Abstract: Deactivation was investigated in Fe2O3-CeO2 oxygen storage materials during repeated H-2-reduction and CO2-reoxidation. In situ XRD, XAS, and TEM were used to identify phases, crystallite sizes, and morphological changes upon cycling operation. The effect of redox cycling was investigated both in Fe-rich (80 wt % Fe2O3-CeO2) and Ce-rich (10 wt %Fe2O3-CeO2) materials. The former consisted of 100 nm Fe2O3 particles decorated with 5-10 nm Ce1-xFexO2-x. The latter presented CeO2 with incorporated Fe, i.e. a solid solution of Ce1-xFexO2-x, as the main oxygen carrier. By modeling the EXAFS Ce-K signal for as-prepared 10 wt %Fe2O3-CeO2, the amount of Fe in CeO2 was determined as 21 mol %, corresponding to 86% of the total iron content. Sintering and solid solid transformations, the latter including both new phase formation and element segregation, were identified as deactivation pathways upon redox cycling. In Ce-rich material, perovskite (CeFeO3) was identified by XRD. This phase remained inert during reduction and reoxidation, resulting in an overall lower oxygen storage capacity. Further, Fe segregated from the solid solution, thereby decreasing its reducibility. In addition, an increase in crystallite size occurred for all phases. In Fe-rich material, sintering is the main deactivation pathway, although Fe segregation from the solid solution and perovskite formation cannot be excluded.

Abstract: Perovskite oxides are active room-temperature bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts in alkaline media, capable of performing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with lower combined overpotentials relative to their precious metal counterparts. However, their semiconducting nature necessitates the use of activated carbons as conductive supports to generate applicably relevant current densities. In efforts to advance the performance and theory of oxide electrocatalysts, the chemical and physical properties of the oxide material often take precedence over contributions from the conductive additive. In this work, we find that carbon plays an important synergistic role in improving the performance of La1-xSrxCoO3- (0 x 1) electrocatalysts through the activation of O-2 and spillover of radical oxygen intermediates, HO2- and O-2(-), which is further reduced through chemical decomposition of HO2- on the perovskite surface. Through a combination of thin-film rotating disk electrochemical characterization of the hydrogen peroxide intermediate reactions (hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction (HPRR), hydrogen peroxide oxidation reaction (HPOR)) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), surface chemical analysis, HR-TEM, and microkinetic modeling on La1-xSrxCoO3- (0 x 1)/carbon (with nitrogen and non-nitrogen doped carbons) composite electrocatalysts, we deconvolute the mechanistic aspects and contributions to reactivity of the oxide and carbon support.

Abstract: Branched plasmonic nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted much attention due to electric field enhancements at their tips. Seeded growth provides routes to NCs with defined branching patterns and, in turn, near-field distributions with defined symmetries. Here, a systematic analysis was undertaken in which seeds containing different distributions of planar defects were used to grow branched NCs in order to understand how their distributions direct the branching. Characterization of the products by multimode electron tomography and analysis of the NC morphologies at different overgrowth stages indicate that the branching patterns are directed by the seed defects, with the emergence of branches from the seed faces consistent with minimizing volumetric strain energy at the expense of surface energy. These results contrast with growth of branched NCs from single-crystalline seeds and provide a new platform for the synthesis of symmetrically branched plasmonic NCs.

Abstract: The painter, Vincent van Gogh, and some of his contemporaries frequently made use of the pigment chrome yellow that is known to show a tendency toward darkening. This pigment may correspond to various chemical compounds such as PbCrO4 and PbCr1-xSxO4, that may each be present in various crystallographic forms with different tendencies toward degradation. Investigations by X-ray diffraction (XRD), mid-Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR), and Raman instruments (benchtop and portable) and synchrotron radiation-based micro-XRD and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy performed on oil-paint models, prepared with in-house synthesized PbCrO4 and PbCr1-xSxO4, permitted us to characterize the spectroscopic features of the various forms. On the basis of these results, an extended study has been carried out on historic paint tubes and on embedded paint microsamples taken from yellow-orange/pale yellow areas of 12 Van Gogh paintings, demonstrating that Van Gogh effectively made use of different chrome yellow types. This conclusion was also confirmed by in situ mid-FTIR investigations on Van Goghs Portrait of Gauguin (Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam).

Abstract: The darkening of lead chromate yellow pigments, caused by a reduction of the chromate ions to Cr(III) compounds, is known to affect the appearance of several paintings by Vincent van Gogh. In previous papers of this series, we demonstrated that the darkening is activated by light and depends on the chemical composition and crystalline structure of the pigments. In this work, the results of Part 2 are extended and complemented with a new study aimed at deepening the knowledge of the nature and distribution of Cr and S species at the interface between the chrome yellow paint and the nonoriginal coating layer. For this purpose, three microsamples from two varnished paintings by Van Gogh and a waxed low relief by Gauguin (all originally uncoated) have been examined. Because nonoriginal coatings are often present in artwork by Van Gogh and contemporaries, the understanding of whether or not their application has influenced the morphological and/or physicochemical properties of the chrome yellow paint underneath is relevant in view of the conservation of these masterpieces. In all the samples studied, microscopic X-ray fluorescence (mu-XRF) and X-ray absorption near edge structure (mu-XANES) investigations showed that Cr(III)-based alteration products are present in the form of grains inside the coating (generally enriched of S species) and also homogeneously widespread at the paint surface. The distribution of Cr(III) species may be explained by the mechanical friction caused by the coating application by brush that picked up and redistributed the superficial Cr compounds, likely already present in the reduced state as result of the photodegradation process. The analysis of the XANES profiles allowed us to obtain new insights into the nature of the Cr(III) alteration products, that were identified as sulfate-, oxide-, organo-metal-, and chloride-based compounds. Building upon the knowledge acquired through the examination of original paint samples and from the investigation of aged model paints in the last Part 4 paper, in this study we aim to characterize a possible relation between the chemical composition of the coating and the chrome yellow degradation pathways by studying photochemically aged model samples covered with a dammar varnish contaminated with sulfide and sulfate salts. Cr speciation results did not show any evidence of the active role of the varnish and added S species on the reduction process of chrome yellows.

Abstract: The darkening of the original yellow areas painted with the chrome yellow pigment (PbCrO4, PbCrO4·xPbSO4, or PbCrO4·xPbO) is a phenomenon widely observed on several paintings by Vincent van Gogh, such as the famous different versions of Sunflowers. During our previous investigations on artificially aged model samples of lead chromate, we established for the first time that darkening of chrome yellow is caused by reduction of PbCrO4 to Cr2O3·2H2O (viridian green), likely accompanied by the presence of another Cr(III) compound, such as either Cr2(SO4)3·H2O or (CH3CO2)7Cr3(OH)2 [chromium(III) acetate hydroxide]. In the second part of this work, in order to demonstrate that this reduction phenomenon effectively takes place in real paintings, we study original paint samples from two paintings of V. van Gogh. As with the model samples, in view of the thin superficial alteration layers that are present, high lateral resolution spectroscopic methods that make use of synchrotron radiation (SR), such as microscopic X-ray absorption near edge (μ-XANES) and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (μ-XRF) were employed. Additionally, μ-Raman and mid-FTIR analyses were carried out to completely characterize the samples. On both paint microsamples, the local presence of reduced Cr was demonstrated by means of μ-XANES point measurements. The presence of Cr(III) was revealed in specific areas, in some cases correlated to the presence of Ba(sulfate) and/or to that of aluminum silicate compounds.

Abstract: Amphetamine (AMP) is posing critical issues in our society being one of the most encountered drugs-of-abuse in the current illicit market. The continuous drug production in Europe urges the development of new tools for the rapid on-site determination of illicit drugs such as AMP. However, the direct electrochemical detection of AMP is a challenge because the molecule is non-electroactive at the potential window of conventional graphite SPEs. For this reason, a derivatization step is needed to convert the primary amine into an electroactive oxidizable group. Herein, the rapid electrochemical detection of AMP in seized samples based on the derivatization by 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate (NQS) is presented by using square wave voltammetry (SWV) at graphite screen-printed electrodes (SPEs). First, a detailed optimization of the key parameters and the analytical performance is provided. The method showed a sensitivity of 7.9 µA mM-1 within a linear range from 50 to 500 µM, a limit of detection of 22.2 µM, and excellent reproducibility (RSD = 4.3%, n = 5 at 500 µM). Subsequently, the effect of NQS on common cutting agents for the selective detection of AMP is addressed. The comparison of the method with drugs-of-abuse containing secondary and tertiary amines confirms the selectivity of the method. Finally, the concept is applied to quantify AMP in 20 seized samples provided by forensic laboratories, exhibiting an accuracy of 97.3 ± 10.5%. Overall, the fast analysis of samples with the electrochemical profiling of derivatized AMP exhibits a straightforward on-site screening aiming to facilitate the tasks of law enforcement agents in the field.

Abstract: While conjugated vegetable oils are currently used as additives in the drying agents of oils and paints, they are also attractive molecules for making bio-plastics. Moreover, conjugated oils will soon be accepted as nutritional additives for functional food products. While current manufacture of conjugated vegetable oils or conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) uses a homogeneous base as isomerisation catalyst, a heterogeneous alternative is not available today. This contribution presents the direct production of CLAs over Ru supported on different zeolites, varying in topology (ZSM-5, BETA, Y), Si/Al ratio and countercation (H+, Na+, Cs+). Ru/Cs-USY, with a Si/Al ratio of 40, was identified as the most active and selective catalyst for isomerisation of methyl linoleate (cis-9,cis-12 (C18:2)) to CLA at 165 °C. Interestingly, no hydrogen pre-treatment of the catalyst or addition of hydrogen donors is required to achieve industrially relevant isomerisation productivities, namely, 0.7 g of CLA per litre of solvent per minute. Moreover, the biologically most active CLA isomers, namely, cis-9,trans-11, trans-10,cis-12 and trans-9,trans-11, were the main products, especially at low catalyst concentrations. Ex situ physicochemical characterisation with CO chemisorption, extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements, transmission electron microscopy analysis, and temperature-programmed oxidation reveals the presence of highly dispersed RuO2 species in Ru/Cs-USY(40).

Abstract: In this work, we propose an adapted Number of Transfer Units (NTUm)-method as an effective tool to determine the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic parameters for a photocatalytic multi-tube reactor. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood rate constant kLH and the Langmuir adsorption constant KL were determined from several experiments under different UV-irradiance conditions, resulting in irradiance depending values for kLH. In order to determine a unique, intrinsic empirical constant k0, valid for all irradiation conditions, we coupled the adapted NTUm-method with a radiation field model to predict UV-irradiance distribution inside the reactor. The final set of kinetic parameters were derived using a Generalized Reduced Gradient (GRG) nonlinear solving method in Matlab which minimizes the differences between model and experimental reactor outlet concentrations of acetaldehyde for various photocatalytic experiments under varying operating conditions, including inlet concentration, flow rate and UV-irradiance. An excellent agreement of the intrinsic empirical constant k0, derived from the coupled NTUm-radiation field model and an earlier published CFD approach was found, emphasizing its validity and reliability.

Abstract: A portable X-ray powder diffractometer (p-XRD) PT-APXRD III has been developed for onsite analysis of paintings and archaeological samples. By using a Cu anode X-ray tube and a silicon drift diode (SDD) detector, diffraction patterns with a high signalnoise (S/N) ratio can be recorded. The X-ray tube can be operated at a maximum voltage of 60 kV, which makes it possible to simultaneously record X-ray fluorescence spectra up to the high-energy region. The total weight of this instrument is 16 kg, which can be carried anywhere and the goniometer unit (5.6 kg) can be placed on a tripod for analysis of mural paintings. We brought the instrument to the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands to examine its applicability for the analysis of oil paintings. We successfully analyzed two seventeenthcentury oil paintings by Johannes Vermeer and Jan Davidsz de Heem (copy after). Ultramarine blue, leadtin yellow type I, and Naples yellow were identified from the diffraction patterns, demonstrating the high practicality of this instrument. Furthermore, it was found from the SEM-EDX analysis of a paint cross section that the yellow pigment was applied in separate layers rather than being mixed. This diffractometer will be commercially available in the near future and will have many applications in the field of material analysis. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Immobilization of single metal atoms on a solid host opens numerous possibilities for catalyst designs. If that host is a two-dimensional sheet, sheet curvature becomes a design parameter potentially complementary to host and metal composition. Here, we use a combination of density functional theory calculations and microkinetic modeling to compare the mechanisms and kinetics of formic acid decomposition and formation, chosen for their relevance as a potential hydrogen storage medium, over single Ru atoms anchored to pyridinic nitrogen in a planar graphene flake (RuN4-G) and curved carbon nanotube (RuN4-CNT). Activation barriers are lowered and the predicted turnover frequencies are increased over RuN4-CNT relative to RuN4-CNT. The results highlight the potential of curvature control as a means to achieve high performance and robust catalysts.

Abstract: We illustrate the potential of advanced transmission electron microscopy for the characterization of a new class of soft porous materials: metal@Zn4O(bdc)3 (metal@MOF-5; bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate). By combining several electron microscopy techniques (transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron diffraction (ED), high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), and electron tomography) and by carefully reducing the electron dose to avoid beam damage, it is possible to simultaneously characterize the MOF-5 framework material and the loaded metal nanoparticles. We also demonstrate that electron tomography can be used to accurately determine the position and distribution of the particles within the MOF-5 framework. To demonstrate the implementation of these microscopy techniques and what kind of results can be expected, measurements on gas-phase-loaded metal−organic framework materials Ru@MOF-5 and Pd@MOF-5 are presented.

Abstract: This study aims at sensing in situ reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and specifically superoxide anion (O-2(center dot-)) in aqueous buffer solutions exposed to cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs). CAPs were generated by ionizing He gas shielded with variable N-2/O-2 mixtures. Thanks to ultramicroelectrodes protected against the high electric fields transported by the ionization waves of CAPs, the production of superoxide and several RONS was electrochemically directly detected in liquids during their plasma exposure. Complementarily, optical emissive spectroscopy (OES) was used to study the plasma phase composition and its correlation with the chemistry in the exposed liquid. The specific production of O-2(center dot-), a biologically reactive redox species, was analyzed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), in both alkaline (pH 11), where the species is fairly stable, and physiological (pH 7.4) conditions, where it is unstable. To understand its generation with respect to the plasma chemistry, we varied the shielding gas composition of CAPs to directly impact on the RONS composition at the plasma-liquid interface. We observed that the production and accumulation of RONS in liquids, including O(2)(center dot-)depends on the plasma composition, with N-2-based shieldings providing the highest superoxide concentrations (few 10s of micromolar at most) and of its derivatives (hundreds of micromolar). In situ spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses provide a high resolution kinetic and quantitative understanding of the interactions between CAPs and physiological solutions for biomedical applications.