具有光控氧空缺的钼掺杂Bi5O7Br纳米片用于光催化氮气合成氨

氨(NH3)作为合成燃料、化肥和潜在能源载体的重要前体,是现代化学工业中最重要的化学品之一.工业中主要通过高能耗的Haber-Bosch工艺在高温高压下将氮气和氢气转化为NH3,而原料氢气由天然气蒸汽获得,因而不仅消耗大量能源,而且导致温室气体二氧化碳的大量排放,对环境造成危害.光催化固氮以光能为驱动力,以水为质子源,为合成NH3提供了一种温和、绿色和可持续的方法.然而,传统固氮催化剂具有与N2结合弱、成键难以及电子转移效率低的缺点.为了克服上述问题,在催化剂中引入氧空缺和过渡金属作为给电子中心和活性位点的策略被广泛研究.本文以半导体Bi5O7Br纳米片作为研究对象,通过在水热合成过程中添加Na2MoO4前驱盐在Bi5O7Br中掺杂钼元素,合成了不同摩尔含量的钼掺杂Bi5O7Br(Mo-Bi5O7Br)纳米片,并将其应用于光催化N2还原反应,发现Mo-Bi5O7Br的光催化固氮性能显著优于空白Bi5O7Br的催化性能.扫描电镜、透射电镜、能量色散X射线元素映射以及X射线光电子能谱的结果表明,掺杂过程不会影响Bi5O7Br纳米片的晶相和形貌,掺杂后钼元素均匀地分布在Bi5O7Br纳米片晶格中.采用紫外可见漫反射光谱、电子自旋共振光谱、氮气程序升温脱附谱以及光电化学测试等方法研究了Mo-Bi5O7Br相较于空白Bi5O7Br纳米片在光催化N2还原反应中催化性能提升的原因.UV-vis DRS结果表明,钼掺杂对Bi5O7Br可见光吸收能力具有增强作用.以催化NH3产率最高的Mo-Bi5O7Br-1(Mo摩尔百分含量为1％)为研究样本,EPR结果表明,在黑暗条件下,只有Mo-Bi5O7Br-1样品可以检测到明显的表面氧空位(OVs)信号;在光照条件下,Bi5O7Br和Mo-Bi5O7Br-1两种样品都出现OVs的信号峰,但同等光照时间下的Mo-Bi5O7Br-1具有更高的信号强度.此外,OVs信号会随着光照时间的延长逐渐增强;当移除光源后,信号强度逐渐降低.这表明Mo-Bi5O7Br-1在光照下会产生更高浓度的表面光控OVs.N2-TPD结果表明,光控OVs作为活性位点促进催化剂对N2的吸附.关闭光源后,OVs被环境中的水或氧气中的氧原子重新填充,避免了OVs易被氧化而导致反应失活的缺点,有助于保持Mo-Bi5O7Br-1催化N2还原反应的活性和稳定性.光电化学表征结果表明,Mo-Bi5O7Br-1中的光生载流子的分离和迁移效率明显提高.以上结果表明,掺杂过渡金属钼有助于Bi5O7Br纳米片表面光控OVs的生成,光控OVs作为活性位点提升了Bi5O7Br吸附和活化N2的能力,钼掺杂和光控OVs协同提高Bi5O7Br内部光生载流子的分离迁移效率,增强Bi5O7Br光催化固氮合成氨的反应性能.     

用于宽谱带发射白色发光二极管的黄色荧光粉Sr8MgAl(PO4)7∶xEu2+的制备及发光性能

通过高温固相反应合成了一系列宽谱带发射黄色荧光粉Sr_8MgAl(PO_4)_7∶x Eu~(2+)(SMAP∶x Eu~(2+)),并对其物质结构、发光性能及其在白色发光二极管(WLED)领域的应用进行了探究。X射线衍射(XRD)测试结果表明,SMAP∶x Eu~(2+)系列荧光粉具有单斜结构和C2/m空间群,激活剂Eu~(2+)离子能够很好地进入SMAP基质中并占据Sr~(2+)离子的晶格位点。漫反射光谱分析显示SMAP基质属于宽带隙材料,带隙宽度为3.60 e V。此外,SMAP∶x Eu~(2+)具有较宽的激发范围(280～500 nm),对应于Eu~(2+)离子的4f~7→4f~65d~1跃迁;在380 nm近紫外光激发下,呈现出450～800 nm的多发光中心的非对称黄光发射,发射峰位于590 nm处。基于高斯多峰拟合结果,得到3个发光中心,分别位于528、600和680 nm。最后,将已制备的黄色荧光粉SMAP∶0.05Eu~(2+)与商业化蓝粉Ba Mg Al_(10)O_(17)∶Eu~(2+)混合涂覆到400 nm芯片上制得色温较好(3 344 K)、显色指数较高(90.1)的WLED。     

Ca9Al(PO4)7∶Eu2+的发光、浓度猝灭及温度稳定性

采用高温固相法制备了Ca9Al(PO4)7∶Eu2+蓝色荧光粉,研究了Ca9Al(PO4)7∶Eu2+的发光、浓度猝灭及温度稳定性.Ca9Al(PO4)7∶Eu2+的激发光谱覆盖200～350 nm紫外区;发射光谱为一主峰位于445 nm的宽谱,对应Eu2+的4f6 5d1--→4f特征跃迁.研究发现,随Eu2+掺杂量的增大,Ca9Al(PO4)7∶Eu2+的发射强度呈现先增大、后减小的变化趋势,最大发射强度对应的Eu2+掺杂量为0.01,即存在浓度猝灭效应,对应的机理为电偶极-电偶极相互作用;依据晶格常数,得出临界距离为2.297 nm.在25～300℃范围内改变光谱测量温度,发现温度升高到150℃时,Ca9Al(PO4)7∶Eu2+的发射强度变为25℃时的81.0％,对应的激活能为0.268 eV,说明材料具有较好的温度稳定性.     

The (010) Surface of the Al45Cr7 Complex Intermetallic Compound: Insights from Density Functional Theory

The Al₄₅Cr₇ compound is considered to exhibit an approximant structure of the icosahedral Al₄Cr phase. Its (010) surface has been investigated in detail using density functional calculations. Surface energy calculations show that the stable terminations result from a cleavage of the crystal between adjacent atomic planes, in agreement with the layered structure of the compound. The integrity of the icosahedral atomic arrangements (icosahedral clusters) found in the bulk structure, is predicted to be removed at the surface. This result is in contrast to what has been previously concluded for the (010) surface of the Al₁₃Fe₄ quasicrystal approximant. Our findings are discussed in relation to the bonding network in the compound, calculated using the Crystal Orbital Hamiltonian Population approach, as possible reasons for such contrasted behavior.     

Modification of Hole Transport Layers for Fabricating High Performance Non‐fullerene Polymer Solar Cells

Interfacial engineering is expected to be a feasible strategy to improve the charge transport properties of the hole transport layer (HTL), which is of crucial importance to boost the device performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). In this study, two types of alcohol soluble materials, 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane (F₄‐TCNQ) and di‐tetrabutylammoniumcis–bis(isothiocyanato)bis (2,2’‐bipyridyl‐4,4’‐dicarboxylato) ruthenium(II) (N719) dye were selected as the dopant for HTL. The doping of F₄‐TCNQ and N719 dye in poly (ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) with and without integrating a graphene quantum‐dots (G‐QDs) layer has been explored in poly[[2,6′‐4‐8‐di(5‐ethylhexylthienyl)benzo[1,2‐b:3,3‐b]dithiophene][3‐fluoro‐2[(2‐ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4‐b]thio‐phenediyl:(2,2′‐((2Z,2′Z)‐(((4,4,9, 9‐tetrakis(4‐hexylphenyl)‐4,9‐dihydro‐s‐indaceno[1,2‐b:5,6‐b′]dithiophene‐2,7‐diyl)bis(4‐((2‐ethylhexyl)oxy)thiophene‐5,2‐diyl))bis(methanylylidene))bis(5,6‐difluoro‐3‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐indene‐2,1‐diylidene))dimalononitrile (PTB7‐Th:IEICO‐4F) OSCs. The power conversion efficiency of the non‐fullerene OSCs has been increased to 10.12% from 8.84%. The influence of HTL modification on the nano‐morphological structures and photophysical properties is analyzed based on the comparative studies performed on the control and modified devices. The use of chemical doping and bilayer strategy optimizes the energy level alignment, nanomorphology, hole mobility, and work‐function of HTL, leading to considerable reduction of the leakage current and recombination losses. Our work demonstrates that the doping of HTL and the incorporation of G‐QDs layer to constitute a bilayer HTL is an promising strategy to fabricate high performance non‐fullerene polymer solar cells     

Saffron: Chemical Composition and Neuroprotective Activity

Crocus sativus L. belongs to the Iridaceae family and it is commonly known as saffron. The different cultures together with the geoclimatic characteristics of the territory determine a different chemical composition that characterizes the final product. This is why a complete knowledge of this product is fundamental, from which more than 150 chemical compounds have been extracted from, but only about one third of them have been identified. The chemical composition of saffron has been studied in relation to its efficacy in coping with neurodegenerative retinal diseases. Accordingly, experimental results provide evidence of a strict correlation between chemical composition and neuroprotective capacity. We found that saffron’s ability to cope with retinal neurodegeneration is related to: (1) the presence of specific crocins and (2) the contribution of other saffron components. We summarize previous evidence and provide original data showing that results obtained both “in vivo” and “in vitro” lead to the same conclusion.     

Fe/Co‐based Bimetallic MOF‐derived Co3Fe7@NCNTFs Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for High‐Efficiency Overall Water Splitting

Electrocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen and oxygen is regarded as one of the most promising methods to generate clean and sustainable energy for replacing fossil fuels. However, the design and development of an efficient bifunctional catalyst for simultaneous generation of hydrogen and oxygen remains extremely challenging yet is critical for the practical implementation of water electrolysis. Here, we report a facile method to fabricate novel N‐doped carbon nanotube frameworks (NCNTFs) by the pyrolysis of a bimetallic metal organic framework (MIL‐88‐Fe/Co). The resultant electrocatalyst, Co₃Fe₇@NCNTFs, exhibits excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity, achieving 10 mA/cm² at a low overpotential of just 264 mV in 1 M KOH solution, and 197 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction. The high electrocatalytic activity arises from the synergistic effect between the chemistry of the Co₃Fe₇ and the NCNTs coupled to the novel framework structure. The remarkable electrocatalytic performance of our bifunctional electrocatalyst provides a promising pathway to high‐performance overall water splitting and electrochemical energy devices.     

准一维电荷密度波材料Ta2NiSe7 的转角及变温拉曼光谱研究

近年来, 低维过渡金属硫族化合物Ta2NiSe7 因其独特的电荷密度波和特殊的拓扑能带结构而引起广泛关注. 本文利用拉曼光谱技术对准一维电荷密度波材料Ta2NiSe7 的声子模式进行了系统研究. 角度依赖的偏振拉曼光谱实验表明室温下可以观测到19 个拉曼峰, 且所有观察到的拉曼模式强度随样品旋转呈周期性变化, 这意味着Ta2NiSe7 具有较高的面内各向异性. 通过群论分析, 我们确定了拉曼峰的具体模式为Ag 和Bg 两种原子振动模式. 在温度依赖的偏振拉曼光谱测量中, 我们在低温下还观察到了新的声子峰, 推测与电荷密度波结构调制引起的晶格畸变有关. 本研究提供了对Ta2NiSe7 声子振动的全面理解, 这可能为进一步研究电荷密度波与声子振动之间的关联提供参考意义.     

Use of TLC-Densitometric Method for Determination of Valproic Acid in Capsules

Determination of valproic acid in the drug was carried out on the aluminum silica gel 60F₂₅₄ plates and using acetone–water–chloroform–ethanol–ammonia at a volume ratio of 30:1:8:5:11 as the mobile phase, respectively. Two methods of detection of valproic acid were used. The first was a 2% aqueous CuSO₄×5H₂O solution, and the second was a 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein-aluminum chloride-iron (III) chloride system. The applied TLC-densitometric method is selective, linear, accurate, precise, and robust, regardless of the visualizing reagent used for the determination of valproic acid in Convulex capsules. It has low limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ), which are equal to 5.8 μg/spot and 17.4 μg/spot using a 2% aqueous CuSO₄×5H₂O solution as visualizing agent and also 0.32 μg/spot and 0.97 μg/spot using a 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein-aluminum chloride-iron (III) chloride system as visualizing reagent, respectively. The described analytical method can additionally be used to study the identity of valproic acid in a pharmaceutical preparation. The linearity range was found to be 20.00–80.00 μg/spot and 1.00–2.00 μg/spot for valproic acid detected on chromatographic plates using a 2% aqueous CuSO₄×5H₂O solution and the 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein-aluminum chloride-iron (III) chloride system, respectively. A coefficient of variation that was less than 3% confirms the satisfactory accuracy and precision of the proposed method. The results of the assay of valproic acid equal 96.2% and 97.0% in relation to the label claim that valproic acid fulfill pharmacopoeial requirements. The developed TLC-densitometric method can be suitable for the routine analysis of valproic acid in pharmaceutical formulations. The proposed TLC-densitometry may be an alternative method to the modern high-performance liquid chromatography and square wave voltammetry in the control of above-mentioned substances, and it can be applied when other analytical techniques is not affordable in the laboratory.     

Chemical Composition and Evaluation of Insecticidal Activity of Calendula incana subsp. maritima and Laserpitium siler subsp. siculum Essential Oils against Stored Products Pests

The problems of the environment and human health related to the use of synthetic and broad-spectrum insecticides have increasingly motivated scientific research on different alternatives and among these, the use of green systems, such as essential oils, have been explored. Several species of the Apiaceae and Asteraceae families, aromatic herbs rich in secondary bioactive metabolites, are used in the industrial field for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food purposes. Different essential oils extracted from some species of these families have shown acute toxicity and attractive and/or repellent effects towards different insects. In our work, we investigated the toxic potential of Calendula incana subsp. maritima and Laserpitium siler subsp. siculum essential oils against four insect species, Sitophilus oryzae, Lasioderma serricorne, Necrobia rufipes, and Rhyzoperta dominica, which are common pests of stored products. The composition of both oils, extracted by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of the two plants, was evaluated by GC×GC-MS. Calendula incana subsp. maritima essential oil was rich in oxygenated sesquiterpenoids, such as cubebol (35.39%), 4-epi-cubebol (22.99%), and cubenol (12.77%), while the Laserpitium siler subsp. siculum essential oil was composed mainly of monoterpene hydrocarbons, such as β-phellandrene (42.16%), limonene (23.87%), and β-terpinene (11.80%). The toxicity Petri dish bioassays indicated that C. maritima oil killed a mean of 65.50% of S. oryzae and 44.00% of R. dominica adults, indicating a higher biocidal activity in comparison with L. siculum oil, while toward the other species, no significant differences in mortality were recorded. Calendula maritima oil could be, then, considered a promising candidate for further tests as an alternative biocide toward S. oryzae and R. dominica. The possibility that the relatively high content of oxygenated sesquiterpenoids in C. maritima essential oil determines its higher biocidal activity is discussed.