PL) and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy was used to study in detail structural and optical properties of the metamorphic QW structures. Optimization of the growth conditions (the substrate temperature, the As₄/III ratio) and elastic strain profiles governed by variation of an inverse step in the In content profile between the MBL and the InAlAs virtual substrate results in decrease in the TD density (down to 3?×?10⁷ cm^?2), increase of the thickness of the low-TD-density near-surface MBL region to 250–300?nm, the extremely low surface roughness with the RMS value of 1.6–2.4?nm, measured by AFM, as well as rather high 3.5?μm-PL intensity at temperatures up to 300?K in such structures. The obtained results indicate that the metamorphic InSb/In(Ga,Al)As QW heterostructures of proper design, grown under the optimum MBE conditions, are very promising for fabricating the efficient mid-IR emitters on a GaAs platform.     

限域量子态调控研究

电子、激子和声子等量子态在固体中的行为早已被人们所熟知. 然而，当体系的尺寸只有纳米量级的时候，已有的固体理论常常不能适用，需要新的低维物理理论的建立. 我们系统研究了低维体系限域量子态（包括电子、激子和声子）的行为对环境、应力、压力及光的响应和性质的调控. 较早认识到低维体系之显著的表面-体积比对量子态性质调控之有效性，系统地揭示了低维体系的一系列由表面和应力决定的新颖性质，证明了低维体系的表面和应力效应同量子限域效应同等重要. 本文概况了如下五个方面的结果：（1）一种使用应力效应调控电子能带结构的方法和（2）一种使用表面效应调控电子能带结构的方法（这两个方法都可将低维体系能带从间接能隙调控至直接能隙能带结构）；（3）一种低维体系表面掺杂方法，该方法将在低维体系掺杂中取代传统方法；（4）量子点表面诱导的光致异构现象；（5）基于表面自催化半导体低维结构的形成机理. 希望我们的研究工作有助于促进低维体系在光电子、纳电子、环境、能源、生物和医学等领域的应用.     

A paper-based resonance energy transfer nucleic acid hybridization assay using upconversion nanoparticles as donors and quantum dots as acceptors

Monodisperse aqueous upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) were covalently immobilized on aldehyde modified cellulose paper via reduction amination to develop a luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET)-based nucleic acid hybridization assay. This first account of covalent immobilization of UCNPs on paper for a bioassay reports an optically responsive method that is sensitive, reproducible and robust. The immobilized UCNPs were decorated with oligonucleotide probes to capture HPRT1 housekeeping gene fragments, which in turn brought reporter conjugated quantum dots (QDs) in close proximity to the UCNPs for LRET. This sandwich assay could detect unlabeled oligonucleotide target, and had a limit of detection of 13 fmol and a dynamic range spanning nearly 3 orders of magnitude. The use of QDs, which are excellent LRET acceptors, demonstrated improved sensitivity, limit of detection, dynamic range and selectivity compared to similar assays that have used molecular fluorophores as acceptors. The selectivity of the assay was attributed to the decoration of the QDs with polyethylene glycol to eliminate non-specific adsorption. The kinetics of hybridization were determined to be diffusion limited and full signal development occurred within 3 min.     

Atmospheric oxidation chemistry of 1–methoxy 2–propyl acetate initiated by OH radicals: kinetics and mechanisms

Kinetics and mechanism of the gas-phase reaction of CH₃C(O)OCH(CH₃)CH₂OCH₃ (MPA) with OH radicals in the presence of O₂ and NO have been investigated theoretically by performing a high and reliable level of theory, viz., CCSD(T)/6-311?+?G(d,p)//BH&HLYP/6-311++G(d,p)?+?0.9335×ZPE. The calculations predict that the H-abstraction from the ?CH₂?O? position of MPA is the most facile channel, which leads to the formation of the corresponding alkoxy radicals CH₃C(O)OCH(CH₃)C(O ?)HOCH₃ under atmospheric conditions. This activated radicals CH₃C(O)OCH(CH₃)C(O ?)HOCH₃ will undergo further rearrangement, fragmentation and oxidative reactions and predominantly leads to the formation of various products (methyl formate HC(O)OCH₃ and acetic anhydride CH₃C(O)OC(O)CH₃). In the presence of water, acetic anhydride can convert into acetic acid CH₃C(O)OH via the hydrolysis reaction. The calculated total rate constants over the temperature range 263–372?K are used to derive a negative activation energy (E_a= ?5.88 kJ/mol) and an pre-exponential factor (A?=?1.78×10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1). The obtained Arrhenius parameters presented here are in strong agreement with the experimental values. Moreover, the temperature dependence of the total rate constant over a temperature range of 263?1000?K can be described by k?=?5.60 × 10^?14×(T/298?K)^3.4×exp(1725.7?K/T) cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1.     

Positive ground state solutions for Schrödinger–Poisson system with critical nonlocal term in ℝ3

This paper is dedicated to studying the following Schrödinger–Poisson system $$\left\{\begin{array}{ll}-\mathrm{\Delta }u+V(x)u-K(x)\varphi |u{|}^{3}u=a(x)f(u),& x\in {ℝ}^3,\\ -\mathrm{\Delta }\varphi =K(x)|u{|}^5,& x\in {ℝ}^3.\end{array}\right.$$ Under some different assumptions on functions V(x), K(x), a(x) and f(u), by using the variational approach, we establish the existence of positive ground state solutions.