Self-Compacting Alkali-Activated Materials: Progress and Perspectives

Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) are considered to be alternative cementitious materials for civil infrastructures. Nowadays, efforts have been made in developing AAMs with self-compacting ability. The obtained self-compacting AAMs (SCAAMs) accomplish superior passing and filling properties as well as excellent mechanical and environmental advantages. This work critically revisits recent progresses in SCAAMs including mixture proportions, fresh properties, mechanical strength, microstructure, acid and sulfate resistance, high temperature behaviors, impact resistance and interface shear strength. To facilitate direct comparison and interpretation of data from different publications, mixture proportions were normalized in terms of the content of key reactive components from precursors and activators, and correlation with mechanical behaviors was made. Moreover, special attention was paid to current research challenges and perspectives to promote further investigation and field application of SCAAMs as advanced construction material.     

Characterization of the Microhardness of Ion-implanted GaP

Implantation induced changes of the microhardness are studied in GaP single crystals which were bombarded with ions in the range of mass numbers M = 1–40. It is observed that point defects and incorporated hydrogen have a stronger hardening effect. The effect of defect complexes is lower, and amorphized layers are softer than crystalline layers.     

On the existence of a pyrochlore-type phase in the system Bi2O3–TiO2

The existence of a bismuth titanate in the range between Bi₂Ti₄O₁₁ (Bi₂O₃ · 4 TiO₂) and Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ (2 Bi₂O₃ 3TiO₂) has been investigated by X-ray diffraction of samples prepared by solid state reactions. For reaction temperatures above 1100 °C and a starting composition Bi₂O₃ · 2 TiO₂ there appeared additional lines which could be attributed to a cubic face-centred cell with a = 10.354 Å. A multiphase Rietveld analysis based on X-ray powder diffraction data confirmed the structural model of a pyrochlore for this compound. There is evidence that this phase belongs to the group of defect pyrochlores with a Bi³⁺-deficiency resulting in a composition of Bi_1.833Ti₂O_6.75.     

An Improved Approach for Practical Synthesis of 5-Hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxycytidine (5hmdC) Phosphoramidite and Triphosphate

5-Hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxycytidine (5hmdC) phosphoramidite and triphosphate are important building blocks in 5hmdC-containing DNA synthesis for epigenetic studies. However, efficient and practical methods for the synthesis of these compounds are still limited. The current research provides an intensively improved synthetic method that enables the preparation of commercially available cyanoethyl-protected 5hmdC phosphoramidite with an overall yield of 39% on 5 g scale. On the basis of facile and efficient accesses to cyanoethyl protected-5hmdU and 5hmdC intermediates, two efficient synthetic routes for 5hmdC triphosphate were also developed.     

Effects of MN4-Type Coordination Structure in Metallophthalocyanine for Bio-Inspired Oxidative Desulfurization Performance

Oxidative desulfurization (ODS) is the promising new method for super deep desulfurization of fuel oil. The oxidative desulfurization performance of the metal-N₄-chelates metallophthalocyanines (MPcs) is related to the chemical properties of conjugate structures and the central metal ions. Herein, a biomimetic catalytic system composed of metallophthalocyanines (MPcR₄, M = Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II); R = -H, -COOH, -NO₂, -NH₂) and molecular O₂ was performed to study the influence of MN₄-type coordination structure in metallophthalocyanines for the degradation of dibenzothiophene (DBT) in model oil containing n-octane. The results reveal that the conjugate structures and the center metal ions of metallophthalocyanines played key roles in oxidative desulfurization performance. The inductive effect of different R substituents strongly affected the electron cloud distribution of the conjugate structures and the catalytic performance. Moreover, the catalytic activity of MPcs, which is related to the d electronic configuration and ligand-field effects, does not sequentially increase with the increase in the d electron number of central metal ions.     

福建登陆北上台风对杭州影响的对比分析

利用自动站观测资料、探空资料和全球预测系统（global forecast system,GFS）分析资料,结合统计分析、合成分析、对比分析以及物理量诊断等方法,对5个福建登陆北上并严重影响杭州的台风进行了分析,结果表明：（1）福建登陆北上影响杭州的5个台风可以分为两类,一类是福建登陆北上越过30°N（北上台风）,另一类是刚进入浙南就减弱为低压（1010号莫兰蒂台风）。北上台风对杭州造成了大风和暴雨双重影响,而1010号莫兰蒂台风主要带来的是暴雨。（2）在北上台风对杭州产生较大影响时,其合成台风中心位于福建中部地区,东南风低空急流和偏南风低空急流显著,杭州处于台风环流第一象限两支急流的交汇处,利于产生暴雨、大风;而在1010号莫兰蒂台风对杭州产生较大影响时已减弱为热带低压环流,其北部倒槽与西风带冷空气相结合是产生特大暴雨的主要原因,低压环流与副高之间的偏南风急流也有利于暴雨形成。（3）两类台风虽然部分指数和空间热动力结构相近,但北上台风的水汽条件和动力条件更好,而1010号莫兰蒂台风在冷空气切入和斜压性增强作用下,具备更高的对流有效位能,出现对流性强降水的可能性更大。     

Mechanistic Studies on Propargyl Alcohol-Tethered Alkylidenecyclopropane with Aryldiazonium Salt Initiated by Visible Light

This paper discloses the reaction mechanism of two consecutive but different visible light photo-induced chain processes for the rapid construction of spirobi[indene]skeletons.The first process is triggered by a photo-induced single-electron-transfer(SET)of an electron donor-accepter(EDA)complex.The second process is initiated by a direct SET process between aryldiazonium salt and the excited allenic intermediate.In these two processes,another SET took place respectively on the in situ formed radical intermediate to realize a redox-neutral outcome.The mechanistic studies have been carried out by control experiments,kinetic and spectroscopic analyses,deuterium labeling experiments to support these two chain processes.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of 2,5‐Furandicarboxylic Acid from 2‐Furoic Acid by a Pd‐catalyzed Bromination–Hydroxycarbonylation Tandem Reaction in Acetate Buffer

The one‐pot synthesis of 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid from 2‐furoic acid with a yield of 57 % was achieved for the first time using a Pd‐catalyzed bromination‐hydroxycarbonylation tandem reaction in HOAc‐NaOAc buffer. This synthetic protocol shows major improvements compared to previously reported methods, such as using biomass‐based 2‐furoic acid as low‐cost raw material, one‐pot synthesis without isolation of intermediate products, and no need for an acidification procedure. Experiments indicate that the involved Xantphos‐modified Pd‐catalyst and the buffer solution play significant promoting roles for each individual reaction whereas Br₂ (as the brominating reagent) had a negative effect on the second hydroxycarbonylation step, while CO was deleterious for the first bromination step. Hence, in this practical one‐pot synthesis, Br₂ should be consumed in the first bromination step as fully as possible, and CO is introduced after the first bromination step has been completed.     

Molecular Weight Distribution Control for Polymerization Processes Based on the Moment-Generating Function

The molecular weight distribution is an important factor that affects the properties of polymers. A control algorithm based on the moment-generating function was proposed to regulate the molecular weight distribution for polymerization processes in this work. The B-spline model was used to approximate the molecular weight distribution, and the weight state space equation of the system was identified by the subspace state space system identification method based on the paired date of B-spline weights and control inputs. Then, a new performance criterion mainly consisting of the moment-generating function was constructed to obtain the optimal control input. The effectiveness of the proposed control method was tested in a styrene polymerization process. The molecular weight distribution of the styrene polymers can be approximated by the B-spline model effectively, and it can also be regulated towards the desired one under the proposed control method.