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At least 73 records · Page 4

Directing Boron–Phosphorus Bonds in Crystalline Solid: Oxidative Polymerization of P=B=P Monomers into 1D Chains

Over 20 years after the last inorganic ternary B–P compound was reported, Na 2 BP 2 , a new compound containing one-dimensional B–P polyanionic chains has been synthesized. Common high-temperature synthetic methods required for the direct reaction of boron and phosphorus negate the possible formation of metastable or low temperature phases. In this study, oxidative elimination was used to successfully condense 0D BP 2 3– anionic monomers found in a Na 3 BP 2 precursor into unique 1D BP 2 2– chains consisting of five-member B 2 P 3 rings connected by bridging P atoms in the crystal structure of Na 2 BP 2 . In conclusion, the synthesis was guided by in situ X-ray powder diffraction studies, which revealed the metastable nature of the products of oxidative elimination reactions. Na 2 BP 2 is predicted to be an electron balanced semiconductor which was confirmed by UV–vis spectroscopy with the experimentally determined band gap of 1.1 eV.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Incipient microphase separation in short chain perfluoropolyether-block-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers

Here, incipient microphase separation is observed by wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) in short chain multiblock copolymers consisting of perfluoropolyether (PFPE) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) segments. Two PFPE–PEO block copolymers were studied; one with dihydroxyl end groups and one with dimethyl carbonate end groups. Despite having a low degree of polymerization (N ~ 10), these materials exhibited significant scattering intensity, due to disordered concentration fluctuations between their PFPE-rich and PEO-rich domains. The disordered scattering intensity was fit to a model based on a multicomponent random phase approximation to determine the value of the interaction parameter, χ, and the radius of gyration, R g . Over the temperature range 30–90 °C, the values of χ were determined to be very large (~2–2.5), indicating a high degree of immiscibility between the PFPE and PEO blocks. In PFPE–PEO, due to the large electron density contrast between the fluorinated and non-fluorinated block and the high value of χ, disordered scattering was detected at intermediate scattering angles, (q ~ 2 nm -1 ) for relatively small polymer chains. Finally, our ability to detect concentration fluctuations was enabled by both a relatively large value of χ and significant scattering contrast.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Complex statistics and diffusion in nonlinear disordered particle chains

We investigate dynamically and statistically diffusive motion in a Klein-Gordon particle chain in the presence of disorder. In particular, we examine a low energy (subdiffusive) and a higher energy (self-trapping) case and verify that subdiffusive spreading is always observed. We then carry out a statistical analysis of the motion, in both cases, in the sense of the Central Limit Theorem and present evidence of different chaos behaviors, for various groups of particles. Integrating the equations of motion for times as long as 10{sup 9}, our probability distribution functions always tend to Gaussians and show that the dynamics does not relax onto a quasi-periodic Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser torus and that diffusion continues to spread chaotically for arbitrarily long times.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Quantum breathers in Heisenberg ferromagnetic chains with Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction

We present an analytical study on quantum breathers in one-dimensional ferromagnetic XXZ chains with Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction by means of the time-dependent Hartree approximation and the semidiscrete multiple-scale method. The stationary localized single-boson wave functions are obtained and these analytical solutions are checked by numerical simulations. With such stationary localized single-boson wave functions, we construct quantum breather states. Furthermore, the role of the Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction is discussed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Structural instability of the CoO 4 tetrahedral chain in SrCoO 3-δ thin films

Raman scattering experiments together with detailed lattice dynamic calculations are performed to elucidate crystallographic and electronic peculiarities of SrCoO 3-δ films. We observe that the 85 cm -1 phonon mode involving the rotation of a CoO 4 tetrahedron undergoes a hardening by 21 cm -1 when the temperature is decreased. In addition, new phonon modes appear at 651.5 and 697.6 cm -1 . The latter modes are attributed to the Jahn-Teller activated modes. Upon cooling from room temperature, all phonons exhibit an exponential-like increase of intensity with a characteristic energy of about 103–107 K. We attribute this phenomenon to an instability of the CoO 4 tetrahedral chain structure, which constitutes a key ingredient to understand the electronic and structural properties of the brownmillerite SrCoO 2.5 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Contrasting effects of glutamate and branched-chain amino acid metabolism on acid tolerance in a Castellaniella isolate from acidic groundwater

Groundwater acidification co-occurring with nitrate pollution is a common, global environmental health hazard. Denitrifying bacteria have been leveraged for the in situ removal of nitrate in groundwater. However, co-existing stressors—such as low pH—reduce the efficacy of biological removal processes. Castellaniella sp. str. MT123 is a complete denitrifier that was isolated from acidic, nitrate-contaminated groundwater. The strain grows robustly by nitrate respiration at pH < 6.0, completely reducing nitrate to dinitrogen gas. Genomic analyses of MT123 revealed few previously characterized acid tolerance genes. Thus, we utilized a combination of proteomics, metabolomics, and competitive mutant fitness to characterize the genetic mechanisms of MT123 acclimation to growth under mildly acidic conditions. We found that glutamate accumulation is critical in the acid acclimation of MT123, possibly through consumption of intracellular protons via glutamate decarboxylation to GABA. This is despite the fact that MT123 lacks the canonical glutamate decarboxylase-glutamate/GABA antiporter system implicated in acid tolerance in other bacteria. In contrast, branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) accumulation was detrimental to cell growth at lower pHs, possibly through indirect mechanisms impacting the cellular glutamate pool. Genetic analysis previously linked MT123 to a population of Castellaniella that bloomed—concurrent to nitrate removal—during a biostimulation effort to reduce groundwater nitrate concentrations at MT123’s location of origin. Thus, our analyses provide novel insight into mechanisms of acclimation to acidic conditions in a strain with significant potential for nitrate bioremediation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

An algorithm for converting a virtual-bond chain into a complete polypeptide backbone chain

A systematic analysis is presented of the algorithm for converting a virtual-bond chain, defined by the coordinates of the alpha-carbons of a given protein, into a complete polypeptide backbone. An alternative algorithm, based upon the same set of geometric parameters used in the Purisima-Scheraga algorithm but with a different "linkage map" of the algorithmic procedures, is proposed. The global virtual-bond chain geometric constraints are more easily separable from the loal peptide geometric and energetic constraints derived from, for example, the Ramachandran criterion, within the framework of this approach.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗

Electrode assemblies composed of redox cascades from microbial respiratory electron transfer chains

Respiratory and photosynthetic electron transfer chains are dependent on vectorial electron transfer through a series of redox proteins. Examples include electron transfer from NapC to NapAB nitrate reductase in Paracoccus denitrificans and from CymA to Fcc 3 (flavocytochrome c 3 ) fumarate reductase in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. In the present article, we demonstrate that graphite electrodes can serve as surfaces for the stepwise adsorption of NapC and NapAB, and the stepwise adsorption of CymA and Fcc 3 . Aspects of the catalytic properties of these assemblies are different from those of NapAB and Fcc 3 adsorbed in isolation. We propose that this is due to the formation of NapC-NapAB and of CymA-Fcc 3 complexes that are capable of supporting vectorial electron transfer.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Supply Chain Sustainability Analysis of Renewable Hydrocarbon Fuels via Hydrothermal Liquefaction, Combined Algal Processing, and Biochemical Conversion: Update of the 2022 State-of-Technology Cases

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) aims to develop and deploy technologies to transform renewable biomass resources into commercially viable, high-performance biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower through public and private partnerships. BETO and its national laboratory teams conduct in-depth techno-economic assessments (TEA) of biomass feedstock supply and logistics and conversion technologies to produce biofuels. There are two general types of TEAs: A design case outlines a target case (future projection) for a particular biofuel pathway. It informs R&D priorities by identifying areas in need of improvement, tracks sustainability impact of R&D, and provides goals and benchmarks against which technology progress is assessed. A state of technology (SOT) analysis assesses progress within and across relevant technology areas based on actual results at current experimental scales relative to technical targets and cost goals from design cases, and includes technical, economic, and environmental criteria as available. In addition to developing a TEA for a pathway of interest, BETO also performs a supply chain sustainability analysis (SCSA). The SCSA takes the life-cycle analysis approach that BETO has been supporting for over 20 years. It enables BETO to identify energy consumption, environmental, and sustainability issues that may be associated with biofuel production. Approaches to mitigating these issues can then be developed. Additionally, the SCSA allows for comparison of energy and environmental impacts across biofuel pathways in BETO's research and development portfolio. This technical report describes the SCSAs for the production of renewable hydrocarbon transportation fuels via a range of conversion technologies in the 2022 SOTs: (1) renewable hydrocarbon fuels via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of wet sludge from a wastewater treatment plant; (2) renewable hydrocarbon fuels via biochemical conversion of herbaceous lignocellulosic biomass; (3) renewable hydrocarbon fuels via HTL of an algae/woody biomass blend; and (4) renewable hydrocarbon fuels via combined algae processing (CAP).

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗