Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Atom-Specific Activation In Co Oxidation, Simon Schreck, Elias Diesen, Jerry Larue, Hirohito Ogasawara, Kess Marks, Dennis Nordlund, Matthew Weston, Martin Beye, Filippo Cavalca, Fivos Perakis, Jonas Sellberg, André Eilert, Kyung Hwan Kim, Giacomo Coslovich, Ryan Coffee, Jacek Krzywinski, Alex Reid, Stefan Moeller, Alberto Lutman, Henrik Öström, Lars G. M. Pettersson, Anders Nilsson

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

We report on atom-specific activation of CO oxidation on Ru(0001) via resonant X-ray excitation. We show that resonant 1s core-level excitation of atomically adsorbed oxygen in the co-adsorbed phase of CO and oxygen directly drives CO oxidation. We separate this direct resonant channel from indirectly driven oxidation via X-ray induced substrate heating. Based on density functional theory calculations, we identify the valence-excited state created by the Auger decay as the driving electronic state for direct CO oxidation. We utilized the fresh-slice multi-pulse mode at the Linac Coherent Light Source that provided time-overlapped and 30 fs delayed pairs of soft …

Heat And Work, The First Law Of Thermodynamics From The Boltzmann Pov, Carl W. David

Chemistry Education Materials

The First Law of Thermodynamics is discussed in terms of the Boltzmann distribution.

Synthesis, Characterization, And Catalytic Activity Of Copper Palladium Oxide Solid Solutions., Gregory L. Christensen

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Cu_xPd_1-xO forms a homogeneous solid solution over the wide range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.725 in which compositional variation can be correlated with structural and chemical environmental changes. After a small lag at low Cu²⁺ concentrations, where the lattice cell parameters are pinned to that of the pure PdO structure, Cu_xPd_1-xO lattice parameters follow Vegard’s law in which the cell volume decreases linearly with x, indicating a homogenous solution in which Cu²⁺ randomly replaces the larger Pd²⁺ cation. The crystal structure also undergoes an increase in the c/a …

Global Minimum Search And Carbon Monoxide Binding Studies Of Novel Gold Nanoclusters, Navneet S. Khetrapal

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In bulk form, gold is a well-known noble metal. However, gold nanoparticles exhibit remarkable catalytic behavior towards various types of chemical reactions. These catalytic properties are highly dependent upon the size and shape and therefore knowledge of the geometries of these nanoparticles is of prime importance. The main goal of this dissertation is, therefore, going to be towards the elucidation of the structures of novel gold clusters using a combined experimental and theoretical approach and subsequent modeling to explore the binding of simple substrates like carbon monoxide with gold clusters. The theoretical method used to study the structural evolution of …

Spontaneity, Carl W. David

Chemistry Education Materials

An attempt is made to better understand thermodynamic spontaneity.

The Legendre Transformation For Beginning Thermodynamics Students, Carl W. David

Chemistry Education Materials

The Legendre Transform, as traditionally taught in introductory Physical Chemistry classes, can be better understood with some simple examples, which are discussed herein.

Photocatalytic Activity: Experimental Features To Report In Heterogeneous Photocatalysis, Md. Ariful Hoque, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a prominent area of research with major applications in solar energy conversion, air pollution mitigation, and removal of contaminants from water. A large number of scientific papers related to the photocatalysis field and its environmental applications are published in different journals specializing in materials and nanomaterials. However, many problems exist in the conception of papers by authors unfamiliar with standard characterization methods of photocatalysts as well as with the procedures needed to determine photocatalytic activities based on the determination of “apparent quantum efficiencies” within a wavelength interval or “apparent quantum yields” in the case of using monochromatic …

Nanoparticles And Their Use In Cancer Imaging, Prevention And Treatment, George Gray

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

No abstract provided.

Tomatine And Furocoumarins: Toxins In Commonly Consumed Plants, Julia Noonan

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

No abstract provided.

An Overview Of Dynamic Heterogeneous Oxidations In The Troposphere, Elizabeth A. Pillar-Little, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Due to the adverse effect of atmospheric aerosols on public health and their ability to affect climate, extensive research has been undertaken in recent decades to understand their sources and sinks, as well as to study their physical and chemical properties. Atmospheric aerosols are important players in the Earth’s radiative budget, affecting incoming and outgoing solar radiation through absorption and scattering by direct and indirect means. While the cooling properties of pure inorganic aerosols are relatively well understood, the impact of organic aerosols on the radiative budget is unclear. Additionally, organic aerosols are transformed through chemical reactions during atmospheric transport. …

Assembling Of Niox/Mwcnts-Gc Anodic Nanocatalyst For Water Electrolysis Applications, Yaser M. Asal Mr., Islam M. Al-Akraa Dr, Saher D. Khamis Eng

Chemical Engineering

Glassy carbon (GC) electrode is intended to be modified with nickel oxide (NiOx) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the anodic reaction of water electrolysis. NiOx deposition time is optimized and a 5 min was enough to attain the maximum activity. A further modification of the catalyst with MWCNTs could greatly enhance its stability during continuous electrolysis. As an outcome, an energy amount of 21.7 kWh/KgO₂ is minimized. Several electrochemical and materials characterization setups will be utilized to test the catalyst activity and to know its geometry and structure.

Nascent O2 (A1ΔG, V = 0, 1) Rotational Distributions From The Photodissociation Of Jet‐Cooled O3 In The Hartley Band, Michelle L. Warter, Carolyn E. Gunthardt, Wei Wei, George Mcbane, Simon W. North

Peer Reviewed Articles

We report rotational distributions for the O₂ (a ¹Δ_g) fragment from photodissociation of jet‐cooled O₃ at 248, 266, and 282 nm. The rotational distributions show a population alternation that favors the even states, as previously reported for a 300 K sample by Valentini et al. (J. Chem. Phys. 86, 6745 (1987)). The alternation from the jet‐cooled precursor is much stronger than that observed by Valentini et al., and in contrast to their observations does not depend strongly on O₂ (a ¹Δ_g) vibrational state or photolysis wavelength. The …

Enhanced Acidity Of Acetic And Pyruvic Acids On The Surface Of Water, Alexis J. Eugene, Elizabeth A. Pillar, Agustín J. Colussi, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Understanding the acid–base behavior of carboxylic acids on aqueous interfaces is a fundamental issue in nature. Surface processes involving carboxylic acids such as acetic and pyruvic acids play roles in (1) the transport of nutrients through cell membranes, (2) the cycling of metabolites relevant to the origin of life, and (3) the photooxidative processing of biogenic and anthropogenic emissions in aerosols and atmospheric waters. Here, we report that 50% of gaseous acetic acid and pyruvic acid molecules transfer a proton to the surface of water at pH 2.8 and 1.8 units lower than their respective acidity constants pK_{a …}

Infra-Red Microwave Spectra, Overtones, Degeneracy And Thermal Populations All In One Diagram, Carl W. David

Chemistry Education Materials

An old drawing, which had an error in it, is re-presented (corrected) for understanding the relationships in diatomic vibrational-rotational interactions at the introductory level.

Fabrication Of Mnox/Mwcnts-Gc Nanocatalyst For Oxygen Evolution Reaction, Yaser M. Asal Mr, Islam M. Al-Akraa Dr, Amr M. Arafa Eng.

Chemical Engineering

Manganese oxide (MnOx) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are intended to modify the GC electrode for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Optimization of MnOx loading is carried out and the deposition of 55 cycles was sufficient to obtain the highest activity toward OER. The stability of the catalyst is enhanced by the addition of MWCNTs. As a result, an amount of 22 kWh/Kg of O₂ of energy is saved. Several techniques including cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry, chronopotentiometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy will be combined to track the catalyst activity and to determine its …

Pnnl Dark Matter Bubble Chamber, Ryan Robinson

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) prototype bubble chamber is intended to address issues encountered with the current PICO dark matter search detectors and improve the functionality of future experimental designs. The PNNL bubble chamber accomplishes this with a simplified interface between the hydraulic pressure controls and the target vessel and altering the standard chamber design such that it can be easily exchanged and replaced with vessels of various sizes and materials for testing purposes. The chamber itself is a glass vessel which houses perfluorobutane and holds the target fluid above room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The target fluid becomes …

The Commutator Of The Runge Lenz Vector With Other Operators Of The H-Atoms Physics Using Maxima, Carl W. David

Chemistry Education Materials

Commutators of components of the Runge-Lenz vector and constants of the motion and ladder operators for the H-atom problem are evaluated using brute force calculus and Maxima.

Cross Photoreaction Of Glyoxylic And Pyruvic Acids In Model Aqueous Aerosol, Sha-Sha Xia, Alexis J. Eugene, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Aerosols of variable composition, size, and shape are associated with public health concerns as well as with light-particle interactions that play a role in the energy balance of the atmosphere. Photochemical reactions of 2-oxocarboxylic acids in the aqueous phase are now known to contribute to the total secondary organic aerosol (SOA) budget. This work explores the cross reaction of glyoxylic acid (GA) and pyruvic acid (PA) in water, the two most abundant 2-oxocarboxylic acids in the atmosphere, under solar irradiation and dark thermal aging steps. During irradiation, PA and GA are excited and initiate proton-coupled electron transfer or hydrogen abstraction …

Development Of Chemistry Activities For Local Outreach In Stem, Emily Knight

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

Introduction: This research project was started because of an increase in outreach opportunities for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. For similar opportunities, we now have bins of content that are simple to use, encouraging more students to participate in volunteer research.

Purpose: to find, modify, and/or create grade-level appropriate labs and demonstration activities for 5th-8th graders, with a specific focus on activities hat involve easily available components. These activities are intended to be used for outreach to local schools by chemistry student volunteers and released online to act as a resource for teachers.

Educational Resources: Polymers, Emily Knight

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

The document is meant to act as a resource for elementary through middle school teachers, featuring a science activity connected to Indiana state standards with grade-appropriate science connections aimed toward 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.

This document contains 3 polymer-based activities demonstrating different properties of polymers - the physical characteristics, possible absorbency, and elasticity. These activities can be abbreviated and used in rotating stations, planned over multiple days, or you can pick on that fits best with the classroom environment.

Educational Resources: Ionic Matching, Emily Knight

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

The document is meant to act as a resource for elementary through middle school teachers, featuring a science activity connected to Indiana state standards with grade-appropriate science connections aimed toward 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.

The entire point of this piece is simply to introduce balancing charges in ionic compounds. This is a simpler method to get students thinking about the idea, which also makes it suitable for pre-high school students. It gives a visual representation of how charges balance and cow cations pair with anions. At this level, it is very similar to least common denominator calculations.

Educational Resources: Homemade Fluorometer, Emily Knight

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

The document is meant to act as a resource for elementary through middle school teachers, featuring a science activity connected to Indiana state standards with grade-appropriate science connections aimed toward 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.

Educational Resources: Exchange Rates And Unit Conversion, Emily Knight

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

The document is meant to act as a resource for elementary through middle school teachers, featuring a science activity connected to Indiana state standards with grade-appropriate science connections aimed toward 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.

Students might have experience in 3rd-6th grade with converting basic ideas such as volume and measurements. This is intended to expand that idea and introduce the mole. It's also a general interactive conversion/exchange activity. All items in here are just based on what we had available and convenient, so feel free to swap out items such as rubber stoppers with something more easily available …

Educational Resources: Curie Point Engine, Emily Knight

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

The document is meant to act as a resource for elementary through middle school teachers, featuring a science activity connected to Indiana state standards with grade-appropriate science connections aimed toward 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.

The Curie point of a metal is the temperature at which it loses its magnetic characteristics. Heat can cause magnets to stop being magnetic, which is why heating up magnets is not advised. The engine works because the Curie point of nickel is 354 degrees Celsius, a temperature that can be reached with a simple candle flame. Included are instructions about how to build …

Educational Resources: Magnets, Emily Knight

Chemistry & Biochemistry Student Projects

No abstract provided.

Super‐Resolution Imaging Of Amyloid Structures Over Extended Times By Using Transient Binding Of Single Thioflavin T Molecules, Kevin Spehar, Tianben Ding, Yuanzi Sun, Niraja Kedia, Jin Lu, George R. Nahass, Matthew D. Lew, Jan Bieschke

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

Oligomeric amyloid structures are crucial therapeutic targets in Alzheimer's and other amyloid diseases. However, these oligomers are too small to be resolved by standard light microscopy. We have developed a simple and versatile tool to image amyloid structures by using thioflavin T without the need for covalent labeling or immunostaining. The dynamic binding of single dye molecules generates photon bursts that are used for fluorophore localization on a nanometer scale. Thus, photobleaching cannot degrade image quality, allowing for extended observation times. Super‐resolution transient amyloid binding microscopy promises to directly image native amyloid by using standard probes and record amyloid dynamics …

The Cyclodextrin-Perfluorinated Surfactant Host-Guest Complex: Fundamental Studies For Potential Environmental Remediation And Therapeutic Applications, Mary J. Errico

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are contaminants of emerging concern, and have been detected in drinking water, wildlife, humans, and the environment. Cyclodextrins (CDs), cyclic sugars composed of glucose monomers, are proposed as a potential remediation strategy. CDs can form host-guest complexes with hydrophobic molecules; this complexation could be capitalized on for PFAS removal and sequestration. These dissertation projects aim to study the fundamental host-guest interactions between a variety of PFASs and CDs for eventual applications in environmental and biological remediation. 1D and 2D Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic methods were employed to determine the strength, dynamics, and structure of the CD:PFAS …

Pyrolysis Of Jet Propellants And Oxidation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Radicals With Molecular Oxygen: Theoretical Study Of Potential Energy Surfaces, Mechanisms, And Kinetics, Daniel E. Belisario-Lara

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two reaction classes have been studied computationally including the pyrolysis of various components of airplane fuels, such as decane, dodecane, butylbenzene isomers, and JP-10 (exo-tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene), and oxidation of a group of molecules belonging to the class of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Investigation of both reaction classes have been performed using ab initio quantum chemistry methods with the Gaussian 09 and MOLPRO programs at various levels of theory. Initially, Potential Energy Surfaces (PES) were generated at the G3(MP2,CC)/B3LYP/6-311G** level of theory for various radicals involved in the reactions as reactants, intermediates, transition states, and products. The next step was …

Methylglyoxal Uptake Coefficients On Aqueous Aerosol Surfaces, David O. De Haan, Natalie G. Jimenez, Alexia De Loera, Mathieu Cazaunau, Aline Gratien, Edouard Pangui, Jean-Francois Doussin

Chemistry and Biochemistry: Faculty Scholarship

In order to predict the amount of secondary organic aerosol formed by heterogeneous processing of methylglyoxal, uptake coefficients (γ) and estimates of uptake reversibility are needed. Here, uptake coefficients are extracted from chamber studies involving ammonium sulfate and glycine seed aerosol at high relative humidity (RH ≥ 72%). Methylglyoxal uptake coefficients on prereacted glycine aerosol particles had a strong dependence on RH, increasing from γ = 0.4 × 10–3 to 5.7 × 10–3 between 72 and 99% RH. Continuous methylglyoxal losses were also observed in the presence of aqueous ammonium sulfate at 95% RH (γAS,wet = 3.7 ± 0.8 × …

Errata For Manuscript #34, Carl W. David, Jan Siroky

Chemistry Education Materials

An error in manuscript 34 of this collection concerning the Laplacian in spherical polar coordinates is corrected.