Direct Observation of Gas-Phase Hydroxymethylene: Photoionization and Kinetics Resulting from Methanol Photodissociation.

Carbene species play an integral role in high-energy chemistry, transition-metal-carbene chemistry, catalysis, photolytic formation of carbohydrates, and possibly even the formation of interstellar sugars. In 1921, "reactive formaldehyde"─now known as hydroxymethylene (HCOH)─was first implicated as an intermediate in photocatalytic processes. However, due to its transient nature, direct observation of HCOH has predominantly been attained using cryogenic isolation methods.

Matrix-formation dynamics dictate methyl nitrite conformer abundance.

Methyl nitrite has two stable conformational isomers resulting from rotation about the primary C-O-N-O dihedral angle: cis-CH3ONO and trans-CH3ONO, with cis being more stable by ∼5 kJ/mol. The barrier to rotational interconversion (∼45 kJ/mol) is too large for isomerization to occur under ambient conditions. This paper presents evidence of a change in conformer abundance when dilute CH3ONO is deposited onto a cold substrate; the relative population of the freshly deposited cis conformer is seen to increase compared to its gas-phase abundance, measured by in situ infrared spectroscopy.

Weakly Bound Complex Formation between HCN and CHCl: A Matrix-Isolation and Computational Study.

The matrix-isolated infrared spectrum of a hydrogen cyanide-methyl chloride complex was investigated in a solid argon matrix. HCN and CHCl were co-condensed onto a substrate held at 10 K with an excess of argon gas, and the infrared spectrum was measured using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Quantum chemical geometry optimization, harmonic frequency, and natural bonding orbital calculations indicate stabilized hydrogen- and halogen-bonded structures.

Energy Band Architecture of a Hierarchical ZnO/Au/CuO Nanoforest by Mimicking Natural Superhydrophobic Surfaces.

The ZnO/CuO heterojunction promises high efficiency in photocurrent conversion and other light-driven processes, but the lattice mismatch between ZnO and CuO leads to slow electron transfer and low conversion efficiency. In addition, the stability of CuO is still the main challenging and limiting factor for device applications in real environments. CuO is a mixed semiconductor of CuO and CuO, which is a promising alternative to CuO in device fabrication due to its better stability and photocatalytic efficiency.