Covalent bonding and J–J mixing effects on the EPR parameters of Er^(3+) ions in GaN crystal

The EPR parameters of trivalent Er（3＋） ions doped in hexagonal Ga N crystal have been studied by diagonalizing the 364×364 complete energy matrices. The results indicate that the resonance ground states may be derived from the Kramers doublet Γ6. The EPR g-factors may be ascribed to the stronger covalent bonding and nephelauxetic effects compared with other rare-earth doped complexes, as a result of the mismatch of ionic radii of the impurity Er（3＋）ion and the replaced Ga（3＋） ion apart from the intrinsic covalency of host Ga N. Furthermore, the J–J mixing effects on the EPR parameters from the high-lying manifolds have been evaluated. It is found that the dominant J–J mixing contribution is from the manifold 2K（15/2）, which accounts for about 2.5%. The next important J–J contribution arises from the crystal–field mixture between the ground state 4I（15/2） and the first excited state4I（13/2）, and is usually less than 0.2%. The contributions from the rest states may be ignored.

Carbon dots-enhanced pH-responsive lubricating hydrogel based on reversible dynamic covalent bondings

Due to the various pH liquid environment in nature,the pH-responsive lubricating hydrogel is widely investigated and developed for tissue interface substitute.However,the applied liquid environment will lead to poor mechanical property and weaken the pH-responsive capability.In this work,a carbon dotsenhanced pH-responsive lubricating hydrogel is developed by combining a pH-responsive section of dynamic PVA-borax network into a PAAm covalent polymer network.The formed hydrogel presents a partial gel-sol transition under controlled pH environments.At low pH environments(<6.0),the formed lubricating layer originated from dynamic disassembly of PVA-borax hydrogel,and brings the lubricating properties on the hydrogel surface.Moreover,the mechanical strength and lubrication properties are well promoted by introducing the carbon dots into the hydrogel,the blue sol layer can be observed more visually under the fluorescence microscope.The pH-response also exhibits well reversibility.The prepared hydrogel broadens the idea for designing pH-responsive soft materials for soft lubricating actuator or robot.

A Dynamic Covalent Bonding-based Nanoplatform for Intracellular Co-Delivery of Protein Drugs and Chemotherapeutics with Enhanced Anti-Cancer Effect

Efficient intracellular delivery of protein drugs is critical for protein therapy.The combination of protein drugs with chemotherapeutics represents a promising strategy in enhancing anti-cancer effect.However,co-delivery systems for efficient delivery of these two kinds of drugs are still lacking because of their different properties.Herein,we show a well-designed delivery system based on dynamic covalent bond for efficient intracellular co-delivery of ribonuclease A(RNase A)and doxorubicin(DOX).Two polymers,PEG-b-P(Asp-co-AspDA)and PAE-b-P(Asp-co-AspPBA),and two 2-acetylphenylboronic acid(2-APBA)-functionalized drugs,2-APBA-RNase A and 2-APBA-DOX,self-assemble into mixed-shell nanoparticles(RNase A/DOX@MNPs)via dynamic phenylboronic acid(PBA)-catechol bond between PBA and dopamine(DA)moieties.The PBA-catechol bond endows the nanoparticles with high stability and excellent stimulus-responsive drug release behavior.Under the slight acidic environment at tumor tissue,RNase A/DOX@MNPs are positively charged,promoting their endocytosis.Upon cellular uptake into endosome,further protonation of PAE chains leads to the rupture of endosomes because of the proton sponge effect and the cleavage of PBA-catechol bond promotes the release of two drugs.In cytoplasm,the high level of GSH removed the modification of 2-APBA on drugs.The restored RNase A and DOX show a synergistic and enhanced antic-cancer effect.This system may be a promising platform for intracellular co-delivery of protein drugs and chemotherapeutics.

Metal-free two-dimensional phosphorene-based electrocatalyst with covalent P-N heterointerfacial reconstruction for electrolyte-lean lithium-sulfur batteries

The use of lithium-sulfur batteries under high sulfur loading and low electrolyte concentrations is severely restricted by the detrimental shuttling behavior of polysulfides and the sluggish kinetics in redox processes.Two-dimensional(2D)few layered black phosphorus with fully exposed atoms and high sulfur affinity can be potential lithium-sulfur battery electrocatalysts,which,however,have limitations of restricted catalytic activity and poor electrochemical/chemical stability.To resolve these issues,we developed a multifunctional metal-free catalyst by covalently bonding few layered black phosphorus nanosheets with nitrogen-doped carbon-coated multiwalled carbon nanotubes(denoted c-FBP-NC).The experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations show that the formed polarized P-N covalent bonds in c-FBP-NC can efficiently regulate electron transfer from NC to FBP and significantly promote the capture and catalysis of lithium polysulfides,thus alleviating the shuttle effect.Meanwhile,the robust 1D-2D interwoven structure with large surface area and high porosity allows strong physical confinement and fast mass transfer.Impressively,with c-FBP-NC as the sulfur host,the battery shows a high areal capacity of 7.69 mAh cm^(−2) under high sulfur loading of 8.74 mg cm^(−2) and a low electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 5.7μL mg^(−1).Moreover,the assembled pouch cell with sulfur loading of 4 mg cm^(−2) and an electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 3.5μL mg^(−1) shows good rate capability and outstanding cyclability.This work proposes an interfacial and electronic structure engineering strategy for fast and durable sulfur electrochemistry,demonstrating great potential in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Peripheral carbazole units-decorated MR emitter containing B−N covalent bond for highly efficient green OLEDs with low roll-off

Boron−nitrogen doped multiple resonance(BN-MR)emitters,characterized by B−N covalent bonds,offer distinctive advantages as pivotal building blocks for facile access to novel MR emitters featuring narrowband spectra and high efficiency.However,there remains a scarcity of exploration concerning synthetic methods and structural derivations to expand the library of novel BN-MR emitters.Herein,we present the synthesis of a BN-MR emitter,tCz[B−N]N,through a one-pot borylation reaction directed by the amine group,achieving an impressive yield of 94%.The emitter is decorated by incorporating two 3,6-di-tbutylcarbazole(tCz)units into a B−N covalent bond doped BN-MR parent molecule via para-C−π−D and para-N−π−D conjugations.This peripheral decoration strategy enhances the reverse intersystem crossing process and shifts the emission band towards the pure green region,peaking at 526 nm with a narrowband full-width at half maximum(FWHM)of 41 nm.Consequently,organic light emitting diodes(OLEDs)employing this emitter achieved a maximum external quantum efficiency(EQEmax)value of 27.7%,with minimal efficiency roll-off.Even at a practical luminance of 1000 cd·m^(−2),the device maintains a high EQE value of 24.6%.

An efficient visible-light photocatalyst for CO2 reduction fabricated by cobalt porphyrin and graphitic carbon nitride via covalent bonding

Nanoparticle photosensitizers possess technical advantages for photocatalytic reactions due to enhanced light harvesting and efficient charge transport.Here we report synthesis of semiconductor nanoparticles through covalent coupling and assembly of metalloporphyrin with condensed carbon nitride.The resultant nanoparticles consist of light harvesting component from the condensed carbon nitride and photocatalytic sites from the metalloporphyrins.This synergetic particle system effectively initiates efficient charge separation and transport and exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction.The CO production rate can reach up to 57μmol/(g·h)with a selectivity of 79%over competing H2 evolution.Controlled experiments demonstrate that the combination of light harvesting with photocatalytic activity via covalent assembly is crucial for the high photocatalytic activity.Due to effective charge separation and transfer,the resultant nanoparticle photocatalysts show exceptional photo stability against photo-corrosion under light irradiation,enabling for long-term utilization.This research opens a new way for the development of stable,effective nanoparticle photocatalysts using naturally abundant porphyrin pigments.

Biodegradation,hemocompatibility and covalent bonding mechanism of electrografting polyethylacrylate coating on Mg alloy for cardiovascular stent

Organic coatings are the most widely employed approach for the promotion of corrosion resistance of magnesium(Mg)alloys.Unfortunately,traditional organic coatings are weakly bonded to Mg substrates due to physical adsorption.Herein,a polyethylacrylate(PEA)coating was fabricated on Mg-Zn-YNd alloy via electro-grafting.The surface structure and chemical composition were characterized by means of scanning electron microscope(SEM),energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS),atomic force microscope(AFM)and Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)as well as time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometer(To F-SIMS).The results showed that the surface roughness of PEA coating was dominated by scan rate;while the coverage and integrity of PEA coating were mainly affected by the monomer concentration and sweep circles.To F-SIMS results indicated that PEA coating was wholly covered on Mg alloy,and the presence of C2H3Mg-fragment confirmed the covalent bond between PEA coating and Mg alloy.In addition,DFT calculation results of the adsorption of EA molecules with Mg substrate agree well with the experimental phenomena and observation,suggesting that the electrons in 3s orbit of Mg atoms and 2pz orbit of C1 atom participated in the formation of covalent bond between PEA coating and Mg substrate.Potentiodynamic polarization curves and immersion test demonstrated that the PEA coatings could effectively enhance the corrosion resistance of Mg alloy.The platelet adhesion results designated that platelets were barely visible on PEA coating,which implied that PEA coating could effectively prevent the thrombosis and coagulation of platelets.PEA coating might be a promising candidate coating of Mg alloy for cardiovascular stent.

Covalent and Ionic Bonding between Tannin and Collagen in Leather Making and Shrinking:A MALDI-ToF Study

Collagen powder hydrolysates were reacted with a solution of commercial mimosa bark tannin extract.The mixture was prepared at ambient temperature and prepared at 80°C to determine what reactions,if any,did occur between the collagen protein through its amino acids and the polyphenolic condensed tannin.The reaction products obtained were analyzed by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight(MALDI ToF)mass spectrometry.Reactions between the two materials did appear to occur,with the formation of a relatively small proportion of covalent and ionic linkages at ambient temperature but a considerable proportion of covalent linkages tannin-protein amino acids and the disappearance of ionic bonds.The linkages between the two materials appeared to be by amination of the phenolic–OHs of the tannin by the amino groups of the non-skeletal side chains of arginine,and by esterification by the–COOH groups of glutamic and aspartic acid of the aliphatic alcohol-OH on the C3 site of the flavonoid units heterocycle of the tannin.The proportion of covalent linkages increases markedly and predominate with increasing temperatures.This tightening of the tannin-protein covalent network formed may be an additional contributing factor both to leather wear resistance and performance as well to leather shrinking when this is subjected to excessive temperatures.

Tuning Lithiophilicity and Stability of 3D Conductive Scaffold via Covalent Ag-S Bond for High-Performance Lithium Metal Anode

Li metal anode holds great promise to realize high-energy battery systems.However,the safety issue and limited lifetime caused by the uncontrollable growth of Li dendrites hinder its commercial application.Herein,an interlayer-bridged 3D lithiophilic rGO-Ag-S-CNT composite is proposed to guide uniform and stable Li plating/stripping.The 3D lithiophilic rGO-Ag-S-CNT host is fabricated by incorporating Ag-modified reduced graphene oxide(rGO)with S-doped carbon nanotube(CNT),where the rGO and CNT are closely connected via robust Ag-S covalent bond.This strong Ag-S bond could enhance the structural stability and electrical connection between rGO and CNT,significantly improving the electrochemical kinetics and uniformity of current distribution.Moreover,density functional theory calculation indicates that the introduction of Ag-S bond could further boost the binding energy between Ag and Li,which promotes homogeneous Li nucleation and growth.Consequently,the rGO-Ag-S-CNT-based anode achieves a lower overpotential(7.3 mV at 0.5 mA cm^(−2)),higher Coulombic efficiency(98.1%at 0.5 mA cm^(−2)),and superior long cycling performance(over 500 cycles at 2 mA cm−2)as compared with the rGO-Ag-CNT-and rGO-CNT-based anodes.This work provides a universal avenue and guidance to build a robust Li metal host via constructing a strong covalent bond,effectively suppressing the Li dendrites growth to prompt the development of Li metal battery.

Density Functional Study on Relative Energies, Structures, and Bonding ofLow-lying Electronic States of Lutetium Dimer

Low-lying electronic states of the lutetium dimer （Lu2） were studied based on density functional theory （DFT） using ten different density functionals together with three different relativistic effective core pseudopotentials （RECPs）. Relative state energies, equilibrium bond lengths, vibrational frequencies, and ground-state dissociation energies were evaluated. It was found that the ground state is a triplet state irrespective of the type of functional and RECP used. This result is in contrast with a previous DFT calculation which gave a singlet ground state for Lu2. By comparing with the high-level ab initio and available experimental results, it is evident that the hybrid-GGA functionals combined with the Stuttgart smallcore RECP yield the best overall agreement for the properties under study. The effects of Hartree-Fock exchange in B3LYP functional on the calculated bond length and dissociation energy of the ground state were examined, and rationalized in terms of 5d participation in Lu-Lu covalent bonding.

Effect of hydrogen fluoride and magnesium oxide on AZ31 Mg alloy/carbon fiber-reinforced plastic composite by thermal laser joining technique

Although hydrofluoric acid(HF)surface treatment is known to enhance the joining of metals with polymers,there is limited information on its effect on the joining of AZ31 alloy and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics(CFRPs)through laser-assisted metal and plastic direct joining(LAMP).This study uses the LAMP technique to produce AZ31-CFRP joints.The joining process involves as-received AZ31,HFpretreated AZ31,and thermally oxidized HF-pretreated AZ31 alloy sheets.Furthermore,the bonding strength of joints prepared with thermally oxidized AZ31 alloy sheets is examined to ascertain the combined effect of HF treatment and thermal oxidation on bonding strength.The microstructures,surface chemical interactions,and mechanical performances of joints are investigated under tensile shear loading.Various factors,such as bubble formation,CFRP resin decomposition,and mechanical interlocking considerably affect joint strength.Additionally,surface chemical interactions between the active species on metal parts and the polar amide along with carbonyl groups of polymer play a significant role in improving joint strength.Joints prepared with surface-pretreated AZ31 alloy sheets show significant improvements in bonding strength.

Effect of interlayer bonded bilayer graphene on friction

We study the friction properties of interlayer bonded bilayer graphene by simulating the movement of a slider on the surface of bilayer graphene using molecular dynamics.The results show that the presence of the interlayer covalent bonds due to the local sp^(3) hybridization of carbon atoms in the bilayer graphene seriously reduces the frictional coefficient of the bilayer graphene surface to 30%,depending on the coverage of interlayer sp^(3) bonds and normal loads.For a certain coverage of interlayer sp3bonds,when the normal load of the slider reaches a certain value,the surface of this interlayer bonded bilayer graphene will lose the friction reduction effect on the slider.Our findings provide guidance for the regulation and manipulation of the frictional properties of bilayer graphene surfaces through interlayer covalent bonds,which may be useful for applications of friction related graphene based nanodevices.

A Future Life of Binary Phase Diagrams

The article raises the question of what to do with one of the main achievements of metal science in recent years—binary phase diagrams. These diagrams play a key role in the science of alloys and therefore their reliability must be complete. However, the discovery of the “ordering-separation” phase transition, which showed that in binary alloys at certain temperatures the sign of the chemical interatomic interaction changes (and, consequently, the microstructure changes), forces us to reconsider our ideas about those areas. Currently, these areas are designated on diagrams as areas of a “disordered solid solution.” This article proposes, using transmission electron microscopy, to study all the so-called solid solution regions, and apply the results obtained to the studied regions of the phase diagram.

Covalent Immobilization of Lipase on Poly(acrylonitrile-co-maleic acid) Ultrafiltration Hollow Fiber Membrane

Lipase from Candida rugosa was covalently immobilized on the surface of an uhrafihration hollow fiber membrane fabricated from poly （ acrylonitrile-co-maleic acid） （ PANCMA ） in which the carboxyl groups were activated with 1-ethyl-3-（ dimethylaminopropyl ） carbodiimide hydrochloride （ EDC ） and dicyclohexyl carbodiimide （ DCC ）/ N-hydroxyl succinimide（NHS）, respectively. The properties of the immobilized lipase were assayed and compared with those of the free enzyme. The maximum activities were observed in a relatively broader pH value range at high temperatures for the immobilized lipase compared to the free one. It was also found that the thermal and pH stabilities of lipase were improved upon immobilization and at 50 ℃ the thermal inactivation rate constant values are 2. 1 × 10^ -2 for the free lipase, 3.2 × 10^-3 for the immobilized lipase on the EDC-activated PANCMA membrane and 3.5 × 10^-3 for the immobilized lipase on the DCC/NHS-activated PANCMA membrane, respectively.

Development of the Orbital-Free Density Functional Approach: The Problem of Angles between Covalent Bonds

The Paulie’s principle is used for development of the orbital-free (OF) version of the density functional theory. On the example of the three-atomic clusters, Al3, Si3, and C3, it is shown that the OF approach may lead to equilibrium configurations of atomic systems with both the metallic and covalent bonding. The equilibrium interatomic distances, interbonding angles and binding energies are found in good accordance with the known data. Results will be useful for developing of theoretical study of huge molecules and nanoparticles.

Covalent organic frameworks-incorporated thin film composite membranes prepared by interfacial polymerization for efficient CO_(2) separation

Thin film composite(TFC)membranes with nanofillers additives for CO_(2)separation show promising applications in energy and environment-related fields.However,the poor compatibility between nanofillers and polymers in TFC membranes is the main problem.In this work,covalent organic frameworks(COFs,TpPa-1)with rich ANHA groups were incorporated into polyamide(PA)segment via in situ interfacial polymerization to prepare defect-free TFC membranes for CO_(2)/N_(2)separation.The formed covalent bonds between TpPa-1 and PA strengthen the interaction between nanofillers and polymers,thereby enhancing compatibility.Besides,the incorporated COFs disturb the rigid structure of the PA layer,and provide fast CO_(2)transfer channels.The incorporated COFs also increase the content of effective carriers,which enhances the CO_(2)facilitated transport.Consequently,in CO_(2)/N_(2)mixed gas separation test,the optimal TFC(TpPa_(0.025)-PIP-TMC/m PSf)membrane exhibits high CO_(2)permeance of 854 GPU and high CO_(2)/N_(2)selectivity of 148 at 0.15 MPa,CO_(2)permeance of 456 GPU(gas permeation unit)and CO_(2)/N_(2)selectivity of 92 at 0.5 MPa.In addition,the Tp Pa_(0.025)-PIP-TMC/m PSf membrane also achieves high permselectivty in CO_(2)/CH_(4)mixed gas separation test.Finally,the optimal TFC membrane showes good stability in the simulated flue gas test,revealing the application potential for CO_(2)capture from flue gas.

The Even-Odd and the Isoelectronicity Rules Applied to Single Covalent Bonds in Ionic, Double-Face-Centered Cubic and Diamond-Like Crystals

Although atom configuration in crystals is precisely known thanks to imaging techniques, there is no experimental way to know the exact location of bonds or charges. Many different representations have been proposed, yet no theory to unify conceptions. The present paper describes methods to derive bonds and charge location in double-face-centered cubic crystals with 4 and 6 atoms per unit cell using two novel rules introduced in earlier works: the even-odd and the isoelectronicity rules. Both of these rules were previously applied to ions, molecules and some solids, and the even-odd rule was also tested on two covalent crystal structures: centered-cubic and single-face-centered cubic crystals. In the present study, the diamond-like structure was subjected to the isoelectronicity rule in order to derive Zinc-blende structures. Rock-salt-like crystals were derived from each other using both rules. These structures represent together more than 230 different crystals. Findings for these structures are threefold: both rules describe a very sure method to obtain valid single covalent-bonded structures;single covalent structures can be used in every case instead of the classical ionic model;covalent bonds and charges positions do not have any relation with the valence number given in the periodic table.

Introducing an Extended Covalent Bond between Oxygen Atoms with an OXO-Shape in Ions and Molecules: Compatibility with the Even-Odd and the Isoelectronicity Rules

Building on the recent success of the even-odd rule, the present paper explores its implications by studying the very specific case of OXO compounds. These compounds are usually represented with double bonds linking two oxygen atoms to a central atom—as in carbon dioxyde—yet can sometimes be drawn in a triangular structure, such as in calcium dioxyde. Measurement data moreover indicate that most OXO compounds have an angle around 120° between oxygen atoms, although that seems incompatible with triangular representations. The aim here is to unify these commonly admitted representations by linking oxygen atoms through a single bond that is longer than usual covalent bonds: an “elongated bond”. This elongated bond has the interesting effect of suppressing the need for double bonds between oxygen and the central atom. The elongated bond concept is applied to about a hundred of molecules and ions and methodically compared to classical representations. It is shown that this new representation, associated to the even-odd rule, is compatible with all studied compounds and can be used in place of their classical drawings. Its usage greatly simplifies complex concepts like resonance and separated charges in gases. Elongated bonds are also shown to be practicable with the isoelectronic rule as well as isomers, and throughout chemical reactions. This study of an especially long and wide angle bond confirms the versatility of the even-odd rule: it is not limited to compounds with short covalent bonds and can include OO covalent bond lengths of more than 200 pm and with OXO angles above 90°.

Covalent intermolecular interaction of the nitric oxide dimer (NO)_2

Covalent bonds arise from the overlap of the electronic clouds in the internucleus region, which is a pure quantum effect and cannot be obtained in any classical way. If the intermolecular interaction is of covalent character, the result from direct applications of classical simulation methods to the molecular system would be questionable. Here, we analyze the special intermolecular interaction between two NO molecules based on quantum chemical calculation. This weak intermolecular interaction, which is of covalent character, is responsible for the formation of the NO dimer,（NO）2, in its most stable conformation, a cis conformation. The natural bond orbital（NBO） analysis gives an intuitive illustration of the formation of the dimer bonding and antibonding orbitals concomitant with the breaking of the πbonds with bond order 0.5of the monomers. The dimer bonding is counteracted by partially filling the antibonding dimer orbital and the repulsion between those fully or nearly fully occupied nonbonding dimer orbitals that make the dimer binding rather weak. The direct molecular mechanics（MM） calculation with the UFF force fields predicts a trans conformation as the most stable state, which contradicts the result of quantum mechanics（QM）. The lesson from the investigation of this special system is that for the case where intermolecular interaction is of covalent character, a specific modification of the force fields of the molecular simulation method is necessary.

Synthesis and Luminescence Properties of SBA-15 Functionalized with Covalently Bonded Terbium-Benzoic Acid Complex

Novel hybrid materials containing covalently bonded Terbium-benzoic acid complex in mesoporous silicaSBA-15 (denoted as Tb-SBA-15 ) were prepared via co-condensation of tetrethoxysilane (TEOS) and N-(4-benzoicacid-yl), N'-(propyltriethoxysilyl) urea (denoted as PABI).XRD, FTIR and luminescence spectroscopy were employed to characterize Tb-SBA-15.When monitored by the ligand absorption wavelength (270 nm), Tb-SBA-15 displays the emission of Tb3+ (5D4→7Fj (j = 6, 5, 4, 3 ) transition) due to the energy transfer from the ligands to Tb3+.