Promotion of oxygen reduction by a bio-inspired tethered iron phthalocyanine carbon nanotube-based catalyst

Electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction are a critical component that may dramatically enhance the performance of fuel cells and metal-air batteries, which may provide the power for future electric vehicles. Here we report a novel bio-inspired composite electrocatalyst, iron phthalocyanine with an axial ligand anchored on single-walled carbon nanotubes, demonstrating higher electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction than the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst as well as exceptional durability during cycling in alkaline media. Theoretical calculations suggest that the rehybridization of Fe 3d orbitals with the ligand orbitals coordinated from the axial direction results in a significant change in electronic and geometric structure, which greatly increases the rate of oxygen reduction reaction. Our results demonstrate a new strategy to rationally design inexpensive and durable electrochemical oxygen reduction catalysts for metal-air batteries and fuel cells.close34

Language of Lullabies: The Russification and De-Russification of the Baltic States

This article argues that the laws for promotion of the national languages are a legitimate means for the Baltic states to establish their cultural independence from Russia and the former Soviet Union

Light-based technologies for management of COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

The global dissemination of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has accelerated the need for the implementation of effective antimicrobial strategies to target the causative agent SARS-CoV-2. Light-based technologies have a demonstrable broad range of activity over standard chemotherapeutic antimicrobials and conventional disinfectants, negligible emergence of resistance, and the capability to modulate the host immune response. This perspective article identifies the benefits, challenges, and pitfalls of repurposing light-based strategies to combat the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic

Oxygen-Promoted Chemical Vapor Deposition of Graphene on Copper: A Combined Modeling and Experimental Study

Mass production of large, high-quality single-crystalline graphene is dependent on a complex coupling of factors including substrate material, temperature, pressure, gas flow, and the concentration of carbon and hydrogen species. Recent studies have shown that the oxidation of the substrate surface such as Cu before the introduction of the C precursor, methane, results in a significant increase in the growth rate of graphene while the number of nuclei on the surface of the Cu substrate decreases. We report on a phase-field model, where we include the effects of oxygen on the number of nuclei, the energetics at the growth front, and the graphene island morphology on Cu. Our calculations reproduce the experimental observations, thus validating the proposed model. Finally, and more importantly, we present growth rate from our model as a function of O concentration and precursor flux to guide the efficient growth of large single-crystal graphene of high qualit