ChemInform Abstract: 7Li and 29Si Solid State NMR and Chemical Bonding of La2Li2Si3.

The title compound is synthesized from the elements (flowing Ar, Nb ampule, 1000 K, 48 h) and characterized by powder and single crystal XRD, ⁷Li and ²⁹Si MAS NMR spectroscopy, and DFT electronic structure calculations.     

Structural characterization of the lithium silicides Li15Si4, Li13Si4, and Li7Si3 using solid state NMR

Local environments and lithium ion dynamics in the binary lithium silicides Li(15)Si(4), Li(13)Si(4), and Li(7)Si(3) have been characterized by detailed variable temperature static and magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopic experiments. In the (6)Li MAS-NMR spectra, individual lithium sites are generally well-resolved at temperatures below 200 K, whereas at higher temperatures partial or complete site averaging is observed on the ms timescale. The NMR spectra also serve to monitor the phase transitions occurring in Li(7)Si(3) and Li(13)Si(4) at 235 K and 146 K, respectively. The observed lithium isotropic shift ranges of up to approximately 50 ppm indicate a significant amount of electronic charge stored on the lithium species, consistent with the expectation of the extended Zintl-Klemm-Busmann concept for the electronic structure of these materials. The (29)Si MAS-NMR spectra obtained on isotopically enriched samples, aided by double-quantum spectroscopy, are well suited for differentiating between the individual types of silicon sites within the silicon frameworks, and in Li(13)Si(4) their identification aids in the assignment of individual lithium sites via(29)Si{(7)Li} cross-polarization/heteronuclear correlation NMR. Variable temperature static (7)Li NMR spectra reveal motional narrowing effects, illustrating high lithium ionic mobilities in all of these compounds. Differences in the mobilities of individual lithium sites can be resolved by temperature dependent (6)Li MAS-NMR as well as (6)Li{(7)Li} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) spectroscopy. For the compound Li(15)Si(4) the lithium mobility appears to be strongly geometrically restricted, which may result in a significant impediment for the use of Li-Si anodes for high-performance batteries. A comparison of all the (6)Li and (7)Li NMR spectroscopic data obtained for the three different lithium silicides and of Li(12)Si(7) previously studied suggests that lithium ions in the vicinity of silicon clusters or dimers have generally higher mobilities than those interacting with monomeric silicon atoms.     

Structure,chemical bonding,and 45Sc solid state NMR of Sc2RuSi2

The silicide Sc₂RuSi₂ was synthesized from the elements by arc-melting. The structure was refined on the basis of single crystal X-ray diffractometer data: Zr₂CoSi₂ type, C2/m, a = 1004.7 (2), b = 406.8 (1), c = 946.6 (2) pm, β = 117.95 (2), wR2 = 0.0230, 743 F² values, and 32 variables. The structure consists of a rigid three-dimensional [RuSi₂] network in which the two crystallographically independent scandium atoms fill larger cages of coordination numbers 16 and 15, respectively. The [RuSi₂] network shows short Ru–Si distances (234–247 pm) and two different Si₂ pairs: Si1–Si1 at 247 and Si2–Si2 at 243 pm. Each silicon atom has trigonal prismatic Sc₆ (for Si2) or Sc₄Ru₂ (for Si1) coordination. These building units are condensed via common edges and faces. The various Sc–Sc distances between the prisms range from 327 to 361 pm. From electronic structure investigation within DFT, chemical bonding shows a major role of Ru–Si bonding and the presence of strong electron localization around Si–Si pairs pointing to a polyanionic silicide network [RuSi₂]^δ?. The ⁴⁵Sc MAS-NMR spectra recorded at 11.7 and 9.4 T clearly resolve the two distinct scandium sites. The large electric field gradients present at both scandium sites result in typical line shapes arising from second-order quadrupole perturbation effects.     

Resolving the different silicon clusters in Li12Si7 by 29Si and (6,7)Li solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Structural signatures: The analysis of Si-Si and Si-Li connectivities by solid-state NMR spectroscopy allows the different types of silicon clusters to be discriminated in the model lithium silicide compound Li(12)Si(7) (see picture, Si clusters red and blue, Li ions gray). The results provide new NMR spectroscopic strategies with which to differentiate and study the structures formed in silicon-based electrode materials.     

The fine structure of high-resolution solid state 29Si NMR spectra of zeolites X and Y

Examination of ²⁹Si magic-angle-spinning NMR spectra of zeolites with the faujasite structure reveals that the characteristic pattern of linewidths and chemical shifts is due to effects in the first coordination shell of silicon.     

29Si chemical shift anisotropies in calcium silicates from high-field 29Si MAS NMR spectroscopy

29Si chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) data have been determined from (29)Si MAS NMR spectra recorded at 14.1 T for a number of synthetic calcium silicates and calcium silicate hydrates. These are beta- and gamma-Ca(2)SiO(4), Ca(3)SiO(4)Cl(2), alpha-dicalcium silicate hydrate (alpha-Ca(2)(SiO(3)OH)OH), rankinite (Ca(3)Si(2)O(7)), cuspidine (Ca(4)Si(2)O(7)F(2)), wollastonite (beta-Ca(3)Si(3)O(9)), pseudowollastonite (alpha-Ca(3)Si(3)O(9)), scawtite (Ca(7)(Si(6)O(18))CO(3).2H(2)O), hillebrandite (Ca(2)SiO(3)(OH)(2)), and xonotlite (Ca(6)Si(6)O(17)(OH)(2)). The (29)Si MAS NMR spectra of rankinite and wollastonite clearly resolve manifolds of spinning sidebands from two and three Si sites, respectively, allowing the CSA parameters to be obtained with high precision for each site. For the (29)Si Q(1) sites in rankinite and cuspidine, the CSA asymmetry parameters (eta(sigma) approximately 0.6) contrast the general expectation that sorosilicates should possess small eta(sigma) values as a result of the nearly axially symmetric environments of the SiO(4) tetrahedra. The (29)Si CSA parameters provide an improved insight into the electronic and geometric environments for the SiO(4) tetrahedra as compared to the values solely for the isotropic chemical shift. It is shown that the shift anisotropy (delta(sigma)) and the CSA asymmetry parameter (eta(sigma)) allow a clear distinction of the different types of condensation of SiO(4) tetrahedra in calcium silicates. This relationship may in general be valid for neso-, soro-, and inosilicates. The CSA data determined in this work may form a valuable basis for (29)Si MAS NMR studies of the structures for tobermorites and calcium silicate hydrate phases resulting from hydration of Portland cements.     

Improved Ga-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 garnet-type solid electrolytes for solid-state Li-ion batteries

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) is one of the most competent candidates as a solid electrolyte for next-generation Li-ion batteries. Although the stabilization of the...     

A solid state 13C NMR, crystallographic, and quantum chemical investigation of chemical shifts and hydrogen bonding in histidine dipeptides

We report the first solid-state NMR, crystallographic, and quantum chemical investigation of the origins of the 13C NMR chemical shifts of the imidazole group in histidine-containing dipeptides. The chemical shift ranges for Cgamma and Cdelta2 seen in eight crystalline dipeptides were very large (12.7-13.8 ppm); the shifts were highly correlated (R2= 0.90) and were dominated by ring tautomer effects and intermolecular interactions. A similar correlation was found in proteins, but only for buried residues. The imidazole 13C NMR chemical shifts were predicted with an overall rms error of 1.6-1.9 ppm over a 26 ppm range, by using quantum chemical methods. Incorporation of hydrogen bond partner molecules was found to be essential in order to reproduce the chemical shifts seen experimentally. Using AIM (atoms in molecules) theory we found that essentially all interactions were of a closed shell nature and the hydrogen bond critical point properties were highly correlated with the N...H...O (average R2= 0.93) and Nepsilon2...H...N (average R2= 0.98) hydrogen bond lengths. For Cepsilon1, the 13C chemical shifts were also highly correlated with each of these properties (at the Nepsilon2 site), indicating the dominance of intermolecular interactions for Cepsilon1. These results open up the way to analyzing 13C NMR chemical shifts, tautomer states (from Cdelta2, Cepsilon1 shifts), and hydrogen bond properties (from Cepsilon1 shifts) of histidine residue in proteins and should be applicable to imidazole-containing drug molecules bound to proteins, as well.     

Structure investigations of solid organosilicon polymers by high resolution solid state Si NMR

The high resolution ²⁹Si NMR spectra of five solid silicon polymers of different structure have been studied and the ²⁹Si chemical shifts of characteristic structure units determined. ²⁹Si---¹H cross-polarization in combination with high speed magic angle sample spinning and high power proton decoupling was used to achieve high resolution in the solid state spectra. Comparison of the latter with the results obtained in the liquid state clearly indicates that no special solid state effects on ²⁹Si chemical shifts arise and the relations between δ(Si) and the molecular structure, well known from investigations of liquids, can be used for interpretation of the solid state spectra. It is shown that high resolution solid state ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy offers detailed information about the structural units of the siloxane resin framework, and this opens up new possibilities for structural determinations of solid organosilicon polymers.     

Zintl‐Anionen des Siliciums in den Halogeniden La3Cl2Si3 und La6Br3Si7

Zintl Anions of Silicon in the Halides La₃Cl₂Si₃ and La₆Br₃Si₇ La₃Cl₂Si₃ and La₆Br₃Si₇ are prepared at temperatures of around 950 °C from LaX₃ (X = Cl, Br), La metal and Si as starting materials. La₃Cl₂Si₃ crystallizes in C2/m with a = 1802(3), b = 420.6(4), c = 1058(2) pm, β = 97.9(2)°, and La₆Br₃Si₇ in Pmmn mit a = 1686.9(2), b = 412.93(11), c = 1185.2(1) pm. In both compounds the Si atoms are located in trigonal prisms of La atoms, which are connected through common triangular and rectangular faces to form layers. The bromine atoms connect the metal atom double layers. In La₃Cl₂Si₃ the Si atoms form zig‐zag chains, in La₆Br₃Si₇ chains build up from ‐connected Si₁₂ rings. Both compounds are metallic conductors.     

29Si NMR spectra of trimethylsilylated cyclic acyloins and ketones. 29Si chemical shifts as a measure of ring size

²⁹Si chemical shifts are reported for nine 1,2-bis(trimethylsiloxy)cycloalkenes and four 1-trimethylsiloxycycloalkenes, (Me₃SiO)_xC_nH_2n–2–x (x=1, 2). For cycloalkene derivatives with n?8 the silicon shift exhibits a strong dependence on the ring size, although the silicon is exocyclic and is separated by two bonds from the olefinic carbon atom. The dependence can be exploited for ring size determination of cyclic ketones after trimethylsilylation.     

Microscopic access to long-range diffusion parameters of the fast lithium ion conductor Li7BiO6 by solid state 7Li stimulated echo NMR

Li self-diffusion in rhombohedral Li7BiO6, being a promising basic material for cathodes of rechargeable ion batteries, is studied by means of 7Li stimulated echo NMR. Using the pulse sequence introduced by Jeener and Broekaert, a spin-alignment echo is created whose amplitude decay is recorded as a function of mixing time. The so-obtained two-time correlation functions follow stretched exponential behavior and lead to decay rates which can be identified directly with microscopic Li motional correlation rates (tau(-1)). Using a jump distance of about 0.2 nm, this results in a diffusion coefficient (D) of about 0.5 x 10(-16) m(2) s(-1) at 294 K. The activation energy turned out to be 0.53(3) eV which is in very good agreement with recently obtained results by means of dc-conductivity measurements probing long-range diffusion parameters. This shows that stimulated echo NMR, due to its inherent time scale, gives microscopic access to long-range transport. The prefactor tau(0)(-1) of the corresponding Arrhenius law lies in the typical range of phonon frequencies, tau(0)(-1) = 3 x 10(12) s(-1).     

29Si NMR spectroscopy of cyclosiloxanes

Journal of Structural Chemistry -     

Microstructure of silica monolayer solid acid catalysts determined by 29Si NMR spectroscopy

The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of ²⁹Si showed that the silica monolayer, which was prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of Si(OCH₃)₄ at 593 K on alumina, mainly consisted of Si(OAl)₁(OSi)₃ and Si(OAl)₁(OSi)₂(OH)₁ species, in agreement with the mechanism of formation of monolayer. The Brønsted acid site is suggested to be the latter species. On the other hand, such an isolated species as Si(OAl)₃(OH)₁ was formed from Si(OCH₃)(CH₃)₃. Lack of acidity on this species indicates that the acidity requires the siloxane network.     

Influence of particle size on solid solution formation and phase interfaces in Li0.5FePO4 revealed by 31P and 7Li solid state NMR spectroscopy

Here we report the observation of electron delocalization in nano-dimension xLiFePO(4):(1 - x)FePO(4) (x = 0.5) using high temperature, static, (31)P solid state NMR. The (31)P paramagnetic shift in this material shows extreme sensitivity to the oxidation state of the Fe center. At room temperature two distinct (31)P resonances arising from FePO(4) and LiFePO(4) are observed at 5800 ppm and 3800 ppm, respectively. At temperatures near 400 °C these resonances coalesce into a single narrowed peak centered around 3200 ppm caused by the averaging of the electronic environments at the phosphate centers, resulting from the delocalization of the electrons among the iron centers. (7)Li MAS NMR spectra of nanometre sized xLiFePO(4):(1 - x)FePO(4) (x = 0.5) particles at ambient temperature reveal evidence of Li residing at the phase interface between the LiFePO(4) and FePO(4) domains. Moreover, a new broad resonance is resolved at 65 ppm, and is attributed to Li adjacent to the anti-site Fe defect. This information is considered in light of the (7)Li MAS spectrum of LiMnPO(4), which despite being iso-structural with LiFePO(4) yields a remarkably different (7)Li MAS spectrum due to the different electronic states of the paramagnetic centers. For LiMnPO(4) the higher (7)Li MAS paramagnetic shift (65 ppm) and narrowed isotropic resonance (FWHM ≈ 500 Hz) is attributed to an additional unpaired electron in the t(2g) orbital as compared to LiFePO(4) which has δ(iso) = -11 ppm and a FWHM = 9500 Hz. Only the delithiated phase FePO(4) is iso-electronic and iso-structural with LiMnPO(4). This similarity is readily observed in the (7)Li MAS spectrum of xLiFePO(4):(1 - x)FePO(4) (x = 0.5) where Li sitting near Fe in the 3+ oxidation state takes on spectral features reminiscent of LiMnPO(4). Overall, these spectral features allow for better understanding of the chemical and electrochemical (de)lithiation mechanisms of LiFePO(4) and the Li-environments generated upon cycling.     

Lithium Ion Mobility in Lithium Phosphidosilicates: Crystal Structure, 7Li, 29Si,and 31P MAS NMR Spectroscopy,and Impedance Spectroscopy of Li8SiP4 and Li2SiP2

The need to improve electrodes and Li‐ion conducting materials for rechargeable all‐solid‐state batteries has drawn enhanced attention to the investigation of lithium‐rich compounds. The study of the ternary system Li‐Si‐P revealed a series of new compounds, two of which, Li₈SiP₄ and Li₂SiP₂, are presented. Both phases represent members of a new family of Li ion conductors that display Li ion conductivity in the range from 1.15(7)×10^?6 Scm^?1 at 0 °C to 1.2(2)×10^?4 Scm^?1 at 75 °C (Li₈SiP₄) and from 6.1(7)×10^?8 Scm^?1 at 0 °C to 6(1)×10^?6 Scm^?1 at 75 °C (Li₂SiP₂), as determined by impedance measurements. Temperature‐dependent solid‐state ⁷Li NMR spectroscopy revealed low activation energies of about 36 kJ mol^?1 for Li₈SiP₄ and about 47 kJ mol^?1 for Li₂SiP₂. Both compounds were structurally characterized by X‐ray diffraction analysis (single crystal and powder methods) and by ⁷Li, ²⁹Si, and ³¹P MAS NMR spectroscopy. Both phases consist of tetrahedral SiP₄ anions and Li counterions. Li₈SiP₄ contains isolated SiP₄ units surrounded by Li atoms, while Li₂SiP₂ comprises a three‐dimensional network based on corner‐sharing SiP₄ tetrahedra, with the Li ions located in cavities and channels.