Electrocatalysis in confined space

The complex interplay of restricted mass transport leading to local accumulation or depletion of educts, intermediates, products, counterions and co-ions influences the reactions at the active sites of electrocatalysts when electrodes are rough, three-dimensionally mesoporous or nanoporous. This influence is important with regard to activity, and even more to selectivity, of electrocatalytic reactions. The underlying principles are discussed based on the growing awareness of these considerations over recent years.     

Structural and Magnetic Study of N2, NO,NO2, and SO2 Adsorbed within a Flexible Single‐Crystal Adsorbent of [Rh2(bza)4(pyz)]n

The crystalline one‐dimensional compound, [Rh^II₂(bza)₄(pyz)]_n ( 1 ) (bza=benzoate, pyz=pyrazine) demonstrates gas adsorbency for N₂, NO, NO₂, and SO₂. These gas‐inclusion crystal structures were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography as 1 ?1.5 N₂ (298 K), 1 ?2.5 N₂ (90 K), and 1 ?1.95 NO (90 K) under forcible adsorption conditions and 1 ?2 NO₂ (90 K) and 1 ?3 SO₂ (90 K) under ambient pressure. Crystal‐phase transition to the P space group that correlates with gas adsorption was observed under N₂, NO, and SO₂ conditions. The C2/c space group was observed under NO₂ conditions without phase transition. All adsorbed gases were stabilized by the host lattice. In the N₂, NO, and SO₂ inclusion crystals at 90 K, short interatomic distances within van der Waals contacts were found among the neighboring guest molecules along the channel. The adsorbed NO molecules generated the trans‐NO???NO associated dimer with short intermolecular contacts but without the conventional chemical bond. The magnetic susceptibility of the NO inclusion crystal indicated antiferromagnetic interaction between the NO molecules and paramagnetism arising from the NO monomer. The NO₂ inclusion crystal structure revealed that the gas molecules were adsorbed in the crystal in dimeric form, N₂O₄.     

Alcohol‐Vapor Inclusion in Single‐Crystal Adsorbents [MII2(bza)4(pyz)]n (M=Rh,Cu): Structural Study and Application to Separation Membranes

The vapor absorbency of the series of alcohols methanol, ethanol, 1‐propanol, 1‐butanol, and 1‐pentanol was characterized on the single‐crystal adsorbents [M^II₂(bza)₄(pyz)]_n (bza=benzoate, pyz=pyrazine, M=Rh ( 1 ), Cu ( 2 )). The crystal structures of all the alcohol inclusions were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography at 90 K. The crystal‐phase transition induced by guest adsorption occurred in the inclusion crystals except for 1‐propanol. A hydrogen‐bonded dimer of adsorbed alcohol was found in the methanol‐ and ethanol‐inclusion crystals, which is similar to a previous observation in 2 ?2EtOH (S. Takamizawa, T. Saito, T. Akatsuka, E. Nakata, Inorg. Chem. 2005 , 44, 1421–1424). In contrast, an isolated monomer was present in the channel for 1‐propanol, 1‐butanol, and 1‐pentanol inclusions. All adsorbed alcohols were stabilized by hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic interactions between host and guest. From the combined results of microscopic determination (crystal structure) and macroscopic observation (gas‐adsorption property), the observed transition induced by gas adsorption is explained by stepwise inclusion into the individual cavities, which is called the “step‐loading effect.” Alcohol/water separation was attempted by a pervaporation technique with microcrystals of 2 dispersed in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) membrane. In the alcohol/water separation, the membrane showed effective separation ability and gave separation factors (alcohol/water) of 5.6 and 4.7 for methanol and ethanol at room temperature, respectively.     

提高金属有机骨架材料在二氧化碳热催化转化中的性能:策略及前景展望

近年来,大气中CO2的浓度不断增加,带来全球变暖等一系列严重后果,成为国际社会共同关注的环境问题.将CO2催化转化为高附加值化学品可有效降低其向大气中的排放,同时可实现其资源化利用,符合低碳社会的发展目标.目前,已有多种催化体系实现了CO2向不同化学品的转化.然而,由于CO2自身的热力学稳定性和动力学惰性,这些转化通常需要在苛刻的反应条件和较高能耗下进行.设计开发高效催化体系、实现温和条件下CO2的转化利用引起了工业界和学术界的广泛兴趣.金属有机骨架材料(MOFs)是一类由有机配体和金属中心通过配位键组装而成的有机-无机杂化材料,在很多方面展现出良好的应用性能.由于其结构的多样性、可设计性、高比表面积和多孔性等独特性质,MOFs在催化领域吸引了很多研究者的关注.其中,MOFs作为非均相催化剂在CO2热催化转化中表现出良好的应用前景,已实现多种CO2向高值化学品的转化路径.但这些催化体系也存在一些缺点,如有些MOFs材料在催化反应中稳定性差以及其微孔性对反应中的传质造成限制等.因此,设计稳定的MOFs和MOF-基材料并对其结构进行优化改性,从而在温和条件下实现高效的CO2转化具有重要意义.本文综述了提高MOFs在CO2热催化转化反应中性能的几种策略:(1)对MOFs结构中的配体进行设计,包括具有活性官能团的配体、活性配合物作为配体和引入混合配体设计多元MOF;(2)调节MOFs结构中的金属中心,设计混合金属中心和包含活性金属团簇的金属中心;(3)构筑多级孔MOFs;(4)设计MOF-基的复合材料,包括MOFs作为载体与金属纳米颗粒、活性配合物和聚合物构建复合材料;(5)利用MOFs作为前驱体制备MOF-基衍生物材料,重点阐述了如何增加MOFs作为非均相催化剂的催化活性位点以及在CO2转化反应中各位点之间的协同作用.此外,介绍了原位表征技术在MOF-基材料用于CO2固定和转化中的应用.最后,分析了MOF-基非均相催化材料在CO2热催化转化领域目前面临的问题和挑战,包括MOFs材料结构优化、催化机理研究和规模化制备等方面,并对未来的发展趋势进行了展望.     

Online Monitoring of Electrochemical Carbon Corrosion in Alkaline Electrolytes by Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry

Carbon corrosion at high anodic potentials is a major source of instability, especially in acidic electrolytes and impairs the long‐term functionality of electrodes. In‐depth investigation of carbon corrosion in alkaline environment by means of differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) is prevented by the conversion of CO₂ into CO₃^2?. We report the adaptation of a DEMS system for online CO₂ detection as the product of carbon corrosion in alkaline electrolytes. A new cell design allows for in situ acidification of the electrolyte to release initially dissolved CO₃^2? as CO₂ in front of the DEMS membrane and its subsequent detection by mass spectrometry. DEMS studies of a carbon‐supported nickel boride (Ni_xB/C) catalyst and Vulcan XC 72 at high anodic potentials suggest protection of carbon in the presence of highly active oxygen evolution electrocatalysts. Most importantly, carbon corrosion is decreased in alkaline solution.     

Observation of the giant stark effect in boron-nitride nanotubes

Bias dependent scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy have been used to characterize the influence of transverse electric fields on the electronic properties of boron-nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). We find experimental evidence for the theoretically predicted giant Stark effect. The observed giant Stark effect significantly reduces the band gap of BNNTs and thus greatly enhances the utility of BNNTs for nanoscale electronic, electromechanical, and optoelectronic applications.     

A catalogue of isomerization transformations of fullerene polyhedra

Representation of isomerization and carbon insertion or extrusion mechanisms as patch replacements on a fullerene surface allows construction of a catalogue of topologically distinct local transformations of fullerenes, classified by patch boundary and pentagon content. All isomerization patches and isomerization pairs containing up to five pentagons and with an upper limit for the boundary length depending on the number of pentagons are listed. Several infinite series of transformations are identified.     

Mu+H2 and Mu+D2 reaction kinetics from 480 To 675 K

This paper reports preliminary new measurements of the thermal reaction rate constants of muonium (Mu) with hydrogen and deuterium gases in the range 480–675 K. From Arrhenius plots of the measured reaction rate constants new values of the pre-exponential factors log₁₀ (A) and activation energies E_a have been determined for these reactions, representing a significant improvement over earlier results.