Related Properties Research Articles

Hypoxia exerts greater impacts on shallow groundwater nitrogen cycling than seawater mixture in coastal zone.

There is no doubt that hypoxia and seawater mixture are profoundly affecting the global nitrogen (N) cycle. However, their mechanisms for altering N cycling patterns in shallow coastal groundwater are largely unknown. Here, we examined shallow groundwater N transformation characteristics (dissolved inorganic N and related chemical properties) in the coastal area of east and west Shenzhen City. Results showed that common hypoxic conditions exist in this study area. Ions/Cl- ratios indicated varying levels of saltwater mixture and sulfide formation across this study area. Dissolved oxygen (DO) affects the N cycle process by controlling the conditions of nitrification and the formation of sulfides. Salinity affects nitrification and denitrification processes by physiological effects, while sulfide impacts nitrification, denitrification, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) processes through its own toxicity mechanism and the provision of electron donors for DNRA organisms. Redundancy analysis (RDA) results indicate that the influence magnitude is in the following order: DO > sulfide > salinity. Seawater mixture weakened the nitrification and denitrification of groundwater by changing salinity, while hypoxia and its controlled sulfide formation not only weaken nitrification and denitrification but also stimulated the DNRA process and promotes N regeneration. In this study area, hypoxia is considered to exert greater impacts on N cycling in the coastal shallow groundwater than seawater mixture. These findings greatly improve our understanding of the consequences of hypoxia and seawater mixture on coastal groundwater N cycling.

Tailoring oleogel-in-hydrogel pickering emulsion fluid gels as an oral delivery system for different levels of dysphagia: From microstructure to rheological properties

Dysphagia-affected populations are facing crucial challenges on oral administration of medicines and health products because of swallowing malfunction with a high risk of aspiration. The current countermeasures that relied mainly on modification of existing formulations with thickened liquids comes with potential hazards, e.g., bioavailability alterations and unsatisfactory safety. Thus, dysphagia-specific oral delivery system is in critical need of development. Herein, a swallowing dynamics-inspired, oleogel-in-hydrogel Pickering emulsion fluid gel was proposed as a versatile oral delivery system for patients with dysphagia. With the dual structure of high acyl gellan gum (HAG) fluid gel and whey protein isolate (WPI) stabilized oleogel-in-hydrogel Pickering emulsion gel, the novel system demonstrated the potential to tackle both swallowing and drug encapsulation challenges. Specifically, it displayed good shear flowability during shearing and appropriate extensional capabilities after shearing which are well-matched with swallowing dynamics to facilitate ease and safe swallowing. Moreover, the oleogel-in-hydrogel Pickering emulsion gel structure enables its versatile loading potential for both hydrophilic and lipophilic substances. Remarkably, the microstructure and the related rheological properties of this novel system could be tailored by controlling critical determinants in the formation of fluid gels, namely HAG content and process mixing rate. By adjusting these two parameters, the fluid gels could be customized as preparations with different thickness level for mild, moderate and severe dysphagia, respectively. In conclusion, this proposed approach offers a promising rheologically-tunable oral delivery system for administering bioactives to patients with different levels of dysphagia.

Soft intersection almost ideals of semigroups

The aim of this study is to present the notion of soft intersection almost left (respectively, right) ideal of a semigroup which is a generalization of nonnull soft intersection left (respectively, right) ideal of a semigroup and investigate the related properties in detail. We show that every idempotent soft intersection almost (left/right) ideal is a soft intersection almost subsemigroup. Besides, we acquire remarkable relationships between almost left (respectively, right) ideals and soft intersection almost left (respectively, right) ideals of a semigroup as regards minimality, primeness, semiprimeness and strongly primeness.

Перспектива застосування хімічних окислювачів для нейтралізації та дегазації фосфіну в морській фумігації вантажів

ABSTRACT. The transportation of grains, legumes and other regulated articles requires mandatory fumigation. Toxicological safety of fumigation team and crewmembers of the sea merchant fleet is a mandatory condition for fumigation. Hazardous waste is generated on board the ship during the work of the fumigation team. The development of a technique for phosphine residues degassing in containers, fumi-sleeves, etc. on board of a ship is an important scientific and applied task. Аim of the research. Study the possibility of application of well-known oxidizers (hydrogen peroxide, chloramine, ozone, potassium permanganate) for neutralizing and degassing of phosphine and phosphine-containing poison fumigants in marine cargo fumigation, conduct an analysis of redox reactions of degassers with phosphine and assess the toxicity of chemical reaction products. Materials and Мethods. The analysis of phosphine content was carried out by the method of stationary gas chromatography on the Tsvet-160 chromatograph, as well as by the method of electrochemical analysis using the Pac III – PH3, Accuro (Germany) and ToxyPro (USA) portable devices. An analytical review of the literature was performed, laboratory-experimental and field studies for degassing of phosphine and poisonous fumigants during marine fumigation of grain and fodder cargoes were conducted on ships of the bulk fleet and in the seaports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne. The results. It is shown that, contrary to existing methods, water and its soap solutions do not have destructive and neutralizing properties in relation to phosphine and phosphine-containing preparations. Their use for phosphine degassing is impractical and dangerous. Conclusions. The application of aqueous solutions of typical oxidizers (chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, and potassium permanganate) for degassing used containers from phosphine-containing preparations and fumigants on board ships can be recommended for use in national and international practice of maritime fumigation of cargo. Keywords: maritime fumigation, poison fumigants, phosphine, chemical oxidizers, degassing of containers from fumigants, simultaneous extinguishing and degassing of fumi-sleeves from phosphine fumigants

Relational properties: Definition, reduction, and states of affairs

Relational properties: Definition, reduction, and states of affairs

Simulation and optimization of binder performance in skeleton dense asphalt mixture based on deep learning

The purpose of this study is to simulate and optimize the performance of binder in skeleton dense asphalt mixture by using deep learning technology. Firstly, the key factors such as raw material ratio and production technology are determined by analyzing the factors affecting the properties of cementing material. Then, a multi-scale performance prediction network (MSPPN) model is constructed to effectively capture the complex relationship of cement properties. Then, the model is optimized by the optimization algorithm, and the performance is evaluated on the training set, verification set and test set. The experimental results show that the optimized MSPPN model achieves better performance on the test set, which verifies the effectiveness and robustness of MSPPN model. To sum up, this study provides an important reference for deeply understanding the influencing factors of binder performance in asphalt mixture, building an efficient and accurate prediction model and optimizing the performance of asphalt mixture, which has certain theoretical and practical significance.

Effect of Soil Texture on Soil Nutrient Status and Rice Nutrient Absorption in Paddy Soils

Soil texture affects rice nutrient uptake and yield formation by influencing soil structure, microbial activity, and soil nutrient supply capacity. Analyzing the relationship between soil texture, nutrient content, and rice agronomic traits is of great significance for precise and efficient fertilizer application. The tillage layer (0–20 cm) of 31 paddy fields in China’s main rice-producing areas was collected to perform rice pot experiments, and soil texture characteristics, physicochemical properties, microbial-related indicators, and rice agronomic traits were measured and analyzed. The results showed that these soils could be classified into four types of soil texture: loamy sandy soil, sandy loam soil, silty loam soil, and silty soil. Analysis of variance showed that the available nitrogen (AN), available potassium (AK), and available phosphorus (AP) contents were the highest in silty loam, silty, and sandy loam soils, respectively, and silt loamy soil had the highest CEC. Principal component analysis (PCA) also showed that soil physicochemical properties can be distinguished to a certain extent according to soil texture types. For the relationship of soil texture parameters and soil physicochemical properties, soil organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), AN, ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), and microbial carbon (MBC) contents were positively correlated with soil clay content, AK was positively correlated with silt content, and soil phosphorus status was significantly related to pH. Mantel’s test revealed significant correlations between rice N, P, and K nutrient status, dry matter accumulation, and yield, and soil available nutrient content, MBC, pH, and soil texture parameters. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that sand affected soil available nutrients by regulating pH, while clay can positively influence soil available nutrients by affecting soil organic matter mineralization and microbial activity, thus influencing nutrient absorption and yield formation in rice. Overall, in rice production, the silty and silty loam paddy soil with fine texture and higher clay content facilitates the mineralization of soil organic matter and the activity of soil microbes, resulting in more available soil nutrients, which benefits the rice absorption and accumulation of nutrients. Furthermore, a higher content of clay also promotes the distribution of dry matter to the panicle, thereby promoting rice yield formation.

Equivalence and Similarity Refutation for Probabilistic Programs

We consider the problems of statically refuting equivalence and similarity of output distributions defined by a pair of probabilistic programs. Equivalence and similarity are two fundamental relational properties of probabilistic programs that are essential for their correctness both in implementation and in compilation. In this work, we present a new method for static equivalence and similarity refutation. Our method refutes equivalence and similarity by computing a function over program outputs whose expected value with respect to the output distributions of two programs is different. The function is computed simultaneously with an upper expectation supermartingale and a lower expectation submartingale for the two programs, which we show to together provide a formal certificate for refuting equivalence and similarity. To the best of our knowledge, our method is the first approach to relational program analysis to offer the combination of the following desirable features: (1) it is fully automated, (2) it is applicable to infinite-state probabilistic programs, and (3) it provides formal guarantees on the correctness of its results. We implement a prototype of our method and our experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our method to refute equivalence and similarity for a number of examples collected from the literature.

Effects of photochemical aging on the molecular composition of organic aerosols derived from agricultural biomass burning in whole combustion process

Biomass burning organic aerosols (BBOA) are key components of atmospheric particulate matter, yet the effects of aging process on their chemical composition and related properties remain poorly understood. In this study, fresh smoke emissions from the combustion of three types of agricultural biomass residues (rice, maize, and wheat straws) were photochemically aged in an oxidation flow reactor. The changes in BBOA composition were characterized by offline analysis using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The BBOA molecular composition varied dramatically with biomass type and aging process. Fresh and aged BBOA were predominated by CHO and nitrogen-containing CHON, CHN, and CHONS species, while with very few CHOS and other non‑oxygen species. The signal peak area variations revealed that individual molecular species underwent dynamic changes, with 77–81 % of fresh species decreased or even disappeared and 33–46 % of aged species being newly formed. A notable increase was observed in the number and peak area of CxHyO≥6 compounds in aged BBOA, suggesting that photochemical process served as an important source of highly oxygenated species. Heterocyclic CxHyN2 compounds mostly dominated in fresh CHN species, whereas CxHyN1 were more abundant in aged ones. Fragmentation and homologs oxidation by addition of oxygen-containing functional groups were important pathways for the BBOA aging. The changes in BBOA composition with aging would have large impacts on particle optical properties and toxicity. This study highlights the significance of photochemical aging process in altering chemical composition and related properties of BBOA.

Soil organic carbon sequestration under Araucaria angustifolia plantations but not under exotic tree species on a mountain range

ABSTRACT Plantation forests can be efficient C sinks in biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC), but the latter depends on many factors, including climate. Tropical humid, mountain areas have cooler temperatures, slowing microbial decomposition, and thus can store considerable SOC. However, the effects of forest plantations on SOC of these montane areas are still poorly studied. Here, we aimed to assess changes in SOC, and related soil properties, after conversion of native rainforest to plantations of five tree species, with rotation cycles varying from 7 to 30 years, on the Mantiqueira Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We measured SOC contents and stocks (0.00-0.40 m layer) under a native montane rainforest (control) and plantations of Eucalyptus, Pinus, Cunninghamia, Cupressus and Araucaria, all planted in 3 × 3 m spacing, at an altitude of ca. 1,300 m, marked by humid and cool climate, where SOC contents are naturally high. Soil organic carbon varied from 55 g kg -1 under Eucalyptus to 105 g kg -1 under Araucaria (0.00-0.05 m layer), decreasing in depth (0.20-0.40 m) to the still high values of 20-40 g kg -1 . Soil organic carbon stocks for the top 0.20 m were also high, reaching ca. 140 Mg ha -1 under Araucaria, significantly higher value than the native forest (ca. 90 Mg ha -1 , p<0.05), which did not differ from the other species. Soil organic carbon stocks were not affected in the 0.20-0.40 m soil layer, whereas soil structure patterns changed under some species, without however resulting in bulk density changes, and pH decreased under Araucaria. Such data showed large SOC stocks under montane native forests can not only be preserved upon conversion to forest plantations, but considerable SOC sequestration can be achieved in 30-years rotation cycles plantations of indigenous Araucaria angustifolia, marked by more open canopies and greater understory biomass.

On some kinds of ω-balancedness and (*) properties in certain semitopological groups

In this article, we discuss some relationships of ω-balancedness and (⁎) properties which were introduced for giving characterizations of subgroups of topological products of certain para(semi)topological groups. We mainly get the following results.If G is a regular ω-balanced locally ω-good semitopological group with a q-point, then Ir(G)≤ω if and only if Sm(G)≤ω. If G is a regular strongly paracompact semitopological group with a q-point and Sm(G)≤ω, then G is completely ω-balanced if and only if G has property (⁎). If G is a regular paracompact ω-balanced locally good semitopological group with a q-point and Sm(G)≤ω, then G has property (w⁎) if and only if G has property (**). If G is a regular metacompact semitopological group with a q-point and Sm(G)≤ω, then G is MM-ω-balanced if and only if G is M-ω-balanced.We show that a semitopological group G admits a homeomorphic embedding as a subgroup of a product of metrizable semitopological groups if and only if G is topologically isomorphic to a subgroup of a product of semitopological groups which are first-countable paracompact regular σ-spaces and is topologically isomorphic to a subgroup of a product of Moore semitopological groups.

Effect of high laser scanning speed on microstructure and mechanical properties of additively manufactured 316L

AbstractDue to its ease of processing, the stainless steel 316L is a widely used material for the laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) process. Compared to other additive manufacturing technologies PBF-LB/M has a lot of advantages such as design freedom and high resolution of details. However, PBF-LB/M also has some disadvantages, such as a reduced build-up rate. In general, 316L provides a wide range of parameter settings used for PBF-LB/M. In this study, the manufacturing limits were approached allowing a maximum build-up rate along with a high relative density > 99% without compromising the required mechanical properties. Microstructure analyses as well as tensile tests were performed to validate this approach. This article also provides insights on defects and relative density for scanning speed above 3000 mm/s. Furthermore, it was shown that the scanning speed has a major influence on the grain size and on the texture of the specimens. For the first time, the relative density, microstructure and mechanical properties of additively manufactured 316L were determined in relation to each other for high scanning speed. A set of parameters has been found that works best with a laser power of 285 W and a scanning speed of 1250 mm/s which results in a specimen relative density of 99.2%, a yield strength of 425 MPa, a tensile strength of 586 MPa and a build-up rate of 4.64 mm3/s. The findings can be further used to enhance the mechanical properties of PBF-LB/M 316L in terms of high build-up rates.

Structural Characteristics, Electronic Properties, and Coupling Behavior of 12-4-12, 12-3-12, 12-2-12 Cationic Surfactants: A First-Principles Computational Investigation and Experimental Raman Spectroscopy

In this study, we present a comprehensive first-principles computational investigation focused on the structural characteristics, electronic properties, and coupling integrations of three cationic Gemini surfactants: 12-4-12, 12-3-12, and 12-2-12 ((CH3(CH2)11)(CH3)2-N+-(CH2)n-N+(CH3(CH2)11)(CH3)2, where n = 2, 3, or 4). By employing Density Functional Theory (DFT) computations, we aimed to gain insights into the fundamental aspects of these surfactant molecules, and the intermolecular interactions among these surfactant molecules. We examined different conformers of each surfactant, including parallel, wing, and bent conformers, and compared their relative stability and properties. We elucidated that the complex structural characteristics, electronic properties, and molecular arrangements of the surfactants vary according to the number of carbon atoms in the central spacer. We also conducted experimental Raman spectroscopy on the three surfactants to compare the results with our computational findings. Furthermore, we computed the coupling behaviors of different conformers of 12-4-12 surfactants in order to gain insights into their coupling mechanism.

Collaborative denoised graph contrastive learning for multi-modal recommendation

Graph neural networks, with their capacity to capture complex hierarchical relations, are extensively employed in multi-modal recommendation. Previous graph-based multi-modal recommendation studies primarily focus on integrating multi-modal features that capture the neighbor relations as auxiliary information. However, such methods heavily rely on graph structure properties for collaborative relations. Furthermore, while the massive implicit feedbacks alleviate the data sparsity issue, the drawback is that they are not as reliable in accurately reflecting users true interests. We propose a Collaborative Denoised Graph Contrastive Learning framework named CDGCL for multi-modal recommendation. Specifically, we present a novel modality-aware item representation with contrastive learning to capture the modality-aware collaborative relations. Besides, we develop a Multi-Policy Denoised module (MPD) to filter out irrelevant interactions. Extensive experiments that include cold-start and warm-start experimental scenarios demonstrate the superiority of CDGCL over baselines.

Comparative analysis of new, mScarlet-based red fluorescent tags in Caenorhabditis elegans.

One problem that has hampered the use of red fluorescent proteins in the fast-developing nematode C. elegans has been the substantial time delay in maturation of several generations of red fluorophores. The recently described mScarlet-I3 protein has properties that may overcome this limitation. We compare here the brightness and maturation time of CRISPR/Cas9 genome-engineered mScarlet, mScarlet3, mScarlet-I3 and GFP reporter knock-ins. Comparing the onset and brightness of expression of reporter alleles of C. elegans golg-4, encoding a broadly expressed Golgi resident protein, we found that the onset of detection of mScarlet-I3 in the embryo is several hours earlier than older versions of mScarlet and comparable to GFP. These findings were further supported by comparing mScarlet-I3 and GFP reporter alleles for pks-1, a gene expressed in the CAN neuron and cells of the alimentary system, as well as reporter alleles for the panneuronal, nuclear marker unc-75. Hence, the relative properties of mScarlet-I3 and GFP do not depend on cellular or subcellular context. In all cases, mScarlet-I3 reporters also show improved signal-to-noise ratio compared to GFP.

Ag-catalyzed strain engineering in ZnO for tailoring defects towards bacterial inactivation and removal of organic dyes for environmental sustainability

This study explored Ag-guided strain formation in ZnO that can manipulate defects in related properties, which are helpful in enhancing the photocatalytic performance of ZnO. Ag@ZnO nanosheets were synthesized with varying Ag concentrations (0–5 at%) through a cost-effective hydrothermal method and employed for the efficient removal of environmentally concerning dyes, namely methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO), and rhodamine B (RhB), under natural sunlight radiation. Microscopic images (SEM and TEM) revealed the nanoplates regardless of the Ag concentrations. The XRD pattern confirmed the pure phase of the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO, while the crystallite size decreased from 25 to 20 nm, augmented with the bright field-TEM images. The energy bandgap, Eg, decreased from 3.24 to 3.18 eV, as Ag concentration increased from 0 to 5 at%. The highest photocatalytic efficiency of Ag@ZnO:5 at% was achieved to be ∼93 %, ∼97.5 %, and ∼98 % for MO, MB, and RhB, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag@ZnO:5 at% was attributed to the high charge separation efficiency and many active sites due to the surface integration of Ag atoms and defects states. Ag@ZnO:5 at% nanoplates showed significant inactivation against environmentally transmitted pathogenic bacteria within 30 min. These findings underscore the significant potential of Ag@ZnO photocatalysts for sunlight-driven removal of organic pollutants, aligning with the sustainability goals advocated by the United Nations. The outcomes of this research contribute valuable insights into the development of efficient photocatalytic materials for environmental pollution remediation.

Electronic structure and photocatalytic performance of Janus MoSSe/Ga2SSe van der Waals heterostructures

Recently, transition metal dichalcogenide photocatalysts have been substantially explored as efficient catalysts for water splitting. This paper systematically investigates the electronic structure and related properties of four, hitherto uninvestigated, Janus MoSSe/Ga2SSe vdW heterostructures using first-principles calculations. The results indicate that two out of the four heterostructures exhibit a type-II energy band arrangement, which facilitates the effective separation of electron-hole pairs in space. Additionally, the electrostatic potential, charge density difference and Bader charges analyses indicate that charge transfer in the interfacial region creates a built-in electric field that effectively inhibits electron and hole complexation, and that one out of the four heterostructures corresponds to a direct Z-scheme heterojunction. The optical absorption coefficients show that the MoSSe/Ga2SSe vdW heterostructures have a broad absorption range from visible to ultraviolet. These findings suggest that the Janus SMoSe/SGa2Se and SMoSe/SeGa2S vdW heterostructures could be suitable for photocatalytic water decomposition. The SMoSe/SGa2Se and SMoSe/SeGa2S vdW heterostructures have high corrected solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of 11.84% and 10.13%, respectively.

Molecular interactions of the Omicron, Kappa, and Delta SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins with quantum dots of graphene oxide.

The Omicron, Kappa, and Delta variants are different strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) represent a burgeoning class of oxygen-enriched, zero-dimensional materials characterized by their sub-20-nm dimensions. Exhibiting pronounced quantum confinement and edge effects, GOQDs manifest exceptional physical-chemical attributes. This study delves into the potential of graphene oxide quantum dots, elucidating their inherent properties pertinent to the surface structures of SARS-CoV-2, employing an integrated computational approach for the repositioning of inhibitory agents. Following rigorous adjustment tests, a spectrum of divergent bonding conformations emerged, with particular emphasis placed on identifying the conformation exhibiting optimal adjustment scores and interactions. The investigation employed molecular docking simulations integrating affinity energy evaluations, electrostatic potential clouds, molecular dynamics encompassing average square root calculations, and the computation of Gibbs-free energy. These values quantify the strength of interaction between GOQDs and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variants. The receptor structures were optimized using the CHARM-GUI server employing force field AMBERFF14SB. The algorithm embedded in CHARMM offers an efficient interpolation scheme and automatic step size selection, enhancing the efficiency of the optimization process. The 3D structures of the ligands are constructed and optimized with density functional theory (DFT) method based on the most stable conformer of each binder. Autodock Vina Software (ADV) was utilized, where essential parameters were specified. Electrostatic potential maps (MEPs) provide a visual depiction of molecules' charge distributions and related properties. After this, molecular dynamics simulations employing the CHARM36 force field in Gromacs 2022.2 were conducted to investigate GOs' interactions with surface macromolecules of SARS-CoV-2 in an explicit aqueous environment. Furthermore, our investigation suggests that lower values indicate stronger binding. Notably, GO-E consistently showed the most negative values across interactions with different variants, suggesting a higher affinity compared to other GOQDs (GO-A to GO-D).

Structural and Property Characterizations of Dual-Responsive Core-Shell Tecto Dendrimers for Tumor Penetration and Gene Delivery Applications.

Core-shell tecto dendrimers (CSTDs) with excellent physicochemical properties and good tumor penetration and gene transfection efficiency have been demonstrated to have the potential to replace high-generation dendrimers in biomedical applications. However, their characterization and related biological properties of CSTDs for enhanced tumor penetration and gene delivery still lack in-depth investigation. Herein, three types of dual-responsive CSTDs are designed for thorough physicochemical characterization and investigation of their tumor penetration and gene delivery efficiency. Three types of CSTDs are prepared through phenylborate ester bonds of phenylboronic acid (PBA)-decorated generation 5 (G5) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers as cores and monose (galactose, glucose, or mannose)-conjugated G3 PAMAM dendrimers as shells and thoroughly characterized via NMR and other techniques. It is shown that the produced CSTDs display strong correlation signals between the PBA and monose protons, similar hydrodynamic diameters, and dual reactive oxygen species- and pH-responsivenesses. The dual-responsive CSTDs are proven to have structure-dependent tumor penetration property and gene delivery efficiency in terms of small interference RNA for gene silencing and plasmid DNA for gene editing, thus revealing a great potential for different biomedical applications.

Novel hard and unusual superconducting monoclinic phase of FeB2C2: An ab initio evolutionary study

This study focuses on conducting an ab initio evolutionary investigation to search for stable polymorphs of iron diborocarbides with the formula FeB2C2. We also examined other forms of C contents, including FeB3C and FeBC3. Our findings reveal that the lowest energetic structure of FeB2C2 is a semimetallic monoclinic phase with a space group (s.g.) of C2/m and a metastable metallic phase of FeB2C2 is an orthorhombic structure with s.g. of Pmmm. In addition, structural and relative properties of FeB3C and FeBC3 are performed and discussed to compare with FeB2C2. All predicted structures are dynamically and elastically stable, verified without negative phonon frequency and Born criteria, respectively. We also analyzed the energetic stability through calculated cohesive and formation energies, which showed that C2/m-FeB2C2 is stable at low pressure. Interestingly, the C2/m and Pmmm phases of FeB2C2 are hard materials with Vickers hardness (Hv) of 22.40 and 27.52 GPa, respectively. Additionally, we examined the electron–phonon coupling of both FeB2C2 phases. Unexpectedly, we found that the semimetallic C2/m-FeB2C2 phase is a superconductor with a significant superconducting temperature (Tc) exceeding 6 K. These findings provide some novel results for the Fe–B–C system and pave the way for investigating other metal borocarbides and related ternary compounds.