Coordination Engineering of Heteronuclear Fe-Mo Dual-Atom Catalyst for Promoted Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation: A DFT Study.

Developing efficient nanostructured electrocatalysts for N2 reduction to NH3 under mild conditions remains a major challenge. The Fe-Mo cofactor serves as the archetypal active site in nitrogenase. Inspired by nitrogenase, we designed a series of heteronuclear dual-atom catalysts (DACs) labeled as FeMoN6-a Xa (a=1, 2, 3; X=B, C, O, S) anchored on the pore of g-C3 N4 to probe the impact of coordination on FeMo-catalyzed nitrogen fixation. The stability, reaction paths, activity, and selectivity of 12 different FeMoN6-a Xa DACs have been systematically studied using density functional theory. Of these, four DACs (FeMoN5 B1 , FeMoN5 O1 , FeMoN4 O2 , and FeMoN3 C3 ) displayed promising nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) performance. Notably, FeMoN5 O1 stands out with an ultralow limiting potential of -0.11 V and high selectivity. Analysis of the density of states and charge/spin changes shows FeMoN5 O1 's high activity arises from optimal N2 binding on Fe initially and synergy of the FeMo dimer enabling protonation in NRR. This work contributes to the advancement of rational design for efficient NRR catalysts by regulating atomic coordination environments.

A theoretical exploration of the structural feature, mechanical, and optoelectronic properties of Au-based halide perovskites A2AuIAuIIIX6 (A = Rb, Cs; X = Cl, Br, I).

As a possible alternative to lead halide perovskites, inorganic mixed-valence Au-based halide perovskites have drawn much attention. In the current research, we have conducted comprehensive theoretical calculations to reveal the structural feature, thermodynamic and dynamic stability, mechanical behavior, optoelectronic properties, and photovoltaic performance of Au-based halide perovskites A2AuIAuIIIX6 (A = Rb, Cs; X = Cl, Br, I). The structural parameters of these compounds are carefully analyzed. Our calculations indicate that the thermodynamic, dynamic, and mechanical stability of monoclinic Rb2AuIAuIIIX6 and tetragonal Cs2AuIAuIIIX6 are ensured, and they are all ductile. The electronic band structure analysis shows that Rb2AuIAuIIII6 illustrates a direct-gap feature, while Rb2AuIAuIIIX6 (X = Cl, Br) and Cs2AuIAuIIIX6 (X = Cl, Br, I) are indirect-gap materials. The effect of A-site cation substitution on the optical band gaps of the Au-based halide perovskites is elucidated. Our results further suggest that Rb2AuIAuIIIX6 (X = Br, I) and Cs2AuIAuIIIX6 (X = Cl, Br, I) are more suitable for single-junction solar cells due to their suitable band gaps within 1.1-1.5 eV. Furthermore, four compounds A2AuIAuIIIX6 (A = Rb, Cs; X = Br, I) not only have high absorption coefficients in the visible region but also show excellent photovoltaic performance, especially for A2AuIAuIIII6 (A = Rb, Cs), whose efficiency can reach over 29% with a film thickness of 0.5 µm. Our study suggests that inorganic Au-based halide perovskites are potential alternatives for optoelectronic devices in solar cells.

Computational study of the fundamental properties of Zr-based chalcogenide perovskites for optoelectronics.

Chalcogenide perovskites have recently attracted enormous attention since they show promising optoelectronic properties and high stability for photovoltaic applications. Herein, the relative stability and photoactive properties of chalcogenide perovskites AZrX3 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba; X = S, Se) including the needle-like (α phase) and distorted perovskite (ß phase) structures are first revealed. The results show that the difference in the relative stability is large between the α and ß phases for both AZrS3 and AZrSe3. The fundamental direct-gap transition is only allowed for the ß phase, which is further confirmed by its optical properties. It is indicated that the suitable direct-gap energy of the α phase is not desirable for thin-film solar cells. Therefore, the stability, and mechanical, electronic, and optical properties of the distorted chalcogenide perovskites AZrS3-xSex (x = 0, 1, 2, 3) are mainly explored for the first time. The predicted direct band gaps of nine compounds AZrS3-xSex (x = 1-3) are in the ideal range of 1.3-1.7 eV. Most compounds have small effective masses, low exciton binding energies, and high optical absorption coefficients in the visible region. Moreover, the mechanical, thermodynamic, and dynamic stabilities are identified for these compounds. Our findings suggest that CaZrSe3, SrZrSe3, and BaZrSe3 are proposed to be the most promising candidates for photovoltaic applications owing to their promising properties.

Discovering the desirable physical properties of arsenic compounds AB2As2 and their alloys: a theoretical study.

In the current study, the stability, elastic, electronic, and optical properties of AB2As2 (A = Ca, Sr; B = Mg, Zn, Cd) and their alloys with a trigonal CaAl2Si2-type structure are thoroughly examined for the first time based on the first-principles calculations. The optimized structural parameters are highly consistent with the experimental data. The dynamic stability of four alloys is demonstrated by computing their phonon spectra. All compounds are mechanically stable and brittle materials. The results imply that both CaMg2As2 and SrMg2As2 exhibit indirect band gaps at the Γ-M symmetry point, while AZn2As2 and ACd2As2 at the Γ point exhibit direct bandgap features. Moreover, the trend of band gap reduction (∼1 eV) is presented from AMg2As2 to ACd2As2. The allowed transition from an indirect band gap to a direct band gap is observed from AMg2As2 to A(Mg0.5B0.5)2As2. Four alloys display more suitable direct band gaps (1.2-1.5 eV) for potential optoelectronic applications. In addition, these compounds possess high carrier mobility. The analysis of various optical properties is discussed in detail. This finding demonstrates that some novel compounds can be potential candidates for possible optoelectronic devices.

Data-driven generation of mixed X-anion perovskite properties.

Mixed X-anion perovskites, such as CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, or I), play an important role in photovoltaic applications. The massive disordered structures associated with mixed anions produce the need for property calculations. However, traditional density functional theory (DFT) computational tools are limited by their computational efficiency to generate the properties of a large number of structures quickly. Researchers have proposed supervised deep learning to forecast crystal properties. For such a supervised convolutional neural network (CNN), we introduce an adversarial loss function that allows for consistent or lower errors with a fewer samples. Meanwhile, we have trained parameterized quantum circuits (PQCs) of CNNs and auto-encoder networks for extracting structural representations. PQCs of deep learning, also named quantum deep learning or quantum machine learning, have been first applied in the research of perovskites and obtained an RMSE (root mean squared error) of less than 1 meV. Our work demonstrates that adversarial learning training mechanisms and PQC-based quantum deep learning will emerge for extensive and deep exploration of data-driven material formation prediction tasks.

Near-Infrared Light-Driven Photoredox Catalysis by Transition-Metal-Complex Nanodots.

Developing light-harvesting materials with broad spectral response is of fundamental importance in full-spectrum solar energy conversion. We found that, when a series of earth-abundant metal (Cu, Co, Ni and Fe) salts are dissolved in coordinating solvents uniformly dispersed nanodots (NDs) are formed rather than fully dissolving as molecular species. The previously unrecognized formation of this condensed state is ascribed to spontaneous aggregation of molecular transition-metal-complexes (TMCs) via weak intermolecular interactions, which results in redshifted and broadened absorption into the NIR region (200-1100 nm). Typical photoredox reactions, such as carbonylation and oxidative dehydrogenation, well demonstrate the feasibility of efficient utilization of NIR light (λ>780 nm) by TMCs NDs. Our finding provides a conceptually new strategy for extending the absorption towards low energy photons in solar energy harvesting and conversion via photoredox transformations.

A Covalent Organic Framework Bearing Single Ni Sites as a Synergistic Photocatalyst for Selective Photoreduction of CO2 to CO.

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into energy-rich carbon compounds has attracted increasing attention. However, it is still a challenge to selectively and effectively convert CO2 to a desirable reaction product. Herein, we report a design of a synergistic photocatalyst for selective reduction of CO2 to CO by using a covalent organic framework bearing single Ni sites (Ni-TpBpy), in which electrons transfer from photosensitizer to Ni sites for CO production by the activated CO2 reduction under visible-light irradiation. Ni-TpBpy exhibits an excellent activity, giving a 4057 µmol g-1 of CO in a 5 h reaction with a 96% selectivity over H2 evolution. More importantly, when the CO2 partial pressure was reduced to 0.1 atm, 76% selectivity for CO production is still obtained. Theoretical calculations and experimental results suggest that the promising catalytic activity and selectivity are ascribed to synergistic effects of single Ni catalytic sites and TpBpy, in which the TpBpy not only serves as a host for CO2 molecules and Ni catalytic sites but also facilitates the activation of CO2 and inhibits the competitive H2 evolution.

2,4,6-Tri(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine: Photoinduced Charge Separation and Photochromism in the Crystalline State.

2,4,6-Tri(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (tpt) is a widely used ligand for functional coordination compounds. In this work, tpt has shown unprecedented photochromism in the crystalline state. Experimental and theoretical data has revealed that the photocoloration of tpt very likely originates from intramolecular charge separation and the formation of a triplet diradical product. This finding demonstrates a new simple, neutral photochromic molecule and endows the tpt molecule and related compounds with potential optical applications.

Fluorescent Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) as a Highly Sensitive and Quickly Responsive Chemical Sensor for the Detection of Antibiotics in Simulated Wastewater.

A Zn(II)-based fluorescent metal-organic framework (MOF) was synthesized and applied as a highly sensitive and quickly responsive chemical sensor for antibiotic detection in simulated wastewater. The fluorescent chemical sensor, denoted FCS-1, exhibited enhanced fluorescence derived from its highly ordered, 3D MOF structure as well as excellent water stability in the practical pH range of simulated antibiotic wastewater (pH = 3.0-9.0). Remarkably, FCS-1 was able to effectively detect a series of sulfonamide antibiotics via photoinduced electron transfer that caused detectable fluorescence quenching, with fairly low detection limits. Two influences impacting measurements related to wastewater treatment and water quality monitoring, the presence of heavy-metal ions and the pH of solutions, were studied in terms of fluorescence quenching, which was nearly unaffected in sulfonamide-antibiotic detection. Additionally, the effective detection of sulfonamide antibiotics was rationalized by the theoretical computation of the energy bands of sulfonamide antibiotics, which revealed a good match between the energy bands of FCS-1 and sulfonamide antibiotics, in connection with fluorescence quenching in this system.

An Ultra-Robust and Crystalline Redeemable Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework for Synergistic Chemo-Photodynamic Therapy.

The low structural stability of hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) is a thorny issue retarding the development of HOFs. A rational design approach is now proposed for construction of a stable HOF. The resultant HOF (PFC-1) exhibits high surface area of 2122 m2 g-1 and excellent chemical stability (intact in concentrated HCl for at least 117 days). A new method of acid-assisted crystalline redemption is used to readily cure the thermal damage to PFC-1. With periodic integration of photoactive pyrene in the robust framework, PFC-1 can efficiently encapsulate Doxorubicin (Doxo) for synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy, showing comparable therapeutic efficacy with the commercial Doxo yet considerably lower cytotoxicity. This work demonstrates the notorious stability issue of HOFs can be properly addressed through rational design, paving a way to develop robust HOFs and offering promising application perspectives.

Theoretical perspectives on the structure, electronic, and optical properties of titanosilicates Li2M4[(TiO)Si4O12] (M = K+, Rb+).

It is still a challenge to design and synthesize high performance broader ultraviolet non-linear optical (NLO) materials. Two new transition-metal silicates have recently attracted a lot of attention due to their strong phase-matched second harmonic generation (SHG) responses (about 4.5 times higher than KDP). However, the electronic and optical properties underlying the high performance of these materials and consequently, the possibility of designing more efficient silicates for NLO applications are not presently clear. In this study, the geometrical structure and bonding character, electronic structure and optical properties of Li2M4[(TiO)Si4O12] (M = K+, Rb+) crystals have been systematically determined based on the density functional theory. Satisfactory agreement between the experimental and theoretical results indicates that the method and conditions used herein are favorable. A detailed analysis of the precise electronic structure and dipole moments of the two compounds suggests that it is the strong covalent character between Ti(Si) and O and the same orientation alignment of the dipole moment vector of the constituent asymmetric [TiO5]6- square pyramid anion units that result in the large SHG responses for the two compounds. In addition, the unavailable linear and non-linear optical experimental parameters, including dielectric function, optical absorption and birefringence, and all the components of the SHG coefficients are reported for the first time. This investigation unravels the structure-property relationships of titanosilicates and may be significant in terms of providing an efficient strategy towards designing more potential and competitive NLO materials.

Interfacial electronic structure and charge transfer of hybrid graphene quantum dot and graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposites: insights into high efficiency for photocatalytic solar water splitting.

New metal-free carbon nanodot/carbon nitride (C3N4) nanocomposites have shown to exhibit high efficiency for photocatalytic solar water splitting. (J. Liu, et al., Science, 2015, 347, 970) However, the mechanism underlying the ultrahigh performance of these nanocomposites and consequently the possibilities for further improvements are not at present clear. In this work, we performed hybrid functional calculations and included long-range dispersion corrections to accurately characterize the interfacial electron coupling of the graphene quantum dot-graphitic carbon nitride composites (Gdot/g-C3N4). The results revealed that the band gap of Gdot/g-C3N4 could be engineered by changing the lateral size of Gdots. In particular, the C24H12/g-C3N4 composites present an ideal band gap of 1.92 eV to harvest a large part of solar light. More interestingly, a type-II heterojunction is formed at the interface of the Gdot/g-C3N4 composites, a desirable feature for enhanced photocatalytic activity. The charge redistribution at the interface leads to strong electron depletion above the Gdot sheet and electron accumulation below the g-C3N4 monolayer, potentially facilitating the separation of H2O oxidation and reduction reactions. Furthermore, we suggested that the photocatalytic performance of the Gdot/g-C3N4 nanocomposites can be further improved by decreasing the thickness of Gdots and tuning the size of Gdots.

A novel Pd3O9@α-Al2O3 catalyst under a hydroxylated effect: high activity in the CO oxidation reaction.

Considering the importance of palladium-based and doped metal-oxide catalysts in CO oxidation, we design a new Pd3O9@α-Al2O3 catalyst and simulate its efficiency under a hydroxylated effect. The structure, electronic structure and oxidation activity of the hydroxylated Pd3O9@α-Al2O3(0001) surface are investigated by density functional theory. Under the O-rich growth conditions, Pd preferentially replaces Al. The lowest formation energy of the Pd-doped α-Al2O3(0001) surface is 0.21 eV under conditions wherein the coverage of the Pd-doped α-Al2O3 is 0.75 on a pre-hydroxylated surface and the water coverage is 0.25, which leads to formation of a Pd3O9 cluster embedded in the Al2O3(0001) surface. The reaction mechanisms of CO oxidization have been elucidated first by CO adsorption and migration, second by O(v) formation with the first CO2 release, then by the first foreign O2 filling and CO co-adsorption, and finally by the second CO2 desorption and restoration of the hydroxylated Pd3O9@α-Al2O3(0001) surface. The rate-determining step is the formation of the first CO2 in the whole catalytic cycle. The results also indicate that the energy barrier for CO oxidization is obviously reduced compared to that of the undoped surface, which implies that the introduction of Pd can efficiently improve the oxidation reactivity of the α-Al2O3(0001) surface. Compared to the synthesized Ir1/FeO(x) (1.41 eV) and Pt1/FeO(x) (0.79 eV) catalysts, the reaction activation barrier of CO oxidation is lowered by 0.65 eV and 0.03 eV, respectively. Therefore, the Pd3O9@α-Al2O3 catalyst shows superior catalytic activity in CO oxidation. The present results enrich the understanding of the catalytic oxidation of CO by palladium-based catalysts and provide a clue for fabricating palladium-based catalysts with low cost and high activity.

Exploring Second-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties and Switching Ability of a Series of Dithienylethene-Containing, Cyclometalated Platinum Complexes: A Theoretical Investigation.

The second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of a series of dithienylethene- (DTE-) containing Pt(II) complexes have been investigated by density functional theory calculations. The first hyperpolarizabilities ß of studied systems can be greatly enhanced by simple ligand substitutions. Because of the nature of DTE units, the ß values also can be varied by the use of lights in the studied systems. The highest ß difference between photoisomers can over 1000 × 10(-30) esu, with the contrast around five times. Thus, the studied systems can act as effective photoswitchable second-order NLO materials. The time-dependent density functional theory calculations revealed that the charge transfer patterns of studied systems have special characters compared to other reported DTE-containing NLO switched chromogens, the DTE units mainly act as electron-donors in studied systems, and the variation of ß can be viewed as alternation of donor abilities of DTE units; thus, our work also proposed a new mechanism for designing photoswitched NLO multifunctional materials.

Neolignans with a Rare 2-Oxaspiro[4.5]deca-6,9-dien-8-one Motif from the Stem Bark of Cinnamomum subavenium.

Two pairs of racemic spirodienone neolignans with a rare 2-oxaspiro[4.5]deca-6,9-dien-8-one motif, named (±)-subaveniumins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the bark of Cinnamomum subavenium. The chiral separation of the (+)-1, (-)-1, (+)-2, and (-)-2 enantiomers was accomplished via high-performance liquid chromatography on a chiral column. Their structures were elucidated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic analyses (UV, IR, HRESIMS, and 1D and 2D NMR). The absolute configurations of the enantiomers were determined by comparing the experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroic spectra. The (+)-1, (-)-1, (+)-2, and (-)-2 enantiomers exhibited moderate inhibitory effects against NO production in RAW264.7 mouse macrophages induced by lipopolysaccharide, with IC50 values of 17.9, 5.6, 15.1, and 4.3 µM, respectively.

Evaluation of interactions between urokinase plasminogen and inhibitors using molecular dynamic simulation and free-energy calculation.

The binding modes of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) with five inhibitors (1-(7-sulfonamidoisoquinolinyl) guanidine derivatives) were predicted based on molecular dynamic simulations. MM/PBSA free-energy calculations and MM/GBSA free-energy decomposition analyses were performed on the studied complexes. The calculated binding free energies are reasonably consistent with the experimental results. The free-energy decomposition analyses elucidate the different contributions of the energy of some favorable residues in the interactions between protein and ligand of each complex. The results indicate that the inhibitors mainly interact with the S1 pocket of uPA, wherein the hydrogen bonds and the interactions between guanidines and the corresponding residues play an important role. Moreover, hydrogen bond analyses show the water-mediated hydrogen-bond network near the S1 pocket between uPA, and the ligand probably leads to excellent selectivity of these inhibitors on uPA.

Diterpenoids with Immunosuppressive Activities from Cinnamomum cassia.

Three new diterpenoids with unprecedented carbon skeletons, cinncassiols F (1) and G (2) and 16-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-19-deoxycinncassiol G (3), a new isoryanodane diterpenoid, 18-hydroxyperseanol (4), six known isoryanodane diterpenoids, 5-10, and a known ryanodane diterpenoid, 11, were isolated from the stem bark of Cinnamomum cassia. Compound 1 possesses an 11,13:12,13-diepoxy-6,11-epoxy:12,13-disecoisoryanodane diterpenoid skeleton bearing ketal and hemiketal functionalities, whereas compounds 2 and 3 feature an 11,12-secoisoryanodane diterpenoid skeleton with an 11,6-lactone moiety. The structures of the four new diterpenoids, 1-4, and their absolute configurations were established using HRESIMS, NMR, ECD, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and chemical methods. Compounds 2 and 11 significantly inhibited the proliferation of murine T cells induced by ConA.

A laser-induced zinc oxide/graphene photoelectrode for a photocurrent-polarity-switching photoelectrochemical biosensor with bipedal DNA walker amplification.

A photocurrent-polarity-switching photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of tobramycin (TOB) through bipedal DNA walker amplification with hemin-induced photocurrent-polarity-switching using a laser-induced zinc oxide/graphene (ZnO/LIG) photoelectrode. Specifically, the ZnO/LIG photoelectrode was synthesized in situ by a laser direct writing (LDW) technique. In the presence of TOB, it reacted with HP1 and HP2 and the DNA walker response was activated to form a stable hemin/G-quadruplex. Furthermore, hemin induced a polarity shift in the photocurrent signal. The developed analytical platform exhibited excellent photoelectron transport performance of ZnO/LIG, the signal amplification effect of the DNA walker strategy, and the photocurrent-polarity-switching ability of hemin. Therefore, it demonstrated satisfying photocurrent responses to the target TOB within the working range of 20 nM-1.0 µM at a low detection limit of 5.43 nM. The PEC platform exhibited good stability, reproducibility, sufficient sensitivity and high selectivity for complex experimental samples. Moreover, the photocurrent-polarity-switching PEC biosensor improved the anti-interference ability and avoided false positives or negatives.

Atomic-level tailoring of single-atom tungsten catalysts for optimized electrochemical nitrate-to-ammonia conversion.

Nitrate contamination of water resources poses significant health and environmental risks, necessitating efficient denitrification methods that produce ammonia as a desirable product. The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) powered by renewable energy offers a promising solution, however, developing highly active and selective catalysts remains challenging. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have shown impressive performance, but the crucial role of their coordination environment, especially the next-nearest neighbor dopant atoms, in modulating catalytic activity for NO3RR is underexplored. This study aims to optimize the NO3RR performance of tungsten (W) single atoms anchored on graphene by precisely engineering their coordination environment through first and next-nearest neighbor dopants. The stability, reaction paths, activity, and selectivity of 43 different nitrogen and boron doping configurations were systematically studied using density functional theory. The results reveal W@C3, with W coordinated to three carbon atoms, exhibits outstanding NO3RR activity with a low limiting potential of -0.36 V. Intriguingly, introducing next-nearest neighbor B and N dopants further enhances the performance, with W@C3-BN achieving a lower limiting potential of -0.26 V. This exceptional activity originates from optimal nitrate adsorption strengths facilitated by orbital hybridization and charge modulation effects induced by the dopants. Furthermore, high energy barriers for NO2 and NO formation on W@C3 and W@C3-BN ensure their selectivity towards NO3RR products. These findings provide crucial atomic-level insights into rational design strategies for high-performance single-atom NO3RR catalysts via coordination environment engineering.

Advancing electrochemical nitrogen reduction: Efficacy of two-dimensional SiP layered structures with single-atom transition metal catalysts.

Researchers are interested in single-atom catalysts with atomically scattered metals relishing the enhanced electrocatalytic activity for nitrogen reduction and 100 % metal atom utilization. In this paper, we investigated 18 transition metals (TM) spanning 3d to 5d series as efficient nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) catalysts on defective 2D SiPV layered structures through first-principles calculation. A systematic screening identified Mo@SiPV, Nb@SiPV, Ta@SiPV and W@SiPV as superior, demonstrating enhanced ammonia synthesis with significantly lower limiting potentials (-0.25, -0.45, -0.49 and -0.15 V, respectively), compared to the benchmark -0.87 eV for the defective SiP. In addition, the descriptor ΔG*N was introduced to establish the relationship between the different NRR intermediates, and the volcano plot of the limiting potentials were determined for their potential-determining steps (PDS). Remarkably, the limiting voltage of the NRR possesses a good linear relationship with the active center TM atom Ɛd, which is a reliable descriptor for predicting the limiting voltage. Furthermore, we verified the stability (using Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics - AIMD) and high selectivity (UL(NRR)-UL(HER) > -0.5 V) of these four catalysts in vacuum and solvent environments. This study systematically demonstrates the strong catalytic potential of 2D TM@SiPV(TM = Mo, Nb, Ta, W) single-atom catalysts for nitrogen reduction electrocatalysis.