La3Ru8B6 and Y3Os8B6, new members of a homologous series R(A)nM3n−1B2n

Two new compounds, La₃Ru₈B₆ and Y₃Os₈B₆, were synthesized by arc melting the elements. Their structural characterization was carried out at room temperature on as-cast samples by using X-ray diffractometry. According to X-ray single-crystal diffraction results these borides crystallize in Fmmm space group (no. 69), Z=4, a=5.5607(1) Å, b=9.8035(3) Å, c=17.5524(4) Å, ρ=8.956 Mg/m³, μ=25.23 mm⁻¹ for La₃Ru₈B₆ and a=5.4792(2) Å, b=9.5139(4) Å, c=17.6972(8) Å, ρ=13.343 Mg/m³, μ=128.23 mm⁻¹ for Y₃Os₈B₆. The crystal structure of La₃Ru₈B₆ was confirmed from Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction data. Both La₃Ru₈B₆ and Y₃Os₈B₆ compounds are isotypic with the Ca₃Rh₈B₆ compound and their structures are built up from CeCo₃B₂-type and CeAl₂Ga₂-type structural fragments taken in ratio 2:1. They are the members of structural series R(A)_nM_3n−1B_2n with n=3 (R is the rare earth metal, A the alkaline earth metal, and M the transition metal). Structural and atomic parameters were also obtained for La_0.94Ru₃B₂ compound from Rietveld refinement (CeCo₃B₂-type structure, P6/mmm space group (no. 191), a=5.5835(9) Å, c=3.0278(6) Å).     

Order-disorder in In perovskites: The example of A(In2/3B″1/3)O3 (A=Ba, Sr; B″=W, U)

We describe the preparation and structural characterization of four In-containing perovskites from neutron powder diffraction (NPD) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) data. Sr₃In₂B″O₉ and Ba(In_2/3B″_1/3)O₃ (B″=W, U) were synthesized by standard ceramic procedures. The crystal structure of the W-containing perovskites and Ba(In_2/3U_1/3)O₃ have been revisited based on our high-resolution NPD and XRPD data, while for the new U-containing perovskite Sr₃In₂UO₉ the structural refinement was carried out from high-resolution XRPD data. At room temperature, the crystal structure for the two Sr phases is monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, where the In atoms occupy two different sites Sr₂[In]_2d[In_1/3B″_2/3]_2cO₆, with a=5.7548(2) Å, b=5.7706(2) Å, c=8.1432(3) Å, β=90.01(1)° for B″=W and a=5.861(1) Å, b=5.908(1) Å, c=8.315(2) Å, β=89.98(1)° for B″=U. The two phases with A=Ba should be described in a simple cubic perovskite unit cell (S.G. Pm3¯m) with In and B″ distributed at random at the octahedral sites, with a=4.16111(1) Å and 4.24941(1) Å for W and U compounds, respectively.     

Molecular hexagonal perovskite: a new type of organic-inorganic hybrid conductor

An organic charge-transfer (CT) salt (BEDT-TTF)₃(MnCl₃)₂(C₂H₅OH)₂ has been synthesized by a standard electrochemical method. The crystal data are monoclinic, C2/c (#15), a=38.863(4)Å, b=6.716(1) Å, c=23.608(3) Å, β=115.007(3)°, V=5584(1) Å³, and Z=4. The structure consists of one-dimensional (1D) infinite {[MnCl₃]⁻}_∞ magnetic chains and two-dimensional (2D) organic conduction pathways. The former consists of face-sharing octahedra of manganese chloride complex ions, and dominates the magnetic properties of this compound. Such a feature of the crystal structure closely relates to transition metal hexagonal perovskite compounds, all of which are known for frustrated triangular lattices comprised of weakly interacting 1D magnetic chains. The new compound exhibits a high conductivity down to 4 K.     

Preparation, structural study from neutron diffraction data and magnetism of the disordered perovskite Ca(Cr0.5Mo0.5)O3

We report on the preparation and characterization of the Ca(Cr_0.5Mo_0.5)O₃ perovskite, obtained in the search of the hypothetical double perovskite Ca₂CrMoO₆. This material was prepared in polycrystalline form by solid state reaction in H₂/Ar flow. It has been studied by X-ray and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) and magnetic measurements. Ca(Cr_0.5Mo_0.5)O₃ crystallizes in the orthorhombic Pbnm (No. 62) space group, with the unit-cell parameters a=5.4110 (4) Å, b=5.4795 (5) Å, c=7.6938 (6) Å. There is a complete disordering of Cr³⁺ and Mo⁵⁺ over the B-site of the perovskite, and the (Cr,Mo)O₆ octahedra are tilted by 12.4° in order to optimize the Ca-O bond lengths. The magnetic susceptibility is characteristic of a ferrimagnetic behavior, with T_C=125 K, and a small saturation magnetization at T=5 K, of 0.05 μ_B/f.u.     

Neutron diffraction study and magnetotransport properties of stoichiometric CaMoO3 perovskite prepared by a soft-chemistry route

Polycrystalline CaMoO₃ perovskite has been prepared by soft-chemistry procedures, followed by controlled annealing under reducing conditions (H₂/N₂ flow). The crystal structure, studied from neutron powder diffraction data, can be described in an orthorhombic unit cell, space group Pbnm (No. 62). The lattice parameters were a=5.4510(1) Å, b=5.5821(1) Å and c=7.7803(2) Å. In the perovskite network the MoO₆ octahedra are tilted by 13.5° in order to optimize the Ca-O bond lengths; the tilting scheme corresponds to a GdFeO₃-like superstructure. The perovskite is fully oxygen stoichiometric, as demonstrated from the refinement of the oxygen occupancy factors. Resistivity and transport measurements indicated that CaMoO₃ behaves as a metal; at low temperatures (5 K) a small positive magnetoresistance is observed, reaching a maximum value of 1.4% at 9 T. The magnetic susceptibility is predominantly Pauli paramagnetic-like, although a non-negligible temperature-dependent component due to isolated Mo⁴⁺ spins is patent at low temperatures.     

Electrochemical behavior of metal hydrides

Metal hydride electrodes are of particular interest owing to their potential and practical application in batteries. A large number of hydrogen storage materials has been characterized so far. This paper deals with the effect of the chemical nature and stoichiometry of specific alloy families (AB₅, A₂B, AB/AB₂ and AB₂) on the hydride stability, hydrogen storage capacity and kinetics of hydrogen sorption-desorption in the solid phase/gas and solid phase/electrolyte solution systems. Special attention has been paid towards the electrochemical properties of metal hydrides in terms of their performance in Ni-MH rechargeable alkaline cells. Electronic Publication     

Synthesis, structure and properties of Li2Rh3B2

Li₂Rh₃B₂ has been synthesized at 1000 °C from a stoichiometric mix of rhodium and boron and an excess of lithium. Li₂Rh₃B₂ crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbam (no. 55, Z=2) with room temperature lattice constants a=5.7712(1) Å, b=9.4377(2) Å, c=2.8301(1) Å and cell volume 154.149(6) Å³. The structure was solved from single crystal X-ray diffraction yielding the final R indices (all data) R1=2.8% and wR2=4.7%. The structure is a distortion of the CeCo₃B₂ structure type, containing a network of Rh₆B trigonal prisms and short Li-Li contacts of 2.28(2) Å. Li₂Rh₃B₂ is a diamagnetic metal with a room temperature resistivity of 19 μΩ cm, as determined by magnetic susceptibility and single crystal transport measurements. The measured diamagnetism and electronic structure calculations show that Li₂Rh₃B₂ contains rhodium in a d¹⁰ configuration.     

Sr18Ru1.9Bi4.1O33: crystallization of a Ru(V)/Bi(V) oxide from molten hydroxide

Single crystals of a new complex oxide, Sr₁₈Ru_1.9Bi_4.1O₃₃, were precipitated from a mixture of molten alkali and alkaline earth metal hydroxides at 750°C. The structure was determined from a ruby-red crystal using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Sr₁₈Ru_1.88Bi_4.12O₃₃ crystallizes in the space group C2/c (monoclinic) and has unit-cell dimensions: a=10.2102(11) Å, b=17.882(2) Å, c=19.579(2) Å, and β=102.043(2)°. The structure (refined to R₁=4.5%, wR₂=9.2%) is an unusual ABO₃ defect perovskite, with th of the oxygen positions vacant. All the A sites and half of the B sites are occupied by Sr²⁺, while the remaining B sites are occupied by Bi⁵⁺ or Ru⁵⁺. The oxygen atom vacancies are located within the Bi coordination sphere exclusively. The bonding in the BO₃ sublattice is less covalent than that in the perovskite archetype from which it is derived due to the presence of 50% Sr²⁺ on the B sites. Thus, the structure of Sr₁₈Ru_1.9Bi_4.1O₃₃ can also be viewed as being made up of isolated bismuthate anions (BiO₅⁵⁻, BiO_5.5⁶⁻ and BiO₆⁷⁻) and ruthenate anions (RuO₆⁷⁻) separated by strontium cations.     

Ab-initio crystal structure of hydroxy adipate of nickel and hydroxy subarate of nickel and cobalt from synchrotron powder diffraction and magnetic properties

Organic-inorganic hybrid compounds Ni(II)₅(OH)₆(C₆H₈O₄)₂(1), Ni(II)₅(OH)₆(C₈H₁₂O₄)₂(2) and Co(II)₅(OH)₆(C₈H₁₂O₄)₂(3) have a similar layered structure as determined ab initio from synchrotron powder diffraction analysis. The metal sites are octahedrally coordinated by O atoms. The slabs are built from edge-sharing octahedra in such a way that channels with an average size of 4 Å are formed. Bis-bidentate and bridging dicarboxylate anions lead to a 3D framework. The compounds (1) and (2) order antiferromagnetically below T_N=26.5 and 19.3 K, respectively, while (3) is ferrimagnetic with T_C=16.2 K. Crystal data for compounds are as follows: (1)a=11.6504(1) Å, b=6.8021(3) Å, c=6.3603(1) Å, α=73.52(1)°, β=99.69(1)°, γ=96.16(1)°, R_B=0.070, 668 reflections; (2)a=13.9325(1) Å, b=6.7893(1) Å, c=6.3534(4) Å, α=73.63(1)°, β=95.14(1)°, γ=91.80(1)°, R_B=0.052, 804 reflections; (3)a=13.9806(1) Å, b=6.9588(1) Å, c=6.3967(1) Å, α=73.05(1)°, β=94.51(1)°, γ=92.19(1)°, R_B=0.048, 410 reflections. The space group is P−1 for the three compounds.     

New examples of ternary rare-earth metal boride carbides containing finite boron-carbon chains: The crystal and electronic structure of RE15B6C20 (RE=Pr, Nd)

The ternary rare-earth metal boride carbides RE₁₅B₆C₂₀ (RE=Pr, Nd) were synthesized by co-melting the elements. They exist above 1270 K. Their crystal structures were determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Both crystallize in the space group P1¯, Z=1, a=8.3431(8) Å, b=9.2492(9) Å, c=8.3581(8) Å, α=84.72(1)°, β=89.68(1)°, γ =84.23(1)° (R1=0.041 (wR2=0.10) for 3291 reflections with I_o>2σ(I_o)) for Pr₁₅B₆C₂₀, and a=8.284(1) Å, b=9.228(1) Å, c=8.309(1) Å, α=84.74(1)°, β=89.68(1)°, γ=84.17(2)° (R1=0.033 (wR2=0.049) for 2970 reflections with I_o>2σ(I_o)) for Nd₁₅B₆C₂₀. Their structure consists of a three-dimensional framework of rare-earth metal atoms resulting from the stacking of slightly corrugated and distorted square nets, leading to cavities filled with unprecedented B₂C₄ finite chains, disordered C₃ entities and isolated carbon atoms, respectively. Structural and theoretical analyses suggest the ionic formulation (RE³⁺)₁₅([B₂C₄]⁶⁻)₃([C₃]⁴⁻)₂(C⁴⁻)₂·11ē. Accordingly, density functional theory calculations indicate that the compounds are metallic. Both structural arguments as well as energy calculations on different boron vs. carbon distributions in the B₂C₄ chains support the presence of a CBCCBC unit. Pr₁₅B₆C₁₈ exhibits antiferromagnetic order at T_N=7.9 K, followed by a meta-magnetic transition above a critical external field B>0.03 T. On the other hand, Nd₁₅B₆C₁₈ is a ferromagnet below T_C≈40 K.