Measurement of contact angle between stainless steel surface and carbon dioxide by pendant drop method

To measure contact angle between CO2 and solid surface, in this study a visual high-pressure vessel has been developed, with a corresponding well-controlled constant temperature system. Pendant drop method is applied to the investigation of the contact angles of CO2 on a stainless steel surface in its own vapor. The image of the pendant drop is recorded by a camera, and a B-Snake method is used to analyze the contour and the contact angle of the droplet. The experimental results have provided a set of well tested data, which show that C02 has good infiltration into stainless steel surface and the developed method can be used as a standard testing one for measuring the contact angle between high-pressure liquid and solid surface.     

Ultrafast isomerization dynamics of retinal in bacteriorhodopsin as revealed by femtosecond absorption spectroscopy

A femtosecond （fs） broad-band absorption apparatus was used to measure the early photoisomerlzation process of bacteriorhodopain＇s （BR） photocycle to reveal the character of the important Intermediate of J625 and to obtain a deeper understanding of the role of photoisomerizaUon in BR photocycle. Two time constants of 0.5 pa （95%） and 2.0 pa （5%） were brought out by global fitting on thirty curves In the nser-lnfrared reglon. We suggest that the first time constant results from the decay of I480 intermediate, and the longer component might be associated with BR isomer. The global analysis over 450, 540, 630, 710 and 870 nm traces identified two time constants, -0.5 and -3 pa. The slower component can be extracted from the processes of both J625→BR568 （540 nm） and J625→K590 （630 nm）, suggesting J-intermediate takes a partial cis configuration. The obvious negative feature in early delay time of 700- 760 nm reglona was attributed to the radiative transition （stimulated emission） from the Franck-Condon actlve conflguratlon along the isomerization potential surface of all-trans-retinal.     

Shape demagnetization effect on layered magnetoelectric composites

Magnetoelectric （ME） voltage coefficient of plate layered magnetostricUve-piezoelectric composites was always considered independent of the in-plane size due to the oversimplification in ME theoretical models. Here we report that the ME voltage coefficient depends on the in-plane size owing to shape demagnetization effect on magnetostriction. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results indicate that ME voltage coefficient of layered ME composites changes with the variation in in-plane sizes （length and width）. ME coefficient increases with a rise in in-plane sizes, and different aspect ratio also results in different ME coefficients. Proper design of in-plane shape will greatly promote the development of ME devices.     

Phase transition in the subducted oceanic lithosphere and generation of the subduction zone magma

Two metamorphic processes, i.e. subsolidus dehydration and partial melting occurring in MORB, metasediments and peridotite of subducted oceanic lithosphere are discussed on the basis of available experimental work and phase equilibrium modeling. Phase diagrams of hydrous MORB show that in most cold subduction P-T （pressure-temperature） regimes a large portion of water in the basic layer has released below the onset of blueschist facies （〈 20 km）, and at a depth （60--70 km） of transition from lawsonite blueschist to lawsonite eclogite facies through glaucophane dehydration; only a smaller portion of water will escape from the slab through dehydration of lawsonite and chloritoid in the depth range suitable for arc magma formation; and a very small portion of water stored in lawsonite and phengite will fade into the deeper mantle. The role of amphibole for arc magma formation is still arguable. In cold subduction P-Tregimes, the dehydration of chlorite and talc in AI-poor metasediments, and chloritoid and carpholite in AI-rich metapelites at a depth around 80--100 km will make some con- tributions to the formation of arc magma. Comparatively, dehydration of serpentine in hydrated peri- dotite occurs at depths of 120--180 km, playing an important role in the arc magmatism. Subduction of oceanic crust along warm P-T regimes will cross the solidi at a depth over 80 km, resulting in partial melting under fluid-saturated and fluid-absent conditions in the metasediments involving biotite and phengite, and in the basic rocks involving epidote and amphibole. The melt compositions of the basic crust are adakitic at pressures 〈 3.0 GPa, but become peraluminous granitic at higher pressures.     

Solvent effects on photophysical properties of copper and zinc porphyrins

The photophysics of Zn（tetraphenylporphyrin,TPP）, Zn（tetra-2,4,6-trimethylphenyl porphyrin, TMP）, Zn （tetra-（o-dichlorophenyl） porphyrin, TPPCI8）, Cu（tetraphenylporphyrin,TPP）, Cu（tetra-2,4,6-trimethyl- phenyl porphyrin,TMP）, and Cu（tetra-（o-dichlorophenyl） porphyrin, TPPCIE, TPPCI8） in several solvents have been investigated on steady state and time-resolved spectroscopy. The Cu（TPPCI8 ） is normal and shows no evidence of CT transition in the visible or near UV regions in nonpolar solvent. However, Cu（TPPCI8）shows a blue shift in the absorption spectrum and intramolecular CT bands at absorption spectra in polar solvent, which shows a fluorescence maximum emission at 650 nm and 8.4 ns lifetime. The reason can be attributed to two points. Firstly, the increase of solvent polarity can enlarge outer reorganisational energy, which is favorable to reduce the activation free energy of charger-transfer transition based on Marcus theory of electron transfer. Moreover, the internal heavy-atom effect on Cu（TPPCIE） is encouraging to stabilize the 2T1 state also, which increases the possibility of population to CT band from 2T1 state. This result is in accord with an earlier estimate of a 10 ns lifetime and CT absorption at 640 nm bands for the CT state of Cu （11） octethylporphyrins. Other possible reasons arousing unusual fluorescence like H-bonding, axial ligands, molecular aggregation are excluded.     

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age of tuff at the bottom of the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation,Zunyi, South China

A SHRIMP U-Pb zircon geochronology study of the tuff at the bottom of the Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation at Songlin, Zunyi, South China yielded a mean ^206Pb/^238U age of 518±5 Ma. It is significantly younger than the Re-Os ages of 537--542 Ma for the overlying polymetallic Ni-Mo-PGE-rich layer in the basal Niutitang Formation at Songlin, suggesting that the Re-Os ages might represent that of the original magma chamber for the Ni-Mo-PGE-rich layer rather than the formation age of the strata. The intra-basinal stratigraphic correlation also implies that the absolute age of the Chengjiang biota should be younger than 518±5 Ma. Our new result, together with the SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age for the K-bentonite in the Zhongyicun member of the Zhujiaqing Formation at the Meishucun section, Yunnan Province, provides a temporal constraint for the Lower Cambrian of the Yangtze Platform in South China.     

Analysis of the carbon source for diamond crystal growth

The lattice constants of diamond and graphite at high pressure and high temperature （HPHT） were calculated on the basis of linear expansion coefficient and elastic constant. According to the empirical electron theory of solids and molecules （EET）, the valence electron structures （VESs） of diamond, graphite crystal and their common planes were calculated. The relationship between diamond and graphite structure was analyzed based on the boundary condition of the improved Thomas-Fermi-Dirac theory by Cheng （TFDC）. It was found that the electron densities of common planes in graphite were not continuous with those of planes in diamond at the first order of approximation. The results show that during the course of diamond single crystal growth at HPHT with metal catalyst, the carbon sources forming diamond structure do not come from the graphite structure directly. The diamond growth mechanism was discussed from the viewpoint of valence electron structure.     

Three-dimensional fluorescence spectral characteristics of dissolved organic carbon in cave drip waters and their responses to environment changes: Four cave systems as an example in Guizhou Province,China

Understanding the responses of fluorescence spectral characteristics of cave drip waters to modern environment and climate changes is key to the reconstructions of environmental and climatic changes using fluorescence spectral characteristics of speleothems. The fluorescence spectral characteristics of dissolved organic carbon （DOC） in four active cave systems were analyzed with a three-dimensional （3D） fluorescence spectral analysis method. We found that the fluorescence types of DOC were mainly of fulvic-like and protein-like fluorescences, both in soil waters and cave drip waters. The intensity of fulvic-like fluorescence was positively correlated with the concentrations of DOC, suggesting that the DOC of cave drip waters was derived from the overlying soil layer of a cave system. Compared with the other cave systems, the variation range of the excitation and emission wavelengths for fulvic-like fluorescence of cave drip waters in Liangfeng cave system that had forest vegetation was smaller and the excitation wavelength was longer, while its fluorescence intensity varied significantly. By contrast, the excitation and emission wavelengths and fluorescence intensity for that in Jiangjun cave system that had a scrub and tussock vegetation showed the most significant variation, while its excitation wavelength was shorter. This implies that the variation of vegetation overlying a cave appears to be a factor affecting the fluorescence spectral characteristics of cave drip waters.     

Effects of water mist addition on kerosene pool fire

The use of water mist to extinguish fire is a problem of particular interest since the banning of halogen-based agents for environmental reasons. This interest is reflected in the large number of researches performed on the main fire-extinguishing mechanisms of water mist： heat extraction, oxygen displacement and attenuation of heat fluxes. In contrast, there are still little known about the chemical and some other aspects of water mist addition on the pool fire. In this paper, a phenomenological study was conducted of the effect of water mist addition on the kerosene pool fire through the measurement of the heat release rate, CO, CO2 and O2 species concentration in combustion. The experimental results show that there is a significant enhancement effect at the beginning stage of water mist addition. Then, the flame size was decreased abruptly. By physical suppression effect combined with chemical effect, the experiments＇ results are explained especially. The study of effects of water mist on pool fire will be useful for optimizing designation of water mist fire-suppression system, improving the fire suppression efficiency and extending their application field.     

Study on the electronic structure of nickel hydroxide by quantum chemical DV-Xα calculation

The electronic structures of atom clusters NiTO12H12^2＋ and NiTO12H9^- of β-Ni（OH）2 were calculated by quantum chemical DV-Xα method. By analyzing the state densities, orbital populations, net charges and electric charge density differences of the selected clusters, it was indicated that β-Ni（OH）2was not typical ionic crystal, and the bonds between Ni and O atoms had obvious covalent characteristics. The bonds between H atom and other atoms in the crystal structure were weaker, which ensured that H atoms can easily deintercalate and intercalate into β-Ni（OH）2. The structure of β-Ni（OH）2 was not changed by moderate de-intercalation of H atoms. However, with the excessive de-intercalation of H atoms, the structure of β-Ni（OH）2 changed and the electrochemical active properties were reduced.