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At least 361 records · Page 20

Gapless spinons and a field-induced soliton gap in the hyperhoneycomb Cu oxalate framework compound [(C 2 H 5 ) 3 NH] 2 Cu 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 3

Here, we report a detailed study of the specific heat and magnetic susceptibility of single crystals of a spin-liquid candidate: the hyperhoneycomb Cu oxalate framework compound [(C 2 H 5 ) 3 NH] 2 Cu 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 3 . The specific heat shows no anomaly associated with a magnetic transition at low temperatures down to T ~ 180 mK in zero magnetic field. We observe a large linear-in-T contribution to the specific heat γT, γ = 98 (1) mJ / mol K 2 , at low temperatures, indicative of the presence of fermionic excitations despite the Mott insulating state. The low-T specific heat is strongly suppressed by applied magnetic fields H, which induce an energy gap, Δ(H), in the spin-excitation spectrum. We use the four-component relativistic density-functional theory (DFT) to calculate the magnetic interactions, including the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya antisymmetric exchange, which causes an effective staggered field acting on one copper sublattice. The magnitude and field dependence of the field-induced gap, Δ (H) ∝ H 2/3 , are accurately predicted by the soliton mass calculated from the sine-Gordon model of weakly coupled antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chains with all parameters determined by our DFT calculations. Thus our experiment and calculations are entirely consistent with a model of [(C 2 H 5 ) 3 NH] 2 Cu 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 3 in which anisotropic magnetic exchange interactions due to Jahn-Teller distortion cause one copper sublattice to dimerize, leaving a second sublattice of weakly coupled antiferromagnetic chains. We also show that this model quantitatively accounts for the measured temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility. Thus [(C 2 H 5 ) 3 NH] 2 Cu 2 (C 2 O 4 ) 3 is a canonical example of a one-dimensional spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet and not a resonating-valence-bond quantum spin liquid, as previously proposed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Measurement of the absolute branching fraction of the three-body decay Λ c + → Ξ 0 K + π 0 and search for Λ c + → n K + π 0 , Σ 0 K + π 0 , and Λ K + π 0

The Cabbibo-favored decay Λ c + → Ξ 0 K + π 0 is studied for the first time using 6.1 fb − 1 of e + e − collision data at center-of-mass energies between 4.600 and 4.840 GeV, collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII collider. With a double-tag method, the branching fraction of the three-body decay Λ c + → Ξ 0 K + π 0 is measured to be ( 7.79 ± 1.46 ± 0.95 ) × 10 − 3 , where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The branching fraction of the two-body decay Λ c + → Ξ ( 1530 ) 0 K + is ( 5.99 ± 1.04 ± 0.32 ) × 10 − 3 , which is consistent with the previous result of ( 5.02 ± 0.99 ± 0.31 ) × 10 − 3 . In addition, the upper limit on the branching fraction of the doubly Cabbibo-suppressed decay Λ c + → n K + π 0 is 7.1 × 10 − 4 at the 90% confidence level. The upper limits on the branching fractions of Λ c + → Σ 0 K + π 0 and Λ K + π 0 are also determined to be 1.8 × 10 − 3 and 2.0 × 10 − 3 , respectively. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Ablikim, M.↗

Long‐Range Confinement‐Driven Enrichment of Surface Oxygen‐Relevant Species Promotes C−C Electrocoupling in CO 2 Reduction

Abstract CO 2 reduction is a highly attractive route to transform CO 2 into useful feedstocks, of which C 2 products are more desired than C 1 , yet face high kinetic barriers of C−C electrocoupling. Here, the engineering of pore‐enabled local confinement reaction environments is reported for tuning the enrichment of surface‐adsorbed oxygen‐relevant species and the establishment of their pronounced benefits in promoting C−C coupling over oxide‐derived Cu‐based catalysts. A new approach of utilizing the microphase separation of a block copolymer is developed to fabricate bicontinuous mesoporous CuO nanofibers (CuO‐BPNF). The enhanced confinement from long‐range mesochannels enables the adsorption of OH ad /O ad on the Cu surface at a wide negative potential range of −0.7 – −1.3 V in CO 2 reduction, which cannot be achieved over conventional deficient and short‐range pores. Constant‐potential DFT calculations reveal that the surface‐bound oxygen species weakens *CO affinity with the Cu (111) surface and lowers the kinetic barriers for both *CO−CO dimerization and *CO hydrogenation to enable *CO−CHO coupling. Accordingly, a CO 2 ‐to‐C 2 Faradaic efficiency of 74.7% over CuO‐BPNF is shown, significantly larger than counterparts with conventional pores. This work offers a general design principle of confinement engineering to manage the adsorption of reactive species for steering reaction pathways in interfacial catalysis.

Chemistry↗

Semiempirical breakdown curves of C 2 N (+) and C 3 N (+) molecules; application to products branching ratios predictions of physical and chemical processes involving these adducts

Here, we constructed semiempirical breakdown curves (BDC) for C 2 N, C 3 N, C 2 N + and C 3 N + molecules. These BDC, which are energy dependent dissociation branching ratios (BR) curves, were used to predict products branching ratios for various processes leading to the formation of C 2 N (+) and C 3 N (+) excited adducts. These processes, of astrochemical interest, are neutral-neutral and ion-molecule reactions, dissociative recombination and charge transfer reactions with He + . Model predictions of BR are compared to the literature data and to reported values in the kinetic database for astrochemistry KIDA. With the new BR values, the C n N abundances in cold cores were simulated.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Insights into Nonelectroactive C–C Bond Formation on Cu(100) during Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction from Multiconfigurational Wavefunction Theory

Carbon–carbon (C–C) bond formation is necessary for hydrocarbon (and oxygenate) synthesis beyond methane (and formate/formic acid) during electrochemical CO and CO 2 reduction (ECOR and ECO 2 R). Cu has notable ability to form hydrocarbons compared to other pure metals. In particular, the (100) facet of face-centered cubic Cu forms ethylene competitively with H 2 and methane during both ECOR and ECO 2 R. Past simulations based on density functional theory (DFT) with standard exchange-correlation functional approximations predict fast nonelectroactive C–C bond formation channels involving adsorbed (*) CO together with another *CO, formyl (*CHO), or hydroxymethylidyne (*COH), forming OC*–*CO, OC*–CHO*, and OC*–*COH, respectively. Such simulations support the prevailing hypothesis that emergence of C 2 products is kinetically determined at the early stages of the reduction chemistry. Here we show, via simulations with more accurate many-body, i.e., “correlated”, wavefunction theory (enabled by an embedding scheme), that the coupling of *CO with a *CO or a *COH (previously predicted at the same level of theory to kinetically dominate over *CHO as the one-electron reduction product of *CO) is highly activated (kinetically impeded), with free energy barriers >1 eV, in contradiction to previous DFT-based simulations. Intriguingly, we find that the coupling of two adjacent *COHs incurs only a small barrier (<0.3 eV) and is exoergic (< –1 eV); however, given the predicted low surface mobility of *COH, the emergence of HOC*–*COH is also improbable, at least at low *COH coverages. We therefore conclude that it is highly unlikely for *CO to participate in nonelectroactive C–C bond formation on pristine Cu(100), contrary to conventional wisdom, and that the energetically favorable *COH dimerization may occur only after substantial buildup of *COH on the surface.

adsorption↗

U–C Bond Insertion, Ring-Opening, and C–H Activation in a Uranium Bis(diisopropylamino)cyclopropenylidene (BAC) Adduct

Reaction of [U(NR 2 ) 3 ] (R = SiMe 3 ) with 1 equiv of bis(diisopropylamino)cyclopropenylidene (BAC) in Et 2 O results in the formation of [(NR 2 ) 3 U(BAC)] (1), which can be isolated in modest yields. Thermolysis of 1 in C 6 D 6 at 85 °C results in the formation of the ring-opened U(IV) product, [(NR 2 ) 2 U{N(R)(SiMe 2 CH=C(NiPr 2 )C(NiPr 2 )=CH)}] (2), which can be isolated in low yields. Mechanistic studies suggest that the formation of 2 proceeds via dissociation of BAC from 1 to regenerate [U(NR 2 ) 3 ], which converts into [U{N(R)(SiMe 2 CH 2 )}(NR 2 ) 2 ] at the elevated temperatures. BAC then inserts into the U–C bond of [U{N(R)(SiMe 2 CH 2 )}(NR 2 ) 2 ] to generate a cyclopropenyl intermediate, which undergoes ring opening and C–H activation to afford the final product, 2. We hypothesize that the ring-opening generates an unobserved carbene intermediate. Notably, thermolysis of a 1:1 mixture of independently prepared [U{N(R)(SiMe 2 CH 2 )}(NR 2 ) 2 ] and BAC results in clean formation of 2, providing strong support for the proposed mechanism. The formulations of both 1 and 2 were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Finally, theoretical calculations indicate that the hypothesized uranium carbene intermediate features strong U–C bonding, potentially with some carbyne character in the electronic structure.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Force-Modulated C–C Reductive Elimination from Nickel Bis(polyfluorophenyl) Complexes

We have analyzed the rate of C(sp 2 )–C(sp 2 ) reductive elimination from nickel(II) bis(2,4,6-trifluorophenyl) complex-es (P–P)Ni(2,4,6-C 6 H 2 F 3 ) 2 containing either MeOBiPhep (3a) or macrocyclic bisphosphine ligand (3b-3e) as a func-tion of force applied to the biaryl backbone of these ligands through intramolecular tension generated by a molecular force probe. Nickel complexes 3 were isolated in 22-60% yield from reaction of bisphosphine with the bis(tetrahydrofuranyl) complex (THF) 2 Ni(2,4,6-C 6 H 2 F 3 ) 2 followed by chromatography. Thermolysis of complexes 3 in C 6 D 6 at 68 °C leads to first-order decay through > 3 half-lives to form 2,2',4,4',6,6'-hexaflurorobiphenyl as the exclusive fluorine-containing product in ≥93% yield. Whereas compressive forces up to –65 pN have no significant effect on the rate of reductive elimination, extension forces increase the rate of reductive elimination by a factor of three over a ~230 pN range of restoring forces relative to the strain-free MeOBiphep complex. Furthermore, the rate response of reductive elimination from nickel(II) bis(trifluorophenyl) complexes as a function of extension force is similar to the previously reported 2.8-fold increase in the rate of reductive elimination from platinum diaryl complexes (P–P)Pt(4-C 6 H 4 NMe 2 ) 2 over the same range of forces

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Controlling Selective C–O and C–H Bond Scission of Methanol by Supporting Pt on TiN and Mo 2 N Model Surfaces and Powder Catalysts

Transition metal nitrides (TMNs) have been explored as effective supports for Pt due to their Pt-like electronic properties. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding regarding the behavior of Pt on different TMNs (Pt/TMN). Herein two TMNs, Mo 2 N and TiN, were modified with Pt and compared using methanol decomposition as a probe reaction via both ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) studies on thin films and ambient-pressure batch reactor studies of powder catalysts. Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) measurements were conducted under UHV conditions with Mo 2 N and TiN thin films. Mo 2 N was shown to favor C–H bond scission to form CO with a 56.2% selectivity, while TiN favored C–O bond scission to form CH 4 with a 74.5% selectivity. The addition of 0.9 monolayers (MLs) of Pt increased C–H bond scission selectivity to 89.7% and 49.2% for Mo 2 N and TiN respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on model surfaces revealed that the binding energy of O (BE *O ) was significantly reduced on Pt/TMNs, from −4.02 eV on Mo 2 N to −1.31 eV on Pt/Mo 2 N and −4.74 eV on TiN to −1.37 eV on Pt/TiN. As a result, C–O bond scission pathways were suppressed, leading to the preferential C–H bond scission that was observed experimentally. The C–O and C–H bond scission trends observed on thin films were then extended to powder catalysts, which demonstrated similar trends toward methanol decomposition. In conclusion, results from the current study establish that by combining UHV studies and DFT calculations over model surfaces, one can effectively predict the catalytic behavior of realistic TMN powder catalysts.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Two-bond 13 C– 13 C spin-coupling constants in saccharides: dependencies on exocyclic hydroxyl group conformation

Seven doubly 13 C-labeled isotopomers of methyl β-D-glucopyranoside, methyl β-D-xylopyranoside, methyl β-D-galactopyranoside, methyl β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranoside and methyl β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranoside were prepared, crystallized, and studied by single-crystal X-ray crystallography and solid-state 13 C NMR spectroscopy to determine experimentally the dependence of 2 J C1,C3 values in aldopyranosyl rings on the C1–C2–O2–H torsion angle, θ 2 , involving the C2 carbon of the C1–C2–C3 coupling pathway. Using X-ray crystal structures to determine θ 2 in crystalline samples and by selecting compounds that exhibit a relatively wide range of θ 2 values in the crystalline state, 2 J C1,C3 values measured in crystalline samples were plotted against θ 2 and the resulting plot compared to that obtained from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. For θ 2 values ranging from ~90° to ~240°, very good agreement was observed between the experimental and theoretical plots, providing strong validation of DFT-calculated spin-coupling dependencies on exocyclic C–O bond conformation involving the central carbon of geminal C–C–C coupling pathways. we report that these findings provide new experimental evidence supporting the use of 2 J CCC values as non-conventional spin-coupling constraints in MA'AT conformational modeling of saccharides in solution, and the use of NMR spin-couplings not involving coupled hydroxyl hydrogens as indirect probes of C–O bond conformation. Solvomorphism was observed in crystalline βGal-(1→4)-βGlcOCH 3 wherein the previously-reported methanol solvate form was found to spontaneously convert to a monohydrate upon air-drying, leading to small but discernible conformational changes in, and a new crystalline form of, this disaccharide.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Constructing a square-like copper cluster to boost C–C coupling for CO 2 electroreduction to ethylene

The CO 2 electroreduction reaction (CO 2 ER) to ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) offers the dual promise of lowering CO 2 emission while storing energy from renewable electricity, for which the development of highly efficient electrocatalysts is of great significance. Herein, by means of density functional theory (DFT) computations, we designed an electrocatalyst for CO 2 -to-C 2 H 4 conversion by anchoring a Cu 5 cluster supported on a MoS 2 monolayer with an S monovacancy (Cu 5 @MoS 2 ). Our results revealed that one Cu atom of the Cu 5 cluster was embedded into the framework of the defective MoS 2 monolayer, while the other four Cu atoms form a square-like island over the substrate surface. Interestingly, the C–C coupling between two *CO species can easily occur on the unique square-like active site with a low kinetic barrier of 0.56 eV to form the key *C 2 O 2 intermediate, which can then be hydrogenated to the C 2 H 4 product with a very low limiting potential (–0.32 eV). Significantly, alkaline conditions (pH = 13) are beneficial to further promote C 2 H 4 synthesis. Finally, our work may offer a new avenue to precisely modulate the structures of Cu clusters for converting CO 2 into high-value target products.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Magnetic properties of Co{sub 2−x}TM{sub x}C and Co{sub 3−x}TM{sub x}C nanoparticles

Using synthetic chemical approaches, it is now possible to synthesize transition metal carbides nanoparticles with morphology, where the transition metal layers are embedded with intervening layers of carbon atoms. A composite material consisting of Co{sub 2}C and Co{sub 3}C nanoparticles has been found to exhibit unusually large coercivity and energy product. Here, we demonstrate that the magnetic moments and the anisotropy can be further enhanced by using a combination of Co and other transition metals (TM). Our studies are based on mixed nanoparticles Co{sub 2−x}TM{sub x}C and Co{sub 3−x}TM{sub x}C, in which selected Co sites are replaced with 3d transition elements Cr, Mn, and Fe. The studies indicate that the replacement of Co by Fe results in an increase of both the magnetic moment and the magnetic anisotropy. In particular, CoFe{sub 2}C is shown to have an average spin moment of 2.56 μ{sub B} and a magnetic anisotropy of 0.353 meV/formula unit compared to 1.67 μ{sub B} and 0.206 meV/formula unit for the Co{sub 3}C. Detailed examination of the electronic structure shows that the limited hybridization of carbon p-states with transition metal d-states drives the larger anisotropy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-resolution photoelectron imaging of cold C{sub 60}{sup −} anions and accurate determination of the electron affinity of C{sub 60}

High-resolution photoelectron imaging and spectroscopy of cold C{sub 60}{sup −} anions are reported using a newly built photoelectron imaging apparatus coupled with an electrospray ionization source and a temperature-controlled cryogenic ion trap. Vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectra are obtained for the detachment transition from the ground state of C{sub 60}{sup −} to that of C{sub 60} at various detachment wavelengths from 354.84 nm to 461.35 nm. The electron affinity of C{sub 60} is accurately measured to be 2.6835 ± 0.0006 eV. Numerous unexpected vibrational excitations are observed in the photoelectron spectra due to the Jahn-Teller effect in C{sub 60}{sup −} and Hertzberg-Teller vibronic coupling in both C{sub 60}{sup −} and C{sub 60}. Both the relative intensities of vibrational peaks and their photoelectron angular distributions provide evidence for the vibronic couplings. The observed p-wave-like behavior in the angular distribution of the 0{sub 0}{sup 0} transition suggests that the electron is detached from an s-type orbital.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Model-free estimation of the effective correlation time for C–H bond reorientation in amphiphilic bilayers: {sup 1}H–{sup 13}C solid-state NMR and MD simulations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations give atomically detailed information on structure and dynamics in amphiphilic bilayer systems on timescales up to about 1 μs. The reorientational dynamics of the C–H bonds is conventionally verified by measurements of {sup 13}C or {sup 2}H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) longitudinal relaxation rates R{sub 1}, which are more sensitive to motional processes with correlation times close to the inverse Larmor frequency, typically around 1-10 ns on standard NMR instrumentation, and are thus less sensitive to the 10-1000 ns timescale motion that can be observed in the MD simulations. We propose an experimental procedure for atomically resolved model-free estimation of the C–H bond effective reorientational correlation time τ{sub e}, which includes contributions from the entire range of all-atom MD timescales and that can be calculated directly from the MD trajectories. The approach is based on measurements of {sup 13}C R{sub 1} and R{sub 1ρ} relaxation rates, as well as {sup 1}H−{sup 13}C dipolar couplings, and is applicable to anisotropic liquid crystalline lipid or surfactant systems using a conventional solid-state NMR spectrometer and samples with natural isotopic composition. The procedure is demonstrated on a fully hydrated lamellar phase of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine, yielding values of τ{sub e} from 0.1 ns for the methyl groups in the choline moiety and at the end of the acyl chains to 3 ns for the g{sub 1} methylene group of the glycerol backbone. MD simulations performed with a widely used united-atom force-field reproduce the τ{sub e}-profile of the major part of the acyl chains but underestimate the dynamics of the glycerol backbone and adjacent molecular segments. The measurement of experimental τ{sub e}-profiles can be used to study subtle effects on C–H bond reorientational motions in anisotropic liquid crystals, as well as to validate the C–H bond reorientation dynamics predicted in MD simulations of amphiphilic bilayers such as lipid membranes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Exohedral M–C{sub 60} and M{sub 2}–C{sub 60} (M = Pt, Pd) systems as tunable-gap building blocks for nanoarchitecture and nanocatalysis

Transition metal–fullerenes complexes with metal atoms bound on the external surface of C{sub 60} are promising building blocks for next-generation fuel cells and catalysts. Yet, at variance with endohedral M@C{sub 60}, they have received a limited attention. By resorting to first principles simulations, we elucidate structural and electronic properties for the Pd–C{sub 60}, Pt–C{sub 60}, PtPd–C{sub 60}, Pd{sub 2}–C{sub 60}, and Pt{sub 2}–C{sub 60} complexes. The most stable structures feature the metal atom located above a high electron density site, namely, the π bond between two adjacent hexagons (π-66 bond). When two metal atoms are added, the most stable configuration is those in which metal atoms still stand on π-66 bonds but tends to clusterize. The electronic structure, rationalized in terms of localized Wannier functions, provides a clear picture of the underlying interactions responsible for the stability or instability of the complexes, showing a strict relationship between structure and electronic gap.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Risks for the global freshwater system at 1.5 °C and 2 °C global warming

To support implementation of the Paris Agreement, the new HAPPI ensemble of 20 bias-corrected simulations of four climate models was used to drive two global hydrological models, WaterGAP and LPJmL, for assessing freshwater-related hazards and risks in worlds approximately 1.5 °C and 2 °C warmer than pre-industrial. Quasi-stationary HAPPI simulations are better suited than transient CMIP-like simulations for assessing hazards at the two targeted long-term global warming (GW) levels. We analyzed seven hydrological hazard indicators that characterize freshwater-related hazards for humans, freshwater biota and vegetation. Using a strict definition for significant differences, we identified for all but one indicator that areas with either significantly wetter or drier conditions (calculated as percent changes from 2006–2015) are smaller in the 1.5 °C world. For example, 7 day high flow is projected to increase significantly on 11% and 21% of the global land area at 1.5 °C and 2 °C, respectively. However, differences between hydrological hazards at the two GW levels are significant on less than 12% of the area. GW affects a larger area and more people by increases—rather than by decreases—of mean annual and 1-in-10 dry year streamflow, 7 day high flow, and groundwater recharge. The opposite is true for 7 day low flow, maximum snow storage, and soil moisture in the driest month of the growing period. Mean annual streamflow shows the lowest projected percent changes of all indicators. Among country groups, low income countries and lower middle income countries are most affected by decreased low flows and increased high flows, respectively, while high income countries are least affected by such changes. The incremental impact between 1.5 °C and 2 °C on high flows would be felt most by low income and lower middle income countries, the effect on soil moisture and low flows most by high income countries.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

LABORATORY GAS-PHASE DETECTION OF THE CYCLOPROPENYL CATION (c-C{sub 3}H{sub 3} {sup +})

The cyclopropenyl cation (c-C{sub 3}H{sub 3} {sup +}) is the smallest aromatic hydrocarbon molecule and considered to be a pivotal intermediate in ion-molecule reactions in space. An astronomical identification has been prohibited so far, because of a lack of gas-phase data. Here we report the first high resolution infrared laboratory gas-phase spectrum of the ν {sub 4} (C-H asymmetric stretching) fundamental band of c-C{sub 3}H{sub 3} {sup +}. The c-C{sub 3}H{sub 3} {sup +} cations are generated in supersonically expanding planar plasma by discharging a propyne/helium gas pulse, yielding a rotational temperature of ∼35 K. The absorption spectrum is recorded in the 3.19 μm region using sensitive continuous-wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy. The analysis of about 130 ro-vibrational transitions results in precise spectroscopic parameters. These constants allow for an accurate comparison with high-level theoretical predictions, and provide the relevant information needed to search for this astrochemically relevant carbo-cation in space.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗