Endohedral vs exohedral boron in C60: Bonding nature and impact on hot-electron relaxation dynamics.

Endohedral and exohedral fullerenes have both been employed as electron acceptors in polymer solar cells (PSCs). However, their differences in hot-electron relaxation dynamics remain unclear. Previous studies have shown that the location of a single atom, whether inside or outside the fullerene cage, results in significant differences in charge distribution.

Direct reduction of NO into N catalyzed by fullerene-supported rhodium clusters.

Catalytic conversion of NO has long been a focus of atmospheric pollution control and diesel vehicle exhaust treatment. Rhodium is one of the most effective metals for catalyzing NO reduction, and understanding the nature of the active sites and underlying mechanisms can help improve the design of Rh-based catalysts towards NO reduction. In this work, we investigated the detailed catalytic mechanisms for the direct reduction of NO to N by fullerene-supported rhodium clusters, CRh, with density functional theory calculations.

Multifacets of Fullerene-Metal Clusters: From Fundamental to Application.

ConspectusBuckminsterfullerene, C, was discovered through a prominent mass peak containing 60 atoms produced from laser vaporization of graphite, driven by Kroto's interest in understanding the formation mechanisms of carbon-containing molecules in space. Inspired by the geodesic dome-shaped architecture designed by Richard Buckminster Fuller, after whom the particle was named, C was found to have a football-shaped structure comprising 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons. It sparked worldwide interest in understanding this new carbon allotrope, resulting in the awarding of the Noble Prize in Chemistry to Smalley, Kroto, and Curl in 1996.

Guest-Regulated Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species from Porphyrin-Based Multicomponent Metallacages for Selective Photocatalysis.

The development of novel materials for highly efficient and selective photocatalysis is crucial for their practical applications. Herein, we employ the host-guest chemistry of porphyrin-based metallacages to regulate the generation of reactive oxygen species and further use them for the selective photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohols. Upon irradiation, the sole metallacage (6) can generate singlet oxygen (O) effectively via excited energy transfer, while its complex with C (6⊃C) opens a pathway for electron transfer to promote the formation of superoxide anion (O⋅), producing both O and O⋅.

Pentagon, Hexagon, or Bridge? Identifying the Location of a Single Vanadium Cation on Buckminsterfullerene Surface.

Buckminsterfullerene C has received extensive research interest since its discovery. In addition to its interesting intrinsic properties of exceptional stability and electron-accepting ability, the broad chemical tunability by decoration or substitution on the C-fullerene surface makes it a fascinating molecule. However, to date, there is uncertainty about the binding location of such decorations on the C surface, even for a single adsorbed metal atom.

An preliminary investigation into the impact of parameters on tissue welding strength in small intestine mucosa-mucosa end-to-end anastomosis.

Tissue welding is an electrosurgical technique that can fuse tissue for small intestine anastomosis. However, limited knowledge exists on its application in mucosa-mucosa end-to-end anastomosis. This study investigates the effects of initial compression pressure, out-put power, and duration time on anastomosis strength in mucosa-mucosa end-to-end anastomosis.

Confining ultrafine SnS nanoparticles in hollow multichannel carbon nanofibers for boosting potassium storage properties.

SnS has been extensively investigated as a potential anode material in potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) for its high theoretical capacity. Nonetheless, it suffers a limited cyclic lifespan owing to its poor electronic conductivity and huge volume expansion. This work proposed a facile approach where SnS nanocrystals are confined in the walls of hollow multichannel carbon nanofibers (denoted SnS@HMCFs) to tackle the issues above.

Characteristics of Collagen Changes in Small Intestine Anastomoses Induced by High-Frequency Electric Field Welding.

High-frequency electric field welding-induced tissue fusion has been explored as an advanced surgical method for intestinal anastomoses; however, intrinsic mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate microcosmic changes of collagen within the fusion area, with various parameters. Ex vivo small intestine was fused with mucosa-mucosa.

Risk factors for and prevention of caries and dental erosion in children and adolescents with asthma.

There are many studies and reviews of the relationship between the asthma disease in young individuals on the one hand and caries and dental erosion on the other. The causes of caries and dental erosion might be related to the asthmatic drugs, low pH and the sweeteners that the inhaled drug contains and perhaps even the lifestyle of children and adolescents with asthma. The main focus of this review is therefore to describe various preventive strategies, based on long experience of preventive dental care in Sweden.

Layered Oxide Cathodes Promoted by Crystal Regulation Strategies for Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Layered oxide cathodes have demonstrated great potential for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) on account of high reversible capacity, appropriate diffusion paths, and low cost. However, their electrochemical performance in PIBs is generally worse than that in lithium-ion batteries due to large structural changes and deformations during charging and discharging. To improve their potassium storage performance, a series of strategies have been developed in recent studies.

Dynamic Impedance Analysis of Intestinal Anastomosis during High-Frequency Electric Field Welding Process.

The success rate of the electrosurgical high-frequency electric field welding technique lies in reasonable control of the welding time. However, the final impedance value used to control the welding time varies due to differences in tissue size and the welding method during the welding process. This study aims to introduce a new reference indicator not limited by impedance size from dynamic impedance to achieve an adequate weld strength with minimal thermal damage, providing feedback on the tissue welding effect in medical power supplies.

Synthesis of KVPOF/Carbon Porous Single Crystalline Nanoplates for High-Rate Potassium-Ion Batteries.

With high theoretical capacity and operating voltage, KVPOF is a potential high energy density cathode material for potassium-ion batteries. However, its performance is usually limited by F loss, poor electronic conductivity, and unsteady electrode/electrolyte interface. Herein, a simple one-step sintering process is developed, where vanadium-oxalate-phosphite/phosphate frameworks and fluorinated polymer are used to synthesize carbon-coated KVPOF nanoplates.

Geometries, electronic structures, and bonding properties of endohedral Group-14 Zintl clusters TM@E (TM = Fe, Co, Ni; E = Ge, Sn, Pb).

The geometries, electronic structures, and bonding properties of the title endohedral Zintl clusters have been studied by using ab initio calculations. [Fe@Ge ] and [Co@Ge ] have D -symmetric pentagonal prismatic structure and [Fe@Sn ] adopts the C -symmetric structure as their ground-state structures, whereas all the other clusters possess D bicapped square antiprismatic structures, in consistent with the experimental values when available. Natural bonding orbital and electron localization function disclosed that the negative charges are localized on the central atoms rather than the cages while the TME ionic bonding interactions increase in the order of Ge < Sn < Pb.

Implantation of FeS nanocrystals into hollow carbon nanospheres for efficient potassium storage.

As a desirable candidate for lithium-ion batteries, potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have aroused great interest because of their low cost and high power and energy densities. However, the insertion/extraction of K with a large radius (1.38 Å) usually bring about the destruction of the electrode materials.

Scalable synthesis of NaMVF (M = Mn, Fe, and Co) as high-performance cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

We demonstrate an economical polytetrafluoroethylene-assisted fluorination method to synthesize three binary sodium-rich fluorides NaMVF (M = Mn, Fe, and Co). The optimal NaFeVF cathode delivers a high reversible capacity of 146.5 mA h g based on active Fe/Fe and V/V redox reactions in sodium-ion batteries.

Stable Noble Gas Compounds Based on Superelectrophilic Anions [B (BO) ] and [B (OBO) ].

Superelectrophilic monoanions [B (BO) ] and [B (OBO) ] , generated from stable dianions [B (BO) ] and [B (OBO) ] , show great potential for binding with noble gases (Ngs). The binding energies, quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), natural population analysis (NPA), energy decomposition analysis (EDA), and electron localization function (ELF) were carried out to understand the B-Ng bond in [B (BO) Ng] and [B (OBO) Ng] . The calculated results reveal that heavier noble gases (Ar, Kr, and Xe) bind covalently with both [B (BO) ] and [B (OBO) ] with large binding energies, making them potentially feasible to be synthesized.