Phase formation, crystal chemistry, and properties in the system Bi2O3-Fe2O3-Nb2O5

Subsolidus phase relations have been determined for the Bi₂O₃-Fe₂O₃-Nb₂O₅ system in air (900-1075 °C). Three new ternary phases were observed—Bi₃Fe_0.5Nb_1.5O₉ with an Aurivillius-type structure, and two phases with approximate stoichiometries Bi₁₇Fe₂Nb₃₁O₁₀₆ and Bi₁₇Fe₃Nb₃₀O₁₀₅ that appear to be structurally related to Bi₈Nb₁₈O₅₇. The fourth ternary phase found in this system is pyrochlore (A₂B₂O₆O′), which forms an extensive solid solution region at Bi-deficient stoichiometries (relative to Bi₂FeNbO₇) suggesting that ≈4-15% of the A-sites are occupied by Fe³⁺. X-ray powder diffraction data confirmed that all Bi-Fe-Nb-O pyrochlores form with positional displacements, as found for analogous pyrochlores with Zn, Mn, or Co instead of Fe. A structural refinement of the pyrochlore 0.4400:0.2700:0.2900 Bi₂O₃:Fe₂O₃:Nb₂O₅ using neutron powder diffraction data is reported with the A cations displaced (0.43 Å) to 96g sites and O′ displaced (0.29 Å) to 32e sites (Bi_1.721Fe_0.190(Fe_0.866Nb_1.134)O₇, Fd3¯m (#227), ). This displacive model is somewhat different from that reported for Bi_1.5Zn_0.92Nb_1.5O_6.92, which exhibits twice the concentration of small B-type cations on the A-sites as the Fe system. Bi-Fe-Nb-O pyrochlores exhibited overall paramagnetic behavior with large negative Curie-Weiss temperature intercepts, slight superparamagnetic effects, and depressed observed moments compared to high-spin, spin-only values. The single-phase pyrochlore with composition Bi_1.657Fe_1.092Nb_1.150O₇ exhibited low-temperature dielectric relaxation similar to that observed for Bi_1.5Zn_0.92Nb_1.5O_6.92; at 1 MHz and 200 K the relative permittivity was 125, and above 350 K conductive effects were observed.     

Subsolidus phase equilibria and properties in the system Bi2O3:Mn2O3±x:Nb2O5

Subsolidus phase relations have been determined for the Bi-Mn-Nb-O system in air (750-900 °C). Phases containing Mn²⁺, Mn³⁺, and Mn⁴⁺ were all observed. Ternary compound formation was limited to pyrochlore (A₂B₂O₆O′), which formed a substantial solid solution region at Bi-deficient stoichiometries (relative to Bi₂(Mn,Nb)₂O₇) suggesting that ≈14-30% of the A-sites are occupied by Mn (likely Mn²⁺). X-ray powder diffraction data confirmed that all Bi-Mn-Nb-O pyrochlores form with structural displacements, as found for the analogous pyrochlores with Mn replaced by Zn, Fe, or Co. A structural refinement of the pyrochlore 0.4000:0.3000:0.3000 Bi₂O₃:Mn₂O_3±x:Nb₂O₅ using neutron powder diffraction data is reported with the A and O′ atoms displaced (0.36 and 0.33 Å, respectively) from ideal positions to 96g sites, and with Mn²⁺ on A-sites and Mn³⁺ on B-sites (Bi_1.6Mn²⁺_0.4(Mn³⁺_0.8Nb_1.2)O₇, (?227), a=10.478(1) Å); evidence of A or O′ vacancies was not found. The displacive disorder is crystallographically analogous to that reported for Bi_1.5Zn_0.92Nb_1.5O_6.92, which has a similar concentration of small B-type ions on the A-sites. EELS spectra for this pyrochlore were consistent with an Mn oxidation between 2+ and 3+. Bi-Mn-Nb-O pyrochlores exhibited overall paramagnetic behavior with negative Curie-Weiss temperature intercepts, slight superparamagnetic effects, and depressed observed moments compared to high-spin, spin-only values. At 300 K and 1 MHz the relative dielectric permittivity of Bi_1.600Mn_1.200Nb_1.200O₇ was ≈128 with tan δ=0.05; however, at lower frequencies the sample was conductive which is consistent with the presence of mixed-valent Mn. Low-temperature dielectric relaxation such as that observed for Bi_1.5Zn_0.92Nb_1.5O_6.92 and other bismuth-based pyrochlores was not observed. Bi-Mn-Nb-O pyrochlores were readily obtained as single crystals and also as textured thin films using pulsed laser deposition.     

Das chlorsilylsubstituierte Silanimin Bu2SiNSiClBu2

In the thermolysis of the silaterazolines silatetrazoline ^tBu₂SiNSiCl^tBu₂ · ^tBu₃SiN₃ the silanimine ^tBu₂SiNSiCl^tBu₂ and the silyl azide ^tBu₃SiN₃ are formed quantitatively. The silanimine ^tBu₂SiNSiCl^tBu₂ has been trapped with Et₃NHF, Me₃NHCl, water, 1-butene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, isobutene, methylvinyl ether, and ^tBu₂SiClN₃. The structure of the disiloxane (^tBu₂SiCl-NH-Si^tBu₂)₂O and of the bis(di-tert-butylchlorsilyl)-substituted silatetrazoline ^tBu₂SiNSiCl^tBu₂ · ^tBu₂SiClN₃ has been determined by X-ray structure analysis.     

Vapor phase hydrofluorination of acetylene to vinyl fluoride over La2O3-Al2O3 catalysts

A series of La-doped Al₂O₃ catalysts were prepared and tested for the vapor phase hydrofluorination of C₂H₂ to vinyl fluoride (CH₂CHF, VF). It was found that the La-doped catalyst gave a stable catalytic performance and a higher selectivity to the desired VF and a lower selectivity to coke deposition compared with the pure Al₂O₃ catalyst. The enhancement in VF selectivity on the La-doped catalyst was due to the elimination of acidic sites on the Al₂O₃ surface by the addition of La₂O₃, evidenced by NH₃-TPD results, which could also explain the declined selectivity to coke deposition on the catalyst. Raman result indicated there were two different vibration forms of CH distortion and CC expansion for the coke deposition.     

P-Modular bis(phosphines) based on the 1,2-trans-disubstituted cyclopentane framework in synthesis, coordination chemistry, and catalysis

The review describes a class of versatile bidentate phosphines having a homochiral 1,2-disubstituted cyclopentane backbone, the use of such ligands in coordination chemistry, and their application in transition metal-catalyzed synthesis, including CH activation, CC coupling, CC hydrogenation, and hydroformylation. In particular, the synthetic potential of the multi-purpose PH and PCl reagents (R,R)- and (S,S)-C₅H₈(PX₂)₂ (X = H, Cl) is highlighted, since these open up the possibility to incorporate virtually any other PO-, PN- or PC-bonded residue (“module”) into the homochiral bis(phosphine) framework. The resulting chelate ligands allow access to transition metal catalysts with stereodiscriminating properties determined by parameters such as (i) the presence of P-substituents that are equal or pairwise different in steric demand, (ii) the spatial orientation of such substituents with respect to the coordination plane of the catalyst complex, and (iii) the combination of C- and P-chirogenic stereoelements in matched (or mismatched) fashion. A comparative discussion of the crystal structures that are currently available for the free ligands and their transition metal complexes is also presented.     

Solvent and phosphine dependency in the reaction of cis-RuCl2(P-P)2 (P-P = dppm or dppe) with terminal alkynes

Reaction of cis-[RuCl₂(dppm)₂] (dppm = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)methane) with PhCCH and NaPF₆ utilising methanol as solvent results in the formation of the η³-butenynyl complex [Ru(η³-PhCCCCHPh)(dppm)₂][PF₆] in good yield. Similar reactions with Bu^tCCH and PrⁿCCH resulted in the corresponding alkyl-substituted complexes and all three of these compounds have been characterised by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The mechanism of this reaction has been probed by employing labelling experiments with both PhCCD and PhC¹³CH allowing the identity of possible intermediates in the reaction to be determined. Furthermore, [Ru(η³-PhCCCCHPh)(dppm)₂][PF₆] has been shown to be an effective regio- and stereo-selective catalyst for the dimerisation of PhCCH to Z-PhCCCHCHPh in the absence of solvent. In contrast, no evidence for the formation of alkyne coupling was obtained from the reaction of cis-[RuCl₂(dppe)₂] (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) with PhCCH and NaPF₆.     

Chemical twinning of the pyrochlore structure in the system Bi2O3-Fe2O3-Nb2O5

New ternary bismuth iron niobates having structures based on chemical twinning of pyrochlore are described. Bi_5.67Nb₁₀FeO₃₅ has hexagonal symmetry, P6₃/mmc, , , Z=2 and Bi_9.3Nb_16.9Fe_1.1O_57.8 has rhombohedral symmetry, R-3m, , , Z=3. The structures of both phases were determined and refined to R₁=0.04 using single-crystal X-ray data. They can be described as being derived from the pyrochlore structure by chemical twinning on (111)_py oxygen planes. The chemical twin operation produces pairs of corner-connected hexagonal tungsten bronze (HTB) layers as in the HTB structure, so the structures may alternatively be described as pyrochlore:HTB unit-cell intergrowth structures. In the hexagonal phase the pyrochlore blocks have a width of 12 Å, whereas the rhombohedral phase has pyrochlore blocks of two widths, 6 and 12 Å, alternating with HTB blocks. It is proposed that the previously reported binary 4Bi₂O₃:9Nb₂O₅ phase has a related structure containing pyrochlore blocks all of width 6 Å. A feature of the structures is partial occupancy (∼65%) of the Bi sites and displacement of the Bi atoms from the ideal pyrochlore A sites towards the surrounding oxygen atoms, as observed in Bi-containing pyrochlores.     

Molecular structure and IR absorption spectra of perfluorinated aldehyde hydrates (n-CxF2x+1CH(OH)2, x = 1-4)

Structures and IR absorption spectra of the conformational isomers of perfluorinated aldehyde hydrates, n-C_xF_2x+1CH(OH)₂, (x = 1-4) have been calculated using density functional theory (DFT) and compared to experimental FT-IR measurements. Two absorption peaks around 3600-3700 cm⁻¹ were observed and are assigned to OH stretching modes of OH groups with, and without, intramolecular hydrogen bonding. For n-C₃F₇CH(OH)₂, two absorption bands around 900-1000 cm⁻¹ were observed in the experimental spectra, whereas only a single in-phase stretching mode of the (CF₃)(C₂F₄CH(OH)₂) and (C₃F₇)(CH(OH)₂) bonds was calculated for each conformer. The experimental spectra were well described by composite spectra of the thermal equilibrium mixture of different conformational isomers of n-C_xF_2x+1CH(OH)₂ calculated by DFT.     

Thermodynamics of BaNd2Fe2O7(s) and BaNdFeO4(s) in the system BaNdFeO

Two compounds, BaNd₂Fe₂O₇(s) and BaNdFeO₄(s) in the quaternary system BaNdFeO were prepared by citrate-nitrate gel combustion route and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. Heat capacities of these two oxides were measured in two different temperature ranges: (i) 130-325 K and (ii) 310-845 K, using a heat flux type differential scanning calorimeter. Two different types of solid-state electrochemical cells with CaF₂(s) as the solid electrolyte were employed to measure the e.m.f. as a function of temperature. The standard molar Gibbs energies of formation of these quaternary oxides were calculated as a function of temperature from the e.m.f. data. The standard molar enthalpies of formation from elements at 298.15 K, ΔfHm° (298.15 K) and the standard entropies, Sm° (298.15 K) of these oxides were calculated by the second law method. The values of ΔfHm° (298.15 K) and Sm° (298.15 K) obtained for BaNd₂Fe₂O₇(s) are: −2756.9 kJ mol⁻¹ and 234.0 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ whereas those for BaNdFeO₄(s) are: −2061.5 kJ mol⁻¹ and 91.6 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹, respectively.     

Synthesis and characterization of phenylacetylene-terminated poly(silyleneethynylene-4,4′-phenylethereneethynylene)s

Two kinds of phenylacetylene-terminated poly(silyleneethynylene-4,4′-phenylethereneethynylene)s, {C₆H₅CC[Si(R)₂CCC₆H₄OC₆H₄CC]_nC₆H₅} wherein R represents methyl or phenyl, were synthesized by condensation reaction between dichlorosilanes and 4,4′-diethynyldiphenyl ether using organomagnesium reagents. The polymers were characterized by NMR, IR, gel permeation chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scattering calorimetry.     

Preparation of soluble functional polymers by modification of nanosized polyacetylene

The reaction of electrophilic reagents such as halogens, nitric and sulfuric acids, and sulfur dioxide with nanosized stereoregular polyacetylene was studied. Polymers with chlorine content as much as 65% were obtained and the MW properties of the polymers were found to depend on the structure of pristine polyacetylene prepared under various conditions. The reaction between nitric acid and stereoregular polyacetylene occurred to give first [CH(NO₂)CHCHCH(OH)]_n while the totally nitrated product [CH(NO₂)CH(ONO₂)]_n was obtained with nitrogen content of 18.3% after complete nitration. GPC, NMR- and IR-spectroscopy were used for structural and MWD analysis of the original polyacetylene and obtained products. The mechanism of the reaction between electrophilic reagents and polyacetylene is discussed on the basis of the experimental and literature data.     

Synthesis of novel highly heat-resistant fluorinated silane coupling agents

Novel fluorinated silane coupling agents with a biphenyl structure, C_nF_2n+1(C₆H₄)₂CH₂CH₂Si(OCH₃)₃ (n = 4, 6, and 8), were synthesized with the aim to improve the heat-resistance, oxidation-resistance, and acid-resistance of the surface modified with a common fluorinated silane coupling agent. Alcohols, Rf(C₆H₄)₂CH(OH)CH₃, were obtained by reducing the intermediates, Rf(C₆H₄)₂COCH₃, the products of the reaction of 4-acetyl-4′-bromobiphenyl with perfluoroalkyl iodides in the presence of copper powder. The reaction of the alcohols with phosphorus tribromide gave olefins, Rf(C₆H₄)₂CHCH₂, which were then allowed to react with tetramethoxysilane in the presence of hexachloroplatinate(IV) catalyst to yield novel fluorinated silane coupling agents with a biphenyl structure. The coupling agents with four and six carbon atoms in their fluorocarbon chains were obtained as a colorless liquid while that with 8 carbon atoms was a white gel. Evaluations were made of the coupling agents using surfaces modified with them in terms of water contact angles, heat-resistance, oxidation-resistance, and acid-resistance. The agents behaved similarly to the conventional fluorinated silane coupling agents with respect to water contact angles, oxidation-resistance, and acid-resistance, whereas the former showed an extremely higher heat-resistance (up to 350 °C). In addition, C₆H₅C₆H₄CH₂CH₂Si(OCH₃)₃ and CH₃(C₆H₄)₂CH₂CH₂Si(OCH₃)₃ with no fluoroalkyl group were synthesized and the heat-resistance of glass surfaces modified with these compounds was examined.     

Synthesis and characterization of three new fluorovanadate complexes: N(C2H5)4[VOF4], N(CH3)4[VOF3Cl], N(C4H9)4[VOF3Br] and theoretical calculations of VOF4, VOF3Cl and VOF3Br ions

The reaction of VOF₃ with (C₂H₅)₄NF, (CH₃)₄NCl and (C₄H₉)₄NBr salts in anhydrous CH₃CN produced new complexes with the anion general formula [VOF₃X]⁻ in that (X = F⁻, Cl⁻, Br⁻). These were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV/Visible and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. The optimized geometries and frequencies of the stationary point are calculated at the B3LYP/6-311G level of theory. Theoretical results showed that the VX (X = F, Cl, Br) bond length values for the [VOF₃X]⁻ in compounds 1-3 are 1.8247, 2.4031 and 2.5595 Å, respectively. Also, the VF₅ bond length values in [VOF₃X]⁻ are 1.824, 1.812 and 1.802 Å, respectively. These results reveal that the bond order for VX bonds decrease from compounds 1 to 3, while for VF₅ bonds, the bond orders increase. It can be concluded that the decrease of VX bonds lengths and the increase of VF₅ bond lengths in compounds 1-3 result from the increase of the hyperconjugation from compounds 1 to 3. Harmonic vibrational frequencies and infrared intensities for VOF₄⁻, VOF₃Cl⁻ and VOF₃Br⁻ are studied by means of theoretical and experimental methods. The calculated frequencies are in reasonable agreement with the experiment values. These data can be used in models of phosphoryl transfer enzymes because vanadate can often bind to phosphoryl transfer enzymes to form a trigonal-bipyramidal structure at the active site.     

On the reactivity of [IrCl(N2)(PPh3)2] with alkynylsilanes - A new route to vinylidene iridium(I) complexes

The iridium dinitrogen complex [IrCl(N₂)(PPh₃)₂] (1) was found to react with alkynylsilanes to form the vinylidene iridium(I) complexes trans- (R/R′ = Ph/Me, 2; Me/Me, 3; Bn/Me, 4; SiMe₃/Me, 5; SiEt₃/Et, 6; ⁱPr/Me, 7) and with Me₃SiCCC(O)R to yield the iridium η²-alkyne complexes trans-[IrCl{η²-Me₃SiCCC(O)R}(PPh₃)₂] (R = OEt, 9; Me, 11). Complex 9 was found to isomerize upon heating or upon UV irradiation yielding the vinylidene complex trans-[IrCl{CC(SiMe₃)CO₂Et}(PPh₃)₂] (10). The reaction of 1 with Me₃SiCCCCSiMe₃ yielded the complex trans-[IrCl{CC(SiMe₃)CCSiMe₃}(PPh₃)₂] (8), whereas with MeO₂CCCCO₂Me the iridacyclopentadiene complex [Ir{C₄(CO₂Me)₄}Cl(PPh₃)₂] (13) was formed. The complexes were characterized by means of ¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy as well as by IR spectroscopy and microanalysis.     

The disordered structures and low temperature dielectric relaxation properties of two misplaced-displacive cubic pyrochlores found in the Bi2O3-MO-Nb2O5 (M=Mg, Ni) systems

The disordered structures and low temperature dielectric relaxation properties of Bi_1.667Mg_0.70Nb_1.52O₇ (BMN) and Bi_1.67Ni_0.75Nb_1.50O₇ (BNN) misplaced-displacive cubic pyrochlores found in the Bi₂O₃-M^IIO-Nb₂O₅ (M=Mg, Ni) systems are reported. As for other recently reported Bi-pyrochlores, the metal ion vacancies are found to be confined to the pyrochlore A site. The B₂O₆ octahedral sub-structure is found to be fully occupied and well-ordered. Considerable displacive disorder, however, is found associated with the O′A₂ tetrahedral sub-structure in both cases. The A-site ions were displaced from Wyckoff position 16d (, , ) to 96 h (, , ) while the O′ oxygen was shifted from position 8b (, , ) to Wyckoff position 32e (, , ). The refined displacement magnitudes off the 16d and 8b sites for the A and O′ sites were 0.408 Å/0.423 Å and 0.350 Å/0.369 Å for BMN/BNN, respectively.     

Synthesis and structural studies of cation-substituted Aurivillius phases ASrBi2Nb2TiO12

We report here a novel method to prepare high-quality samples of the three layered oxides ASrBi₂Nb₂TiO₁₂ACa, Sr or Ba using the pre-formed intermediates ABi₂Nb₂O₉ and SrTiO₃. The room temperature structures were refined using synchrotron X-ray and Neutron powder diffraction data in the orthorhombic space group B2cb. This symmetry arises as a consequence of cooperative tilting of the BO₆ octahedra in the [ASrNb₂TiO₁₀]²⁻ perovskite-like slabs and a polar displacement of the cations. The structure is characterized by extensive cation disorder but lacks appreciable oxygen vacancies.