Preparation, characterization and thermolysis of metal nitrate complexes with 4,4’-bipyridine

Two bis(bipyridine) polymeric metal nitrate complexes with 4,4’-bipyridine of simple formula like [M(bipy)₂](NO₃)2⋅xH₂O (where M=Co, Ni and Cu; x=4, 2 and 0, respectively) have been prepared and characterized. Their thermal decomposition has been undertaken using simultaneous TG-DTG-DTA and DSC in nitrogen atmosphere and non-isothermal TG in air atmosphere. Isothermal TG has been performed at decomposition temperature range of the complexes to evaluate the kinetics of decomposition by applying model-fitting as well as isoconversional method. Possible mechanistic pathways have also been proposed for the thermolysis. Ignition delay measurements have been carried out to investigate the response of these complexes under the condition of rapid heating.     

Theoretical studies on the metathesis processes, (Tp(PH3)MR(eta 2-H[bond]CH3)]-->[Tp(PH3)M(CH3)(eta 2-H[bond]R)] (M=Fe,Ru, and Os; R=H and CH3)

Theoretical calculations on the metathesis process, [Tp(PH3)MR(eta 2-H[bond]CH3)] --> [Tp(PH3)M(CH3)(eta 2-H[bond]R)] (M=Fe, Ru, and Os; R=H and CH3), have been systematically carried out to study their detailed reaction mechanisms. Other than the one-step mechanism via a four-center transition state and the two-step mechanism through an oxidative addition/reductive elimination pathway, a new one-step mechanism, with a transition state formed under oxidative addition, has been found. Based on the intrinsic reaction coordinate calculations, we found that the trajectories of the transferring hydrogen atom in the metathesis processes studied are similar to each other regardless of the nature of reaction mechanisms.     

Ce0.6Zr0.35Y0.05O2和Pr0.6Zr0.35Y0.05O2催化剂表面上CO氧化和18O-16O交换反应的研究

测定了在Ce0.6Zr0.4O2,Ce0.6Zr0.35Y0.05O2,Pr0.6Zr0.4O2和Pr0.6Zr0.35Y0.05O2 (分别表示为CZ,CYZ,PZ和PYZ)样品表面上的CO氧化反应和18O-16O 同位素交换反应.结果表明: 在CZ和PZ系列固熔中掺杂Y3 离子可以改善晶格氧的迁移速度;PZ和PZY的晶格氧比CZ 和CZY 的晶格氧具有更高的氧化反应活性.其原因是将Y3 掺杂到Ce0.6Zr0.4O2 或Pr0.6Zr0.4O2晶格中,增加了样品的氧空位浓度,从而提高了晶格氧的迁移性质,而PrOx比CeO2具有更低温度的氧化还原性质,因此PZ和PZY的晶格氧比CZ 和CZY 的晶格氧具有更高的氧化反应活性.     

Investigation of efflorescence of inorganic aerosols using fluorescence spectroscopy

The phase transition is one of the most fundamental phenomena affecting the physical and chemical properties of atmospheric aerosols. Efflorescence, in particular, is not well understood, partly because the molecular interactions between the solute and water molecules of saturated or supersaturated solution droplets have not been well characterized. Recently, we developed a technique that combines the use of an electrodynamic balance and a fluorescence dye, 8-hydroxyl-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonate (pyranine), to study the distributions of solvated and free water in aqueous droplets (Choi, M. Y.; Chan, C. K.; Zhang, Y. H. J. Phys. Chem. A 2004, 108, 1133). We found that the equality of the amounts of solvated and free water is a necessary but not sufficient condition for efflorescence. For efflorescing compounds such as Na2SO4, (NH4)2SO4, and a mixture of NaCl and Na2SO4, the amount of free water decreases, while that of solvated water is roughly constant in bulk measurements and decreases less dramatically than that of free water in single-particle measurements as the relative humidity (RH) decreases. Efflorescence of the supersaturated droplets of these solutions occurs when the amounts of free and solvated water are equal, which is consistent with our previous observation for NaCl. For nonefflorescing compounds in single-particle levitation experiments such as MgSO4 and Mg(NO3)2, the amounts of free and solvated water are equal at a water-to-solute molar ratio of about 6, at which spectral changes due to the formation of contact ion pairs between magnesium and the anions occur as shown by Raman spectroscopy. Fluorescence imaging shows that the droplets of diluted Mg(NO3)2 (at 80% RH) and MgSO4 are homogeneous but those of NaCl, Na2SO4, (NH4)2SO4, and supersaturated Mg(NO3)2 (at 10% RH) are heterogeneous in terms of the solvated-to-free water distribution. The solvated-to-free water ratios in NaCl, Na2SO4, and (NH4)2SO4 droplets are higher in the outer regions by about half a radius deep than at the center of the droplets.     

Strong Morphological Effect of Mn3O4 Nanocrystallites on the Catalytic Activity of Mn3O4 and Au/Mn3O4 in Benzene Combustion

Gold nanoparticles (3–4 nm) were deposited on Mn₃O₄ nanocrystallites with three distinct morphologies (cubic, hexagonal, and octahedral). The resulting structures were characterized, and their activities for benzene combustion were evaluated. The dominant exposed facets for the three kinds of Mn₃O₄ polyhedrons show the activity order: (103)≈(200)>(101). A similar activity order was derived for the interfaces between the Au and the Mn₃O₄ facet: Au/(200)≈Au/(103)>Au/(101). The metal–support interactions between the Au nanoclusters and specific facets of the Mn₃O₄ polyhedrons lead to a unique interfacial synergism in which the electronic modification of the Au nanoparticles and the morphology of the Mn₃O₄ substrate have a joint effect that is responsible for a significant enhancement in the catalytic activity of the Au/Mn₃O₄ system.     

Characterization of size‐segregated aerosols using ToF‐SIMS imaging and depth profiling

Size‐segregated particles were collected with a ten‐stage micro‐orifice uniform deposit impactor from a busy walkway in a downtown area of Hong Kong. The surface chemical compositions of aerosol samples from each stage were analyzed using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) operated in the static mode. The ToF‐SIMS spectra of particles from stage 2 (5.6–10 µm), stage 6 (0.56–1 µm), and stage 10 (0.056–0.1 µm) were compared, and the positive ion spectra from stage 2 to stage 10 were analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA). Both spectral analysis and PCA results show that the coarse‐mode particles were associated with inorganic ions, while the fine particles were associated with organic ions. PCA results further show that the particle surface compositions were size dependent. Particles from the same mode exhibited more similar surface features. Particles from stage 2 (5.6–10 µm), stage 6 (0.56–1 µm), and stage 10 (0.056–0.1 µm) were further selected as representatives of the three modes, and the chemical compositions of these modes of particles were examined using ToF‐SIMS imaging and depth profiling. The results reveal a non‐uniform chemical distribution from the outer to the inner layer of the particles. The coarse‐mode particles were shown to contain inorganic salts beneath the organics surface. The accumulation‐mode particles contained sulfate, nitrate, ammonium salts, and silicate in the regions below a thick surface layer of organic species. The nucleation‐mode particles consisted mainly of soot particles with a surface coated with sulfate, hydrocarbons, and, possibly, fullerenic carbon. The study demonstrated the capability of ToF‐SIMS depth profiling and imaging in characterizing both the surface and the region beneath the surface of aerosol particles. It also revealed the complex heterogeneity of chemical composition in size and depth distributions of atmospheric particles. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved Stabilities of Labeling Probes for the Selective Modification of Endogenous Proteins in Living Cells and In Vivo

To date, various affinity-based protein labeling probes have been developed and applied in biological research to modify endogenous proteins in cell lysates and on the cell surface. However, the reactive groups on the labeling probes are also the cause of probe instability and nonselective labeling in a more complex environment, e. g., intracellular and in vivo. Here, we show that labeling probes composed of a sterically stabilized difluorophenyl pivalate can achieve efficient and selective labeling of endogenous proteins on the cell surface, inside living cells and in vivo. As compared with the existing protein labeling probes, probes with the difluorophenyl pivalate exhibit several advantages, including long-term stability in stock solutions, resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis and can be customized easily with diverse fluorophores and protein ligands. With this probe design, endogenous hypoxia biomarker in living cells and nude mice were successfully labeled and validated by in vivo, ex vivo, and immunohistochemistry imaging.     

有序排列PMMA 模板法合成三维有序纳米孔道MgO

"利用由无乳化剂的乳液聚合法和水浮法联用技术合成得到的有序排列的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)微球为硬模板,以硝酸镁为镁源,并采用硝酸镁-柠檬酸-乙醇混合溶液浸渍PMMA微球后经干燥以及先后在300 ℃恒温灼烧3 h和500 ℃恒温灼烧5 h,制备出具有有序纳米孔道结构的MgO粒子．应用X射线衍射、高分辨扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜/选区电子衍射以及N2吸附-脱附法等技术表征了PMMA和MgO样品的物理化学性质．结果表明,所得PMMA微球颗粒较为均匀,粒径约为284 nm,且排列规整有序．由PMMA硬模板     

硫掺杂橄榄状BiVO4上可见光降解亚甲基蓝和甲醛水溶液性能

在无和有S源(Na₂S或硫脲)存在的条件下,采用十二胺辅助的醇-水热法制备了多孔单斜晶相结构的BiVO_4-δ和不同含量S掺杂的BiVO_4-δ光催化剂.利用多种手段表征了催化材料的物化性质,评价了它们在可见光照射下催化降解亚甲基蓝或甲醛的反应活性.结果表明,所制光催化剂为单斜白钨矿晶相结构,具有多孔橄榄状形貌,比表面积为8.4-12.5m²/g,带隙能为2.40-2.48eV.在S掺杂BiVO_4-δ表面同时含有Bi⁵⁺,Bi⁴⁺,V⁵⁺和V⁴⁺物种.S掺杂对BiVO_4-δ光催化剂的活性影响很大.在可见光下照射下,BiVO_4-δS_0.08光催化剂对亚甲基蓝和甲醛降解反应显示出最高的光催化活性,这与其较高的表面氧物种浓度和较低的带隙能相关.