Experimental and Kinetic Modeling Study of Methanol Ignition and Oxidation at High Pressure

A detailed chemical kinetic model for oxidation of CH₃OH at high pressure and intermediate temperatures has been developed and validated experimentally. Ab initio calculations and Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus/transition state theory (RRKM/TST) analysis were used to obtain rate coefficients for , , , and . The experiments, involving CH₃OH/O₂ mixtures diluted in N₂, were carried out in a high‐pressure flow reactor at 600–900 K and 20–100 bar, varying the reaction stoichiometry from very lean to fuel‐rich conditions. Under the conditions studied, the onset temperature for methanol oxidation was not dependent on the stoichiometry, whereas increasing pressure shifted the ignition temperature toward lower values. Model predictions of the present experimental results, as well as rapid compression machine data from the literature, were generally satisfactory. The governing reaction pathways have been outlined based on calculations with the kinetic model. Unlike what has been observed for unsaturated hydrocarbons, the oxidation pathways for CH₃OH under the investigated conditions were very similar to those prevailing at higher temperatures and lower pressures. At the high pressures, the modeling predictions for onset of reaction were particularly sensitive to the reaction.     

Graphene-based sensors for detection of heavy metals in water: a review

Graphene (G) is attracting significant attention because of its unique physical and electronic properties. The production of graphene through the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) is a low-cost method. The reduction of GO can further lead to electrically conductive reduced GO. These graphene-based nanomaterials are attractive for high-performance water sensors due to their unique properties, such as high specific surface areas, high electron mobilities, and exceptionally low electronic noise. Because of potential risks to the environment and human health arising from heavy-metal pollution in water, G-/GO-based water sensors are being developed for rapid and sensitive detection of heavy-metal ions. In this review, a general introduction to graphene and GO properties, as well as their syntheses, is provided. Recent advances in optical, electrochemical, and electrical detection of heavy-metal ions using graphene or GO are then highlighted. Finally, challenges facing G/GO-based water sensor development and outlook for future research are discussed.     

Hot Branching Dynamics in a Light‐Harvesting Iron Carbene Complex Revealed by Ultrafast X‐ray Emission Spectroscopy

Iron N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes have received a great deal of attention recently because of their growing potential as light sensitizers or photocatalysts. We present a sub‐ps X‐ray spectroscopy study of an Fe^IINHC complex that identifies and quantifies the states involved in the deactivation cascade after light absorption. Excited molecules relax back to the ground state along two pathways: After population of a hot ³MLCT state, from the initially excited ¹MLCT state, 30 % of the molecules undergo ultrafast (150 fs) relaxation to the ³MC state, in competition with vibrational relaxation and cooling to the relaxed ³MLCT state. The relaxed ³MLCT state then decays much more slowly (7.6 ps) to the ³MC state. The ³MC state is rapidly (2.2 ps) deactivated to the ground state. The ⁵MC state is not involved in the deactivation pathway. The ultrafast partial deactivation of the ³MLCT state constitutes a loss channel from the point of view of photochemical efficiency and highlights the necessity to screen transition‐metal complexes for similar ultrafast decays to optimize photochemical performance.     

Formation and Structure of Fluorescent Silver Nanoclusters at Interfacial Binding Sites Facilitating Oligomerization of DNA Hairpins

Fluorescent, DNA‐stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA‐AgNCs) are applied in a range of applications within nanoscience and nanotechnology. However, their diverse optical properties, mechanism of formation, and aspects of their composition remain unexplored, making the rational design of nanocluster probes challenging. Herein, a synthetic procedure is described for obtaining a high yield of emissive DNA‐AgNCs with a C‐loop hairpin DNA sequence, with subsequent purification by size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC). Through a combination of optical spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS), and small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) in conjunction with the systematic study of various DNA sequences, the low‐resolution structure and mechanism of the formation of AgNCs were investigated. Data indicate that fluorescent DNA‐AgNCs self‐assemble by a head‐to‐head binding of two DNA hairpins, bridged by a silver nanocluster, resulting in the modelling of a dimeric structure harboring an Ag₁₂ cluster.     

A Mass for ALF Manifolds

We prove a positive mass theorem on ALF manifolds, i.e. complete noncompact manifolds that are asymptotic to a circle fibration over a Euclidean base, with fibers of asymptotically constant length.     

Substituted 1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-ones are superior to thymine in the recognition of adenine in duplex as well as triplex structures

The synthesis and evaluation of a series of novel nucleobases based on substituted 1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-ones are reported. The nucleobases were designed to meet the requirements for incorporation into peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and were evaluated as part of PNA duplex and triplex nucleic acid recognition systems. Of the various nucleobases tested, only the 7-chloro-1,8-naphthyridin-2(1H)-one (7-Cl-bT) nucleobase led to consistently increased affinity in all recognition systems, duplex (Watson-Crick) as well as triplex (Hoogsteen). For multiply modified systems, the increase in thermal stability per modification was dependent on the sequence context, ranging from 2.0 degrees C (in separate positions) to 3.5 degrees C (in adjacent positions) in PNA-DNA duplexes and from 1.2 degrees C (in separate positions) to 3.2 degrees C (in adjacent positions) in PNA-RNA duplexes. Singly mismatched oligonucleotide targets were employed to demonstrate uncompromised sequence discrimination. When part of multiply modified triplex (Hoogsteen) recognition systems, the 7-Cl-bT unit gave rise to increases in the thermal stability ranging from 2.7 to 3.5 degrees C when incorporated into separated and adjacent positions, respectively. Our results furthermore indicate that the duplex stabilization is predominantly enthalpic and therefore most likely not a consequence of single-strand preorganization. Finally, and most surprisingly, we find no direct correlation between the end-stacking efficiency of this type of nucleobase and its helix stabilization when involved in Watson-Crick base pairing within a helix.     

Splitting of the conduction bands of GaAs for k along [110]

The splitting of the spin degeneracy of the lowest conduction band of GaAs for $\text{k}$ along [110] is calculated by $\text{k}$·$\text{p}$ perturbation theory as well as by means of the self-consistent LMTO method. The magnitude and the sign of the calculated splitting agree with recent measurements of the spin precession in spin- polarized photoemission from GaAs [110] surfaces.     

Optimum load scheduling of nuclear-hydro-thermal power systems

This paper considers the problem of short-term optimal operation of nuclear-hydro-thermal electric power systems. The solution is obtained by use of a functional analytic optimization technique that employs the minimum norm formulation.A power system with an arbitrary number of generating stations is considered. The limited flexibility exhibited by the thermal nuclear reactors, when operating in a load-following mode, is accounted for by means of a model of the xenon concentration in their cores. The nonlinear effects induced by trapezoidal water reservoirs and the time delay of the water flow between upstream and downstream hydroplants is taken into consideration as well.A two-level iterative scheme of the feasible type is proposed for implementing the optimal solution.This work was supported in part by the National Research Council of Canada, Grant No. A-4146.