Noncentrosymmetric Tetrel Pnictides RuSi4P4 and IrSi3P3: Nonlinear Optical Materials with Outstanding Laser Damage Threshold

Noncentrosymmetric (NCS) tetrel pnictides have recently generated interest as nonlinear optical (NLO) materials due to their second harmonic generation (SHG) activity and large laser damage threshold (LDT). Herein nonmetal-rich silicon phosphides RuSi₄P₄ and IrSi₃P₃ are synthesized and characterized. Their crystal structures are reinvestigated using single crystal X-ray diffraction and ²⁹Si and ³¹P magic angle spinning NMR. In agreement with previous report RuSi₄P₄ crystallizes in NCS space group P1, while IrSi₃P₃ is found to crystallize in NCS space group Cm, in contrast with the previously reported space group C2. A combination of DFT calculations and diffuse reflectance measurements reveals RuSi₄P₄ and IrSi₃P₃ to be wide bandgap (E_g) semiconductors, E_g = 1.9 and 1.8 eV, respectively. RuSi₄P₄ and IrSi₃P₃ outperform the current state-of-the-art infrared SHG material, AgGaS₂, both in SHG activity and laser inducer damage threshold. Due to the combination of high thermal stabilities (up to 1373 K), wide bandgaps (≈2 eV), NCS crystal structures, strong SHG responses, and large LDT values, RuSi₄P₄ and IrSi₃P₃ are promising candidates for longer wavelength NLO materials.     

On the Possibility of the Effective Isotope-Selective Infrared Dissociation of 235UF6 Molecules Vibrationally Excited by Bichromatic Laser Radiation

JETP Letters - Using the spectroscopic data on the 235UF6 and 238UF6 molecules and on the lasing frequencies of CF4 and para-H2 lasers and recent results, a method has been proposed to increase the...     

Magnetic Properties of FeBO3 in the Low-Spin State

JETP Letters - Changes in the magnetic properties of FeBO3 single crystals in the course of spin crossover occurring with increasing pressure up to 63 GPa are studied both experimentally and...     

Synthesis and Chemical Transformations of 2-imino-2,5-dihydrofurans

Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds - 2-Imino-2,5-dihydrofurans are a highly valuable class of heterocyclic compounds that show versatile biological activity and are used in diverse fields of...     

Nano-LC: An updated review

Low-flow chromatography has a rich history of innovation but has yet to reach widespread implementation in bioanalytical applications. Improvements in pump technology, microfluidic connections, and nano-electrospray sources for MS have laid the groundwork for broader application, and innovation in this space has accelerated in recent years. This article reviews the instrumentation used for nano-flow LC, the types of columns employed, and strategies for multidimensionality of separations, which are key to the future state of the technique to the high-throughput needs of modern bioanalysis. An update of the current applications where nano-LC is widely used, such as proteomics and metabolomics, is discussed. But the trend toward biopharmaceutical development of increasingly complex, targeted, and potent therapeutics for the safe treatment of disease drives the need for ultimate selectivity and sensitivity of our analytical platforms for targeted quantitation in a regulated space. The selectivity needs are best addressed by mass spectrometric detection, especially at high resolutions, and exquisite sensitivity is provided by nano-electrospray ionization as the technology continues to evolve into an accessible, robust, and easy-to-use platform.     

Revealing the Effect of Surface Composition on Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Supported Pt-Fe Alloy Electrocatalysts for Methanol Oxidation Performance

The designs of efficient and inexpensive Pt-based catalysts for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) are essential to boost the commercialization of direct methanol fuel cells. Here, the highly catalytic performance PtFe alloys supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) decorating nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) have been successfully prepared via co-engineering of the surface composition and electronic structure. The Pt₁Fe₃@NC/MWCNTs catalyst with moderate Fe³⁺ feeding content (0.86 mA/mg_Pt) exhibits 2.26-fold enhancement in MOR mass activity compared to pristine Pt/C catalyst (0.38 mA/mg_Pt). Furthermore, the CO oxidation initial potential of Pt₁Fe₃@NC/MWCNTs catalyst is lower relative to Pt/C catalyst (0.71 V and 0.80 V). Benefited from the optimal surface compositions, the anti-corrosion ability of MWCNT, strong electron interaction between PtFe alloys and MWCNTs and the N-doped carbon (NC) layer, the Pt₁Fe₃@NC/MWCNTs catalyst presents an improved MOR performance and anti-CO poisoning ability. This study would open up new perspective for designing efficient electrocatalysts for the DMFCs field.     

A Novel Magnetic Polyethylene Glycol Nanocomposite based on Graphite Reinforcement Carbon Paste Electrode for Voltammetric Determination of Perindopril L-arginine

Journal of Analytical Chemistry - The present study reports the development of a magnetic polyethylene glycol nanocomposite based on graphite reinforcement carbon paste electrode for the sensitive...     

Thermoheliox: effect on the functional hemodynamics of the human brain

A kinetic study of the effect of thermoheliox (inhalation of a helium and oxygen mixture, 70 °C) on the functional hemodynamics of the human brain by functional magnetic resonance imaging was carried out. The dynamic responses of the BOLD signal were found to be biphasic. An empirical equation describing the first phase of the hemodynamic response to visual stimulus was proposed. It was shown that preliminary inhalation of thermoheliox stimulates the hemodynamic responses by slowing down the vasoconstriction.

     

Blue Light-Induced Coupling of N-Hydroxy Sulfonamides: An Efficient and Green Approach to Symmetrical Thiosulfonates

Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry - A highly efficient green protocol has been proposed for the synthesis of symmetrical S-aryl arenesulfonothioates by irradiation of N-hydroxy arenesulfonamides...     

A numerically efficient variational algorithm to solve a fractional nonlinear elastic string equation

Numerical Algorithms - In this work, we propose a fractional extension of the one-dimensional nonlinear vibration problem on an elastic string. The fractional problem is governed by a hyperbolic...