On the behaviour of small clusters near the spinodal decomposition

The canonical average of the Boltzmann factor of the interaction potential, as measured by a test particle, is shown to be equal to the inverse of the fraction of the average number of 1-particle Mayer clusters. The potential distribution theory is used to derive an analytic expression for a mean number of small clusters 1≤n<N, in anN-particle system) in the mean-field expression. Near the spinodal density, the average number of small clusters undergo a sharp change. Computation of pressure shows that only the first four clusters produce surprisingly good agreement with known pressure even beyond the spinodal density. Contribution No. 439 from the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit     

Crystalline Phase and Decomposition Dynamics of Aluminum Titanate at Different Temperature

The crystalline phase formed during aluminum titanate at 750-1300 ℃ as well as the relationship between its content change and decomposition dynamics was mainly discussed in this paper.Dynamical equation was established for calculating the reaction activation energy.It aimed at providing dynamics basic data for taking up necessary measures to inhibit the decomposition of aluminum titanate.Experimental results showed that aluminum titanate would decompose into TiO2 and corundum at 750-1300 ℃.Content of aluminum titanate would reduce with the increase of decomposition time,and the order of decomposition rates at different temperature was 1100 > 1200 > 1000 > 900 ℃.The decomposition was a chemical reaction with control steps,and could meet the first order reaction dynamic equation-F(G) = [(1-G)-2/3-1] = Kt.According to the calculation,rate constants of different decomposition reaction dynamic equations were K900 = 2.2×10-3,K1000 = 1.2×10-2,K1100 = 4×10-1 and K1200 = 1.5×10-1,and the reaction activation energy ΔGave = 203.21 KJ/mol.     

Alkyl Ammonium Cation Stabilized Biocidal Polyiodides with Adaptable High Density and Low Pressure

The effective application of biocidal species requires building the active moiety into a molecular back bone that can be delivered and decomposed on demand under conditions of low pressure and prolonged high‐temperature detonation. The goal is to destroy storage facilities and their contents while utilizing the biocidal products arising from the released energy to destroy any remaining harmful airborne agents. Decomposition of carefully selected iodine‐rich compounds can produce large amounts of the very active biocides, hydroiodic acid (HI) and iodine (I₂). Polyiodide anions, namely, I₃^?, I₅^?, which are excellent sources of such biocides, can be stabilized through interactions with large, symmetric cations, such as alkyl ammonium salts. We have designed and synthesized suitable compounds of adaptable high density up to 3.33 g cm^?3 that are low‐pressure polyiodides with various alkyl ammonium cations, deliverable iodine contents of which range between 58.0–90.9 %.     

A new bismuth potassium nitrate oxide, Bi1.7K0.9O2(NO3)2: Synthesis, structure, thermal behavior, and photocatalytic properties

We report here the first observation of a bismuth potassium nitrate Bi_1.7K_0.9O₂(NO₃)₂, obtained via thermal decomposition of bismuth and potassium nitrate mixtures. The new compound is orthorhombic, space group Immm (71), Z = 2, with a = 3.8698(7) Å, b = 3.8703(7) Å, and c = 24.1271(4) Å. Its crystal structure was refined from powder X-ray diffraction data by analogy with the mineral beyerite, Bi₂O₂Ca(CO₃)₂. The morphology and elemental composition of Bi_1.7K_0.9O₂(NO₃)₂ were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS). Its phase transformations upon heating and products of its thermal decomposition were studied using XRD, TGA and FTIR. At 440 °C, Bi_1.7K_0.9O₂(NO₃)₂ transforms to another basic bismuth potassium nitrate with demonstrates a very similar XRD pattern but slightly larger cell parameters. At 520 °C, the intermediate oxide nitrate decomposes into a mixture of crystalline α-Bi₂O₃ and KNO₃. The as prepared Bi_1.7K_0.9O₂(NO₃)₂ showed lower than TiO₂ (Degussa P25) photocatalytic activity upon decomposition of a widely used model pollutant, Rhodamine B (RhB) and photooxidation of potassium iodide under UV-vis light irradiation. Interaction with potassium iodide in alkaline media resulted in formation of Bi₅O₇I.     

Studies on the thermal behavior of CS:LiTFSI:[Amim] Cl polymer electrolytes exerted by different [Amim] Cl content

The principle motivation of this research work is to develop environmental-friendly polymer electrolytes utilizing corn starch (CS), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Amim] Cl) by solution casting technique. The highest ionic conductivity value was achieved for the composition CS:LiTFSI:[Amim] Cl (14 wt. %:6 wt. %:80 wt. %) which exhibits the ionic conductivity value of 5.68 × 10⁻² S cm⁻¹ at 40 °C with the activation energy of 4.86 kJ mol⁻¹. This sample possess high concentration of amorphous phase coupled with greater presence of conducting cations (lithium, Li⁺ and imidazolium, [Amim]⁺) as depicted by the dielectric loss tangent plot. The conductivity-temperature plots were found to obey Arrhenius rule in which the conductivity mechanism is thermally assisted. The melting temperature of polymer electrolyte decreases with increase in [Amim] Cl content. This is attributed to the good miscibility of [Amim] Cl in CS:LiTFSI matrix inducing structural disorderliness. Reference to the TGA results it is found that the addition of [Amim] Cl diminishes the heat-resistivity whereas enhancement in the thermal stability occurred at the initial addition and declines with further doping of [Amim] Cl.