Proton dynamics in letovicite, (NH4)3H(SO4)2: a 1H and 14N NMR spectroscopic study

The improper ferroelastic phase letovicite (NH₄)₃H(SO₄)₂ has been studied by ¹H MAS NMR as well as by static ¹⁴N NMR experiments in the temperature range of 296–425 K. The ¹H MAS NMR resonance from ammonium protons can be well distinguished from that of acidic protons. A third resonance appears just below the phase transition temperature which is due to the acidic protons in the paraelastic phase. The lowering of the second moment M₂ for the ammonium protons takes place in the same temperature range as the formation of domain boundaries, while the signals of the acidic protons suffer a line narrowing in the area of T_c. The static ¹⁴N NMR spectra confirm the temperature of the motional changes of the ammonium tetrahedra. Two-dimensional ¹H NOESY spectra indicate a chemical exchange between ammonium protons and the acidic protons of the paraphase.     

Microscopic distortion and order parameter in langbeinite K2Cd2(SO4)3

The structural data on the orthorhombic phase of K₂Cd₂(SO₄)₃ at four different temperatures of Abraham et al. (1978) [J. Chem. Phys., 68, 1926] is reanalyzed in terms of frozen symmetry modes. The eigenvector of the primary distortion present in the orthorhombic phase is derived. The temperature variation of the amplitude of the order parameter is determined and compared with those of the amplitude of the frozen secondary distortion and the amplitude of the orthorhombic strain. In contrast with some previous literature, it is shown that, within experimental accuracy, all these magnitudes exhibit the correlation expected from a conventional Landau model.     

1H NMR study of proton dynamics in (NH4)3H(SO4)2

Proton dynamics in (NH₄)₃H(SO₄)₂ has been studied by means of ¹H solid-state NMR. The ¹H magic-angle-spinning (MAS) NMR spectra were traced at room temperature (RT) and at Larmor frequency of 400.13 MHz. ¹H static NMR spectra were measured at 200.13 MHz in the range of 135–490 K. ¹H spin-lattice relaxation times, T₁, were measured at 200.13 and 19.65 MHz in the ranges of 135–490 and 153–456 K, respectively. The ¹H chemical shift for the acidic proton (14.7 ppm) indicates strong hydrogen bonds. In phase III, NH₄⁺ reorientation takes place; one type of NH₄⁺ ions reorients with an activation energy (E_a) of 14 kJ mol^− 1 and the inverse of a frequency factor (τ₀) of 0.85 × 10^− 14 s. In phase II, a very fast local and anisotropic motion of the acidic protons takes place. NH₄⁺ ions start to diffuse translationally, and no proton exchange is observed between NH₄⁺ ions and the acidic protons. In phase I, both NH₄⁺ ions and the acidic protons diffuse translationally. The acidic protons diffuse with parameters of E_a = 27 kJ mol^− 1 and τ₀ = 4.2 × 10^− 13 s. The translational diffusion of the acidic protons is responsible for the macroscopic proton conductivity, as the NH₄⁺ translational diffusion is slow and proton exchange between NH₄⁺ ions and the acidic protons is negligible.     

Proton conductivity and ferroelectric phase transition in hydrogen-bonded ferroelectric NH4IO3

We report on the ac dielectric permittivity (ε) and the electric conductivity (σ_ω), as function of the temperature 300?K?T4IO₃. The main feature of our measured parameters is that, the compound undergoes a ferroelectric phase transition of an improper character, at (368?±?1)K from a high temperature paraelectric phase I (Pm2₁ b) to a low temperature ferroelectric phase II (Pc21n). The electric conduction seems to be protonic. The frequency dependent conductivity has a linear response following the universal power law (σ_{( ω )}?=?A(T)ω ^{s (T)}). The temperature dependence of the frequency exponent s suggests the existence of two types of conduction mechanisms.     

Dielectric properties of the nanoporous MCM-41 matrix filled with the (NH4)2SO4 ferroelectric

Variations with temperature of the linear dielectric permittivity and amplitude of the third harmonic were studied for nanoporous MCM-41 matrices with 4.0-nm channel pores filled with the (NH₄)₂SO₄ ferroelectric, in comparison with bulk ammonium sulfate. The measurements were performed upon heating and cooling in the temperature range from 100 K to room temperature. A noticeable shift to low temperatures (by approximately 25 K) for the ferroelectric phase transition in the MCM-41/(NH₄)₂SO₄ nanocomposite as compared to bulk (NH₄)₂SO₄ was revealed. The temperature hysteresis observed at the phase transition in the nanocomposite was approximately 2 K which is close to that in bulk ammonium sulfate. The significant decrease of the transition temperature in nanostructured ammonium sulfate agrees with the theoretical predictions based on the Landau and Ising models of the size effect on the ferroelectric phase transition in isolated small particles.     

Optical studies of the ferroelastic phase transitions in Rb3H(SeO4)2, (NH4)3H(SO4)2 and (NH4)3H(SeO4)2

Optical observations of growth twins and ferroelastic domains and measurements of the rotation of the optical indicatrix were carried out for Rb₃H(SeO₄)₂ and (NH₄)₃H(SO₄)₂ using an optical microscope. Taking into account the symmetry reduction from the rhombohedral (Rm) to the monoclinic phase (B2/a) the occurrence of domains and growth twins can be well described. The orientations of oblique ferroelastic walls are well determined by the spontaneous strains ^s e ₁₁ and ^s e ₂₃ at room temperature.     

EPR evidence for a weak first order behavior of the ferroelectric transition in (NH4)2SO4

EPR line-broadening effects have been analyzed for the low (∼ 10¹⁰ Hz) rotational fluctuations of NH₃ ⁺ radicals in (NH₄)₂SO₄ crystals near their ferroelectric transition. Critical fluctuations together with coexistence of the paraelectric and ferroelectric phases have been observed and interpreted in terms of a weak first order, Landau-type model for the phase transition.     

Anomalous behavior of the elastic and inelastic properties in the ferroelectric phase of single-crystal (NH4)2SO4

The anomalous changes of the low-frequency elastic and inelastic properties of single-crystal (NH₄)₂SO₄ accompanying the phase transition from the paraelectric to the ferroelectric phase have been studied by the reverse torsion-pendulum method at 223 K and in the temperature region where the spontaneous polarization changes sign. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 2202–2205 (December 1998)     

Proton ENDOR of VO(H2O)5 2+ in Mg(NH4)2(SO4)2)26H2O

ENDOR measurements at 25 K have been used to determine the hyperfine coupling tensors for all ten protons in the VO(H₂O)₅ ²⁺ ion in single crystals of Mg(NH₄)₂(SO₄)₂6H₂O. The traceless components of all the tensors are close to axial and their use in a point dipole treatment enables a very plausible geometrical model of the complex ion to be constructed. Six of the protons in the equatorial water molecules have substantial positive isotropic couplings and it is suggested that these reflect the direct admixture of hydrogen 1s components into the singly occupied orbital.     

Raman and infrared spectral studies of [C(NH2)3]2MII(H2O)4(SO4)2, MII = Mn,Cd and VO

The Raman and FTIR spectra of three metal guanidinium sulfates, [C(NH₂)₃]₂M^II(H₂O)₄(SO₄)₂, (M^II = Mn, Cd and VO), are recorded. The observed spectral bands are assigned in terms of the fundamental modes of vibration of the guanidinium ions, sulfate groups and water molecules. The appearance of the sulfate tetrahedra's ν₁ and ν₂ modes in the IR spectra and the partial lifting of the ν₄ mode in the Raman spectra indicate the distortion of the SO₄²⁻ tetrahedra in the structure, so that its symmetry is lowered from T_d to C₁. The geometry of the sulfate group in guanidinium vanadyl sulfate does not deviate much from that of the average sulfate group. The distortion of the SO₄ tetrahedra is stronger in GuCds than in GuMnS. The CN₃ group in the guanidinium ion is planar (D_3h point group) in GuCdS and GuMnS, whereas it is lowered in the vanadyl compound. Furthermore, the spectral analyses show the presence of weak hydrogen bonds in the structures. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vibrational Spectra of [Zn(15NH3)4] (ReO4)2 and [Cd(NH3)4] (ReO4)2 With 110Cd/116Cd and H/D Isotopic Substitution

The infrared spectra of the zinc tetraammine with ¹⁵N, and cadmium tetraammine perrhenates with ¹¹⁰Cd/¹¹⁶Cd and H/D isotopic substitution, provides useful data in determining skeletal pseudo - exact force constants. An approximate set of force constants in the F₂ symmetry class for the whole complexes were obtained.     

The infrared spectra of tutton salts 1. A comparative study of (NH4)2 M″(SO4)2·6H2O (M″=Ni,Co or Mg)

The infrared spectra of (NH₄)₂M″(SO₄)₂.6H₂O has been analysed in the region 4000–250 cm⁻¹. The dynamics of each crystal has been discussed in terms of 234 phonon modes, including 3 acoustical ones, using the unit cell approximation. The ambiguity in the assignments of the bands in the region 900–500 cm⁻¹ has been removed by assigning the bands in this region to the libratory modes of H₂O molecules. It has been concluded that the NH ₄ ⁺ and SO ₄ ²⁻ ions have a symmetry lower thanT _dand also the complex [M″(H₂O)₆]²⁺ has a symmetry lower than O _h . The hydrogen bonding is the strongest in the Ni-salt and the weakest in the Mg-salt.     

An EPR study of a triplet state center in (NH4)2SO4

Heating ammonium sulphate to near its dissociation temperature and then quenching to room temperature produces a stable triplet state center that is identified as NH₂⁺. The symmetry of the EPR spectra indicates that the center is located in two non equivalent sites with each of these sites having slightly different EPR parameters and two measurably differents orientations. Thus the center is apparently occupying the positions of the NH₄⁺ groups in the perfect lattice. A study is made of this center both at room temperature and also well below the ferroelectric phase transition of (NH₄)₂SO₄. It is found that above and below the transition temperature (?50°C) there is very little temperature dependence of the EPR spectra but at the phase transition there is an abrupt change in the spectra. The number of detectable centers doubles below the phase transition indicating that the inversion symmetry of the NH₂⁺ sites is eliminated at the transition temperature.     

On the low temperature phase transition in (NH4)2SO4

An ultracryostat and multidecameter were used to determine the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant ?′ and dielectric loss ?″ over a wide range of frequencies of single crystals and polycrystalline samples of (NH₄)₂SO₄ in the region of the low temperature phase transition. A sharp increase was observed in the values of ?′ and ?″ at about ?50°C. In addition, a dielectric dispersion was detected and found to be more pronounced in the high temperature phase. This dispersion was attributed to piezoelectric resonance. The observed sudden increase in the values of the dielectric constant and dielectric loss below ? 50°C was attributed to the ferroelectric nature of the low temperature phase of (NH₄)₂SO₄.A DTA thermogram showed a sharp peak at ? 50°C which indicated that the phase transition is one of first order type. A TMA thermogram showed that this transformation was associated with a rapid increase in the expansion coefficient. Such an increase in the lattice parameter might be attributed to the enhanced rotation of electric dipoles associated with the distorted NH₄⁺ and SO₄^2? ions. The distortion of both the ammonium and sulfate ions in addition to their expected orientational motion are suggested to be responsible for the ferroelectric behaviour of ammonium sulfate below ?50°C.A transition to a metastable hexagonal state at about ?40°C is thought to occur, and this transformation is found to be irreversible.     

Mössbauer study of (NH4)2FeCl5.H2O

We report Mössbauer data between 1.3K and 300K, with applied fields of up to 10T at 4.2K, of (NH₄)₂FeCl₅.H₂O. We found no evidence of a reported structural phase change just above T_N(～7.3K), nor did we see any spin reorientation just below T_N. The V₂₂ axis was found to be in the ac plane at ～17° to the a axis and the spins, below T_N, were found to be approximately parallel to the a axis. The spin reorientation in applied field occured gradually between 0T and 5T; this and previously reported susceptibilty data have led to the hypothesis that (NH₄)₂FeCl₅.H₂O is a weak ferromagnet.     

Neutron diffraction study of ammonium tartrate (NH4)2C4H4O6

A neutron diffraction study of ammonium tartrate has been carried out. Using the diffractometer in symmetrical setting, intensities of 750 reflections have been measured. The positions of all the hydrogen atoms have been determined. A good agreement is noticed between the present neutron and the earlier x-ray heavy atom parameters. The tartrate ion consists of two nearly identical planar halves, with an interplanar angle of 62°. Tre structure is stabilized by a net-work of hydrogen bonds. Details of hydrogen bonding and the ammonium ions environment are discussed.