Chemical bonding in representative astrophysically relevant neutral,cation, and anion HCnH chains

Most existing studies assign a polyynic and cumulenic character of chemical bonding in carbon-based chains relying on values of the bond lengths. Building on our recent work, in this paper we add further evidence on the limitations of such an analysis and demonstrate the significant insight gained via natural bond analysis. Presently reported results include atomic charges, natural bond order and valence indices obtained from ab initio computations for representative members of the astrophysically relevant neutral and charged HC_2k/2k+1H chain family. They unravel a series of counter-intuitive aspects and/or help naive intuition in properly understanding microscopic processes, e.g., electron removal from or electron attachment to a neutral chain. Demonstrating that the Wiberg indices adequately quantify the chemical bonding structure of the HC_2k/2k+1H chains—while the often heavily advertised Mayer indices do not—represents an important message conveyed by the present study.     

Efficient catalysis in dynamic nanomicelles of PS-750-M suspended in water

This review demonstrates the multiple roles of surfactants in aqueous micellar catalysis. It covers the design and recent applications of proline-based amphiphile PS-750-M, including completely organic solvent-free amide couplings, C–H fluorination of arenes and heteroarenes achieved via radical pathway facilitated by the shielding effect of micelles. In addition, it critically sheds light on selective hydrogenolysis and cross-couplings of water-sensitive acid chlorides in water, catalyzed by phosphine ligand-free Pd (0) nanoparticles. The metal-micelle interaction responsible for catalytic activities as probed by various spectroscopic techniques is also discussed.     

Classical solution for a nonlinear hybrid system modeling combustion in a multilayer porous medium

Combustion processes in porous media have been used by the petroleum engineering industry to extract heavy oil from reservoirs. This study focuses on a one-dimensional nonlinear hybrid system consisting of $n$ reaction–diffusion–convection equations coupled with $n$ ordinary differential equations, which models a combustion front moving through a porous medium with $n$ parallel layers. The state variables are the temperature and fuel concentration in each layer. Coupling occurs in both the reaction function and differential operator coefficients. We prove the existence of a classical solution, first locally and then globally over time, to an initial and boundary value problem for the corresponding system. The proof uses a new approach for combustion problems in porous media. The local solution is obtained by defining an operator in a set of Hölder continuous functions and using Schauder’s fixed-point theorem to find a fixed point as the desired solution. Using Zorn’s lemma, we extend the local solution to a global solution, proving that the first-order spatial derivative of the temperature in each layer is a bounded function.     

γ-Valerolactone (GVL) as a green and efficient dipolar aprotic reaction medium

The great challenge for modern research is to define the most efficient tools to make more sustainable the industrial production and manufacturing. Among the different aspects that require attention the replacement of toxic and/or non-renewable solvents it is certainly playing a crucial role. Dealing with widely used dipolar aprotic solvents, among the different alternatives proposed in the literature γ-valerolactone (GVL) plays a pivotal role covering different application area. In this contribution, the benefits derived from the use of GVL as a circular, safe, biomass-derived reaction medium are highlighted covering most recent publications (2021). The presentation has been divided into three major sections: (i) biomass valorization, (ii) materials synthesis, manufacturing and recycle and (iii) new synthetic methodologies.     

On the Generalized Porous Medium Equation in Fourier-Besov Spaces

We study a kind of generalized porous medium equation with fractional Laplacian and abstract pressure term. For a large class of equations corresponding to the form: $u_t+\nu \Lambda^{\beta}u=\nabla\cdot(u\nabla Pu)$, we get their local well-posedness in Fourier-Besov spaces for large initial data. If the initial data is small, then the solution becomes global. Furthermore, we prove a blowup criterion for the solutions.     

Methane dissolution inside bulk or porous-medium-confined water at near-hydrate equilibrium conditions

In this study, we perform a series of mass-balance-type calculations, in order to estimate the minimum volume of liquid water required to dissolve completely a single methane gas bubble, located inside different types of domains that are near or under hydrate equilibrium pressure/temperature conditions. We examine the case of methane bubble dissolution in the bulk, along with the cases of methane bubble dissolution within simple/regular networks of pores, where all pores have the same size. In our calculations, we consider experimental values for the equilibrium solubilities of methane in water, along the hydrate-forming line, as well as, values obtained from predictive tools that are based on different thermodynamic models. The effect of aqueous NaCl solutions on the results is also investigated. As a result of the relatively low solubility of methane in water, large volumes of water are required for complete dissolution of a methane bubble.     

Practical effects of pressure-transmitting media on neutron diffraction experiments using Paris–Edinburgh presses

ABSTRACT

To understand the practical effects of pressure-transmitting media (PTM) on neutron diffraction using Paris–Edinburgh presses, diffraction patterns of MgO were collected to approximately 20?GPa using PTMs of Pb, AgCl, 4:1 methanol–ethanol (ME) mixture with and without heating, N₂, and Ar. Hydrostaticity in the sample chamber estimated from the MgO 220 peak width improves in the order of Pb, AgCl, Ar, ME mixture, N₂, and the heated ME mixture. Unlike previous results using diamond anvil cells, the unheated ME mixture is superior to Ar even after freezing, probably due to the cup on the anvil face. Considering these results and the sizable coherent scattering of Ne, which would show good hydrostaticity, we conclude that the ME mixture (preferably the heated one) is the best PTM in neutron experiments up to 20?GPa, while Ar can be substituted when a sample is reactive to alcohols.     

Development of a new catalytic and sustainable methodology for the synthesis of benzodiazepine triazole scaffold using magnetically separable CuFe2O4@MIL-101(Cr) nano-catalyst in aqueous medium

Magnetically retrieval CuFe₂O₄@MIL-101(Cr) metal–organic framework was successfully prepared from easily available starting materials and characterized using various spectroscopic and analytical techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, transmission electron microscopy, elemental mapping, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, vibrating sample magnetometer, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The catalyst was then used in the synthesis of benzodiazepines containing a triazole moiety in water. The advantages of this protocol include high yields, reusability of the catalyst, and gram-scale synthesis.