ORALS

SESSION: PhysicalThuPM1-R10	Vayenas International Symposium on Physical Chemistry and its applications for sustainable development
Thu Oct, 24 2019 / Room: Aphrodite B (100/Gr. F)
Session Chairs: Angelos Efstathiou; Alexandros Katsaounis; Session Monitor: TBA

14:50: [PhysicalThuPM107] Keynote
The Role of the Promoting Ionic Species in Electrochemical Promotion and in Metal-Support Interactions. The Case of CO<sub>2</sub> Hydrogenation on Ru Based Catalysts
Dimitrios Grigoriou¹ ; Dimitrios Zagoraios¹ ; Alexandros Katsaounis² ; Constantinos Vayenas¹ ; ¹University of Patras, Patras, Greece; ²Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, Patras, Greece;
Paper Id: 105 [Abstract]

The reaction of CO₂ hydrogenation is of high environmental interest since it allows for the transformation of the logistically challenging H₂, gained from renewable sources, to the much more manageable hydrocarbons.<br />CO₂ hydrogenation takes place mainly through the following two reactions:<br />xCO₂ + (2x-z+y/2)H₂ --> C_xH_xO_z + (2x-z)H₂O<br />and<br />CO₂ + H₂ --> CO + H₂O The first reaction directly produces hydrocarbons whereas the second one, also known as RWGS, produces syngas which is useful in the synthesis of several hydrocarbons.<br />With CO₂ being a rather inert molecule, the reaction of CO₂ hydrogenation requires high pressures and temperatures, as well as the existence of a good catalyst. The development of an efficient catalyst is a requirement for the extensive application of a strategy where renewable energy is stored as HCs. An important parameter for the development of an efficient catalyst is the metal-support interactions. Those interactions have been closely identified as the underlying reason for Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis [1-5]. Conversely, EPOC has proven itself as a valuable tool for the study of metal support interactions. Promoters of catalysts alter the catalytic activity and selectivity by modifying the bonds of the reactants on the active sites and the work function of the catalytic surface. Electropositive promoters enhance the chemisorption of electron-acceptors and weaken the bonds of electron donors. Electronegative promoters have the opposite effect [1-5]. Ruthenium is a catalyst widely used to produce methane from CO₂. In this study, we present an example of how electrochemical promotion of catalysis (EPOC) can elucidate the role of solid electrolytes (YSZ, BZY), supporting Ru porous films or nanoparticles.<br />The results of the study have shown that the electrolytic features of the support (anionic or cationic or mixed conductor) can have a very pronounced and dominant effect on the activity and selectivity of the supported metal nanoparticles. The mechanism of the interaction can be studied conveniently via EPOC and then the support can be chosen accordingly. Nucleophilic EPOC behavior suggests that the reaction will be enhanced when using an anionic catalyst support, such as YSZ, and electrophilic EPOC behavior suggests that the reaction will be enhanced using a cationic support, such as BZY. Thus, one may conclude, again, that EPOC (or NEMCA effect) and MSI are functionally identical and only operationally different [1, 2] since they both rely on ion spillover. The use of EPOC can significantly facilitate the choice of catalyst support.

References:
[1] C.G. Vayenas, S. Bebelis, C. Pliangos, S. Brosda, D. Tsiplakides, Electrochemical Activation of Catalysis: Promotion, Electrochemical Promotion and Metal-Support Interactions, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, 2001.\n[2] P. Vernoux, L. Lizarraga, M.N. Tsampas, F.M. Sapountzi, A. De Lucas-Consuegra, J.-L. Valverde, S. Souentie, C.G. Vayenas, D. Tsiplakides, S. Balomenou, E.A. Baranova, Ionically Conducting Ceramics as Active Catalyst Supports, Chemical Reviews, 113 (2013) 8192-8260.\n[3] A. Katsaounis, Recent developments and trends in the electrochemical promotion of catalysis (EPOC), Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, 40 (2010) 885-902.\n[4] D. Tsiplakides, S. Balomenou, Milestones and perspectives in electrochemically promoted catalysis, Catalysis Today, 146 (2009) 312-318.\n[5] A. De Lucas-Consuegra, J. Gonzalez-Cobos, Y. Garcia-Rodriguez, A. Mosquera, J.L. Endrino, J.L. Valverde, Enhancing the catalytic activity and selectivity of the partial oxidation of methanol by electrochemical promotion, Journal of Catalysis, 293 (2012) 149-157.

SESSION: PhysicalFriPM2-R10	Vayenas International Symposium on Physical Chemistry and its applications for sustainable development
Fri Oct, 25 2019 / Room: Aphrodite B (100/Gr. F)
Session Chairs: Ilan Riess; Pasquale Bosso; Session Monitor: TBA

15:55: [PhysicalFriPM209]
Computation of the Neutrino Flavor Masses via the Rotating Lepton Model of Hadrons and Bosons
Dionysios Tsousis¹ ; Constantinos Vayenas¹ ; Dimitrios Grigoriou¹ ; ¹University of Patras, Patras, Greece;
Paper Id: 65 [Abstract]

The rotating lepton model (RLM) of composite particles [1-3], a combination of Gravity, Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, is used to compute analytically the masses of two out of the three neutrino flavors on the basis of the masses of hadrons, without any unknown parameters. The results are in good agreement with the Normal Hierarchy of the neutrino flavor masses, which have not been measured independently yet. The computed masses are then used to derive formulae for the masses of the three bosons and the equilibrium pressures inside hadrons and bosons, which were recently measured via deeply virtual Compton scattering. Comparison with the experimental values shows a semiquantitative agreement (within 1%) and supports the idea that the strong force is a gravitational attraction between relativistic neutrinos.

References:
1. "Gravity, special relativity and the strong force: A Bohr-Einstein-de Broglie model for the formation of hadrons", Constantinos G. Vayenas, Stamatios N.-A. Souentie, Springer, NY, ISBN 978-1-4614-3935F-6 (2012). \n2. "A Bohr-type model of a composite particle using gravity as the attractive force", C.G. Vayenas, S. Souentie, A. Fokas, Physica A, 405, 360-379 (2014).\n3."On the structure, masses and thermodynamics of the W +- bosons". C.G. Vayenas, A.S. Fokas, D. Grigoriou, Physica A, 450, 37-48 (2016).

SESSION: PhysicalSatAM-R10	Vayenas International Symposium on Physical Chemistry and its applications for sustainable development
Sat Oct, 26 2019 / Room: Aphrodite B (100/Gr. F)
Session Chairs: Michael Stoukides; Costas Galiotis; Session Monitor: TBA

12:10: [PhysicalSatAM03]
Proton Internal Pressure Distribution Suggests a Simple Proton Structure
Dimitrios Grigoriou¹ ; Eftychia Martino² ; Constantinos Vayenas¹ ; ¹University of Patras, Patras, Greece; ²University of Patras, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Patras, Achaia, Greece;
Paper Id: 89 [Abstract]

Understanding the origin of quark confinement in hadrons remains one of the most challenging problems in modern physics. Recently, the pressure distribution inside the proton was measured via deeply virtual Compton scattering. Surprisingly, strong repulsive pressure up to 10³⁵ pascals, the highest so far measured in our universe, was obtained near the center of the proton up to 0.6 fm, combined with strong binding energy at larger distances. We show here that this profile can be derived semi-quantitatively without any adjustable parameters using the rotating lepton model of composite particles (RLM), i.e. a proton structure comprising a ring of three gravitationally attracting rotating ultrarelativistic quarks. The RLM synthesizes Newton's gravitational law, Einstein's special relativity, and de Broglie's wavelength expression, thereby conforming to quantum mechanics. This also yields a simple analytical formula for the proton radius and for the maximum measured pressure which are in excellent agreement with the experimental values.

References:
1. V.D. Burkert, L. Elouadrhiri & F.X. Girod, <i> Nature</i>,<b> 557</b>, 396 (2018).
2. C.G. Vayenas, S. Souentie Gravity, special relativity and the strong force: A Bohr-Einstein-de-Broglie model for the formation of hadrons. (Springer, New York, 2012).
3. C.G. Vayenas, S. Souentie, & A. Fokas, Physica A, <b>405</b>, 360 (2014).