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Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry
Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry
主管 : 中国科学院
刊期 : 月刊主编 : 洪茂椿
语种 : 英文主办 : 中国科学院福建物质结构研究所、中国化学会
ISSN : 0254-5861 CN : 35-1112/TQ展开 >The Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, founded in 1982 by Prof. Jiaxi Lu, is an international peer-reviewed journal published in English. It publishes original research works about the structure and property of matter, including but not limited to coordination chemistry, organometallic chemistry, catalysis, energy, nanomaterial, theory/computation, structural characterization, pharmacy and life science. Published monthly by Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, CAS, in the form of Articles, Communications, Reviews, Perspectives, and News & Views. - 影响因子: 5.9
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Recent Advances of Cu-Based Materials for Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia
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Transition Metal Boride-Based Materials for Electrocatalytic Water Splitting
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Methods to Make Conductive Covalent Organic Frameworks for Electrocatalytic Applications
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Uncovering the Mechanism for Urea Electrochemical Synthesis by Coupling N2 and CO2 on Mo2C-MXene
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In summary, incorporating vertically aligned structures at the filler-electrolyte interface exhibits excellent interfacial properties and Ion transmission rate. This arrangement effectively avoids particle agglomeration caused by high surface energy ion migration along the vertical direction of ion migration facilitate the uniform deposition of Li+ on the metallic lithium anode. Additionally, the shortened lithium-ion conduction distance and excellent electrolyte/electrode interface contribute to enhance the electrochemical performance of assembled solid-state batteries. By constructing vertically aligned fillers, it not only reduces interfacial impedance, enhances ion diffusion, but also enables preparation of flexible and stable CPEs.
This research not only helps us deeply understand the Li ion diffusion mechanism in oxide materials, but also provides the new insight in designing the Li superionic conductors within the vast chemical space of fcc-type oxides. It is noted that this design scheme is based on the simultaneous adjustment of the size of diffusion path and the content of Li ions. In fact, previous study has shown that Li ions can still achieve rapid diffusion even under the low Li content (without the synchronized diffusion). Therefore, mastering the coordination between the above two effects holds the key to design Li superionic conductors.
In summary, Liu et al. realized the thermally-induced spin transition with colossal PTE and NTE properties in a cyano-bridged hexanuclear complex. The spin transition as well as the conformational transformation triggered anisotropic alteration of the rhombic {FeIII2FeII2} unit and modifications in intermolecular C–H···π interactions, ultimately resulting in NTE along the b axis. This work demonstrates that merging SCO compounds with a pliable rhombic structure and intermolecular interactions leads to exceptional structural and thermodynamic characteristics. This approach represents a significant strategy in the realm of crystal engineering and thermo-responsive molecular devices.
This work underscores the effectiveness of introducing functional heteroatoms at the edges of pores of 2D oxidized graphene for improving CO2/N2 separation. The strong affinity between pyridinic N and CO2, coupled with the 2D nature of pores, enables high selectivity even in dilute CO2 mixtures with a little sacrifice of permeance as compared to graphene membranes without NH3 treatment. These results emphasized the challenges in simultaneously optimizing the gas permeance and selectivity for CO2/N2 separation in future study. The scalability and feasibility of this approach, utilizing gaseous reactants (O3 for oxidation and NH3 for pyridinic-N incorporation), make it an attractive candidate for large-scale carbon capture applications. The impressive CO2/N2 separation performance of pyridinic-N-substituted graphene membrane can be adaptive to multiple carbon sources, including concentrated emissions (from steel and cement plants, coal-fired power stations) and low CO2 concentration (from aluminum production and natural gas processing). The techno-economic analysis of carbon capture indicated the cost of US$ 20 per tonCO2 for concentrated CO2 feed and US$ 76 per tonCO2 for dilute CO2 feed capture. The selective carbon capture technology in this work realized the separation of diluted CO2 to improve the recycling of CO2 so that the emission to atmosphere could be alleviated. This research on screening competitive sorption regimes can be applied to develop high-performance and cost-effective CO2 separation membranes, addressing critical global environmental challenges.
Given the remarkable tunability and chemical adaptability of polymers, substantial opportunities for advancement in the realm of perovskites are anticipated in the forthcoming years. Through the systematic correlation of polymer structure with PSC performance, by seamlessly oscillating between empirical experiments and theoretical simulations, the journey towards commercializing PSCs will persist in its momentum.
With advancements in printing technology and the ongoing development of materials science, printable MR sensors are emerging as a highly promising field. The broad range of available binders and fillers offers greater design flexibility while enabling customization and personalization. The high-throughput low-cost production of printable MR sensors is vital for meeting the enormous and continuously expanding market demands. Overall, the integration of advanced printing techniques in the fabrication of MR sensors has the potential to revolutionize the field of magnetoelectronics, offering immense benefits for both industry, environment, and human society.
In conclusion, we collected selected area electron diffraction patterns from different orientations to fit the lattice parameters. The results demonstrate that α-RuI3 adopts the R-3 space group. Density functional theory calculations were employed to discuss the energy advantage of the 3R and 2H phases under various pressures. The 3R phase shows lower energy than 2H under the synthesized pressure. Moreover, the ΔH-P curves imply that the 2H phase will emerge at approximately 11 GPa. Furthermore, the in-situ pressure-dependent resistance measurements reveal the metallic behaviour up to 25.5 GPa. Upon cooling from room temperature, the resistance first slowly increases and then rapidly increases at low pressure. Above 11.9 GPa, the resistance behaviour undergoes a great change–the resistance initially increases fast, then slightly and almost temperature independent. The calculated electronic structure under high pressure shows semi-metallic behaviour, consistent with the experimental observation. Furthermore, the pressure point, where resistance behaviour dramatically changes, is close to the calculated one when P-31c structure emerges, indicating that the resistance changes may be driven by pressure-induced structure transformation. Our work clarifies the detailed structure of α-RuI3 and gives an in-depth investigation of its electrical transport behaviour under high pressure.
Symmetry breaking, a critical phenomenon in both natural and artificial systems, is pivotal in constructing chiral structures from achiral building units. This study focuses on the achiral molecule 8,8',8'',8'''-((pyrazine-2,3,5,6-tetrayltetrakis(benzene-4,1-iyl))tetrakis(oxy))tetrakis (octan-1-ol) (TPP-C8OH), an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecule, to explore its symmetry breaking behavior in supramolecular assembly. By analyzing TPP-C8OH in various solvents-both non-chiral and chiral- we found that chiral solvents significantly enhance the molecule’s symmetry breaking and chiroptical properties. Specially, alcohol solvents, particularly dodecyl alcohol, facilitated the formation of helical structures with both left-handed (M) and right-handed (P) helices within single twisted nanoribbons. This observation contrasts with previously reported symmetry breaking phenomena in assembly systems. Chiral solvents induced assemblies with distinct helical orientations, resulting in notable circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) and circular dichroism (CD) signals. This study elucidates the impact of solvent choice on symmetry breaking and chiral assembly, offering insights into the design of advanced chiral materials with tailored self-assembly processes.
Chemical functionalization of grapheme is a topic of paramount importance to broaden its applications in chemistry, physics, and biological science but remains a great challenge due to its low chemical activity and poor dispersion. Here, we report a strategy for the photosynergetic electrochemical functionalization of graphene (EFG). By using chloride ion (Cl–) as the intercalation anions and co-reactants, the electrogenerated radicals confined in the expanded graphite layers enable efficient radical addition reaction, thus grasping crystalline-perfect EFG. We found that the ultraviolet irradiation and applied voltage have increased the surface/interface concentration of Cl●, thus boosting the functionalization of graphene. Theoretical calculation and experimental results verified the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on EFG has been improved by regulating the doping of chlorine atoms. In addition, the reduced interlayer distance and the enhanced electrostatic repulsion near the basal plane endow the fabricated EFG-based membrane with high salt retention. This work highlights a method for the in situ functionalization of graphene and the subsequent applications in OER and water desalination.
The zero-strain spinel Li4Ti5O12 stands out as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries due to its outstanding cycling stability. However, the limited theoretic specific capacity, low Li+ diffusion coefficient and electronic conductivity severely hinder its practical application. In this study, we demonstrate a strategy of introducing abundant oxygen vacancies not only on the surface and but also inside the bulk of Li4Ti5O12 particles via reductive thermal sintering. The oxygen vacancies can significantly enhance the electronic conductivity and lithium-ion diffusion coefficient of Li4Ti5O12, leading to a remarkable improvement in rate performance and a reduction in polarization. Moreover, additional lithium-ion accommodation sites can be created at the defective surface, contributing to a high specific capacity of over 200 mAh g-1.
Due to the similar physicochemical properties of acetylene (C2H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), separating C2H2 from a CO2/C2H2 mixture poses a significant challenge in the petrochemical industry. Herein, we successfully synthesized a novel SiF62- anion pillared cage metal-organic framework ZNU-15 possessing a new crs topological structure for the selective capture of C2H2. As a linear bidentate linker, the fluorinated SiF62- anion partitions the pores into various sized cages. ZNU-15 displays moderate adsorption for C2H2 with a capacity of 36.0 cm3 g-1 at 298 K and 1 bar, which is 2.7 times higher than the CO2 uptake. The IAST selectivity of C2H2/CO2 for ZNU-15 at 298 K and 100 kPa is 10.5, surpassing that of most reported materials. The Qst value for C2H2 and CO2 at zero coverage are 54.0 and 42.8 kJ/mol, respectively. Moreover, breakthrough experimental tests show that ZNU-15 is capable of effectively separating C2H2 from a C2H2/CO2 mixture. Theoretical calculations further indicate that C2H2 is preferentially trapped by the small cage with four cooperative hydrogen bonds.
Bifunctional applications in solid state lighting and optical thermometry are attractive in the optical field. Despite Eu3+ doped phosphors are widely used in white-LEDs, phosphors with high temperature sensitivity remain rare. Herein, NaLnTe2O7:Eu3+ (Ln = Y and Gd) phosphors were synthesized using a rapid microwave-assisted solid-state method to fulfill these applications. Under 395 nm excitation, NaLnTe2O7:Eu3+ exhibit the characteristic 5D0→7FJ (J = 1-4) transitions of Eu3+. Substituting Gd3+ for Y3+ enhances luminescence by approximately 2.42 times. Structural analyses reveal that the improved luminescent properties are attributed to the more distorted and appropriate coordination environment in NaGdTe2O7:Eu3+. Finally, white-LEDs using NaGdTe2O7:Eu3+ as the red-component produce white light with high Ra of 89. Furthermore, the distinct thermal responses of the 5D0→7FJ transitions enable NaLnTe2O7:Eu3+ to function as temperature sensors via fluorescence intensity ratio strategy. NaYTe2O7:Eu3+ possesses the maximum relative/absolute sensitivity of 1.45%/15.93% K-1, whereas NaGdTe2O7:Eu3+ achieves the maximum relative/absolute sensitivity of 1.53%/30.24% K-1. This work highlights the significance of cationic substitution in enhancing luminescent properties for multifunctional applications.
The assembly behaviors of two low-symmetric carboxylic acid molecules (CTTA and BCBDA) containing naphthalene rings on graphite surfaces have been investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The transformation of nanostructures induced by the second components (EDA and PEBP-C4) have been also examined. Both CTTA and BCBDA molecules self-assemble at the 1-heptanoic acid (HA)/HOPG interface, forming porous network structures. The dimer represents the most elementary building unit due to the formation of double hydrogen bonds. Moreover, the flipping of the naphthalene ring results in the isomerization of the BCBDA molecule. The introduction of the carboxylic acid derivative EDA disrupt the dimer, which subsequently undergoes a structural conformation to form a novel porous structure. Furthermore, upon the addition of the pyridine derivative PEBP-C4, N–H···O hydrogen bonds are the dominant forces driving the three co-assembled structures. We have also conducted density functional theory (DFT) calculations to determine the molecular conformation and analyze the mechanisms underlying the formation of nanostructures.
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The ionic conductivity in high-performance solid-state electrolytes can reach 10-2 S cm-1 that is equivalent to the conductivity of liquid electrolytes, which has greatly promoted the vigorous development of quasi-solid-state batteries and all-solid-state batteries. Whether in polymer electrolytes, inorganic crystal electrolytes or composite solid electrolytes, the rapid transport mechanism of lithium-ion is the essential criterion used to guide high-performance solid electrolyte design. A comprehensive understanding of the rapid lithium-ion transport mechanism requires to focus on the structural characteristics of the material and developing relevant simulation methods to reveal the structure-activity relationship in rapid ion transport.
In conclusion, the development of IrVI-ado represents a major leap forward in PEM water electrolysis technology. By dramatically reducing the amount of iridium required while enhancing catalytic performance and stability, this innovation holds the potential to make H2 production via PEM electrolysis more economically viable and scalable. To transition this breakthrough from the laboratory to industrial applications, further research and development will be crucial, thereby paving the way for a more sustainable energy future.
It is noteworthy that the work combined plasma discharge with electroreduction processes, resulting in the sustainable synthesis of NH2OH from ambient air and H2O. The proposed mechanism not only mitigates the energy consumption problem during NH2OH electrosynthesis but also reduces the emission of NOx. Furthermore, it provides an important scientific reference for the renewable electrosynthesis of NH2OH and other nitrogen-containing compounds. Nevertheless, the large-scale synthesis of HNO3 plasma continues to present significant challenges, including high energy consumption and low air conversion efficiency. In particular, the key to industrialisation is the further realisation of high-concentration HNO3, the advancement of the scale-up and low-cost preparation of catalytic electrodes, and the rational construction of the reactive electrostack.
In conclusion, the electrochemical stability of Zn metal anodes in wide-pH electrolytes can be enhanced by the strategy of electrolyte engineering and electrode design. On the one hand, the optimization mechanism of electrolyte engineering can be considered as the manipulation of the chemical environment at the electrode/electrolyte interface. In particular, the amphipathic organics-based EDL and fluorinated polymer interphase can mitigate the wide range of pH and act as a protective layer, thus ensuring the highly reversible redox conversion of Zn anodes. On the other hand, the main guideline of electrode design consists in the growth of the zincophilic and hydrogen-inert sites, intending to successfully address the suboptimal utilization rate of the Zn metal over a wide pH range. Although the above electrolyte additives and electrode alloying strategies have shown significant results in improving the reversibility of deposition/stripping of Zn anode in wide pH aqueous electrolytes, however, there is still a lack of suitable modification strategies for the development of AZMBs with ultra-high energy densities, as well as a shortage of synergistic optimization of the cathode materials for wide pH aqueous electrolytes. In short, this work expounds on the optimization strategy of zinc-electrolytes and zinc-electrodes compatible with a wide range of pH, which might be an inspiration in the fields of practical Zn anodes for the state-of-art AZMBs.
In summary, the reported work proposes Pd/Ni(OH)2 catalysts with rich Ni2+-O-Pd interfaces for low-potential HMFOR with ∼100% FDCA selectivity. At Ni2+-O-Pd interfaces, efficient HMFOR originates from the formation of abundant OH* and the decreased activation energy of C-H bonds. It is proved that the construction of metal-metal hydroxide interfaces is very effective for efficient electrocatalytic oxidation of biomass-derived platform molecules. This work provides comprehensive theoretical insights for highly selective synthesis of high-value biomass-derived products at low potential through electrocatalytic oxidation technique.
In this Perspectives, we discuss the role of electrocatalysts in improving the conversion reaction kinetics of conversion-type anodes and the strategies to enhance the effectiveness of electrocatalysts for alkali-ion batteries. Also, we provide suggestions for future research aspects of electrocatalysts for conversion-type anodes, which are regarding some of the challenging issues and possible solutions.
CsCdPO4 adopts a periodic 3D Cd-P-O anionic network at room temperature. As the temperature increases above 440 K, thermal vibrations induced torsion and deformation within the PO4 units are constrained by the 3D Cd-P-O network, which is critical for the unique periodic to incommensurately modulated long-range ordered phase transition.
The industrially important selective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to allyl alcohol is still challenging to realize using heterogenous hydrogenation catalysts. Supported Cu catalysts have shown moderate selectivity, yet low activity for the reaction, due to the electronic structure of Cu. By anchoring atomically dispersed Pd atoms onto the exposed Cu surface of Cu@CeO2, we report in this work that hydrogen spillover activates the inert metal-oxide interfaces of Cu@CeO2 into highly effective and selective catalytic sites for hydrogenation under mild reaction conditions. The as-prepared catalysts exhibited much higher catalytic activity in the selective hydrogenation of acrolein than Cu@CeO2. Comprehensive studies revealed that atomically dispersed Pd species are critical for the activation and homolytic splitting of H2. The activated H atoms easily spill to the Cu-O-Ce interfaces as Cu-Hδ- and interfacial Ce-O-Hδ+ species, which makes the Cu-O-Ce interfaces as the active sites for the hydrogenation of polar C=O bonds. Moreover, the weak adsorption of allyl alcohol on the Pd and the Cu-O-Ce interfacial sites prevents deep hydrogenation, leading to selective hydrogenation of several α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. Overall, we demonstrate here a synergic effect between single atom alloy and the support for activation of an inert metal-oxide interface into selective catalytic sites.
Ultra-thin single crystal film (SCF) without grain boundary, inherits low charge recombination probability as bulk single crystals. However, its low depth brings a high surface defects ratio and hinders carrier transport and extraction, which affects the performance and stability of optoelectronic devices such as photodetectors, and thus surface defect passivation is of great practical significance. In this paper, we used the space confined method to grow MAPbBr3 SCF and selected BA2PbI4 for surface defect passivation. The results reveal that BA cation passivates MA vacancy surface defects, reduces carrier recombination, and enhances carrier lifetime. The carrier mobility is as high as 33.6 cm2V-1s-1, and the surface defect density is reduced to 3.4 × 1012 cm-3. Thus, the self-driven vertical MAPbBr3 SCF photodetector after surface passivation exhibits more excellent optoelectronic performance.
Birefringent crystals are crucial for manipulating light's phase and polarization, making them vital components in various optical devices. Traditionally, strategies for designing high-performance birefringent crystals have focused on modifying the parent structure. However, there are limited examples demonstrating how changing functional groups can effectively enhance birefringence (Δn), as such changes often significantly alter the crystal structure. In this study, we propose a "functional group implantation" strategy aimed at significantly improving birefringent performance within the chalcogenide system. This involves replacing the isotropic [S]2- ions with anisotropic π-conjugated [CO3]2- groups. We validated this approach through comprehensive comparisons between the chalcogenide [Ba3S][GeS4] and the oxychalcogenide [Ba3CO3][MS4] (where M = Ge and Sn), both of which adopt the same space group and feature the same arrangements of functional groups. Experimental characterization and theoretical calculations confirm that the [CO3]2- groups exhibit significantly greater polarization anisotropy than the [S]2- groups. This difference leads to a marked increase in Δn in [Ba3CO3][MS4] (ranging from 0.088 to 0.112 at 546 nm) compared to [Ba3S][GeS4] (0.021 at 546 nm). This finding not only broadens the structural chemistry of π-conjugated chalcogenides but also illustrates the potential of functional group implantation for designing infrared birefringent crystals with enhanced optical anisotropy.
Developing the renewable hydrogen technologies requires high-efficiency pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts. Ruthenium phosphides (RuPx) have the great potentials to replace the commercial Pt-based materials, whereas the optimization of their electronic structure for favorable reaction intermediate adsorption remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report an innovative phosphorization-controlled strategy for the in-situ immobilization of core/satellite-structured RuP/RuP2 heteronanoparticles onto N, P co-doped porous carbon nanosheets (abbreviated as RuP/RuP2@N/P-CNSs hereafter). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further reveal that the electron shuttling at the RuP/RuP2 interface leads to a reduced energy barrier for H2O dissociation by electron-deficient Ru atoms in the RuP and the optimized H* adsorption of electron-gaining Ru atoms in the RuP2. Impressively, the as-synthesized RuP/RuP2@ N/P-CNSs exhibits low overpotentials of 8, 29, and 66 mV to achieve 10 mA cm-2 in alkaline, acid and neutral media electrolyte, respectively. This research presents a viable approach to synthesize high-efficiency transition metal phosphide-based electrocatalysts and offers a deeper comprehension of interface effects for HER catalysis.
In the quest to align with industrial benchmarks, a noteworthy gap remains in the field of electrochemical nitrogen fixation, particularly in achieving high Faradaic efficiency (FE) and yield. The electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation process faces considerable hurdles due to the difficulty of cleaving the highly stable N≡N triple bond. Additionally, the electrochemical pathway for nitrogen fixation is often compromised by the concurrent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which competes aggressively for electrons and active sites on the catalyst surface, thereby reducing the FE of nitrogen reduction reactions (NRR). To surmount these challenges, this study introduces an innovative bimetallic catalyst, CuGa2, synthesized through p-d orbital hybridization to selectively facilitate N2 electroreduction. This catalyst has demonstrated a remarkable NH3 yield of 9.82 μg h-1 cm-2 and an associated Faradaic efficiency of 38.25%. Our findings elucidate that the distinctive p-d hybridization interaction between Ga and Cu enhances NH3 selectivity by reducing the reaction energy barrier for hydrogenation and suppressing hydrogen evolution. This insight highlights the significance of the p-d orbital hybridization in optimizing the electrocatalytic performance of CuGa2 for nitrogen fixation.
An effective strategy of regulating active sites in bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts is essentially desired, especially in rechargeable metal-air batteries (RZABs). Herein, a highly efficient electrocatalyst of CoFe alloys embedded in pyridinic nitrogen enriched N-doped carbon (CoFe/P-NC) is intelligently constructed by pyrolysis strategy. The high concentration of pyridinic nitrogen in CoFe/P-NC can significantly reprogram the redistribution of electron density of metal active sites, consequently optimizing the oxygen adsorption behavior. As expected, the pyridinic nitrogen guarantees CoFe/P-NC providing the low overpotential of the overall oxygen electrocatalytic process (ΔEORR-OER = 0.73 V vs RHE) and suppresses the benchmark electrocatalysts (Pt/C & RuO2). Assembled rechargeable Zn-air battery using CoFe/P-NC demonstrates a promising peak power density of 172.0 mW·cm-2, a high specific capacity of 805.0 mAh·g-1Zn and an excellent stability. This work proposes an interesting strategy for design of robust oxygen electrocatalysts for energy conversion and storage fields.
Multiple-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) materials hold significant promise for advancing narrowband emissive organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) due to their attractive narrowband emission characteristics, high emission intensity, and tunable emission colors. However, the planar nature of MR-TADF materials leads to the serve π-π stacking, which can result in concentration quenching and spectral broadening, thereby limiting their further application in OLEDs. Currently, to mitigate the π-π stacking in MR-TADF materials, steric modulation is a reliable design strategy for optimizing the related molecular structures. Depending on the specific shape and scope of steric modulation, it can be categorized into the introduction of bulky groups around the resonance core, “face-to-edge” shielding between the resonance core and the steric hindrance moiety, and “face-to-face” shielding between the resonance core and the steric hindrance moiety. This review systematically summarizes the structural design of MR-TADF molecules based on the different steric modulation strategies and their progress in the doping concentration-independent OLEDs. It also discusses the challenges in this research area and offers an outlook on future developments. We believe that this review will drive the rapid industrialization of narrow-emission OLEDs.
Plasmonic nanocrystals with intrinsic chirality are becoming a hot research focus and offer a wide range of applications in optics, biomedicine, asymmetric catalysis, and enantioselective sensing. Making use of the enantioselective interaction of the chiral biomolecules and plasmonic nanocrystals, the biomolecules-directed synthesis endows chiral plasmonic nanocrystals with tunable optical properties and excellent biocompatibility. Recent advances in the biomolecule-directed geometric control of intrinsically chiral plasmonic nanomaterials have further provided great opportunities for their widespread applications in many emerging technological areas. The review summarizes the recent progress of biomolecule-directed synthesis and potential applications of chiral plasmonic nanocrystals and discusses their development prospects.