A Characterization of PSL(3, <Emphasis Type="Italic">q</Emphasis>) for <Emphasis Type="Italic">q</Emphasis>=2<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis></Superscript>

The order components of a finite group are introduced in [12]. In [9], it is proved that the group PSL(3,q), where q is an odd prime power, is uniquely determined by its order components. In this paper, we show that the group PSL(3, q), where q=2 ^m , is also uniquely determined by its order components. Received December 15, 2000, Revised August 15, 2001, Accepted November 13, 2001     

A Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">PSU</Emphasis><Subscript>3</Subscript>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">q</Emphasis>) for <Emphasis Type="Italic">q</Emphasis> ≥ 5

Based on the prime graph of a finite simple group, its order is the product of its order components (see [4]). We prove that the simple groups PSU₃(q) are uniquely determined by their order components. Our result immediately implies that the Thompsons conjecture and the Wujie Shis conjecture [16] are valid for these groups.AMS Subject Classification: 20D05, 20D60     

Polymers near metal surfaces: selective adsorption and global conformations

We study the properties of a polycarbonate melt near a nickel surface as a model system for the interaction of polymers with metal surfaces by employing a multiscale modeling approach. For bulk properties, a suitably coarse-grained bead-spring model is simulated by molecular dynamics methods with model parameters directly derived from quantum chemical calculations. The surface interactions are parametrized and incorporated by extensive quantum mechanical density functional calculations using the Car-Parrinello method. We find strong chemisorption of chain ends, resulting in significant modifications of the melt composition when compared to an inert wall.     

Molecular-dynamics study of structure II hydrogen clathrates

Molecular-dynamics simulations are used to study the stability of structure II hydrogen clathrates with different H2 guest occupancies. Simulations are done at pressures of 2.5 kbars and 1.013 bars and for temperatures ranging from 100 to 250 K. For a structure II unit cell with 136 water molecules, H2 guest molecule occupancies of 0-64 are studied with uniform occupancies among each type of cage. The simulations show that at 100 K and 2.5 kbars, the most stable configurations have single occupancy in the small cages and quadruple occupancy in the large cages. The optimum occupancy for the large cages decreases as the temperature is raised. Double occupancy in the small cages increases the energy of the structures and causes tetragonal distortion in the unit cell. The spatial distribution of the hydrogen guest molecules in the cages is determined by studying the guest-water and guest-guest radial distribution functions at various temperatures.     

Molecular dynamics studies of melting and some liquid-state properties of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [emim][PF6

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the liquid-state properties and melting of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorosphosphate [emim][PF6] using the force field of Canongia Lopes et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B 108, 2038 (2004)] and geometric constants from crystallographic data. The structures of the solid and liquid states are characterized by carbon-carbon, carbon-phosphorous, and phosphorous-phosphorous radial distribution functions. Spatial correlations among the ions are strong in the liquid state. The cohesive energy density and the temperature dependences of the molar volume and density of the liquid have been computed. The melting point is determined by equilibrating the solid-state supercells in which void defects have been introduced to eliminate the free-energy barrier for the formation of a solid-liquid interface. The computed melting point is 375+/-10 K, which is approximately 10% higher than the experimental value of 333 K.     

Study of Hydrogen Adsorption on Pt/WO3-ZrO2 through Pt Sites

The rate determining step and the energy barrier involved in hydrogen adsorption on Pt/WO_3- ZrO_2 were studied based on the assumption that the hydrogen adsorption occurs only through Pt sites. The rate of hydrogen adsorption on Pt/WO_3-ZrO_2 was measured in the adsorption temperature range of 323-573 K and an initial hydrogen pressure of 50 Torr.The rates of hydrogen uptake were very high for the initial few minutes and the adsorption continued for more than 5 h below 523 K.The hydrogen uptake far exceeded the H/Pt ratio of unity for all adsorption temperatures,indicating that the adsorption of hydrogen involved the dissociative adsorption of hydrogen on Pt sites to form hydrogen atoms,the spillover of hydrogen atoms onto the surface of the WO_3-ZrO2 catalyst,the diffusion of spiltover hydrogen atom over the surface of the WO_3-ZrO_2 catalyst,and the formation of protonic acid site originated from hydrogen atom by releasing an electron in which the electron may react with a second hydrogen atom to form a hydride near the Lewis acid site.The rate determining step was the spillover with the activation energy of 12.3 kJ/mol.The rate of hydrogen adsorption cannot be expressed by the rate equation based on the assumption that the rate determining step is the surface diffusion.The activity of Pt/WO_3-ZrO_2 was examined on n-heptane isomerization in which the increase of hydrogen partial pressure provided positive-effect on the conversion of n-heptane and negative-effect on the selectivity towards iso-heptane.