Kinetics and Mechanism of Hydration of Acrylic Acid over Ion-exchanged Resin:Experimental Exploration and DFT Calculation

Liquid-phase acrylic acid hydration over solid-phase catalysts is a key reaction for the industrial productionof 3-hydroxypropionic acid. However, the relevant literature primarily focuses on the experimental aspects of catalystscreening and exploring reaction conditions, with few accurate descriptions of the reaction kinetics and determination ofthe reaction mechanism. Here, we combined kinetics experiments and theoretical calculations to elucidate the kinetics andmechanism of acrylic acid hydration on a resin catalyst. The pseudo-homogeneous model, and Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Haugen-Watson and Elie-Riedel (ER) heterogeneous models were used to explain the experimental kinetics data. TheER model can explain the experimental data very well, suggesting strong adsorption of acrylic acid on the surface of theresin catalyst. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations show that the hydration follows a stepwise, rather than aconcerted, reaction pathway. The present study provides theoretical insights into the reaction mechanism and kinetics, fillingthe gap in our understanding of the reaction on a fundamental level.

Structural, Electronic and Optical Properties of ScxAl1-xN alloys within DFT Calculations

Structural, electronic and optical properties of Sc-based aluminum-nitride alloy have been carried out with first-principles methods using both local density approximation (LDA) and Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE) hybrid functional. This latter provides a more accurate description of the lattice parameters, enthalpy of formation, electronic and optical properties of our alloy than standard DFT. We found the transition from wurtzite to rocksalt structures at 61% of Sc concentration. By increasing the scandium concentration, the lattice parameters and the band gap decrease. The HSE band gap is in good agreement with available experimental data. The existence of the strong hybridization between Sc 3d and N 2p indicates the transport of electrons from Sc to N atoms. Besides, it is shown that the insertion of the Sc atom leads to the redshift of the optical absorption edge. The optical absorption of ScxAl1-xN is found to decrease with increasing Sc concentrations in the low energy range. Because of this, ScxAl1-xN have a great potential for applications in photovoltaics and photocatalysis.

Transformation of long-period stacking ordered structures in Mg-Gd-Y-Zn alloys upon synergistic characterization of first-principles calculation and experiment and its effects on mechanical properties

Based on experiments and first-principles calculations,the microstructures and mechanical properties of as-cast and solution treated Mg-10Gd-4Y-xZn-0.6Zr(x=0,1,2,wt.%)alloys are investigated.The transformation process of long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)structure during solidification and heat treatment and its effect on the mechanical properties of experimental alloys are discussed.Results reveal that the stacking faults and 18R LPSO phases appear in the as-cast Mg-10Gd-4Y-1Zn-0.6Zr and Mg-10Gd-4Y-2Zn-0.6Zr alloys,respectively.After solution treatment,the stacking faults and 18R LPSO phase transform into 14H LPSO phase.The Enthalpies of formation and reaction energy of 14H and 18R LPSO are calculated based on first-principles.Results show that the alloying ability of 18R is stronger than that of 14H.The reaction energies show that the 14H LPSO phase is more stable than the 18R LPSO.The elastic properties of the 14H and 18R LPSO phases are also evaluated by first-principles calculations,and the results are in good agreement with the experimental results.The precipitation of LPSO phase improves the tensile strength,yield strength and elongation of the alloy.After solution treatment,the Mg-10Gd-4Y-2Zn-0.6Zr alloy has the best mechanical properties,and its ultimate tensile strength and yield strength are 278.7 MPa and 196.4 MPa,respectively.The elongation of Mg-10Gd-4Y-2Zn-0.6Zr reaches 15.1,which is higher than that of Mg-10Gd-4Y0.6Zr alloy.The improving mechanism of elastic modulus by the LPSO phases and the influence on the alloy mechanical properties are also analyzed.

Random Green's Function Method for Large-Scale Electronic Structure Calculation

We report a linear-scaling random Green's function(rGF) method for large-scale electronic structure calculation. In this method, the rGF is defined on a set of random states and is efficiently calculated by projecting onto Krylov subspace. With the rGF method, the Fermi–Dirac operator can be obtained directly, avoiding the polynomial expansion to Fermi–Dirac function. To demonstrate the applicability, we implement the rGF method with the density-functional tight-binding method. It is shown that the Krylov subspace can maintain at small size for materials with different gaps at zero temperature, including H_(2)O and Si clusters. We find with a simple deflation technique that the rGF self-consistent calculation of H_(2)O clusters at T = 0 K can reach an error of~ 1 me V per H_(2)O molecule in total energy, compared to deterministic calculations. The rGF method provides an effective stochastic method for large-scale electronic structure simulation.

Emerging perovskite materials for supercapacitors:Structure,synthesis,modification,advanced characterization,theoretical calculation and electrochemical performance

As a new generation electrode materials for energy storage,perovskites have attracted wide attention because of their unique crystal structure,reversible active sites,rich oxygen vacancies,and good stability.In this review,the design and engineering progress of perovskite materials for supercapacitors(SCs)in recent years is summarized.Specifically,the review will focus on four types of perovskites,perovskite oxides,halide perovskites,fluoride perovskites,and multi-perovskites,within the context of their intrinsic structure and corresponding electrochemical performance.A series of experimental variables,such as synthesis,crystal structure,and electrochemical reaction mechanism,will be carefully analyzed by combining various advanced characterization techniques and theoretical calculations.The applications of these materials as electrodes are then featured for various SCs.Finally,we look forward to the prospects and challenges of perovskite-type SCs electrodes,as well as the future research direction.

Organic Compounds Possessing the Plastic Crystalline Phase: Calculation of Their Fusion Enthalpies

For the first time, for different organic and inorganic compounds possessing the plastic crystalline phase, a new semiempirical equation describing dependence of their fusion enthalpies on such physico-chemical quantities as normal melting temperature, surface tension, molar volume and critical molar volume is received on the base of the principle of corresponding states and the energy equipartition theorem. Moreover, the proposed equation allows one to take into account the particularities of one-particle molecular rotation in the plastic crystalline phase.

Utility and Application of a Versatile Analytical Method for MMF Calculation in AC Machines

A versatile analytical method(VAM) for calculating the harmonic components of the magnetomotive force(MMF) generated by diverse armature windings in AC machines has been proposed, and the versatility of this method has been established in early literature. However, its practical applications and significance in advancing the analysis of AC machines need further elaboration. This paper aims to complement VAM by augmenting its theory, offering additional insights into its conclusions, as well as demonstrating its utility in assessing armature windings and its application of calculating torque for permanent magnet synchronous machines(PMSM). This work contributes to advancing the analysis of AC machines and underscores the potential for improved design and performance optimization.

High-throughput calculation-based rational design of Fe-doped MoS_(2) nanosheets for electrocatalytic p H-universal overall water splitting

Electrocatalytic water splitting is crucial for H2generation via hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)but subject to the sluggish dynamics of oxygen evolution reaction(OER).In this work,single Fe atomdoped MoS_(2)nanosheets(SFe-DMNs)were prepared based on the high-throughput density functional theory(DFT)calculation screening.Due to the synergistic effect between Fe atom and MoS_(2)and optimized intermediate binding energy,the SFe-DMNs could deliver outstanding activity for both HER and OER.When assembled into a two-electrode electrolytic cell,the SFe-DMNs could achieve the current density of 50 mA cm^(-2)at a low cell voltage of 1.55 V under neutral condition.These results not only confirmed the effectiveness of high-throughput screening,but also revealed the excellent activity and thus the potential applications in fuel cells of SFe-DMNs.

Partitioning Calculation Method of Short-Circuit Current for High Proportion DG Access to Distribution Network

Aiming at the problemthat the traditional short-circuit current calculationmethod is not applicable to Distributed Generation(DG)accessing the distribution network,the paper proposes a short-circuit current partitioning calculation method considering the degree of voltage drop at the grid-connected point of DG.Firstly,the output characteristics of DG in the process of low voltage ride through are analyzed,and the equivalent output model of DG in the fault state is obtained.Secondly,by studying the network voltage distribution law after fault in distribution networks under different DG penetration rates,the degree of voltage drop at the grid-connected point of DG is used as a partition index to partition the distribution network.Then,iterative computation is performed within each partition,and data are transferred between partitions through split nodes to realize the fast partition calculation of short-circuit current for high proportion DG access to distribution network,which solves the problems of long iteration time and large calculation error of traditional short-circuit current.Finally,a 62-node real distribution network model containing a high proportion of DG access is constructed onMATLAB/Simulink,and the simulation verifies the effectiveness of the short-circuit current partitioning calculation method proposed in the paper,and its calculation speed is improved by 48.35%compared with the global iteration method.

Syntheses,crystal structures,and quantum chemistry calculation of two Ni(Ⅱ)coordination polymers

Two new coordination polymers,[Ni(Hpdc)(bib)(H_(2)O)]_(n)(1)and{[Ni(bib)_(3)](ClO_(4))_(2)}_(n)(2),were prepared by mixing Ni^(2+),3,5⁃pyrazoledicarboxylic acid(H3pdc)/p⁃nitrobenzoic acid and 1,4⁃bis(imidazol⁃1⁃ylmethyl)butane(bib)by a hydrothermal method,respectively.X⁃ray crystallography reveals a 2D network constructed by six⁃coordinated Ni(Ⅱ)centers,bib,and Hpdc2-ligands in complex 1,while a 2D network is built by Ni(Ⅱ)and bib ligands in 2.Furthermore,the quantum⁃chemical calculations have been performed on‘molecular fragments’extracted from the crystal structure of 1 using the PBE0/LANL2DZ method in Gaussian 16 and the VASP program.CCDC:2343794,1;2343798,2.

Temperature field calculation of rail flash welding

The forging stage of rail flash welding has a decisive influence on joint strength,and the study of the temperature distribution in the process has an important role in further improving joint strength.In this paper,three calculation methods for the temperature field are given.First,the finite element model of the temperature field before forging rail flash welding is established by using the transient heat module of Ansys software and verified by infrared temperature measurement.Second,the temperature distribution of different parts of the rail before flash welding is obtained by using infrared thermal imaging equipment.Third,Matlab software is used to calculate the temperature of the non-measured part.Finally,the temperature distribution function along the rail axis is fitted through the temperature measurement data.The temperature distribution before the top forging of the rail flash welding can be used to analyze the joint and heat-affected zone organization and properties effectively and to guide the parameter setting and industrial production.

Effect of Types and Orders of Electromagnetic Field Finite Element Meshes on Power Communication Harmonic Parameters Calculation Results of Tubular Hydrogenerators

In generator design field,waveform total harmonic distortion(THD)and telephone harmonic factor(THF)are parameters commonly used to measure the impact of generator no-load voltage harmonics on the power communication quality.Tubular hydrogenerators are considered the optimal generator for exploiting low-head,high-flow hydro resources,and they have seen increasingly widespread application in China's power systems recent years.However,owing to the compact and constrained internal space of such generators,their internal magnetic-field harmonics are pronounced.Therefore,accurate calculation of their THD and THF is crucial during the analysis and design stages to ensure the quality of power communication.Especially in the electromagnetic field finite element modeling analysis of such generators,the type and order of the finite element meshes may have a significant impact on the THD and THF calculation results,which warrants in-depth research.To address this,this study takes a real 34 MW large tubular hydrogenerator as an example,and establishes its electromagnetic field finite element model under no-load conditions.Two types of meshes,five mesh densities,and two mesh orders are analyzed to reveal the effect of electromagnetic field finite element mesh types and orders on the calculation results of THD and THF for such generators.

Spectroscopic Electrochemical Properties and DFT Calculation of 1-Aryltriazenes

Electrochromic materials are of great interest for their potential in eyewear protection and data storage devices, as they change colors in response to electrochemical switching. While many of the systems currently used are based on inorganic materials, organic materials such as triazenes have emerged as viable alternatives due to their unique properties, including optical properties. Triazenes are a class of organic compounds with three consecutive nitrogen atoms in an acyclic arrangement, and they have been used for a variety of applications in medicinal and synthetic chemistry. However, the effects of solvents on the UV-visible absorption spectrum of triazenes have not been fully investigated. The neutral molecules of 3,3-diisopropyl-1-phenyltriazene and 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-cyclopentyltriazene in acetonitrile, the UV-visible spectra corresponded respectively to HOMO → LUMO transitions with a large maximum absorption at 299.74 nm (4.1364 eV) and 299.57 nm (4.1387 eV) and the most intense oscillator strength (f = 0.6988) and (f = 0.7372). These results suggest that the electronic transitions of the compounds are highly influenced by the nature of the substituents on the triazene unit, as well as the solvent used in the experiment. The redox couple 0.92 and -0.44 V/Ag/AgCl is attributed to the phenyl group. Compound III showed an oxidation and reduction peak respectively -0.27 and -0.8 V/Ag/AgCl attributed to the phenyl molecule. The study concluded that all three compounds were electroactive and exhibited reversible characteristics with oxidizing/reducing couples. This study aims to contribute to research on the optical properties of triazenes compounds and the application of quantum chemical calculation methods for understanding their molecular structures. By investigating the solute-solvent interactions occurring in the solvation shell of the solutes, we aim to gain insights into the effects of solvents on the UV-visible absorption spectrum of triazenes. Our findings may have implications for the development of functionalized triazenes as potential electrochromic materials.

First-Principles Calculation of the Topological Nodal-Line Semimetal FeGe_(2)

The electronic and topological properties of FeGe2 with a tetragonal crystal structure were investigated via first-principles calculations.The results demonstrate that FeGe2 in this structure exhibits anti-ferromagnetism,with two bands crossing the Fermi level nesting each other at high-symmetry points in the Brillouin zone,forming a nodal ring where the nodes intersect in momentum space.Additionally,it possesses nontrivial topological surface states.Upon inclusion of SOC(spin-orbit coupling),there are no significant changes observed in the band structure,nodal features,or surface states,indicating the persistence of its topological nodal-line characteristics.

Financial Calculation Problems and Countermeasure Analysis of Large-Scale Engineering Construction Projects

The financial aspects of large-scale engineering construction projects profoundly influence their success.Strengthening cost control and establishing a scientific financial evaluation system can enhance the project’s economic benefits,minimize unnecessary costs,and provide decision-makers with a robust financial foundation.Additionally,implementing an effective cash flow control mechanism and conducting a comprehensive assessment of potential project risks can ensure financial stability and mitigate the risk of fund shortages.Developing a practical and feasible fundraising plan,along with stringent fund management practices,can prevent fund wastage and optimize fund utilization efficiency.These measures not only facilitate smooth project progression and improve project management efficiency but also enhance the project’s economic and social outcomes.

High sintering and dielectric performance:The improved(Mg,Zn)_(3)B_(2)O_(6) ceramics with the help of the DFT calculation

With the help of the first principle calculation,the solid-state reaction experiment was conducted to investigate the alteration in the sintering and the microwave dielectric properties of Mg_(3)B_(2)O_(6)ceramic with many Zn^(2+)substitutions.These properties were characterized using the scanning electron microscopy,network analyzer,X-ray diffraction,Raman spectroscopy,energy-dispersive spectroscopy,and thermomechanical and differential-thermal analyses.The coexistence of Mg_(3)B_(2)O_(6),Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5)and ZnO ceramics could be observed with increasing Zn^(2+)addition,and the lattice distortion occurred in the Mg_(2)B_(2)O_(5)and Mg_(3)B_(2)O_(6)ceramics due to the substitution of Mg^(2+)with Zn^(2+).The electron density and the bond property of the MgO_(6)octahedron changed,and a quantitative method was used to discuss the variation in sintering,substitution and phase formation properties.The densification window was decreased to 1100℃,and the dielectric properties improved with the formation of a three-phase borate solid solution(dielectric constant=6.73,quality factor=112,000 GHz at 16 GHz(Q=7000),temperature coefficient of resonant frequency=-61.2 ppm℃^(-1),and relative density=97.0%).

Identification of a Reliable DFT Calculation Method to Predict the Ground-and Excited-State Properties of Nickel(Ⅱ) Complexes with Porphyrin in Crude Oil

Metalloporphyrins have devastating effects on the deep processing and efficient utilization of petroleum resources. Various porphyrins are derived from porphin by substitution at the β, meso, or both positions. Herein, we focus on the interaction between nickel(Ⅱ) and the porphyrin skeleton. Five different density functionals were selected for determining a reliable approach to simulate porphyrin-nickel(Ⅱ) complexes. At D4h symmetry, the 10b1g, 15a1g, 4e1g and 9b2g were dominated by the 3d character of nickel. Compared with pure density functional, the hybrid functional gave larger highest occupied molecular orbital(HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(LUMO) gap, and the higher HOMO-LUMO gap also corresponded to a higher excitation energy. The characteristic Soret and Q bands modeled by timedependent density functional theory(TDDFT) calculations matched well with experimental results, and the absorption was discussed in detail with natural transition orbitals(NTO) analysis. Furthermore, the binding character of nickel(Ⅱ) with various substituted porphyrins were calculated at perdew-burke-ernzerhof(PBE) level, showed that the geometry and complexation behavior of porphyrin-nickel(Ⅱ) complexes could be significantly tuned by different substituents. The symmetry of the complex was reduced and the skeleton ring get distortion when introducing different substituents. Compared with ETIO porphyrin, the introduction of phenyl on the β position can expand the conjugated system and promote the covalent character of Ni-N bond.

UFMC系统中基于阈值的改进DFT信道估计算法

针对通用滤波多载波(Universal Filtered Multi-Carrier,UFMC)系统中传统的基于离散傅里叶变换(Discrete Fourier Transform,DFT)的信道估计算法存在噪声区间不连续、信道长度内噪声消除不彻底、信号经DFT运算后频谱泄露高等问题,提出一种基于阈值的改进DFT信道估计算法。算法在频域通过加窗以降低信道冲激响应(Channel Impulse Response,CIR)能量泄露,在时域通过设置阈值和指数平滑可最大限度滤除样本内噪声。理论分析与仿真结果表明,与传统的DFT估计算法相比,所提算法误比特率(Bit Error Ratio,BER)更低,在高信噪比下有1.5 dB左右的性能提升,能够进一步减少噪声对系统性能的影响,可有效提高信道估计的准确度。

DFT calculation on relaxation and electronic structure of sulfide minerals surfaces in presence of H_2O molecule

First-principles calculations are performed to investigate the relaxation and electronic properties of sulfide minerals surfaces(MoS2, Sb2S3, Cu2 S, ZnS, PbS and FeS2) in presence of H2 O molecule. The calculated results show that the structure and electronic properties of sulfide minerals surfaces have been influenced in presence of H2 O molecule. The adsorption of the flotation reagent at the interface of mineral-water would be different from that of mineral surface due to the changes of surface structures and electronic properties caused by H2 O molecule. Hence, the influence of H2 O molecule on the reaction of flotation reagent with sulfide mineral surface will attract more attention.

GPU-based cross-platform Monte Carlo proton dose calculation engine in the framework of Taichi

In recent years,graphics processing units(GPUs)have been applied to accelerate Monte Carlo(MC)simulations for proton dose calculation in radiotherapy.Nonetheless,current GPU platforms,such as Compute Unified Device Architecture(CUDA)and Open Computing Language(OpenCL),suffer from cross-platform limitation or relatively high programming barrier.However,the Taichi toolkit,which was developed to overcome these difficulties,has been successfully applied to high-performance numerical computations.Based on the class II condensed history simulation scheme with various proton-nucleus interactions,we developed a GPU-accelerated MC engine for proton transport using the Taichi toolkit.Dose distributions in homogeneous and heterogeneous geometries were calculated for 110,160,and 200 MeV protons and were compared with those obtained by full MC simulations using TOPAS.The gamma passing rates were greater than 0.99 and 0.95 with criteria of 2 mm,2%and 1 mm,1%,respectively,in all the benchmark tests.Moreover,the calculation speed was at least 5800 times faster than that of TOPAS,and the number of lines of code was approximately 10 times less than those of CUDA or OpenCL.Our study provides a highly accurate,efficient,and easy-to-use proton dose calculation engine for fast prototyping,beamlet calculation,and education purposes.