Electronic structure and spin state regulation of vanadium nitride via a sulfur doping strategy toward flexible zinc-air batteries

Owing to the distinctive structural characteristics,vanadium nitride(VN)is highly regarded as a catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in zinc-air batteries(ZABs).However,VN exhibits limited intrinsic ORR activity due to the weak adsorption ability to O-containing species.Here,the S-doped VN anchored on N,S-doped multi-dimensional carbon(S-VN/Co/NS-MC)was constructed using the solvothermal and in-situ doping methods.Incorporating sulfur atoms into VN species alters the electron spin state of vanadium in the S-VN/Co/NS-MC for regulating the adsorption energy of vanadium sites to oxygen molecules.The introduced sulfur atoms polarize the V 3d_(z)^(2) electrons,shifting spin-down electrons closer to the Fermi level in the S-VN/Co/NS-MC.Consequently,the introduction of sulfur atoms into VN species enhances the adsorption energy of vanadium sites for oxygen molecules.The*OOH dissociation transitions from being unspontaneous on the VN surface to a spontaneous state on the S-doped VN surface.Then,the ORR barrier on the S-VN/Co/NS-MC surface is reduced.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC demonstrates a higher half-wave potential and limiting current density compared to the VN/Co/N-MC.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC-based liquid ZABs display a power density of 195.7 m W cm^(-2),a specific capacity of 815.7 m A h g^(-1),and a cycling stability exceeding 250 h.The S-VN/Co/NS-MC-based flexible ZABs are successfully employed to charge both a smart watch and a mobile phone.This approach holds promise for advancing the commercial utilization of VN-based catalysts in ZABs.

Microwave direct synthesis and thermoelectric properties of Mg_(2)Si by solid-state reaction

In order to reduce the oxidation and volatilization caused by Mg element in the traditional methods for synthesizing Mg2Si compounds,Mg2Si thermoelectric materials were prepared by solid state reaction and microwave radiation techniques.Structure and phase composition of the materials were investigated by X-ray diffraction.The electrical conductivity,Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity were measured as a function of temperature from 300 to 700 K.It is found that high purity Mg2Si powders can be obtained with excessive content of 8% Mg from the stoichiometric Mg2Si at 853 K and 2.5 kW for 30 min.A maximum dimensionless figure of merit,ZT,of about 0.13 was obtained for Mg2Si at 600 K.

Supercritical-hydrothermal accelerated solid state reaction route for synthesis of LiMn_2O_4 cathode material for high-power Li-ion batteries

Synthesis of the spinel structure lithium manganese oxide （LiMn2O4） by supercritical hydrothermal （SH） accelerated solid state reaction （SSR） route was studied. The impacts of the reaction pressure, reaction temperature and reaction time of SH route, and the calcination temperature of SSR route on the purity, particle morphology and electrochemical properties of the prepared LiMn2O4 materials were studied. The experimental results show that after 15 min reaction in SH route at 400 ℃ and 30 MPa, the reaction time of SSR could be significantly decreased, e.g. down to 3 h with the formation temperature of 800 ℃, compared with the conventional solid state reaction method. The prepared LiMn2O4 material exhibits good crystallinity, uniform size distribution and good electrochemical performance, and has an initial specific capacity of 120 mA.h/g at a rate of 0.1C （1C=148 mA/g） and a good rate capability at high rates, even up to 50C.

Solid state interfacial reactions in electrodeposited Ni/Sn couples

Ni/Sn couples, prepared by sequentially electroplating Ni layers and Sn layers on metallized Si wafers, were employed to study the microstructures and growth kinetics of Ni-Sn intermediate phases, when the Ni/Sn couples were aged at room temperature or armealed at temperatures from 150 to 225℃ for various times. The results show that the NiSn phase and Ni3Sn4 phase are formed, respectively, in the aged couples and annealed couples. The Ni3Sn4 layer is continuously distributed between the Ni and Sn sides in the annealed Ni/Sn couples. The Ni3Sn4 growth follows parabolic growth kinetics with an apparent activation energy of 39.0 kJ/mol.

Reaction mechanisms for 0.5Li_2MnO_3 ·0.5LiMn_(0.5)Ni_(0.5)O_2 precursor prepared by low-heating solid state reaction

Lithium-excess manganese layered oxides, which are commonly described in chemical formula 0.5Li2MnO3·0.5LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2, were prepared by low-heating solid state reaction. The reaction mechanisms of synthesizing precursors, the decomposition mechanism, and intermediate materials in calcination were investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM）, thermogravimetric analysis （TGA）, and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）. The major diffraction patterns of 0.5Li2MnO3·0.5LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2 powder calcinated at 720℃ for 15 h are indexed to the hexagonal structure with a space group of R3m, and the clear splits of doublets at （006）/（102） and （108）/（110） indicate that the sample adopts a well-layered structure. FESEM images show that the size of the agglomerated particles of the sample ranges from 100 to 300 nm.

Synthesis of Mesoporous Chromium Aluminophosphate (CrAlPO) via Solid State Reaction at Low Temperature

Mesoporous chromium aluminophosphate （CrAIPO） was successfully synthesized via solid state reaction （SSR） route at low temperature in the presence of a cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide （CTAB） and inorganic sources such as A1C13 · 6H20, CrCI3 · 6H20 and NaH2PO4 · 2H20. Characterizations by means of powder X-ray diffraction （XRD）, N2 adsorption- desorption, high resolution transmission electron microscopy （HR-TEM）, scanning electron micrography （SEM）, energy dispersion spectroscopy （EDS）, thermo-gravimetry （TG）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR）, and ultraviolet visible light spectroscopy （UV-Vis） were carried out to understand both the pore characteristics and electron transition route of these obtained materials. The experimental results show that the meso-CrA1PO materials with various Cr/A1 molar ratios possess a mesostructure and a specific surface area of 193 to 310 m2/g corresponding to an average pore size of 5.5 to 2.2 rim, respectively. The maxium content of Cr in meso-CrA1PO materials synthesized via SSR route can achieve 16.7wt%, being significantly higher than that of the meso-CrA1PO prepared via a conventional sol-gel route. Meanwhile, the formation mechanism of the meso-CrA1PO was also proposed.

Kinetics of synthesis of Li_4Ti_5O_(12) through solid-solid reaction

Sohd-solid reaction under low heat or low temperature is an approach to synthesize various kinds of materials that were widely used in electrochemistry field. In this paper a theoretical treatment has been presented for analyzing the mechanism of sohd-solid reaction and deriving a series of formulae to describe the variation and rate of reactions. This new model has been used in the manufacturing of spinel Li4Ti5O12. The results show that this new model works very well and will play a useful role for guiding the manufacturing of electrochemical materials.

Solid State Reaction Yielding a Mineral Utilizing Silica Obtained from an Agricultural Waste

Wollastonite, a mineral of wide industrial applications was synthesised from rice husk ash silica and limestone. A number of raw batches consisting of these starting materials, in 1:1 molar ratio, were heat treated to produce it through solid state reaction from 900℃ to 1300℃. The conducted reaction was monitored by XRD step by step. Amount of Wollastonite formed at every temperature was also studied to some extent. Analyses of the obtained data indicated that the target mineral formation was quite effective and almost proportional to a rise in temperature up to 1200℃. The results from both, XRD and chemical analysis were found in fair agreement with one another

Theoretical Study of Reaction Paths and Transition States on Conversion Methane into C_2 Hydrocarbons Through Plasma

The direct synthesis of C2 hydrocarbons （ethylene, acetylene and ethane） from methane is one of the most important task in C1 chemistry. Higher conversion of methane and selectivity to C2 hydrocarbons can be real-ized through plasma reaction. In order to explore the reaction process and mechanism, the possible reaction paths （1）—（4） were proposed on coupling reaction of methane through plasma and studied theoretically using semi-PM3 method [PM3 is parameterization method of modified neglect of diatomic overlap （MNDO）] including determining the transition state, calculating the activation energy and thermodynamic state functions and analyzing the bond or-der and intrinsic reaction coordinate. The reaction heat results indicate that the reactions （2） and （4） are exothermic, while reactions of （1） and （3） are endothermic. The activation energy results show that activation energy for reac-tions （1） and （2） was much lower than that of reaction paths （3） and （4）. Therefore, paths （1） and （2） is the favorable reaction path energetically. More interestingly by comparing the intrinsic reaction coordinated （IRC） of the reaction paths （1） and （2）, it is found that the variations of bond lengths in reaction path （1） has a crucial effect on the poten-tial energy, while in reaction path （2）, the adjustment of the system geometry also contributes to the whole potential energy of the system.

Synthesis of Lanthanide β-Diketonates by Solid State Reaction at Low Heating Temperature

Solid state reactions between β diketones (HPMBP, HDBM) and LnAc 3· x H 2O(La,Nd: x =3/2;Tb: x =4) have been investigated at low heating temperature. Pure compounds of Ln(PMBP) 3 and Ln(DBM) 3 are obtained by solid state reaction, and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared radiation (IR),X ray diffraction (XRD) and photoacoustic spectra. The solid state reaction properties of β diketones and their influences on the structures of products are discussed.

Single Step Solid-Solid Reaction Scheme for the Synthesis of Cobalt Sulphide-Oxide Nanoparticles in Polymer Matrix

At present, there is considerable interest in polymer-metal chalcogenides/oxides based nano-composites on account of their tunable optical, magnetic, electronic and catalytic properties. Here in, we report a simple single step approach for the in-situ synthesis of combined cobalt sulphide/cobalt oxide in polyphenylenesulphide (PPS) polymer matrix. We have illustrated the suitability of this methodology by reacting commonly available cobalt precursors with engineering thermoplastic, PPS. The cobalt precursor was homogeneously mixed with PPS in the molar ratios of 1:1, 1:5, 1:10, 1:15, respectively, followed by heating the mixtures obtained at the melting temperature of the polymer (285?C) for six hours. The resultant products were characterized by X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM), Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) technique and Fourier Transformation Infra red Spectroscopy (FTIR). Formation of mixed phases viz., sulphide and oxide of cobalt within modified PPS matrix was confirmed by XRD. The resultant nanoparticles of cobalt sulphide and cobalt oxide embedded in the PPS matrix showed crooked and chunk morphology. The optical properties of the resultant nanocomposites indicate the shift in the absorption hump due to nanoscale size effect.

Scattering Resonance States and Partial Potential Energy Surface of Reaction I+HI(v=0)→IH(v′=0) +I

The partial potential energy surface of the I ＋ HI →IH ＋ I reaction involving the translational and vibrational motions has been constructed at the QCISD（ T ）//MP4SDQ level with the pseudo potential method that is helpful to interpreting the scattering resonance states. The lifetimes of the scattering resonance states in the title reaction obtained from the partial potential energy surface are about 90-120 fs, which agrees with the result of high-resolved threshold photodetachment spectroscopy of anion IHI^- measured by Neumark.

Synthesis of MgO-Al_2O_3/ZSM-5 by Solid State Reaction for Propane Dehydrogenation

Solid-state grinding is a simple and effective method to introduce guest species into the channels of microporous materials through filling.The structure and the surface acidity of the materials were obtained from BET isotherms and NH3-TPD,respectively.XRD,UV-vis,UV diffuse-reflectance,and TEM were used to characterize the phases,and the morphology,respectively.The clustered layers of MgO-Al2O3phases were formed in the internal pore surface and were highly dispersed inside the channels of the ZSM-5 host.So the volume of MgO-Al2O3/ZSM-5 composite was larger than the ZSM-5 zeolite itself and some mesoporous channels appeared when Mg/Al species entered the channels.Meanwhile,new acid sites emerged in MgO-Al2O3/ZSM-5 composite and the acid amount of the sample changed.The improved Pt dispersion and the increased acid content would cause the increase of propane conversion and the modification of selectivity during the reaction.

Inference of General Mass Action-Based State Equations for Oscillatory Biochemical Reaction Systems Using <i>k</i>-Step Genetic Programming

Systems biology requires the development of algorithms that use omics data to infer interaction networks among biomolecules working within an organism. One major type of evolutionary algorithm, genetic programming (GP), is useful for its high heuristic ability as a search method for obtaining suitable solutions expressed as tree structures. However, because GP determines the values of parameters such as coefficients by random values, it is difficult to apply in the inference of state equations that describe oscillatory biochemical reaction systems with high nonlinearity. Accordingly, in this study, we propose a new GP procedure called “k-step GP” intended for inferring the state equations of oscillatory biochemical reaction systems. The k-step GP procedure consists of two algorithms: 1) Parameter optimization using the modified Powell method—after genetic operations such as crossover and mutation, the values of parameters such as coefficients are optimized by applying the modified Powell method with secondary convergence. 2) GP using divided learning data—to improve the inference efficiency, imposes perturbations through the addition of learning data at various intervals and adaptations to these changes result in state equations with higher fitness. We are confident that k-step GP is an algorithm that is particularly well suited to inferring state equations for oscillatory biochemical reaction systems and contributes to solving inverse problems in systems biology.

STUDIES ON THE SOLID STATE REACTIONS OF COORDINATION COMPOUNDS： LXIX STEPWISE REACTION OF CuCl_2．2H_2O WITH 2，2＇－BIPYRIDYL

Consecutive reaction between two solids, CuCl2.2H2O and 2,2'-bipyridyl in 1:2 molar ratio proceed in tWo steps: the salt first converts to the mediate, then the mediate turns to the final product.

THE SOLID STATE ALDOL CONDENSATION REACTION OF ACETYLFERROCENE AND AROMATIC ALDEHYDES

The aldol condensation reactions of acetylferrocene with several aromatic aldehydes have been studied in the solid state.The results showed that they revealed different reactivities in the solid slate from that in solution and eight compounds have been prepared. Their structures have been characterized by UV,IR,1~HNMR,HS and elemental analysis.

Chemical Kinetic Aspects of Solid State Reaction Producing Wollastonite from Rice Husk Silica and Limestone

An industrial mineral wollastonite (CaSiO3) was produced under solid state conditions from rice husk silica and limestone. Reaction was carried out at 900'C to 1300'C for 1 h. The product batches were subjected to XRD and chemical analysis techniques specific for wollastonite. Mole fractions of different product batches were calculated on the basis of accumulated data to study the kinetics. Specific rate constants and reaction rate were also found out. Various probable models of mechanism for reaction were considered and testified with the laid down criterion for suggesting the suitable one. The resulting data were treated with Arrhenius equation as well and activation energy was calculated--therefrom. In addition to finding it's value from the slope of Arrhenius curve, an alternate method was also applied for this purpose. Both of the values were observed to be comparable. The activation energy required for performed reaction was found to be almost one third of that reported for synthesizing CaSiO3 by using quartz. This referred to the economical preparation of wollastonite by using rice husk as a source of silica instead of quartz.

A NEW APPROACH TO THE EQUATIONS FOR THE STEADY STATE CURRENTS AT MICROELECTRODES:EC'PROCESSES(SECOND ORDER REACTION)

With a new approach,the general current expressions of two typical second order catalytic reactions at microelectrodes are obtained.This allows the study of fast chemical reactions and systems where the reactants are present in similar concentrations.

Preparing Nano-ZnS by Solid State Reaction at Room Temperature

ZnS nanoparticles were prepared by using solid-state reaction method at room temperature in agate mortar for the first time. The average particle size was about 20nm. This reaction is affected by the structure of reactant, crystal water and defects.

Solid state interfacial reactions in electrodeposited Cu/Sn couples

Cu/Sn couples, prepared by sequentially electroplating Cu and Sn layers on metallized Si wafers, were employed to study the microstructures, phases and the growth kinetics of Cu-Sn intermediate phases, when electroplated Cu/Sn couples were aged at room temperature or annealed at temperatures from 373 K to 498 K for various time. Only Cu6Sn5 formed in aged couples or couples annealed at temperature below 398 K. The Cu6Sn5 layer was continuous, but not uniform, with protrusions extending into the Sn matrix. When Cu/Sn couples were annealed at temperatures from 423 K to 498 K, two continuous and uniform Cn6Sn5/Cu3Sn layers formed within the reaction region between Sn and Cu. There were many voids near the Cu3Sn/Cu interface and within the Cu3Sn layer. Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn formations both follow parabolic growth kinetics with activation energies of 41.4 kJ/mol for Cu6Sn5 and 90.4 kJ/mol for Cu3Sn, respectively.