Enhanced Catalytic Activity in Liquid‐Exfoliated FeOCl Nanosheets as a Fenton‐Like Catalyst

A facile liquid‐phase exfoliation method to prepare few‐layer FeOCl nanosheets in acetonitrile by ultrasonication is reported. The detailed exfoliation mechanism and generated products were investigated by combining first‐principle calculations and experimental approaches. The similar cleavage energies of FeOCl (340 mJ m^?2) and graphite (320 mJ m^?2) confirm the experimental exfoliation feasibility. As a Fenton reagent, FeOCl nanosheets showed outstanding properties in the catalytic degradation of phenol in water at room temperature, under neutral pH conditions, and with sunlight irradiation. Apart from the increased surface area of the nanosheets, the surface state change of the nanosheets also plays a key role in improving the catalytic performance. The changes of charge density, density of states (DOS), and valence state of Fe atoms in the exfoliated FeOCl nanosheets versus plates illustrated that surface atomistic relationships made the few‐layer nanosheets higher activity, indicating the exfoliation process of the FeOCl nanosheets also brought about surface state changes.     

Subdifferential analysis of differential inclusions via discretization

The framework of differential inclusions encompasses modern optimal control and the calculus of variations. Necessary optimality conditions in the literature identify potentially optimal paths, but do not show how to perturb paths to optimality. We first look at the corresponding discretized inclusions, estimating the subdifferential dependence of the optimal value in terms of the endpoints of the feasible paths. Our approach is to first estimate the coderivative of the reachable map. The discretized (nonsmooth) Euler–Lagrange and Transversality Conditions follow as a corollary. We obtain corresponding results for differential inclusions by passing discretized inclusions to the limit.     

Ab initio calculations of the ionization spectrum of SO2

The ionization spectrum of sulfur dioxide has been successfully studied by using the symmetry-adapted-cluster configuration-interaction （SAC-CI） general-R and SD-R methods and the basis set correlation-consistent polarized valence triple-zeta （cc-pVTZ）. The SAC-CI general-R method reproduces the experimental spectrum well for both the main peaks and the satellite peaks of ionization spectrum of SO2. The sequence of ionic states corresponding to main peaks of SO2 has been re-determined according to the SAC-CI conclusions and it is reordered as X^2A1, A^2B2, B2A2, C^2B1,D^2A1, E^2B2 and F^2A1. Besides, the equilibrium structures and adiabatic ionization potentials （AIPs） of ionic states of main peaks of SO2 are calculated by using the SAC-CI SD-R method.     

Intravenous administration of Gd-DTPA prior to DWI does not affect the apparent diffusion constant

MRI measurements of water diffusion and blood perfusion are increasingly used for the evaluation of organ functionality and tissue viability (e.g., in tumors). While diffusion-weighted imaging is performed without contrast agents, measurement of blood perfusion is normally performed based on the administration of paramagnetic substances such as gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA). Simultaneous measurements of these two parameters are often preferred. However, it may be argued that Gd-DTPA causes constriction of small blood vessels or alters hemodynamic parameters such as blood viscosity, thereby corrupting subsequent measurements of the apparent diffusion constant (ADC). The objective of the current study was to investigate the possible changes in the ADC in tumors following intravenous administration of 0.2 and 0.4 mmol/kg of Gd-DTPA in mice. The study was conducted with C3H mouse mammary carcinomas inoculated in the right foot of the animal subjects. The results were compared with findings in a sham group, demonstrating that Gd-DTPA had no significant impact on the ADC as measured in a 7-T animal system.     

Core/shell quantum-dot-photosensitized nano-TiO2 films: fabrication and application to the damage of cells and DNA

Through the use of monodisperse core/shell quantum dots (QDs) as photosensitizers for the first time, a novel strategy for the fabrication of QD-photosensitized nano-TiO2 films was demonstrated. Core/shell QDs were self-assembled on nano-TiO2 films through carboxyls as anchoring groups to metal oxides. Atomic force microscopy and some other experiments showed the fabrication strategy is successful. Reactive oxygen species detection experiments indicated that such films have photosensitization ability. The results of bactericidal and DNA damage experiments demonstrate that such films have excellent photoactivity.     

Development of an odd-Z-projectile reaction for heavy element synthesis: 208Pb(64Ni,n)271Ds and 208Pb(65Cu,n)(272)111

Seven 271Ds decay chains were identified in the bombardment of 208Pb targets with 311.5 and 314.3 MeV 64Ni projectiles using the Berkeley Gas-filled Separator. These data, combined with previous results, provide an excitation function for this reaction. From these results, an optimum energy of 321 MeV was estimated for the production of (272)111 in the new reaction 208Pb(65Cu,n). One decay chain was observed, resulting in a cross section of 1.7(+3.9)(-1.4) pb. This experiment confirms the discovery of element 111 by the Darmstadt Group who used the 209Bi(64Ni,n)(272)111 reaction.     

Interaction of an electron bunch with a laser pulse in vacuum

The output properties of electrons accelerated by the vacuum laser acceleration scheme CAS (capture and acceleration scenario) are addressed. The transport process of the electron bunch, the fraction of the CAS electrons of the incident electrons, the correlation of electron energy with position and scattering angle, the energy spectrum and angular distributions as well as the emittance of the outgoing electrons are studied at a laser intensity of a₀=10. In addition, the effects of the laser intensity, beam width, and pulse duration on the properties of the output electrons are also examined. Physical explanations of those output characteristics are presented based on the mechanism behind the CAS scheme. The feasibility of CAS to become a realistic laser accelerator scheme is explored. PACS 41.75.Jv; 42.60.Jf; 41.85.Ja     

Hydrothermal synthesis and magnetic properties of CuSb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript> nanoparticles and nanorods

Nanoparticles and nanorods of CuSb₂O₆ are prepared by hydrothermal method and its high temperature α-phase is stabilized at room temperature. The average size of the nanoparticles is ca. 13.7 nm. The nanorods, with a width of ca. 20 nm and an aspect ratio of ca. 5, are the agglomerates composing of smaller nanoparticles with an average size of ca. 8.3 nm. Compared with the high temperature α-phase of bulk sample at 400 K, the lattice of nanophases elongated in ab plane and compressed along c direction. The CuSb₂O₆ nanoparticles exhibit predominant paramagnetic phenomenon. The difference in magnetic properties of the nanoparticles and nanorods indicates the interfacial interaction of agglomerated nanoparticles.     

Hollow glass microspheres coated with CoFe2O4 and its microwave absorption property

Spinel CoFe₂O₄ coating on the surface of hollow glass microspheres of low density was synthesized by co-precipitation method. The phase structures, morphologies, particle size, shell thickness, chemical compositions of the composites have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results show that CoFe₂O₄ coating on hollow glass microspheres can be achieved, and the coating layers are constituted by CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles of mean size ca. 10 nm. The as-synthesized powder materials were uniformly dispersed into the phenolic cement, then the mixture was pasted on metal plate with the area of 200 mm×200 mm as the test plate. The test of microwave absorption was carried out by the radar-absorbing materials (RAM) reflectivity far field radar cross-section (RCS) method. The results indicate that the coated CoFe₂O₄/hollow glass microspheres composites can be applied in lightweight and strong absorption microwave absorbers.