Fabricating Dual-Atom Iron Catalysts for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction: A Heteroatom Modulator Approach

Understanding the thermal aggregation behavior of metal atoms is important for the synthesis of supported metal clusters. Here, derived from a metal–organic framework encapsulating a trinuclear Fe^III₂Fe^II complex (denoted as Fe₃) within the channels, a well-defined nitrogen-doped carbon layer is fabricated as an ideal support for stabilizing the generated iron nanoclusters. Atomic replacement of Fe^II by other metal(II) ions (e.g., Zn^II/Co^II) via synthesizing isostructural trinuclear-complex precursors (Fe₂Zn/Fe₂Co), namely the “heteroatom modulator approach”, is inhibiting the aggregation of Fe atoms toward nanoclusters with formation of a stable iron dimer in an optimal metal–nitrogen moiety, clearly identified by direct transmission electron microscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. The supported iron dimer, serving as cooperative metal–metal site, acts as efficient oxygen evolution catalyst. Our findings offer an atomic insight to guide the future design of ultrasmall metal clusters bearing outstanding catalytic capabilities.     

Determination of sulfa antibiotic residues in river and particulate matter by field-amplified sample injection-capillary zone electrophoresis

In the present research, field-amplified sample injection–CZE (FASI–CZE) coupled with a diode array detector was established to determine trace level sulfa antibiotic. Sulfathiazole, sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfisoxazole were selected as analytes for the experiments. The background electrolyte solution consisted of 70.0 mmol/L borax and 60.0 mmol/L boric acid (including 10% methanol, pH 9.1). The plug was 2.5 mmol/L borax, which was injected into the capillary at a pressure of 0.5 psi for 5 s. Then the sample was injected into the capillary at an injection voltage of –10 kV for 20 s. The electrophoretic separation was carried out under a voltage of +19 kV. The capillary temperature was maintained at 20˚C throughout the analysis, and six sulfonamides were completely separated within 35 min. Compared with pressure injection-CZE, the sensitivity of FASI-CZE was increased by 6.25–10.0 times, and the LODs were reduced from 0.2–0.5 to 0.02–0.05 μg/mL. The method was applied to the determination of sulfonamides in river water and particulate matter samples. The recoveries were 78.59–106.59%. The intraday and interday precisions were 2.89–7.35% and 2.77–7.09%, respectively. This provides a simpler and faster method for the analysis of sulfa antibiotic residues in environmental samples.     

Twining Poly(polyoxometalate) Chains into Nanoropes

Organic polymers and inorganic clusters belong to two different disciplines and have completely different properties and structures. When a cluster is attached to the backbone of a polymer as a pendant, the resultant hybrid polymers (polyclusters) exhibit unique behaviours totally different from those of conventional polymers owing to the nanoscale size of the cluster and its particular interactions. Herein, the aggregation of a poly(polyoxometalate)—a polynorbornene backbone with inorganic polyoxometalate cluster pendants—upon addition of a non-solvent to its dilute solution is reported. A three-dimensional network of tangled and snake-like nanothreads was observed. Direct visualisation of individual nanoscale clusters enabled identification of single chains within the nanothreads. These observations suggest that during the process of aggregation, the hybrid polymer forms curved or extended chains as a consequence of an armouring effect in which the collapsed cluster pendants wrap around the backbone. The collapse occurs because they become less soluble in the solvent/non-solvent mixture. The extended chains then become entwined and form nanoropes consisting of multiple chains wound around each other. This study provides a deeper understanding of the nature of polyclusters and should also prove useful for their future development and application.     

A Note on Geometric Structures of Linear Ordered Orthogonal Arrays and (T,M,S)-Nets of Low Strength

The equivalent geometrical configurations of linear ordered orthogonal arrays are determined when their strengths are 3 and 4. Existence of such geometrical configurations is investigated. They are also useful in the study of (T, M, S)-nets.     

The application of spectral distribution of product of two random matrices in the factor analysis

In the factor analysis model with large cross-section and time-series dimensions,we pro- pose a new method to estimate the number of factors.Specially if the idiosyncratic terms satisfy a linear time series model,the estimators of the parameters can be obtained in the time series model. The theoretical properties of the estimators are also explored.A simulation study and an empirical analysis are conducted.     

Mn替代对Dy2AlFe16-xMnx化合物的结构和磁性的影响

通过X射线衍射及磁测量手段研究了Dy2AlFe16-xMnx化合物的结构和磁性.研究结果表明Dy2AlFe16-xMnx化合物具有六角相的Th2Ni17型结构.对x=1,2的样品采用X射线热膨胀测定法在104-647K的温度范围内测量了其热膨胀性质,发现这些化合物在低温下存在热膨胀反常现象,在居里点附近出现负膨胀性质.对自发磁致伸缩的研究结果表明Dy2AlFe16-xMnx化合物中存在着较强的各向异性的自发磁致伸缩,随着Mn含量的增加,其低温下的自发体磁致伸缩减弱.磁测量结果表明Mn的替代导致Dy2AlFe16-xMnx化合物的居里温度及自发磁化强度急剧下降.     

Synthesis, morphology and random laser action of ZnO nanostructures

Three-dimensional (3-D) ZnO random-wall nanostructures and one-dimensional (1-D) ZnO nanorods were prepared on silicon substrates by a simple solid-vapour phase thermal sublimation technique. Optical pumped random lasing has been observed in the ZnO random-wall arrays with a threshold intensity of 0.38 MW/cm² in the emission wavelength from 380 to 395 nm. The optical gain was attributed to the closed-loop scattering and light amplification of the ZnO random-wall. The experimental result suggests that the morphology of nanostructure is the key factor to effect random lasing.     

H m -modified wave operator for nonlinear Hartree equation in space of dimensionn≥2

We consider the scattering problem for the Hartree equation with potential |x|⁻¹ in a space of dimensionn≥2. We prove the existence ofH ^m -modified wave operator for Hartree equation on a dense set of a neighborhood of zero inH ^m (ℝ ⁿ ), meanwhile, we obtain also the global existence for the Cauchy problem of Hartree equation in a space of dimensionn≥2. This project is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 19601005     

选择性远程DEPT~(13)C NMR新技术用于新阔叶千里光碱氮氧化合物的结构测定和谱峰归属研究

从湖北蟹甲草根茎中分得一个新的生物碱,选择性远程DEPT~(13)C NMR新技术用于识别NMR信号归属和连接被季碳及杂原子分割的质子自旋系统,确定其结构为新阔叶千里光碱的氮氧化物,如(1)所示。