Electron correlation effects on the angular momentum anisotropies of the dipole polarizabilities of the first-row stable atomic anions

The dipole polarizabilities of B⁻(³P) and O⁻(²P) are calculated using large basis sets and inclusion of high-order electron correlation effects. Special attention is given to the anisotropies derived from the different components of the orbital angular momentum |M_L| = 1, 0. A very large influence of the results on electron correlation is found. This influence is larger for the |M_L| = 1 component. However, whereas for B⁻ no low-order level gives acceptable results, for O⁻ due to cancellation effects, MBPT (4), and even MBPT (2), approximate the highest-level [CCSD(T)] result. Our best results are 463.1 and 400.3 au for the average and anisotropic polarizabilities of B⁻. For O⁻, these numbers are 37.7, and 22.2 au, respectively. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 63: 459–463, 1997     

On the spherical quadratic Zeeman problem in hydrogen

The factorized wavefunction approach to perturbation theory is applied to the spherical quadratic Zeeman problem in hydrogen. The ground and excited 2p states are considered. The results are in good agreement with other available results and provide a good upper bound to the complete Zeeman energy shifts. Transition strengths are calculated in good agreement with available results and the quantitative role of the residual non-spherical perturbation is briefly analyzed.     

Another approach to the spherical Stark problem in hydrogen

The factorized wave function method of Hall is successfully applied to the spherical Stark problem in hydrogen. The results are in excellent agreement as compared to stabilization technique and accurate Padé approximants. This is the case even for large values of the field strength where the Rayleigh-Schrödinger perturbation theory becomes strongly divergent.     

Relative strength of hydrogen bond interaction in alcohol–water complexes

Hydrogen binding energies are calculated for the different isomers of 1:1 complexes of methanol, ethanol and water using ab initio methods from MP2 to CCSD(T). Zero-point energy vibration and counterpoise corrections are considered and electron correlation effects are analyzed. In methanol–water and ethanol–water the most stable heterodimer is the one where the water plays the role of proton donor. In methanol–ethanol the two isomers have essentially the same energy and no favorite heterodimer could be discerned. The interplay between the relative binding energy is briefly discussed in conjunction with the incomplete mixing of alcohol–water systems.     

Tilt modulus of a lipid monolayer

In addition to the familiar bending and stretching deformations, lipid monolayers and bilayers in their disordered state are often subjected to tilt deformations, occurring for instance in structural rearrangements accompanying membrane fusion, or upon insertion of oblique hydrophobic proteins into lipid bilayers. We study the elastic response of a flat lipid monolayer to a tilt deformation, using the spatial and conformational average of the chain end-to-end vector from the membrane normal to define a macroscopic membrane tilt. The physical origin and magnitude of the corresponding tilt modulus is analyzed using two complementary theoretical approaches. The first is a phenomenological model showing that the tilt and bending deformations are decoupled and the effects of inter-chain correlations on the tilt modulus is small. The second is based on a molecular-level mean-field theory of chain packing, enabling numerical evaluation of the tilt modulus for realistic, multi-conformation, chain models. Both approaches reveal that the tilt modulus involves two major contributions. The first is elastic in origin, arising from the stretching of the hydrocarbon chains upon a tilt deformation and reflecting the loss of chain conformational freedom associated with chain stretching. The second, purely entropic, contribution results from the constraints imposed by a tilt deformation on the fluctuations of chain director orientations. Using the chain-packing theory we compute the two contributions numerically as a function of the cross-sectional area per chain. The elastic and entropic terms are shown to dominate the value of for small and large areas per chain, respectively. For typical cross-sectional areas of lipid chains in biological membranes they areof comparable magnitude, yielding .Received: 12 May 2004, Published online: 3 August 2004PACS: 87.16.-b Subcellular structure and processes - 61.20.Gy Theory and models of liquid structure - 61.30.St Lyotropic phases     

Nonlinear and nonequilibrium dynamics in geomaterials

The transition from linear to nonlinear dynamical elasticity in rocks is of considerable interest in seismic wave propagation as well as in understanding the basic dynamical processes in consolidated granular materials. We have carried out a careful experimental investigation of this transition for Berea and Fontainebleau sandstones. Below a well-characterized strain, the materials behave linearly, transitioning beyond that point to a nonlinear behavior which can be accurately captured by a simple macroscopic dynamical model. At even higher strains, effects due to a driven nonequilibrium state, and relaxation from it, complicate the characterization of the nonlinear behavior.     

Debye-Hückel theory for mixtures of rigid rodlike ions and salt

Like-charged surfaces are able to attract each other if they are embedded in an electrolyte solution of multivalent rodlike ions, even if the rods are long. To reproduce this ability the Poisson-Boltzmann model has recently been extended so as to account for the rodlike structure of the mobile ions. Our model properly accounts for intraionic correlations but still neglects correlations between different rodlike ions. For sufficiently long rods, the model shows excellent agreement with Monte Carlo simulations and exhibits two minima - a depletion and a bridging minimum - in the interaction free energy. In the present work, we generalize the Poisson-Boltzmann model to systems with polydisperse rod lengths and arbitrary charge distributions along the rods, including the presence of salt. On the level of the linearized Debye-Hu?ckel model we derive a general criterion for whether an electrolyte with given distribution of rodlike ions is able to mediate attraction between like-charged surfaces. We numerically analyze two special cases, namely the influence of salt on symmetric and asymmetric mixtures of monodisperse rodlike ions. The symmetric mixture is characterized by the presence of both negatively and positively charged (but otherwise identical) rodlike ions. For the asymmetric mixture, the system contains rodlike ions of only one type. We demonstrate that the addition of salt retains the depletion minimum but tends to eliminate the bridging minimum.     

Development and Investigation of a NASICON‐Type High‐Voltage Cathode Material for High‐Power Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Herein, we introduce a 4.0 V class high‐voltage cathode material with a newly recognized sodium superionic conductor (NASICON)‐type structure with cubic symmetry (space group P2₁3), Na₃V(PO₃)₃N. We synthesize an N‐doped graphene oxide‐wrapped Na₃V(PO₃)₃N composite with a uniform carbon coating layer, which shows excellent rate performance and outstanding cycling stability. Its air/water stability and all‐climate performance were carefully investigated. A near‐zero volume change (ca. 0.40 %) was observed for the first time based on in situ synchrotron X‐ray diffraction, and the in situ X‐ray absorption spectra revealed the V^3.2+/V^4.2+ redox reaction with high reversibility. Its 3D sodium diffusion pathways were demonstrated with distinctive low energy barriers. Our results indicate that this high‐voltage NASICON‐type Na₃V(PO₃)₃N composite is a competitive cathode material for sodium‐ion batteries and will receive more attention and studies in the future.     

Manipulating Layered P2@P3 Integrated Spinel Structure Evolution for High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Structural evolution of the cathode during cycling plays a vital role in the electrochemical performance of sodium‐ion batteries. A strategy based on engineering the crystal structure coupled with chemical substitution led to the design of the layered P2@P3 integrated spinel oxide cathode Na_0.5Ni_0.1Co_0.15Mn_0.65Mg_0.1O₂, which shows excellent sodium‐ion half/full battery performance. Combined analyses involving scanning transmission electron microscopy with atomic resolution as well as in situ synchrotron‐based X‐ray absorption spectra and in situ synchrotron‐based X‐ray diffraction patterns led to visualization of the inherent layered P2@P3 integrated spinel structure, charge compensation mechanism, structural evolution, and phase transition. This study provides an in‐depth understanding of the structure‐performance relationship in this structure and opens up a novel field based on manipulating structural evolution for the design of high‐performance battery cathodes.