An EPR, ENDOR and EIE study of gamma-irradiated poly (lactide-co-glycolide) polymers

Gamma radiation of poly (lactide-co-glycolide) raw polymers and processed microspheres under vacuum and at 77 K results in the formation of a series of free radicals. The resulting powder electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum contains a distribution of several different radicals, depending on the annealing temperature, and is therefore difficult to interpret. By utilising the selectivity of the electron nuclear DOuble resonance (ENDOR) and associated ENDOR induced EPR (EIE) techniques, a more direct approach for the deconvolution of the EPR spectrum can be achieved. Using this approach, the radiolytically induced CH3 *CHC(O)R- chain scission radical was identified at 120 K by simulation of the EIE spectrum. At elevated temperatures (250 K), this radical decays considerably and the more stable radicals -O*CHC(O)-, CH3 *C(OR)C(O)- and CH3 *C(OH)C(O)- predominate. This work demonstrates the utility of the EIE approach to supplement and aid the interpretation of powder EPR spectra of radicals in a polymer matrix.     

碱土金属掺杂对钴基尖晶石复合金属氧化物催化分解N_2O性能的影响

采用共沉淀法制备碱土金属掺杂的钴基尖晶石型复合金属氧化物M_xCo_(3-x)O_4(M=Mg、Ca、Sr、Ba;x=0、0.1、0.3、0.5、0.7、0.9)催化剂,使用XRD、SEM、氮吸附、H_2-TPR、O_2-TPD-M S和XPS等技术对催化剂进行表征,并在固定床微型反应器中评价了M_xCo_(3-x)O_4催化剂催化分解N_2O的活性,研究了碱土金属掺杂对其催化性能的影响。结果表明,碱土金属掺杂后,M_(x )Co_(3-x)O_4催化剂颗粒粒径减小,比表面积增大,表面吸附氧和Co~(2+)数量增加,氧化还原性能增强;在反应气组成为0.68%N_2O,3%O_2,Ar为平衡气的条件下,碱土金属锶掺杂、掺杂量x为0.7时,Sr_(0.7)Co_(2.3)O_4的N_2O分解催化活性最高,N_2O转化率为10%和95%时所需的温度分别为312和451℃。     

Role of the surface heterogeneity in adsorption of hydrogen ions on metal oxides: theory and simulations

In this article we study the effect of energetic heterogeneity of a crystalline surface on the adsorption of hydrogen ions (protons) from the liquid phase. In particular, we examine the influence of the shape of the adsorption energy distribution on the equilibrium isotherms of hydrogen ions. To that purpose, a few popular distribution functions, including rectangular, exponential, and asymmetric Gaussian are considered. Additionally, multimodal distribution functions, which may correspond to the adsorption on different crystal planes of the oxide, are also used. Lateral interactions between adsorbed charges are modeled using the potential function proposed by Borkovec et al., which accounts also for polarization of the liquid medium. The results presented here are obtained using both Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and theoretical calculations involving Mean Field Approximation (MFA). They indicate that increased energetic heterogeneity of the adsorbing surface may, in general, considerably change the behavior of the adsorption isotherms, regardless of the assumed distribution function. It is also shown that the predictions of the proposed theory are consistent with the data obtained from the MC simulations.     

高表面能晶面裸露的金属氧化物微纳米晶体的可控合成

表面结构是影响固体材料物理和化学性质的重要因素,由于高表面能的晶面上存在更多的表面悬挂键等,高表面能晶面裸露的微纳米晶体一般表现出很好的物理和化学活性．近年来,科研工作者针对高能面微纳米晶体材料的制备及性能调控进行了大量的研究工作并取得了一定的进展．本文重点讨论了高能面裸露的金属氧化物半导体微纳米晶体的合成制备方法．主要以本课题组近年在该领域的研究为例,分别从晶体生长过程中的静电作用法、“帽”式试剂保护法、过饱和度调控法、动力学调控法及选择性化学刻蚀法等几个方面对高表面能晶面裸露的金属氧化物微纳米晶体的制备进行了系统的总结．     

Acid-base properties and catalytic activity of ABO3 (perovskite-type) oxides consisting of rare earth and 3d transition metals

The surface acidity/basicity of perovskite-type mixed oxides (LaCrO₃, PrCrO₃, SmCrO₃, LaMnO₃, PrMnO₃, SmMnO₃, LaFeO₃, PrFeO₃, SmFeO₃, LaCoO₃, PrCoO₃, SmCoO₃, LaNiO₃, PrNiO₃ and SmNiO₃) are reported. These properties have been correlated with the catalytic activity of these oxides towards esterification of acetic acid usingn-butanol.     

碱土金属氧化物改性ZrO2催化1,4-丁二醇选择性脱水合成3-丁烯-1-醇

采用浸渍法制备了碱土金属氧化物CaO,SrO或BaO改性的ZrO₂酸碱双功能催化剂,借助X射线衍射、低温N₂物理吸附、NH₃和CO₂程序升温脱附等手段表征了催化剂的结构、织构以及表面酸碱性质,并考察了其催化1,4-丁二醇选择性脱水合成3-丁烯-1-醇的反应性能.结果表明,碱土金属氧化物的引入显著调变了催化剂表面的酸性和碱性中心,进而对1,4-丁二醇转化率和3-丁烯-1-醇选择性产生重要影响.其中,CaO改性的ZrO₂样品中形成了大量的Ca-O-Zr结构,在ZrO₂表面形成大量碱性位点的同时,保持了较高的酸密度;而SrO和BaO改性的样品中生成了相应的锆酸盐,ZrO₂表面的酸密度呈现不同程度的下降.因此,CaO/ZrO₂催化剂表现出最优的催化活性和3-丁烯-1-醇选择性,350℃时,3-丁烯-1-醇收率最高,达60.5%.催化剂表面的酸碱协同作用是选择性合成3-丁烯-1-醇的关键因素.     

Hydrophobic terminal group of surfactant initiating micellization as revealed by 1H NMR spectroscopy

The critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of four with three kinds of conventional surfactants, namely, two cationic surfactants [hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and tetradecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (TTAB)], one anionic surfactant [sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)], and a nonionic surfactant [Triton X-100 (TX-100)], were determined by variation of ¹H chemical shifts with surfactant concentrations. Results show that the CAC values of protons at different positions of the same molecule are different, and those of the terminal methyl protons are the lowest, respectively, which suggests that the terminal groups of the alkyl chains aggregates first during micellization. Measurement of the transverse relaxation time (T₂) of different protons in SDS also show that the terminal methyl protons start to decrease with the increase in concentration first, which supports the above mentioned tendency.     

Effective modification of MgO with surface transition metal oxides for NF3 decomposition

NF3 decomposition over transition metal oxides coated MgO reagents in the absence of water is investigated. The results show that NF3 can be decomposed completely over pure MgO but the time of NF3 steady full conversion kept as short as 80 min, while the reactivities of coated MgO reagents were remarkably enhanced by transition metal oxides, for example the time of NF3 complete conversion over 12%Fe/MgO extended to 380 min. It is suggested that not only an increase in surface area but also a significant enhancement in the fluorination of MgO substrate caused by the surface transition metal oxides result in an improved reactivity of coated MgO reagents for NF3 decomposition.     

Poly(styrene) coating of monodispersed colloidal metal oxides by grafting to hydrophilic macromer adsorbed on the surface

Poly(styrene) (PST) coatings of monodispersed colloidal metal oxide particles by surface grafting to poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (ST–PVP) or quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) (ST-PVPy(Me)) macromer, having a vinylphenylene end group, were investigated. Radical polymerization of styrene (ST) in ethanolic silica colloid in the presence of ST-PVP successfully led to the formation of monodispersed PST/PVP copolymer/SiO₂composites. The addition of divinylbenzene (DVB) to the reaction system gave SiO₂ composites coated with crosslinked PST. Graft-polymerization of ST to ST-PVP also took place on TiO₂, CeO₂ and Al(OH)₃ colloidal particles in ethanolic solution. However, ST-PVPy(Me) adsorbed on colloidal silica did not effectively graft PST.     

Effect of rare earth oxides (CeO2, La2O3) on properties of Pd/Al2O3 catalysts for reduction of nitrogen oxides by methane

We have established that the thermal stability of supported Pd/Al₂O₃ catalysts is increased after they are modified by rare earth oxides (La₂O₃, Ce₂O₃). We have observed the effect of thermal activation of an aluminopalladium catalyst modified by lanthanum oxide. This effect is apparent in the increase of the specific catalytic activity in the reaction of high-temperature reduction of nitrogen oxides by methane after heat treatment of the catalyst at 850 °C. We have used X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to show that the reason for the thermal activation effect is stabilization of palladium in the Pd¹⁺ state. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 44–48, January–February, 2006.     

13C GIAO DFT calculation as a tool for configuration prediction of N–O group in saturated heterocyclic N‐oxides

Tropane, tropinone, pseudopelletierine and cocaine were oxidized in situ in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tube providing mixtures of exo/endo N‐oxides. Observed ¹³C chemical shifts were correlated with values calculated by gauge‐including atomic orbitals density functional theory (DFT) OPBE/6‐31G* method using DFT B3LYP/6‐31G* optimized geometries. The same method of ¹³C chemical shift calculation was applied on series of methyl‐substituted 1‐methylpiperidines and their epimeric N‐oxides described in literature. The results show that using this undemanding calculation method enables assignment of configuration of N–O group in N‐epimeric saturated heterocyclic N‐oxides. The approach enables assigning of the configuration with high degree of certainty even if NMR data of only one isomer are available. An improved method of in situ oxidation of starting amines in an NMR tube is also described. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ab initio molecular orbital calculations on ion pair-water complexes of metal halides and oxides

Ab initio MO calculations are performed on a series of ion-molecular and ion pair-molecular complexes of H₂O + MX (MX = LiF, LiCl, NaCl, BeO and MgO) systems. BSSE-corrected stabilization energies, optimized geometrical parameters, internal force constants and harmonic vibrational frequencies have been evaluated for all the structures of interest. The trends observed in the geometrical parameters and other properties calculated for the mono-hydrated contact ion pair complexes parallel those computed for the complexes of the individual ions. The bifurcated structures are found to be saddle points with an imaginary frequency corresponding to the rocking mode of water molecules. The solventshared ion pair complexes have high interaction energies. Trends in the internal force constant and harmonic frequency values are discussed in terms of ion-molecular and ion-pair molecular interactions.     

Influence of oxides of the rare earth elements (La2O3, CeO2) on the thermal stability of highly dispersed aluminum oxide

It has been established that addition of oxides of the rare earth elements (La₂O₃, CeO₂, and their mixtures) increases the thermal stability of the porous structure of highly dispersed aluminum oxide-a secondary carrier of structured catalysts. The greatest stabilizing effect was noted with La₂O₃. The reason for this effect is the formation of a solid solution of La₂O₃ in Al₂O₃ which prevents the diffusion of aluminum ions and slows the transition of low temperature modifications of Al₂O₃ into high temperature α-Al₂O₃. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 318–323, September–October, 2006.     

碱金属助剂类型及前驱物对改性NiAl复合氧化物催化分解N2O活性的影响

制备了不同Ni/Al原子比的NiAl类水滑石样品,焙烧获得NiAl复合氧化物,用于N₂O分解反应,研究了NiAl复合氧化物组成对催化活性的影响。在活性较高的NiAl复合氧化物表面浸渍碱金属碳酸盐溶液,制备改性NiAl复合氧化物,考察了碱金属类型（Na、K、Cs）和钾前驱物（K₂CO₃、K₂C₂O₄、CH₃COOK、KNO₃）对改性催化剂活性的影响。用XRD、ICP-AES、FT-IR、BET、H₂-TPR、XPS技术表征了催化剂的组成结构。结果表明,Ni/Al原子比为2.7的NiAl复合氧化物催化活性较高;Na、K、Cs碳酸盐改性NiAl复合氧化物均提高了催化剂活性,其中K的助剂效应最强。钾前驱物对K改性NiAl复合氧化物的催化活性有显著影响,其中碳酸钾、醋酸钾、草酸钾的加入明显提高了改性催化剂的催化活性,而加入硝酸钾反而降低了催化剂活性。     

Chemical modification of nanocrystalline metal oxides: effect of the real structure and surface chemistry on the sensor properties

The relationships between the composition, structure, chemistry of the surface, and sensor properties of nanocomposites SnO₂-M _n O _m (M _n O _m = Fe₂O₃, MoO₃, V₂O₅) obtained by chemical precipitation from solutions were analyzed. The relationships between the elemental and phase composition of the nanocomposites and the effect of the composition on the nanostructure and the acidic and oxidation properties of the nanocomposite surface were considered. The modification of the SnO₂ surface by other oxides makes it possible to control the type and density of the acid sites and the oxidation properties of the surface and to enhance the selectivity of the materials in the detection of various gases. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1086–1105, June, 2008.     

Adsorption of -histidine on copper surface as evidenced by surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy

The adsorption of -histidine on a copper electrode from H₂O- and D₂O-based solutions is studied by means of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. Different adsorption states of histidine are observed depending upon pH, potential, and the presence of the SO²⁻₄ and Cl⁻ ions. In acidic solutions of pH 1.2 the imidazole ring of the adsorbed histidine remains protonated and is not involved in the chemical coordination with the surface. The SO²⁻₄ and Cl⁻ ions compete with histidine for the adsorption sites. In solutions of pH 3.1 three different adsorption states of histidine are observed depending on the potential. Histidine adsorbs with the protonated imidazole ring oriented mainly perpendicularly to the surface at potentials more positive than −0.2 V. Transformation of that adsorption state occurs at more negative potentials. As this takes place, histidine adsorbs through the α-NH₂ group and the neutral imidazole ring. The Cl⁻ ions cause the protonation and detachment of the α-NH₂ group from the surface and the formation of the ion pair NH⁺₃ … Cl⁻ can be observed. In the neutral solution of pH 7.0 histidine adsorbs through the deprotonated nitrogen atom of the imidazole ring and the α-COO⁻ group at E ≥ −0.2 V. However, this adsorption state is transformed into the adsorption state in which the α-NH₂ group and/or neutral imidazole ring participate in the anchoring of histidine to the surface, once the potential becomes more negative. In alkaline solutions of pH 11.9 histidine is adsorbed on the copper surface through the neutral imidazole ring.     

Improved interfacial properties of carbon fiber/UHMWPE composites through surface coating on carbon fiber surface

Carbon fibers were coated in an attempt to improve the interfacial properties between carbon fibers and ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene resin matrix. Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy were performed to characterize the changes of carbon fiber surface. Atomic force microscopy results show that the coating of carbon fiber significantly increased the carbon fiber surface roughness. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that silicon containing functional groups obviously increased after modification. Interlaminar shear strength was used to characterize the interfacial properties of the composites.     

Acetone‐induced polymerisation of 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) as revealed by NMR spectroscopy

We followed the reactivity of acetone with 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, a potential organosilane coupling agent, by ¹H, ¹³C and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy. Selective 1D and 2D‐edited NMR experiments significantly contributed to simplify the spectral complexity of reaction solution and elucidated molecular structures within progressive reaction phases. The course of the 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane reaction with acetone was shown by a progressive decrease of both reactants, and a concomitant appearance of water and methanol, due to formation of imine and hydrolysis of alkoxysilane groups, respectively. The occurrence of multiple siloxane linkages in a progressively larger cross‐linked macromolecular structure was revealed by DOSY‐NMR experiments and new signals in ²⁹Si‐NMR spectra at different reaction times. The NMR approach described here may be applied to investigate the reactivity of other γ‐aminopropylalkoxysilanes and contribute to define procedures for the preparation of silica‐based materials. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detection and measurement of surface electron transfer on reduced molybdenum oxides (MoO(x)) and catalytic activities of Au/MoO(x)

The sensing of electrons confined inside surface defect sites has been demonstrated. Tetracyanoethylene was employed as a single-electron acceptor to characterize the reduction of fully oxidized MoO(3) . Electron transfer deposits negative charge on closely contacted gold nanoparticles on the surface, which explains the high catalytic activity in the aerobic oxidation of alcohols.