Characterization and manipulation of the photosystem Ⅱ-semiconductor interfacial molecular interactions in solar-to-chemical energy conversion

Semi-artificial photosynthesis interfacing catalytic protein machinery with synthetic photocatalysts exhibits great potential in solar-to-chemical energy conversion. However, characterizing and manipulating the molecular integration structure at the biotic-abiotic interface remain a challenging task. Herein,the biointerface molecular integration details of photosystem II(PSII)-semiconductor hybrids, including the PSII orientation, interfacial microdomains, and overall structure modulation, are systematically interrogated by lysine reactivity profiling mass spectrometry. We demonstrate the semiconductor surface biocompatibility is essential to the PSII self-assembly with uniform orientation and electroactive structure.Highly directional localization of PSII onto more hydrophilic Ru/Sr Ti O_(3):Rh surface exhibits less disturbance on PSII structure and electron transfer chain, beneficial to the high water splitting activity.Further, rational modification of hydrophobic Ru_(2)S_(3)/Cd S surface with biocompatible protamine can improve the hybrid O_(2)-evolving activity 83.3%. Our results provide the mechanistic understanding to the structure–activity relationship of PSII-semiconductor hybrids and contribute to their rational design in the future.

How do molecular interactions affect fluorescence behavior of AIEgens in solution and aggregate states?

Molecular interactions are crucial in diverse fields of protein folding,material science,nanotechnology,and life origins.Although mounting experimental research controls luminescent behavior by adjusting molecular interactions in light-emitting materials,it remains elusive to correlate microscopic molecular interactions with macroscopic luminescent behavior directly.Here,we synthesized three red luminogens with subtle structural variation and investigated the influence of molecular interactions on their luminescent behavior in solution and aggregate states.Our results indicate that strongπ-πand D-A interactions in both dilute solution(between luminogen and solvent molecules)and aggregate(between luminogens)states cause the redshift in emission,while weak interactions(e.g.,Van der Waals,C–H…π,and C–H…F interactions)enhance the quantum yield.This work provides a thoughtful investigation into the complicated influence of various molecular interactions on luminescent behavior.

Calculations of heat of solvation by a simple electrostatic approach to molecular interactions

An extremely simple formula to estimate the heat of formation of complexes between an ion and a polar molecule or between highly polar systems is presented.The formula is entirely electrostatic and the expression used is verified by means of perturbation theory.This formula is test- ed for several ion-molecule and molecule-molecule pairs.It is also applied to estimate the heat of hydration of simple salts.

Transport of Propylene Carbonate-LiTFSI Electrolytes in P(VDF-HFP)Using Time-resolved ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy:Diffusion Coefficients and Molecular Interactions

The time-resolved attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared(ATR-FTIR)spectroscopy is employed to investigate the transport mechanism of gel electrolytes by monitoring the diffusion behavior of propylene carbonate-lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide(PC-LiTFSI)solution through poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)(P(VDF-HFP))films.Fickian behavior has been observed for both TFSr and PC.Higher temperature leads to faster diffusion of TFSI'and PC,which could be related to the increased free volume in P(VDF-HFP)matrix and rapid molecular movements upon heating.Various molecular interactions among LiTFSI,PC and P(VDF-HFP)have been recognized.During the diffusion process,PC molecules,in the form of small clusters,can firstly diffuse through the P(VDF-HFP)film and interact with P(VDF-HFP)by dipole-dipole interaction,acting as the plasticizer.Then,Li+diffuses into P(VDF-HFP)with the help of ion-dipole interactions between Li+and C=0 of PC.Meanwhile,TFSI-diffuses through the polymer matrix in solvation states.In addition,slight ion-dipole interactions between Li+and P(VDF-HFP)have been observed as well.Results in this work contribute to a better understanding of transport process in gel polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries and support the development of improved gel polymer electrolytes by rationally regulating molecular interactions.

Ionic Interactions in Molecular and Liquid States ofPolyvalent Metal Halides

Progress in the development of phenomenological models for the microscoplc interactions in the halides of polyvalent metals is reviewed, with main attention to neutral and ionized molecular states and to the melts of these materials. The following physical problems are discussed: (1)bond bending in the molecules of the alkaline-earth halides, (2) binding of molecular dimers and halogen transfer reactions relevant to the melts of trivalent metal halides, (3) stability of molecular ions in liquid mixtures of polyvalent metal halides and alkali halides, and (4) stabilityof molecular ions and reduced-valence states in molten cryolite under addition of sodium metal.

Design of multifunctional polymeric binders in silicon anodes for lithium‐ion batteries

Silicon(Si)is a promising anode material for lithium‐ion batteries(LIBs)owing to its tremendously high theoretical storage capacity(4200 mAh g−1),which has the potential to elevate the energy of LIBs.However,Si anodes exhibit severe volume change during lithiation/delithiation processes,resulting in anode pulverization and delamination with detrimental growth of solid electrolyte interface layers.As a result,the cycling stability of Si anodes is insufficient for commercialization in LIBs.Polymeric binders can play critical roles in Si anodes by affecting their cycling stability,although they occupy a small portion of the electrodes.This review introduces crucial factors influencing polymeric binders'properties and the electrochemical performance of Si anodes.In particular,we emphasize the structure–property relationships of binders in the context of molecular design strategy,functional groups,types of interactions,and functionalities of binders.Furthermore,binders with additional functionalities,such as electrical conductivity and self‐healability,are extensively discussed,with an emphasis on the binder design principle.

Predication of Component Activities in the Molten Aluminosilicate Slag CaO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2 by Molecular Interaction Volume Model

A novel thermodynamic model-the molecular interaction volume model （MIVM） which can be reduced to the Flory-Huggins equation of polymer solution was employed for the prediction of component activities in the ternary molten aluminosilicate slag CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 at different temperatures. The results show that the predicted values of activity of CaO, Al2O3 and SiO2 are in reasonably agreement with experimental data in some ranges of their concentrations which are about x1 〈0.25 for CaO, x2=0.05-0.55 for Al2O3 and x3=0.03-0.85 for SiO2. This further shows that MIVM requires only two binary parameters for each sub-binary system to predict activities of all components in a multicomponent solution and is the superior alternative in a molten slag.

PREDICTION OF THE MIXING ENTHALPIES OF BINARY LIQUID ALLOYS BY MOLECULAR INTERACTION VOLUME MODEL

The mixing enthalpies of 23 binary liquid alloys are calculated by molecular interaction volume model （MIVM）, which is a two-parameter model with the partial molar infinite dilute mixing enthalpies. The predicted values are in agreement with the experimental data and then indicate that the model is reliable and convenient.

Comparison of the Molecular Interaction Volume Model with the Wagner Formulae in the Zn-Pb-In and Zn-Sn-Cd-Pb Dilute Solutions

The coordination numbers in the molecular interaction volume model (MIVM) can be calculated from the commonphysical quantities of pure liquid metals. A notable feature of the model lie in its capability to predict the ther-modynamic properties of solutes in the Zn-Pb-In and Zn-Sn-Cd-Pb dilute solutions using only the binary infinitedilute activity coefficients, and the predicted values are in good agreement with the experimental data of the dilutesolutions.

Free energy calculation of single molecular interaction using Jarzynski's identity method:the case of HIV-1 protease inhibitor system

Jarzynski＇ identity （JI） method was suggested a promising tool for reconstructing free energy landscape of biomolecular interactions in numerical simulations and ex- periments. However, JI method has not yet been well tested in complex systems such as ligand-receptor molecular pairs. In this paper, we applied a huge number of steered molec- ular dynamics （SMD） simulations to dissociate the protease of human immunodeficiency type I virus （HIV-1 protease） and its inhibitors. We showed that because of intrinsic com- plexity of the ligand-receptor system, the energy barrier pre- dicted by JI method at high pulling rates is much higher than experimental results. However, with a slower pulling rate and fewer switch times of simulations, the predictions of JI method can approach to the experiments. These results sug- gested that the JI method is more appropriate for reconstruct- ing free energy landscape using the data taken from experi- ments, since the pulling rates used in experiments are often much slower than those in SMD simulations. Furthermore, we showed that a higher loading stiffness can produce higher precision of calculation of energy landscape because it yields a lower mean value and narrower bandwidth of work distri- bution in SMD simulations.

Influence of Molecular Interaction on Crystallization Behavior of Glycine from Mother Liquor

The mother liquor for preparing industrial HCN was investigated, to analyze the side-products’ structure and influence of molecular interactions of side-products with glycine and solvent on the glycine’s crystallization process. The side-products（SPs） were super-branched oligmers with plenty of hydrophilic groups, which could affect the crystallization process by interactions such as hydrogen bond. Alcohol-water mixed solvent with different polyols could be used to weaken the SPs-glycine interaction and strengthen the SPs-water interaction, which help to improve the crystallization efficiency and purity. After optimization, SPs’ mass fraction in glycine could be reduced by 80% and the morphology of crystal particles could also be improved.

Comparison of the Molecular Interaction Volume Model with the Unified Interaction Parameter Formalism in the Fe-Cr-Ni Liquid Alloys at 1873 K

The molecular interaction volume model （MIVM） for a general ternary system was deduced in detail for further clarifying and understanding its general multicomponent expression. Both MIVM and the unified interaction parameter formalism （UIPF） can be used to predict the activities of solutes and solvents in the Fe-Cr-Ni liquid alloys. But the former employs only the infinite dilute activity coefficients, and the later is not applicable without the dilute binary and ternary interaction parameters. MIVM has a certain physical meaning from the viewpoint of statistical thermodynamics, so it is an alternative for the estimation of activity coefficients of the solutes and solvents in a dilute or finite concentration metal solution where the interaction parameters are absent or their accuracies are questionable.

Constant-Volume Heat Capacity of Mixed Supercritical Fluids and Molecular Interaction in the Systems

Constant-volume heat capacities of supercritical (SC) CO2, SC CO2-n-pentane, and SC CO2-n-heptane mixtures were determined at 308.15 K in the pressure range from 6 to 12 MPa. It was found that there is a maximum in each heat capacity vs pressure curve. Intermolecular interaction in the fluids was studied.

Molecular Structural Characterization and Quantitative Prediction of Reduced Ion Mobility Constants for Diversified Organic Compounds

Based on two-dimensional topological structures, a novel molecular electronegativity interaction vector with hybridization （MEHIV） was developed to describe atomic hybridization state in different molecular environments. Five quantitative models by MEHIV characterization and multiple linear regression modeling were successfully established to predict reduced ion mobility constants （Ko） of alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols, fatty aldehydes and ketones and carboxylic esters. The correlation coefficients Roy by leave-one-out cross-validation are 0.792, 0.787, 0,949, 0.972 and 0.981, respectively, and the standard deviations SDcv are 0.067, 0.086, 0.064, 0.043 and 0.042, respectively. These results suggested that MEHIV is an excellent topological index descriptor with many advantages such as straightforward physicochemical meaning, high characterization competence, convenient expansibility and easy manipulation.

Advances in the development of amorphous solid dispersions:The role of polymeric carriers

Amorphous solid dispersion(ASD)is one of the most effective approaches for delivering poorly soluble drugs.In ASDs,polymeric materials serve as the carriers in which the drugs are dispersed at the molecular level.To prepare the solid dispersions,there are many polymers with various physicochemical and thermochemical characteristics available for use in ASD formulations.Polymer selection is of great importance because it influences the stability,solubility and dissolution rates,manufacturing process,and bioavailability of the ASD.This review article provides a comprehensive overview of ASDs from the perspectives of physicochemical characteristics of polymers,formulation designs and preparation methods.Furthermore,considerations of safety and regulatory requirements along with the studies recommended for characterizing and evaluating polymeric carriers are briefly discussed.

Diagnosis for the Interaction of Supersonic Molecular Beam with Plasma

Supersonic Molecular Beam Injection (SMBI) is a new fuelling method for Tokamaks and has recently been improved to enhance the flux of the beam and to make a survey of the cluster effect within the beam. There are a series of new phenomena, which implicate the interaction of the beam (including clusters) with the toroidal plasma of HL-1M Tokamak. The Ha signals from the edge show a regular variation around the torus. Around the injection port, the edge Hα signals are positive rectangular wave, which is consistent with that of the injection beam pulses. The edge electron temperature, measured with movable Langmuir probes, decreases by an order of magnitude and the density increases by an order of magnitude. Hα emission at the beam injection port, measured with CCD camera at an angle of 13.4 degrees to the SMBI line, shows many separate peaks within the contour plot. These peaks may show the strong emission produced by the interaction of the hydrogen clusters with the plasma. Hydrogen clusters may be produced in the beam according to the empirical scaling (Hagena) law of clustering onset, * = .here d is the nozzle diameter in μm, Po the stagnation pressure in mbar, To the source temperature in K, and k is a constant related to the gas species. If * > 100, clusters will be formed. In present experiment * is about 127.

Manipulating Zn^(2+)solvation environment in poly(propylene glycol)-based aqueous Li^(+)/Zn^(2+)electrolytes for high-voltage hybrid ion batteries

Compared with aqueous single-ion batteries,rechargeable aqueous hybrid ion batteries,especially Li^(+)/Zn^(2+)hybrid ion batteries,are receiving extensive interest owing to their low cost,high operating voltage,and energy density.However,their working voltage and lifespan are limited by the decomposition of water and the growth of Zn dendrites.Herein,detrimental side reactions induced by the water reduction and the Zn dendrite growth are successfully suppressed by a poly(propylene glycol)(PPG)-based hybrid ion electrolyte[(1 m Zn(TFSI)2+10 m LiTFSI)in PPG/H2O].The addition of PPG in the electrolyte can not only enhance the bonding strength of hydrogen-bond in water but also tailor the solvation sheath of Zn2+as revealed by synchrotron X-rays.The participated solvation of PPG with Zn^(2+)can weaken Zn-H_(2)O interactions and redistribute Zn^(2+)flux on the surface of the Zn anode,thus inducing favorably even deposition of Zn.In addition,the decomposition of TFSI-contributes a ZnF_(2)-enriched solid electrolyte interface at the Zn anode to further prevent water decomposition and restrain Zn dendrites.The PPG-based electrolyte enables 2.1 V LiMnO_(2)//Zn batteries to deliver high specific capacities(121.7 mAh g^(-1)for a coin cell and 90 mAh g^(-1)for a pouch cell),and maintain 80%of the capacity over 700 cycles at 0.5 C,suggesting a promising pathway for highly reversible aqueous hybrid ion batteries.

Retention behaviors of novel ionic liquid stationary phases and their selectivity for capillary gas chromatography

One chloride-terminated ionic liquid（CTIL） and two hydroxyl-terminated ionic liquids（HTILs） were synthesized and used as stationary phases for capillary gas chromatography（CGC）.Molecular interactions of these stationary phases were evaluated by Abraham solvation parameter model,indicating that the CTIL exhibits remarkably strong H-bond basicity and the HTILs possess both H-bond basicity and acidity.The molecular interactions were further confirmed by separation of a complex mixture consisting of ketones,aldehydes,esters,alcohols and aromatic compounds.It was found that the obtained solvation parameters correlate well with the chromatographic performances of the analytes in terms of elution order and resolution.The well correlated relationship between the solvation parameters and the selectivity of the CTIL and HTILs stationary phases is quite helpful in predicting and understanding the retention behaviors of different types of analytes on these stationary phases.

Insights into the cross-amyloid aggregation of Aβ_(40) and its N-terminal truncated peptide Aβ_(11-40) affected by epigallocatechin gallate

Inhibition of protein misfolding and aggregation is a great challenge in the field of biochemical and biopharmaceutical engineering.Alzheimer’s disease(AD)is a protein-misfolding disease,and the interactions between 40-amino-acid-residueβ-amyloid peptide(Aβ_(40)) and its N-terminal truncated peptide Aβ_(11-40) demonstrate that Aβ_(11-40) may play an important role in the pathological process of AD.However,the effect of inhibitors on Aβ_(11-40) aggregation and on the cross-amyloid aggregation(coassembly)between Aβ_(40) and Aβ_(11-40) has never been studied.Herein,coaggregation and seeding interactions between Aβ_(40) and Aβ_(11-40) as well as the effect of epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG),a small molecule inhibitor,on the cross-amyloid aggregation have been investigated by extensive analyses.It is found that Aβ_(11-40) participates in the aggregation of Aβ_(40) and leads to the formation of coaggregates that contain lessβ-sheet structures than pure Aβ_(40) aggregates.The aggregation kinetics along with morphologies and secondary structures of the coaggregates are also significantly affected by the Aβ_(40)/Aβ_(11-40) ratio.EGCG accelerates the nucleation of Aβ_(40) but retards that of Aβ_(11-40) by affecting their elongation and secondary nucleation processes in solution and on solid surfaces.Meanwhile,EGCG makes the conformations of the seeding-induced Aβaggregates more compact,especially for the homologous seedings.Isothermal titration calorimetry measurement indicates that hydrophobic interactions mainly contribute to the inhibition of the two Aβisoforms by EGCG.The findings of this research have provided new insights into Aβaggregation and the effect of an important inhibitor and the results would benefit in the development of potent inhibitors against co-assembly of different amyloid proteins.

FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED STUDY OF FRACTIONATED AROMATIC POLYESTERS

Infrared spectra at different temperatures have been studied for fractions ofa liquid crystal tormmg aromatic polyester. The molecular interactions in different phases and their changes duringthe transitions were discussed. Abrupt frequency shift was found for bands of groups both in mesogens and flexible spacers during fusion and isotropization transitions. It may imply that both the mesogens and the flexible spacers are included in the same crystalline phase and give their contributions to the formation of the mesophase. The splitting into doublet of the C—O stretching vibrations was observed for both the aromatic and aliphatic esters and was attributed to the existence of local regions for ester groups different in ordering. The more ordered regions do not disappear completely even in the isotropic liquid phase.