Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Preparation And Electrocatalytic Performance Of Feni-Cop/Nc Bifunctional Catalyst, Si-Miao Liu, Jing-Jiao Zhou, Shi-Jun Ji, Zhong-Sheng Wen

Journal of Electrochemistry

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries have gradually attracted much attention worldwide due to their high capacity, high energy density and low price. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) correspond to the charging and discharging processes in rechargeable zinc-air battery, respectively. At present, commercial Pt/C and IrO₂ catalysts hinder the large-scale application of zinc-air batteries due to low reserves, high prices and poor stability. Therefore, exploring high performance, low cost and high stability with dual functional catalysts is important for the development of rechargeable zinc-Air batteries. The metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have high specific surface area, structural stability, good catalytic …

Charge-Dependence Of Dissolution/Deposition Energy Barrier On Cu(111) Electrode Surface By Multiscale Simulations, Hang Qiao, Yong Zhu, Sheng Sun, Tong-Yi Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Behaviors of electrified interface under different applied potentials/charges play the central role in electroplating process and electrochemical corrosion. The mechanism, however, is unclear yet for a surface atom dissolving/depositing from/on an electrode surface under an applied potential. The energy barrier along the reaction path is the key variable. The present work conductes hybrid first-principle/hybrid calculations to study the direct and indirect dissolution/deposition of a Cu atom on perfect/stepped Cu(111) planar electrodes in an electrolyte under different excess charges. Energy profiles present a linear relationship between the energies of the initial/final state and the activation state of different reaction paths under …

Research Progress And Performance Improvement Strategies Of Hard Carbon Anode Materials For Sodium-Ion Batteries, Xiu-Ping Yin, Yu-Feng Zhao, Jiu-Jun Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

This paper systematically summarizes the research progress of hard carbon anode materials in sodium ion batteries(SIBs) and the development of the corresponding sodium storage mechanism in recent years, and reviews the performance improvement strategies of hard carbon materials from the aspects of structural design and electrolyte regulation. The effects of the selection of precursors, carbonization temperature, pretreatment, pore formers, heteroatom doping, material compounding, electrolyte regulation and pre-sodiumization on the sodium storage performance of hard carbon anode materials are briefly described. This paper provides new insights into the design, synthesis and electrolyte
matching of high-performance and low-cost hard carbon materials, and …

Surface Modifications Of Lini0.96Co0.02Mn0.02O2 With Tungsten Oxide And Phosphotungstic Acid, Gang Zhao, Zheng-Liang Gong, Yi-Xiao Li, Yong Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

With the rapid development of electric vehicles, enormous demands are made for higher energy density, better cycling performance and lower cost of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). As an important high capacity cathode material for LIBs, the high nickel layered oxide material LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂(NCM811) can reach an energy density of 760 Wh·kg^-1. The ultra-high nickel ternary positive electrode material (LiNi_1-x-yCo_xMn_yO₂, x ≥ 0.90) has a specific capacity of more than 210 mAh·g^-1, and can realize higher energy density. Besides, an ultra-high nickel material …

Affordances And Limitations Of Molecular Representations In General And Organic Chemistry, Ayesha Farheen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Molecular representations that show chemical bonding are ubiquitous in general and organic chemistry. These help in communicating chemistry concepts that are fundamental to understanding how and why molecules interact. The goal of this dissertation work is to offer an evidence-based report on the affordances and limitations of the variety of molecular representations by chemistry topic. The variety of representations investigated are chemical formula, Lewis dot structure, line-angle diagram, ball and stick, space filling, and electrostatic potential maps. Five studies were conducted with general and organic chemistry students and three key findings emerged. First, affordances and limitations of molecular representations are …

Experimental And Simulation Study Of Reactive Silver Ink Droplet Evaporation, Weipeng Zhang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The evaporation of particle-free silver ink droplets on heated substrates directly impacts the morphology of the resultant silver particles and films. In this thesis, COMSOL Multiphysics simulations of the solvent (water-ethylene glycol mixture) droplet evaporation process are used to explain the microflows, mass transfers, and heat distribution responsible for the experimental observations. The reactive ink incorporates fluoro-surfactant FS-31 and poly (acrylamide) (PAM) to suppress the coffee-ring effect that negatively impacts the electrical conductivity. Experiments show that the droplet evaporation process results in varied silver particle morphology, depending on the locations within the droplet, leading to uneven surfaces. Large particles (3 …

Modification Of Chitosan Using Glycidyl Methacrylate-Grafted Cellulose (Gmagcell/ Chi) For Methylene Blue Adsorption, Haya Fathana, Rahmi Rahmi, Muhammad Adlim, Surya Lubis

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

In this study, a glycidyl methacrylate-grafted cellulose/chitosan (GMA-g-Cell/Chi) film was successfully prepared and characterized. GMA-g-Cell was obtained from the grafting process of cellulose derived from sugarcane bagasse using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). The cellulose grafting process was obtained using 20% GMA for 4 hours at 60oC. The percentage of grafting (PG) and grafting efficiency (GE) values for these parameters were 516 and 60.28%, respectively. Chitosan was modified with GMA-g-Cell and has higher adsorption capacity and tensile strength than chitosan. The adsorption kinetics tend to follow the pseudo-first-order adsorption kinetics model, with Qe and k1 being 7 mg/g and 0.067 g/mg. minute. …

Glow Soap Faucets For Medical Settings - Partnering With A Startup, James Christenson

Day of Scholarship

Hand hygiene is critical in many sectors of society and particularly in medical settings. Abluo is a startup company that designed an automated faucet with a black light and glowing soap. This allows users to visualize soap coverage during lathering and soap removal during rinsing. A study run at Bethel University found that users had 2.7x fewer bacteria on their hands after using an Abluo glow soap faucet system compared to a standard handwash. A glow soap faucet system was also installed at Regions Hospital (St. Paul, MN). The response from medical professionals was overwhelmingly positive, with 95% agreeing with …

Computational Chemistry At Bethel, Rollin King

Day of Scholarship

In the 21st century, computational methods play a significant role in all areas of chemistry, ranging from small-molecule spectroscopy to drug design. Research in computational chemistry is multidisciplinary, involving the application of physics, math, and computer science to address questions and challenges in chemistry. This poster will survey the field, highlight the outstanding work of Bethel students, and present a couple of ongoing projects.

Postsynthetic Modification Of The Nonanuclear Node In A Zirconium Metal−Organic Framework For Photocatalytic Oxidation Of Hydrocarbons, Rebecca Shu Hui Khoo, Christian Fiankor, Sizhuo Yang, Wenhui Hu, Chongqing Yang, Jingzhi Lu, Martha D. Morton, Xu Zhang, Yi Liu, Jier Huang, Jian Zhang

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Heterogeneous catalysis plays an indispensable role in chemical production and energy conversion. Incorporation of transition metals into metal oxides and zeolites is a common strategy to fine-tune the activity and selectivity of the resulting solid catalysts, as either the active center or promotor. Studying the underlying mechanism is however challenging. Decorating the metal-oxo clusters with transition metals in metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) via postsynthetic modification offers a rational approach to construct well-defined structural models for better understanding of the reaction mechanism. Therefore, it is important to expand the materials scope beyond the currently widely studied zirconium MOFs consisting of Zr_{6 …}

Chemical Analysis Of Metabolites From Mangrove Endophytic Fungus, Sefat E Munjerin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural products hold a significant place in drug discovery for their abundant and unique secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites which encompass a range of organic compounds such as alkaloids, phenols, peptides, flavonoids, polyketides, and terpenoids, can easily be exploited for drug development. Endophytic fungi, residing harmoniously with its host, have emerged as generous producers of bioactive secondary metabolites, displaying efficacy against a wide array of human pathogens, including the challenging ESKAPE pathogens.

The research explores endophytic fungi and their prospective for drug discovery and development through the synthesis of distinctive secondary metabolites. Endophytic fungus, HM13-26C-2B, collected from Honeymoon Island, Florida …

The High Pressure Dependence Of X-Ray Induced Decomposition Of Cadmium Oxalate, Adrian F. Lua Sanchez, Petrika Cifligu, Marc Graff, Michael Pravica, Pradip K. Bhowmik, Changyong Park, Egor Evlyukhin

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

The high proclivity of x rays to destabilize and distort molecular structures has been previously utilized in the synthesis of novel compounds. Here, we show that x-ray induced decomposition of cadmium oxalate induces chemical and structural transformations only at 0.5 and 1 GPa. Using x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, the synthesized product is identified as cadmium carbonate with cadmium oxalate remnants, which is stable under ambient conditions. At ambient and >1 GPa pressures, only degradation of the electronic density distribution is observed. The transformation kinetics are examined in terms of Avrami’s model, which demonstrates that despite the necessity of high …

Substrate Specificity In Abc Transporters Using The E. Coli Methionine Import System, John H. Guardado

Featured Student Work

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters use the energy of ATP to move substrates across membranes against a concentration gradient. The role of ABC transporters is crucial in several essential cellular functions and mutations in ABC transporters in humans have been linked to several conditions, including cystic fibrosis, liver disease, and diabetes. Despite their central roles in homeostasis, the mechanism of ABC transporters remains poorly understood. Our research is focused on studying an ABC importer in E. coli, as a model system, to examine the mechanism of substrate specificity and transport. The bacterial methionine import system consists of a membrane-embedded transporter, MetNI, …

Determining The Ideal Concentrations Of Ethanol And Propylene Glycol In Ethosomes For Transdermal Delivery Of Vitamin D3, Rebecca Conner

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

Vitamin D₃ is an important chemical in the human body, however, many Americans have low levels of this vitamin. There are plenty of oral supplementations for Vitamin D₃ deficiency, but those of older age and busy schedules may struggle to meet the minimum requirement. A recently developed ethosomal transmembrane delivery system (Touitou, 2000), similar to liposomes but also containing ethanol, allows users to apply a gel dermally and have the desired drug or active ingredient reach the bloodstream faster. However, there is considerable variation in the concentration of ethanol and permeation enhancers used. Using an affordable method to …

Corrosion Related To The Nuclear Waste Containers, Ali Ebrahimzadeh Pilehrood

Corrosion Research

The disposal of nuclear waste is a demanding topic, and the existing methods, whether it is temporary storage in spent fuel pools or storage in geological repositories, both face the risk of corrosion-related problems. Any failure in these storage methods can potentially lead to the release of radioactive materials into the environment. To avert such catastrophic scenarios, people in the nuclear industry consistently monitor and maintain these storage facilities endlessly and attempt to improve the plans designed to store nuclear waste. Here, I will examine the nuclear waste management organization (NWMO) plan in Canada. Choosing an appropriate location for the …

Corrosion Of Implant Materials In The Human Body, Maedeh Barzmehri

Corrosion Research

This paper extensively examines the complex problem of implant corrosion occurring within the human body. The corrosion of implants gives rise to substantial challenges, encompassing compromised implant durability, patient safety concerns, and potential adverse impacts on the long-term functionality of the medical device. The study's primary objectives include offering a concise overview of the various corrosion mechanisms that impact a range of implant materials and outlining health complications linked to the byproducts of implant corrosion. Furthermore, it delves into a cost analysis specific to hip or knee revision arthroplasty, which has become a prevalent scenario in implant failure cases on …

Corrosion Case Study On Pipeline, Kangze Ren

Corrosion Research

The Kashagan pipeline leaks were likely caused by sulfur stress corrosion cracking, a combined corrosion mechanism developed by the presence of high pressure, the high level of hydrogen sulfide(the main "ingredient" of sour gas), and poor metallurgical choice. Improper welding and poor metallurgical examination were blamed for causing the leaking issue. The purpose of the current review is to raise the alarm about the inappropriate corrosion management of Kashagan oil production and its societal and environmental consequences.

Carbodiimide And Isocyanate Hydroboration By A Cyclic Carbodiphosphorane Catalyst, Ben A. Janda, Julie A. Tran, Daniel K. Chang, Gabriela C. Nerhood, O. Maduka Ogba, Allegra L. Liberman-Martin

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

We report hydroboration of carbodiimide and isocyanate substrates catalyzed by a cyclic carbodiphosphorane catalyst. The cyclic carbodiphosphorane outperformed the other Lewis basic carbon species tested, including other zerovalent carbon compounds, phosphorus ylides, an N-heterocyclic carbene, and an N-heterocyclic olefin. Hydroborations of seven carbodiimides and nine isocyanates were performed at room temperature to form N-boryl formamidine and N-boryl formamide products. Intermolecular competition experiments demonstrated the selective hydroboration of alkyl isocyanates over carbodiimide and ketone substrates. DFT calculations support a proposed mechanism involving activation of pinacolborane by the carbodiphosphorane catalyst, followed by hydride transfer and B−N bond formation.

Interactions Of Lewis Acids And Carbonyls In The Presence Of Ligands Or Additives: How Solution Behavior Differs And The Implication On Catalytic Systems, Sophi Rose Todtz

Dissertations

Lewis acids have proven extremely valuable to the field of organic synthesis. Their diverse application in reactions of carbonyl-containing substrates has caused a multitude of efforts towards characterization of solution interactions between Lewis bases and Lewis acids. Though Lewis initially described a 1:1 interaction between one acid and one base, our lab has previously employed in-situ IR spectroscopy to characterize 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1 solution structures under catalytic conditions. These insights have played a critical role in our understanding of catalyst behavior in carbonyl-containing systems, allowing us to describe byproduct inhibition in the carbonyl-olefin metathesis mechanism. The research presented in …

Fortifying Iot Against Crimpling Cyber-Attacks: A Systematic Review, Usman Tariq, Irfan Ahmed, Muhammad Attique Khan, Ali Kashif Bashir

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The rapid growth and increasing demand for Internet of Things (IoT) devices in our everyday lives create exciting opportunities for human involvement, data integration, and seamless automation. This fully interconnected ecosystem considerably impacts crucial aspects of our lives, such as transportation, healthcare, energy management, and urban infrastructure. However, alongside the immense benefits, the widespread adoption of IoT also brings a complex web of security threats that can influence society, policy, and infrastructure conditions. IoT devices are particularly vulnerable to security violations, and industrial routines face potentially damaging vulnerabilities. To ensure a trustworthy and robust security framework, it is crucial to …

New Quantum Genetic Algorithm Based On Constrained Quantum Optimization, Mohammed R. Almasaoodi, Abdulbasit M. A. Sabaawi, Sara El Gaily, Sándor Imre

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

In the past decades, many quantum algorithms have been developed. The main obstacle that prevents the widespread implementation of these algorithms is the small size of the available quantum computer in terms of qubits. Blind Quantum Computation (BQC) holds the promise of handling this issue by delegating computation to quantum remote devices. Here, we introduce a novel Constrained Quantum Genetic Algorithm (CQGA) that selects the optimum extreme (minimum or maximum) value of a constrained goal function (or a vast unsorted database) with very low computational complexity. Since the convergence speed to the optimal solution for the Constrained Classical Genetic Algorithm …

Machine Learning‑Assisted Low‑Dimensional Electrocatalysts Design For Hydrogen Evolution Reaction, Jin Li, Naiteng Wu, Jian Zhang, Hong‑Hui Wu, Kunming Pan, Yingxue Wang, Guilong Liu, Xianming Liu, Zhenpeng Yao, Qiaobao Zhang

Chemistry Department: Faculty Publications

Efficient electrocatalysts are crucial for hydrogen generation from electrolyzing water. Nevertheless, the conventional "trial and error" method for producing advanced electrocatalysts is not only cost-ineffective but also time-consuming and labor-intensive. Fortunately, the advancement of machine learning brings new opportunities for electrocatalysts discovery and design. By analyzing experimental and theoretical data, machine learning can effectively predict their hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance. This review summarizes recent developments in machine learning for low-dimensional electrocatalysts, including zero-dimension nanoparticles and nanoclusters, one-dimensional nanotubes and nanowires, two-dimensional nanosheets, as well as other electrocatalysts. In particular, the effects of descriptors and algorithms on screening low-dimensional electrocatalysts …

On The Origins Of Life — Modelling The Initial Stages Of Complex Coacervate Droplet Formation, Yixuan Wu

Western Libraries Undergraduate Research Awards (WLURAs)

Coacervate droplets are considered a plausible model for protocells due to their spontaneous formation and ability to compartmentalize macromolecules such as nucleic acid and peptides. Although experimental studies have observed and synthesized coacervates under different laboratory conditions, little is known about their structure. Here we present atomistic molecular dynamic simulations of the interactions between water and oppositely charged proteins that cluster together in a salt-dependent process. Observing such liquid-liquid phase separation on an atomic level would serve as a model for the initial stages of complex coacervate formation. Molecular Dynamics was used to compute diagnostics of the structure at different …

Neuronal Nadph Oxidase Is Required For Neurite Regeneration Of Aplysia Bag Cell Neurons, S.M. Sabbir Alam, Yuichiro Watanabe, Brooke L. Steeno, Soumyajit Dutta, Halie A. Szilagyi, Alexander Wei, Daniel M. Suter

Department of Chemistry Faculty Publications

NADPH oxidase (Nox), a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is involved in neurodegeneration after injury and disease. Nox is expressed in both neuronal and non-neuronal cells and contributes to an elevated ROS level after injury. Contrary to the well-known damaging effect of Nox-derived ROS in neurodegeneration, recently a physiological role of Nox in nervous system development including neurogenesis, neuronal polarity, and axonal growth has been revealed. Here, we tested a role for neuronal Nox in neurite regeneration following mechanical transection in cultured Aplysia bag cell neurons. Using a novel hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-sensing dye, 5′-(p-borophenyl)-2′-pyridylthiazole pinacol ester (BPPT), we …

Recent Advances In Crispr/Cas9-Assisted Gene Therapy, Apeksha Srivastava, Shikha Chauhan, Vishal Ahuja

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is an exponentially growing tool with wide-spread applications in therapeutics like gene modifications that focus on altering the hereditary material to repair or eliminate any defective gene-causing diseases like cancer, AIDS (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), etc. It also includes the identification of the target sequence with the help of sgRNA followed by the substitution of a malfunction-ing gene with a normal version. It offers high efficiency, specificity, and post-gene-editing efficacy, but have also some off-target impressions, and immunogenic effects. The contribution of CRISPR/Cas9 has already been proved primarily in in-vitro studies using animal germ …

Optical, Structural, And Electrochemical Properties Of P3ht:Y6 Photoactive Layer For Organic Photovoltaics, Hassan Tarikhum B., Furqan Almyahi, Basil Ali

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Recently, organic photovoltaics (OPV) have emerged as a promising technology for environmentally friendly energy production. Achieving high performance in OPV requires the discovery of novel compounds. This article aims to study the optical, structural, electrochemical, and electrical properties of a P3HT:Y6 blend. The UV-visible spectra of the blend provided insight into how composition affects the optoelectronic properties of OPV devices. The optimised P3HT:Y6 ratio (0.6:1) resulted in the largest redshift and the highest absorption intensity. Raman and X-ray diffraction tests showed low aggregation and low crystallinity of the polymer P3HT as Y6 content increased. In the OPV devices, the best …

Estimation Of Water Quality Of Dikhu River Of Nagaland Through A Combination Of Water Quality Index And Principal Component Analysis Techniques., Lanuyanger Longchar, Wati Temjen, Khikeya Semy, Wati Lemla

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Monitoring the physico-chemical attributes of water is essential for determining water quality. The present study explores the effect of various anthropogenic factors on the quality of Dikhu River, Nagaland. Water samples from three sampling stations were compared against three standards: Indian Council of Medical Research, Bureau of Indian Standards, and World Health Organization. Although all parameters were within the permissible limits, the Water Quality Index categorized all sites during the rainy season as "poor quality", highlighting anthropogenic impacts. A principal component analysis created a Minimum Data Set (MDS) explaining 100%, 93.27%, and 96.26% of the total variance for the three …

Phytochemical Constituent And Antioxidant Activity Evaluation Of Red Seaweed Eucheuma Sp., Ade Arsianti

Indonesian Journal of Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics

Oxidative stress is a condition in which there is an imbalance between production of free radicals and protective response via antioxidant system. There are endogenous and exogenous antioxidants, however as age increases, there is a reduction in endogenous antioxidant, thus the search for potential exogenous antioxidants which could be derived from natural resources are needed. Indonesia is a megabiodiversity country which has more than 30,000 species of plants and animals. Red seaweed Eucheuma sp. is one of marine macroalgae species which shows potent biological activities. This study aims to determine the phytochemical constituent and to evaluate the antioxidant activity of …

Ab Initio Quantum Scattering Calculations And A New Potential Energy Surface For The Hcl(X¹Σ+)-O2( X 3 Σ G − ) System: Collision-Induced Line Shape Parameters For O2-Perturbed R(0) 0-0 Line In H35cl, Artur Olejnik, Hubert Jóźwiak, Maciej Gancewski, Ernesto Quintas-Sánchez, Richard Dawes, Piotr Wcisło

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Remote Sensing of Abundance and Properties of HCl—the Main Atmospheric Reservoir of Cl Atoms that Directly Participate in Ozone Depletion—is Important for Monitoring the Partitioning of Chlorine between "Ozone-Depleting" and "Reservoir" Species. Such Remote Studies Require Knowledge of the Shapes of Molecular Resonances of HCl, Which Are Perturbed by Collisions with the Molecules of the Surrounding Air. in This Work, We Report the First Fully Quantum Calculations of Collisional Perturbations of the Shape of a Pure Rotational Line in H35Cl Perturbed by an Air-Relevant Molecule [As the First Model System We Choose the R(0) Line in HCl Perturbed by …

Derivation And Reinterpretation Of The Fermi-Amaldi Functional., Ivan P Bosko, Viktor N Staroverov

Chemistry Publications

The Fermi-Amaldi correction to the electrostatic self-repulsion of the particle density is usually regarded as a semi-classical exchange functional that happens to be exact only for one- and closed-shell two-electron systems. We show that this functional can be derived quantum-mechanically and is exact for any number of fermions or bosons of arbitrary spin as long as the particles occupy the same spatial orbital. The Fermi-Amaldi functional is also size-consistent for such systems, provided that the factor N in its expression is understood as an orbital occupation number rather than the total number of particles. These properties of the Fermi-Amaldi functional …