Symmetric Cations Research Articles

Embedded Micro-Interdigitated Flow Fields for Efficient Intercalation-Based Desalination at Seawater Scale

During the past decade, intensifying water crises around the globe have motivated research in electrochemical desalination. Among such technologies, Faradaic deionization (FDI) has shown great promise for seawater desalination with the use of intercalation electrode materials that possess at least ten-fold higher charge storage concentration (~5 M) than seawater salinity (~0.5 M). Despite many efforts focused either on developing electrode materials or modifying flow-cell architectures, the promise of intercalative FDI was not previously realized experimentally. This work demonstrates for the first time salt removal approaching seawater-level salinity by using a flow cell containing symmetric cation intercalation electrodes separated by an anion-exchange membrane [Do et al., Energy Environ. Sci., 16, 3025–3039 (2023)]. We show removal of 96% of salt from ~500 mM NaCl feeds with ~50% water recovery at a thermodynamic energy efficiency (TEE) of 7%. In addition, the flow cell readily produces fresh water (< 0.017 M NaCl) from brackish water with 40% TEE and substantially lowered hypersaline brine concentration from 0.78 M down to 0.23 M at 11.7% TEE. We note that (1) scaling up the charge capacity of intercalation electrodes is crucial to improve salt removal in FDI and (2) rational design of flow-through electrodes is equally important to make FDI more energy-efficient by mitigating pumping energy consumption. Upscaling was achieved by using large-area electrodes with high areal loading of nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF), up to 21 mg cm-2. Pumping energy was drastically reduced by embedding an interdigitated array of 70 µm wide channels into the NiHCF electrodes using laser micromaching to form novel embedded, micro-interdigitated flow fields (eµ-IDFFs). The dimensions of the eµ-IDFFs were tailored for our low-permeability electrodes based on analytical and numerical modeling, resulting in two orders of magnitude improvement in the apparent hydraulic permeability of these electrodes while minimizing active-material loss. Evidence of water transport between diluted and concentrated streams, as well as feed-concentration-dependent charge efficiency were reported, which potentially contributed to energy efficiency and water recovery losses, motivating their investigation to further improve FDI performance. In addition to their application toward desalination, the present eµ-IDFFs show promise for use in electrochemical energy storage and conversion processes that employ nanomaterials

Radial Behavior of Electrostatic Potentials of Atoms and Ions Revisited: Isotropy and Anisotropy.

In this paper we revisit earlier work relating to monoatomic atoms and ions published by pioneers in the area of electrostatic potentials. We include plots of the radial distributions of the electrostatic potentials for spherically symmetric atoms and cations, and for singly, doubly and triply negative anions. For atoms with anisotropy in their densities and electrostatic potentials, such as the halonium cations, it is shown how the molecular surface approach for plotting electrostatic potentials complements that achieved by directional radial distributions.

Complete removal of organophosphate pesticides from wastewaters with sustainable ionic liquid-based aqueous two-phase strategy

Due to extensive food production, organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are widely utilized for crop protection, leading to their presence in the environment. The focus of this study was the design of an efficient aqueous biphasic system (ABS) strategy for OP removal, namely, malathion (MAL), azinphos-methyl (AZM), and chlorpyrifos (CHP) from water. Different ionic liquids (ILs) with symmetrical cations were selected as ABS phase-formers (tetrabutylphosphonium salicylate, tetrabutylammonium salicylate, 1,3-dibutylimidazolium dicyanamide, 1,3-dibutylimidazolium salicylate and 1,3-dibutylimidazolium bromide) with citrate salt as a salting-out agent. Initially, phase diagrams were determined, followed by partition studies revealing that the partition of MAL and CHP aligns with the IL- ABS formation trend, while the AZM partition is governed by specific interactions with ILs. For optimization studies, tetrabutylphosphonium-salicylate i.e. [TBP][Sal]-based ABS was chosen, due to obtained high extraction efficiencies of over 99.3 %. After establishing the effects of pH, temperature, tie-line length, and phase ratio on extraction performance, extraction of OPs from a real wastewater sample further confirmed the effectiveness of the designed method achieving complete removal of each pesticide. Furthermore, recovery of IL was achieved using an antisolvent method to precipitate CHP followed by IL-reuse in three consecutive cycles without efficiency decreased. Finally, it was demonstrated that [TBP][Sal] exhibits low cytotoxic potential, indicating that the presence of low amounts of this IL in aqueous media could be acceptable from ecotoxicological standpoint. This study showcased the exceptional potential of the proposed technology for the efficient and sustainable treatment of wastewater contaminated with OPs, affirming its capability to treat significant wastewater volumes.

Zero-field J-spectroscopy of quadrupolar nuclei

Zero- to ultralow-field nuclear magnetic resonance (ZULF NMR) allows molecular structure elucidation via measurement of electron-mediated spin-spin J-couplings. This study examines zero-field J-spectra from molecules with quadrupolar nuclei, exemplified by solutions of various isotopologues of ammonium cations. The spectra reveal differences between various isotopologues upon extracting precise J-coupling values from pulse-acquire measurements. A primary isotope effect, △J=γ14N/γ15NJ15NH−J14NH≈−58\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\ riangle J=\\left({\\gamma }_{{}^{14}{{{{{\\rm{N}}}}}}}/{\\gamma }_{{}^{15}{{{{{\\rm{N}}}}}}}\\right){J}_{{}^{15}{{{{{\\rm{N}}}}}}{{{{{\\rm{H}}}}}}}-{J}_{{}^{14}{{{{{\\rm{N}}}}}}{{{{{\\rm{H}}}}}}}\\approx -58$$\\end{document} mHz, is deduced by analysis of the proton-nitrogen J-coupling ratios. This study points toward further experiments with symmetric cations containing quadrupolar nuclei, promising applications in biomedicine, energy storage, and benchmarking quantum chemistry calculations.

Tailoring Perovskite Surface Potential and Chelation Advances Efficient Solar Cells.

Modifying perovskite surface using various organic ammonium halide cations has proven to be an effective approach for enhancing the overall performance of perovskite solar cells. Nevertheless, the impact of the structural symmetry of these ammonium halide cations on perovskite interface termination has remained uncertain. Here, this work investigates the influence of symmetry on the performance of the devices, using molecules based on symmetrical bis(2-chloroethyl)ammonium cation (B(CE)A+) and asymmetrical 2-chloroethylammonium cation (CEA+) as interface layers between the perovskite and hole transport layer. These results reveal that the symmetrical B(CE)A+ cations lead to a more homogeneous surface potential and more comprehensive chelation with uncoordinated Pb2+ compared to the asymmetrical cations, resulting in a more favorable energy band alignment and strengthened defect healing. This strategy, leveraging the spatial geometrical symmetry of the interface cations, promotes hole carrier extraction between functional layers and reduces nonradiative recombination on the perovskite surface. Consequently, perovskite solar cells processed with the symmetrical B(CE)A+ cations achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.60% and retain ≈91% of their initial PCE after 500 h of maximum power point operation. This work highlights the significant benefits of utilizing structurally symmetrical cations in promoting the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells.

Exploring asymmetry induced entropy in tetraalkylammonium-urea DES systems: what can be learned from inelastic neutron scattering?

In this work, inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectroscopy is used to investigate the impact of entropic factors on the behaviour of deep eutectic solvents (DES). Periodic density functional theory calculations (DFT) provide a reliable assignment of the vibrational modes of pure compounds. This assignment guides the analysis of INS spectra of binary mixtures - with particular attention to methyl torsional modes. Deviations from ideality in the mixtures of tetraalkylammonium salts with urea are readily determined through a simplified thermodynamic approach. This study reports and discusses the relationship between the cation's asymmetry, the INS spectra of the eutectic mixture and its deviation from ideality. Contrary to the majority of systems studied so far, the deep eutectic system comprised of [N2,2,2,1]Cl and urea appears to owe its deviation from ideality to entropic rather than enthalpic factors.

Symmetry versus asymmetry game in vaporization enthalpies of imidazolium-based ionic liquids

The vaporization enthalpy as a function of alkyl chain length was studied using both experimental techniques and molecular dynamics simulations for imidazolium based ionic liquids (ILs) with symmetric and asymmetric imidazolium substitution. It was found that the vaporization enthalpy increases with increasing alkyl chain length due to the increased van der Waals (vdW) interaction. In addition, the vaporization enthalpies of the symmetric ILs ([CnCnIm][X], X = NTf2-, Cl-, Br-, I-) series were found to be systematically lower (by 5–10 kJ mol−1) in comparison with the corresponding asymmetric imidazolium-based ILs ([CmC1Im][X]). This energetic difference was attributed to the intramolecular dispersion interactions between the two alkyl side chains existing in the symmetric cation series.

A comprehensive investigation of 1,3-dibutylimidazolium nitrate ionic liquid as a green energetic oxidizer: From design to thermal stability assessment

The present work introduces a novel energetic ionic liquid (EIL), the 1,3-dibutyl-imidazolium nitrate [BBIm][NO3], that demonstrates interesting features such as symmetrical cation’s structure [BBIm] and the presence of nitrate anion [NO3], which confers the explosophoric oxidizing character. This EIL was synthesized by a simple green method and its chemical structure was fully characterized by 1-D 1H, 13C, 15N NMR, 2-D NMR, and FTIR spectroscopy. Besides, DSC and non-isothermal TGA analyses demonstrated that the [BBIm][NO3] displayed two stages of exothermicity and good thermal stability at temperatures ≤230 °C, which reduced its thermal hazard and enhanced its safe handling. Furthermore, the non-isothermal TGA data combined with isoconversional kinetic methods, i.e., TAS, it-KAS, and Vyazovkin/CE were used to determine the kinetics of its thermal decomposition. The obtained results revealed that the prepared [BBIm][NO3] EIL presents promising reactivity features, which may promote its further use in practical applications.

Synthesis and solid state structures of 1,3-dihalo-1,3-bis(dialkylamino)propenium salts and related compounds

1,3-dicholoro-1,3- bis(dialkylamino)propenium salts are prepared by condensing N, N,-dialkylamides with dichloromethylene dimethyliminium chloride (“Viehe's salt”). The products are versatile synthons and can be used to make a variety of ligand types. Here, we report the syntheses of a number of new propenium salts and provide comprehensive characterization data for some that have already been described. Additionally, we have prepared a series of related 1,3-dihalo-1,3- bis(dimethylamino)propenium salts via halogen exchange reactions (F through I). Finally, all of the compounds described, including Viehe's Salt and several hydrolysis products, have been characterized in the solid state using single crystal X-ray diffraction. The symmetrical cations [Me2NC(X)CHC(X)NMe2]+ were found to take one of two general structural forms. The first (X = H or F) is planar, presumably maximizing the delocalization within the backbone of the cation, while the second form is markedly twisted (X = Cl, Br or I). Calculations indicate that the latter develop increasingly positive regions of the electrostatic potential on the halide substituents, allowing cation/anion interactions via halogen bonding to dominate in the extended solids. The results of these studies illustrate the importance of the differing interionic interactions in a homologous series of small organic salts.

Nature-inspired catalytic asymmetric rearrangement of cyclopropylcarbinyl cation

In nature, cyclopropylcarbinyl cation is often involved in cationic cascade reactions catalyzed by natural enzymes to produce a great number of structurally diverse natural substances. However, mimicking this natural process with artificial organic catalysts remains a daunting challenge in synthetic chemistry. We report a small molecule-catalyzed asymmetric rearrangement of cyclopropylcarbinyl cations, leading to a series of chiral homoallylic sulfide products with good to excellent yields and enantioselectivities (up to 99% enantiomeric excess). In the presence of a chiral SPINOL-derived N-triflyl phosphoramide catalyst, the dehydration of prochiral cyclopropylcarbinols occurs rapidly to generate symmetrical cyclopropylcarbinyl cations, which are subsequently trapped by thione-containing nucleophiles. A subgram-scale experiment and multiple downstream transformations of the sulfide products are further pursued to demonstrate the synthetic utility. Notably, a few heteroaromatic sulfone derivatives could serve as "covalent warhead" in the enzymatic inhibition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 main protease.

Linking Molecular Structure and Lubrication Mechanisms in Tetraalkylammonium Orthoborate Ionic Liquids

While ionic liquids (ILs) have gained wide interest as potential alternative lubricants able to meet the requirements of next-generation tribological systems owing to their unique physico-chemical properties and promising lubricating behavior, our understanding of the mechanisms by which ILs reduce friction and/or wear is still elusive. Here, we combine macroscale tribological experiments with surface-analytical measurements to shed light on the lubrication mechanisms of a class of halogen-free ILs, namely tetraalkylammonium orthoborate ILs, at steel/steel sliding contacts. The tribological results indicate an improvement of the friction-reducing properties of these ILs as the length of the alkyl chains attached to ammonium cations increases. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses provide further evidence for the dependence of the lubrication mechanism of tetraalkylammonium orthoborate ILs on the IL structure. In the case of tetraalkylammonium orthoborate ILs with asymmetric ammonium cations containing a long alkyl chain, no sacrificial tribofilms were formed on steel surfaces, thus suggesting that the friction-reducing ability of these ILs originates from their propensity to undergo a pressure-induced morphological change at the sliding interface that leads to the generation of a lubricious, solid-like layered structure. Conversely, the higher friction response observed in tribological tests performed with tetraalkylammonium orthoborate ILs containing more symmetric ammonium cations and short alkyl chains is proposed to be due to the inability of this IL to create a transient interfacial layer owing to the reduced van der Waals interactions between the cationic alkyl chains. The resulting hard/hard contact between the sliding surfaces is proposed to lead to the cleavage of boron-oxygen bonds in the presence of water to form species that then adsorb onto the steel surface, including trivalent borate esters and oxalic acid from the decomposition of orthoborate anions, as well as tertiary amines from the degradation of alkylammonium cations induced by hydroxides released during the orthoborate decomposition reaction. The results of this work not only establish links between the molecular structure of a class of halogen-free ILs, their lubricating performance, and lubrication mechanism, but also provide evidence for the existence of multiple mechanisms underpinning the promising lubricating properties of ILs in general.

CO2 capture using dicationic ionic liquids (DILs): Molecular dynamics and DFT-IR studies on the role of cations.

Dicationic ionic liquids (DILs) have been shown to be useful as an effective solvent for the absorption of CO2. However, compared to monocationic ionic liquids (MILs), they have been less investigated for this application. Previous studies on MIL-CO2 systems have shown that anions play the main role in tuning CO2 capture, but the partial negative charge on the oxygens of CO2 may interact with cation centers and, especially, for DILs with two charge centers, the role of cations can be significant. Therefore, the current work focuses on how cation symmetry and the length of side chains affect interactions and also the dynamical and structural properties of DIL-CO2 systems using molecular dynamics simulation. In addition, the effect of CO2 on the infrared vibrational spectra of isolated ions and ion triplet (DIL molecules) was studied using density functional theory calculations and the observed red and blue shifts have been interpreted. The results indicated that symmetric cation with longer side chains tend to interact more strongly with CO2 molecules. It seems that increasing the length of the side chains causes more bending of the middle chain, and in addition to increasing the free fraction volume, it weakens the interaction between cations and anions, and as a result more interaction between gas and cation. The results of this work may contribute to the rational molecular design of DILs for CO2 capture, DIL-based gas sensors, etc.

The DNA Radical Code. Resolution of Identity in Dissociations of Trinucleotide Codon Cation Radicals in the Gas Phase

Sixty DNA trinucleotide cation radicals covering a large part of the genetic code alphabet were generated by electron transfer in the gas phase, and their chemistry was studied by collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry and theoretical calculations. The major dissociations involved loss of nucleobase molecules and radicals, backbone cleavage, and cross-ring fragmentations that depended on the nature and position of the nucleobases. Mass identity in dissociations of symmetrical trinucleotide cation radicals of the (XXX+2H)+• and (XYX+2H)+• type was resolved by specific 15N labeling. The specific features of trinucleotide cation radical dissociations involved the dominant formation of d2+ ions, hydrogen atom migrations accompanying the formation of (w2+H)+•, (w2+2H)+, and (d2+2H)+ sequence ions, and cross-ring cleavages in the 3'- and 5'-deoxyribose moieties that depended on the nucleobase type and its position in the ion. Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD) and density functional theory calculations were used to obtain structures and energies of several cation-radical protomers and conformers for (AAA+2H)+•, (CCC+2H)+•, (GGG+2H)+•, (ACA+2H)+•, and (CAA+2H)+• that were representative of the different types of backbone dissociations. The ion electronic structure, protonation and radical sites, and hydrogen bonding were used to propose reaction mechanisms for the dissociations.

Mutual influence of copper and paraquat on their adsorption in soil

Paraquat and copper (Cu) have been commonly used and detected in soils. Therefore, it is important to understand their mobility in the environment. This study investigated the competitive effects of paraquat and Cu on their adsorption in five representative Chinese soils by performing batch adsorption equilibrium experiments and spectroscopic analysis. The adsorption of paraquat in soils varied with soil types and was positively correlated with both cationic exchange capacity and soil organic matter content. Paraquat exerted a more remarkable suppression effect on the adsorption of Cu than Cu on the adsorption of paraquat. In the presence of 0.12 and 0.19 mmol L−1 paraquat, Cu adsorption decreased by 16% and 22% in Heilongjiang soil and by 24% and 37% in Jiangxi soil, respectively. While in the presence of 0.1 and 0.2 mmol L−1 Cu, paraquat adsorption decreased by 4% and 8% in Heilongjiang soil and by 15% and 19% in Jiangxi soil. Exchange selectivity involving symmetric (Paraquat2+, Cu2+) cation exchange is the probable basis for the suppression effect. An ultraviolet-visible absorption study suggested that formation of Cu–paraquat complexes was unlikely in solution or on the soil surface. Cu K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy indicated that Cu in soils may have some water hydration layers as the nearest neighbors, and each Cu was coordinated with five oxygen atoms. The results greatly improve our knowledge about the molecular-scale adsorption mechanisms of paraquat and Cu in soils and will be useful to predict the behavior, transport, and fate of paraquat and Cu in agricultural soils.

Using Symmetrical Organic Cation Solutions to Study P2X7 Ion Permeation.

P2X7 receptors are ATP-gated ion channels permeable to metal cations, such as Na+, K+, and Ca2+. They also exhibit permeability to various large molecular weight species, reaching up to 900Da, in a process known as macropore formation, which is a unique functional hallmark across the P2X family. While well-documented in a range of different cell types, the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon is poorly understood, and has been clouded through the use of electrophysiological methodology prone to artifacts as a result of significant changes in ionic concentrations in asymmetric conditions. In this chapter, we discuss the permeation properties of P2X7, the related methodological challenges and the use of symmetrical organic cation solutions as a useful technique for probing P2X7 permeation.

FAHR’S SYNROME- A RARITY

Fahr’s disease/syndrome is a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by symmetrical and bilateral calcication of the basal ganglia. Calcications are also seen in other areas such as thalamus, dentate nucleus and cerebral cortex. Both familial and non-familial cases of Fahr’s disease have been reported, predominently with autosomal-dominant pattern. It has a wide range of clinical manifestations. Diagnosis criteria and checklist have been helpful in diagnosis and differentiation of Fahr’s syndrome and Fahr’s disease. No specic treatment is available and the management of the patient is mainly symptomatic. Here we present a case report of a 12 year female child presented with Pancytopenia for evaluation with already diagnosed Fahrs disease.

Spectral Stable Blue-Light-Emitting Diodes via Asymmetric Organic Diamine Based Dion-Jacobson Perovskites.

The spectral instability issue is a challenge in blue perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs). Dion–Jacobson (DJ) phase perovskites are promising alternatives to achieve high-quality blue PeLEDs. However, the current exploration of DJ phase perovskites is focused on symmetric divalent cations, and the corresponding efficiency of blue PeLEDs is still inferior to that of green and red ones. In this work, we report a new type of DJ phase CsPb(Br/Cl)3 perovskite via introduction of an asymmetric molecular configuration as the organic spacer cation in perovskites. The primary and tertiary ammonium groups on the asymmetric cations bridge with the lead halide octahedra forming the DJ phase structures. Stable photoluminescence spectra were demonstrated in perovskite films owing to the suppressed halide segregation. Meanwhile, the radiative recombination efficiency of charges is improved significantly as a result of the confinement effects and passivation of charge traps. Finally, we achieved an external quantum efficiency of 2.65% in blue PeLEDs with stable spectra emission under applied bias voltages. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of asymmetric cations used in PeLEDs, which provides a facile solution to the halide segregation issue in PeLEDs.

Low porosity, high areal-capacity Prussian blue analogue electrodes enhance salt removal and thermodynamic efficiency in symmetric Faradaic deionization with automated fluid control

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) show great potential for low-energy Faradaic deionization (FDI) with reversible Na-ion capacity approaching 5 M in the solid-state. However, past continuous-flow demonstrations using PBAs in FDI were unable to desalinate brackish water to potable levels using single-pass architectures. Here, we show that recirculation of effluent from a symmetric cation intercalation desalination cell into brine/diluate reservoirs enables salt removal exceeding 80% at thermodynamic efficiency as high as 80% when cycled with 100 mM NaCl influent and when controlled by a low-volume, automated fluid circuit. This exceptional performance is achieved using a novel heated, alkaline wet phase inversion process that modulates colloidal forces to increase carbon black aggregation within electrode slurries to solidify crack-free, high areal-capacity PBA electrodes that are calendered to minimize cell impedance and electrode porosity. The results obtained demonstrate the need for co-design of auxiliary fluid-control systems together with electrode materials to advance FDI beyond brackish salinity.

FAHR'S SYNDROME IN A PATIENT WITH PSEUDOHYPOPARATHYROIDISM – AN INTERESTING CASE REPORT

Fahr's Syndrome is a rare neurodegenerative disease which is characterized by bilaterally symmetrical calcications in various parts of the brain such as the basal ganglia, cerebellum, thalamus, cerebral cortex etc. It can have a wide variety of clinical presentations ranging from, dementia, parkinsonism, movement disorders etc. It can be primary/idiopathic or secondary to other causes mainly endocrinopathies. Here we describe an interesting case of a 78 years old man who presented with dementia and tremors and was later diagnosed as fahr's syndrome which was secondary to pseudohypoparathyroidism.

Effective Phase-Alignment for 2D Halide Perovskites Incorporating Symmetric Diammonium Ion for Photovoltaics.

New structural type of 2D AA′ n −1M n X3 n +1 type halide perovskites stabilized by symmetric diammonium cations has attracted research attention recently due to the short interlayer distance and better charge‐transport for high‐performance solar cells (PSCs). However, the distribution control of quantum wells (QWs) and its influence on optoelectronic properties are largely underexplored. Here effective phase‐alignment is reported through dynamical control of film formation to improve charge transfer between quantum wells (QWs) for 2D perovskite (BDA)(MA) n ‐1Pb n I3 n +1 (BDA = 1,4‐butanediamine, 〈n〉 = 4) film. The in situ optical spectra reveal a significantly prolonged crystallization window during the perovskite deposition via additive strategy. It is found that finer thickness gradient by n values in the direction orthogonal to the substrate leads to more efficient charge transport between QWs and suppressed charge recombination in the additive‐treated film. As a result, a power conversion efficiency of 14.4% is achieved, which is not only 21% higher than the control one without additive treatment, but also one of the high efficiencies of the low‐n (n ≤ 4) AA′ n −1M n X3 n +1 PSCs. Furthermore, the bare device retains 92% of its initial PCE without any encapsulation after ambient exposure for 1200 h.