A mesoporous non-precious metal boride system: synthesis of mesoporous cobalt boride by strictly controlled chemical reduction

Generating high surface area mesoporous transition metal boride is interesting because the incorporation of boron atoms generates lattice distortions that lead to the formation of amorphous metal boride with unique properties in catalysis. Here we report the first synthesis of mesoporous cobalt boron amorphous alloy colloidal particles using a soft template-directed assembly approach. Dual reducing agents are used to precisely control the chemical reduction process of mesoporous cobalt boron nanospheres. The Earth-abundance of cobalt boride combined with the high surface area and mesoporous nanoarchitecture enables solar-energy efficient photothermal conversion of CO₂ into CO compared to non-porous cobalt boron alloys and commercial cobalt catalysts.

Generating high surface area mesoporous transition metal boride is challenging but interesting because incorporation of boron atoms can generate lattice distortion to form amorphous metal boride which has unique properties in catalysis.     

Low-temperature growth and photoluminescence property of ZnS nanoribbons

At a low temperature of 450 degrees C, ZnS nanoribbons have been synthesized on Si and KCl substrates by a simple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method with a two-temperature-zone furnace. Zinc and sulfur powders are used as sources in the different temperature zones. X-ray diffraction (XRD), selected area electron diffraction (SEAD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis show that the ZnS nanoribbons are the wurtzite structure, and there are two types-single-crystal and bicrystal nanoribbons. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum shows that the spectrum mainly includes two parts: a purple emission band centering at about 390 nm and a blue emission band centering at about 445 nm with a weak green shoulder around 510 nm.     

Effect of Ce<Superscript>3+</Superscript> on spectral characteristic of D1/D2/Cytb559 complex from spinach

It was studied by spectroscopy that PSII reaction center complex consisting of three polypeptides, D₁, D₂ and Cytb559, were purified from PSII particle of CeCl₃ treated spinach. The results of the experiment show that Ce³⁺ could improve the growth of spinach, and accelerate electron transport of PSII particles. Of chl-a of UV-Vis spectrum of D1/D2/Cytb559 complex, Soret band was blue-shifted by 3 nm and Q band by 2 nm, respectively, and the fluorescence emission peak was blue-shifted by 5 nm in CeCl₃-treated spinach compared with the one in control. By the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy methods, it has been found that Ce³⁺ is coordinated with 8 nitrogen atoms in the first coordination shell with Ce-N bond length of 0.253 nm, and Ce³⁺ with 6 oxygen atoms in the second coordination shell with Ce-O bond length of 0.32 nm. However, the secondary structure of D1/D2/Cytb559 complex by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy has no significant change after CeCl₃ treated. It might be that Ce³⁺ binds to porphyrin rings of chlorophyll and oxygen of amino acid residue of polypeptide in D1/D2/Cytb559 complex, and then accelerates the primary reaction of PSII, intensifies function of P680⁺ primary electron donor of D1/D2/Cytb559, but there is little change in conformation of PSII reaction center complex.     

Criteria for Geometric and Algebraic Transience for Discrete-Time Markov Chains

Journal of Theoretical Probability - We present new criteria for geometric and algebraic transience for discrete-time transient Markov chains on general state spaces, based on the moment of the...     

Multiplicity of Solutions of the Weighted p-Laplacian with Isolated Singularity and Diffusion Suppressed by Convection

In this paper, the authors study the multiplicity of solutions to the weighted p-Laplacian with isolated singularity and di?usion suppressed by convection ?div(|x|^α|?u|^p?2?u) + λ 1/|x|^β |?u|^p?2?u · x = |x|^γg(|x|) in B \ {0} subject to nonlinear Robin boundary value condition |x|^α|?u|^p?2?u · ?n = A ? ρu on ?B,where λ > 0, B ? R^N(N ≥ 2) is the unit ball centered at the origin, α > 0, p > 1, β ∈ R, γ > ?N, g ∈ C([0,1]) with g(0) > 0, A ∈ R, ρ > 0 and ?n is the unit outward normal. The same problem with di?usion promoted by convection, namely λ ≤ 0, has already been discussed by the last two authors (Song-Yin (2012)), where the existence, nonexistence and classi?cation of singularities for solutions are presented. Completely di?erent from [Song, H. J. and Yin, J. X., Removable isolated singularities of solutions to the weighted p-Laplacian with singular convection, Math. Meth. Appl. Sci., 35, 2012, 1089–1100], in the present case λ > 0, namely the di?usion is suppressed by the convection, non-singular solutions are not only existent but also may be in?nite which vary according only to the values of solutions at the isolated singular point. At the same time, the singular solutions may exist only if the di?usion dominates the convection.     

On the relative Wall-Witt groups

LetR* be a simplicial involutive ring. According to certain involutions onK(R*) and _ε L R _∗, there are 1/2-local splittings and . It is known [2] that _ε L _\ga ^α R _∗, the Wall-Witt group. SupposeI→R S is a split extension of discrete involutive rings withI ²=0, andI is a freeS-bimodule. Then we have and . The trace map Tr: Prim _n ∧*M(I ⊗ ℚ)→ ₀ ρ _n ;I ⊗ ℚ) is an isomorphism. We prove in Lemma 1 that the trace map Tr is ℤ/2-equivariant. In Theorem 2 we show that under a certain assumption the rational relative Wall-Witt group vanishes. Theorem 2 can be extended to a more general case (Theorem 3) by employing Goodwillie’s reduction technique [3]. This work was partially supported by KOSEF under Grant 923-0100-010-1.     

Symmetric Skorohod topology onn-variable functions and hierarchical Markov properties ofn-parameter processes

Summary We introduce a new Skorohod topology for functions of several variables. Since ann-variable function may be viewed as a one-variable function with values in the set of (n–1)-variable functions, this topology is defined by induction from the classical Skorohod topology for one-variable functions. This allows us to define the notion of completen-parameter symmetric Markov processes: Such processes are, for any 1pn, rawp-parameter Markov processes (in the sense of our previous paper [17]) with values in the space of (n–p)-variable functions. We prove, for these processes and their Bochner subordinates, a maximal inequality which implies the continuity of additive functionals associated with finite energy measures. We finally present several important examples.