Quantum chemical investigation on the role of Li adsorbed on anatase (101) surface nano-materials on the storage of molecular hydrogen

Lithiation of TiO2 has been shown to enhance the storage of hydrogen up to 5.6 wt% (Hu et al. J Am Chem Soc 128:11740-11741, 2006). The mechanism for the process is still unknown. In this work we have carried out a study on the adsorption and diffusion of Li atoms on the surface and migration into subsurface layers of anatase (101) by periodic density functional theory calculations implementing on-site Coulomb interactions (DFT+U). The model consists of 24 [TiO2] units with 11.097 × 7.655 Å(2) surface area. Adsorption energies have been calculated for different Li atoms (1-14) on the surface. A maximum of 13 Li atoms can be accommodated on the surface at two bridged O, Ti-O, and Ti atom adsorption sites, with 83 kcal mol(-1) adsorption energy for a single Li atom adsorbed between two bridged O atoms from where it can migrate into the subsurface layer with 27 kcal mol(-1) energy barrier. The predicted adsorption energies for H2 on the lithiated TiO2 (101) surface with 1-10 Li atoms revealed that the highest adsorption energies occurred on 1-Li, 5-Li, and 9-Li surfaces with 3.5, 4.4, and 7.6 kcal mol(-1), respectively. The values decrease rapidly with additional H2 co-adsorbed on the lithiated surfaces; the maximum H2 adsorption on the 9Li-TiO2(a) surface was estimated to be only 0.32 wt% under 100 atm H2 pressure at 77 K. The result of Bader charge analysis indicated that the reduction of Ti occurred depending on the Li atoms covered on the TiO2 surface.

Computational and experimental studies on the effect of hydrogenation of Ni-doped TiO2 anatase nanoparticles for the application of water splitting

The hydrogenated black Ni–TiO₂ nanoparticles exhibit a much greater efficiency in water splitting producing H₂ gas over those of non-hydrogenated TiO₂ and Ni-doped TiO₂.

Ab initio chemical kinetics for SiH2 + Si2H6 and SiH3 + Si2H5 reactions and the related unimolecular decomposition of Si3H8 under a-Si/H CVD conditions

The kinetics and mechanisms for SiH2 + Si2H6 and SiH3 + Si2H5 reactions and the related unimolecular decomposition of Si3H8 have been investigated by ab initio molecular orbital theory based on the QCISD(T)/CBS//QCISD/6-311++G(d,p) method in conjunction with quantum statistical variational Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) calculations. For the barrierless radical association processes, their variational transition states have been characterized by the CASPT2//CASSCF method. The species involved in the study are known to coexist under CVD conditions. The results show that the association reaction of SiH2 and Si2H6 producing Si3H8 occurs by insertion via its lowest-energy path forming a loose hydrogen-bonding molecular complex with 8.3 kcal/mol binding energy; the reaction is exothermic by 55.0 kcal/mol. The chemically activated Si3H8 adduct can fragment by several paths, producing SiH4 + SiH3SiH (-0.7 kcal/mol), Si(SiH3)2 + H2 (-1.4 kcal/mol), and SiH3SiH2SiH + H2 (-1.4 kcal/mol). The predicted enthalpy changes as given agree well with available thermochemical data. Three other decomposition channels of Si3H8 occurring by Si-H or Si-Si breaking were found to be highly endothermic, and the reactions take place without a well-defined barrier. The heats of formation of Si3H8, SiH2SiH, Si2H4, i-Si3H7, n-Si3H7, Si(SiH3)2, and SiH3SiH2SiH have been predicted and found to be in close agreement with those available data in the literature. The product branching rate constants for SiH2 + Si2H6 and SiH3 + Si2H5 reactions and the thermal unimolecular decomposition of Si3H8 for all low-energy paths have been calculated with multichannel variational RRKM theory covering varying P,T conditions typically employed in PECVD and Cat-CVD processes for hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si/H) film growth. The results were also found to be in good agreement with available kinetic data. Our kinetic results may be employed to model and control very large-area a-Si/H film growth for a new generation of solar cell applications.

Computational investigation of O2 reduction and diffusion on 25% Sr-doped LaMnO3 cathodes in solid oxide fuel cells

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and diffusion mechanisms on 25% Sr-doped LaMnO(3) (LSM) cathode materials as well as their kinetic behavior have been studied by using spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Bader charge and frequency analyses were carried out to identify the oxidation state of adsorbed oxygen species. DFT and molecular dynamics (MD) results show that the fast O(2) adsorption/reduction process via superoxide and peroxide intermediates is energetically favorable on the Mn site rather than on the Sr site. Furthermore, the higher adsorption energies on the Mn site of the (110) surface compared to those on the (100) surface imply that the former is more efficient for O(2) reduction. Significantly, we predict that oxygen vacancies enhance O(2) reduction kinetics and that the O-ion migration through the bulk is dominant over that on the surface of the LSM cathode.

Cloning and expression of an outer membrane protein OmpW of Aeromonas hydrophila and study of its distribution in Aeromonas spp

AIMS

The main aims of this study were to clone and express an outer membrane protein (OMP), OmpW, of Aeromonas hydrophila and to study its distribution in Aeromonas spp.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The gene encoding OmpW in A. hydrophila has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Primers were designed for amplification of full-length ompW gene and used for identification of this gene in different Aeromonas spp. Of the 42 Aeromonas strains tested, all the isolates were positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) except one strain of Aeromonas veronii biovar veronii (VTE338). None of the other gram-negative bacteria were positive by PCR with primers specific to ompW gene of A. hydrophila. Polyclonal antibodies were raised in rabbit against the purified recombinant protein and the reaction of these antibodies was confirmed by western blotting using the purified recombinant protein and 42 Aeromonas cultures grown at various salt concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

The ompW-based PCR method developed in this study was found to be 100% specific and 97% sensitive. Expression of OmpW protein of Aeromonas was found to be salt-dependant. Recombinant OmpW protein was found to be highly immunogenic in fish.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

To our knowledge, this is the first report on cloning and expression of OmpW protein of A. hydrophila. Full-length ompW gene amplification by PCR can be used for the detection of Aeromonas. Recombinant OmpW protein can be useful for vaccination of fish against Aeromonas spp.

Evaluation of an alkaline phosphatase-labeled oligonucleotide probe for detection and enumeration of vibrio spp. from shrimp hatchery environment

An alkaline phosphatase (AP)-labeled genus-specific oligonucleotide probe was developed to detect and enumerate vibrios in shrimp larvae and their surrounding environment. The probe was evaluated using 35 laboratory isolates of Vibrio species and 29 isolates of non-vibrio species. The probe was specific for the Vibrio species and no cross reaction was found with the non-vibrios included in the study. The total Vibrio counts obtained by plating on thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose agar (TCBS) and using oligonucleotide probe were compared. Total Vibrio counts obtained by probe were comparatively higher than the counts obtained by plating on TCBS agar. The difference between the counts obtained by the probe and by plating on TCBS agar ranged from 2 to 21 times. The study reveals that the use of a non-selective medium such as T1N3 agar followed by detection using a genus-specific probe would help to precisely enumerate the total Vibrio load in the aquaculture environments.

Computational Study on the Mechanisms and Energetics of Trimethylindium Reactions with H2O and H2S

The reactions of trimethylindium (TMIn) with H2O and H2S are relevant to the chemical vapor deposition of indium oxide and indium sulfide thin films. The mechanisms and energetics of these reactions in the gas phase have been investigated by density functional theory and ab initio calculations using the CCSD(T)/[6-31G(d,p)+Lanl2dz]//B3LYP/[6-31G(d,p)+Lanl2dz] and CCSD(T)/[6-31G(d,p)+Lanl2dz] //MP2/[6-31G(d,p)+Lanl2dz] methods. The results of both methods are in good agreement for the optimized geometries and relative energies. When TMIn reacts with H2O and H2S, initial molecular complexes [(CH3)3In:OH2 (R1)] and [(CH3)3In:SH2 (R2)] are formed with 12.6 and 3.9 kcal/mol binding energies. Elimination of a CH4 molecule from each complex occurs with a similar energy barrier at TS1 (19.9 kcal/mol) and at TS3 (22.1 kcal/mol), respectively, giving stable intermediates (CH3)2InOH and (CH3)2InSH. The elimination of the second CH4 molecule from these intermediate products, however, has to overcome very high and much different barriers of 66.1 and 53.2 kcal/mol, respectively. In the case of DMIn with H2O and H2S reactions, formation of both InO and InS is exothermic by 3.1 and 30.8 kcal/mol respectively. On the basis of the predicted heats of formation of R1 and R2 at 0 K and -20.1 and 43.6 kcal/mol, the heats of formation of (CH3)2InOH, (CH3)2InSH, CH3InO, CH3InS, InO, and InS are estimated to be -20.6, 31.8, and 29.0 and 48.4, 35.5, and 58.5 kcal/mol, respectively. The values for InO and InS are in good agreement with available experimental data. A similar study on the reactions of (CH3)2In with H2O and H2S has been carried out; in these reactions CH3InOH and CH3InSH were found to be the key intermediate products.

Computational Study of Reaction Pathways for the Formation of Indium Nitride from Trimethylindium with HN3: Comparison of the Reaction with NH3 and That on TiO2 Rutile (110) Surface

The reactions of trimethylindium (TMIn) with HN3 and NH3 are relevant to the chemical vapor deposition of indium nitride thin film. The mechanisms and energetics of these reactions in the gas phase have been investigated by density functional theory and ab initio calculations using the CCSD(T)/Lanl2dz//B3LYP/Lanl2dz and CCSD(T)/Lanl2dz//MP2/Lanl2dz methods. The results of both methods are in good agreement for the optimized geometries and relative energies. These results suggest that the reaction with HN3 forms a new stable product, dimethylindiumnitride, CH3-In=N-CH3 via another stable In(CH3)2N3 (dimethylindium azide, DMInA) intermediate. DMInA may undergo unimolecular decomposition to form CH3InNCH3 by two main possible pathways: (1) a stepwise decomposition process through N2 elimination followed by CH3 migration from In to the remaining N atom and (2) a concerted process involving the concurrent CH3 migration and N2 elimination directly giving N2+CH3InNCH3. The reaction of TMIn with NH3 forms a most stable product DMInNH2 following the initial association and CH4-elimination reaction. The required energy barrier for the elimination of the second CH4 molecule from DMInNH2 is 74.2 kcal/mol. Using these reactions, we predict the heats of formation at 0 K for all the products and finally for InN which is 123+/-1 kcal/mol predicted by the two methods. The gas-phase reaction of HN3 with TMIn is compared with that occurring on rutile TiO2 (110). The most noticeable difference is the high endothermicity of the gas-phase reaction for InN production (53 kcal/mol) and the contrasting large exothermicity (195 kcal/mol) released by the low-barrier Langmuir-Hinshelwood type processes following the adsorption of TMIn and HN3 on the surface producing a horizontally adsorbed InN(a), Ti-NIn-O(a), and other products, CH4(g)+N2(g)+2CH3O(a) [J. Phys. Chem. B 2006, 110, 2263].

Electronic Properties of Anthracene Derivatives for Blue Light Emitting Electroluminescent Layers in Organic Light Emitting Diodes: A Density Functional Theory Study

Molecular level parameters are investigated computationally to understand the factors that are responsible for the higher efficiency in derivatives of 9,10-bis(1-naphthyl)anthracene (alpha-ADN), 9,10-bis(2-naphthyl)anthracene (beta-ADN), their tetramethyl derivatives (alpha,beta-TMADN) and the t-Bu derivative (beta-TBADN) as blue light emitting electroluminescent (EL) layers in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). DFT studies at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level have been carried out on the substituted anthracenes. The absorption spectra are simulated using time dependent DFT methods (TD-DFT) whereas the emission spectra are approximated by optimizing the excited state by HF/CI-Singles and then carrying out the vertical CI calculations by the TD-DFT method. The reorganization energy for estimating the hole and electron transport is calculated. The transfer integrals between parallely stacked molecules in the bulk state are estimated by calculating the electronic splitting. The substituted anthracenes are compared with unsubstituted anthracene and yet untested 9,10-dianthrylanthracene (TANTH). A larger and slower buildup of the electrons and holes in the EL layer, due to the higher reorganization energy and smaller electronic coupling between the adjacent molecules could lead to an increase in hole-electron recombination in the layer and thus increase the efficiency.

Fishmeal extract agar--a new antibiotic sensitivity test medium

Fishmeal extract agar is a new antibiotic sensitivity test medium. It is simpler and cheaper than Mueller-Hinton agar and comparable in its efficacy to the latter. It can also be used for isolation of moderately fastidious and non-fastidious bacteria from clinical specimens. Fishmeal extract broth can be used as a base for biochemical tests used for the identification of bacterial isolates.