Coordinatively Unsaturated Amidotitanocene Cations with Inverted σ and π Bond Strengths: Controlled Release of Aminyl Radicals and Hydrogenation/Dehydrogenation Catalysis

Cationic amidotitanocene complexes [Cp₂Ti(NPhAr)][B(C₆F₅)₄] (Cp=η⁵-C₅H₅; Ar=phenyl ( 1 a ), p-tolyl ( 1 b ), p-anisyl ( 1 c )) were isolated. The bonding situation was studied by DFT (Density Functional Theory) using EDA-NOCV (Energy Decomposition Analysis with Natural Orbitals for Chemical Valence). The polar Ti−N bond in 1 a–c features an unusual inversion of σ and π bond strengths responsible for the balance between stability and reactivity in these coordinatively unsaturated species. In solution, 1 a–c undergo photolytic Ti−N cleavage to release Ti(III) species and aminyl radicals ⋅ NPhAr. Reaction of 1 b with H₃BNHMe₂ results in fast homolytic Ti−N cleavage to give [Cp₂Ti(H₃BNHMe₂)][B(C₆F₅)₄] ( 3 ). 1 a–c are highly active precatalysts in olefin hydrogenation and silanes/amines cross-dehydrogenative coupling, whilst 3 efficiently catalyzes amine-borane dehydrogenation. The mechanism of olefin hydrogenation was studied by DFT and the cooperative H₂ activation key step was disclosed using the Activation Strain Model (ASM).     

Electrophoresis and electric conduction in a salt-free suspension of charged particles

The electrophoresis and electric conduction of a suspension of charged spherical particles in a salt-free solution are analyzed by using a unit cell model. The linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation (valid for the cases of relatively low surface charge density or high volume fraction of the particles) and Laplace equation are solved for the equilibrium electric potential profile and its perturbation caused by the imposed electric field, respectively, in the fluid containing the counterions only around the particle, and the ionic continuity equation and modified Stokes equations are solved for the electrochemical potential energy and fluid flow fields, respectively. Explicit analytical formulas for the electrophoretic mobility of the particles and effective electric conductivity of the suspension are obtained, and the particle interaction effects on these transport properties are significant and interesting. The scaled zeta potential, electrophoretic mobility, and effective electric conductivity increase monotonically with an increase in the scaled surface charge density of the particles and in general decrease with an increase in the particle volume fraction, keeping each other parameter unchanged. Under the Debye-Hückel approximation, the dependence of the electrophoretic mobility normalized with the surface charge density on the ratio of the particle radius to the Debye screening length and particle volume fraction in a salt-free suspension is same as that in a salt-containing suspension, but the variation of the effective electric conductivity with the particle volume fraction in a salt-free suspension is found to be quite different from that in a suspension containing added electrolyte.     

Self-assembly mechanism of PEG-b-PCL and PEG-b-PBO-b-PCL amphiphilic copolymer micelles in aqueous solution from coarse grain modeling

We followed the self-assembly of high-molecular weight MePEG- b -PCL (poly(methyl ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone)) diblock and MePEG- b -PBO- b -PCL (poly(methyl ethylene glycol)-block-poly(1,2-butylene oxide)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone)) into micelles using molecular dynamics simulation with a coarse grain (CG) force field based on quantum mechanics (CGq FF). The triblock polymer included a short poly(1,2-butylene oxide) (PBO) at the hydrophilic-hydrophobic interface of these systems. Keeping the hydrophilic length fixed (MePEG₄₅), we considered 250 chains in which the hydrophobic length changed from PCL₄₄ or PBO₆- b -PCL₄₃ to PCL₆₂ or PBO₉- b -PCL₆₁. The polymers were solvated in explicit water for 2 μs of simulations at 310.15 K. We found that the longer diblock system undergoes a morphological transition from an intermediate rod-like micelle to a prolate-sphere, while the micelle formed from the longer triblock system is a stable rod-like micelle. The two shorter diblock and triblock systems show similar self-assembly processes, both resulting in slightly prolate-spheres. The dynamics of the self-assembly is quantified in terms of chain radius of gyration, shape anisotropy, and hydration of the micelle cores. The final micelle structures are analyzed in terms of the local density components. We conclude that the CG model accurately describes the molecular mechanisms of self-assembly and the equilibrium micellar structures of hydrophilic and hydrophobic chains, including the quantity of solvent trapped inside the micellar core.     

Recent Progress in High-Performance Lithium Sulfur Batteries: The Emerging Strategies for Advanced Separators/Electrolytes Based on Nanomaterials and Corresponding Interfaces

Lithium-sulfur (Li−S) batteries, possessing excellent theoretical capacities, low cost and nontoxicity, are one of the most promising energy storage battery systems. However, poor conductivity of elemental S and the “shuttle effect” of lithium polysulfides hinder the commercialization of Li−S batteries. These problems are closely related to the interface problems between the cathodes, separators/electrolytes and anodes. The review focuses on interface issues for advanced separators/electrolytes based on nanomaterials in Li−S batteries. In the liquid electrolyte systems, electrolytes/separators and electrodes system can be decorated by nano materials coating for separators and electrospinning nanofiber separators. And, interface of anodes and electrolytes/separators can be modified by nano surface coating, nano composite metal lithium and lithium nano alloy, while the interface between cathodes and electrolytes/separators is designed by nano metal sulfide, nanocarbon-based and other nano materials. In all solid-state electrolyte systems, the focus is to increase the ionic conductivity of the solid electrolytes and reduce the resistance in the cathode/polymer electrolyte and Li/electrolyte interfaces through using nanomaterials. The basic mechanism of these interface problems and the corresponding electrochemical performance are discussed. Based on the most critical factors of the interfaces, we provide some insights on nanomaterials in high-performance liquid or state Li−S batteries in the future.     

Assessment of model chemistries for hydrofluoropolyethers: A DFT/M08‐HX benchmark study

In this work, we report the first detailed theoretical comparative conformational investigation between two different classes of hydrofluoropolyethers: dihydro‐ and dimethoxyfluoropolyethers. The main objective was to determine a cost‐effective computational methodology that could accurately reproduce the energetic rankings and thermal weight factors of the simplest examples of those two classes calculated with M08‐HX/triple‐ζ//M08‐HX/double‐ζ benchmark model chemistries. Between the tested methodologies, M08‐HX/aug‐pcseg‐2//M08‐HX/pcseg‐1 was found to be the most appropriate, exhibiting a good accuracy and considerable reduction in computational cost with respect to the benchmark, being more than three times faster than M08‐HX/aug‐pcseg‐2//M08‐HX/aug‐pcseg‐1. This cost‐effective approach will be essential in future work when studying larger hydrofluoropolyethers, where the computational complexity associated with increasing number of conformers will require such approximations.     

5E教学模式在我国的教学实践及其国外研究进展评析

5E教学模式在国际科学教学中具有广泛应用,是当今重要的探究教学和概念转变的教学模式,在我国基础教育中也有较多的研究和实践。5E教学模式是一种基于建构主义的“学习环”模式,包括引入、探究、解释、精致和评价5个环节,每个环节都有专门的教学策略。系统地梳理了5E教学模式的起源、内涵及特征,对我国现有的基于5E教学模式的实践案例进行了深入分析,描述5E教学模式在我国的实践应用现状及其存在的问题,提出积极的改进建议,促进我国探究教学的深入推进。通过阐释5E教学模式的发展演变和研究进展,描绘今后的研究方向和内容。     

三元素氢氧化物中镍钴锰含量的测定

采用仪器分析方法和化学分析方法相结合测定三元前驱体Ni0.33Co0.33Mn0.33(OH)2中镍、钴、锰主含量,分别采用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱(ICP-AES)内标法测定镍、钴、锰的摩尔比例,EDTA滴定法测定镍、钴、锰的摩尔总量,计算得到各元素的含量。通过优化实验条件,进行了准确度和精密度实验,加标回收率为99.2%~101%,相对标准偏差小于0.65%。方法准确、快速,已用于实际的检测工作中。     

Ni-Mg复合催化剂催化裂解CH_4制氢动力学研究

基于定温热重实验,建立了甲烷催化裂解反应动力学模型和催化剂表面积炭失活动力学模型。其中,甲烷催化裂解动力学模型将初始产氢速率视为催化剂未积炭条件下的动力学基础数据;催化剂表面积炭失活动力学则基于甲烷催化裂解速率的降低。实验使用Ni-Mg复合催化剂,分别在535、585、635℃,甲烷分压10~4、2×10~4、3×10~4Pa条件下展开甲烷催化裂解动力学特性研究。结果表明,甲烷催化裂解的反应级数为0.5,活化能为82 k J/mol;Ni-Mg复合催化剂反应失活级数为0.5,催化剂失活活化能为118 k J/mol。实验条件下均制得了多壁碳纳米管。     

Three‐body expansion of the fragment molecular orbital method combined with density‐functional tight‐binding

The three‐body fragment molecular orbital (FMO3) method is formulated for density‐functional tight‐binding (DFTB). The energy, analytic gradient, and Hessian are derived in the gas phase, and the energy and analytic gradient are also derived for polarizable continuum model. The accuracy of FMO3‐DFTB is evaluated for five proteins, sodium cation in explicit solvent, and three isomers of polyalanine. It is shown that FMO3‐DFTB is considerably more accurate than FMO2‐DFTB. Molecular dynamics simulations for sodium cation in water are performed for 100 ps, yielding radial distribution functions and coordination numbers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.