Stuffed Tridymite Structures: Synthesis,Structure, Second Harmonic Generation,Optical, and Multiferroic Properties

The stuffed tridymite structure Ba(Zn/Co)_1−xSi_1−xM_2xO₄ (M=Al³⁺ and Fe³⁺) is explored for the possible multiferroic behavior and to develop new inorganic colored materials. The compounds were synthesized by employing conventional solid-state chemistry methods in the temperature range 1100–1175 °C for 24 h. The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and Rietveld refinement studies indicate that the compounds stabilize in the P63 space group (no. 173). The refinement results were also rationalized by employing Raman spectroscopic studies. The compounds were found to be second harmonic generation (SHG) active and show weak ferroelectric behavior. The co-substitution of Co²⁺ and Fe³⁺ in the structure gives rise to a weak ferromagnetic behavior to the compound, BaCo_0.75Si_0.75Fe_0.5O₄, making it a multiferroic material. The optical studies on the prepared compounds exhibited blue color (Co²⁺ in T_d geometry), purple color (Ni²⁺ in T_d geometry), and simultaneous substitution of Co²⁺ and Fe³⁺ gives rise to blue-green color owing to metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) effect.     

Utilization of inverse approach in the design of materials over nano‐ to macro‐scale

In the light of recent developments in computer technology, a promising and efficient way to design a material with a desired property would be to solve the inverse problem: use a physical property to predict structure. Here, we discuss the basic idea and mathematical foundation of the inverse approach, and proposed strategies for its utilization in the design of materials over nano‐ to macro‐scales. At the nano‐scale, analyzed strategies include scanning of a high‐dimensional space of chemical compounds for those compounds that have a targeted property, and identification of correlations in large databases of materials. However, unlike utilization of inverse approach at nano‐scale where full structural information ‐ atoms and their positions‐ is linked to targeted properties, at the meso‐ and macro‐scale, only partial structural information, manifested via structural motifs or representative volume elements, is available. We discuss the role of partial structural information in the inverse approach to the design of materials at those scales. Risks and limitations of the inverse approach are analyzed and dependence of the approach on factors such as structure parametrization, approximations in theoretical models, and feedback from structural characterization, is addressed.

     

Dynamic Release of Propranolol HCl from Cationic Ion–Exchanger–Loaded Calcium Alginate Beads

The dynamic release of drug propranolol HCl from the propranolol HCl–resin complex (PRC) loaded calcium alginate beads has been studied in the buffer media of pH 1.2 at the physiological temperature 37°C. The PRC encapsulated beads demonstrated nearly 58.04% release while naked PRC particles released 98.00% drug in 24 h in the gastric fluid. The amount of drug released was found to increase with and decrease in the amount of sodium alginate in the beads. Similarly, with the increase in the amount of entrapped PRC particles within the beads, the quantity of drug released was also observed to increase. The degree of crosslinking of beads also affected the release kinetics. Interestingly, the release from naked PRC particles followed ‘first‐order’ kinetics while PRC particles, entrapped in calcium–alginate beads, exhibited ‘diffusion controlled’ release behavior as indicated by liner nature of fractional release vs. √t plot.     

First‐Principles Investigation of Anisotropic Electron and Hole Mobility in Heterocyclic Oligomer Crystals

Based on quantum chemistry calculations combined with the Marcus–Hush electron transfer theory, we investigated the charge‐transport properties of oligothiophenes (nTs) and oligopyrroles (nPs) (n=6, 7, 8) as potential p‐ or n‐type organic semiconductor materials. The results of our calculations indicate that 1) the nPs show intrinsic hole mobilities as high as or even higher than those of nTs, and 2) the vertical ionization potentials (VIPs) of the nPs are about 0.6–0.7 eV smaller than the corresponding VIPs of the nTs. Based on their charge‐transport ability and hole‐injection efficiency, the nPs have potential as p‐type organic semiconducting materials. Furthermore, it was also found that the maximum values of the electron‐transfer mobility for the nTs are larger by one‐to‐two orders of magnitude than the corresponding maximum values of hole‐transfer mobility, which suggests that the nTs have the potential to be developed as promising n‐type organic semiconducting materials owing to their electron mobility.     

基于第一性原理的无铅无机钙钛矿Cs3Bi2X9(X=Cl、Br、I)光电性能表面效应研究

用基于第一性原理的密度泛函理论方法,对Cs₃Bi₂X₉(X=Cl、Br、I)的光电特性进行理论计算,并系统阐述这3种晶体的表面效应对光电性能的影响。结果表明,3种材料的光学特性由铋原子和卤素原子最外层p轨道上的价电子主导。在可见光区中,材料的吸收峰会随卤素原子序数的增加呈现红移,其中一维结构的Cs₃Bi₂Cl₉表面结构在光吸收能力上尤为特别且敏感;二维结构的Cs₃Bi₂Br₉光吸收能力会受厚度影响;零维结构的Cs₃Bi₂I₉非常稳定,且几乎不受表面特性和晶体厚度的影响。     

H2S splitting on Cu(110): Insight from combined periodic density functional theory calculations and microkinetic simulation

Practical copper (Cu)‐based catalysts for the water–gas shift (WGS) reaction was long believed to expose a large proportion of Cu(110) planes. In this work, as an important first step toward addressing sulfur poisoning of these catalysts, the detailed mechanism for the splitting of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) on the open Cu(110) facet has been investigated in the framework of periodic, self‐consistent density functional theory (DFT‐GGA). The microkinetic model based on the first‐principles calculations has also been developed to quantitatively evaluate the two considered decomposition routes for yielding surface atomic sulfur (S*): (1) H₂S → H₂S* → SH* → S* and (2) 2H₂S → 2H₂S* → 2SH* → S* + H₂S* → S* + H₂S. The first pathway proceeding through unimolecular SH* dissociation was identified to be feasible, whereas the second pathway involving bimolecular SH* disproportionation made no contribution to S* formation. The molecular adsorption of H₂S is the slowest elementary step of its full decomposition, being related with the large entropy term of the gas‐phase reactant under realistic reaction conditions. A comparison of thermodynamic and kinetic reactivity between the substrate and the close‐packed Cu(111) surface further shows that a loosely packed facet can promote the S* formation from H₂S on Cu, thus revealing that the reaction process is structure sensitive. The present DFT and microkinetic modeling results provide a reasonably complete picture for the chemistry of H₂S on the Cu(110) surface, which is a necessary basis for the design of new sulfur‐tolerant WGS catalysts. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

AgGa(S1-xSex)2固溶体的电子结构和光学性质

采用基于赝势平面波基组的密度泛函理论方法, 对一系列具有黄铜矿结构的AgGa(S_1-xSe_x)₂固溶体的构型、电子结构、线性和二阶非线性光学性质进行了系统研究. 结果表明, 各固溶体具有类似的能带结构, 体系带隙随x值增加而逐渐减小. 当所引入的Hartree-Fock交换项贡献为22.56%时, 对应的杂化PBE泛函得到的带隙值与实验结果相近. 固溶体的各种光学性质, 包括折射率、双折射率、反射率、吸收系数和二阶倍频系数等均随着组成的改变呈现出有规律的变化趋势, 变化范围介于AgGaS₂和AgGaSe₂二者之间. 因此, 利用固溶体光学性质的变化规律, 可从中寻找出具有特定光学性能的晶体材料.     

Abundant explicit exact solutions to the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with parabolic law and dual‐power law nonlinearities

This paper is concerned with the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with parabolic law and dual‐power law. Abundant explicit and exact solutions of the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with parabolic law and dual‐power law are derived uniformly by using the first integral method. These exact solutions are include that of extended hyperbolic function solutions, periodic wave solutions of triangle functions type, exponential form solution, and complex hyperbolic trigonometric function solutions and so on. The results obtained confirm that the first integral method is an efficient technique for analytic treatment of a wide variety of nonlinear systems of partial DEs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.