ESR study of molecular dynamics and orientation of TEMPO included in organic 1-D nanochannel

A mixture of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxyl (TEMPO) radical and 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidine (TEMP) was included into organic 1-D nanochannels of tris(o-phenylenedioxy)cyclotriphosphazene (TPP) crystal. Dilution of the paramagnetic TEMPO radical was achieved with excess TEMP, thereby isolating a TEMPO molecule in the nanochannel. For inclusion compounds of TPP with TEMPO and TEMP (TEMPO/all guest compounds = 0.017, and 0.15), temperature-dependent electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra were observed to investigate their molecular dynamics and orientation. In the temperature range from 112 K to room temperature, the spectra depended remarkably on the temperature. Temperature dependence was well interpreted by uniaxial rotation, suggesting that TEMPO molecules undergo uniaxial rotation about a channel axis with a molecular orientation in which the N-O bond in the nitroxide group is perpendicular to the channel axis. The activation energy of uniaxial rotation was evaluated as 4.5 +/- 0.3 kJ mol(-1).     

The origin of the dynamic transition in proteins

Despite extensive efforts in experimental and computational studies, the microscopic understanding of dynamics of biological macromolecules remains a great challenge. It is known that hydrated proteins, DNA and RNA, exhibit a so-called "dynamic transition." It appears as a sharp rise of their mean-squared atomic displacements r2 at temperatures above 200-230 K. Even after a long history of studies, this sudden activation of biomolecular dynamics remains a puzzle and many contradicting models have been proposed. By combining neutron and dielectric spectroscopy data, we were able to follow protein dynamics over an extremely broad frequency range. Our results show that there is no sudden change in the dynamics of the protein at temperatures around approximately 200-230 K. The protein's relaxation time exhibits a smooth temperature variation over the temperature range of 180-300 K. Thus the experimentally observed sharp rise in r2 is just a result of the protein's structural relaxation reaching the limit of the experimental frequency window. The microscopic mechanism of the protein's structural relaxation remains unclear.     

Dynamics of water confined in single- and double-wall carbon nanotubes

Using high-resolution quasielastic neutron scattering, we investigated the temperature dependence of single-particle dynamics of water confined in single- and double-wall carbon nanotubes with the inner diameters of 14+/-1 and 16+/-3 A, respectively. The temperature dependence of the alpha relaxation time for water in the 14 A nanotubes measured on cooling down from 260 to 190 K exhibits a crossover at 218 K from a Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann law behavior to an Arrhenius law behavior, indicating a fragile-to-strong dynamic transition in the confined water. This transition may be associated with a structural transition from a high-temperature, low-density (<1.02 gcm(3)) liquid to a low-temperature, high-density (>1.14 gcm(3)) liquid found in molecular dynamics simulation at about 200 K. However, no such dynamic transition in the investigated temperature range of 240-195 K was detected for water in the 16 A nanotubes. In the latter case, the dynamics of water simply follows a Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann law. This suggests that the fragile-to-strong crossover for water in the 16 A nanotubes may be shifted to a lower temperature.     

催化裂解CH4制备碳纳米管的影响因素

以柠檬酸法制备的Fe-MgO、Co-MgO和Ni-MgO为催化剂,CH4为碳源气,H2为还原气,在873、973和1073 K制备出碳纳米管,通过TEM和拉曼光谱表征,讨论了催化剂、制备温度、反应时间等因素对碳纳米管形貌、产率和内部结构的影响.结果表明:不同的催化剂在相同的温度下制备的碳纳米管的形态和内部结构有很大的差异.其中Fe-MgO催化剂制备的碳纳米管管径粗,且大小不均匀,而Ni-MgO催化剂制备的碳纳米管管径较细、较均匀.碳纳米管的产率随着裂解温度的变化而改变.Fe-MgO催化剂制备碳纳米管的产率随制备温度的升高而提高,而Ni-MgO催化剂制备碳纳米管的产率随制备温度的升高而降低.Fe-MgO催化剂制备碳纳米管,在1073K甚至更高的制备温度才能达到其最高产率.Co-MgO催化剂制备碳纳米管的产率在973 K左右产率较高,而用Ni-MgO催化剂制备碳纳米管,则在873 K甚至更低的制备温度就能达到最高产率.反应时间与碳纳米管的产率不成正比,有一最佳反应时间,如Ni-MgO催化剂的最佳反应时间为2 h.     

Activation energy of methyl radical decay in methane hydrate

The thermal stability of gamma-ray-induced methyl radicals in methane hydrate was studied using the ESR method at atmospheric pressure and 210-260 K. The methyl radical decay proceeded with the second-order reaction, and ethane molecules were generated from the dimerization process. The methyl radical decay proceeds by two different temperature-dependent processes, that is, the respective activation energies of these processes are 20.0 +/- 1.6 kJ/mol for the lower temperature region of 210-230 K and 54.8 +/- 5.7 kJ/mol for the higher temperature region of 235-260 K. The former agrees well with the enthalpy change of methane hydrate dissociation into ice and gaseous methane, while the latter agrees well with the enthalpy change into liquid water and gaseous methane. The present findings reveal that methane hydrates dissociate into liquid (supercooled) water and gaseous methane in the temperature range of 235-260 K.     

Interaction of acetone with single wall carbon nanotubes at cryogenic temperatures: a combined temperature programmed desorption and theoretical study

The interaction of acetone with single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) at low temperatures was studied by a combination of temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and dispersion-augmented density-functional-based tight binding (DFTB-D) theoretical simulations. On the basis of the results of the TPD study and theoretical simulations, the desorption peaks of acetone can be assigned to the following adsorption sites: (i) sites with energy of approximately 75 kJ mol (-1) ( T des approximately 300 K)endohedral sites of small diameter nanotubes ( approximately 7.7 A); (ii) sites with energy 40-68 kJ mol (-1) ( T des approximately 240 K)acetone adsorption on accessible interstitial, groove sites, and endohedral sites of larger nanotubes ( approximately 14 A); (iii) sites with energy 25-42 kJ mol (-1) ( T des approximately 140 K)acetone adsorption on external walls of SWCNTs and multilayer adsorption. Oxidatively purified SWCNTs have limited access to endohedral sites due to the presence of oxygen functionalities. Oxygen functionalities can be removed by annealing to elevated temperature (900 K) opening access to endohedral sites of nanotubes. Nonpurified, as-received SWCNTs are characterized by limited access for acetone to endohedral sites even after annealing to elevated temperatures (900 K). Annealing of both purified and as-produced SWCNTs to high temperatures (1400 K) leads to reduction of access for acetone molecules to endohedral sites of small nanotubes, probably due to defect self-healing and cap formation at the ends of SWCNTs. No chemical interaction between acetone and SWCNTs was detected for low temperature adsorption experiments. Theoretical simulations of acetone adsorption on finite pristine SWCNTs of different diameters suggest a clear relationship of the adsorption energy with tube sidewall curvature. Adsorption of acetone is due to dispersion forces, with its C-O bond either parallel to the surface or O pointing away from it. No significant charge transfer or polarization was found. Carbon black was used to model amorphous carbonaceous impurities present in as-produced SWCNTs. Desorption of acetone from carbon black revealed two peaks at approximately 140 and approximately 180-230 K, similar to two acetone desorption peaks from SWCNTs. The characteristic feature of acetone desorption from SWCNTs was peak at approximately 300 K that was not observed for carbon black. Care should be taken when assigning TPD peaks for molecules desorbing from carbon nanotubes as amorphous carbon can interfere.     

A new mechanism of the dioxygen effect on ESR spectra of polyaniline

The effect of dioxygen on the ESR spectra of powders of emeraldine salts at 170–230 K was found to depend on the time of storing of the samples at a specific temperature. The kinetics of changes in the ESR spectra reflects the conformational mobility of the polyaniline chains and its supramolecular structure. A new mechanism of the dioxygen effect on the ESR spectra of polyaniline at 50–100 K associated with the condensation of dioxygen in polyaniline pores was proposed.     

Change with temperature of the ESR spectra of peroxy radicals trapped in irradiated polytetrafluoroethylene

The ESR spectra of peroxy radicals in irradiated powders and oriented samples of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTEE) have been measured with a K-band spectrometer, and the principal values and directions of the g tensor were determined both at room temperature and at 77°K. In contrast to the spectra of the usual peroxy radicals, those trapped in γ-irradiated PTFE exhibited an ESR spectrum apparently having a larger principal value for g⊥ than for g∥ when measured at room temperature, although the normal principal values were observed at 77°K. As for the directions of the principal axes, g∥ was directed along the chain axis at room temperature and was perpendicular to the chain axis at 77°K. From the temperature change of the g tensor and the line shapes in the oriented samples, it is shown that the observed temperature change of the spectra is due to rapid rotation at room temperature around the chain axis rather than around the C? O bond axis. Assuming this, the apparent principal values of the g tensor at room temperature were calculated from the g tensor obtained at 77°K. for the rigid state, and the results are in good agreement with observations at room temperature. A structure for the peroxy radicals is also proposed. In addition, the spectral line shape function for the uniaxially oriented samples has been derived.     

Effect of chemical potential on the computer simulation of hydrogen storage in single walled carbon nanotubes

Hydrogen is a kind of clean, sustainable and renewable energy carrier. Of the problems to be solved for the utilization of hydrogen energy, how to store and transport hydrogen has been given high priority on the research agenda. Recently, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were reported to be very promising candidates for hydrogen uptake[1], which may have possibility to satisfy the benchmark set by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Plan for fuel cell powered vehicles: a gravimetric density …     

Temperature dependence of the Raman spectra of individual carbon nanotubes

Resonant Raman scattering (RRS) spectra of individual carbon nanotubes on a SiO2 substrate have been investigated first in the temperature range of 100-600 K (Phys. Rev. B 2002, 66, 115411). It was revealed by the intensity abnormality of the radial breathing mode (RBM) that the carbon nanotubes have a temperature-dependent density of electronic states. This means that the previously reported temperature coefficients of RBM of carbon nanotubes are smaller than their "real" ones for the bulk samples of single- or double-walled carbon nanotubes. Comparatively, the G line of individual nanotubes shows no observable difference relative to the bulk samples.     

异型碳纳米管储氢性能的分子动力学模拟研究

采用分子动力学(MD)方法对三种理想的Y型碳纳米管[记为Y(4,4), Y(6,6), Y(10,0)]和三种L型碳纳米管[记为L(9,0), L(6,6), L(10,0)]之储氢性能进行了模拟研究, 并与相应的直线型碳纳米管的储氢能力进行了比较, 同时考察了温度、碳纳米管的直径和螺旋性以及缺陷的位置和大小对异型碳纳米管储氢性能的影响. 结果表明, 在室温和低温条件下, 异型碳纳米管的储氢量高于直线型碳纳米管的储氢量, 且其储氢量大小随温度的降低和碳管直径的增大而增加, 椅式碳纳米管的储氢性能优于齿式碳纳米管, 而缺陷的位置和大小对异型碳管之储氢性能的影响则因碳管的形貌和直径的大小不同而存在差异.     

Optimum conditions for adsorptive storage

The storage of gases in porous adsorbents, such as activated carbon and carbon nanotubes, is examined here thermodynamically from a systems viewpoint, considering the entire adsorption-desorption cycle. The results provide concrete objective criteria to guide the search for the "Holy Grail" adsorbent, for which the adsorptive delivery is maximized. It is shown that, for ambient temperature storage of hydrogen and delivery between 30 and 1.5 bar pressure, for the optimum adsorbent the adsorption enthalpy change is 15.1 kJ/mol. For carbons, for which the average enthalpy change is typically 5.8 kJ/mol, an optimum operating temperature of about 115 K is predicted. For methane, an optimum enthalpy change of 18.8 kJ/mol is found, with the optimum temperature for carbons being 254 K. It is also demonstrated that for maximum delivery of the gas the optimum adsorbent must be homogeneous, and that introduction of heterogeneity, such as by ball milling, irradiation, and other means, can only provide small increases in physisorption-related delivery for hydrogen. For methane, heterogeneity is always detrimental, at any value of average adsorption enthalpy change. These results are confirmed with the help of experimental data from the literature, as well as extensive Monte Carlo simulations conducted here using slit pore models of activated carbons as well as atomistic models of carbon nanotubes. The simulations also demonstrate that carbon nanotubes offer little or no advantage over activated carbons in terms of enhanced delivery, when used as storage media for either hydrogen or methane.     

Self-assembly of modified carbon nanotubes in toluene

The dispersibility of modified carbon nanotubes in toluene at different temperature has been investigated by laser light scattering. It was found that the nanotubes cannot be dispersed into the level of single tubes. On the other hand, the carbon nanotubes self-assemble in a crystal-like way, with a periodicity around 2 μm.     

Synthesis of polymer grafted carbon nanotubes by nitroxide mediated radical polymerization in the presence of spin-labeled carbon nanotubes

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were grafted with polystyrene by in situ nitroxide mediated radical polymerization in the presence of TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl) functionalized MWCNT, which was synthesized by the reaction between 4-hydroxyl-TEMPO (HO-TEMPO) and carbonyl chloride groups on the MWCNT. Although the controllability of the polymerization was not high, highly soluble grafted MWCNTs were indeed obtained, indicating that the graft polymerization was efficient. The resulting polystyrene grafted MWCNTs were easily defunctionalized at room temperature using 3-chloroperoxybenzioc acid. TEM, SEM, and TGA were employed to determine the structure, morphology, and the grafting quantities of the resulting products.     

ESR study of the molecular orientation and dynamics of stable organic radicals included in the 1‐D organic nanochannels of 2,4,6‐tris‐4‐(chlorophenoxy)‐1,3,5‐triazine

The molecular orientation and dynamics of the organic stable radicals such as 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyl‐1‐oxyl (TEMPO) or 4‐hydroxy‐TEMPO (TEMPOL) included in the one‐dimensional (1‐D) organic nanochannels of 2,4,6‐tris‐4‐(chlorophenoxy)‐1,3,5‐triazine (CLPOT) were investigated by examining the inclusion compounds (ICs) diluted by the co‐inclusion of non‐radicals using ESR spectroscopy. Spectral simulation showed that the axial rotation of TEMPO or TEMPOL molecules is excited in the nanochannels with activation energies of 8 and 7 kJ mol^?1, respectively. The rotation axis was estimated to be tilted towards the principal x direction in the axis system of the g ‐tensor of the respective radicals. This is quite different from that for similar ICs in the nanochannels of tris(o‐phenylenedioxy)cyclotriphosphazene (TPP), in which the radicals are axially rotating around the principal axis y of the g‐tensor. The difference is attributed to the larger nanospace of the CLPOT nanochannels. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Orientational phase transition in a charge-transfer crystal: Triplet excitons as probes for lattice dynamics

The orientational phase transition in the charge-transfer (CT) crystal anthracene-TCNB (s-tetracyanobenze) is investigated by ESR and by Raman spectroscopy. ESR spectra of triplet excitons are observed and analysed with respect to orientational changes during the transition between two different phases. The data yield the mean molecular orientations fx (relative to a crystal fixed axis) as a function of temperature. Besides a gradual orientational change with temperature there is also an abrupt change (Δ fx ≈ 5° within 1 K) at the transition temperature suggesting a first order phase transition. A model is presented that uses exciton dynamics as a probe for lattice dynamics. The size of domains of equally oriented molecules is obtained as a function of temperature. The phase transition is also detected from the appearance of different phonon lines in the Raman spectra. These spectra gain their special value from a comparison with the behaviour of an order parameter fx, characterizing the phase transition.     

ESR study of molecular orientation and dynamics of TEMPO derivatives in CLPOT 1D nanochannels

The molecular orientations and dynamics of 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxyl (TEMPO) radical derivatives with large substituent groups at the 4‐position (4‐X‐TEMPO) in the organic one‐dimensional nanochannels within the nanosized molecular template 2,4,6‐tris(4‐chlorophenoxy)‐1,3,5‐triazine (CLPOT) were examined using ESR. The concentrations of guest radicals, including 4‐methoxy‐TEMPO (MeO‐TEMPO) or 4‐oxo‐TEMPO (TEMPONE), in the CLPOT nanochannels in each inclusion compound (IC) were reduced by co‐including 4‐substituted‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine (4‐R‐TEMP) compounds at a ratio of 1 : 30–1 : 600. At higher temperatures, the guest radicals in each IC underwent anisotropic rotational diffusion in the CLPOT nanochannels. The rotational diffusion activation energy, E_a, associated with MeO‐TEMPO or TEMPONE in the CLPOT nanochannels (6–7 kJ mol^?1), was independent of the size and type of substituent group and was similar to the E_a values obtained for TEMPO and 4‐ hydroxy‐TEMPO (TEMPOL) in our previous study. However, in the case in which TEMP was used as a guest compound for dilution (spacer), the tilt of the rotational axis to the principal axis system of the g ‐tensor, and the rotational diffusion correlation time, τ_R, of each guest radical in the CLPOT nanochannels were different from the case with other 4‐R‐TEMP. These results indicate the possibility of controlling molecular orientation and dynamics of guest radicals in CLPOT ICs through the appropriate choice of spacer. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

锯齿形单壁碳纳米管的穿透能研究

基于分子动力学方法,研究了载能碳离子碰撞锯齿形单壁碳纳米管过程中初级碰撞原子(PKA)的运动过程和能量变化过程.分析了手性指数为(2n+1,0)(n=2~9)的单壁碳纳米管中PKA的穿透能与载能碳离子入射能间的关系.结果表明,穿透能与入射能之间呈线性增长关系,线性变化的斜率与碳纳米管直径有关.通过分析PKA势能随模拟时间的变化规律,阐述了初级碰撞原子的穿透能随入射能的增加而增加的物理机制.     

Temperature effects on femtosecond transient absorption kinetics of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes

We report femtosecond transient absorption kinetics measured for selected semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes at different temperatures between 77 and 290 K. The nanotubes are embedded in a thin polymethylmethacrylate film, and the dominance of individual species enabled to probe selectively the kinetics associated with two desired tube types, the (6,5) and (7,5) tubes. A strikingly similar temperature dependence is found between the maximum change in the amplitude of transient absorption kinetics, the overall decay time and steady-state fluorescence emission intensity. The simplest explanation for our data is that the temperature dependence of the fluorescence intensity and the exciton decay kinetics are dominated by nonradiative decay and that the radiative decay rate is weakly temperature dependent.     

Effects of SWNT and metallic catalyst on hydrogen absorption/desorption performance of MgH2

The microstructure and absorption/desorption characteristics of composite MgH2 and 5 wt % as-prepared single-walled carbon nanotubes (MgH2-5ap) obtained by the mechanical grinding method were investigated. Experimental results show that the MgH2-5ap sample exhibits faster absorption kinetics and relatively lower desorption temperature than pure MgH2 or MgH2-purified single-walled carbon nanotube composite. Storage capacities of 6.0 and 4.2 wt % hydrogen for the MgH2-5ap composite were achieved in 60 min at 423 and 373 K, respectively. Furthermore, its desorption temperature was reduced by 70 K due to the introduction of as-prepared single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). In addition, the different effects of SWNTs and metallic catalysts contained in the as-prepared SWNTs were also investigated and a hydrogenation mechanism was proposed. It is suggested that metallic particles may be mainly responsible for the improvement of the hydrogen absorption kinetics, and SWNTs for the enhancement of hydrogen absorption capacity of MgH2.