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Hermanns M, Wehres N, Heyne B, Honingh CE, Graf UU, Schlemmer S. Performance of a chirped-pulse Fourier transform millimeter wave spectrometer in the range of 75-110 GHz. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2023; 94:034705. [PMID: 37012769 DOI: 10.1063/5.0141579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
We present a home-built chirped-pulse Fourier transform millimeter wave (CP-FTMMW) spectrometer. The setup is devoted to the sensitive recording of high-resolution molecular spectroscopy in the W band between 75 and 110 GHz. We describe the experimental setup in detail, including a characterization of the chirp excitation source, the optical beam path, and the receiver. The receiver is a further development of our 100 GHz emission spectrometer. The spectrometer is equipped with a pulsed jet expansion and a DC discharge. Spectra of methyl cyanide as well as hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and hydrogen isocyanide (HNC) products from the DC discharge of this molecule are recorded to characterize the performance of the CP-FTMMW instrument. The formation of the HCN isomer is favored by a factor of 63 with respect to HNC. Hot/cold calibration measurements enable a direct comparison of the signal and noise levels of the CP-FTMMW spectra to those of the emission spectrometer. For the CP-FTMMW instrument, we find many orders of magnitude of signal enhancement and a much stronger noise reduction due to the coherent detection scheme.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Hermanns
- I. Physikalisches Institut, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - N Wehres
- I. Physikalisches Institut, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - B Heyne
- I. Physikalisches Institut, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - C E Honingh
- I. Physikalisches Institut, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - U U Graf
- I. Physikalisches Institut, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - S Schlemmer
- I. Physikalisches Institut, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
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2
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Scalia T, Bonventre L, Terranova ML. From Protosolar Space to Space Exploration: The Role of Graphene in Space Technology and Economy. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:680. [PMID: 36839048 PMCID: PMC9963118 DOI: 10.3390/nano13040680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This paper aims to analyse the state-of-the-art of graphene-based materials and devices designed for use in space. The goal is to summarise emerging research studies, contextualise promising findings, and discuss underway strategies to address some specific space-related problems. To complete our overview of graphene-based technology and address the relevance of graphene in the wide scenario of the space economy, we also provide an analysis of worldwide patents and the scientific literature for aerospace applications in the period 2010-2021. We analysed global trends, country distributions, top assignees, and funding sponsors, evidencing a general increase for the period considered. These indicators, integrated with market information, provide a clear evaluation of the related technology trends and readiness levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Scalia
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Technology Unit, Via del Politecnico, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Bonventre
- Italian Space Agency (ASI), Legal Affairs Unit, Via del Politecnico, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Terranova
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
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He C, Thomas AM, Dangi BB, Yang T, Kaiser RI, Lee HC, Sun BJ, Chang AHH. Formation of the Elusive Silylenemethyl Radical (HCSiH 2; X 2B 2) via the Unimolecular Decomposition of Triplet Silaethylene (H 2CSiH 2; a 3A″). J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:3347-3357. [PMID: 35584043 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c01853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the formation of small organosilicon molecules─potential precursors to silicon-carbide dust grains ejected by dying carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars─in the gas phase via the reaction of atomic carbon (C) in its 3P electronic ground state with silane (SiH4; X1A1) using the crossed molecular beams technique. The reactants collided under single collision conditions at a collision energy of 13.0 ± 0.2 kJ mol-1, leading to the formation of the silylenemethyl radical (HCSiH2; X2B2) via the unimolecular decomposition of triplet silaethylene (H2CSiH2; a3A″). The silaethylene radical was formed via hydrogen migration of the triplet silylmethylene (HCSiH3; X3A″) radical, which in turn was identified as the initial collision complex accessed via the barrierless insertion of atomic carbon into the silicon-hydrogen bond of silane. Our results mark the first observation of the silylenemethyl radical, where previously only its thermodynamically more stable methylsilylidyne (CH3Si; X2A″) and methylenesilyl (CH2SiH; X2A') isomers were observed in low-temperature matrices. Considering the abundance of silane and the availability of atomic carbon in carbon-rich circumstellar environments, our results suggest that future astrochemical models should be updated to include contributions from small saturated organosilicon molecules as potential precursors to pure gaseous silicon-carbides and ultimately to silicon-carbide dust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao He
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Aaron M Thomas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Beni B Dangi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Tao Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Ralf I Kaiser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Huan-Cheng Lee
- Department of Chemistry, National Dong Hwa University, Shoufeng, Hualien 974, Taiwan
| | - Bing-Jian Sun
- Department of Chemistry, National Dong Hwa University, Shoufeng, Hualien 974, Taiwan
| | - Agnes H H Chang
- Department of Chemistry, National Dong Hwa University, Shoufeng, Hualien 974, Taiwan
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Tuci G, Liu Y, Rossin A, Guo X, Pham C, Giambastiani G, Pham-Huu C. Porous Silicon Carbide (SiC): A Chance for Improving Catalysts or Just Another Active-Phase Carrier? Chem Rev 2021; 121:10559-10665. [PMID: 34255488 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
There is an obvious gap between efforts dedicated to the control of chemicophysical and morphological properties of catalyst active phases and the attention paid to the search of new materials to be employed as functional carriers in the upgrading of heterogeneous catalysts. Economic constraints and common habits in preparing heterogeneous catalysts have narrowed the selection of active-phase carriers to a handful of materials: oxide-based ceramics (e.g. Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2, and aluminosilicates-zeolites) and carbon. However, these carriers occasionally face chemicophysical constraints that limit their application in catalysis. For instance, oxides are easily corroded by acids or bases, and carbon is not resistant to oxidation. Therefore, these carriers cannot be recycled. Moreover, the poor thermal conductivity of metal oxide carriers often translates into permanent alterations of the catalyst active sites (i.e. metal active-phase sintering) that compromise the catalyst performance and its lifetime on run. Therefore, the development of new carriers for the design and synthesis of advanced functional catalytic materials and processes is an urgent priority for the heterogeneous catalysis of the future. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a non-oxide semiconductor with unique chemicophysical properties that make it highly attractive in several branches of catalysis. Accordingly, the past decade has witnessed a large increase of reports dedicated to the design of SiC-based catalysts, also in light of a steadily growing portfolio of porous SiC materials covering a wide range of well-controlled pore structure and surface properties. This review article provides a comprehensive overview on the synthesis and use of macro/mesoporous SiC materials in catalysis, stressing their unique features for the design of efficient, cost-effective, and easy to scale-up heterogeneous catalysts, outlining their success where other and more classical oxide-based supports failed. All applications of SiC in catalysis will be reviewed from the perspective of a given chemical reaction, highlighting all improvements rising from the use of SiC in terms of activity, selectivity, and process sustainability. We feel that the experienced viewpoint of SiC-based catalyst producers and end users (these authors) and their critical presentation of a comprehensive overview on the applications of SiC in catalysis will help the readership to create its own opinion on the central role of SiC for the future of heterogeneous catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Tuci
- Institute of Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds, ICCOM-CNR and Consorzio INSTM, Via Madonna del Piano, 10, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy
| | - Yuefeng Liu
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy (DNL), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, 116023 Dalian, China
| | - Andrea Rossin
- Institute of Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds, ICCOM-CNR and Consorzio INSTM, Via Madonna del Piano, 10, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy
| | - Xiangyun Guo
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Charlotte Pham
- SICAT SARL, 20 place des Halles, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Giuliano Giambastiani
- Institute of Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds, ICCOM-CNR and Consorzio INSTM, Via Madonna del Piano, 10, 50019 Sesto F.no, Florence, Italy.,Institute of Chemistry and Processes for Energy, Environment and Health (ICPEES), ECPM, UMR 7515 of the CNRS-University of Strasbourg, 25 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 02, France
| | - Cuong Pham-Huu
- Institute of Chemistry and Processes for Energy, Environment and Health (ICPEES), ECPM, UMR 7515 of the CNRS-University of Strasbourg, 25 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 02, France
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Potapov A, McCoustra M. Physics and chemistry on the surface of cosmic dust grains: a laboratory view. INT REV PHYS CHEM 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/0144235x.2021.1918498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Potapov
- Laboratory Astrophysics Group of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Martin McCoustra
- Institute of Chemical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
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6
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Santoro G, Sobrado JM, Tajuelo-Castilla G, Accolla M, Martínez L, Azpeitia J, Lauwaet K, Cernicharo J, Ellis GJ, Martín-Gago JÁ. INFRA-ICE: An ultra-high vacuum experimental station for laboratory astrochemistry. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2020; 91:124101. [PMID: 33379937 PMCID: PMC7116743 DOI: 10.1063/5.0027920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Laboratory astrochemistry aims at simulating, in the laboratory, some of the chemical and physical processes that operate in different regions of the universe. Amongst the diverse astrochemical problems that can be addressed in the laboratory, the evolution of cosmic dust grains in different regions of the interstellar medium (ISM) and its role in the formation of new chemical species through catalytic processes present significant interest. In particular, the dark clouds of the ISM dust grains are coated by icy mantles and it is thought that the ice-dust interaction plays a crucial role in the development of the chemical complexity observed in space. Here, we present a new ultra-high vacuum experimental station devoted to simulating the complex conditions of the coldest regions of the ISM. The INFRA-ICE machine can be operated as a standing alone setup or incorporated in a larger experimental station called Stardust, which is dedicated to simulate the formation of cosmic dust in evolved stars. As such, INFRA-ICE expands the capabilities of Stardust allowing the simulation of the complete journey of cosmic dust in space, from its formation in asymptotic giant branch stars to its processing and interaction with icy mantles in molecular clouds. To demonstrate some of the capabilities of INFRA-ICE, we present selected results on the ultraviolet photochemistry of undecane (C11H24) at 14 K. Aliphatics are part of the carbonaceous cosmic dust, and recently, aliphatics and short n-alkanes have been detected in situ in the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Santoro
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM, CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 3, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús. M. Sobrado
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, INTA-CSIC). Crta. de Torrejón a Ajalvir km4, E-28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillermo Tajuelo-Castilla
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM, CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 3, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Accolla
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM, CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 3, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lidia Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM, CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 3, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jon Azpeitia
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM, CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 3, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Koen Lauwaet
- IMDEA Nanociencia. Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Cernicharo
- Instituto de Física Fundamental (IFF, CSIC). Group of Molecular Astrophysics. c/ Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gary J. Ellis
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros (ICTP, CSIC). c/ Juan de la Cierva 3, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Ángel Martín-Gago
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM, CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 3, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
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7
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Santoro G, Martínez L, Lauwaet K, Accolla M, Tajuelo-Castilla G, Merino P, Sobrado JM, Peláez RJ, Herrero VJ, Tanarro I, Mayoral ÁL, Agúndez M, Sabbah H, Joblin C, Cernicharo J, Martín-Gago JÁ. The Chemistry of Cosmic Dust Analogues from C, C 2, and C 2H 2 in C-Rich Circumstellar Envelopes. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 2020; 895:97. [PMID: 33154601 PMCID: PMC7116318 DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ab9086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Interstellar carbonaceous dust is mainly formed in the innermost regions of circumstellar envelopes around carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. In these highly chemically stratified regions, atomic and diatomic carbon, along with acetylene are the most abundant species after H2 and CO. In a previous study, we addressed the chemistry of carbon (C and C2) with H2 showing that acetylene and aliphatic species form efficiently in the dust formation region of carbon-rich AGBs whereas aromatics do not. Still, acetylene is known to be a key ingredient in the formation of linear polyacetylenic chains, benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), as shown by previous experiments. However, these experiments have not considered the chemistry of carbon (C and C2) with C2H2. In this work, by employing a sufficient amount of acetylene, we investigate its gas-phase interaction with atomic and diatomic carbon. We show that the chemistry involved produces linear polyacetylenic chains, benzene and other PAHs, which are observed with high abundances in the early evolutionary phase of planetary nebulae. More importantly, we have found a non-negligible amount of pure and hydrogenated carbon clusters as well as aromatics with aliphatic substitutions, both being a direct consequence of the addition of atomic carbon. The incorporation of alkyl substituents into aromatics can be rationalized by a mechanism involving hydrogen abstraction followed by methyl addition. All the species detected in gas phase are incorporated into the nanometric sized dust analogues, which consist of a complex mixture of sp, sp2 and sp3 hydrocarbons with amorphous morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Santoro
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM. CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lidia Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM. CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Koen Lauwaet
- IMDEA Nanociencia. Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Accolla
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM. CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillermo Tajuelo-Castilla
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM. CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Merino
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM. CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Física Fundamental (IFF. CSIC). Group of Molecular Astrophysics. c/ Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús M. Sobrado
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB. INTA-CSIC). Crta- de Torrejón a Ajalvir km4, 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramón J. Peláez
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM.CSIC). Molecular Physics Department. c/Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor J. Herrero
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM.CSIC). Molecular Physics Department. c/Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Tanarro
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM.CSIC). Molecular Physics Department. c/Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Á lvaro Mayoral
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201210, Peoples Republic of China
| | - Marcelino Agúndez
- Instituto de Física Fundamental (IFF. CSIC). Group of Molecular Astrophysics. c/ Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Hassan Sabbah
- IRAP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, CNES. 9 Av. du Colonel Roche, 31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - Christine Joblin
- IRAP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, CNES. 9 Av. du Colonel Roche, 31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - José Cernicharo
- Instituto de Física Fundamental (IFF. CSIC). Group of Molecular Astrophysics. c/ Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Ángel Martín-Gago
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM. CSIC). Materials Science Factory. Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
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Su M, Wang C, Wang T, Jiang Y, Xu Y, Liu H. Breaking the Affinity Limit with Dual-Phase-Accessible Hotspot for Ultrahigh Raman Scattering of Nonadsorptive Molecules. Anal Chem 2020; 92:6941-6948. [PMID: 32329602 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b05727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
For surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis, only analytes that can be absorbed spontaneously onto a noble metal surface can be detected effectively. Therefore, getting nonadsorptive molecules close enough to the surface has always been a key challenge in SERS analysis. Here absorbance measurements show that the liquid-interfacial array (LIA) does not adsorb or enrich benzopyrene (Bap) molecules, which lack effective functional groups that can interact with the noble metal surfaces. But the SERS intensity of 0.1 ppm Bap on the LIA is 10 times larger than that of 10 ppm Bap on traditional solid substrate, i.e., 3 orders of magnitude of enhancement. The LIA overcomes the restriction of affinity between Bap molecules and the metal surface, and the Bap molecules can easily enter nanogaps without steric hindrance. Furthermore, both adsorptive and nonadsorptive molecules were used to observe the SERS enhancement behavior on the LIA platforms. In multiple detection, competitive SERS signal changes could be observed between adsorptive and nonadsorptive molecules or between nonadsorptive and nonadsorptive molecules. A theoretical scheme was profiled for localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) properties of the LIA. Finite difference-time domain (FDTD) simulation shows that the LIAs have biphasic and accessible asymmetric hotspots, and the electric field enhancement in the CHCl3 (O) phase is approximately four times larger than that of the water (W) phase. In addition, the position and relative strength of the electromagnetic field depend on the spatial position of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) relative to the liquid-liquid interface (LLI), i.e., when the GNP dimer is completely immersed in a certain phase, the electromagnetic field enhancement of the CHCl3 phase is approximately 7 times larger than that of the W phase. We speculate that dual-phase-accessible hotspots and the hydrophobic environment provided by CHCl3 are two important factors contributing to successful detection of four common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with a detection limit of 10 ppb. Finally, the LIA platform successfully realizes simultaneous detection of multiple PAHs in both plant and animal oils with good stability. This study provides a new direction for the development of high-efficiency and practical SERS technology for nonadsorptive molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengke Su
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Chao Wang
- National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029, China
| | - Tengfei Wang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Yifan Jiang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Yue Xu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Honglin Liu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Bio-process, Ministry of Education, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China.,Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Life Sciences, and Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.,State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai 200050, China
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9
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Martínez L, Santoro G, Merino P, Accolla M, Lauwaet K, Sobrado J, Sabbah H, Pelaez RJ, Herrero VJ, Tanarro I, Agúndez M, Martín-Jimenez A, Otero R, Ellis GJ, Joblin C, Cernicharo J, Martín-Gago JA. Prevalence of non-aromatic carbonaceous molecules in the inner regions of circumstellar envelopes. NATURE ASTRONOMY 2020; 4:97-105. [PMID: 31934643 PMCID: PMC6957349 DOI: 10.1038/s41550-019-0899-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Evolved stars are a foundry of chemical complexity, gas and dust that provides the building blocks of planets and life, and dust nucleation first occurs in their photosphere. Despite their importance, the circumstellar regions enveloping these stars remain hidden to many observations, thus dust formation processes are still poorly understood. Laboratory astrophysics provides complementary routes to unveil these chemical processes, but most experiments rely on combustion or plasma decomposition of molecular precursors under physical conditions far removed from those in space. We have built an ultra-high vacuum machine combining atomic gas aggregation with advanced in-situ characterization techniques to reproduce and characterize the bottom-up dust formation process. We show that carbonaceous dust analogues formed from low-pressure gas-phase condensation of C atoms in a hydrogen atmosphere, in a C/H2 ratio similar to that reported for evolved stars, leads to the formation of amorphous C nanograins and aliphatic C-clusters. Aromatic species or fullerenes do not form effectively under these conditions, raising implications for the revision of the chemical mechanisms taking place in circumstellar envelopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC). Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. C/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Santoro
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC). Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. C/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Merino
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC). Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. C/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Física Fundamental (IFF-CSIC). Group of Molecular Astrophysics, C/Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Accolla
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC). Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. C/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Koen Lauwaet
- IMDEA Nanociencia, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Sobrado
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, INTA-CSIC). Crtade Torrejon a Ajalvir km4, 28850 Torrejon de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hassan Sabbah
- IRAP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, CNES, 9 Av. du Colonel Roche, 31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - Ramón J. Pelaez
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC). Molecular Physics Department. C/Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Victor J. Herrero
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC). Molecular Physics Department. C/Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Tanarro
- Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC). Molecular Physics Department. C/Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcelino Agúndez
- Instituto de Física Fundamental (IFF-CSIC). Group of Molecular Astrophysics, C/Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Martín-Jimenez
- IMDEA Nanociencia, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Otero
- IMDEA Nanociencia, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gary J. Ellis
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros (ICTP-CSIC). C/Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Christine Joblin
- IRAP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, CNES, 9 Av. du Colonel Roche, 31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France
| | - José Cernicharo
- Instituto de Física Fundamental (IFF-CSIC). Group of Molecular Astrophysics, C/Serrano 123, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - José A. Martín-Gago
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC). Structure of Nanoscopic Systems Group. C/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
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10
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11
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d'Ischia M, Manini P, Moracci M, Saladino R, Ball V, Thissen H, Evans RA, Puzzarini C, Barone V. Astrochemistry and Astrobiology: Materials Sciencein Wonderland? Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4079. [PMID: 31438518 PMCID: PMC6747172 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20174079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrochemistry and astrobiology, the fascinating disciplines that strive to unravel the origin of life, have opened unprecedented and unpredicted vistas into exotic compounds as well as extreme or complex reaction conditions of potential relevance for a broad variety of applications. Representative, and so far little explored sources of inspiration include complex organic systems, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives; hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and formamide (HCONH2) oligomers and polymers, like aminomalononitrile (AMN)-derived species; and exotic processes, such as solid-state photoreactions on mineral surfaces, phosphorylation by minerals, cold ice irradiation and proton bombardment, and thermal transformations in fumaroles. In addition, meteorites and minerals like forsterite, which dominate dust chemistry in the interstellar medium, may open new avenues for the discovery of innovative catalytic processes and unconventional methodologies. The aim of this review was to offer concise and inspiring, rather than comprehensive, examples of astrochemistry-related materials and systems that may be of relevance in areas such as surface functionalization, nanostructures, and hybrid material design, and for innovative technological solutions. The potential of computational methods to predict new properties from spectroscopic data and to assess plausible reaction pathways on both kinetic and thermodynamic grounds has also been highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco d'Ischia
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Via Cupa Nuova Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, Italy.
| | - Paola Manini
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Via Cupa Nuova Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Moracci
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Via Cupa Nuova Cinthia 21, 80126 Naples, Italy
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, National Research Council of Italy, Via P. Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaele Saladino
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Vincent Ball
- Institut National de la Santé et de la RechercheMédicale, 11 rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France
- Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, Université de Strasbourg, 1 Place de l'Hôpital, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Helmut Thissen
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Richard A Evans
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Cristina Puzzarini
- Department of Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via F. Selmi 2, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
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12
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Sánchez-Sánchez C, Martínez JI, Ruiz Del Arbol N, Ruffieux P, Fasel R, López MF, de Andres PL, Martín-Gago JÁ. On-Surface Hydrogen-Induced Covalent Coupling of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons via a Superhydrogenated Intermediate. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:3550-3557. [PMID: 30623650 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b12239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The activation, hydrogenation, and covalent coupling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are processes of great importance in fields like chemistry, energy, biology, or health, among others. So far, they are based on the use of catalysts which drive and increase the efficiency of the thermally- or light-induced reaction. Here, we report on the catalyst-free covalent coupling of nonfunctionalized PAHs adsorbed on a relatively inert surface in the presence of atomic hydrogen. The underlying mechanism has been characterized by high-resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy and rationalized by density functional theory calculations. It is based on the formation of intermediate radical-like species upon hydrogen-induced molecular superhydrogenation which favors the covalent binding of PAHs in a thermally activated process, resulting in large coupled molecular nanostructures. The mechanism proposed in this work opens a door toward the direct formation of covalent, PAH-based, bottom-up synthesized nanoarchitectures on technologically relevant inert surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Sánchez-Sánchez
- ESISNA Group, Materials Science Factory , Institute of Material Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) , Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3 , 28049 Madrid , Spain
| | - José Ignacio Martínez
- ESISNA Group, Materials Science Factory , Institute of Material Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) , Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3 , 28049 Madrid , Spain
| | - Nerea Ruiz Del Arbol
- ESISNA Group, Materials Science Factory , Institute of Material Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) , Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3 , 28049 Madrid , Spain
| | - Pascal Ruffieux
- nanotech@surfaces Laboratory , Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology , Ueberlandstrasse 129 , 8600 Duebendorf , Switzerland
| | - Roman Fasel
- nanotech@surfaces Laboratory , Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology , Ueberlandstrasse 129 , 8600 Duebendorf , Switzerland.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Bern , Freiestrasse 3 , 3012 Bern , Switzerland
| | - María Francisca López
- ESISNA Group, Materials Science Factory , Institute of Material Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) , Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3 , 28049 Madrid , Spain
| | - Pedro L de Andres
- ESISNA Group, Materials Science Factory , Institute of Material Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) , Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3 , 28049 Madrid , Spain
| | - José Ángel Martín-Gago
- ESISNA Group, Materials Science Factory , Institute of Material Science of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) , Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3 , 28049 Madrid , Spain
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13
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James RL, Jones NC, Hoffmann SV, Dawes A. VUV spectroscopy of an electron irradiated benzene : carbon dioxide interstellar ice analogue. RSC Adv 2019; 9:5453-5459. [PMID: 35515951 PMCID: PMC9060755 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra00462a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We present the first vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopic study of an interstellar ice analogue of a benzene (C6H6) : carbon dioxide (CO2) (1 : 100) mixture which has been energetically processed with 1 keV electrons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nykola C. Jones
- ISA
- Centre for Storage Ring Facilities
- Department of Physics and Astronomy
- Aarhus University
- Denmark
| | - Søren V. Hoffmann
- ISA
- Centre for Storage Ring Facilities
- Department of Physics and Astronomy
- Aarhus University
- Denmark
| | - Anita Dawes
- School of Physical Sciences
- The Open University
- UK
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14
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Dou KP, Kaun CC, Zhang RQ. Selective interface transparency in graphene nanoribbon based molecular junctions. NANOSCALE 2018; 10:4861-4864. [PMID: 29473924 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr08564h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A clear understanding of electrode-molecule interfaces is a prerequisite for the rational engineering of future generations of nanodevices that will rely on single-molecule coupling between components. With a model system, we reveal a peculiar dependence on interfaces in all graphene nanoribbon-based carbon molecular junctions. The effect can be classified into two types depending on the intrinsic feature of the embedded core graphene nanoflake (GNF). For metallic GNFs with |NA - NB| = 1, good/poor contact transparency occurs when the core device aligns with the center/edge of the electrode. The situation is reversed when a semiconducting GNF is the device, where NA = NB. These results may shed light on the design of real connecting components in graphene-based nanocircuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- K P Dou
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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15
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Ma Y, Wang SY, Hu J, Zhou Y, Song XN, Wang CK. Theoretical Identification of the Six Stable C 84 Isomers by IR, XPS, and NEXAFS Spectra. J Phys Chem A 2018; 122:1019-1026. [PMID: 29298066 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.7b12018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Six stable C84 isomers satisfying isolated pentagon rule (IPR) have been theoretically identified by infrared (IR), X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra. The XPS and NEXAFS spectra at the K-edge for all nonequivalent carbon atoms were simulated by the density functional theory method. NEXAFS spectra show stronger dependence than IR and XPS spectra on the six C84 isomers, which can be properly used for isomer identification. Furthermore, spectral components of total spectra for carbon atoms in different local environment have been explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Ma
- Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Image Processing Technology, School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University , 250014 Jinan, P. R. China.,Division of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Biotechnology, Royal Institute of Technology , S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sheng-Yu Wang
- Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Image Processing Technology, School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University , 250014 Jinan, P. R. China
| | - Jing Hu
- Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Image Processing Technology, School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University , 250014 Jinan, P. R. China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Image Processing Technology, School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University , 250014 Jinan, P. R. China
| | - Xiu-Neng Song
- Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Image Processing Technology, School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University , 250014 Jinan, P. R. China
| | - Chuan-Kui Wang
- Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Medical Physics and Image Processing Technology, School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University , 250014 Jinan, P. R. China
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Joblin
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Université de Toulouse (UPS), CNRS, 31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France.
| | - José Cernicharo
- Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Molecular Astrophysics Group, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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17
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Komissarov IV, Kovalchuk NG, Labunov VA, Girel KV, Korolik OV, Tivanov MS, Lazauskas A, Andrulevičius M, Tamulevičius T, Grigaliūnas V, Meškinis Š, Tamulevičius S, Prischepa SL. Nitrogen-doped twisted graphene grown on copper by atmospheric pressure CVD from a decane precursor. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 8:145-158. [PMID: 28243551 PMCID: PMC5301970 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.8.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We present Raman studies of graphene films grown on copper foil by atmospheric pressure CVD with n-decane as a precursor, a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen as the carrier gas, under different hydrogen flow rates. A novel approach for the processing of the Raman spectroscopy data was employed. It was found that in particular cases, the various parameters of the Raman spectra can be assigned to fractions of the films with different thicknesses. In particular, such quantities as the full width at half maximum of the 2D peak and the position of the 2D graphene band were successfully applied for the elaborated approach. Both the G- and 2D-band positions of single layer fractions were blue-shifted, which could be associated with the nitrogen doping of studied films. The XPS study revealed the characteristics of incorporated nitrogen, which was found to have a binding energy around 402 eV. Moreover, based on the statistical analysis of spectral parameters and the observation of a G-resonance, the twisted nature of the double-layer fraction of graphene grown with a lower hydrogen feeding rate was demonstrated. The impact of the varied hydrogen flow rate on the structural properties of graphene and the nitrogen concentration is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan V Komissarov
- Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, P. Brovka str. 6, Minsk 220013, Belarus
| | - Nikolai G Kovalchuk
- Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, P. Brovka str. 6, Minsk 220013, Belarus
| | - Vladimir A Labunov
- Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, P. Brovka str. 6, Minsk 220013, Belarus
| | - Ksenia V Girel
- Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, P. Brovka str. 6, Minsk 220013, Belarus
| | - Olga V Korolik
- Belarusian State University, Nezavisimosti av. 4, Minsk 220030, Belarus
| | - Mikhail S Tivanov
- Belarusian State University, Nezavisimosti av. 4, Minsk 220030, Belarus
| | - Algirdas Lazauskas
- Institute of Materials Science, Kaunas University of Technology, K. Baršausko str. 59, Kaunas 51423, Lithuania
| | - Mindaugas Andrulevičius
- Institute of Materials Science, Kaunas University of Technology, K. Baršausko str. 59, Kaunas 51423, Lithuania
| | - Tomas Tamulevičius
- Institute of Materials Science, Kaunas University of Technology, K. Baršausko str. 59, Kaunas 51423, Lithuania
| | - Viktoras Grigaliūnas
- Institute of Materials Science, Kaunas University of Technology, K. Baršausko str. 59, Kaunas 51423, Lithuania
| | - Šarunas Meškinis
- Institute of Materials Science, Kaunas University of Technology, K. Baršausko str. 59, Kaunas 51423, Lithuania
| | - Sigitas Tamulevičius
- Institute of Materials Science, Kaunas University of Technology, K. Baršausko str. 59, Kaunas 51423, Lithuania
| | - Serghej L Prischepa
- Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, P. Brovka str. 6, Minsk 220013, Belarus
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18
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Rocks C, Mitra S, Macias-Montero M, Maguire P, Svrcek V, Levchenko I, Ostrikov K, Mariotti D. Impact of Silicon Nanocrystal Oxidation on the Nonmetallic Growth of Carbon Nanotubes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:19012-19023. [PMID: 27362537 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b02599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Carbon nanotube (CNT) growth has been demonstrated recently using a number of nonmetallic semiconducting and metal oxide nanoparticles, opening up pathways for direct CNT synthesis from a number of more desirable templates without the need for metallic catalysts. However, CNT growth mechanisms using these nonconventional catalysts has been shown to largely differ and reamins a challenging synthesis route. In this contribution we show CNT growth from partially oxidized silicon nanocrystals (Si NCs) that exhibit quantum confinement effects using a microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. On the basis of solvent and a postsynthesis frgamentation process, we show that oxidation of our Si NCs can be easily controlled. We determine experimentally and explain with theoretical simulations that the Si NCs morphology together with a necessary shell oxide of ∼1 nm is vital to allow for the nonmetallic growth of CNTs. On the basis of chemical analysis post-CNT-growth, we give insight into possible mechanisms for CNT nucleation and growth from our partially oxidized Si NCs. This contribution is of significant importance to the improvement of nonmetallic catalysts for CNT growth and the development of Si NC/CNT interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor Rocks
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University , Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Somak Mitra
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University , Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Macias-Montero
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University , Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Maguire
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University , Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Vladimir Svrcek
- Research Center for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) , Central 2, Umezono 1-1-1, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
| | - Igor Levchenko
- School of Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
| | - Kostya Ostrikov
- School of Chemistry, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia
- Joint CSIRO-QUT Sustainable Materials and Devices Laboratory, CSIRO , P.O. Box 218, Lindfield, New South Wales 2070, Australia
| | - Davide Mariotti
- Nanotechnology & Integrated Bio-Engineering Centre (NIBEC), Ulster University , Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 1SA, United Kingdom
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19
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Cox NLJ, Pilleri P, Berné O, Cernicharo J, Joblin C. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and molecular hydrogen in oxygen-rich planetary nebulae: the case of NGC 6720. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 2016; 456:L89-L93. [PMID: 26924856 PMCID: PMC4765080 DOI: 10.1093/mnrasl/slv184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Evolved stars are primary sources for the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dust grains. Their circumstellar chemistry is usually designated as either oxygen-rich or carbon-rich, although dual-dust chemistry objects, whose infrared spectra reveal both silicate- and carbon-dust features, are also known. The exact origin and nature of this dual-dust chemistry is not yet understood. Spitzer-IRS mid-infrared spectroscopic imaging of the nearby, oxygen-rich planetary nebula NGC 6720 reveals the presence of the 11.3 μm aromatic (PAH) emission band. It is attributed to emission from neutral PAHs, since no band is observed in the 7-8 μm range. The spatial distribution of PAHs is found to closely follow that of the warm clumpy molecular hydrogen emission. Emission from both neutral PAHs and warm H2 is likely to arise from photo-dissociation regions associated with dense knots that are located within the main ring. The presence of PAHs together with the previously derived high abundance of free carbon (relative to CO) suggest that the local conditions in an oxygen-rich environment can also become conducive to in-situ formation of large carbonaceous molecules, such as PAHs, via a bottom-up chemical pathway. In this scenario, the same stellar source can enrich the interstellar medium with both oxygen-rich dust and large carbonaceous molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- N L J Cox
- Université de Toulouse, UPS-OMP, IRAP, 31028, Toulouse, France ; CNRS, IRAP, 9 Av. colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse, France
| | - P Pilleri
- Université de Toulouse, UPS-OMP, IRAP, 31028, Toulouse, France ; CNRS, IRAP, 9 Av. colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse, France
| | - O Berné
- Université de Toulouse, UPS-OMP, IRAP, 31028, Toulouse, France ; CNRS, IRAP, 9 Av. colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse, France
| | - J Cernicharo
- Group of Molecular Astrophysics, ICMM, CSIC, C/Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz N3, E-28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - C Joblin
- Université de Toulouse, UPS-OMP, IRAP, 31028, Toulouse, France ; CNRS, IRAP, 9 Av. colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse, France
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20
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21
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Marchione D, McCoustra MRS. Non-covalent interaction of benzene with methanol and diethyl ether solid surfaces. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:20790-801. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp01787h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
We have investigated the interactions involved at the interface of binary, layered ices (benzene on methanol and on diethyl ether) by means of laboratory experiments and ab initio calculations on model clusters.
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22
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Marchione D, Thrower JD, McCoustra MRS. Efficient electron-promoted desorption of benzene from water ice surfaces. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:4026-34. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cp06537b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
We study the desorption of benzene from solid water surfaces during irradiation of ultrathin solid films with low energy electrons.
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23
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Zhao TQ, Li Q, Liu BS, Gover RKE, Sarre PJ, Cheung ASC. Laboratory astrochemistry: catalytic conversion of acetylene to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons over SiC grains. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:3489-96. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cp06425b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Catalytic conversion reactions of acetylene on a solid SiC grain surface lead to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and are expected to mimic chemical processes in certain astrophysical environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Q. Zhao
- Department of Chemistry
- The University of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong
- China
| | - Q. Li
- Department of Chemistry
- The University of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong
- China
| | - B. S. Liu
- Department of Chemistry
- The University of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong
- China
- Department of Chemistry
| | - R. K. E. Gover
- School of Chemistry
- The University of Nottingham
- Nottingham NG7 2RD
- UK
| | - P. J. Sarre
- School of Chemistry
- The University of Nottingham
- Nottingham NG7 2RD
- UK
| | - A. S.-C. Cheung
- Department of Chemistry
- The University of Hong Kong
- Hong Kong
- China
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24
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Dou KP, Fu XX, De Sarkar A, Zhang RQ. Tailoring the transmission lineshape spectrum of zigzag graphene nanoribbon based heterojunctions via controlling their width and edge protrusions. NANOSCALE 2015; 7:20003-20008. [PMID: 26565806 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr05736a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We report a first-principles analysis of electron transport through narrow zigzag graphene nanoribbon (up to 2.2 nm) based wedge-shaped heterojunctions. We show that the width difference between the electrode and the scattering region and the edge protrusion of heterojunctions can be tuned to endow the system's transmission spectrum with distinctive features. In particular, transport through junctions with a one sided protrusion in the scattering region is always dominated by a Breit-Wigner-type resonance right at the Fermi level, regardless of the large or small width difference. On the other hand, a junction with protrusions on both sides of the scattering region shows insulating behaviour near the Fermi level for a large width difference but weak transmission channels are formed at the core of the scattering region for a small width difference. When the protrusion is absent in the junction, transmission functions display rather complex structures: double peaks situating nearly symmetrically away from the Fermi level and a strongly asymmetric profile in the vicinity of the Fermi level are observed for large and small width differences, respectively. These results may shed light on the design of real connecting components in nanocircuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- K P Dou
- Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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25
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Velasco JM, Giamini SA, Kelaidis N, Tsipas P, Tsoutsou D, Kordas G, Raptis YS, Boukos N, Dimoulas A. Reducing the layer number of AB stacked multilayer graphene grown on nickel by annealing at low temperature. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2015; 26:405603. [PMID: 26377604 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/26/40/405603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Controlling the number of layers of graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition is crucial for large scale graphene application. We propose here an etching process of graphene which can be applied immediately after growth to control the number of layers. We use nickel (Ni) foil at high temperature (T = 900 °C) to produce multilayer-AB-stacked-graphene (MLG). The etching process is based on annealing the samples in a hydrogen/argon atmosphere at a relatively low temperature (T = 450 °C) inside the growth chamber. The extent of etching is mainly controlled by the annealing process duration. Using Raman spectroscopy we demonstrate that the number of layers was reduced, changing from MLG to few-layer-AB-stacked-graphene and in some cases to randomly oriented few layer graphene near the substrate. Furthermore, our method offers the significant advantage that it does not introduce defects in the samples, maintaining their original high quality. This fact and the low temperature our method uses make it a good candidate for controlling the layer number of already grown graphene in processes with a low thermal budget.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Marquez Velasco
- National Center for Scientific Research 'Demokritos', 15310 Athens, Greece. Department of Physics, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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26
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Berné O, Montillaud J, Joblin C. Top-down formation of fullerenes in the interstellar medium. ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS 2015; 577:A133. [PMID: 26722131 PMCID: PMC4693962 DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201425338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Fullerenes have been recently detected in various circumstellar and interstellar environments, raising the question of their formation pathway. It has been proposed that they can form at the low densities found in the interstellar medium by the photo-chemical processing of large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Following our previous work on the evolution of PAHs in the NGC 7023 reflection nebula, we evaluate, using photochemical modeling, the possibility that the PAH C66H20 (i.e. circumovalene) can lead to the formation of C60 upon irradiation by ultraviolet photons. The chemical pathway involves full dehydrogenation of C66H20, folding into a floppy closed cage and shrinking of the cage by loss of C2 units until it reaches the symmetric C60 molecule. At 10" from the illuminating star and with realistic molecular parameters, the model predicts that 100% of C66H20 is converted into C60 in ~ 105 years, a timescale comparable to the age of the nebula. Shrinking appears to be the kinetically limiting step of the whole process. Hence, PAHs larger than C66H20 are unlikely to contribute significantly to the formation of C60, while PAHs containing between 60 and 66 C atoms should contribute to the formation of C60 with shorter timescales, and PAHs containing less than 60 C atoms will be destroyed. Assuming a classical size distribution for the PAH precursors, our model predicts absolute abundances of C60 are up to several 10-4 of the elemental carbon, i.e. less than a percent of the typical interstellar PAH abundance, which is consistent with observational studies. According to our model, once formed, C60 can survive much longer (> 107 years for radiation fields below G0 = 104) than other fullerenes because of the remarkable stability of the C60 molecule at high internal energies. Hence, a natural consequence is that C60 is more abundant than other fullerenes in highly irradiated environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Berné
- Université de Toulouse; UPS-OMP; IRAP; Toulouse, France ; CNRS; IRAP; 9 Av. colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse cedex 4, France
| | - J Montillaud
- Department of Physics, PO Box 64, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland ; Institut Utinam, CNRS UMR 6213, OSU THETA, Université de Franche-Comté, 41bis avenue de l'Observatoire, 25000 Besançon, France
| | - C Joblin
- Université de Toulouse; UPS-OMP; IRAP; Toulouse, France ; CNRS; IRAP; 9 Av. colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse cedex 4, France
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Susi T, Pichler T, Ayala P. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of graphitic carbon nanomaterials doped with heteroatoms. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2015; 6:177-92. [PMID: 25671162 PMCID: PMC4311644 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.6.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is one of the best tools for studying the chemical modification of surfaces, and in particular the distribution and bonding of heteroatom dopants in carbon nanomaterials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes. Although these materials have superb intrinsic properties, these often need to be modified in a controlled way for specific applications. Towards this aim, the most studied dopants are neighbors to carbon in the periodic table, nitrogen and boron, with phosphorus starting to emerge as an interesting new alternative. Hundreds of studies have used XPS for analyzing the concentration and bonding of dopants in various materials. Although the majority of works has concentrated on nitrogen, important work is still ongoing to identify its precise atomic bonding configurations. In general, care should be taken in the preparation of a suitable sample, consideration of the intrinsic photoemission response of the material in question, and the appropriate spectral analysis. If this is not the case, incorrect conclusions can easily be drawn, especially in the assignment of measured binding energies into specific atomic configurations. Starting from the characteristics of pristine materials, this review provides a practical guide for interpreting X-ray photoelectron spectra of doped graphitic carbon nanomaterials, and a reference for their binding energies that are vital for compositional analysis via XPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toma Susi
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Pichler
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Paola Ayala
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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Merino P, Švec M, Martínez JI, Mutombo P, Gonzalez C, Martín-Gago JA, de Andres PL, Jelinek P. Ortho and para hydrogen dimers on G/SiC(0001): combined STM and DFT study. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2014; 31:233-239. [PMID: 25486105 DOI: 10.1021/la504021x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The hydrogen (H) dimer structures formed upon room-temperature H adsorption on single layer graphene (SLG) grown on SiC(0001) are addressed using a combined theoretical-experimental approach. Our study includes density functional theory (DFT) calculations for the full (6√3 × 6√3)R30° unit cell of the SLG/SiC(0001) substrate and atomically resolved scanning tunneling microscopy images determining simultaneously the graphene lattice and the internal structure of the H adsorbates. We show that H atoms normally group in chemisorbed coupled structures of different sizes and orientations. We make an atomic scale determination of the most stable experimental geometries, the small dimers and ellipsoid-shaped features, and we assign them to hydrogen adsorbed in para dimers and ortho dimers configuration, respectively, through comparison with the theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Merino
- Centro de Astrobiología INTA-CSIC, Carretera de Ajalvir, km. 4, ES-28850 Madrid, Spain
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Martínez JI, Martín-Gago JA, Cernicharo J, de Andres PL. Etching of graphene in a Hydrogen-rich Atmosphere towards the Formation of Hydrocarbons in Circumstellar Clouds. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2014; 118:26882-26886. [PMID: 26709358 PMCID: PMC4688951 DOI: 10.1021/jp509195d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We describe a mechanism that explains the formation of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbyls from hydrogenated graphene/graphite; hard C-C bonds are weakened and broken by the synergistic effect of chemisorbed hydrogen and high temperature vibrations. Total energies, optimized structures, and transition states are obtained from Density Functional Theory simulations. These values have been used to determine the Boltzman probability for a thermal fluctuation to overcome the kinetic barriers, yielding the time scale for an event to occur. This mechanism can be used to rationalize the possible routes for the creation of small hydrocarbons and hydrocarbyls from etched graphene/graphite in stellar regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- José I. Martínez
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: , Phone: +34 (91)3349000 ext. 366. Fax: +34 (91)3720623
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