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At least 1,135 records · Page 63

Crystallization and functionality of inorganic materials

In this article, we briefly summarized our recent work on the studies of crystallization and functionality of inorganic materials. On the basis of the chemical bonding theory of single crystal growth, we can quantitatively simulate Cu{sub 2}O crystallization processes in solution system. We also kinetically controlled Cu{sub 2}O crystallization process in the reduction solution route. Lithium ion battery and supercapacitor performances of some oxides such as Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} and MnO{sub 2} were shown to elucidate the important effect of crystallization on functionality of inorganic materials. This work encourages us to create novel functionalities through the study of crystallization of inorganic materials, which warrants more chances in the field of functional materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Solving the Schrödinger equation of molecules by relaxing the antisymmetry rule: Inter-exchange theory

The Schrödinger equation (SE) and the antisymmetry principle constitute the governing principle of chemistry. A general method of solving the SE was presented before as the free complement (FC) theory, which gave highly accurate solutions for small atoms and molecules. We assume here to use the FC theory starting from the local valence bond wave function. When this theory is applied to larger molecules, antisymmetrizations of electronic wave functions become time-consuming and therefore, an additional breakthrough is necessary concerning the antisymmetry principle. Usually, in molecular calculations, we first construct the wave function to satisfy the antisymmetry rule, “electronic wave functions must be prescribed to be antisymmetric for all exchanges of electrons, otherwise bosonic interference may disturb the basis of the science.” Starting from determinantal wave functions is typical. Here, we give an antisymmetrization theory, called inter-exchange (iExg) theory, by dividing molecular antisymmetrizations to those within atoms and between atoms. For the electrons belonging to distant atoms in a molecule, only partial antisymmetrizations or even no antisymmetrizations are necessary, depending on the distance between the atoms. So, the above antisymmetry rule is not necessarily followed strictly to get the results of a desired accuracy. For this and other reasons, the necessary parts of the antisymmetrization operations become very small as molecules become larger, leading finally to the operation counts of lower orders of N, the number of electrons. This theory creates a natural antisymmetrization method that is useful for large molecules.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Ensemble averaged structure–function relationship for nanocrystals: effective superparamagnetic Fe clusters with catalytically active Pt skin [Ensemble averaged structure-function relationship for composite nanocrystals: magnetic bcc Fe clusters with catalytically active fcc Pt skin]

Practical applications require the production and usage of metallic nanocrystals (NCs) in large ensembles. Besides, due to their cluster-bulk solid duality, metallic NCs exhibit a large degree of structural diversity. This poses the question as to what atomic-scale basis is to be used when the structure–function relationship for metallic NCs is to be quantified precisely. In this paper, we address the question by studying bi-functional Fe core-Pt skin type NCs optimized for practical applications. In particular, the cluster-like Fe core and skin-like Pt surface of the NCs exhibit superparamagnetic properties and a superb catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction, respectively. We determine the atomic-scale structure of the NCs by non-traditional resonant high-energy X-ray diffraction coupled to atomic pair distribution function analysis. Using the experimental structure data we explain the observed magnetic and catalytic behavior of the NCs in a quantitative manner. Lastly, we demonstrate that NC ensemble-averaged 3D positions of atoms obtained by advanced X-ray scattering techniques are a very proper basis for not only establishing but also quantifying the structure–function relationship for the increasingly complex metallic NCs explored for practical applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

ASDF: A Compiler for Qwerty, a Basis-Oriented Quantum Programming Language

Qwerty is a high-level quantum programming language built on bases and functions rather than circuits. This new paradigm introduces new challenges in compilation, namely synthesizing circuits from basis translations and automatically specializing adjoint or predicated forms of functions. This paper presents ASDF, an open-source compiler for Qwerty that answers these challenges in compiling basis-oriented languages. Enabled with a novel high-level quantum IR implemented in the MLIR framework, our compiler produces OpenQASM 3 or QIR for either simulation or execution on hardware. Our compiler is evaluated by comparing the fault-tolerant resource requirements of generated circuits with other compilers, finding that ASDF produces circuits with comparable cost to prior circuit-oriented compilers.

Adams, Austin J [Georgia Tech]↗

Materials Data on BaSi by Materials Project

Computed materials data using density functional theory calculations. These calculations determine the electronic structure of bulk materials by solving approximations to the Schrodinger equation. For more information, see https://materialsproject.org/docs/calculations

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Control of plasmons in doped topological insulators via basis atoms

Collective excitations in topologically nontrivial systems have attracted considerable attention in recent years. Here we study plasmons in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model whose low-energy electronic band is only partially filled, such that the system is metallic. Using the random phase approximation, we calculate the intra- and interband polarization functions and determine the bulk plasmonic dispersion from the dielectric function. In this work, we find that the sublattice basis states strongly affect the polarization functions and therefore control the system’s plasmonic excitations. By varying the real-space separation of these local orbitals, one can thus selectively enhance or suppress the plasmonic energies via a tunable trade-off between intraband and interband screening processes. Specifically, this mechanism can be used to stabilize undamped high energy plasmons that have already been reported in related models. We propose scenarios on how to control and observe these effects in experiments.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Experimental and theoretical spectroscopic studies of branchlet-like SrCO{sub 3} superarchitecture

Novel SrCO{sub 3} superarchitecture was prepared by a simple and inexpensive wet chemical method at room temperature has been investigated. The SrCO{sub 3} super architecture is in branchlet-like morphology with diameter of 1 µm and composed of numerous well-aligned nanorods of 52 nm in diameter. It was found that the morphology of the product strongly dependent on the experimental parameters, such as the concentration of aqueous NaOH solution and the reaction temperature. The synthesized nanostructure has been characterized by Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies. The vibrational frequencies of the fundamental modes of the compound have been precisely assigned and theoretical results were compared with the experimental vibrations. Theoretical information of the vibrational frequencies (FT-IR and Raman) was obtained by means of Density functional theory (DFT) calculations using DGDZVP basis set. HOMO-LUMO energy gap has been calculated. The Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP) analysis reveals the sites for electrophilic attack and nucleophilic reactions in the molecule.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Functional characterization of archaeal homologs of human nuclear RNase P proteins Rpp21 and Rpp29 provides insights into the molecular basis of their cooperativity in catalysis

Ribonuclease P (RNase P) is a ribonucleoprotein that catalyzes the processing of 5′ leader sequences of precursor tRNAs (pre-tRNA). RNase P proteins PhoRpp21 and PhoRpp29 in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii, homologs of human nuclear RNase P proteins Rpp21 and Rpp29 respectively, fold into a heterodimeric structure and synergistically function in the activation of the specificity domain (S-domain) in RNase P RNA (PhopRNA). To elucidate the molecular basis for their cooperativity, we first analyzed binding ability to PhopRNA using a pull-down assay. The result showed that PhoRpp21 is able to bind to PhopRNA in the absence of PhoRpp29, whereas PhoRpp29 alone has reduced affinity to PhopRNA, suggesting that PhoRpp21 primarily functions as a binding element for PhopRNA in the PhoRpp21-PhoRpp29 complex. Mutational analyses suggested that although individual positively charged clusters contribute little to the PhopRNA binding, Lys53, Lys54, and Lys56 at the N-terminal helix (α2) in PhoRpp21 and 10 C-terminal residues in PhoRpp29 are essential for PhopRNA activation. Moreover, deletion of a single stranded loop linking P11 and P12 helices in the PhopRNA S-domain impaired the PhoRpp21-PhoRpp29 complex binding to PhopRNA. Collectively, the present results suggest that PhoRpp21 binds the loop between P11 and P12 helices through overall positively charged clusters on the surface of the complex and serves as a scaffold for PhoRpp29 to optimize structural conformation of its N-terminal helix (α2) in PhoRpp21, as well as C-terminal residues in PhoRpp29, for RNase P activity. - Graphical abstract: A mechanistic model for the synergistic activation of PhopRNA by PhoRpp21 and PhoRpp29. PhoRpp21 binds to the loop between P11 and P12 helices in PhopRNA and serves as a scaffold for PhoRpp29 to optimize a structural conformation of a positively charged edge composed of lysine residues (●) at α2 in PhoRpp21and C-terminal residues (â–‹) in PhoRpp29 on the protein complex which probably stabilize stacking interactions between PhopRNA and pre-tRNA. ▲ indicates the processing site in pre-tRNA. Display Omitted - Highlights: • RNase P proteins PhoRpp21 and PhoRpp29 synergistically function in RNase P catalysis. • PhoRpp21 functions as an RNA-binding element in the PhoRpp21-PhoRpp29 complex. • PhoRpp21 serves as a scaffold for PhoRpp29 in RNase P. • PhoRpp21 binds the loop between P11 and P12 helices in the PhopRNA S-domain. • The molecular basis for the cooperativity of PhoRpp21 and PhoRpp29 is presented.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

The cytotoxic Staphylococcus aureus PSMα3 reveals a cross-α amyloid-like fibril

Amyloids are ordered protein aggregates, found in all kingdoms of life, and are involved in aggregation diseases as well as in physiological activities. In microbes, functional amyloids are often key virulence determinants, yet the structural basis for their activity remains elusive. Here, we determined the fibril structure and function of the highly toxic, 22-residue phenol-soluble modulin α3 (PSMα3) peptide secreted by Staphylococcus aureus. PSMα3 formed elongated fibrils that shared the morphological and tinctorial characteristics of canonical cross-β eukaryotic amyloids. However, the crystal structure of full-length PSMα3, solved de novo at 1.45 angstrom resolution, revealed a distinctive “cross-α” amyloid-like architecture, in which amphipathic α helices stacked perpendicular to the fibril axis into tight self-associating sheets. The cross-α fibrillation of PSMα3 facilitated cytotoxicity, suggesting that this assembly mode underlies function in S. aureus.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Myosin dilated cardiomyopathy mutation S532P disrupts actomyosin interactions, leading to altered muscle kinetics, reduced locomotion, and cardiac dilation in Drosophila

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a life-threatening disease characterized by pathological heart enlargement, can be caused by myosin mutations that reduce contractile function. To better define the mechanistic basis of this disease, we employed the powerful genetic and integrative approaches available in Drosophila melanogaster. To this end, we generated and analyzed the first fly model of human myosin–induced DCM. The model reproduces the S532P human β-cardiac myosin heavy chain DCM mutation, which is located within an actin-binding region of the motor domain. In concordance with the mutation’s location at the actomyosin interface, steady-state ATPase and muscle mechanics experiments revealed that the S532P mutation reduces the rates of actin-dependent ATPase activity and actin binding and increases the rate of actin detachment. The depressed function of this myosin form reduces the number of cross-bridges during active wing beating, the power output of indirect flight muscles, and flight ability. Further, S532P mutant hearts exhibit cardiac dilation that is mutant gene dose–dependent. Our study shows that Drosophila can faithfully model various aspects of human DCM phenotypes and suggests that impaired actomyosin interactions in S532P myosin induce contractile deficits that trigger the disease.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DFT study of electronic transfer properties of carboxyl and nitro substituted benzene

The electronic and optical transfer properties of Benzene, Benzoic Acid (BA), Nitrobenzene (NB) and Para Nitro Benzoic Acid (PNBA) at ground and first excited state has been investigated by the Density functional theory (DFT)and Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) using SVWN functional/3-21G basis set respectively. Possible intra-molecular charge transfer and n to π* transitions in the ground and the first excitation states have been predicted by the molecular orbitals and the Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis. The simulated absorption spectra have been generated and the result compared with existing experimental results.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Quantum Markov semigroups constructed from quantum Bernoulli noises

Quantum Bernoulli noises (QBNs) are the family of annihilation and creation operators acting on Bernoulli functionals, which can describe a two-level quantum system with infinitely many sites. In this paper, we consider the problem to construct quantum Markov semigroups (QMSs) directly from QBNs. We first establish several new theorems concerning QBNs. In particular, we define the number operator acting on Bernoulli functionals by using the canonical orthonormal basis, prove its self-adjoint property, and describe precisely its connections with QBN in a mathematically rigorous way. We then show the possibility to construct QMS directly from QBN. This is done by combining the general results on QMS with our new results on QBN obtained here. Finally, we examine some properties of QMS constructed from QBN.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Pushing Cu uphill of the volcano curve: Impact of a WC support on the catalytic activity of copper toward the hydrogen evolution reaction

Here, the adsorption of atomic H and H 2 on copper mono- and submonolayers supported on hexagonal WC(0001) surfaces has been investigated using density functional theory with the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof exchange correlation functional and D2 van der Waals corrections. Results evidence the impact of the termination of the carbide substrate on fundamental properties of Cu adatoms, and, hence, on the stability of molecular and atomic hydrogen, defining copper's catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction. Using H adsorption energy as a descriptor, catalytic activity of Cu adlayers for hydrogen evolution reaction was estimated using traditional volcano curves and a curve, obtained at low hydrogen coverage. Obtained results evidence that copper adlayers supported on the WC may present a viable low-cost alternative to noble metal-based catalysts, with improved catalytic activity compared to that of copper. This, potentially, can be a useful basis for designing and developing novel functional materials with predetermined catalytic properties.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Self-interaction corrected density functional calculations of molecular Rydberg states

A method is presented for calculating the wave function and energy of Rydberg excited states of molecules. A good estimate of the Rydberg state orbital is obtained using ground state density functional theory including Perdew-Zunger self-interaction correction and an optimized effective potential. The total energy of the excited molecule is obtained using the Delta Self-Consistent Field method where an electron is removed from the highest occupied orbital and placed in the Rydberg orbital. Results are presented for the first few Rydberg states of NH{sub 3}, H{sub 2}O, H{sub 2}CO, C{sub 2}H{sub 4}, and N(CH{sub 3}){sub 3}. The mean absolute error in the energy of the 33 molecular Rydberg states presented here is 0.18 eV. The orbitals are represented on a real space grid, avoiding the dependence on diffuse atomic basis sets. As in standard density functional theory calculations, the computational effort scales as NM{sup 2} where N is the number of orbitals and M is the number of grid points included in the calculation. Due to the slow scaling of the computational effort with system size and the high level of parallelism in the real space grid approach, the method presented here makes it possible to estimate Rydberg electron binding energy in large molecules.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Sooting Tendencies of Aromatic Hydrocarbons with Oxygen-Containing Side-Chains

Yield Sooting Index (YSI) was determined for 13 oxygen-containing aromatic compounds by measuring line-of-sight spectral radiance (LSSR) in a laminar non-premixed methane/air flame doped with 1000 ppm of each compound. The compounds included anisole (methoxybenzene), other aromatic ethers, and phenols. The presence of oxygen greatly reduced soot formation in some cases, but increased it in others. Thus oxygenated aromatics are potentially valuable as fuel components with intrinsically low particulate emissions, but the specific structure is important. Compounds containing an aromatic ring with an adjacent oxygen atom tended to have a lower sooting tendency than did compounds with oxygen atoms elsewhere in the side chain. This observation was quantitatively explored using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The bond dissociation energies for nine aromatic hydrocarbons and oxygenates were calculated using GGA B3LYP density functions with 6-31G(d) basis sets. When possible, unimolecular dissociation to phenoxy radical was favored and resulted in much lower YSIs than similar compounds where the oxygen atom was not adjacent to the aromatic ring. Structures that dissociated to benzyl radical had much higher sooting tendencies, sometimes by over a factor of two in comparison to phenoxyforming compounds.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗