{"title":"Cover Feature: Deciphering Mg-Surface Interactions with Unsaturated Hydrocarbons: An Integrated Experimental-Theoretical Study (ChemPhysChem 7/2025)","authors":"Sourav Ghoshal, Nathaniel Carnegie, Chidozie Ezeakunne, Beni B. Dangi, Shyam Kattel","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202580702","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.202580702","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>The Cover Feature</b> shows polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are essential constituents for forming carbonaceous species in the interstellar medium and on exoplanets. However, the mechanism of the formation of carbonaceous species is not fully understood. In their Research Article (DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202401061), B. B. Dangi, S. Kattel and co-workers provide new insights into the mechanisms of carbonaceous species deposition on magnesium surfaces relevant to exoplanets.\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure>\u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cphc.202580702","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143761874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-03-28DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202500025
Mohamed Agouri, Ayoub Benaddi, Nabil Khossossi, Said El Filali, Abderrahman Abbassi, Abdellatif Hasnaoui, Souad Taj, Bouzid Manaut
{"title":"First-Principles Investigation of 2D o-Al2C2 Monolayer: A High-Performance Anode for Li/Na–Ion Batteries","authors":"Mohamed Agouri, Ayoub Benaddi, Nabil Khossossi, Said El Filali, Abderrahman Abbassi, Abdellatif Hasnaoui, Souad Taj, Bouzid Manaut","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500025","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202500025","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The development of novel anode materials with superior electrochemical performance is imperative for advancing next-generation high-performance rechargeable batteries beyond current limitations. In this study, it presents a 2D o-Al<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub> monolayer as a promising lightweight candidate for lithium and sodium–ion battery systems, based on the density functional theory investigations and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. Our comprehensive investigation demonstrates that the o-Al<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub> monolayer exhibits remarkable stability with a cohesive energy of −5.30 eV atom<sup>−1</sup> and maintains its structural integrity at room temperature during extended AIMD simulations. The o-Al<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub> monolayer demonstrates exceptional electrochemical characteristics for Li and Na storage: theoretical specific capacities of 3780.42 and 3436.75 mA h g<sup>−1</sup>, optimal average open circuit voltages of 0.81 and 0.67 V, and favorable diffusion barriers of 0.62 eV and 0.31 eV, respectively. These performance metrics significantly surpass those of conventional graphite (372 mA h g<sup>−1</sup>) and other recently reported 2D anode materials, establishing o-Al<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub> as an exceptionally promising candidate for next-generation energy storage applications. Hence, this current theoretical investigation suggests that the o-Al<sub>2</sub>C<sub>2</sub> monolayer holds significant potential for future experimental studies in lithium and sodium storage applications for LIB and NIB systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143729067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-03-27DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202500022
Georgios Loukeris, Clemens Baretzky, Dmitry Bogachuk, Audrey Elizabeth Gillen, Bowen Yang, Jiajia Suo, Waldemar Kaiser, Edoardo Mosconi, Filippo De Angelis, Gerrit Boschloo, Andreas Walter Bett, Uli Würfel, Markus Kohlstädt
{"title":"Suppressing Halide Segregation in Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Absorbers by Transamination of Formamidinium.","authors":"Georgios Loukeris, Clemens Baretzky, Dmitry Bogachuk, Audrey Elizabeth Gillen, Bowen Yang, Jiajia Suo, Waldemar Kaiser, Edoardo Mosconi, Filippo De Angelis, Gerrit Boschloo, Andreas Walter Bett, Uli Würfel, Markus Kohlstädt","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500022","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202500022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>All-perovskite tandem solar cells are emerging at a fast rate because of their potential to exceed efficiencies of Si-perovskite tandems, in combination with faster manufacturing, lower cost, and the ability to be processed on flexible substrates. Mixing halides is a key to achieve wide-bandgap absorbers, which however suffer from halide segregation under illumination, resulting in lowering of the bandgap. To tackle this problem, butylamine (BA) has been added to the perovskite precursor solution and is found to react with the formamidinium (FA) cation, producing N-butylformamidinium (BuFA<sup>+</sup>), which accumulates at the perovskite surface and grain boundaries. The creation of the BuFA cation results in suppressed halide segregation and improved crystallization. Density functional theory calculations propose the reduction of halide defect formation upon the addition of BA, being a key to stabilize mixed-halide perovskites. Lastly, we observe a more stable performance of single junction p-i-n perovskite solar cells with the addition of BA under constant illumination at 65 °C.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":" ","pages":"e2500022"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143718111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-03-27DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202500012
Konstantinos P. Zois, Andreas A. Danopoulos, Demeter Tzeli
{"title":"N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: A Benchmark Study on their Singlet–Triplet Energy Gap as a Critical Molecular Descriptor","authors":"Konstantinos P. Zois, Andreas A. Danopoulos, Demeter Tzeli","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500012","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202500012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>N</i>-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are used extensively in modern chemistry and materials science. The in-depth understanding of their electronic structure and their metal complexes remains an important topic of research and of experimental and theoretical interest. Herein, the adiabatic singlet–triplet gap as a superior, quantifiable critical descriptor, sensitive to the nature and the structural diversity of the NHCs, for a successful rationalization of experimental observations and computationally extracted trends is established. The choice is supported by a benchmark study on the electronic structures of NHCs, using high-level <i>ab initio</i> methods, that is, complete active space self-consistent field, <i>n</i>-electron valence second-order perturbation theory, multireference configuration interaction + singles + doubles, and domain-based local pair natural orbital-coupled cluster method with single-, double-, and perturbative triple excitations along with density functional theory methods such as BP86, M06, and M06-L, B3LYP, PBE0, TPSSh, CAM-B3LYP, and B2PLYP. In contrast to the adiabatic singlet–triplet (S–T) gap preferred as descriptor, the highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap or the S–T vertical gap that has been used in the past occasionally leads to controversial results; some of these are critically discussed below. Extrapolation of these ideas to a group of copper–NHC complexes is also described.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cphc.202500012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143718109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202401123
Florian Göltl
{"title":"Exploring Quality Criteria for the Computational Modeling of Heterogeneous Catalysts","authors":"Florian Göltl","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202401123","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202401123","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In this millennium, computational modeling has become an essential tool to understand the performance of heterogeneous catalysts. In this concept study, it focuses on three different areas, namely theoretical methodology, model complexity, and comparison to experiment and highlight specific approaches and develop a hierarchy of simulation models. In general, higher quality approaches coincide with a significant increase in computational cost. Therefore, this focuses on one specific example, namely the conversion of methane to methanol over Cu-exchanged zeolites, and illustrates how a cost–benefit analysis can lead to a high-quality, cost-efficient model. This study believes that this work can serve as a guideline for students starting to work in electronic structure calculations, will help researchers to more carefully choose their modeling methodology, and might help experimental researchers to better judge computational work presented to them.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143729066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202500046
Aliyeh Mehranfar, Jenna Hannonen, Ali Tuna, Maryam Jafarishiadeh, Anniina Kiesilä, Petri Pihko, Pekka Peljo, Kari Laasonen
{"title":"Computational Evaluation of Redox Potentials of Metal Complexes for Aqueous Flow Batteries","authors":"Aliyeh Mehranfar, Jenna Hannonen, Ali Tuna, Maryam Jafarishiadeh, Anniina Kiesilä, Petri Pihko, Pekka Peljo, Kari Laasonen","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500046","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202500046","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Flow batteries are a promising option for large-scale stationary energy storage, but better redox active materials are required. Computational density functional theory (DFT) approach to materials screening can identify the most promising avenues and accelerate the development of the technology. In this work, metal complexes with functionalized organic ligands are focused on. The right redox potential, good chemical stability, and high solubility are the main characters in designing a high-performance aqueous electrolyte. Here, Fe, Ti, Mn, and Ni are studied as central metals of the complexes with two ligand classes containing N- and O- groups. The accuracy of the DFT redox potentials is compared to experiments whenever available. In addition, some cyclic voltammetry measurements are performed for Fe-bipyridine, phenanthroline, and terpyridine complexes. The computational redox potentials for ≈180 different metal–ligand combinations are evaluated. Overall, this work presents a new insight into the design of new electrolytes for aqueous flow batteries.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cphc.202500046","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143708867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202500080
Brandon C. Stevenson, Shannon A. Raab, David E. Clemmer, Peter B. Armentrout
{"title":"A Direct Measurement of the Absolute Energies of Protonated Gly-Pro-Gly-Gly Conformations Using Ion Mobility Spectrometry and Guided Ion Beam Tandem Mass Spectrometry","authors":"Brandon C. Stevenson, Shannon A. Raab, David E. Clemmer, Peter B. Armentrout","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202500080","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202500080","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Threshold collision-induced dissociation of conformations selected by ion mobility spectrometry is described as a method to determine their absolute relative energies. Here, the method is demonstrated with the <i>cis</i> and <i>trans</i> conformers of the protonated tetrapeptide, Gly-Pro-Gly-Gly, which differ in the orientation of the peptide bond at the proline residue. The <i>trans</i> conformation was found to be more stable than the <i>cis</i> conformation by 4.5 ± 2.5 kJ mol<sup>−1</sup> at 0 K. Heating the molecule anneals it to the <i>cis</i> conformer, indicating it has a lower Gibbs energy at higher temperatures. These results are compared to theoretical values calculated here and from the literature. This experimental analysis is the first quantitative measurement of the relative stability of the conformers of a protonated peptide in the gas phase, which has far-reaching impacts on the selection of theoretical methods to describe the energetics of these systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cphc.202500080","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143729061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Interaction of Ether-Based Functionalized Ionic Liquids in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries: A First-Principles Study","authors":"Chengren Li, Nan Zhou, Jiaxin Tang, Chen Wang, Rongde Sun, Baifeng Yang, Zhigao Chen, Xiaohan Lu, Zhen Chang, Shaoze Zhang, Changjun Peng, Honglai Liu","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202400848","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202400848","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ionic liquids (ILs) as electrolytes in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries effectively mitigate the shuttle effect. Solvated cationic ether-based ILs, comprising [Li(G1)<sub>2</sub>]<sup>+</sup>, [Li(G2)<sub>2</sub>]<sup>+</sup>, [LiG3]<sup>+</sup>, [LiG4]<sup>+</sup>, or [LiG6]<sup>+</sup> paired with bis(trifluoromethyllsulfonyl)imide ([TFSA]<sup>–</sup>) anions, are evaluated for their ability to suppress short-chain lithium polysulfide (LiPS: Li<sub>2</sub>S<sub>1</sub>, Li<sub>2</sub>S<sub>2</sub>, Li<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub>) adsorption on lithium metal. The chelating capacity of solvated cations governs interactions with LiPSs and anions. Solvation via Li<sup>+</sup> chelation prevents free Li<sup>+</sup> fusion with LiPSs, reducing shuttle effects. Remarkably, the cyclic [LiG6]<sup>+</sup> cation exhibits superior Li<sup>+</sup> chelation, stability, and minimized LiPS adsorption compared to linear cations. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations confirm ether-based ILs stabilize anions and lower LiPS-lithium surface reactivity. These findings highlight solvated cation ILs as tailored electrolytes to control interfacial LiPS behavior, advancing high-performance Li<span></span>S battery design.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143708871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-03-25DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202400910
Yu-Xuan Lai, Ri-Yu Li, Christine Young
{"title":"High-Performance Mo-CoS2 Nanoplates Derived from Metal-Organic Frameworks for Asymmetric Supercapacitor Applications","authors":"Yu-Xuan Lai, Ri-Yu Li, Christine Young","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202400910","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202400910","url":null,"abstract":"<p>As global energy and environmental challenges intensify, advancing renewable energy storage technologies is critical. Supercapacitors, known for their rapid charge-discharge rates and exceptional cycling stability, are a promising solution; however, they are constrained by their comparatively low energy density. This study addresses this limitation by developing high-performance Mo-CoS<sub>2</sub> nanoplates derived from metal-organic frameworks for asymmetric supercapacitor applications. Using ZIF-67 nanoplates as precursors, Mo-CoS<sub>2</sub> hybrids were synthesized through a two-step process that included carbonization followed by sulfurization. The Mo-CoS<sub>2</sub> hybrids maintained its plate-like morphology with plentiful active sites, which are crucial for superior electrochemical performance. The Mo-CoS<sub>2</sub> electrode delivers a specific capacitance of 1382.6 F g<sup>−1</sup> at 0.5 A g<sup>−1</sup>, significantly surpassing that of CoS<sub>2</sub> and MoS<sub>2</sub> alone. An asymmetric supercapacitor incorporating Mo-CoS<sub>2</sub> and ZIF-67-derived carbon electrodes demonstrate a remarkable energy density of 49.4 Wh kg<sup>−1</sup> at a power density of 703 W kg<sup>−1</sup>, while retaining 72.09% of their initial performance after 10 000 cycles. The findings underscore the potential of materials derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in enhancing supercapacitor technology, as they offer a combination of high capacitance and long-term stability.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143708869","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemphyschemPub Date : 2025-03-24DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202400987
Shephrah Olubusola Ogungbesan, Chao Zhou, Mulenga Kalulu, Oluwaseun Hannah Anselm, Adeyemi Lawrence Ogunneye, Rosemary Anwuli Adedokun, David Díaz Díaz, Guodong Fu
{"title":"Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytotoxicity of Photochromic Molybdenum Oxide-Doped Tungsten Oxide Polymeric Nanohybrid Films for Biomedical Applications","authors":"Shephrah Olubusola Ogungbesan, Chao Zhou, Mulenga Kalulu, Oluwaseun Hannah Anselm, Adeyemi Lawrence Ogunneye, Rosemary Anwuli Adedokun, David Díaz Díaz, Guodong Fu","doi":"10.1002/cphc.202400987","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.202400987","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite the known nontoxicity, stability, and efficiency of WO<sub>3</sub> and MoO<sub>3</sub> against microbes as a result of their catalytic activities, these oxides are not effective photocatalysts because the O<sub>2</sub> absorbed cannot be reduced by the photogenerated electrons in their conduction band, which leads to the rebinding of electrons and holes on the surface. The doping of these two n-type semiconductor metal oxides and incorporation of a biocompatible, biodegradable, and bioavailable polymer (such as chitosan) to form a film, to a large extent, affects the surface area interaction and multipurpose applicability of the film as a therapeutic, controlled delivery, and dual sensitive material. The WO<sub>3</sub>-NP and WO<sub>3</sub>MoO<sub>3</sub> nanocomposites are synthesized via a deep eutectic solvent-assisted hydrothermal-based method, which afford fine-sized nanoparticles and nanocomposites, which are further incorporated into a chitosan matrix to form nanohybrid films via the solvent casting method. The structural, optical, and morphological characterization of the materials is carried out via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), UV, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering. XRD and FT-IR analyses reveal that WO<sub>3</sub>MoO<sub>3</sub> nanocomposites are successfully formed and incorporated into the chitosan matrix. The nanohybrid film shows antimicrobial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 100 μg mL<sup>−1</sup>. Furthermore, the nanohybrid film shows no significant toxicity.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"26 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cphc.202400987","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143691008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}