Facile synthesis of ordered mesoporous molybdenum carbide electrocatalysts for high-performance hydrogen evolution reaction

In this study, a simple method was designed to prepare ordered mesoporous carbons embedded with molybdenum without any extreme conditions. We prepared three different ordered molybdenum carbide materials with mesoporous structures to explore the influence of the structure of molybdenum-based materials on the HER catalytic efficiency. The ordered mesoporous molybdenum carbide catalysts (CMK-3-MoCx, fCMK-3-MoCx, CMK-8-MoCx) were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and XPS. The HER is catalyzed efficiently on the three electrocatalysts, fCMK-3-MoCx shows the best HER electro-catalytic performance with a small onset potential of −0.06 V vs. RHE, a low tafel slope of 66 mV dec⁻¹ and a small over-potential value of 89 mV at 10 mA cm⁻². This excellent performance on HER is due to its high specific surface area and highly ordered mesoporous structure that resulted in excellent proton transport efficiency and high electron transfer rate. Our results provide a new research direction for the application of flat ordered mesoporous structures in catalysis.     

Assembled Organoruthenium(II) for Formaldehyde Decomposition and Hydrogen Production

Formaldehyde decomposition is not only an attractive method for hydrogen production, but also a potential approach for gaseous formaldehyde removal. In this research, we prepare some assembled organoruthenium through coordination reaction between Ru(p-Cymene)Cl₂ and bridge-linking ligands. It is a creative approach for Ru(p-Cymene)Cl₂ conversion into heterogeneous particles. The rigidity of bridge-linking ligand enables assembled organoruthenium to have highly ordered crystalline structure, even show clear crystal lattice with spacing of 0.19 nm. XPS shows the N−Ru bond are formed between bridge-linking ligand and Ru(p-Cymene)Cl₂. The assembled organoruthenium has high abundant active sites for formaldehyde decomposition at low temperature. The reaction rate could increase linearly with temperature and formaldehyde concentration, with a TOF of 2420 h⁻¹ at 90 °C. It is promising for gaseous formaldehyde decomposition in wet air or nitrogen. Formaldehyde conversion is up to 95 % over Ru-DAPM is 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane at 90 °C in air. Gaseous formaldehyde decomposition is a two-steps process under oxygen-free condition. Firstly, formaldehyde dissolve in water, and be converted into hydrogen and formic acid through formaldehyde-water shift reaction. Then intermediate formic acid will further decompose into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. We also find formaldehyde decomposition is a synergetic catalysis process of oxygen and water in moist air. Oxygen is conducive to formic acid desorption and decomposition on the active sites, so assembled organoruthenium exhibit slightly higher conversion for formaldehyde decomposition in moist air. This work proposes a distinctive method for gaseous formaldehyde decomposition in the air, which is entirely different from formaldehyde photocatalysis or thermocatalysis oxidation.     

Effects of Charged Surfactants on Interfacial Water Structure and Macroscopic Properties of the Air-Water Interface

Surfactants are used to control the macroscopic properties of the air-water interface. However, the link between the surfactant molecular structure and the macroscopic properties remains unclear. Using sum-frequency generation spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, two ionic surfactants (dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide, DTAB, and sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS) with the same carbon chain lengths and charge magnitude (but different signs) of head groups interact and reorient interfacial water molecules differently. DTAB forms a thicker but sparser interfacial layer than SDS. It is due to the deep penetration into the adsorption zone of Br⁻ counterions compared to smaller Na⁺ ones, and also due to the flip-flop orientation of water molecules. SDS alters two distinctive interfacial water layers into a layer where H⁺ points to the air, forming strong hydrogen bonding with the sulphate headgroup. In contrast, only weaker dipole-dipole interactions with the DTAB headgroup are formed as they reorient water molecules with H⁺ point down to the aqueous phase. Hence, with more molecules adsorbed at the interface, SDS builds up a higher interfacial pressure than DTAB, producing lower surface tension and higher foam stability at a similar bulk concentration. Our findings offer improved knowledge for understanding various processes in the industry and nature.     

Increasing Complexity in Adamantyl Thioethers Characterized by Rotational Spectroscopy

We report on the synthesis and characterization using high-resolution rotational spectroscopy of three bulky thioethers that feature an adamantyl group connected to a sulfur atom. Detailed experimental and theoretical structures are provided and compared with the 1,1′-diadamantyl ether. In addition, we expand on previous findings concerning microsolvation of adamantyl derivatives by investigating the cluster formation between these thioethers and a water molecule. The investigation of such clusters provides valuable insights into the sulfur-centered hydrogen bonding in thioethers with increasing size and steric repulsion.     

Tuning the Composition and Structure of Ni@MoC Nanosheets for Highly Active and Stable Electrocatalysis in Water Splitting

The conventional electrolytic water-splitting process for hydrogen production is plagued by high energy consumption, low efficiency, and the requirement of expensive catalysts. Therefore, finding effective, affordable, and stable catalysts to drive this reaction is urgently needed. We report a nanosheet catalyst composed of carbon nanotubes encapsulated with MoC/Mo₂C, the Ni@MoC-700 nanosheet showcases low overpotentials of 275 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction and 173 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction at a current density of 10 mA ⋅ cm⁻². Particularly noteworthy is its outstanding performance in a two-electrode system, where a cell potential of merely 1.64 V is sufficient to achieve the desired current density of 10 mA ⋅ cm⁻². Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrates exceptional durability, maintaining its activity over a continuous operation of 40 hours with only minimal attenuation in overpotential. These outstanding activity levels and long-term stability unequivocally highlight the promising potential of the Ni@MoC-700 catalyst for large-scale water-splitting applications.     

Thermodynamic excess properties of alkanol + amine mixtures and application of the ERAS model

New experimental data of the molar excess volume V ^E of the mixtures ethanol/n-butylamine, heptanol/n-butylamine, n-propanol/dibutylamine have been obtained using the technique of the vibrating tube densitometer. Together with the data for the molar excess enthalpy H ^E from the literature, the V ^E data have been used for testing the applicability of the socalled ERAS model which accounts for hydrogen bonding effects as well as for free volume effects in associating mixtures. The results obtained by adjusting the model parameters reveal a strong cross association between the unlike molecules in the mixture resulting from strong negative values for the hydrogen bonding energy and the hydrogen bonding volume.Communicated at the Festsymposium celebrating Dr. Henry V. Kehiaian's 60^th birthday, Clermont-Ferrand, France, 17–18 May 1990.     

Relativistic bond lengthening of UO 2 2+ and UO2

Summary Relativistic calculations on UO₂ [1] have shown that relativity leads to substantial bondlengthening in this compound, in contrast to the bond contraction found almost exclusively for other compounds. The bond lengthening isnot caused by the relativistic expansion of the 5f valence AO of U, which is the primary bond forming orbital on U in UO₂. The origin of the bond lengthening can be traced back to the semi-core resp. subvalence character of the U 6p AO. The valence character of 6p shows up in an increasing depopulation of the 6p upon bond shortening, and hence loss of mass-velocity stabilization. The core character of 6p shows up in large off-diagonal mass-velocity matrix elements 5p|h _MV|6p which are shown to have an overall bond lengthening effect. The larger expansion in UO₂ than in UO ₂ ²⁺ is due to destabilization of U levels in UO₂, caused by repulsion of the two additional 5f electrons.The present analysis corroborates the picture of relativistic bond length effects of Ref. [2].     

1-烃基-1-硅杂环丁烷的合成及其Si—H键伸缩振动频率与结构关系的研究

硅杂环丁烷在有机硅化学中是一类非常重要的小分子环系化合物。由于硅杂环丁烷和环丁烷的环张力相似,因而显示出较高的反应活性。例如能与某些试剂作用,生成开环产物;在光解或热解条件下,产生具有Si=C结构的高活性中间体,可用以合成多种有机硅化合物。     

含喹噁啉环的化合物改性聚己内酰胺

合成了14种由三种含喹(哑心)啉环的芳香化合物改性的聚己内酰胺(MC尼龙),并对其形态、抗冲击强度、吸水性及熔融行为等进行了表征。聚苯基单醚喹(哑心)啉(PPQ)单模型化合物对MC尼龙结晶部分几乎没有影响。少量(0.005—5.0％)吩嗪的引入使MC尼龙的颜色、形态及性能等发生巨大变化,改性体系被认为是氢键相互作用,PPQ双模型化合物的改性作用介于二者之间。     

直键与弯键的对称性判据

一穹键的提出人们认为,杂化轨道(HAO)角函数的最大值方向(亦即HAO的方向)指向与之键合的原子,这样形成的化学键称为“直键”。但环丙烷分子中的三个碳原子构成三元环,有60°的键角。而任意两个正交的S-P杂化轨道之间的夹角θ都不可能小于90°,因而形成C-C键的HAO,不可能指向键合原子,环上的C-C键不可能是直键,而是“弯键”(BentBond)。通常,人们认为张力分子环上的键是弯键,其他的键为直键。