Optimizing the Oxygen-Catalytic Performance of Zn–Mn–Co Spinel by Regulating the Bond Competition at Octahedral Sites

By using the more electro-negative Mn³⁺ ion to partially replace Co³⁺ at the octahedral site of spinel ZnCo₂O₄, i.e., forming ternary Zn–Mn–Co spinel oxide, the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction/evolution activity is found to be significantly increased. Considering the physical characterization and theoretical calculations, it demonstrated that the bond competition played a key role in regulating the cobalt valence state and the electrocatalytic activity. The partial replacement of octahedral-site-occupied Co³⁺ by Mn³⁺ can effectively modulate the adjacent Co–O bond and induce the Jahn–Teller effect, thus changing the originally stable crystal structure and optimizing the binding strength between the active center and reaction intermediates. Certainly, the Mn-substituted ZnMn_1.4Co_0.6O₄/NCNTs exhibit higher electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity than that of ZnCo₂O₄/NCNTs and ZnMn₂O₄/NCNTs, supporting that the Co–O bond covalency determines the ORR activity of spinel ZnCo₂O₄. This study offers the competition between adjacent Co–O and Mn–O bonds via the B_Oh–O–B_Oh edge-sharing geometry. The ion substitution at octahedral sites by less electronegative cations can be a new and effective way to improve the electrocatalytic performance of cobalt-based spinel oxides.     

Dimer asymmetry in superoxide dismutase studied by molecular dynamics simulation

Summary Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of 100 ps have been carried out to study the active-site behaviour of the Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase dimer (SOD) in water. The active site of each subunit was monitored during the whole simulation by calculating the distances between functional residues and the catalytic copper. The results indicate that charge orientation is maintained at each active site but the solvent accessibility varies. Analysis of the MD simulation, carried out by using the atomic displacement covariance matrix, has shown a different intra-subunit correlation pattern for the two monomers and the presence of inter-subunit correlations. The MD simulation presented here indicates an asymmetry in the two active sites and different dynamic behaviour of the two SOD subunits.     

Rapid dissolution procedure for base-metals-bearing complex materials for quality control assessment

A less labour-intensive method, involving a mixture of 1.0 g MnO₂ + 20 mL HCl (11), is proposed for decomposing seven ores and six metallurgical products for accurate and precise estimation of copper, lead, zinc, cobalt and nickel for quality control assessment. Twentyone international reference materials were also analysed. Results of regression analyses are presented and intermethod comparison studies reveal that the probability of results being different compared with a reference method was less than 1%. Sample decomposition is straightforward and the method has been found to be very simple, rapid and easily adaptable, as it involves no separation of the analyte from the matrix elements.     

The effect of humidity on thermal process of zinc acetate

The thermal decomposition of zinc acetate dihydrate Zn(CH₃CO₂)₂·2H₂O in some humidity-controlled atmospheres has been successfully investigated by novel thermal analyses, which are sample-controlled thermogravimetry (SCTG), thermogravimety combined with evolved gas analysis using mass spectrometry (TG–MS) and simultaneous measurement of differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry (XRD–DSC). The thermal processes of anhydrous zinc acetate in dry gas atmosphere by conventional linear heating experiment initiated with the sublimation around 180 °C, followed by the fusion and the decomposition over 250 °C. SCTG was useful to interpret clearly the successive reaction because the high-temperature parallel decompositions were effectively inhibited. The thermal behavior changed dramatically by introducing water vapor in the atmosphere and the thermal process was quite different from that in dry gas atmosphere. Zinc oxide (ZnO) was formed only in a humidity-controlled atmosphere, and could be easily synthesized at temperatures below 300 °C. XRD–DSC equipped with a humidity generator revealed directly the crystalline change from Zn(CH₃CO₂)₂ to ZnO. A detailed thermal process of Zn(CH₃CO₂)₂·2H₂O and the effect of water vapor are discussed.     

改进型甲醇合成催化剂NC208的催化特性

采用ＴＰＤ、ＸＲＤ、ＢＥＴ和Ｈ２Ｓ中毒试验等方法，对比研究三组份（Ｃｕ－Ｚｎ－Ａｌ）甲醇合成催化剂Ｃ２０７和添加少量金属氧化物的改进型催化剂ＮＣ２０８．结果表明，工作态ＮＣ２０８催化剂表面Ｃｕ＋／Ｃｕ０的比值和价态稳定性大于Ｃ２０７．     

Photocatalytic Synthesis of Composite CdSe/CdS Nanoparticles

We have shown that CdSe/CdS nanocomposites can be obtained in a photocatalytic reaction with participation of CdS nanoparticles from sodium selenosulfate. We have studied the kinetic characteristics of this process in detail and have shown that its most likely mechanism includes a step involving reaction between SeSO^3/2− anions and electrons generated in the conduction band of the CdS nanoparticles during irradiation and stabilized in traps on the semiconductor surface.__________Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Eksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 171–175, May–June, 2005.     

Multicomponent analysis with a computerized flow injection system using LED photometric detection

An original computer-controlled solid-state photometer has been developed and its potential for simultaneous multicomponent flow-injection analysis of binary and ternary mixtures is demonstrated. The device is simple in construction. Its principle of operation is based on rapid sequential measurements of the absorbance of the complexes formed by the analytes with chromogenic reagents at the wavelengths corresponding to the emission maxima of three light emitting diodes (563, 580 and 638 nm).     

硫代乙酰胺体系电沉积法制备CdS纳米膜

The film of surface active agents spread out on the surface of the electrolyte of Thioacetamide and cadmium chloride. CdS nanofilm was deposited at the interface of surface active agents and electrolyt by the method of electrodeposition. The optimal conditions on which the nanofilm was prepared of the least crystals and uniform particles could be attained via analytical results of L₁₆(4⁵) orthogonal experiments. The optimal conditions: castor oil/hexadecanoll 0.06 mL·cm^-2，CdCl₂/CH₃CSNH₂ 4 mmol·L^-1, cell voltage 5 V, electrodeposition temperature 15 ℃. The effects on the grain size of temperature, surface-active agent, electrodyte concentration, cell voltage and pH become smaller in the series. If the temperature was high, the movement of molecules of surface-active agent and electrodyte would be faster, thus the preparation of the film would be difficult. The grain size of thinfilm varied with the surface-active agents, however, when the amount of surface-active agents reached a certain value, the grain size would remain unchanged. The higher the electrodyte concentration, the larger the grain size of nanofilm. The surface forms were changed at the same time. If the pH of the electrodyte was higher or lower, nanofilm could not be prepared successfully, thus the pH range should be is 3～6. SEM image of the nanofilm shows the occurance of dendrite. The sucessful preparation of nanofilm is closely related to the nature of surface activre agent due to the nanofilm growth mechanism.     

Diffusion and interdiffusion in Zn-disordered AlAs-GaAs superlattices

Several superlattices (SL's) with different layer thicknesses, grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), were disordered via low temperature (550?600°C) Zn diffusions to investigate layer thickness effects on both the Zn diffusion process and the Al-Ga interdiffusion process. The Zn diffusion coefficients were measured using secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and found to be ?10^?12 cm²/sec, increasing somewhat with decreasing layer thickness. The activation energy for the Zn diffusion process ranged from 3.1 eV for an 1100Å/period SL to 2.1 eV for a 320Å/period SL. The Al-Ga interdiffusion coefficient and the activation energy associated with the interdiffusion process were calculated from AES depth profiles. The coefficient is on the order of 10^?16 cm²/sec and the activation energy is approximately 1 eV, independent of the SL layer thickness.     

卡尔曼滤波析相光度法同时测定锰铁铜锌镉的研究——5-Br-PADAP—Triton X-100体系

运用卡尔曼滤波递推法,以2-(5-溴-2-吡啶偶氮)—5-二乙氨基苯酚(5-Br-PADAP)为显色剂,建立了同时测定锰、铁、铜、锌、镉析相光度法.在pH9.0硼酸-氢氧化钠介质中,胶束溶液在95℃加热1h,配合物被Triton X-100相完全富集,最大吸收峰分别为锰566nm、铁556nm、铜560nm、锌562nm、镉557nm,工作曲线范围除镉为0～8μg/5ml外,其余均为0～10μg/5ml.应用于大米中锰铁铜锌镉的同时测定,结果满意.