Quantum-chemical modeling of the hydrogen spillover effect in the H/Pt/SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> system

The hydrogen migration over the surface of platinum clusters applied to the tin dioxide crystal surface has been modeled by the density functional theory method within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) under periodic conditions using a projector-augmented plane-wave (PAW) basis set with a pseudopotential. It has been demonstrated that the dissociative adsorption energy of a hydrogen molecule onto the Pt₁₉ cluster surface is 1.6 eV. The movement of the hydrogen atom over the cluster surface is ∼0.4 eV more favorable than in the bulk. The location of the hydrogen atom on the SnO₂ substrate is 1.62 eV more favorable than that on the upper face of the Pt₁₉ cluster. The barriers to migration of hydrogen atom over the surface of the platinum cluster applied to the SnO₂ surface are within 0.1–0.2 eV.     

Crystalline hydrates of calix[4]arene-<Emphasis Type="Italic">para</Emphasis>-sulfonic acid with <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis> = 6–16) water molecules: a structure modeling

The structures of crystalline hydrates of calix[4]arene-para-sulfonic acid with n (n = 6–16) water molecules and the activation barriers to surface proton migration were calculated within the framework of the density functional theory (DFT) using the PBE gradient-corrected functional, the "hard" basis set of projector-augmented waves (PAW), a corresponding pseudopotential, periodic boundary conditions, and the VASP program package. The energies of formation of crystalline hydrates from calix[4]arene-para-sulfonic acid and n water molecules calculated per water molecule are in the range of 0.4–0.9 eV and depend on n. The adsorption energy of water on the surface is in the range of 0.5–0.7 eV. The activation barriers to proton transfer across the surface calculated for the most stable crystal (n = 8) are close to experimental data and depend on the number of superstoihiometric water molecules, being equal to ~0.2 eV provided three superstoihiometric water molecules per surface SO₃H group.     

Modeling processes of thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon fuels in heated channels

We introduce a mathematical model of the nonequilibrium process of thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon fuel in heated channels of a ramjet combustion chamber cooling system. This mathematical model is based on describing the process using intermediate asymptotics formed when taking into account the equilibrium gas composition, which is determined using open source software for calculating the equilibrium state of the chemical reaction products. A procedure was introduced allowing at different stages of the process of thermal decomposition of fuel to separate kinetically irreversible and reversible chemical reactions and to exclude from consideration chemical reactions which remained incomplete in a limited size engine. We present the features of the process of thermal decomposition of liquid and solid fuels which can be used in high-speed aircraft engines.     

Interaction of dioxygen with the platinum Pt19/SnO2/H2 cluster: DFT calculation

The adsorption of the O₂ molecule onto the surface of the Pt₁₉ platinum cluster deposited onto the tin dioxide crystal surface in the presence of dissociated hydrogen molecule has been calculated by the density functional theory method within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA-PBE) with periodic boundary conditions and a projector-augmented plane-wave (PAW) basis set. It has been demonstrated that the oxygen molecule can be adsorbed without a barrier onto the free surface of the Pt₁₉/SnO₂/H₂ cluster to form a superoxy isomer with one Pt-O bond (the energy of elimination of the oxygen molecule is 0.75 eV), which converts almost without a barrier to more stable peroxide isomers with two Pt-O bonds (the energy of elimination of the O₂ molecule is 1.2?1.7 eV). The energy of elimination of the oxygen molecule from the isomers with two-coordinated oxygen positions at the cluster edges is 2.10?2.53 eV. The isomers with mono- and tricoordinated oxygen positions are less energetically favorable than the isomers with two-coordinated oxygen positions. The process of addition of the oxygen molecule to the platinum cluster and elimination of the water molecule formed in the reaction Pt₁₉/SnO₂/H₂ + O₂ → Pt₁₉/SnO₂/O + H₂O is energetically favorable by 1.6 eV.     

Quantum-chemical modeling of lithium removal from lithium–silicon–silicon carbide composite

The quantum-chemical modeling of the delithiation-induced reorganization of a Li _m Si _n layer applied to the surface of nitrogen-doped silicon carbide is performed by means of non-empirical molecular dynamics in the frame of the gradient-corrected density functional method with the goal for finding promising anode materials for lithium ion batteries. The ratios Li/Si are considered from 8/3 to 1/4. Partial removal of lithium atoms from the surface of the Li _m Si _n layer and annealing at a moderate temperature (400 K) is found to recover rapidly (as soon as within 10 ps) the uniform metal distribution over the layer when the ratio Li/Si is at least 3/4. At lower values of this ratio, the equalization slows down dramatically.     

Migration of lithium ions in a nonaqueous Nafion-based polymeric electrolyte: Quantum-chemical modeling

In the framework of the search for promising electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries. quantum-chemical modeling of the structure. Stability, and electronic properties of membranes based on LiNafion*dimethyl sulfoxide (LiNafion*nDMSO, n = 0–18) has been performed. It has been demonstrated that similar membranes are good candidates from the viewpoint of lithium ion transport with barriers of 0.2–0.3 eV, which depend on the number of DMSO molecules per lithium atom.     

Quantum-chemical modeling of lithiation of a silicon–silicon carbide composite

With the aim of searching for promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, quantum-chemical modeling of the introduction of lithium into a silicon layer supported by nitrogen-doped silicon carbide at Li: Si ratios of 1: 1, 2: 1, and 3: 1 has been performed by the density functional theory method with inclusion of gradient correction and periodic boundary conditions. It has been demonstrated that the absorption of lithium by silicon is energetically more favorable than the formation of a metal layer on the silicon surface. As the lithium concentration increases, the energy difference decreases; i.e., the introduction of lithium into silicon becomes increasingly less favorable, the network of silicon atoms is broken down into smaller and smaller pieces, while the layer thickness increases threefold.