Rational Design of a Carbon‐Boron Frustrated Lewis Pair for Metal‐free Dinitrogen Activation

Molecular nitrogen (N₂) is abundant in the atmosphere and, found in many biomolecules, an essential element of life. The Haber–Bosch process, developed over 100 years ago, requires relatively harsh conditions to activate N₂ on the iron surface and generate ammonia for use as fertilizer or to produce other chemicals, leading to consumption of more than 2 % of the world's annual energy supply. Thus, developing “green” approaches for N₂ activation under mild conditions is particularly important and urgent. Here we demonstrate that a metal‐free N₂ activation could be favorable both thermodynamically and kinetically (with an activation energy as low as 9.1 kcal mol^?1) by using a carbon‐boron formal frustrated Lewis pair, which is supported by high‐level coupled cluster calculations. Mechanistic studies reveal that aromaticity plays a crucial role in stabilizing both the transition state and the product. Our findings highlight the importance of a combination of an N‐heterocyclic carbene with a methyleneborane unit in metal‐free N₂ activation, providing conceptual guidance for experimental realization.     

Evaluation of Energy Utilization Efficiencies for SO2 and NO Removal by Pulsed Corona Discharge Process

Pulsed corona discharge process was applied to the removal of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from simulated flue gas. The energy transfer efficiency of the pulse generation circuit and the energy utilization efficiencies for SO ₂ and NO removal are evaluated and discussed. When the pulse-forming capacitance was five times larger than the geometric capacitance of the reactor, the energy utilization efficiency was maximized, and the energy requirements for NO and SO ₂ removal could be lowered. With regard to radical utilization efficiency, producing small amounts of radicals frequently was found to be more advantageous than producing large amounts of radicals less frequently. Removal efficiency of SO ₂ increased with the applied peak voltage, but the energy utilization efficiency was nearly independent of the peak voltage when the peak field intensity was high enough to induce corona discharge (above 10 kV cm ^–1 in this system).     

A Highly Stable,Capacity Dense Carboxylate Viologen Anolyte towards Long-Duration Energy Storage

Aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) have received increasing attention as an emergent battery technology for grid-scale renewable energy storage. However, physicochemical properties of redox-active organic electrolytes remain fine refinement to maximize their performance in RFBs. Herein, we report a carboxylate functionalized viologen derivative, N,N′-dibutyrate-4,4′-bipyridinium, (CBu)₂V , as a highly stable, high capacity anolyte material under near pH neutral conditions. (CBu)₂V can achieve solubility of 2.1 M and display a reversible, kinetically fast reduction at −0.43 V vs NHE at pH 9. DFT studies revealed that the high solubility of (CBu)₂V is attributed to its high molecular polarity while its negative reduction potential is benefitted from electron-donating carboxylate groups. A 0.89 V ( CBu)₂V /(NH)₄Fe(CN)₆ AORFB demonstrated exceptional energy storage performance, specifically, 100 % capacity retention with a discharge energy density of 9.5 Wh L⁻¹ for 1000 cycles, power densities of up to 85 mW cm⁻², and an energy efficiency of 70 % at 60 mA cm⁻². (CBu)₂V not only represents the most capacity dense viologen with pendant ionic groups and also exhibits the longest (1200 hours or 50 days) and the most stable flow battery performance to date.     

Controlling the Subtle Energy Balance in Protic Ionic Liquids: Dispersion Forces Compete with Hydrogen Bonds

The properties of ionic liquids are determined by the energy‐balance between Coulomb‐interaction, hydrogen‐bonding, and dispersion forces. Out of a set of protic ionic liquids (PILs), including trialkylammonium cations and methylsulfonate and triflate anions we could detect the transfer from hydrogen‐bonding to dispersion‐dominated interaction between cation and anion in the PIL [(C₆H₁₃)₃NH][CF₃SO₃]. The characteristic vibrational features for both ion‐pair species can be detected and assigned in the far‐infrared spectra. Our approach gives direct access to the relative strength of hydrogen‐bonding and dispersion forces in a Coulomb‐dominated system. Dispersion‐corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculations support the experimental findings. The dispersion forces could be quantified to contribute about 2.3 kJ mol^?1 per additional methylene group in the alkyl chains of the ammonium cation.     

Studies on State-to-State Energy Transfer of Electronically Excited Atoms and Molecules

Rotationally inelastic collisions of NH₂( òA₁), ∑(0,9,0), 3₀₃, 1₀₁ have been studied by measuring the dispersed fluorescence spectra at molecular beam conditions. The results show that the angular momentum transfer rule is much more successful than is that predicted by energy gap law for fitting the rotational energy transfer rate. For ΔN < 2 the transfer rates are getting slow down. Downward transfer rates are faster than those of upward transfer. With same angular momentum transferred, the transfer rates for Δk_a = 0 process are larger than those for Δk_a≠0. It is also found that rotation transfer process is a very efficient way for decaying of the initially pumped levels. About 60% of the initially pumped 3₀₃ is colliding into other rotational levels. Energy transfer reactions of metastable rare gas atoms (R_g*) with N₂, NH₃, CS₂ were investigated by measuring the emission spectra. The preferential population of n(A″) of NH(c¹II) was found in He(2³S) + NH₃ reaction, the experimental data shows II(A″)/II(A′) = 1.2 at J′ < 13. A high vibrational excitation and low rotational excitation of N₂(C³n) were observed in Ne(³P₀₂) + N₂ reaction comparing with Ar(³P_0.2) + N₂ reaction. The detailed vibrational populations of CS₂⁺ (Ã, B?) achieved by He(2³S)/Ne(³P_0.2) + CS₂ reaction are different from those obtained by PES. The vibrational distributions of CH(A²Δ) obtained by He(2³S) + CHC1₃ (CH₃NO₂) reactions were discussed based on statistical theory, special attention was paid to reveal the role played by tie angular momentum restriction in this process. The result on energy transfer between N₂(a¹ Π) and CO(X¹ ∑) was firstly presented by VUV emission spectra at single collision condition. The mechanisms of energy transfer related to some of the reactions mentioned above were also discussed in the text.     

Tune color of single-phase LiGd(MoO4)2-X(WO4)X: Sm3+, Tb3+ via adjusting the proportion of matrix and energy transfer to create white-light phosphor

A series of LiGd(MO₄)₂: Sm³⁺, Tb³⁺ (M = Mo, W) phosphors was prepared by a conventional solid state reaction method. Powder X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that the compounds are of the same structure type. Their luminescent properties have been studied. The optimal doping concentrations are 8% for Sm³⁺ and 18% for Tb³⁺ in the LiGd(MoO₄)₂ host. Sm³⁺ and Tb³⁺ have different sensitivity to the Mo/W ratio. For LiGd(MoO₄)_2-X(WO₄)_X: Sm³⁺ (X = 0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0), the strongest emission intensity is 1.766 times than that of the weakest, while 171 times for LiGd(MoO₄)_2-X(WO₄)_X: Tb³⁺. The experimental results show that Mo/W ratio strong influences on the properties of LiGd(MoO₄)_2-X(WO₄)_X: Tb³⁺. With the increasing of WO₄²⁻ groups concentration, the shape of characteristic excitation peaks of Tb³⁺ is almost the same and the excitation intensity gradually increase. Moreover, the energy transfer from Tb³⁺ to Sm³⁺ has been realized in the co-doped phosphors. The experimental analysis and theoretical calculations reveal that the quadrupole–quadrupole interaction is the dominant mechanism for the Tb³⁺→Sm³⁺ energy transfer. Therefore, luminous intensity can be adjusted by different sensitivities to matrix composition and energy transfer from Tb³⁺→Sm³⁺. By this tuning color method, white-light-emitting phosphor has been prepared. The excitation wavelength is 378 nm, and this indicates that the white-light-emitting phosphor could be pumped by near-UV light.     

Theoretical limit of energy consumption for removal of organic contaminants in U.S. EPA Priority Pollutant List by NRTL,UNIQUAC and Wilson models

This paper quantifies the theoretical limit of energy consumption for the removal of 20 representative organic contaminants (9 chlorinated alkyl hydrocarbons, 3 chlorinated alkenes, 3 brominated methanes, 5 aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives) in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Priority Pollutant List by physical procedures. The general rules of the theoretical limit of energy consumption with different initial concentrations at 298.15 K and 1.01325 × 10⁵ Pa by NRTL, UNIQUAC and Wilson models are obtained from the thermodynamic analysis with our previously established method based on the thermodynamic first and second law. The results show that the waste treatment process needs a high energy consumption and the theoretical limit of energy consumption for organic contaminant removal increases with decreasing initial concentrations in aqueous solutions. The theoretical limit of energy consumption decreases with the more C–H bonds being replaced by C–Cl or C–Br bonds in chlorinated methanes, ethanes, ethenes or brominated methanes except for 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, and the energy consumption for the removal of chlorinated methanes is higher than that of chlorinated ethanes with the same C–H bonds being replaced by C–Cl bonds. For the removal of chlorinated ethenes, brominated methanes and benzene and its derivatives studied, the energy consumption has corresponding relationship with solubility and the energy consumption is higher for the removal of organics with higher solubility.     

Microwave pyrolysis of straw bale and energy balance analysis

The compressed wheat and corn straw bale were pyrolyzed on a microwave heating device self-designed and built with respect to the time-resolved temperature distribution, mass loss and product properties. Considering scale up and technology promotion of microwave pyrolysis (MWP), the investigations on electricity consumption and energy balance of MWP were carried out emphatically. The results indicated that MWP had obvious advantages over conventional pyrolysis, such as heating rapid and more valuable products obtained. The distribution of pyrolysis products such as gas, liquid and char was close to 1:1:1 due to the medium pyrolysis temperature and the slow heating rate, which was not favorable for the formation of gas and/or liquid products. The content of H₂ attained the highest value of 35 vol.% and syngas (H₂ and CO) was greater than 50 vol.%. The electricity consumption of MWP was between 0.58 and 0.65 kW h (kg straw)⁻¹ and with the increase of microwave power, the electricity consumption required for pyrolysis of unit mass of straw increased. The minimum microwave power for MWP was about 0.371 kW (kg straw)⁻¹ and the proportion of heat loss and conversion loss of electricity to microwave energy occupied in the total input energy was 42%. Data and information obtained are useful for the design and operation of pyrolysis of large-sized biomass via microwave heating technology.     

Discrete Molecular Copper(II) Complex for Efficient Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Above Room-Temperature

Developing robust, wearable, and biocompatible energy harvesting devices with bulk oxides (ceramics and perovskites) is extremely hard to achieve due to their zero mechanical flexibility, heavy metal toxicity, and tunability of properties. Alternatively, discrete inorganic complexes can be an excellent choice to overcome the above-stated issues, thanks to appropriate molecular engineering. Herein, we report an above-room-temperature ferroelectric discrete molecular complex [Cu(L-phe)(bpy)(H₂O)]PF₆⋅H₂O ( 1 ) which is suitable for piezoelectric energy harvesting due to its large values of piezoelectric co-efficient (d₃₃=10 pm V⁻¹) and spontaneous polarization (P_s=1.3 μC cm⁻²). Among the devices prepared with the composite films of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and various weight % composition of 1 , the 10 Wt % composite shows the highest output voltage of 8 V, a power density of 0.85 μW cm⁻², and output current of 5 μA, which is highest for any discrete inorganic complex reported to date.     

An old story with new insight into the structural transformation and radical production of micron-scale zero-valent iron on successive reactivities

It is generally recognized that the formation and accumulation of iron oxides on the surface of zero-valent iron (Fe⁰) resulting in significant decrease of contaminant degradation rates during the long-term reactions. However, in this study, we found that the removal efficiencies of p-nitrophenol (PNP) by micro zero-valent iron (mFe⁰) could maintain at the satisfactory level in the process of continuous reactions (20 cycles). The removal rate constant (0.1779 min⁻¹) of the 5^th cycle was 6.74 times higher than that of the 1^st reaction (0.0264 min⁻¹), even the 20^th cycle (0.0371 min⁻¹) was higher than that of the 1^st reaction. Interestingly, almost no dissolved iron was detected in the solution, and the total iron concentrations decreased dramatically with the process of continuous reactions. The results of scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that the structure and composition of corrosion products change from amorphous to highly crystal with the increase of the number of cycles. The corrosion products were mainly magnetite (Fe₃O₄) and a small part of maghemite (γ-Fe₂O₃), which were in the form of microspheres on the surface of mFe⁰. The formation of surface oxidation shell hindered the release of Fe²⁺. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results illustrated that partial Fe₃O₄ could be converted into γ-Fe₂O₃. Electrochemical analysis proved that the electron transfer rate of mFe⁰ increased with the formation of the oxides shell. However, the consumption of iron core and thicker oxide film weakened the electron transfer rate. Besides, the quenching experiments indicated that the reaction activity of mFe⁰ could be enhanced with the addition of scavengers. This study deepened the understanding of the structural transformation and radical production of mFe⁰ in continuous reactions.     

Energy efficiency of NO removal by pulsed corona discharges

Pulsed positive corona discharges are used to remove NO from the flue gas of a methane burner. At low power input this leads to an increase in NO₂, which shows that the process is oxidative. Removal efficiency is greatest when discharges are produced with high-voltage pulses, which are shorter in duration than the time required by the primary streamers to cross the discharge gap, in combination with a dc bias. Other important parameters are input power density and residence time. The best result obtained so far is an energy consumption of 20 eV per NO molecule removed, at 50% deNOx i.e., a removal of 150 ppm NO_x, using a residence time of 15 s and an input power density, of 3.5 Wh/Nm³. [Wh/Nm³ stands for watt-hour per normal cubic meter, i.e., at normal conditions (273 K and 1 bar). This implies that 1 Nm³ contains 2.505 10²⁵ molecules.] There appears to be room for improvement by the addition of gaseous and particulate chemicals or the use of multiple corona treatment. It is argued front comparison between results from models and experiments that the direct production of OH by the discharge is only the initiation of the cleaning process.     

5. Applications of cellulose acetate 5.1 Cellulose acetate in textile application

The first cellulose acetate fiber, commonly referred to as acetate, was produced in Europe in 1918 and on a large scale in the United States of America in 1924 making acetate the second man-made fiber to be produced.¹ The usage of acetate worldwide peaked at a consumption of approximately 400 kilotons in the early 1970's.² In the past three decades the use of acetate fiber has declined as fabric manufacturers moved to lower costs manmade fibers such as polyester. Manufacturers of acetate have worked aggressively to reduce their cost while maintaining product quality. These efforts have had some reward, leading to acetate's categorization as a niche fiber. As such, cellulose acetate represents less than one percent of the world's total fiber consumption as compared to cotton at over a third³ of the world's consumption and polyester at around a fourth.⁴ Acetate has been used and continues to be used in many different textile applications because of its attributes and good textile processing performance. It is used in woven fabrics, knits and braids. It is found in multiple applications including medical gauze, ribbons, coffin linings, home furnishings, woven velvets, tricot knits, men's linings, circular knits, woven satins, woven fashion, women's linings. It is found in a variety of deniers, lusters, colors, finishes, compactions types and package sizes. It is often blended with other fibers to make combination yarns.     

Electrochemical behavior of uranium(III) in NaCl–KCl molten salt

The electro-redox behavior of uranium(III) on Mo electrode in NaCl–KCl molten salt in the temperature range 973–1073 K has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry electrochemical method and so on, such research will help to understand uranium behavior in pyro-reprocessing. The results showed that UCl₃ could be reduced into uranium metal in a quasi-reversible one-step process exchanging three electrons. The diffusion coefficients of U(III) ions were determined and the activation energy for diffusion was found to be 55.794 kJ mol⁻¹. The apparent standard potentials of U(III)/U(0) at several temperatures were calculated. The thermodynamic properties of UCl₃ have also been investigated.

     

Recent Advances on Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbons Towards Electrochemical Supercapacitor Applications

Due to ever-increasing global energy demands and dwindling resources, there is a growing need to develop materials that can fulfil the World's pressing energy requirements. Electrochemical energy storage devices have gained significant interest due to their exceptional storage properties, where the electrode material is a crucial determinant of device performance. Hence, it is essential to develop 3-D hierarchical materials at low cost with precisely controlled porosity and composition to achieve high energy storage capabilities. After presenting the brief updates on porous carbons (PCs), then this review will focus on the nitrogen (N) doped porous carbon materials (NPC) for electrochemical supercapacitors as the NPCs play a vital role in supercapacitor applications in the field of energy storage. Therefore, this review highlights recent advances in NPCs, including developments in the synthesis of NPCs that have created new methods for controlling their morphology, composition, and pore structure, which can significantly enhance their electrochemical performance. The investigated N-doped materials a wide range of specific surface areas, ranging from 181.5 to 3709 m² g⁻¹, signifies a substantial increase in the available electrochemically active surface area, which is crucial for efficient energy storage. Moreover, these materials display notable specific capacitance values, ranging from 58.7 to 754.4 F g⁻¹, highlighting their remarkable capability to effectively store electrical energy. The outstanding electrochemical performance of these materials is attributed to the synergy between heteroatoms, particularly N, and the carbon framework in N-doped porous carbons. This synergy brings about several beneficial effects including, enhanced pseudo-capacitance, improved electrical conductivity, and increased electrochemically active surface area. As a result, these materials emerge as promising candidates for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes. The challenges and outlook in NPCs for supercapacitor applications are also presented. Overall, this review will provide valuable insights for researchers in electrochemical energy storage and offers a basis for fabricating highly effective and feasible supercapacitor electrodes.     

London Dispersion Effects in a Distannene/Tristannane Equilibrium: Energies of their Interconversion and the Suppression of the Monomeric Stannylene Intermediate

Reaction of {LiC₆H₂−2,4,6-Cyp₃⋅Et₂O}₂ (Cyp=cyclopentyl) ( 1 ) of the new dispersion energy donor (DED) ligand, 2,4,6-triscyclopentylphenyl with SnCl₂ afforded a mixture of the distannene {Sn(C₆H₂−2,4,6-Cyp₃)₂}₂ ( 2 ), and the cyclotristannane {Sn(C₆H₂−2,4,6-Cyp₃)₂}₃ ( 3 ). 2 is favored in solution at higher temperature (345 K or above) whereas 3 is preferred near 298 K. Van't Hoff analysis revealed the 3 to 2 conversion has a ΔH=33.36 kcal mol⁻¹ and ΔS=0.102 kcal mol⁻¹ K⁻¹, which gives a ΔG^{300 K}=+2.86 kcal mol⁻¹, showing that the conversion of 3 to 2 is an endergonic process. Computational studies show that DED stabilization in 3 is −28.5 kcal mol⁻¹ per {Sn(C₆H₂−2,4,6-Cyp₃)₂ unit, which exceeds the DED energy in 2 of −16.3 kcal mol⁻¹ per unit. The data clearly show that dispersion interactions are the main arbiter of the 3 to 2 equilibrium. Both 2 and 3 possess large dispersion stabilization energies which suppress monomer dissociation (supported by EDA results).     

Energy and CKT dependence of proton induced L subshell X-ray intensity ratios in elements 57⩽Z⩽92

The dependence of L subshell X-ray intensity ratios on incident proton energy and the CK transitions has been investigated in elements 57⩽Z⩽92. The intensity ratio I(L_α)/I(L_l) neither shows variation with energy nor any dependence on the CK transitions. In general, the ratios I(L_α)/I(L_β) and I(L_α)/I(L_γ), first increase with incident proton energy, attain a maximum value, then start decreasing and attain an almost constant value after a particular energy (ranging from about 4.6 MeV for La to 5.8 MeV for U). A comparison has been made among the intensity ratios evaluated using three different sets of parameters. A maximum difference of about 18% has been observed among the different values.     

A Low‐Cost Neutral Zinc–Iron Flow Battery with High Energy Density for Stationary Energy Storage

Flow batteries (FBs) are one of the most promising stationary energy‐storage devices for storing renewable energy. However, commercial progress of FBs is limited by their high cost and low energy density. A neutral zinc–iron FB with very low cost and high energy density is presented. By using highly soluble FeCl₂/ZnBr₂ species, a charge energy density of 56.30 Wh L⁻¹ can be achieved. DFT calculations demonstrated that glycine can combine with iron to suppress hydrolysis and crossover of Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺. The results indicated that an energy efficiency of 86.66 % can be obtained at 40 mA cm⁻² and the battery can run stably for more than 100 cycles. Furthermore, a low‐cost porous membrane was employed to lower the capital cost to less than $ 50 per kWh, which was the lowest value that has ever been reported. Combining the features of low cost, high energy density and high energy efficiency, the neutral zinc–iron FB is a promising candidate for stationary energy‐storage applications.     

The Development of Vanadyl Phosphate Cathode Materials for Energy Storage Systems: A Review

Various cathode materials have been proposed for high-performance rechargeable batteries. Vanadyl phosphate is an important member of the polyanion cathode family. VOPO₄ has seven known crystal polymorphs with tunneled or layered frameworks, which allow facile cation (de)intercalations. Two-electron transfer per formula unit can be realized by using V^V/V^IV and V^IV/V^III redox couples. The electrochemical performance is closely related to the structures of VOPO₄ and the types of inserted cations. This Review outlines the crystal structures of VOPO₄ polymorphs and their lithiated phases. The research progress of vanadyl phosphate cathode materials for different energy storage systems, including lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, potassium-ion batteries, multivalent batteries, and supercapacitors, as well as the related mechanism investigations are summarized. It is hoped that this Review will help with future directions of using vanadyl phosphate materials for energy storage.     

Assemblies of brilliant cresyl violet to DNA in the presence of γ-cyclodextrin

The interactions of brilliant cresyl violet (BCV) with herring sperm DNA in γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) supramolecular system were studied by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Both UV-vis absorption and CV data show that the interaction of BCV with DNA depends on the concentration ratio of BCV to DNA (R), the initial concentration of BCV and γ-CD. The binding constants of BCV monomer, (BCV)₂ dimer and (BCV)₂-γ-CD inclusion complex with DNA are 1.64 × 10⁵, 2.56 × 10⁴ and 2.32 × 10³ M⁻¹, respectively. It was observed that γ-CD can affect the interactive mode of BCV with DNA. If R is larger than 0.5, the (BCV)₂-γ-CD inclusion complex will retain intact and bind to DNA via the electrostatic attraction forces. By contrast, when R is smaller than 0.5, the inclusion complex will be partially dissociated and the free BCV monomer is intercalated into the double-helix structure of DNA attributing to the more favorable microenvironment of DNA for the BCV monomer. Our work postulates the importance of the initial concentration of dye and host molecule on the interaction of dye with DNA in living bodies.     

Bifuntional Materials Containing Preyssler-type Polyoxometalates and Iron Phenanthroline Stabilized with Poly (Allylamine Hydrochloride) for Electrochromic Energy Storage Devices

Electrochromic supercapacitors have received extensive attention owing to their ability to combine electrochromism and energy storage properties. In this paper, a bifunctional electrode material based on Preyssler-type tungstophosphate (P₅W₃₀), polyelectrolyte poly(allylamine hydrochloride) chain (PAH) modified by the iron complex (Fe(phen)₃) was synthesized by Layer-by-Layer method (LbL). Compared with the film without PAH, the composite film displays large optical contrast (35.17 %), fast response time (2.49/0.90 s for coloring/bleaching), great coloration efficiency (94.73 cm² ⋅ C⁻¹) and high specific capacitance (10.45 mF cm⁻²). Moreover, the good cycling stability (83.66 % retention of the original optical modulation after 1500 cycles, capacity retention rate is 91.46 % after 500 cycles) is achieved. In addition, the composite film is also able to visually detect the energy storage level through reversible and rapid color changes, and further use it to assemble device. This work provides an promising candidate for electrochromic and energy storage devices.