Exploring high pressure structural transformations,electronic properties and superconducting properties of MH2 (M = Nb,Ta)

The high-pressure structures and properties of MH₂ (M = Nb, Ta) are explored through an ab initio evolutionary algorithm for crystal structure prediction and first-principles calculations. It is found that NbH₂ undergoes a phase transition from a cubic Fm$\overline{3}$m structure with regular NbH₈ cubes to an orthorhombic Pnma structure with fascinating distorted NbH₉ tetrakaidecahedrons at 48.8 GPa, while the phase transition pressure of TaH₂ from a hexagonal P6₃mc phase with slightly distorted TaH₇ decahedron to an orthorhombic Pnma phase with attractive distorted TaH₉ tetrakaidecahedrons is about 90.0 GPa. Besides, the calculated electronic band structure and density of states demonstrate that all of these structures are metallic. The Poisson’s ratio, electron localization function, and Bader charge analysis suggest that these phases possess dominant ionic bonding character with the effective charges transferring from the metal atom to H. From our electron–phonon calculations, the calculated superconducting critical temperature T_c of the Pnma-NbH₂ is 6.903 K at 50 GPa. Finally, via the quasi-harmonic approximation method, the phase diagrams at pressure up to 300 GPa and temperature up to 1000 K of MH₂ (M = Nb, Ta) are established, where the transition pressure of Fm$\overline{3}$m-NbH₂ → Pnma-NbH₂ and P6₃mc-TaH₂ → Pnma-TaH₂ were found to decrease with increasing temperature.     

Numerical examination of performance of some exchange-correlation functionals for molecules containing heavy elements

The performance of 17 exchange-correlation functionals for molecules containing heavy elements are numerically examined through four-component relativistic density DFT calculations. The examined functionals show the similar accuracy as they do for the molecules containing light elements only except for bond lengths. LDA and OP86 produce good results for bond lengths and frequencies but bad bond energies. Different functionals do not show much different performance for bond energies except LDA. BP86 and GP86 produce results with average accuracy while LYP does not perform well. Although encouraging results are obtained with functional B97GGA-1, other heavily parameterized and meta-GGA functionals do not produce impressive results.     

Rotational barrier for 1-acetyl-2-(p-methoxy benzyl)-3-pyrroline

Calculation of the rotational barriers for the trans- and cis-forms of 2-(p-methoxy)-1-acetyl-pyrroline are presented in this paper. It is found that thetrans-isomer is slightly more favourable energetically, while the rotations of the cis-form are highly impeded. Hence the relevant rotations are in thetrans-form which stabilizes its energy by forming a weak inner proton bond between the carbonyl oxygen and the pyrroline ring. The acetyl rotational barrier is of the order of 8 kcal, which is well in accord with experimental data reported in the literature for other acetyl-amide derivatives.[/p]Work supported in part by Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo.     

Evaluation of dead time calculation in liquid chromatography using a linearization procedure for homologous series

A mathematical method for the calculation of the dead time (t_m) in HPLC was evaluated using a computer simulation approach, in which artificial perturbations were introduced to Simulated homolog retention times. The calculation was based on a modified and extended Grobler and Bálisz (GB) method. Investigated wav how the precision of the calculated t_M is affected by: statistical fluctuations in retention times and which, and how many homolog retention times are used. Based on these simulations a two-step procedure for the t_M calculation is proposed: In the first step the linearity of log t_{R, n} vs carbon number n is checked using as many homolog retention times as possible. The slope value b^o of the first linear regression in the GB method is used for the selection of homolog retention times in the final t_M calculation. In the second step the optimal selection of homologs is made and the final t_M calculation is carried out. Guidelines for homolog selection are given.     

Fragment methods for IR spectrum calculations of organophosphorus compounds

For highly toxic organophosphorus compounds on the limiting lists of the International Chemical Weapons Ban Treaty, fragment methods may be used for calculating their IR vibrational spectra; this is shown for O-alkyl alkylfluorophosphonates used as examples. The geometrical parameters and the parameters of the potential and electrooptic functions are found for the major fragments of these compounds. Due to this, fast predictive computation of IR spectra of O-alkyl alkylfluorophosphonates is possible, the accuracy of calculation being sufficient for spectral identification of these compounds; a database of the calculated IR spectra may be created.     

Alkylation of cobalt and lutetium tetra(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)dodecachlorophthalocyanine complexes initiated with current

Electrochemical properties of tetra(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)dodecachlorophthalocyanine complexes of cobalt(II) and lutetium(III) in DMF solutions have been studied. It was suggested that in the presence ofn-butyl bromide, the electrochemically generated monoanionic complexes undergo alkylation at the metal atom. The geometries of the neutral and anionic complexes were calculated by the ZINDO/I semiempirical method. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 289–293, February, 1998.     

Heat conduction effects during the calorimetric determination of absorbed dose to water in radiotherapy beams

A transportable water calorimeter for the determination of the quantity of absorbed dose to water in radiotherapy beams has been developed at the PTB and is presented in detail in this investigation. Heat conduction effects occurring in the calorimeter are studied for different lateral sizes of high-energy photon beams, for different depth dose distributions of electron beams and for a scanned-beam irradiation with a heavy ion beam. The corresponding correction factors are calculated and arguments are given under which conditions these can adequately be applied.     

低温加氢催化剂的设计: 理论与实践

简要总结了我们在C=C及C=O双键低温加氢双金属催化剂方面的最新研究成果. 首先, 我们以环己烯加氢为探针反应, 证明了平行使用多种研究手段的重要性, 包括单晶表面的基础研究与DFT计算, 多晶表面的合成与表征, 负载型催化剂的制备与性能测试等. 其次, 总结了双金属催化剂在其他加氢反应, 如丙烯醛C=O双键的选择性加氢, 苯的低温加氢, 以及乙炔的选择性加氢等反应中的应用. 最后, 讨论了利用金属碳化物代替贵金属Pt以减少双金属催化剂中Pt用量的可能性.     

A density-functional calculation of dynamic dipole polarizabilities of noble gas atoms

Using a very simple trial function and unperturbed electron densities calculated by a new procedure, the frequency-dependent dipole polarizability () of Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe has been calculated in the range 0 0.45 a.u., by a Karplus-Kolker-type variation-perturbation method. Results progressively worsen for larger systems so that, for Xe, (0) is only 75% of the experimental value. Probable reasons for this are discussed.