ChemphyschemPub Date : 2026-09-24DOI: 10.1002/cphc.70573
Demiao Ma, Xin Lei, Jianglu Yuan, Klavs Hansen, Zhixun Luo
{"title":"The Reactivity of Haloalkanes on Superatomic Niobium Clusters: Demethylation versus Dehydrogenation","authors":"Demiao Ma, Xin Lei, Jianglu Yuan, Klavs Hansen, Zhixun Luo","doi":"10.1002/cphc.70573","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.70573","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The catalytic cleavage of C−H and C−X (X = Cl, Br, I) bonds in alkanes and their halides over transition metals has drawn considerable attention due to the broad applicability in synthesizing commodity and fine chemicals. However, the dynamic reaction mechanisms of halomethanes on nanometals are still not fully understood. In this study, we report a comprehensive study into the gas-phase reactivity of niobium clusters Nb<i><sub>n</sub></i><sup>−</sup> (<i>n</i> = 5–50) with haloalkanes CH<sub>3</sub>X (X = Cl, Br, I). These anionic clusters react vigorously with haloalkanes via an efficient demethylation pathway, yielding predominantly niobium-halide products Nb<sub><i>n</i></sub>X<sub><i>m</i></sub><sup>−</sup>, and the reactions of CH<sub>3</sub>I allow for both demethylation and dehydrogenation. Thermodynamic and kinetic analyses elucidate the reaction mechanisms and clarify how halogen substituents influence cluster-mediated reactivity. This work provides a solid foundation for the rational design of niobium-based catalysts constructed from superatom frameworks.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"27 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036306","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 : 2026-09-24DOI: 10.1002/cphc.70568
Bin Huo, Ning-Zheng Li, Zi-Yu Li, Qing-Yu Liu, Sheng-Gui He
{"title":"Photoelectron Imaging Spectroscopy of Ta4On− (n = 0–9) Clusters","authors":"Bin Huo, Ning-Zheng Li, Zi-Yu Li, Qing-Yu Liu, Sheng-Gui He","doi":"10.1002/cphc.70568","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.70568","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The structural and electronic properties of oxygen-deficient Ta<sub>4</sub>O<sub><i>n</i></sub><sup>−</sup> (<i>n</i> = 0–9) clusters were investigated using cryogenic photoelectron imaging spectroscopy in combination with density functional theory calculations. The electron affinities of neutral Ta<sub>4</sub>O<sub><i>n</i></sub> (<i>n</i> = 0–4) are measured to be 1.107 ± 0.005, 1.340 ± 0.005, 1.302 ± 0.005, 1.485 ± 0.005 and 1.419 ± 0.005 eV, respectively. The symmetric Ta–Ta stretching frequencies are measured as 169 cm<sup>−1</sup> for Ta<sub>4</sub>O<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup> and 145 cm<sup>−1</sup> for Ta<sub>4</sub>O<sub>4</sub><sup>−</sup>, while an asymmetric Ta–Ta stretching at 129 cm<sup>−1</sup> was identified for Ta<sub>4</sub>O<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>. Structural analysis reveals oxygen atoms preferentially occupy bridging sites on the tetrahedral Ta<sub>4</sub> framework core, with terminal coordination becoming favorable only at relatively high oxygen content. A pronounced odd–even alternation in the adiabatic detachment energies was observed for <i>n</i> = 1–4. Orbital delocalization index analysis reveals that this oscillation originates from variations in the localization of the highest occupied molecular orbital, leading to stronger electron binding in odd-<i>n</i> clusters. Benchmarking against high-quality spectroscopic data shows that the BP86 functional yields a robust description of the electronic structure of these clusters, whereas commonly employed hybrid functionals show significant deviations.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"27 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149036277","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 : 2026-09-23DOI: 10.1002/cphc.70557
Andrew R. C. Grigg, James M. Byrne, Ruben Kretzschmar
{"title":"Collection and Analysis of High Temperature-Resolution 57Fe Mössbauer Spectroscopy for Detailed Iron Mineral Characterisation","authors":"Andrew R. C. Grigg, James M. Byrne, Ruben Kretzschmar","doi":"10.1002/cphc.70557","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.70557","url":null,"abstract":"<p><sup>57</sup>Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy is a powerful technique for determining the oxidation state and magnetic properties of Fe-bearing materials. Since magnetic properties are temperature dependent, Mössbauer spectra are often collected at multiple temperatures, especially around characteristic transition points such as the magnetic blocking temperature. Mössbauer data acquisition times are slow, sometimes taking >24 h to achieve high signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), which limits the number of spectra that can be collected. Here we propose an alternative approach, measuring profiles with high temperature resolution (e.g. 1 K temperature steps) but lower SNR. Using ferrihydrite with varying crystallinity as examples, we revealed mineralogical properties with increased detail even without large increases in the total acquisition time. The temperature dependence of the hyperfine parameters was clearly revealed in qualitative analysis, while simultaneous quantitative analysis of the spectra in both the temperature and energy domains revealed details about the distribution of particle crystallinity in pure ferrihydrite and mixed-phase samples. This approach will improve the measurement of temperature-dependent mineral properties, enabling analysis of blocking temperature distributions, improving the interpolation of hyperfine parameters in temperature profiles and aiding the discrimination of overlapping spectra in mixed-phase samples.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"27 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cphc.70557","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149030058","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 : 2026-09-23DOI: 10.1002/cphc.70578
Nadezhda A. Andreeva, Vitaly V. Chaban
{"title":"Structure, Dynamics, Interaction Energies, and Liquid/Vapor Equilibria in Dialkylcarbonates","authors":"Nadezhda A. Andreeva, Vitaly V. Chaban","doi":"10.1002/cphc.70578","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.70578","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We discuss a systematic investigation into the liquid/vapor equilibria and interfacial properties of a homologous series of dialkyl carbonates (DACs), specifically dimethyl carbonate (D1C), diethyl carbonate (D2C), dipropyl carbonate (D3C), and dibutyl carbonate (D4C), using classical molecular dynamics simulations (CMDs). Simulations were performed over a temperature range of 350–450 K to elucidate the impact of alkyl chain length on the thermodynamic, liquid/vapor, and transport properties. Our results demonstrate that saturated vapor pressures decrease uniformly with increasing alkyl chain length, ranging from 6.0 bar for D1C to 0.56 bar for D4C at 450 K. Smooth adjustment of DAC volatility is useful to offer the most suitable solvent and conditions. Specific liquid densities decreased with both increasing temperature and chain length, with D1C exhibiting the highest thermal expansivity, 2.2 × 10<sup>−3</sup> 1/K. Translational dynamics reveal a strong temperature dependence and a systematic decrease in molecular mobility as the chain length grows. Electrostatic interactions dominate the structural and dynamical properties of DACs, thanks to large partial charges on the headgroup. The rendered results are of fundamental importance to understand DACs at elevated temperatures.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"27 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149030118","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 : 2026-09-23DOI: 10.1002/cphc.70575
Andrei V. Bandura, Robert A. Evarestov, Alexei Kuzmin, Sergey I. Lukyanov, Anton V. Domnin, Oleg S. Butorlin
{"title":"A Comparative Study of Multiwalled WS2 Nanotubes Using Universal Machine Learning Interatomic Potentials and an Atomistic Force Field","authors":"Andrei V. Bandura, Robert A. Evarestov, Alexei Kuzmin, Sergey I. Lukyanov, Anton V. Domnin, Oleg S. Butorlin","doi":"10.1002/cphc.70575","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.70575","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study explores the properties of multiwalled WS<sub>2</sub> nanotubes using the CHGNet universal machine-learning interatomic potential (uMLIP) and the atomistic force field previously developed by our team. For the first time, both the original (“vanilla”) and fine-tuned uMLIPs were benchmarked against quantum chemical calculations and atomistic force field models for single-walled and multiwalled nanotubes. The comparison reveals excellent agreement in structural features between the approaches, although the CHGNet uMLIP tends to underestimate interlayer interaction contributions, affecting certain energy-related parameters. However, uMLIPs are a significantly less labor-intensive alternative to traditional force field engineering. With further refinement, they could be used to study multiwalled nanotubes.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"27 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149030086","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 : 2026-09-21DOI: 10.1002/cphc.70569
Nuria Aguilar, Sara Rozas, Pedro A. Marcos, Alfredo Bol, Santiago Aparicio
{"title":"Hydrophobic Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents for Sustainable CO2 Capture: Molecular Insights From Multiscale Modeling","authors":"Nuria Aguilar, Sara Rozas, Pedro A. Marcos, Alfredo Bol, Santiago Aparicio","doi":"10.1002/cphc.70569","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.70569","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This research delves into the physicochemical properties and CO<sub>2</sub> capture ability of a hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvent (HNADES) consisting of piperitone (PIP) and linoleic acid in a 1:1 molar ratio. Through a multiscale computational approach involving COSMO-RS calculations, quantum chemistry methods, and molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that the considered system, via the development of strong hydrogen bonding interactions, both homo- and hetero-associations, and in parallel with nonpolar domains through van der Waals interactions, creates a suitable situation for CO<sub>2</sub> capture. The nonpolar domains provide space available for accommodating CO<sub>2</sub> molecules without interfering with the fluid's hydrogen bonding Gnetwork. Molecular dynamics simulations show that CO<sub>2</sub> molecules are adsorbed following a two-step mechanism: first, adsorption at the gas–liquid interface, and second, subsequent migration into the bulk liquid. Upon exposure to a simulated flue gas, the HNADES is significantly selective toward CO<sub>2</sub>, which permeates the fluid, with N<sub>2</sub> and O<sub>2</sub> molecules remaining predominantly, in the gas phase. The desorption of the adsorbed CO<sub>2</sub> is possible after a heating process, thus enabling sorption–desorption cycles for practical use. This sorbent has advantages of being eco-friendly, having zero vapor pressure, and low water solubility, which makes it an optimal candidate for being involved in sustainable carbon capture technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"27 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13593400/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149015804","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 : 2026-09-20DOI: 10.1002/cphc.70563
Atmadeep Bhattacharya, Kari Laasonen, Ossi Kaario, Alexander A. Konnov
{"title":"The Importance of Thermodynamic Data for Pyrrole Pyrolysis and Combustion Chemistry","authors":"Atmadeep Bhattacharya, Kari Laasonen, Ossi Kaario, Alexander A. Konnov","doi":"10.1002/cphc.70563","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.70563","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In this work, the CCSD(T)/Extrapolate(3/4,def2)//PBE0/def2-QZVP levels of theory were utilized in ORCA 6.1.1 to derive enthalpy and entropy of formation at 298.15 K for 32 species that include both radicals and stable molecules relevant to the pyrolysis and combustion of pyrrole. The comparison revealed major discrepancies in thermochemical data of species like allyloxy cyanide, <i>cis</i>-formimidoyl, cyanomethylidyne, cyano-propen-2yl radical, cyano-propen-4yl radical, carbonyl cyanide, and propionitrile primary radical. The effects of the thermochemical data computed in this work on the performance of Pelucchi et al. (Energy & Fuels, 2021) and Konnov et al. (Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2024) mechanisms were assessed. It was found that the updated thermochemical data improved the mole fraction predictions of certain species (e.g., hydrogen cyanide and acetylene) during the pyrolysis of pyrrole. However, an opposite trend of predictive performance deterioration was observed for species like acetonitrile during both pyrolysis and combustion (<span></span><math></math> = 0.5, 1, and 2) of pyrrole. In some cases, one model’s performance improved, whereas the other’s deteriorated. Therefore, this study reveals the significance of simultaneously improving the accuracy of both thermodynamic and reaction parameters of future pyrrole combustion chemistry models.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"27 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13590417/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149012142","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":"Probing Salt-Induced Changes in the Self-Assembly Behavior of Gemini Surfactants Using Scattering and Spectroscopic Techniques","authors":"Mayursing Girase, Zeya Arshi Zamir, Debabrata Seth, Ketan Kuperkar, Pratap Bahadur","doi":"10.1002/cphc.70564","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.70564","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study investigates how Gemini surfactants (GSs) with varying alkyl chain lengths and spacer architectures regulate interfacial behavior, self-assembly, and the photophysical response of Merocyanine 540 (MC540) in aqueous media. Tensiometric measurements demonstrate that increasing hydrophobic chain length leads to a systematic decrease in critical micelle concentration (CMC), accompanied by reduced surface tension and enhanced surface pressure, indicating more efficient interfacial adsorption at 30 °C. An increase in spacer length lowers the CMC, reflecting its influence on aggregation behavior. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) reveal anisotropic micellar assemblies whose dimensions increase with hydrophobicity, whereas longer spacers introduce conformational flexibility, resulting in smaller aggregates, as observed for the 10-8-10. Salt addition alters micellar organization: NaBr induces micellar swelling through electrostatic screening, while NaSal promotes micellar elongation via specific counterion binding. Encapsulation of MC540 within GS micelles produces red shifts in absorption and emission spectra (<i>λ</i><sub>max</sub> ~ 561–566 nm; <i>λ</i><sub>em</sub> ~ 580–584 nm) relative to water, consistent with the <i>J</i>-type aggregation. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements show multiexponential decays (0.1–2.5 ns), reflecting heterogeneous dye microenvironments, with average lifetimes increasing for GSs with longer alkyl chains. Overall, the results demonstrate that micellar architecture and salt environment jointly govern the photophysical behavior of MC540.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"27 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950557","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 : 2026-09-10DOI: 10.1002/cphc.70558
Monika Wawrzkiewicz, Beata Podkościelna, Anna Wołowicz, Bogdan Tarasiuk
{"title":"Poly(urethane Methacrylate)–Lignin (PUM–Lig) Microspheres: Synthesis, Characterization, and Their Application in Metal Ions and Dye Adsorption","authors":"Monika Wawrzkiewicz, Beata Podkościelna, Anna Wołowicz, Bogdan Tarasiuk","doi":"10.1002/cphc.70558","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cphc.70558","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In this study, poly(urethane methacrylate) (PUM)–lignin (Lig) polymeric adsorbent in the form of microspheres was synthesized and evaluated for the removal of metal ions such as Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), and C.I. Basic Yellow 40 (BY40) dye from aqueous solutions. The performance of the PUM adsorbent without lignin was also described. PUM and PUM–Lig were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), to confirm the successful incorporation of lignin and to assess their thermal stability, chemical structure, morphology, and surface properties. Equilibrium uptake of Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), and BY40 was described by the Freundlich isotherm model rather than the Langmuir, Temkin, or Dubinin–Radushkevich ones with the following affinity: Cu(II) > Zn(II) > BY40 > Ni(II). The experimental equilibrium sorption capacities ranged from 78.0 to 152.2 mg/g. The effect of NaCl, Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4,</sub> and surfactants CTAB, TX100 on Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), and BY40 was investigated. The effective desorption of Cu(II) and BY40 from adsorbents was performed using 1 M HCl, 1 M H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>, 1 M HNO<sub>3,</sub> and 1 M HCl or 1 M NaCl in 50% v/v methanol.</p>","PeriodicalId":9819,"journal":{"name":"Chemphyschem","volume":"27 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148929015","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}