Calculation of the adsorption-desorption hysteresis curves in narrow-pore systems

The gas and liquid spinodal branches for an adsorbate located in narrow slit-shaped, cylindrical, and spherocylindrical pores were calculated. The adsorbate is modeled by Lennard-Jones spherical particles. The calculation was based on the lattice gas model taking into account the intermolecular interactions of nearest neighbors in the quasichemical approximation. The density-temperature diagrams for the gas and liquid spinodal branches in the pores are similar to the equilibrium vapor-liquid phase diagrams: they have a common critical point; the dense-phase branches are shifted to lower pore fillings, while the rarefied-phase branches are shifted toward higher pore fillings. The width of adsorption-desorption hysteresis loop in the adsorption isotherms for Lennard-Jones particles was analyzed as a function of the pore size and the interaction potential of the adsorbate with the pore walls. The effect of pore wall roughness and the accuracy of isotherm calculation on the width of the adsorption-desorption hysteresis loop in cylindrical pores is discussed Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 813–823, May, 2007.     

X-ray diffraction study of smectic A layering in terminally fluorinated liquid crystal materials

We report an X-ray study of smectic A layering for mesogenic compounds with fluorinated substituents in terminal positions. The measurements were carried out using diffractometers with one- and two-coordinate proportional chambers. It was found that in contrast to -CN or -NO₂ terminated smectics, the polar -OCF₃ compounds form only a monolayer smectic A₁ phase. The ratio of the intensity of the second harmonic to the first in smectic A phases formed by molecules with lengthy perfluorinated chains was found to be two orders of magnitude higher than is commonly reported for low molar mass thermotropic mesogens, indicating deviations of the density distribution function p(z) from a pure sinusoidal form. The layer periodicity d for these mesogens exceeds the molecular length L: d/L ≃ 1·1, which corresponds to a smectic A_d phase consisting of parallel or antiparallel dimers. We have observed that lateral fluorine substitution in the benzene ring adjacent to the perfluorinated chain leads to the disturbance of uniform smectic A layering and to the formation of a defect-modulated smectic A structure of a chequer-board type. For polyphilic compounds containing both hydrogenous and perfluorinated units in the terminal chain, the in-plane structure factor displays double-peaked liquid-like profiles indicating the existence of nearest-neighbour molecular stacking at different distances. The peculiarities of smectic A layering in fluorinated mesogens are discussed in terms of steric coupling and enhanced conformational rigidity of fluorine containing moieties.     

Switching the Chirality of Single Adsorbate Complexes

Pumped up : Propene molecules form chiral complexes when adsorbed on a copper surface. Inelastically scattered tunneling electrons from the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope induce rotation or diffusion of the adsorbate on the surface. Higher tunneling currents can lead to conversion of the adsorbate into the opposite enantiomer.

     

两性树脂和可再生甲壳质吸附稀游离强酸时吸附剂-吸附质相互作用能的测定

研究吸附剂与吸附质的相互作用，对深入了解吸附质在固－液界面的吸附机理，以及优化分离提纯物质的工艺条件都具有重要理论价值和实际应用意义。但目前在固－液吸附体系中，对吸附剂－吸附质相互作用的研究，只能用“强弱”表征相互作用的程度，定性分析吸附问题［１］。...     

Full Analysis of Internal Adsorbate Redistribution in Regenerative Adsorption Cycles

Adsorption cycles with heat regeneration are a promising CFC-free alternative to compression cycles, for refrigeration or heat pumping purposes. However, the process is complex and therefore requires efficient analysis tools to understand correctly. These tools are now developed and used here for studying the phenomenon of internal adsorbate redistribution. This phenomenon takes place during the periods when the adsorber is pressurised, or depressurised, under globally isosteric conditions. It can be easily thought that internal adsorbate redistribution reduces the cycle performance. In order to avoid this reduction, the adsorbate redistribution can be reduced by implementing separate vapour compartments inside the adsorbers, which also requires the installation of additive check valves between the adsorber, condenser and evaporator.The present study shows that, in fact, this phenomenon does not affect performance. In addition, thanks to the different analysis tools, a physical explanation of this result, based on first and second laws of thermodynamics is developed. This result is then valid for any heat regenerative cycle using an adsorption pair.     

Discrete solvation layering in confined binary liquids

The solvation force profiles of squalane/octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS) mixtures confined between Si3N4 tips and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and hexadecane/OMCTS confined between alkanethiol-functionalized tips and freshly cleaved mica have been measured by atomic force microscopy. Measurements on HOPG reveal oscillatory behavior where discrete solvation layers of both squalane and OMCTS are observed in a single force curve. The large repulsive force of the first solvation layer (squalane) on HOPG indicates that it is strongly bound. Oscillatory behavior is also observed for hexadecane/OMCTS on mica excepting that the oscillations are found in the attractive regime. The OMCTS layers in this case are less ordered with slightly larger (approximately 1 A) periodicities. These results are in agreement with computer simulations for binary liquid mixtures but differ qualitatively from surface force apparatus experiments.     

Self-Diffusion Coefficients for Pure and Mixed Adsorbate Fluids in Narrow Pores

The equilibrium distribution and the concentration dependence of the local and average self-diffusion coefficients for pure fluid and binary mixture components in narrow slitlike pores were analyzed. The coefficients were calculated using the lattice gas model in the quasi-chemical approximation on the assumption of a spherical shape and approximately equal sizes of the components. For the pure adsorbate, these calculations were compared with molecular dynamics simulations. Both methods gave similar concentration profile changes and dynamic characteristics of interlayer particle redistributions in strong nonuniform adsorption fields for dense fluids. A satisfactory agreement was obtained for the temperature dependences of the self-diffusion coefficients along the pore axis. The influence of the molecule–wall potential and of intermolecular interaction were considered. The self-diffusion coefficients of the adsorbate were shown to strongly depend on the density of the mixture and the distance from pore walls.     

Lyotropic smectic layering of side-on polysoaps in water

 The synthesis and characterization of lyotropic smectic amphiphilic side-on polymers are described. The amphiphile consists of a rigid, aromatic core with two terminal ethyleneoxide chains of various lengths and is laterally attached to a polysiloxane backbone; the length of the spacer has also been varied. The phase behavior of the monomeric amphiphiles and side-on polymers are determined by polarizing microscopy and ²H-NMR measurements. In water, most of the low molecular weight surfactants show restricted lyotropic properties, namely lyotropic smectic phases. The packing restriction of the amphiphiles is due to their geometric anisometry. All side-on polymers exhibit only lyotropic smectic phases. The phase regime of the polymer mesophase with respect to the monomers depends on the spacer length. In contrast to surfactants having a flexible hydrophobic group, these amphiphiles align spontaneously parallel to an external magnetic field, leading to perfect lyotropic smectic monodomains. Received: 21 May 2001 Accepted: 27 August 2001     

Adsorbate binding energies for ammonia on cobalt and nickel clusters

Equilibrium reactions of ammonia with cobalt and nickel clusters are analyzed to determine cluster-adsorbate binding energies. The temperature dependence of reaction equilibrium constantsK _eq are measured and ?ΔH ⁰ values obtained from plots of lnK _eq vs 1/T. We find that binding energies generally decrease with increasing ammonia coverage, and that for a given number of NH₃ molecules binding energies increase with increasing cluster size. The pattern of binding energies is found to be consistent with proposed geometrical structures for Co₁₉ and for clusters in the 55-atom size range. Cluster-ammonia binding energies are generally somewhat higher than for bulk metal surfaces, an expected result considering the character of the cluster surface and the nature of the NH₃-metal interaction.     

Surfactant layering on mixed monolayer-protected gold clusters

Positively-charged monolayer protected gold clusters (MMPCs) were mixed with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). At lower SDS concentration, the initially water-soluble particles became organic-soluble while remaining discrete. Upon further addition of SDS, the particles aggregate and become water-soluble. NaCN decomposition, TEM, and DLS characterization reveal the morphology and properties of these encapsulated assemblies.     

Adsorbate Alignment in Surface Halogenation: Standing Up is Better than Lying Down

Bromine atom transfer to a silicon surface as a function of physisorbed adsorbate alignment (see picture: left, vertical 1-bromopentane; right, horizontal 1-bromopentane) of 1-bromopropane and 1-bromopentane on Si(111)-7×7 has been studied by STM. In both thermal and electron-induced bromination reactions, the vertical alignment is more reactive.     

Computer simulation of macroion layering in a wedge film

The layering of macroions confined to a wedge slit formed by two uncharged hard walls is studied using a canonical Monte Carlo method combined with a simulation cell that contains both wedge-shaped slit and bath regions. The macroion solution is modeled within a one-component fluid approach that in an effective way incorporates the double layer repulsion due to simple electrolyte ions as well as the discrete nature of an aqueous solvent. The layer formation under a wedge confinement is analyzed by carrying out separate simulation runs for a set of consecutive wedge segments designed to represent a single wedge slit. As the wedge thickness progressively increases, the sequence of regions along the wedge film with distinct features of macroion layering has been established. This sequence comprises (i) a wedge region of the thickness smaller than the macroion diameter that is free of macroions; (ii) a region with a one-dimensional macroion chain along the wedge corner at a wedge thickness of a one macroion diameter; (iii) a region comprising a low-ordered macroion monolayer that extends until the wedge thickness slightly above two macroion diameters; (iv) a region comprising a pair of well-defined two-dimensional configurations of macroions segregated on each of the wedge walls; and (v) a free-of-macroions wedge region between two surface monolayers that now originates from an electrostatic repulsion imposed by the surface macroions, which is followed by (vi) a well-defined macroion monolayer film between two surface monolayers, a less defined bilayer film, a three-layer film, and so on up to the bulk solution. Once formed, the macroion surface monolayers persist for all remaining wedge thicknesses up to the bulk, forming in such a way effective charged wedge boundaries. Such a formation of the macroion surface monolayers on the uncharged confining walls is related to the haloing mechanism for regulating the stability in colloidal suspensions [Tohver et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2001, 98, 8951] and is discussed as well. Finally, the estimated boundary of the free of macroion region between surface monolayers correlates well with the location of the boundary of the so-called "vacuum" phase that has been observed experimentally in an aqueous suspension of charged polystyrene spheres bounded by electrostatically repulsive glass walls [Pieransky et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1983, 50, 900].     

Hot‐Hole Extraction from Quantum Dot to Molecular Adsorbate

Ultrafast thermalized and hot‐hole‐transfer processes have been investigated in CdSe quantum dot (QD)/catechol composite systems in which hole transfer from photoexcited QDs to the catechols is thermodynamically favorable. A series of catechol derivatives were selected with different electron‐donating and ‐withdrawing groups, and the effect of these groups on hole transfer and charge recombination (CR) dynamics has been investigated. The hole‐transfer time was determined using the fluorescence upconversion technique and found to be 2–10 ps depending on the molecular structure of the catechol derivatives. The hot‐hole‐transfer process was followed after monitoring 2S luminescence of CdSe QDs. Interestingly, hot‐hole extraction was observed only in the CdSe/3‐methoxycatechol (3‐OCH₃) composite system owing to the higher electron‐donating property of the 3‐methoxy group. To confirm the extraction of the hot hole and to monitor the CR reaction in CdSe QD/catechol composite systems, ultrafast transient absorption studies have been carried out. Ultrafast transient‐absorption studies show that the bleach recovery kinetics of CdSe QD at the 2S excitonic position is much faster in the presence of 3‐OCH₃. This faster bleach recovery at the 2S position in CdSe/3‐OCH₃ suggests hot‐hole transfer from CdSe QD to 3‐OCH₃. CR dynamics in CdSe QD/catechol composite systems was followed by monitoring the excitonic bleach at the 1S position and was found to decrease with free energy of the CR reaction.     

Silk layering as studied with neutron reflectivity

Neutron reflectivity (NR) measurements of ultrathin surface films (below 30 nm) composed of Bombyx mori silk fibroin protein in combination with atomic force microscopy and ellipsometry were used to reveal the internal structural organization in both dry and swollen states. Reconstituted aqueous silk solution deposited on a silicon substrate using the spin-assisted layer-by-layer (SA-LbL) technique resulted in a monolayer silk film composed of random nanofibrils with constant scattering length density (SLD). However, a vertically segregated ordering with two different regions has been observed in dry, thicker, seven-layer SA-LbL silk films. The vertical segregation of silk multilayer films indicates the presence of a different secondary structure of silk in direct contact with the silicon oxide surface (first 6 nm). The layered structure can be attributed to interfacial β-sheet crystallization and the formation of well-developed nanofibrillar nanoporous morphology for the initially deposited silk surface layers with the preservation of less dense, random coil secondary structure for the layers that follow. This segregated structure of solid silk films defines their complex nonuniform behavior in the D(2)O environment with thicker silk films undergoing delamination during swelling. For a silk monolayer with an initial thickness of 6 nm, we observed the increase in the effective thickness by 60% combined with surprising decrease in density. Considering the nanoporous morphology of the hydrophobic silk layer, we suggested that the apparent increase in its thickness in liquid environment is caused by the air nanobubble trapping phenomenon at the liquid-solid interface.     

The optoacoustic layering effect and thickness measurements

Summary The value of optoacoustic spectroscopy as a technique for the quantitative non-destructive determination of thickness of surface layers is examined by reference to two systems. In one, carbon deposits on a nickel-alumina catalyst with graphite filler, it is shown that the deposit can be detected, and its thickness estimated by application of a simple equation. The relationship does not hold for different thicknesses of the transparent polymer melinex above 40 m. It is argued that because the optoacoustic signal has complex origins, reliable quantitative relationships are difficult to establish. However, it is confirmed that qualitative analysis of subcutaneous layers by OAS, is relatively straightforward.

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Der optoakustische Schichteffekt und Messungen von Schichtdicken

Zusammenfassung Der Nutzen der optoakustischen Spektroskopie für die quantitative zerstörungsfreie Bestimmung von Oberflächenschichtdicken wird an Hand von zwei verschiedenen Systemen untersucht. Im Falle von Kohlenstoffablagerungen auf einem Ni-Al₂O₃-Katalysator mit Graphitmatrix konnte die Dikke der Ablagerung mit Hilfe einer einfachen Gleichung bestimmt werden. Jedoch konnte diese Beziehung bei dem transparenten Polymer Melinex für Schichtdicken über 40 m nicht angewendet werden. Wegen der komplexen Ursachen des optoakustischen Signals ist es schwierig, zuverlässige quantitative Beziehungen aufzustellen. Für qualitative Schichtuntersuchungen kann die Methode aber nützlich sein.

     

Molecular grounds of the calculation of equilibrium and transport characteristics of inert gases and liquids in complex narrow-pore systems

A self-consistent approach to the calculation of equilibrium and transport characteristics of inert gases and liquids in complex narrow-pore systems based on the lattice-gas model is proposed. A supramolecular structure for fine-grained solids was constructed and the adsorbate distribution within the pore volume is described. The supramolecular structure is simulated using slit-shaped, cylindrical, spherical, and globular segments. Additionally, junctions of pore systems with different structures are included, and the heterogeneity of their walls and the presence of structural defects in the pore segments are taken into account. The distributions of molecules are described in the quasi-chemical approximation to take into account intermolecular interactions using calibration functions to correct this approximation in the near-critical area. Expressions for local and integrated flow transfer coefficients are constructed, in particular, self-diffusion, shear viscosity and heat conductivity. The contributions of the near-wall areas and the core parts of pores to the general form of phase diagrams, the effect of the pore size on the conditions of capillary condensation, and the role of surface mobility of molecules are discussed.     

Surface layering in ionic liquids: an X-ray reflectivity study

The surface structure and thermodynamics of two ionic liquids, based on the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations, were studied by X-ray reflectivity and surface tensiometry. A molecular layer of a density approximately 18% higher than that of the bulk is found to form at the free surface of these liquids. In common with surface layering in liquid metals and surface freezing in melts of organic chain molecules, this effect is induced by the lower dimensionality of the surface. The concentrations of the oppositely charged ions within the surface layer are determined by chemical substitution of the anion. The temperature-dependent surface tension measurements reveal a normal, negative-slope temperature dependence. The different possible molecular arrangements within the enhanced-density surface layer are discussed.