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.     

Ratiometric Detection of microRNA Using Hybridization Chain Reaction and Fluorogenic Silver Nanoclusters

miRNA (miR)-155 is a potential biomarker for breast cancers. We aimed at developing a nanosensor for miR-155 detection by integrating hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and silver nanoclusters (AgNCs). HCR serves as an enzyme-free and isothermal amplification method, whereas AgNCs provide a built-in fluorogenic detection probe that could simplify the downstream analysis. The two components were integrated by adding a nucleation sequence of AgNCs to the hairpin of HCR. The working principle was based on the influence of microenvironment towards the hosted AgNCs, whereby unfolding of hairpin upon HCR has manipulated the distance between the hosted AgNCs and cytosine-rich toehold region of hairpin. As such, the dominant emission of AgNCs changed from red to yellow in the absence and presence of miR-155, enabling a ratiometric measurement of miR with high sensitivity. The limit of detection (LOD) of our HCR-AgNCs nanosensor is 1.13 fM in buffered solution. We have also tested the assay in diluted serum samples, with comparable LOD of 1.58 fM obtained. This shows the great promise of our HCR-AgNCs nanosensor for clinical application.     

Highly dispersed palladium nanoclusters incorporated in amino‐functionalized silica spheres for the selective hydrogenation of succinic acid to γ‐butyrolactone

Highly dispersed palladium nanoclusters incorporated on amino‐functionalized silica sphere surfaces (Pd/SiO₂‐NH₂) were fabricated by a simple one‐pot synthesis utilizing 3‐(2‐aminoethylamino)propyltrimethoxysilane (AAPTS) as coordinating agent. Uniform palladium nanoclusters with an average size of 1.1 nm can be obtained during the co‐condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate and AAPTS owing to the strong interaction between palladium species and amino groups in AAPTS. The palladium particle size can be controlled by addition of AAPTS and plays a significant role in the catalytic performance. The Pd/SiO₂‐NH₂ catalyst exhibits high catalytic activity for succinic acid hydrogenation with 100% conversion and 94% selectivity towards γ‐butyrolactone using 1,4‐dioxane as solvent at 240°C and 60 bar for 4 h. Moreover, the Pd/SiO₂‐NH₂ catalyst is robust and readily reusable without loss of its catalytic activity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

激光除冰研究

架空输送电线路因覆冰而导致的事故危害性很大,本文总结了目前国内外输电线路导线覆冰的现状。统计国内外探索出来的各种预防,融化,除冰等很多解决方案。通过研究和探讨,分析导线覆冰的传热和能量,运用了多种激光器进行激光熔(除)冰实验,比较研究二氧化碳激光器的除冰情况。以及提出激光熔冰的方法、研究方向和前景。     

Volumetric and infrared measurements on amorphous ice structure

We have simultaneously used adsorption isotherm volumetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in order to take the investigations on amorphous ice structure a step further, especially concerning porosity and annealing-induced modifications. We have studied surface reorganization during annealing and found that the number of surface sites decreases before crystallization, their relative ratios being different for amorphous and crystalline ice. We also present results confirming that ice can have a large specific surface area and nevertheless be non-microporous.     

Nonlinear Energy Transfer over the Wave Spectrum in Water Covered by Solid Ice

On the basis of the hydrodynamic equations for nonlinear elastic-gravity waves beneath a solid ice cover and their Hamiltonian representation, a three-wave kinetic equation for the time evolution of the wave spectrum is formulated. The properties of the kernel of the kinetic integral describing the nonlinear interactions between wave triplets are investigated. An algorithm for numerically calculating the kinetic integral is developed. The rate of nonlinear energy transfer over the wave spectrum is estimated quantitatively and its most important characteristics are found.     

Effect of a Shock Pulse on a Floating Ice Sheet

The vibrations of a viscoelastic plate lying on an elastic liquid base subjected to pulse loading have been studied theoretically and experimentally. The effect of the variable depth of the reservoir, plate thickness, and strain relaxation time on the value of the plate vibration amplitude and the length and curvature of the flexural gravity wave profile are analyzed. Good agreement of theoretical and experimental results is obtained.     

Comparison of the Dynamics of Water Molecules in Crystals of Proton-Ordered Ice IX and Its Proton-Disordered Analog III

A computer simulation of proton-ordered ice IX and its proton-disordered analog III (768 molecules, 90 K) was carried out by the molecular dynamics method using Poltev–Malenkov's potential. For ice IX, the differences in the dynamic characteristics of molecules with O(1) and O(2) are much wider than those in the case of ice III. The libration spectrum of ice IX has a number of distinct acute peaks, and the spectrum of ice III is strongly smoothed. These peculiarities are explained by the proton ordering of ice IX and disordering of ice III. The latter is responsible for the great differences in the short- and especially long-range environment of water molecules in ice crystals and hence for the presence of many molecules with different dynamic characteristics. Thus averaging over a large number of different vibrational spectra of molecules leads to a smoothed total spectrum in the case of the proton-disordered crystal modification of ice.     

Magnetic phase transitions in nanostructures induced by shear stress under high pressure

Magnetic phase transitions of the first and second order were revealed by Mössbauer spectroscopy in nanosystems of - and -ferric oxides and metallic europium subjected to shear stress (240°) under high pressure (20 kbar). For - and -ferric oxide nanoclusters, the Curie (Neel) points decreased to 300 K, whereas for nanostructured europium the Neel point increased from 90 to 100 K. The thermodynamic model of magnetic phase transitions predicting a change in the character of magnetic phase transitions and a decrease (increase) in the critical Neel (Curie) points in nanoclusters was developed. The type of magnetic phase transitions and the change in the critical points were caused by defects in nanoclusters, whose maximum concentration was observed for the clusters with the 20—50 nm size range.