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At least 361 records · Page 20

Modelling drug adsorption in metal–organic frameworks: the role of solvent

Solvent plays a key role in biological functions, catalysis, and drug delivery. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) due to their tunable functionalities, porosities and surface areas have been recently used as drug delivery vehicles. To investigate the effect of solvent on drug adsorption in MOFs, we have performed integrated computational and experimental studies in selected biocompatible MOFs, specifically, UiO-AZB, HKUST-1 (or CuBTC) and NH 2 -MIL-53(Al). The adsorption of three drugs, namely, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), ibuprofen (IBU), and hydroxyurea (HU) were performed in the presence and absence of the ethanol. Our computational predictions, at 1 atmospheric pressure, showed a reasonable agreement with experimental studies performed in the presence of ethanol. We find that in the presence of ethanol the drug molecules were adsorbed at the interface of solvent and MOFs. Moreover, the computationally calculated adsorption isotherms suggested that the drug adsorption was driven by electrostatic interactions at lower pressures (<10 –4 Pa). Our computational predictions in the absence of ethanol were higher compared to those in the presence of ethanol. The MOF–adsorbate interaction (U HA ) energy decreased with decrease in the size of a drug molecule in all three MOFs at all simulated pressures. At high pressure the interaction energy increases with increase in the MOFs pore size as the number of molecules adsorbed increases. Thus, our research shows the important role played by solvent in drug adsorption and suggests that it is critical to consider solvent while performing computational studies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Sulfone-Based Electrolytes for Next Generation Lithium Batteries

An electrolyte system based on a sulfone solvent will be presented, outlining a newly discovered synergy between solvent and salt that simultaneously addresses the interfacial requirements of coupling a graphitic anode with a high voltage spinel cathode (LNMO). At the anode, a LiF-rich interphase generated by early-onset reduction of the salt anion effectively suppresses solvent co-intercalation and subsequent graphite exfoliation, enabling unprecedented and highly reversible graphite cycling in a pure sulfone system. Under aggressively oxidative conditions, QC calculations predict that high salt concentration promotes formation of complexes/aggregates which slow the decomposition of the solvent and leads to polymerizable rather than gaseous byproducts--a fundamental improvement over conventional electrolytes. These predictions are corroborated by an in-depth analysis of these functional interphases, as well as stable, long term operation of high voltage (4.85V) LNMO-graphite full cells.

Schroeder, Marshall A.↗

Solvent–free Synthesis of Multi–Module Pore–Space–Partitioned Metal–Organic Frameworks for Gas Separation

Multi-module design of framework materials with multiple distinct building blocks has attracted much attention because such materials are more amenable to compositional and geometrical tuning and thus offer more opportunities for property optimization. Few examples are known that use environmentally friendly and cost-effective solvent-free method to synthesize such materials. Here, we report the use of solvent-free method (also modulator-free) to synthesize a series of multi-module MOFs with high stability and separation property for C 2 H 2 /CO 2 . The synthesis only requires simple mixing of reactants and short reaction time (2 h). Highly porous and stable materials can be made without any post-synthetic activation. Here, the success of solvent-free synthesis of multi-module MOFs reflects the synergy between different modules, resulting in stable pore-partitioned materials, despite the fact that other competitive crystallization pathways with simpler framework compositions also exist.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A low-cost, fluorine-free electrolyte for improved sodium batteries

Sodium batteries are an attractive alternative to lithium-ion technologies due to sodium’s lower cost and natural abundance—over 1,000 times greater than lithium, comprising approximately 2.4% of the Earth’s crust. However, most current electrolytes rely on fluorine-containing components, which raise economic and environmental concerns. This study explores fluorine-free, borate-based electrolytes that offer improved cycling stability and significant cost and sustainability benefits. We demonstrate stable sodium metal stripping and plating on aluminum foil, enabling anode-free cell configurations with over 50% capacity retention after 700 cycles. Spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses reveal the effects of solvents and salt composition on solvation, ionic conductivity, and oxidative stability. In full-cell configurations, the fluorine-free electrolyte maintains more than 98% capacity retention after 400 cycles. Furthermore, these findings represent a critical step toward the development of cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and high-performance sodium battery systems suitable for future electrification.

anode-free sodium batteries↗

Comprehensive Experimental and Computational Spectroscopic Study of Hexacyanoferrate Complexes in Water: From Infrared to X-ray Wavelengths

We present a joint experimental and computational study of the hexacyanoferrate aqueous complexes at equilibrium in the 250 meV to 7.15 keV regime. The experiments include the vibrational spectroscopy of the cyanide ligands, the valence electronic absorption spectra and Fe 1s core hole spectra using X-ray absorption and emission techniques. These experiments are accompanied by density functional theory (DFT) based quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and spectroscopy calculations of the experiments spanning the IR to X-ray wavelengths. Our simulations, including explicit solvent effects, across this large energy window allows for a systematic comparison of vibrational, valence electronic and core-level spectra. The analysis reveals how the local solvation environment influences the geometric and electronic structure and impacts the line shape and intensity of the observed spectral features in the infrared, optical and X-ray wavelengths.

Ross, Matthew↗

Performance of the AMOEBA Water Model in the Vicinity of QM Solutes: A Diagnosis Using Energy Decomposition Analysis

The importance of incorporating solvent polarization effects into the modeling of solvation processes has been well-recognized, and therefore a new generation of hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approaches that accounts for this effect is desirable. We present a fully self-consistent, mutually polarizable QM/MM scheme using the AMOEBA force field, in which the total energy of the system is variationally minimized with respect to both the QM electronic density and the MM induced dipoles. This QM/AMOEBA model is implemented through the Q-Chem/LibEFP code interface and then applied to the evaluation of solute-solvent interaction energies for various systems ranging from the water dimer to neutral and ionic solutes (NH 3 , NH 4 + , CN - ) surrounded by increasing numbers of water molecules (up to 100). In order to analyze the resulting interaction energies, we also utilize an energy decomposition analysis (EDA) scheme which identifies contributions from permanent electrostatics, polarization, and van der Waals (vdW) interaction for the interaction between the QM solute and the solvent molecules described by AMOEBA. This facilitates a component-wise comparison against full QM calculations where the corresponding energy components are obtained via a modified version of the absolutely localized molecular orbitals (ALMO)-EDA. The results show that the present QM/AMOEBA model can yield reasonable solute-solvent interaction energies for neutral and cationic species, while further scrutiny reveals that this accuracy highly relies on the delicate balance between insufficiently favorable permanent electrostatics and softened vdW interaction. For anionic solutes where the charge penetration effect becomes more pronounced, the QM/MM interface turns out to be unbalanced. These results are consistent with and further elucidate our findings in a previous study using a slightly different QM/AMOEBA model (Dziedzic et al. J. Chem. Phys. 2016, 145, 124106). The implications of these results for further refinement of this model are also discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Perspectives on Microfluidics for the Study of Asphaltenes in Upstream Hydrocarbon Production: A Minireview

The utilization of microfluidics has generated deep insights into asphaltene precipitation mechanisms and oil–water emulsion stabilization. Agglomeration and precipitation of asphaltenes can cause flow assurance problems during the extraction and transportation of crude oil. Change in temperature, pressure, reservoir conditions, and solvents can change the local environment, leading to asphaltene precipitation. Understanding asphaltene properties and precipitation pathways becomes critical in devising mitigation methods, demulsifiers, and suitable conditions during hydrocarbon processing. Microfluidics has helped in high throughput measurement studies, understanding critical processing conditions, fast demulsifier screening, and the effect of solvent concentration on deposition, generating useful information for utilization at the point of resource extraction facilitating improved resource management. It has become possible to capture the porous, complex nature of reservoir formations and the interaction of chemicals during precipitation through integrated analytics and visualization studies available only through microfluidics. The use of droplet microfluidics, with optical microscopy and high-speed imaging to study the oil–water interface, has resulted in greater understanding of the role of asphaltenes in interfacial properties and emulsion stabilization. Here, this minireview highlights the crucial aspects of microfluidics that have been used to understand physicochemical behavior and dynamics of asphaltene deposition. Some of the unique devices have been presented focusing on the key elements of microfluidics design, fabrication, and analysis, as the insight obtained from microfluidics strongly depends on the device design and the controllability of the experimental parameters. Successful implementation of microfluidics for efficient and controlled experiments, short analysis time scales and rapid screening, and generation of high-quality, reliable data that convey asphaltene deposition issues and interface behavior in emulsions shows the importance of microsystems for advancing knowledge in hydrocarbon production and processing.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Stable Cycling with Intimate Contacts Enabled by Crystallinity–Controlled PTFE–Based Solvent–Free Cathodes in All–Solid–State Batteries

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) employing Li-metal anodes and inorganic solid electrolytes are attracting great attention due to high safety and energy density for next-generation energy storage devices. However, the volume change of cathode active materials can cause contact loss, resulting in charge carrier isolation, heterogeneous current distribution, and poor electrochemical properties in ASSBs. Here, a simple, yet effective, solvent-free electrode engineering approach with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a binder for ASSBs is reported, enabling intimate contact and stable interfaces with the cathode. It is substantiated that the crystallinity of PTFE can be controlled depending on the heat history, and highly crystalline PTFE displays robust mechanical properties. High-nickel LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 cathode prepared with crystalline PTFE show improved cycle and rate performances in ASSBs. In addition, it is revealed that the intimate contact between cathode particles with a stable cathode electrolyte layer is maintained during cycling by postmortem studies. Furthermore, this simple engineering method can be applied to prepare cathodes with a variety of active materials and solid electrolytes in ASSBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

The effect of moisture on hydrocarbon-based solvent liquefaction of pine, cellulose and lignin

In this report we examined the effect of moisture on the solvent liquefaction of loblolly pine, cellulose, and lignin in tetralin at 280 °C and pressures ranging from 15 to 70 bar. Solvent liquefaction experiments were conducted in a quasi-batch reactor capable of continuous pressure control and external vapor condensation. Moisture was varied by the controlled addition of de-ionized water. Control over the system pressure subsequently impacted the removal of water vapor from the reactor. Liquid yield decreased by 25, 21, and 35 wt%, for pine, cellulose, and lignin, respectively, when moisture content was increased from 1 to 50 wt% at 42 bar. Humins were observed in the solid residue from liquefaction of wet cellulose. Wet lignin yielded a substantial amount of solid residue compared to dry lignin with a corresponding decrease in total phenolic monomer production. It was concluded that the ionic dissociation of water was an important factor in loss of liquid yield in the presence of water. Although water was less than 20 wt% of the solvent loading in these experiments, it strongly influenced the liquefaction of biomass and biomass components.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

Spent-fuel recycling molecule degradation product standards can be produced with preparative liquid chromatography

Solvent systems used for spent nuclear fuel separation schemes are subject to intense radiation fields from the spent fuel, resulting in a degradation of separation performance over time from both the radiolytic destruction of active compounds (extractants, holdback agents, etc.) and the production of degradation compounds (compounds produced from the destruction of the active compounds). Development of a quantitative understanding of the effects of radiolysis on separations is impeded by a near-complete lack of availability of degradation products from chemical manufacturers. Synthesis of these degradation products through traditional means is both cost and time prohibitive, inhibiting advancement of new fuel separation processes. We hypothesize that comprehensive sets of degradation products can be synthesized using preparative radiolysis, and purified using high performance liquid chromatography in quantities sufficient for unequivocal identification and subsequent use as quantitative analytical studies. Achieving this objective will facilitate development of a much more accurate understanding of radiolysis reactions and their effects on solvent extraction processes, positioning Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in a leadership role in the science of fuel cycle separations. We propose producing these degradation compounds by irradiating concentrated samples of solvent ligands in the INL gamma irradiator, separating the resulting mixture with preparative chromatography, and removing the mobile phase in the separated fractions with a vacuum concentrator. This will yield milligram to gram quantities of purified degradation products, sufficient for fundamental research, at a fraction of the time and cost of synthesis. Facile production of separation molecule degradation products at minimal cost will enable the fundamental research that will accelerate the development of fuel cycles that will ensure the competitiveness of nuclear energy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Performance of an i -SANEX System Based on a Water-Soluble BTP under Continuous Irradiation in a γ-Radiolysis Test Loop

Here, the i -SANEX solvent formulation consisting of nominally 0.2 M TODGA/5% 1-octanol/dodecane was γ-irradiated under realistic conditions in the Idaho National Laboratory radiolysis test loop, in contact with both extraction and stripping aqueous phases. The extraction aqueous phase was 4.5 M HNO 3 , and the stripping aqueous phase was 0.018 M SO 3 –Ph–BTP/0.35 M HNO 3 . When irradiated in contact with only the 4.5 M HNO 3 phase, the TODGA solvent maintained excellent extraction performance for americium, cerium, europium, and neodymium to a maximum absorbed dose of nearly 0.9 MGy. The results for preliminary static, batch irradiations were consistent with test loop findings. When the aqueous phase was changed to that containing the aqueous soluble BTP, the irradiated aqueous phase showed a dramatic color change, but this does not appear to have had adverse effect on solvent extraction performance. The distribution ratios for both the lanthanides and actinides were invariant with absorbed dose, and the separation factors were essentially unchanged to a maximum absorbed dose of 174 kGy. The results of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis of the aqueous and organic phases showed that ruthenium and strontium were not extracted in the presence of the irradiated BTP-aqueous phase. Molybdenum was extracted under both conditions. Further, the buildup of corrosion products of stainless steel in the presence of the BTP was not dramatically greater than in the nitric acid-only system. Phase separation times were not adversely affected by irradiation for either system. The results presented here indicate that the performance of the TODGA/SO 3 –Ph–BTP, i -SANEX process under test loop radiolysis is much better than expected based on a literature report using single-phase batch irradiation experiments, and better than might be predicted based on diglycolamide radiolysis studies alone.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Solvent Fractionation of Lignin

Lignin is a highly abundant source of renewable carbon that can be considered as a valuable sustainable source of biobased materials. The major issues for the commercial production of value added high performance lignin products are lignin s physical and chemical heterogenities. To overcome these problems, a variety of procedures have been developed to produce pure lignin suitable for high performace applications such as lignin-derived carbon materials. However, most of the isolation procedures affect lignin s properties and structure. In this chapter, a short review of the effect of solvent fractionation on lignin s properties and structure is presented.

Chatterjee, Sabornie↗

Low concentration electrolyte: A new approach for achieving high performance lithium batteries

The conventional perspective suggests that low-concentration electrolytes (LCEs) face challenges in achieving stable charge/discharge properties due to the decreased ionic conductivity resulting from lower Li + concentrations. However, the successful utilization of LCEs in lithium/sodium-ion batteries has brought them into the forefront of consideration for high performance battery systems. It is possible to achieve improved interface stability and ion transport performance for LCEs through adjusting electrolyte components, such as salts, solvents, and additives. This review provides timely update of the recent research progress, design strategies and remaining challenges of LCEs to answer several questions: i) What is the key factor for designing LCEs? ii) How to balance the low salt concentration and good ionic conductivity? iii) What is the interphasial mechanism of anode/cathode in LCEs? Firstly, the development of LCEs is discussed with typical examples. Subsequently, effectiveness of solvents on overall performances of LCEs is comprehensively summarized in detail. Finally, the challenges and possible research direction of LCEs are discussed. This review provides critical guidance for designing novel electrolytes for secondary batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Poisoning and competitive adsorption effects during phenol hydrogenation on platinum in water-alcohol mixtures

Here the effect of other bio-oil components on the aqueous phase hydrogenation of phenol on a Pt/C catalyst was investigated at a temperature of 353 K and a total pressure of 250 psi. Cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol were primary products; cyclohexanone was further converted to cylcohexanol. Methanol or ethanol as additives in water could completely stop ring hydrogenation in phenol (and in other test compounds: benzene, toluene) and decelerated the hydrogenation of cyclohexanone. Formic acid also suppressed hydrogenation reactions. The poisoning effect resulted from CO, formed by decomposition of alcohols or formic acid on platinum. Ab initio density-functional theory calculations afforded adsorption geometries, binding energies and diffusion barriers of relevant species. Phenol hydrogenation on platinum is more susceptible to CO poisoning than cyclohexanone hydrogenation because it needs a large ensemble site. The poisoning effect of alcohols can be avoided by mixing the components in a specific order.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Polyolefin melt-phase effects on alkane hydrogenolysis over Pt catalysts

Supported transition metal catalyzed, chemical upcycling of polyolefins by hydrogenolysis typically occurs in a polymer melt phase at elevated temperatures (T > 200 ºC). Currently, the impact of the melt phase on the catalytic activity and selectivity of the transition metal is largely unknown. Herein, we use a hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) approach to investigate the melt-phase effects on the adsorption free energy (∆∆G$^{gas→liq}_{Adsorbate}$) of atomic hydrogen, 12 hydrocarbon molecules, and 4 transition states in the hydrogenolysis mechanism of butane on a Pt(111) catalyst surface at 573 K in the presence of a polyethylene surrogate melt consisting of C 36 H 74 chains. The smallest and largest endergonic melt phase effects, (∆∆G$^{gas→liq}_{Adsorbate}$), belong to hydrogen (0.045 eV) and butane (1.357 eV). Altogether, we find melt-phase effects are significant and change the activity of transition metal catalysts. Beyond an overall reduced adsorption strength, elementary surface reactions are also affected by the melt phase.

Pt catalysis↗

Concentration Effects and Ion Properties Controlling the Fractionation of Halides during Aerosol Formation

During the aerosolization process at the sea surface, halides are incorporated into aerosol droplets, where they may play an important role in tropospheric ozone chemistry. Although this process may significantly contribute to the formation of reactive gas phase molecular halogens, little is known about the environmental factors that control how halides selectively accumulate at the air−water interface. In this study, the production of sea spray aerosol is simulated using electrospray ionization (ESI) of 100 nM equimolar solutions of NaCl, NaBr, NaI, NaNO2, NaNO3, NaClO4, and NaIO4. The microdroplets generated are analyzed by mass spectrometry to study the comparative enrichment of anions (f (Isub x-)) and their correlation with ion properties. Although no correlation exists between f (sub x-) and the limiting equivalent ionic conductivity, the correlation coefficient of the linear fit with the size of the anions R(sub x-), dehydration free-energy ΔGdehyd, and polarizability alpha, follows the order: (R(sub x-)(exp −2)) > (R(sub x-)(exp −1)) >(R(sub x-) > delta G(sub dehyd) > alpha. The same pure physical process is observed in H2O and D2O. The factor f (sub x-) does not change with pH (6.8−8.6), counterion (Li+, Na+, K+, and Cs+) substitution effects, or solvent polarity changes in methanol − and ethanol−water mixtures (0 <= xH2O <= 1). Sodium polysorbate 20 surfactant is used to modify the structure of the interface. Despite the observed enrichment of I− on the air−water interface of equimolar solutions, our results of seawater mimic samples agree with a model in which the interfacial composition is increasingly enriched in I− < Br− < Cl− over the oceanic boundary layer due to concentration effects in sea spray aerosol formation.

iodine↗

Countercurrent flow characteristics of next generation solvent in novel 3D printed columns for carbon capture

Solvent based absorption for carbon dioxide capture in a packed column is being considered as an efficient technology for the decarbonization process of point source. Significant efforts are underway to improve the design of packings with the cutting edge 3D printing technology for efficient carbon capture. Accordingly, multiphase flow studies were conducted to assess the performance of novel 3D printed columns with various triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) designs. The effects of solvent properties, liquid and gas loads on the performance of TPMS columns are extensively explored. Hydrodynamics of the potential water-lean solvents (EEMPA) as well as aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent for carbon capture are evaluated and compared. The interfacial area and liquid holdup increase with increasing liquid loads (q L ) for TPMS columns. Schwarz column consistently shows the highest liquid holdup value. The EEMPA exhibits higher values for the interfacial area (10–15 %) and liquid holdup (~4 %) in comparison to the MEA. TPMS columns exhibit the intermediate value of dry pressure drop between the random and the structure packed columns. Among selected TPMS columns, the gyroid packing shows the lowest pressure drop. The gas load has marginal impact on the interfacial area at lower value while a higher gas load leads to column’s flooding. Prior to the flooding, the interfacial area in TMPS packings rises with increased gas load at a fixed liquid load except Schwarz packing where interfacial area is incentive to the gas load. Additionally, the liquid holdup and wet pressure drop rise as gas load increases in TPMS columns. Overall, Fisher Koch packing is more susceptible to flood as compared to other TPMS packings. Flow regimes: loading and flooding are also delineated in the TPMS packings.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Calculating the binding free energies of charged species based on explicit-solvent simulations employing lattice-sum methods: An accurate correction scheme for electrostatic finite-size effects

The calculation of a protein-ligand binding free energy based on molecular dynamics (MD) simulations generally relies on a thermodynamic cycle in which the ligand is alchemically inserted into the system, both in the solvated protein and free in solution. The corresponding ligand-insertion free energies are typically calculated in nanoscale computational boxes simulated under periodic boundary conditions and considering electrostatic interactions defined by a periodic lattice-sum. This is distinct from the ideal bulk situation of a system of macroscopic size simulated under non-periodic boundary conditions with Coulombic electrostatic interactions. This discrepancy results in finite-size effects, which affect primarily the charging component of the insertion free energy, are dependent on the box size, and can be large when the ligand bears a net charge, especially if the protein is charged as well. This article investigates finite-size effects on calculated charging free energies using as a test case the binding of the ligand 2-amino-5-methylthiazole (net charge +1 e) to a mutant form of yeast cytochrome c peroxidase in water. Considering different charge isoforms of the protein (net charges −5, 0, +3, or +9 e), either in the absence or the presence of neutralizing counter-ions, and sizes of the cubic computational box (edges ranging from 7.42 to 11.02 nm), the potentially large magnitude of finite-size effects on the raw charging free energies (up to 17.1 kJ mol{sup −1}) is demonstrated. Two correction schemes are then proposed to eliminate these effects, a numerical and an analytical one. Both schemes are based on a continuum-electrostatics analysis and require performing Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) calculations on the protein-ligand system. While the numerical scheme requires PB calculations under both non-periodic and periodic boundary conditions, the latter at the box size considered in the MD simulations, the analytical scheme only requires three non-periodic PB calculations for a given system, its dependence on the box size being analytical. The latter scheme also provides insight into the physical origin of the finite-size effects. These two schemes also encompass a correction for discrete solvent effects that persists even in the limit of infinite box sizes. Application of either scheme essentially eliminates the size dependence of the corrected charging free energies (maximal deviation of 1.5 kJ mol{sup −1}). Because it is simple to apply, the analytical correction scheme offers a general solution to the problem of finite-size effects in free-energy calculations involving charged solutes, as encountered in calculations concerning, e.g., protein-ligand binding, biomolecular association, residue mutation, pK{sub a} and redox potential estimation, substrate transformation, solvation, and solvent-solvent partitioning.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗