Solvent effects on Diels-Alder reaction in ionic liquids:A reaction density functional study

Extensive experimental studies have been performed on the Diels-Alder(DA)reactions in ionic liquids(ILs),which demonstrate that the IL environment can significantly influence the reaction rates and selectivity.However,the underlying microscopic mechanism remains ambiguous.In this work,the multiscale reaction density functional theory is applied to explore the effect of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate([BMIM][PF_(6)])solvent on the reaction of cyclopentadiene(CP)with acrolein,methyl acrylate,or acrylonitrile.By analyzing the free energy landscape during the reaction,it is found that the polarization effect has a relatively small influence,while the solvation effect makes both the activation free energy and reaction free energy decrease.In addition,the rearrangement of local solvent structure shows that the cation spatial distribution responds more evidently to the reaction than the anion,and this indicates that the cation plays a dominant role in the solvation effect and so as to affect the reaction rates and selectivity of the DA reactions.

Revealing interfacial charge redistribution of homologous Ru-RuS_(2) heterostructure toward robust hydrogen oxidation reaction

Precisely tailoring the surface electronic structures of electrocatalysts for optimal hydrogen binding energy and hydroxide binding energy is vital to improve the sluggish kinetics of hydrogen oxidation reac-tion(HOR).Herein,we employ a partial desulfurization strategy to construct a homologous Ru-RuS_(2) heterostructure anchored on hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres(Ru-RuS_(2)@C).The disparate work functions of the heterostructure contribute to the spontaneous formation of a unique built-in electric field,accelerating charge transfer and boosting conductivity of electrocatalyst.Consequently,Ru-RuS_(2)@C exhibits robust HOR electrocatalytic activity,achieving an exchange current density and mass activity as high as 3.56 mA cm^(-2) and 2.13 mAμg_(Ru)^(-1),respectively.exceeding those of state-of-the-art Pt/C and most contemporary Ru-based HOR electrocatalysts.Surprisingly,Ru-RuS_(2)@C can tolerate 1000 ppm of cO that lacks in Pt/C.Comprehensive analysis reveals that the directional electron transfer across Ru-RuS_(2) heterointerface induces local charge redistribution in interfacial region,which optimizes and balances the adsorption energies of H and OH species,as well as lowers the energy barrier for water formation,thereby promoting theHoR performance.

Data-Driven Design of Single-Atom Electrocatalysts with Intrinsic Descriptors for Carbon Dioxide Reduction Reaction

The strategic manipulation of the interaction between a central metal atom and its coordinating environment in single-atom catalysts(SACs)is crucial for catalyzing the CO_(2)reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR).However,it remains a major challenge.While density-functional theory calculations serve as a powerful tool for catalyst screening,their time-consuming nature poses limitations.This paper presents a machine learning(ML)model based on easily accessible intrinsic descriptors to enable rapid,cost-effective,and high-throughput screening of efficient SACs in complex systems.Our ML model comprehensively captures the influences of interactions between 3 and 5d metal centers and 8 C,N-based coordination environments on CO_(2)RR activity and selectivity.We reveal the electronic origin of the different activity trends observed in early and late transition metals during coordination with N atoms.The extreme gradient boosting regression model shows optimal performance in predicting binding energy and limiting potential for both HCOOH and CO production.We confirm that the product of the electronegativity and the valence electron number of metals,the radius of metals,and the average electronegativity of neighboring coordination atoms are the critical intrinsic factors determining CO_(2)RR activity.Our developed ML models successfully predict several high-performance SACs beyond the existing database,demonstrating their potential applicability to other systems.This work provides insights into the low-cost and rational design of high-performance SACs.

The action mechanisms and structures designs of F-containing functional materials for high performance oxygen electrocatalysis

Non-renewable fossil fuels have led to serious problems such as global warming,environmental pollution,etc.Oxygen electrocatalysis including oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER)plays a central role in clean energy conversion,enabling a number of sustainable processes for future air battery technologies.Fluorine,as the most electronegative element(4.0)not only can induce more efficient regulation for the electronic structure,but also can bring more abundant defects and other novel effects in materials selection and preparation for favorable catalysis with respect to the other nonmetal elements.However,an individual and comprehensive overview of fluorine-containing functional materials for oxygen electrocatalysis field is still blank.Therefore,it is very meaningful to review the recent progresses of fluorine-containing oxygen electrocatalysts.In this review,we first systematically summarize the controllable preparation methods and their possible development directions based on fluorine-containing materials from four preparation methods.Due to the strong electron-withdrawing properties of fluorine,its control of the electronic structure can effectively enhance the oxygen electrocatalytic activity of the materials.In addition,the catalytic enhancement effect of fluorine on carbonbased materials also includes the prevent oxidation and the layer peeling,and realizes the precise atomic control.And the catalytic improvement mechanism of fluorine containing metal-based compounds also includes the hydration of metal site,the crystal transformation,and the oxygen vacancy induction.Then,based on their various dimensions(0D–3D),we also have summarized the advantages of different morphologies on oxygen electrocatalytic performances.Finally,the prospects and possible future researching direction of F-containing oxygen electrocatalysts are presented(e.g.,novel pathways,advanced methods for measurement and simulation,field assistance and multi-functions).The review is considered valuable and helpful in exploring the novel designs and mechanism analyses of advanced fluorine-containing electrocatalysts.

Hydrogen evolution reaction between small-sized Zr_(n)(n=2–5)clusters and water based on density functional theory

Density functional theory(DFT)is used to calculate the most stable structures of Zr_(n)(n=2-5)clusters as well as the adsorption energy values of Zr_(n)(n=2-5)clusters after adsorbing single water molecule.The results reveal that there is a significant linear relationship between the adsorption energy values and the energy gaps of the Zr_(n)(n=2-5)clusters.Furthermore,the calculations of the reaction paths between Zr_(n)(n=2-5)and single water molecule show that water molecule can react with Zr_(n)(n=2-5)clusters to dissociate,producing hydrogen,and O atoms mix with the clusters to generate Zr_(n)O(n=2-5),all of which are exothermic reactions.According to the released energy,the Zr4 cluster is the most efficient in Zr_(n)(n=2-5)clusters reacting with single water molecule.The natural population analysis(NPA)and density of states(DOS)demonstrate the production of hydrogen and orbital properties in different energy ranges,respectively,jointly forecasting that Zr_(n)O(n=2-5)will probably continue to react with more water molecules.Our findings contribute to better understanding of Zr's chemical reactivity,which can conduce to the development of effective Zr-based catalysts and hydrogen-production methods.

Direct atomic-level insight into oxygen reduction reaction on size-dependent Pt-based electrocatalysts from density functional theory calculations

Developing novel oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)catalysts with high activity is urgent for proton exchange membrane fuel cells.Herein,we investigated a group of size-dependent Pt-based catalysts as promising ORR catalysts by density functional theory calculations,ranging from single-atom,nanocluster to bulk Pt catalysts.The results showed that the ORR overpotential of these Pt-based catalysts increased when its size enlarged to the nanoparticle scale or reduced to the single-atom scale,and the Pt_(38)cluster had the lowest ORR overpotential(0.46 V)compared with that of Pt_(111)(0.57 V)and single atom Pt(0.7 V).Moreover,we established a volcano curve relationship between the ORR overpotential and binding energy of O*(ΔE_(O*),confirming the intermediate species anchored on Pt38cluster with suitable binding energy located at top of volcano curve.The interaction between intermediate species and Pt-based catalysts were also investigated by the charge distribution and projected density of state and which further confirmed the results of volcano curve.

Mechanistic Insights into Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction Reaction on the Pd-W Heteronuclear Diatom Supported on C_(2)N Monolayer:Role of H Pre-Adsorption

The electrocatalytic N_(2) reduction reaction(eNRR)is a potential alternative to the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia(NH3)production.Tremendous efforts have been made in eNRR catalyst research to promote the practical application of eNRR.In this work,by means of density functional theory calculations and the computational hydrogen electrode model,we evaluated the eNRR performance of 30 single metal atoms supported on a C_(2)N monolayer(M@C_(2)N),and we designed a new thermodynamically stable Pd-W hetero-metal diatomic catalyst supported on the C_(2)N monolayer(PdW@C_(2)N).We found that PdW@C_(2)N prefers to adsorb H over N_(2),and then,the pre-generated hydrogen-terminated PdW@C_(2)N selectively adsorbing N_(2) behaves as the actual functioning“catalyst”to catalyze the eNRR process,exhibiting excellent performance with a low overpotential(0.31 V),an ultralow NH3 desorption free energy(0.05 eV),and a high selectivity toward eNRR over hydrogen evolution reaction(HER).Moreover,PdW@C_(2)N shows a superior eNRR performance to its monomer(W@C_(2)N)and homonuclear diatom(W_(2)@C_(2)N)counterparts.The revealed mechanism indicates that the preferential H adsorption over N_(2) on the active site may not always hamper the eNRR process,especially for heteronuclear diatom catalysts.This work encourages deeper exploration on the competition of eNRR and HER on catalyst surfaces.

Identification and comparison of the local physicochemical structures of transition metal-based layered double hydroxides for high performance electrochemical oxygen evolution reactions

Layered double hydroxides(LDHs) have attracted considerable attention as a cost effective alternative to the precious iridium-and ruthenium-based electrocatalysts for an oxygen evolution reaction(OER),a bottleneck of water electrolysis for sustainable hydrogen production.Despite their excellent OER performance,the structural and electronic properties of LDHs,particularly during the OER process,remain to be poorly understood.In this study,a series of LDH catalysts is investigated through in situ X-ray absorption fine structure analyses and density functional theory(DFT) calculations.Our experimental results reveal that the LDH catalyst with equal amounts of Ni and Fe(NF-LDH) exhibits the highest OER activity and catalytic life span when compared with its counterparts having equal amounts of Ni and Co(NC-LDH)and Ni only(Ni-LDH).The NF-LDH shows a markedly enhanced OER kinetics compared to the NC-LDH and the Ni-LDH,as proven by the lower overpotentials of 180,240,and 310 mV,respectively,and the Tafel slopes of 35.1,43.4,and 62.7 mV dec^(-1),respectively.The DFT calculations demonstrate that the lowest overpotential of the NF-LDH is associated with the active sites located at the edge planes of NF-LDH in contrast to those located at the basal planes of Ni-LDH and NC-LDH.The current study pinpoints the active sites on various LDHs and presents strategies for optimizing the OER performance of the LDH catalysts.

ON THE COEFFICIENTS OF DIFFERENTIATED EXPANSIONS AND DERIVATIVES OF CHEBYSHEV POLYNOMIALS OF THE THIRD AND FOURTH KINDS

Two new analytical formulae expressing explicitly the derivatives of Chebyshev polynomials of the third and fourth kinds of any degree and of any order in terms of Chebyshev polynomials of the third and fourth kinds themselves are proved. Two other explicit formulae which express the third and fourth kinds Chebyshev expansion coefficients of a general-order derivative of an infinitely differentiable function in terms of their original expansion coefficients are also given. Two new reduction formulae for summing some terminating hypergeometric functions of unit argument are deduced. As an application of how to use Chebyshev polynomials of the third and fourth kinds for solving high-order boundary value problems, two spectral Galerkin numerical solutions of a special linear twelfth-order boundary value problem are given.

Addition Reaction of Fe(CO)_n (n = 3～5) on Fullerene C_(50), C_(60), and C_(70): A Density Functional Theory Study

The electronic structure and reactivities of Fe（CO）n （n = 3~5） addition to different fullerenes have been investigated through the first-principles calculations, and the results indicate that Fe（CO）3 and Fe（CO）4 can be adsorbed to the outside network of fullerene via hollow and bridge sites, respectively. Both of them have larger binding energy, but when Fe（CO）5 is adsorbed via the top site, the binding energy is relatively smaller. According to the directional curvature theory, the reactivities of Fe（CO）3 addition to the fullerenes are determined by KM of the ring center, and those of Fe（CO）4 addition by KD of the C–C bond curvature; while for Fe（CO）5, it presents weak reactivities in the addition reaction because of the larger volume effect. No matter whether the addition reaction takes place on the hollow or bridge site, the binding energies show a linear relationship with KD. This work further enriched the directional curvature theory and applied the isolobel analogy theory in the fullerene addition reactions.

A reaction density functional theory study of solvent effect in the nucleophilic addition reactions in aqueous solution

Whereas the proper choice of reaction solvent constitutes the cornerstone of the green solvent concept,solvent effects on chemical reactions are not mechanistically well understood due to the lack of feasible molecular models.Herein,by taking the case study of nucleophilic addition reaction in aqueous solution,we extend the proposed multiscale reaction density functional theory(RxDFT)method to investigate the intrinsic free energy profile and total free energy profile,and study the solvent effect on the activation and reaction free energy for the nucleophilic addition reactions of hydroxide anion with methanal and carbon dioxide in aqueous solution.The predictions of the free energy profile in aqueous solution for these two nucleophilic addition reactions from RxDFT have a satisfactory agreement with the results from the RISM and MD-FEP simulation.Meanwhile,the solvent effect is successfully addressed by examining the difference of the free energy profile between the gas phase and aqueous phase.In addition,we investigate the solvent effect on the reactions occurred near solid-liquid interfaces.It is shown that the activation free energy is significantly depressed when reaction takes place in the region within 10A distance to the substrate surface owing to the decrease of hydration free energy at the solid-liquid interface.

Adsorption and Reaction of CN +O→OCN on Cu(100) Surface: A Density Functional Theory Study

The adsorption and reaction of O ＋ CN → OCN on Cu（100） are studied by using density functional theory and cluster model. Cu14 cluster model is used to simulate the surface. The calculated results show that the OCN species with the molecule perpendicular to the surface via N atom （N-down） is more favorable than other adsorption models, and the N-down at the bridge site is the most favorable. For N-down, calculated OCN symmetric and asymmetric stretching frequencies are all blue-shifted compared with the calculated values of free and in good agreement with the experiments. The charge transfer from the surface to the OCN species leads to that the bonding of OCN to the metal surface is largely ionic. The present studies also show that CN with the molecule perpendicular to the surface via C atom （NC-down） at the top site is the most stable. Except NC-down at the top site, the calculated CN stretching frequencies are all red-shifted. With O coadsorbed at the hollow site, the adsorption of NC-down at the next nearest bridge or top site is energetically more favorable than that at the adjacent hollow site. The reaction of O ＋ CN → OCN on Cu（100） has no energy barrier via both Eley-Rideal and Langmuir-Hinshelwood processes.

Catalytic activity of V_(2)CO_(2) MXene supported transition metal single atoms for oxygen reduction and hydrogen oxidation reactions:A density functional theory calculation study

Two-dimensional(2D)MXene and single-atom(SA)catalysts are two frontier research fields in catalysis.2D materials with unique geometric and electronic structures can modulate the catalytic performance of supported SAs,which,in turn,affect the intrinsic activity of 2D materials.Density functional theory calculations were used to systematically explore the potential of O-terminated V2C MXene(V_(2)CO_(2))-supported transition metal(TM)SAs,including a series of 3d,4d,and 5d metals,as oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)and hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR)catalysts.The combination of TM SAs and V_(2)CO_(2)changes their electronic structure and enriches the active sites,and consequently regulates the intermediate adsorption energy and catalytic activity for ORR and HOR.Among the investigated TM-V_(2)CO_(2)models,Sc-,Mn-,Rh-,and PtMCCh showed high ORR activity,while Sc-,Ti-,V-,Cr-,and Mn-V_(2)CO_(2)exhibited high HOR activity.Specifically,Mn-and Sc-V_(2)CO_(2)are expected to serve as highly efficient and cost-effective bifunctional catalysts for fuel cells because of their high catalytic activity and stability.This work provides theoretical guidance for the rational design of efficient ORR and HOR bifunctional catalysts.

A reaction density functional theory study of solvent effects on keto-enol tautomerism and isomerization in pyruvic acid

It is important to study the solvent effect on keto-enol tautomerism that has applications in many areas of chemical engineering.In this work,we use a multiscale reaction density functional theory(Rx DFT)to study the keto-enol tautomerism and isomerization of pyruvic acid.The results show that both effects of solvation and water assistance could reduce the reaction barriers.The water molecule participates the reaction as a catalyst to accept/give the protons with forming a hexagonal ring in the transition state.As a result of this temporary and intermediate hexagonal ring,the solute configuration undergoes a small variation during the reaction,giving a diminished contribution to the intrinsic reaction free energy.The solvent distribution shows a local ordering behavior near the solute that also reduces the contribution of solvation effect to the reaction barrier.Water assistance plays a major role in both pre-reaction and postreaction process.In terms of the driving force for the reaction,the effects of both solvation and water assistance are important.

SYNTHESIS OF FUNCTIONAL MACROMOLECULE INTERMEDIATE THROUGH COUPLING REACTION CATALYZED BY [bmim]Cl/FeCl_3 IONIC LIQUID

To obtain new functional aromatic polymer materiul. 3,3＇-biacenaphthene, which is used as macromolecule intermediate of,funcrion aromatic polymer material, was synthesized through the coupling reaction of acenaphthene catalyzing by ionic liquid （[bmim]CI/FeCl3） at mild reaction condition. Pure 3,3＇-biacenaphthene was obtained hy recrystalling and column chromatography from the reaction mixture and was determined by GC/MS, SHNMR arid FTIR analysis. The influence of various reaction conditions on the yield of 3,3＇-biacenaphthene were studied by GC analysis. The result shows that the optimun synthesis conditions of the coupling reaction are, as following： the molar ratio of FeCl3 to [BmimlCl being 3, the mole ratio of FeCl3 in [Bmim]Cl/FeCl3 to acenaphthene being 4. the reaction temperamre being 20 ℃ the reaction time being 4h and the solvent of the reaction system being PhNO2 Under those conditions, the yield of the 3.3＇-biacenaphthene will be 48.71% and selectivity, of that will be 78.56 %. Farther more, [bmim]Cl/FeCl3 has no pollution to environments and can be reused.

Uncovering the solid-phase conversion mechanism via a new range of organosulfur polymer composite cathodes for lithium-sulfur batteries

The sulfur cathodes operating via solid phase conversion of sulfur have natural advantages in suppressing polysulfide dissolution and lowering the electrolyte dosage,and thus realizing significant improvements in both cycle life and energy density.To realize an ideal solid-phase conversion of sulfur,a deep understanding of the regulation path of reaction mechanism and a corresponding intentional material and/or cathode design are highly essential.Herein,via covalently fixing of sulfur onto the triallyl isocyanurate,a series of S-triallyl isocyanurate organosulfur polymer composites(STIs) are developed.Relationship between the structure and the electrochemical conversion behavior of STIs is systematically investigated.It is found that the structure of STIs varies with the synthetic temperature,and correspondingly the electrochemical redox of sulfur can be controlled from conventional "solid-liquid-solid" conversion to the "solid-solid" one.Among the STI series,the STI-5 composite realizes an ideal solid-phase conversion and demonstrates great potential for building a Li-S battery with high-energy density and long-cyclelife:it realizes stable cycling over 1000 cycles in carbonate electrolyte,with a degradation rate of0.053% per cycle;the corresponding pouch cell shows almost no capacity decay for 125 cycles under the conditions of high sulfur loading(4.5 mg cm^(-2)) and lean electrolyte(8 μL mg_s^(-1)).In addition,the tailoring strategy of STI can also apply to other precursors with allyl functional groups to develop new organosulfur polymers for "solid-solid" sulfur cathodes.The vulcanized triallyl phosphate(STP) and triallylamine(STA) both show great lithium storage potential.This strategy successfully develops a new family of organosulfur polymers as cathodes for Li-S batteries via solid-phase conversion of sulfur,and brings insights to the mechanism study in Li-S batteries.

Effects of zinc on χ-Fe_(5)C_(2) for carbon dioxide hydrogenation to olefins:Insights from experimental and density function theory calculations

Production of light olefins from CO_(2), the primary greenhouse gases, is of great importance to mitigate the adverse effects of CO_(2) emission on environment and to supply the value-added products from nonpetroleum resource. However, development of robust catalyst with controllable selectivity and stability remains a challenge. Herein, we report that Zn-promoted Fe catalyst can boost the stable and selective production of light olefins from CO_(2). Specifically, the Zn-promoted Fe exhibits a highly stable activity and olefin selectivity over 200 h time-on-stream compared to the unpromoted Fe catalyst, primarily owing to the preservation of active χ-Fe_(5)C_(2) phase. Structural characterizations of the spent catalysts suggest that Zn substantially regulates the content of iron carbide on the surface and suppresses the reoxidation of bulk iron carbide during the reaction. DFT calculations confirm that adsorption of surface carbon atoms and graphene-like carbonaceous species are not thermochemically favored on Zn-promoted Fe catalyst. Carbon deposition by CAC coupling reactions of two surface carbon atoms and dehydrogenation of CH intermediate are also inhibited. Furthermore, the effects of Zn on antioxidation of iron carbide were also investigated. Zn favored the hydrogenation of surface adsorbed oxygen atoms to H_(2)O and the desorption of H_(2)O, which reduces the possibility of surface carbide being oxidized by the chemisorbed oxygen.

Upcycling end of lithium cobalt oxide batteries to electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in direct methanol fuel cell via sustainable approach

Recycling spent lithium-ion batteries(SLIBs)has become essential to preserve the environment and reclaim vital resources for sustainable development.The typical SLIBs recycling concentrated on separating valuable components had limitations,including high energy consumption and complicated separation processes.This work suggests a safe hydrometallurgical process to recover usable metallic cobalt from depleted LiCoO_(2)batteries by utilizing citric acid as leachant and hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent,with ethanol as a selective precipitating agent.The anode graphite was also recovered and converted to graphene oxide(GO).The above components were directly resynthesized to cobaltintegrated nitrogen-doped graphene(Co@NG).The Co@NG showed a decent activity towards oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)with a half-wave potential of 0.880 V vs.RHE,almost similar to Pt/C(0.888 V vs.RHE)and with an onset potential of 0.92 V vs.RHE.The metal-nitrogen-carbon(Co-N-C)having the highest nitrogen content has decreased the barrier for ORR since the reaction was enhanced for Co@NG-800,as confirmed by density functional theory(DFT)simulations.The Co@NG cathode catalyst coupled with commercial Pt-Ru/C as anode catalyst exhibits excellent performance for direct methanol fuel cell(DMFC)with a peak power density of 34.7 mW cm^(-2)at a discharge current density of120 m A cm^(-2)and decent stability,indicating the promising utilization of spent battery materials in DMFC applications.Besides,lithium was recovered from supernatant as lithium carbonate by coprecipitation process.This work avoids sophisticated elemental separation by utilizing SLIBs for other renewable energy applications,lowering the environmental concerns associated with recycling.

Theoretical Studies on Reaction Mechanisms of HNCS with NH(X^3Σ)

The reaction mechanisms of HNCS with NH（X^3∑ ） were theoretically investigated. The minimum energy paths （MEP） of the reaction were calculated by using the density functional theory（DFT） at the B3LYP/6-311 ＋ ＋ G^＊＊ level. The equilibrium structural parameters, the harmonic vibrational frequencies, the total energies, and the zeropoint energies（ZPE） of all the species were calculated. The single-point energies along the MEP were further refined at the QCISD（T）/6-311 ＋ ＋ G^＊ ＊ level. It was found that the mechanisms of the HNCS ＋ NH（X^3∑） reaction involve two channels producing the HNC ＋ HNS and the N2H2 ＋ CS products. Channel 1 plays a dominant role and the HNC ＋ HNS are the main preduets. The reaction is exothermie.

Computational Study on the Hetero-Diels-Alder Reactions between Phosphonodithioformate and Butadienes

The mechanism, catalytic effect and substituent effect of the hetero-Diels-Alder reactions between phosphonodithioformate and butadienes have been investigated theoretically using density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G（d） level. The results show that all of these reactions proceed in a concerted but asynchronous way. In some reactions the formation of C-S bond is prior to that of C-C and opposite result is found in other reactions. The BF3 catalyst and trimethylsilyloxy group may lower the activation barriers by changing the energies of FMOs for reactant molecules. With the BF3-catalyzed reactions, the complete regioselectivity observed experimentally has well been reproduced by theoretical calculation and these results originate probably from blue-shifting C-H...F hydrogen bond interaction in some transition states.