Scattering properties of the 2e−2e+2e^-2e^+ polyelectronic system

We study the $2e^-2e^+$ equal-mass charge-neutral four-body system in the adiabatic hyperspherical framework. The lowest few adiabatic potentials are calculated for zero orbital angular momentum, positive parity, and charge conjugation symmetries. Propagating the R-matrix, the low-energy $s$-wave scattering lengths of the singlet-singlet and triplet-triplet spin configurations are calculated. Lastly, we calculate the S-matrix for energies above the ionic threshold to estimate the transition rates between the single ionic fragmentation channel and the lowest few dimer-dimer fragmentation channels.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Crossover from hc/e to hc/2e current oscillations in rings of s-wave superconductors

We analyze the crossover from an hc/e-periodicity of the persistent current in flux threaded clean metallic rings towards an hc/2e-flux periodicity of the supercurrent upon entering the superconducting state. On the basis of a model calculation for a one-dimensional ring we identify the underlying mechanism, which balances the hc/e versus the hc/2e periodic components of the current density. When the ring circumference exceeds the coherence length of the superconductor, the flux dependence is strictly hc/2e periodic. Further, we develop a multi-channel model which reduces the Bogoliubov - de Gennes equations to a one-dimensional differential equation for the radial component of the wave function. The discretization of this differential equation introduces transverse channels, whose number scales with the thickness of the ring. The periodicity crossover is analyzed close the critical temperature

On the vibronic level structure in the NO_3 radical. Part III. Observation of intensity borrowing via ground state mixing

The A^2E" ← X^2A'_2 absorption spectrum exhibits vibronically allowed transitions from the ground state of NO_3 to upper state levels having a"_1 and e' vibronic symmetries. This paper explores the coupling mechanisms that lend intensities to these features. While transitions to e' vibronic levels borrow intensity from the very strong B^2E' ← X^2A'_2 electronic transition, those to a"_1 levels involve only negligible upper-state borrowing effects. Rather, it is the vibronic mixing of the ground vibronic level of NO_3 with vibrational levels in the B^2E' electronic state that permit the a"_1 levels to be seen in the spectrum. These ideas are supported by vibronic coupling calculations. The fact that the intensities of features corresponding to the two different vibronic symmetries are comparable is thus accidental

Promoting H2O2 production via 2-electron oxygen reduction by coordinating partially oxidized Pd with defect carbon.

Electrochemical synthesis of H2O2 through a selective two-electron (2e-) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an attractive alternative to the industrial anthraquinone oxidation method, as it allows decentralized H2O2 production. Herein, we report that the synergistic interaction between partially oxidized palladium (Pdδ+) and oxygen-functionalized carbon can promote 2e- ORR in acidic electrolytes. An electrocatalyst synthesized by solution deposition of amorphous Pdδ+ clusters (Pd3δ+ and Pd4δ+) onto mildly oxidized carbon nanotubes (Pdδ+-OCNT) shows nearly 100% selectivity toward H2O2 and a positive shift of ORR onset potential by ~320 mV compared with the OCNT substrate. A high mass activity (1.946 A mg-1 at 0.45 V) of Pdδ+-OCNT is achieved. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure characterization and density functional theory calculations suggest that the interaction between Pd clusters and the nearby oxygen-containing functional groups is key for the high selectivity and activity for 2e- ORR