Understanding the structural properties of a dendrimeric material directly from powder X-ray diffraction data

Complete structure determination of an early-generation dendrimeric material has been carried out directly from powder X-ray diffraction data, using the direct-space genetic algorithm technique for structure solution followed by Rietveld refinement. This work represents the first application of modern direct-space techniques for structure determination from powder X-ray diffraction data in the case of a dendrimeric material and paves the way for the future application of this approach to enable complete structure determination of other dendrimeric materials that cannot be prepared as single crystal samples suitable for single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.     

How to determine structures when single crystals cannot be grown: opportunities for structure determination of molecular materials using powder diffraction data

Many crystalline solids cannot be prepared as single crystals of sufficient size and/or quality for structure determination to be carried out using single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. In such cases, when only polycrystalline powders of a material are available, it is necessary instead to tackle structure determination using powder X-ray diffraction. This article highlights recent developments in the opportunities for determining crystal structures directly from powder diffraction data, focusing on the case of molecular solids and giving particular attention to the most challenging stage of the structure determination process, namely the structure solution stage. In particular, the direct-space strategy for structure solution is highlighted, as this approach has opened up new opportunities for the structure determination of molecular solids. The article gives an overview of the current state-of-the-art in structure determination of molecular solids from powder diffraction data. Relevant fundamental aspects of the techniques in this field are described, and examples are given to highlight the application of these techniques to determine crystal structures of molecular materials.     

Phenylboronic acid functionalized SBA-15 for sugar capture

The synthesis and characterization of organic-inorganic hybrid materials that selectively capture sugars from model biomass hydrolysis mixtures are reported. 3-Aminophenylboronic acid (PBA) groups that can reversibly form cyclic esters with 1,2-diols, and 1,3-diols including sugars are attached to mesoporous SBA-15 via different synthetic protocols. In the first route, a coupling agent is used to link PBA and SBA-15, while in the second route poly(acrylic acid) brushes are first grafted from the surface of SBA-15 by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization and PBA is then immobilized. The changes in pore structure, porosity, and pore size due to the loading of organic content are measured by powder X-ray diffraction and nitrogen porosimetry. The increase in organic content after each synthesis step is monitored by thermal gravimetric analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis are used to characterize the chemical compositions of the hybrid materials synthesized. D-(+)-Glucose and D-(+)-xylose, being the most commonly present sugars in biomass, are chosen to evaluate the sugar adsorption capacity of the hybrid materials. It is found that the sugar adsorption capacity is determined by the loading of boronic acid groups on the hybrid materials, and the hybrid material synthesized via route two is much better than that through route one for sugar adsorption. Mathematical modeling of the adsorption data indicates that the Langmuir model best describes the sugar adsorption behavior of the hybrid material synthesized through route one, while the Freundlich model fits the data most satisfactorily for the hybrid material prepared via route two. The adsorption kinetics, reusability, and selectivity toward some typical chemicals in cellulose acidic hydrolysis mixtures are also investigated.     

Contemporary Advances in the Use of Powder X-Ray Diffraction for Structure Determination

Many crystalline solids cannot be prepared in the form of single crystals of sufficient size and/or quality for investigation using single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, and the opportunity to carry out structure determination using powder diffraction data is therefore essential to understand the structural properties of such materials. Although the refinement stage of the structure determination process can be carried out fairly routinely from powder diffraction data using the Rietveld profile refinement technique, solving crystal structures directly from powder data is associated with several intrinsic difficulties. Nevertheless, substantial progress has been made in recent years in the scope and potential of techniques in this field. This article aims to highlight the types of structural problems for which structure determination may now be tackled directly from powder diffraction data, and contemporary applications across several chemical disciplines are presented. A brief survey of the underlying methodologies is given, with some emphasis on recently developed techniques for carrying out the structure-solution stage of the structure-determination process.     

Mechanochemical Complexation between Deoxycholic Acid and Salicylic Acid

A complex between deoxycholic acid (DCA) and salicylic acid (SA) was prepared by grinding and coprecipitation methods. The resultant complex was characterized by means of powder X-ray diffractometry, IR spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The stoichiometry (DCA : SA 1 : 1) of the complex obtained by grinding was identical to that obtained by coprecipitation. The powder X-ray diffraction pattern of the DCA–SA complex differed from the typical pattern of DCA–guest complexes such as DCA–camphor and DCA–phenanthrene complexes. IR spectra suggested that a different kind of hydrogen bonding was formed in the crystal of the DCA–SA complex, compared with the other DCA–guest complexes. This was in good agreement with data from the crystal structure.     

Structure-reactivity correlations for solid-state enantioselective photochemical reactions established directly from powder X-ray diffraction

A prerequisite for the development of structure-reactivity correlations for photoreactive crystalline materials is to have detailed knowledge of the structural properties of the reactant crystalline phase. In some cases, however, the materials of interest can be prepared only as microcrystalline powders and are not amenable to structural characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This paper demonstrates the utility of modern powder X-ray diffraction techniques for obtaining structural understanding in such cases, leading to the development of structure-reactivity correlations. In particular, a series of three photoreactive organic salts are considered, which undergo the same photochemical asymmetric reaction but with high enantiomeric excess in two cases and low enantiomeric excess in the other case. The structural properties of the three salts determined from powder X-ray diffraction data are shown to provide a direct rationalization of these observations.     

The 136-atom structure of ZrP2O7 and HfP2O7 from powder diffraction data

There has been considerable debate in the literature about the true room-temperature structure of ZrP2O7 and related materials. In this article we describe how a combination of information from solid-state 31P NMR and powder diffraction data can be used to determine the structure of this 136 unique-atom material. The structure has been solved using a combination of simulated annealing and Rietveld refinement performed simultaneously on X-ray and neutron diffraction data. Despite the close to cubic metric symmetry of the material, we show how its true orthorhombic structure (space group Pbca) can be refined to a high degree of precision.     

利用珍珠岩尾粉制备发泡材料

以信阳珍珠岩尾粉、凝灰岩为主要原料,石墨为发泡剂,添加适量废玻璃粉、添加剂,在不同的温度下烧制成发泡材料.利用热分析仪分析了混合料的发泡温度,用x射线衍射仪、压力试验机等对样品进行结构表征和性能测试.结果表明:珍珠岩尾粉凝灰岩发泡材料合适的发泡温度为930?.保温时间为30min,样品密度为0.43g/cm3,抗压强度...     

Microwave assisted preparation of Eu2+-doped Åkermanite Ca2MgSi2O7

A rapid and energy efficient microwave assisted solid state preparative route for europium-doped Åkermanite (Ca₂MgSi₂O₇) has been developed. This method reduces the reaction time and energy needed by more than 90%, compared to the preparation carried out in a conventional furnace. The obtained samples are phase pure as has been determined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data and Rietveld analyses. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to investigate the morphology of the microwave prepared compounds whilst energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was used to verify the elemental composition of the specimens. A systematic investigation of the influence of the utilized microwave setup is presented. Finally, the microwave prepared materials were subject to temperature dependent photoluminescence measurements in order to investigate the thermal quenching of the luminescence.     

Ab initio structure determination of BiPb2VO6 from powder diffraction data

The crystal structure of BiPb2VO6 has been determined from powder diffraction data using a combination of direct methods and the novel approach of applying simulated annealing methods simultaneously to X-ray and neutron data; BiPb2VO6 is a polar, noncentrosymmetric, second harmonic generation active material and its crystal structure is one of the more complex to be solved ab initio from powder diffraction data.     

Solid-state structural properties of 2,4,6-trimethoxybenzene derivatives, determined directly from powder X-ray diffraction data in conjunction with other techniques

Structural properties of 2,4,6-trimethoxybenzaldehyde, 2,4,6-trimethoxybenzyl alcohol and 2,4,6-trimethoxyacetophenone have been determined directly from powder X-ray diffraction data, using the direct-space Genetic Algorithm (GA) technique for structure solution followed by Rietveld refinement. Structural similarities and contrasts within this family of materials are elucidated. The work illustrates the value of utilizing information from other sources, including spectroscopic data and computational techniques, as a means of augmenting the structural knowledge established from the powder X-ray diffraction data.     

Preparation and topotactical oxidation of ScVO3 with bixbyte structure: a low-temperature route to stabilize the new defect fluorite ScVO(3.5) metastable phase

ScVO3 has been prepared by controlled reduction of a ScVO4 precursor under an H2/N2 flow at 1250 degrees C. The crystal structure of this material has been studied at room temperature by Rietveld refinement of high-resolution neutron powder diffraction (NPD) data. Sc3+ and V3+ are distributed at random over the metal sites of a C-M2O3 bixbyite-type structure, space group Ia3, a = 9.6182(1) Angstroms. The thermal analysis of ScVO3 in an air flow shows two subsequent oxidation processes, with a final reversal to ScVO4 above 600 degrees C. An intermediate phase of composition ScVO(3.5), containing V4+ cations, can be isolated by isothermal annealing at 350 degrees C in air. This metastable phase has been identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) as a fluorite-type oxide (space group Fm3m, a = 4.947(2) Angstroms), also showing a random distribution of Sc and V cations over the metal positions. The Rietveld refinement of the ScVO(3.5) structure from powder XRD data in a fluorite structural model yields abnormally high thermal factors for the oxygen atoms, suggesting oxygen mobility in this metastable material.     

单分散磷酸镧纳米棒的可控制备

采用一步水热法在无模板情况下合成了单一形貌和尺寸均匀的磷酸镧纳米棒,产物分散性好.这种合成方法操作简单、能耗低、合成条件可控,并且重复性很好、可大面积合成.用X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)对磷酸镧的形貌、结构以及相组成进行了分析.结果表明:所合成磷酸镧为单斜相独居石结构;纳米棒直径为15 nm,长度约为几百纳米,具有相当高的纵横比,有望在性能方面得到优化;磷酸镧纳米棒为单晶.对影响磷酸镧纳米棒形成的反应条件如水热温度和水热时间进行了研究,并详细研究了其生长过程.提出了磷酸镧纳米棒的可能生长机制是基于纳米颗粒的定向粘附作用.     

Li1-xMxFePO4阴极材料的合成和电化学性能

应用聚丙烯酸盐热解法合成掺杂Cr3+或Mg2+、Mn2+、Ni2+的LiFePO4正极材料,研究掺杂离子对目标化合物电化学性质的影响.XRD和SEM实验表明,该材料微米级颗粒是由约200nm的粒子团聚而成的,具有橄榄石型结构,且未出现杂质相.电化学测试表明,掺Cr3+的LiFePO4在高倍率(3C)放电下的首周放电容量为97mAh/g,相当于0.15C率容量的66%,其循环性能优异,充分显示离子掺杂能显著改善材料的高倍率放电性能和循环性能.     

Synthesis and characterization of boron nitride sponges as a novel support for metal nanoparticles

This paper describes a simple synthetic route for the synthesis of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) powders with high specific surface area, in which BBr3, NH4Cl and Al powders are used as starting materials. The structure and composition of the powders were characterized by electron diffraction, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the selected area. X-ray diffraction shows wide peaks of crystalline h-BN with the particle size on the nanometer scale, and transmission electron microscopy reveals that the products have a novel spongy morphology. Silver nanoparticles loaded h-BN sponges were prepared via a one-step synthesis method. Different reaction conditions for the formation of h-BN sponges were also investigated.     

Standard molar enthalpy of formation of the ZnO nanosheets

ZnO nanosheets were prepared by a facile microemulsion-mediated hydrothermal route, and were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. As nano ZnO and bulk ZnO possess the same reaction essence, the relationship between standard molar enthalpies of formation of nano ZnO and bulk ZnO was built by designing a novel thermochemical cycle. Combined with microcalorimetry, standard molar enthalpy of formation of the as-prepared ZnO nanosheets at 298.15?K was successfully acquired as (?333.50?±?0.29) kJ?mol^?1. It is an effective strategy for standard molar enthalpies of formation of nano materials through building the relationship with its corresponding bulk material.     

锡基复合氧化物的高能球磨法制备及其电化学性能

随着锂离子电池的发展,人们越来越多地要求可充锂离子电池电极材料具有更高的容量.许多研究小组正致力于寻找和开发能够取代现有碳材料(理论最大比容量为372 mAh·g-1)的新型负极材料[1].锡氧化物基材料由于其高的储锂容量和低的锂离子脱嵌平台电压倍受人们关注,有望作为新一代锂离子电池负极材料[2～5].通过在线X-射线研究,Courtney等[4,5]提出了这类材料作为锂离子电池负极材料的两步反应机理:在首次放电过程中,锡氧化物被不可逆地还原成金属锡,同时生成氧化锂;随后,金属锡与锂发生可逆的合金化与去合金化反应,用反应式表示如下:     

Clay pigment structure characterisation as a guide for provenance determination—a comparison between laboratory powder micro-XRD and synchrotron radiation XRD

Application of X-ray diffraction (XRD)-based techniques in the analysis of painted artworks is not only beneficial for indisputable identification of crystal constituents in colour layers, but it can also bring insight in material crystal structure, which can be affected by their geological formation, manufacturing procedure or secondary changes. This knowledge might be helpful for art historic evaluation of an artwork as well as for its conservation. By way of example of kaolinite, we show that classification of its crystal structure order based on XRD data is useful for estimation of its provenance. We found kaolinite in the preparation layer of a Gothic wall painting in a Czech church situated near Karlovy Vary, where there are important kaolin deposits. Comparing reference kaolin materials from eight various Czech deposits, we found that these can be differentiated just according to the kaolinite crystallinity. Within this study, we compared laboratory powder X-ray micro-diffraction (micro-XRD) with synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction analysing the same real sample. We found that both techniques led to the same results.     

Beyond crystallography: the study of disorder, nanocrystallinity and crystallographically challenged materials with pair distribution functions

Studying the structure of disordered and partially ordered materials is notoriously difficult. Recently, significant advances have been made using the atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of powder diffraction data coupled with the use of advanced X-ray and neutron sources and fast computers. Here we summarize some of the more spectacular successes of this technique in studying the structure of complex materials and compounds. Our purpose is to make the PDF analysis technique familiar to the chemical community by describing its methodologies and highlighting its potential in solving structural characterization problems that are intractable by any other technique available to this community e.g. single crystal diffraction, Rietveld refinement of powder diffraction data and extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis (EXAFS).     

Hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of a layered cobalt phenylphosphonate, Co(PhPO3)(H2O)

We report the hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of a layered cobalt phenylphosphonate. Unlike most metal phosphonates reported to date, the structure was solved by single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD). Co(ii) centres are hexa-coordinated by oxygen and the octahedra corner-share into a layer. The layers are capped by phenylphosphonate groups, where the phenyl groups define a hydrophobic bilayer region. The material was also characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometry. The material undergoes an antiferromagnetic transition at a relatively low Néel temperature of 4.0 K, while the Curie-Weiss temperature of -76.5 K reflects the low-dimensionality of the magnetic structure. The effective magnetic moment of 5.01 micro(B) per Co(2+) verifies a high-spin configuration and an octahedral coordination of the metal centres. This layered material was correctly predicted in the literature from powder data, adds to the structural diversity of the cobalt phosphonates, and may be useful as an intercalation or exfoliation compound.