Interfacial electron transfer energetics studied by high spatial resolution tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopic imaging

Interfacial electron transfer (ET) in TiO?-based systems is important in artificial solar energy harvesting systems, catalysis, and in advanced oxidative waste water treatment. The fundamental importance of ET processes and impending applications make the study of interfacial ET a promising research area. Photoexcitation of dye molecules adsorbed on the surface of wide band gap semiconductors, such as TiO?, results in the injection of electrons from the dye molecules to the conduction band of the semiconductor or energetically accessible surface electronic states. Using Raman spectroscopy and ensemble-averaging approaches,t he chemical bonding and vibrational relaxation of the ET processes have been extensively studied. However, due to the complexity of the interfacial ET energetics and dynamics, significant questions remain on characterizing the source of the observed complexities. To address these important issues, we have applied advanced spectroscopic and imaging techniques such as confocal and tip-enhanced near-field Raman as well as photoluminescence spectroscopic and topographic imaging. Here we explore single surface states on TiO? as well as the interfacial electronic coupling of alizarin to TiO? single crystalline surfaces.     

Surface passivated silicon nanocrystals with stable luminescence synthesized by femtosecond laser ablation in solution

We report the synthesis of silicon nanocrystals via a one-step route, namely, femtosecond laser ablation in 1-hexene under ambient conditions. The size of these silicon nanocrystals is 2.37 ± 0.56 nm as determined by transmission electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectra indicate that the surface of the silicon nanocrystals is passivated by organic molecules and is also partially oxidized by O(2) and H(2)O dissolved in the solution. These silicon nanocrystals emit stable and bright blue photoluminescence. We suggest that the photoluminescence originates from the radiative recombination of electron-hole pairs through the oxide-related centers on the surface of the silicon nanocrystals. The decay rate of the oxide-related surface recombination can be comparable to that of the direct band gap transition. In the excitation and emission spectra, a vibrational structure with nearly constant spacings (0.18 eV) is observed. We propose that the strong electron-phonon coupling between excitons and the longitudinal optical (LO) phonons of the Si-C vibration is responsible for this vibrational structure. The fluctuations in the peak resolution, about ±0.01 eV, are ascribed to the size distribution and presence of Si-O vibrations. These silicon nanocrystals offer stable luminescence and are synthesized through a "green" and simple route. They may find important applications in many fields, such as bioimaging and environmental science.     

Imaging CH3SH photodissociation at 204 nm: the SH + CH3 channel

The SH + CH(3) product channel for the photodissociation of CH(3)SH at 204 nm was investigated using the sliced velocity map ion imaging technique with the detection of CH(3) products using state selective (2+1) resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI). Images were measured for CH(3) formed in the ground and excited vibrational states (v(2) = 0, 1, and 2) of the umbrella mode from which the correlated SH vibrational state distributions were determined. The vibrational distribution of the SH fragment in the SH + CH(3) channel at 204 nm is clearly inverted and peaks at v = 1. The highly negative anisotropy parameter of the CH(3) (v(2) = 0, 1, and 2) products is indicative of a fast dissociation process for C-S bond cleavage. Two kinds of slower CH(3) products were also observed (one of which was partly vibrationally resolved) that are assigned to a two-step photodissociation processes, in which the first step is the production of the CH(3)S (X(2)E) radical via cleavage of the S-H bond in CH(3)SH, followed by probe laser photodissociation of nascent CH(3)S radicals yielding CH(3)(X(2)A(1), v(2) = 0-2) + S((3)P(j)/(1)D) products.     

Phosphorylated mesoporous carbon as a solid acid catalyst

Mesoporous carbon catalyst supports are attractive due to their wide chemical stability while potentially increasing mass-transport through and providing a path for larger molecules to access catalytic sites. Herein we report the synthesis of a phosphorylated mesoporous carbon solid-acid catalyst characterized by NH(3)-TPD and isopropanol dehydration.     

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy evidence for structural heterogeneity in ionic liquids

In this work, we provide new experimental evidence for chain length-dependent self-aggregation in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). In studying a homologous series of N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide, [C(n)MPy][Tf(2)N] RTILs of varying alkyl chain length (n = 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10), biphasic rhodamine 6G solute diffusion dynamics were observed; both the fast and slow diffusion coefficients decreased with increasing alkyl chain length, with the relative contribution from slower diffusion increasing for longer-chain [C(n)MPy][Tf(2)N]. We propose that the biphasic diffusion dynamics originate from self-aggregation of the nonpolar alkyl chains in the cationic [C(n)MPy](+).     

Tetraaquabis[5‐(3‐pyridyl‐κN)pyrimidine]zinc(II) bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate): a novel cationic complex and three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded network

The title compound, [Zn(C₉H₇N₃)₂(H₂O)₄](CF₃O₃S)₂, contains an octahedral [ZnL₂(H₂O)₄]²⁺ cationic complex with trans geometry (Zn site symmetry ), and each 5‐(3‐pyridyl)pyrimidine (L) ligand is coordinated in a monodentate fashion through the pyridine N atom. In the extended structure, these complexes, with both hydrogen‐bond acceptor (pyrimidine) and donor (H₂O) functions, are linked to each other by intermolecular water–pyrimidine O—H...N hydrogen‐bonding interactions, resulting in a double chain along the crystallographic a axis. The trifluoromethanesulfonate anions are integrated into the chains via O—H...O hydrogen bonds between the coordinated water and sulfonate O atoms. These double chains are associated into a novel three‐dimensional network through interchain water–pyrimidine O—H...N hydrogen bonds. The asymmetric ligand plays an important role in constructing this unusual supramolecular structure.     

周期性多孔材料等效剪切模量与尺寸效应研究

提出了以圆筒扭转力学模型为基础, 预测周期性多孔材料等效剪切模量及其研究尺寸效 应的一种简单有效计算方法. 以方形孔和圆形孔两种典型多孔材料为例进行了数值计算求解; 同时, 建立了几何参数随体胞尺寸缩放因子$n$的解析关系, 证明了两种构型的周期性多孔材 料的等效剪切模量均随尺寸缩放因子$n$的增大而减小. 当$n \to \infty $时, 即体胞尺寸相对整体结构无限小时, 多孔材料的等效剪切模量趋近收敛于一个恒定值; 当体胞的材料体分比增大时, 多孔材料等效剪切模量也随之增大. 此外, 依据周 期性多孔材料的结构对称特性, 使用体胞子结构有限元计算模型进行等效剪切模量及其尺寸 效应的预测, 极大地提高了计算效率.     

Fabrication and characterization of Ce_(0.7)Zr_( 0.3)O_2 nanorods having high specific surface area and large oxygen storage capacity

Nanorod-like Ce 0.7 Zr 0.3 O 2 solid solutions were synthesized by a sodium dodecyl sulfate-assisted precipi- tation method. The samples were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and specific surface area measurement. Typical Ce 0.7 Zr 0.3 O 2 nanorods were 40 nm in average diameter and 450 nm in length, with specific surface area and oxygen storage capacity of 194 m 2 /g and 374 mol/g, respectiv...