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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Alternative View Of Oxygen Reduction On Porous Carbon Electrocatalysts: The Substance Of Complex Oxygen-Surface Interactions, Giacomo De Falco, Marc Florent, Jacek Jagiello, Yongqiang Cheng, Luke L. Daemen, Anibal J. Ramirez-Cuesta, Teresa J. Bandosz Mar 2021

Alternative View Of Oxygen Reduction On Porous Carbon Electrocatalysts: The Substance Of Complex Oxygen-Surface Interactions, Giacomo De Falco, Marc Florent, Jacek Jagiello, Yongqiang Cheng, Luke L. Daemen, Anibal J. Ramirez-Cuesta, Teresa J. Bandosz

Publications and Research

Electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an important energy-related process requiring alternative catalysts to expensive platinum-based ones. Although recently some advancements in carbon catalysts have been reported, there is still a lack of understanding which surface features might enhance their efficiency for ORR. Through a detailed study of oxygen adsorption on carbon molecular sieves and using inelastic neutron scattering, we demonstrated here that the extent of oxygen adsorption/interactions with surface is an important parameter affecting ORR. It was found that both the strength of O2 physical adsorption in small pores and its specific interactions with surface ether functionalities in the …


Symmetry And Interface Considerations For Interactions On Mos2, Prescott E. Evans May 2020

Symmetry And Interface Considerations For Interactions On Mos2, Prescott E. Evans

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The critical role of symmetry, in adsorbate-MoS2 interactions, has been demonstrated through a variety of electronic structure, topology, and catalytic studies of MoS2 and MoS2 composites.A combination of density functional theory and experiment exhibiting diiodobenzene isomer dependent adsorption rates highlight frontier orbital symmetry as key to adsorption on MoS2. It is clear that the geometry and symmetry of MoS2 influences the creation and stability of surface defects, that in turn affect catalytic activity and a myriad of other applications. We have shown that surface reactions such the methanol to methoxy reaction can create defects …


Beyond Density Functional Theory: The Multiconfigurational Approach To Model Heterogeneous Catalysis, Samuel J. Stoneburner, Carlo Alberto Gaggioli, Christopher J. Cramer, Laura Gagliardi Jan 2019

Beyond Density Functional Theory: The Multiconfigurational Approach To Model Heterogeneous Catalysis, Samuel J. Stoneburner, Carlo Alberto Gaggioli, Christopher J. Cramer, Laura Gagliardi

Educator Scholarship

Catalytic processes are crucially important for many practical chemical applications. Heterogeneous catalysts are especially appealing because of their high stability and the relative ease with which they may be recovered and reused. Computational modeling can play an important role in the design of more catalytically active materials through the identification of reaction mechanisms and the opportunity to assess hypothetical catalysts in silico prior to experimental verification. Kohn-Sham density functional theory (KS-DFT) is the most used method in computational catalysis because it is affordable and it gives results of reasonable accuracy in many instances. Furthermore, it can be employed in a …


Synergistic Interactions Of H2 And N2 With Molten Gallium In The Presence Of Plasma, Maria L. Carreon, Daniel F. Jaramillo-Cabanzo, Indira Chaudhuri, Madhu Menon, Mahendra K. Sunkara Dec 2017

Synergistic Interactions Of H2 And N2 With Molten Gallium In The Presence Of Plasma, Maria L. Carreon, Daniel F. Jaramillo-Cabanzo, Indira Chaudhuri, Madhu Menon, Mahendra K. Sunkara

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The present study examines the interaction of hydrogen and nitrogen plasmas with gallium in an effort to gain insights into the mechanisms behind the synergetic effect of plasma and a catalytic metal. Absorption/desorption experiments were performed, accompanied by theoretical-computational calculations. Experiments were carried out in a plasma-enhanced, Ga-packed, batch reactor and entailed monitoring the change in pressure at different temperatures. The results indicated a rapid adsorption/dissolution of the gas into the molten metal when gallium was exposed to plasma, even at a low temperature of 100 °C. The experimental observations, when hydrogen was used, indicate that gallium acts as a …


Electrostatic Force Microscopy And Electrical Isolation Of Etched Few-Layer Graphene Nano-Domains, D. Patrick Hunley, Abhishek Sundararajan, Mathias J. Boland, Douglas R. Strachan Dec 2014

Electrostatic Force Microscopy And Electrical Isolation Of Etched Few-Layer Graphene Nano-Domains, D. Patrick Hunley, Abhishek Sundararajan, Mathias J. Boland, Douglas R. Strachan

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

Nanostructured bi-layer graphene samples formed through catalytic etching are investigated with electrostatic force microscopy. The measurements and supporting computations show a variation in the microscopy signal for different nano-domains that are indicative of changes in capacitive coupling related to their small sizes. Abrupt capacitance variations detected across etch tracks indicates that the nano-domains have strong electrical isolation between them. Comparison of the measurements to a resistor-capacitor model indicates that the resistance between two bi-layer graphene regions separated by an approximately 10 nm wide etch track is greater than about 1×1012 Ω with a corresponding gap resistivity greater than about …


The Metal Ion Requirements Of Arabidopsis Thaliana Glx2-2 For Catalytic Activity, Pattraranee Limphong, Ross M. Mckinney, Nicole E. Adams, Christopher A. Makaroff, Brian Bennett, Michael W. Crowder Feb 2010

The Metal Ion Requirements Of Arabidopsis Thaliana Glx2-2 For Catalytic Activity, Pattraranee Limphong, Ross M. Mckinney, Nicole E. Adams, Christopher A. Makaroff, Brian Bennett, Michael W. Crowder

Physics Faculty Research and Publications

In an effort to better understand the structure, metal content, the nature of the metal centers, and enzyme activity of Arabidopsis thaliana Glx2-2, the enzyme was overexpressed, purified, and characterized using metal analyses, kinetics, and UV–vis, EPR, and 1H NMR spectroscopies. Glx2-2-containing fractions that were purple, yellow, or colorless were separated during purification, and the differently colored fractions were found to contain different amounts of Fe and Zn(II). Spectroscopic analyses of the discrete fractions provided evidence for Fe(II), Fe(III), Fe(III)–Zn(II), and antiferromagnetically coupled Fe(II)–Fe(III) centers distributed among the discrete Glx2-2-containing fractions. The individual steady-state kinetic constants varied among the …


Reactivity And Sintering Kinetics Of Au/Tio2(110) Model Catalysts: Particle Size Effects, Stephen C. Parker, Charles T. Campbell Jan 2007

Reactivity And Sintering Kinetics Of Au/Tio2(110) Model Catalysts: Particle Size Effects, Stephen C. Parker, Charles T. Campbell

Faculty Work

We review here our studies of the reactivity and sintering kinetics of model catalysts consisting of gold nanoparticles dispersed on TiO2(110). First, the nucleation and growth of vapor-deposited gold on this surface was experimentally examined using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and low energy ion scattering. Gold initially grows as two-dimensional islands up to a critical coverage, hcr, after which 3D gold nanoparticles grow. The results at different temperatures are fitted well with a kinetic model, which includes various energetic parameters for Au adatom migration. Oxygen was dosed onto the resulting gold nanoparticles using a hot filament technique. The desorption energy of …


Investigation Of The Catalytic And Structural Roles Of Conserved Histidines Of Human Coproporphyrinogen Oxidase Using Site-Directed Mutagenesis, Shani J. Gitter, Christopher L. Cooper, Jon A. Frieson, Timothy D. Lash, Marjorie A. Jones Jan 2007

Investigation Of The Catalytic And Structural Roles Of Conserved Histidines Of Human Coproporphyrinogen Oxidase Using Site-Directed Mutagenesis, Shani J. Gitter, Christopher L. Cooper, Jon A. Frieson, Timothy D. Lash, Marjorie A. Jones

Faculty Publications – Chemistry

Background: The catalytic contribution of four conserved histidines of human coproporphyrinogen oxidase (CPO) has been investigated using site-directed mutagenesis to change histidine (H) into alanine (A). Material/Methods: The wild-type and mutant enzyme forms were analyzed for their ability to utilize coproporphyrinogen-III, mesoporphvrinogen-VI, and harderoporphyrinogen as substrates. Results: Wild-type CPO had specific activities of 4.9 +/- 0.9 nmole product/min/mg for coproporphyrinogen-III, 1.7 +/- 0.7 nmole ptoduct/min/mg for mesoporphyrinogen-VI, and 5.1 +/- 1.8 nmole product/min/mg for harderoporphyrinogen. The four mutant enzymes were catalytically competent With all three substrates, but to varying degrees. The most affected Mutant was the H158A enzyme which exhibited …


A Novel Laboratory Course On Advanced Chemical Engineering Experiments, Jochen A. Lauterbach, S. White, X. Lui, G. M. Bodner, W. N. Delgass Oct 1997

A Novel Laboratory Course On Advanced Chemical Engineering Experiments, Jochen A. Lauterbach, S. White, X. Lui, G. M. Bodner, W. N. Delgass

Faculty Publications

The chemical engineering curriculum in the United States has trained generations of technical experts who have successfully optimized chemical processes and products once they entered the chemical industry. The U.S. chemical industry, however, has entered a critical stage in which it must be able to create new and differentiated value through technical innovations that arc essential for long-term survival. This innovation process will require new skills that go far beyond the traditional expertise for the optimization of tasks possessed by young chemical engineers. The innovators must be able to identify new opportunities, explore the boundaries of technology, evaluate critical issues, …