Mn(I) in an extended oxide: the synthesis and characterization of La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(2+δ) (0.6 ≤ x ≤ 1)

Reduction of La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(3) (0.6 ≤ x ≤ 1) perovskite phases with sodium hydride yields materials of composition La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(2+δ). The calcium-rich phases (x = 0.9, 1) adopt (La(0.9)Ca(0.1))(0.5)Mn(0.5)O disordered rocksalt structures. However local structure analysis using reverse Monte Carlo refinement of models against pair distribution functions obtained from neutron total scattering data reveals lanthanum-rich La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(2+δ) (x = 0.6, 0.67, 0.7) phases adopt disordered structures consisting of an intergrowth of sheets of MnO(6) octahedra and sheets of MnO(4) tetrahedra. X-ray absorption data confirm the presence of Mn(I) centers in La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(2+δ) phases with x < 1. Low-temperature neutron diffraction data reveal La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(2+δ) (x = 0.6, 0.67, 0.7) phases become antiferromagnetically ordered at low temperature.     

X-Ray spectra and electronic correlations of FeSe(1-x)Te(x)

Critical issues concerning emerging Fe-based superconductors include the degree of electron correlation and the origin of the superconductivity. X-Ray absorption spectra (XAS) and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectra (RIXS) of FeSe(1-x)Te(x) (x = 0-1) single crystals were obtained to study their electronic properties that relate to electron correlation and superconductivity. The linewidth of Fe L(2,3)-edges XAS of FeSe(1-x)Te(x) is narrower than that of Fe-pnictides, revealing the difference between their hybridization effects and localization character and those of other Fe-pnictides. While no significant differences exist between the Fe L-edge XAS and RIXS of FeSe(1-x)Te(x) and those of Fe-pnictides, Se K-edge and Te K-edge XAS exhibit substantial edge shift, suggesting that the superconductivity in an Fe-Se superconductor is strongly associated with the ligand states. A comparison of the Se K-edge and Te K-edge spectra reveals that the charge transfer may occur between Se and Te. Given the Coulomb interaction and the bandwidth, the spectral results indicate that FeSe(1-x)Te(x) is unlikely to be a weakly correlated system unlike the Fe-pnictides of the "1111" and "122" families. The spectral results further demonstrate that superconductivity in this class of Fe-based compounds is strongly associated with the ligand 4p hole state.     

Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption spectroscopy on the cathode materials LiMnPO4 and LiMn0.9Fe0.1PO4--a comparative study

We present a study of the charge-state behavior of the Li-ion battery cathode materials Li(x)MnPO(4) and Li(x)Mn(0.9)Fe(0.1)PO(4) using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS). A set of six identical battery cathodes for each material have been cycled and left in different charge states in the range of x = 0.2…1.0 before disassembly in an Ar glove box. Unexpectedly, we find that the Mn 3d-bands are almost inert to the delithiation process, suggesting that Mn ions participate to a very small extent in the charge compensation process. In Li(x)Mn(0.9)Fe(0.1)PO(4) the Fe 3d-band shows much more response to delithiation than the Mn 3d-band. The O 2p-band hybridizes with the bands of the other ions in Li(x)MnPO(4) and Li(x)Mn(0.9)Fe(0.1)PO(4) and thus, indirectly, carries useful information about the effects of delithiation at all ion sites. We conclude that the redox reactions during lithiation/delithiation of these materials are complex and involve repopulation of charges for all constituent elements.     

Experiment investigation of La(1-x)SrxMnO3 by high-resolution X-ray emission and spin-polarized X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Big changes in resistivity along with the changing of local structure in some oxide systems, such as high-temperature superconductors and colossal magnetoresistance system, strongly suggest the need of a systematic investigation of their local electronic and atomic structures. In this work we present the high-resolution X-ray emission spectra and the spin-polarized X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (SPXANES) data at the Mn K-edge in the La(1-x)Sr(x)MnO(3). This experiment is based on a high-resolution large-acceptance crystal analyzer based on Si (111) and optimized for X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. With a spherical bent crystal monochromator, a Mn Kbeta emission spectra with high resolution was obtained with a short collection time and SPXANES spectra of La(1-x)Sr(x)MnO(3) at room temperature were also measured at high temperature.     

Time-dependent DFT studies of metal core-electron excitations in Mn complexes

Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) has been applied to study core excitations from 1s and 2p Mn orbitals in a series of manganese complexes with oxygen and nitrogen donor ligands. The effect of basis set and functional on the excitation energy was evaluated in detail for one complex, Mn(acac)2 x (H2O)2. The results obtained for a range of compounds, namely, [Mn(Im)6]Cl2, Mn(CH3COO)2 x 4 H2O, Mn(acac)3, Mn(SALADHP)2 and [Mn(SALPN)O]2, show good consistency with the data from X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), confirming the relation between the Mn K-edge energy and the oxidation state of the Mn atom. The energies predicted for 2p core excitations show a dependence on the metal oxidation state very similar to that determined experimentally by 1s2p resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) studies for Mn(acac)2 x (H2O)2, Mn(acac)3, and Mn(sal)2(bipy). The reliability of the K-edge energies obtained in the present study indicates that TDDFT can be used in determining the oxidation states of Mn atoms in different computational models of the manganese cluster of photosystem II (PSII).     

Detailed studies of a high-capacity electrode material for rechargeable batteries, Li2MnO3-LiCo(1/3)Ni(1/3)Mn(1/3)O2

Lithium-excess manganese layered oxides, which are commonly described by the chemical formula zLi(2)MnO(3)-(1-z)LiMeO(2) (Me = Co, Ni, Mn, etc.), are of great importance as positive electrode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. In this Article, Li(x)Co(0.13)Ni(0.13)Mn(0.54)O(2-δ) samples are prepared from Li(1.2)Ni(0.13)Co(0.13)Mn(0.54)O(2) (or 0.5Li(2)MnO(3)-0.5LiCo(1/3)Ni(1/3)Mn(1/3)O(2)) by an electrochemical oxidation/reduction process in an electrochemical cell to study a reaction mechanism in detail before and after charging across a voltage plateau at 4.5 V vs Li/Li(+). Changes of the bulk and surface structures are examined by synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). SXRD data show that simultaneous oxygen and lithium removal at the voltage plateau upon initial charge causes the structural rearrangement, including a cation migration process from metal to lithium layers, which is also supported by XAS. This is consistent with the mechanism proposed in the literature related to the Li-excess manganese layered oxides. Oxygen removal associated with the initial charge on the high voltage plateau causes oxygen molecule generation in the electrochemical cells. The oxygen molecules in the cell are electrochemically reduced in the subsequent discharge below 3.0 V, leading to the extra capacity. Surface analysis confirms the formation of the oxygen containing species, such as lithium carbonate, which accumulates on the electrode surface. The oxygen containing species are electrochemically decomposed upon second charge above 4.0 V. The results suggest that, in addition to the conventional transition metal redox reactions, at least some of the reversible capacity for the Li-excess manganese layered oxides originates from the electrochemical redox reaction of the oxygen molecules at the electrode surface.     

In situ XPS studies of perovskite oxide surfaces under electrochemical polarization

An in situ XPS study of oxidation-reduction processes on three perovskite oxide electrode surfaces was carried out by incorporating the materials in an electrochemical cell mounted on a heated sample stage in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber. Electrodes made of powdered LaCr(1-x)Ni(x)O(3-delta) (x = 0.4, 1) showed changes in the XPS features of all elements upon redox cycling between formal Ni3+ and Ni2+ oxidation stoichiometries, indicating the delocalized nature of the electronic states involved and strong mixing of O 2p to Ni 3d levels to form band states. The surface also showed changes in adsorption capacity for CO2 upon reduction as a result of increased nucleophilicity of surface oxygen. Another perovskite oxide, La(0.5)Sr(0.5)CoO(3-delta), laser deposited as highly oriented thin films on (100) oriented yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), also showed evidence of both local and nonlocal effects in the XPS features upon redox cycling. In contrast to LaCr(1-x)Ni(x)O(3-delta), redox cycling mainly affected the XPS features of cobalt with little effect on oxygen. This signifies reduced participation of O 2p states in the conduction band of this material. Small changes in surface cation stoichiometry in this film were observed and attributed to mobility of the A-site Sr dopant under polarization.     

SOLID STATE CHEMISTRY OF La_(1-x)Li_(x)MnO_3 AND RELATED COMPOUND

A series of perovskite type oxides La_(1-x)A_(x)MnO_3(x=0.1 for A=Li,Na,K;x=0.1～0.5 for A=Li)have been prepared by impregnation.Experimental results showed that the substitution of La~(3 ) by Li~ inLaMnO_(3 ?) greatly increased the selectivity to ethane and ethylene for theoxidative coupling of methane.Temperature-programmed desorption of oxygenproved the presence of oxygen vacancies in the oxide lattice.The higher Mn~(4 )/Mn_t ratio in oxide made the formation of oxygen vacancies easier on the oxidesurface.The general formula of the oxides is La_(1-x)Li_(x)Mn＇V＇_(y)O_(3-y),V=vacancy.     

Structural and spectroscopic properties of pure and doped Ba6Ti2Nb8O30 tungsten bronze

Pure and doped Ba(6)Ti(2)Nb(8)O(30) (BTN), obtained by substituting M = Cr, Mn, or Fe on the Ti site (Ba(6)Ti(2-x) M(x)Nb(8)O(30), x = 0.06 and 0.18) and Y and Fe on the Ba and Ti sites, respectively (Ba(6-x)Y(x)Ti(2-x)Fe(x)Nb(8)O(30), x= 0.18), are synthesized. The influence of cation doping on the local structure, the cation oxidation state, and the possible defect formation able to maintain the charge neutrality are investigated by spectroscopic (electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and micro-Raman), structural (X-ray powder diffraction) and transport (impedance spectroscopy, thermoelectric power) measurements, in the temperature range of 300-1200 K in air and N(2) flow. Starting from the valence state of the doping ions (Fe(3+), Cr(3+), and Mn(2+)), determined by EPR, and from thermoelectric power measurements, evidencing a negative charge transport, different charge-compensating defect equilibria, based on the creation of positive electron holes or oxygen vacancies and electrons, are discussed to interpret the conductivity results.     

Electronic structure of phospho-olivines Li(x)FePO4 (x = 0, 1) from soft-x-ray-absorption and -emission spectroscopies

The electronic structure of the phospho-olivine Li(x)FePO4 was studied using soft-x-ray-absorption (XAS) and emission spectroscopies. Characteristic changes in the valence and conduction bands are observed upon delithation of LiFePO4 into FePO4. In LiFePO4, the Fe-3d states are localized with little overlap with the O-2p states. Delithiation of LiFePO4 gives stronger hybridization between Fe-3d states and O-2p states leading to delocalization of the O-2p states. The Fe L-edge absorption spectra yield "fingerprints" of the different valence states of Fe in LiFePO4 and FePO4. Resonant soft-x-ray-emission spectroscopy at the Fe L edge shows strong contributions from resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering (RIXS), which is described using an ionic picture of the Fe-3d states. Together the Fe L-edge XAS and RIXS study reveals a bonding character of the Fe 3d-O2p orbitals in FePO4 in contrast to a nonbonding character in LiFePO4.     

Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption spectroscopy on the negative electrode material Li0.5Ni0.25TiOPO4 in a Li-ion battery

We have studied the first lithiation/delithiation cycle of the Li-ion battery electrode material Li(x)Ni(0.25)TiOPO(4) applying X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS). A set of ten identical Li(x)Ni(0.25)TiOPO(4) battery electrodes have been cycled and left in different states of charge in the range of x = 0.5 … 2.5, before disassembly in an Ar filled glove box. We find that Ni-, Ti-, and O-ions are affected simultaneously, rather than sequentially, upon lithiation of the material. In particular, Ni is reduced from Ni(2+) to Ni(0) but only partially re-oxidized to Ni(1+), again, by delithiation. Overall, there is considerable "crosstalk" between the different atomic species and non-linearity in the response of the electronic structure during the lithiation/delithiation process. Fortuitously, the background variation in Ni L-XAS shows to contain valuable information about solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) creation, showing that the SEI is a function of the degree of lithiation.     

Controlled synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties of Mn(2)O(3) and Mn(3)O(4) nanoparticles supported on mesoporous silica SBA-15

A method established in the present study has proven to be effective in the synthesis of Mn(2)O(3) nanocrystals by the thermolysis of manganese(III) acetyl acetonate ([CH(3)COCH=C(O)CH(3)](3)-Mn) and Mn(3)O(4) nanocrystals by the thermolysis of manganese(II) acetyl acetonate ([CH(3)COCH=C(O)-CH(3)](2)Mn) on a mesoporous silica, SBA-15. In particular, Mn(2)O(3) nanocrystals are the first to be reported to be synthesized on SBA-15. The structure, texture, and electronic properties of nanocomposites were studied using various characterization techniques such as N2 physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results of powder XRD at low angles show that the framework of SBA-15 remains unaffected after generation of the manganese oxide (MnO(x)) nanoparticles, whereas the pore volume and the surface area of SBA-15 dramatically decreased as indicated by N2 adsorption-desorption. TEM images reveal that the pores of SBA-15 are progressively blocked with MnO(x) nanoparticles. The formation of the hausmannite Mn(3)O(4) and bixbyite Mn(2)O(3) structures was clearly confirmed by XRD. The surface structures of MnO(x) were also determined by LRS, XPS, and TPR. The crystalline phases of MnO(x) were identified by LRS with corresponding out-of-plane bending and symmetric stretching vibrations of bridging oxygen species (M-O-M) of both MnO(x) nanoparticles and bulk MnO(x). We also observed the terminal Mn=O bonds corresponding to vibrations at 940 and 974 cm-1 for Mn(3)O(4)/SBA-15 and Mn(2)O(3)/SBA-15, respectively. These results show that the MnO(x) species to be highly dispersed inside the channels of SBA-15. The nanostructure of the particles was further identified by the TPR profiles. Furthermore, the chemical states of the surface manganese (Mn) determined by XPS agreed well with the findings of LRS and XRD. These results suggest that the method developed in the present study resulted in the production of MnO(x) nanoparticles on mesoporous silica SBA-15 by controlling the crystalline phases precisely. The thus-prepared nanocomposites of MnO(x) showed significant catalytic activity toward CO oxidation below 523 K. In particular, the MnO(x) prepared from manganese acetyl acetonate showed a higher catalytic reactivity than that prepared from Mn(NO(3))2.     

锂离子电池正极材料xLi2MnO3·(1-x)Li[Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3]O2的制备及表征

以过渡金属乙酸盐和乙酸锂为原料,柠檬酸为螯合剂,通过溶胶-凝胶法结合高温煅烧法制备了锂离子电池富锂锰基正极材料xLi2MnO3·(1-x)Li[Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3]O2,采用X射线衍射(XRD),扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和电化学性能测试对所得样品的结构,形貌及电化学性能进行了表征.结果表明:x=0.5时,在900°C下煅烧12h得到颗粒均匀细小的层状xLi2MnO3·(1-x)Li[Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3]O2材料,并具有良好的电化学性能,在室温下以20mA·g-1的电流密度充放电,2.0-4.8V电位范围内首次放电比容量高达260.0mAh·g-1,循环40次后放电比容量为244.7mAh·g-1,容量保持率为94.12%.     

Investigation of the charge compensation mechanism on the electrochemically Li-ion deintercalated Li1-xCo1/3Ni1/3Mn1/3O2 electrode system by combination of soft and hard X-ray absorption spectroscopy

In situ hard X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at metal K-edges and soft XAS at O K-edge and metal L-edges have been carried out during the first charging process for the layered Li1-xCo1/3Ni1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode material. The metal K-edge XANES results show that the major charge compensation at the metal site during Li-ion deintercalation is achieved by the oxidation of Ni2+ ions, while the manganese ions and the cobalt ions remain mostly unchanged in the Mn4+ and Co3+ state. These conclusions are in good agreement with the results of the metal K-edge EXAFS data. Metal L-edge XAS results at different charge states in both the FY and PEY modes show that, unlike Mn and Co ions, Ni ions at the surface are oxidized to Ni3+ during charge, whereas Ni ions in the bulk are further oxidized to Ni4+ during charge. From the observation of O K-edge XAS results, we can conclude that a large portion of the charge compensation during Li-ion deintercalation is achieved in the oxygen site. By comparison to our earlier results on the Li1-xNi0.5Mn0.5O2 system, we attribute the active participation of oxygen in the redox process in Li1-xCo1/3Ni1/3Mn1/3O2 to be related to the presence of Co in this system.     

X-ray absorption spectroscopy of Mn/Co/TiO2 Fischer-Tropsch catalysts: relationships between preparation method, molecular structure, and catalyst performance

The effects of the addition of manganese to a series of TiO(2)-supported cobalt Fischer-Tropsch (FT) catalysts prepared by different methods were studied by a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and in situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy at the Co and Mn K-edges. After calcination, the catalysts were generally composed of large Co(3)O(4) clusters in the range 15-35 nm and a MnO(2)-type phase, which existed either dispersed on the TiO(2) surface or covering the Co(3)O(4) particles. Manganese was also found to coexist with the Co(3)O(4) in the form of Co(3-x)Mn(x)O(4) solutions, as revealed by XRD and XAFS. Characterization of the catalysts after H(2) reduction at 350 degrees C by XAFS and TEM showed mostly the formation of very small Co(0) particles (around 2-6 nm), indicating that the cobalt phase tends to redisperse during the reduction process from Co(3)O(4) to Co(0). The presence of manganese was found to hamper the cobalt reducibility, with this effect being more severe when Co(3-x)Mn(x)O(4) solutions were initially present in the catalyst precursors. Moreover, the presence of manganese generally led to the formation of larger cobalt agglomerates ( approximately 8-15 nm) upon reduction, probably as a consequence of the decrease in cobalt reducibility. The XAFS results revealed that all reduced catalysts contained manganese entirely in a Mn(2+) state, and two well-distinguished compounds could be identified: (1) a highly dispersed Ti(2)MnO(4)-type phase located at the TiO(2) surface and (2) a less dispersed MnO phase being in the proximity of the cobalt particles. Furthermore, the MnO was also found to exist partially mixed with a CoO phase in the form of rock-salt Mn(1-x)Co(x)O-type solid solutions. The existence of the later solutions was further confirmed by scanning transmission electron microscopy with electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) for a Mn-rich sample. Finally, the cobalt active site composition in the catalysts after reduction at 300 and 350 degrees C was linked to the catalytic performances obtained under reaction conditions of 220 degrees C, 1 bar, and H(2)/CO = 2. The catalysts with larger Co(0) particles ( approximately >5 nm) and lower Co reduction extents displayed a higher intrinsic hydrogenation activity and a longer catalyst lifetime. Interestingly, the MnO and Mn(1-x)Co(x)O species effectively promoted these larger Co(0) particles by increasing the C(5+) selectivity and decreasing the CH(4) production, while they did not significantly influence the selectivity of the catalysts containing very small Co(0) particles.     

CO氧化反应中H2O对MOx和Au/MOx催化性能的影响

过渡金属氧化物［1,2］及负载型贵金属催化剂［3～13］是催化氧化消除CO的有效催化剂,一直是研究的热点. 虽然对MOx和Au/MOx上CO的氧化性能研究得较多,但大多是在无水条件下进行的;涉及催化剂抗水性能的报道较少［3,9,10］,且仅限于对催化剂活性的研究. Haruta等［3］对Au/Fe2O3,Au/Co3O4和Au/TiO 2等体系开展了一些工作, 认为水对CO氧化活性有促进作用. 本文重点考察了水对MOx(M=Al,Ca,Co,Cr,Cu,Fe,La,Mn,Ni和Zn)催化剂上CO氧化活性的影响,以及水对Au/MOx 催化剂活性及稳定性的影响.     

Study on the reversible electrode reaction of Na(1-x)Ni(0.5)Mn(0.5)O2 for a rechargeable sodium-ion battery

Layered NaNi(0.5)Mn(0.5)O(2) (space group: R ?3m), having an O3-type (α-NaFeO(2) type) structure according to the Delmas' notation, is prepared by a solid-state method. The electrochemical reactivity of NaNi(0.5)Mn(0.5)O(2) is examined in an aprotic sodium cell at room temperature. The NaNi(0.5)Mn(0.5)O(2) electrodes can deliver ca. 105-125 mAh g(-1) at rates of 240-4.8 mA g(-1) in the voltage range of 2.2-3.8 V and show 75% of the initial reversible capacity after 50 charge/discharge cycling tests. In the voltage range of 2.2-4.5 V, a higher reversible capacity of 185 mAh g(-1) is achieved; however, its reversibility is insufficient because of the significant expansion of interslab space by charging to 4.5 V versus sodium. The reversbility is improved by adding fluoroethylene carbonate into the electrolyte solution. The structural transition mechanism of Na(1-x)Ni(0.5)Mn(0.5)O(2) is also examined by an ex situ X-ray diffraction method combined with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The staking sequence of the [Ni(0.5)Mn(0.5)]O(2) slabs changes progressively as sodium ions are extracted from the crystal lattice. It is observed that the original O3 phase transforms into the O'3, P3, P'3, and P3" phases during sodium extraction. XAS measurement proves that NaNi(0.5)Mn(0.5)O(2) consists of divalent nickel and tetravalent manganese ions. As sodium ions are extracted from the oxide to form Na(1-x)Ni(0.5)Mn(0.5)O(2), nickel ions are oxidized to the trivalent state, while the manganese ions are electrochemically inactive as the tetravalent state.     

New mu-oxo octanuclear complexes of 3d elements stabilized by dialkylcarbamato ligands. Synthesis and X-ray crystal and molecular structures

The octanuclear aggregates M(8)(mu(4)-O)(2)(O(2)CN(i)()Pr(2))(12) [M = Mn(II) 1, Co(II) 2, Ni(II) 3] have been prepared in good yields by controlled hydrolysis of the corresponding metal carbamate precursors [M(O(2)CN(i)()Pr(2))(2)](n)(). X-ray analysis has shown compounds 1-3 to be isostructural. The core of 2 contains two distorted [M(4)O] tetrahedra related by an inversion center. The hexanuclear carbamates M(6)(O(2)CNEt(2))(12) in toluene undergo a metal redistribution process with formation of the hexanuclear carbamates M'(x)M' '(6-x)(O(2)CNEt(2))(12), M' = Co, M' ' = Mn, as evidenced by mass-spectrometric data. In the presence of moisture, the mixed octanuclear carbamates Co(x)Mn(6-x)(MnO)(CoO)(O(2)CNEt(2))(12) were promptly formed and detected by DCI/MS measurements. Mass spectral data of Co(8)(mu(4)-O)(2)(O(2)CN(i)Pr(2))(12) are also reported.     

Manganese oxides: parallels between abiotic and biotic structures

A large number of microorganisms are responsible for the oxidation of Mn(2+)((aq)) to insoluble Mn(3+/4+) oxides (MnO(x)()) in natural aquatic systems. This paper reports the structure of the biogenic MnO(x)(), including a quantitative analysis of cation vacancies, formed by the freshwater bacterium Leptothrix discophora SP6 (SP6-MnO(x)()). The structure and the morphology of SP6-MnO(x)() were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), including full multiple-scattering analysis, and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The biogenic precipitate consists of nanoparticles that are approximately 10 nm by 100 nm in dimension with a fibrillar morphology that resembles twisted sheets. The results dem-onstrate that this biogenic MnO(x)() is composed of sheets of edge-sharing of Mn(4+)O(6) octahedra that form layers. The detailed analysis of the EXAFS spectra indicate that 12 +/- 4% of the Mn(4+) layer cation sites in SP6-MnO(x)() are vacant, whereas the analysis of the XANES suggests that the average oxidation state of Mn is 3.8 +/- 0.3. Therefore, the average chemical formula of SP6-MnO(x)() is M(n)()(+)(y)()Mn(3+)(0.12)[ square(0.12)Mn(4+)(0.88)]O(2).zH(2)O, where M(n)()(+)(y)() represents hydrated interlayer cations, square(0.12) represents Mn(4+) cation vacancies within the layer, and Mn(3+)(0.12) represents hydrated cations that occupy sites above/below these cation vacancies.     

Ordered arrays of II/VI diluted magnetic semiconductor quantum wires: formation within mesoporous MCM-41 silica

We present a novel way of synthesising highly ordered arrays of hollow Cd(1-x)Mn(x)S quantum wires with lateral dimensions of 3-4 nm separated by 1-2 nm SiO2 barriers by forming Cd(1-x)Mn(x)S (0 < or = x < or = 1) semiconductors inside the pore system of mesoporous MCM-41 SiO2 host structures. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies reveal the hexagonal symmetry of these arrays (space group p6m) and confirm the high degree of order. Physisorption measurements show the filling of the pores of the MCM-41 SiO2. The X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), electron paramagentic resonance (EPR), and Raman studies confirm the good crystalline quality of the incorporated (Cd,Mn)S guest. The effects of reducing the lateral dimensions on the magnetic and electronic properties of the diluted magnetic semiconductor were studied by photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation spectroscopy and by SQUID and EPR measurements in the temperature range 2-400 K. Due to the quantum confinement of the excitons in the wires, an increase of about 200 meV in the direct band gap was observed. In addition, the p-d hybridisation-related bowing of the band gap as a function of Mn concentration in the wires is much stronger than in the bulk. This effect is related to the increase in the band gap due to quantum confinement, which shifts the p-like valence band edge closer to the 3d-related states of Mn in the valence band. Thus, the p-d hybridisation and the strength of the band gap bowing are increased. Compared to bulk (II,Mn)VI compounds, antiferromagnetic coupling between the magnetic moments of the Mn2+ ions is weaker. For the samples with high Mn concentrations (x > 0.8) this leads to a suppression of the phase transition of the Mn system from paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic. This effect can be explained by the fact that the lateral dimensions of the wires are smaller than the magnetic length scale of the antiferromagnetic ordering.