Publications by authors named "Yimin Bai"

The interfacial structure and adsorption behavior of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate ionic liquids (ILs) aqueous solutions were investigated using sum-frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) and surface tension measurements. Polarization-dependent measurements revealed a dramatic increase in the SFG signal for both CH and CN stretching modes with increasing ILs concentration, reaching a maximum at a mole fraction of 0.01.

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Highly concentrated aqueous electrolytes have attracted a significant amount of attention for their potential applications in lithium-ion batteries. Nevertheless, a comprehensive understanding of the Li solvation structure and its migration within electrolyte solutions remains elusive. This study employs linear vibrational spectroscopy, ultrafast infrared spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to elucidate the structural dynamics in LiNO solutions by using intrinsic and extrinsic vibrational probes.

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Formamide (FA) exhibits complete miscibility with water, offering a simplified model for exploring the solvation dynamics of peptide linkages in biophysical processes. Its liquid state demonstrates a three-dimensional hydrogen bonding network akin to water, reflecting solvent-like behavior. Analyzing the microscopic structure and dynamics of FA-water mixtures is expected to provide crucial insights into hydrogen bonding dynamics─a key aspect of various biophysical phenomena.

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Anion recognition through noncovalent interactions stands as an emerging field in supramolecular chemistry, exerting a profound influence on the regulation of biological functions. Herein, the thermodynamics of complexation between sodium cyanate (NaOCN) and calix[4]pyrrole was systematically investigated by linear and nonlinear IR spectroscopy, highlighting enthalpy changes as the dominant driving force. The overall orientational relaxation of bound anion can be described by an Arrhenius-type activated process, yielding an activation energy of 15.

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Highly concentrated aqueous electrolytes have attracted attention due to their unique applications in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, the solvation structure and transport mechanism of Li cations at concentrated concentrations remain largely unexplored. To address this gap in knowledge, we employ ultrafast infrared spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to reveal the dynamic and spatial structural heterogeneity in aqueous lithium chloride (LiCl) solutions.

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The hydrogen bonding interaction between the amide functional group and water is fundamental to understanding the liquid-liquid heterogeneity in biological systems. Herein, the structure and dynamics of the ,-dimethylformamide (DMF)-water mixtures have been investigated by linear and nonlinear IR spectroscopies, using the hydroxyl stretch and extrinsic probe of thiocyanate as local vibrational reporters. According to vibrational relaxation dynamics measurements, the orientational dynamics of water is not directly tied to those of DMF molecules.

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The structure and anion recognition dynamics between calix[4]pyrroles and azide (N) anions in the form of its TBA and Na salts were investigated in dimethyl sulfoxide solutions by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and ultrafast IR spectroscopy. Vibrational energy redistribution of the N anion in the complex is accelerated through hydrogen bonding interactions with the N-H proton of the receptor. Rotational dynamics of the bound N is greatly restricted, demonstrating a distinct countercation effect.

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The 2D conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are expected to be an ideal electrocatalyst due to their high utilization of metal atoms. Exploring a new conjugated ligand with extra active metallic center can further boost the structural advantages of conductive MOFs. In this work, hexaiminohexaazatrinaphthalene (HAHATN) is employed as a conjugated ligand to construct bimetallic sited conductive MOFs (M2(M1∙HAHATN)) with an extra M-N moiety.

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