Crystal and molecular structures of 1,1′-di-tert-butylnickelocene (η5-C5H4C4H 9 t )2Ni in the temperature range 143–243 K: Thermal motion in the crystal

The crystal structure of 1,1′-di-tert-butylnickelocene is studied by the X-ray diffraction technique in the temperature range 143–243 K. The crystals are monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, Z = 2. The molecule is centrosymmetric. The cyclic ligands are parallel and adopt a staggered conformation. At 143 K, the mean bond lengths are as follows: Ni-C, 2.194(6); C-C (in the ring), 1.421(6); and C-C (Me), 1.538(2) Å. Analysis of the thermal motion of the molecule is performed within the single-parameter model, which allows for the independent motion of the cyclopentadienyl ring with the tert-butyl group as a whole and the motion of the tert-butyl group. It is shown that the molecule is structurally nonrigid and the tert-butyl group executes librational motion. The B ₅ heights of the rotation barriers are estimated from the rms libration amplitudes: 〈?²〉 are equal to 40(5) and 34(4) kJ/mol at 143 and 243 K, respectively.     

Phase pattern of sodium niobate ceramics with different porosities in the temperature range of 25–700°C

The effect of closed porosity (2 and 10%) on the sequence phase transitions in lead-free ceramics (based on sodium niobate) in the temperature range of 25–700°C has been studied. The phase patterns in relatively dense and highly porous ceramics are found to differ.     

Thermal properties of chalcogenide glasses in the GeSe2–As2Se3–CdSe system

In the present work, thermal properties of GeSe₂–As₂Se₃–CdSe glasses were investigated via DSC measurements. The dependences of glass transition temperature and thermal stability on glass composition were discussed. XRD measurement was also performed to validate the effect of cadmium on the thermal properties of glasses. The calculated Avrami exponent was used to demonstrate the three-dimensional growth of crystals in the glass matrices. The crystallization kinetics for the glasses was studied by using the modified Kissinger and Ozawa equations.     

New hardware and software platform for experiments on a HUBER-5042 X-ray diffractometer with a DISPLEX DE-202 helium cryostat in the temperature range of 20–300 K

Huber-5042 diffractometer with a closed-cycle Displex DE-202 helium cryostat is a unique scientific instrument for carrying out X-ray diffraction experiments when studying the single crystal structure in the temperature range of 20–300 K. To make the service life longer and develop new experimental techniques, the diffractometer control is transferred to a new hardware and software platform. To this end, a modern computer; a new detector reader unit; and new control interfaces for stepper motors, temperature controller, and cryostat vacuum pumping system are used. The system for cooling the X-ray tube, the high-voltage generator, and the helium compressor and pump for maintaining the desired vacuum in the cryostat are replaced. The system for controlling the primary beam shutter is upgraded. A biological shielding is installed. The new program tools, which use the Linux Ubuntu operating system and SPEC constructor, include a set of drivers for control units through the aforementioned interfaces. A program for searching reflections from a sample using fast continuous scanning and a priori information about crystal is written. Thus, the software package for carrying out the complete cycle of precise diffraction experiment (from determining the crystal unit cell to calculating the integral reflection intensities) is upgraded. High quality of the experimental data obtained on this equipment is confirmed in a number of studies in the temperature range from 20 to 300 K.     

Thermal expansion of glasses in the As2Se3–AsI3 system

Thermal expansion coefficients (α) of glasses in the As₂Se₃–AsI₃ system are measured in the glass transition region and temperature dependence of the fictive temperature is calculated on the basis of relaxation model. It is found that the increase of AsI₃ content results in: an increase of α, decrease of the glass transition temperature (T_g), increase of the α change at T_g, an effect of quenching rate on α, and also changes in the structural relaxation times spectrum. The data are discussed within the framework of the assumption that the addition of AsI₃ to As₂Se₃ results in: (1) destruction of the As₂Se₃ glass network, (2) structural inhomogeneity of the glasses increase, (3) the temperature dependence of chemical–structural equilibria occurring in the liquid state increases.     

Chemical processes and composition of the gas and solid phases in the Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-Mo system in the temperature range 2327–2500 K

The possibility of chemical reactions has been calculated and the composition of the gas and solid phases that are in equilibrium with an aluminum oxide melt is determined. It is shown that, for the Al₂O₃-Mo system in the pressure range 1?1 × 10^?5 bar, evaporation of Al₂O₃ is incongruent, and the fraction of this component in the gas phase decreases from 51.5 mol % (P = 1 bar) to 0.01 mol % (P = 1 × 10^?5 bar). The presence of molybdenum-containing compounds in the gas phase changes the balance of oxygen and aluminum in favor of the latter (the aluminum partial pressure increases by a factor of 1.5–3), as a result of which there may be an aluminum deficit in the solid phase of Al₂O₃ during crystal growth from a melt. The thermodynamic characteristics (K _p , ΔG, P _tot) of dominant chemical reactions have been calculated for the temperature range 2327–2500 K. Understanding of the chemical processes makes it possible to optimize the growth parameters of leucosapphire single crystals.     

Thermal conductivity of single crystals of Ba1–x R x F2 + x (R = La,Ce, Nd,or Gd) solid solutions

The thermal conductivity of single crystals of Ba_1–х R _х F_{2 + х} (R = La, Ce, Nd, or Gd) solid solutions has been experimentally investigated in the temperature range of 50–300 K. With an increase in the content of rare-earth elements, the thermal-conductivity behavior in these series changes from that characteristic of defect single crystals to the behavior typical of glasslike materials. The thermal-conductivity concentration dependences are almost identical, which can be explained by the same type of defect clusters arising upon heterovalent ion substitution.

     

Growth rate of α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate in K–Ca–Mg–Cl–H2O systems at elevated temperature

Kinetics of calcium sulfate hemihydrate (HH) crystal growth plays an important role in mineralization of calcium sulfate phases in nature. HH crystal growth and the conversion of calcium sulfate phases form the basis for the production and application of gypsum based building material. α-HH crystals have been grown in 3.74 M CaCl₂ solutions at a fixed initial ratio of calcium to sulfate under atmospheric pressure. The variations of sulfate ions were determined to obtain the α-HH crystal growth kinetics information. Effects of Mg²⁺ and K⁺ ions on α-HH growth were investigated to find an optimal composition of solution for α-HH preparation. The orders of α-HH growing in the CaCl₂ solution were found, in most cases, to be near 2.0 in presence or in absence of Mg²⁺ and K⁺ ions. Mg²⁺ ions enhance the growth of α-HH in CaCl₂ solution mainly due to initial supersaturation enhancing effects. K⁺ ions also improve the growth rate, which has been attributed to the reduction of interfacial energy. In a Ca (3.74 M)–Mg (0.20 M)–K (0.09 M) chlorides solution, the growth rate of α-HH increases with temperature from 80 to 100 °C, and the activation energy was calculated to be 40 kJ/mol.     

Structural mechanisms of superionic conductivity in M 1−x R x F2+x single crystals

The relationship between the superionic transport in fluorite phases M _{1 ? x} R _x F_{2 + x} (M = Ca, Sr, or Ba; R are rare earth elements) and their defect structure has been analyzed. The superionic conductivity of M _{1 ? x} R _x F_{2 + x} crystals is provided by the high concentration of charge carriers. However, the carrier concentration is several tens of times lower than the concentration of anionic defects, which is explained by the presence of defect regions (DRs), which partially block carriers. The dependence of the superionic conductivity of M _{1 ? x} R _x F_{2 + x} phases on the RF₃(x) content has a percolation nature. Crystals of these phases are divided into two groups with respect to the percolation threshold: x _{p, 1} = 2–3 mol % RF₃ and x _{p, 2} = 7–8 mol % RF₃. The corresponding DR volumes are 3000–4000 ų (x _{p, 1}) and 500–700 ų (x _{p, 2}). The x _{p, 1}, and x _{p, 2} values correlate, respectively, with the octahedral cubic {M _{14 ? p} R _p F_{68 ? 69}} and tetrahedral {M _{4 ? p} R _p F₂₆} clusters, which are DR cores. The DR model and cluster structure are indicative of the heterogeneity of nonstoichiometric M _{1 ? x} R _x F_{2 + x} crystals at the nanoscale level with respect to the chemical composition and the electrical and crystallochemical (coordinations of M and R) characteristics.     

Pyroelectric Properties of Potassium and Rubidium Titanyl—Arsenate Single Crystals in the Temperature Range of 4.2–300 K

The temperature dependences of the pyroelectric coefficients of KTiOAsO₄ and RbTiOAsO₄ single crystals grown by flux crystallization have been investigated in the temperature range of 4.2–300 K. With an increase in temperature, superionic conductivity first arises in KTiOAsO4 (at T > 200 K) and then (at T > 270 K) in RbTiOAsO₄. This conductivity is much higher in the samples polarized at T = 4.2 K. An exponential change in the crystal resistivity along the polar direction is simultaneously observed. The results of measurements in the range of 4.2–200 K indicate larger values of pyroelectric coefficients when compared with potassium and rubidium titanyl-phosphate crystals. A correlation between the pyroelectric coefficients and a change in the lattice constants at isomorphic substitutions of K atoms for Rb and P atoms for As has been revealed within the symmetry approach.     

Adsorption inhibition of the growth of CaSO4 · 2H2O crystals in aqueous solutions

Crystallography Reports - The growth of gypsum CaSO4 · 2H2O crystals in aqueous solutions has been investigated, both on individual crystals and on crystals in a homogeneous suspension in the...     

Ultrasonic wave velocities and attenuation in IVb-Vb-VIb chalcogenide glasses: 2–300 K

The velocities and attenuation of longitudinal and shear ultrasonic (12 MHz) waves have been measured for several chalcogenide glasses (Ge₁₀Si₁₂As₃₀Te₄₈, Ge₂₀As₃₀Se₅₀, Si₂₀As₃₂Te₄₈, Ge₁₀Si₁₂As₂₉Te₄₉, Ge₁₂S₁₄As₃₅Te₄₉). The bulk, shear and Young's moduli and the Poisson ratio are found to be insensitive to the glass composition. The temperature dependences of the longitudinal and shear-wave velocities are negative at higher temperatures and approach 0 K with a zero slope. The ultrasonic attenuation does not exhibit either the broad loss peak or the smaller low-temperature peak found in many other glasses: the elastic and anelastic behaviour is quite different from that of oxide glasses — no evidence for the existence of two-level systems has been obtained from the ultrasonic measurements.     

The effect of composition and temperature on the amount and type of nanoferrite particles inserted in Fe2O3–ZnO–MgO–SiO2 glass–ceramics

Glass–ceramics with the composition 2Fe₂O₃.1ZnO.1MgO.96SiO₂ [4ZnMgFe] and 2Fe₂O₃.2ZnO.3MgO.93SiO₂ [7ZnMgFe] (mol%) were prepared using the sol–gel method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron diffraction (ED) and Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS) were used to investigate the glass–ceramics structure. The samples contain ferrite nanoparticles embedded in a glass matrix. However, zinc ferrite nanoparticles seems to be the preferential crystalline phase formed. The amount of ferrite particles depends on treatment temperature and sample composition. The Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements show that ferrite nanoparticles can exhibit a ferrimagnetic behaviour combined with superparamagnetism.     

Thermal and optical properties of TeO2–ZnO–BaO glasses

We report the results of a systematic study of the thermal and optical properties of a new family of tellurite glasses, TeO₂–ZnO–BaO (TZBa), as a function of the barium oxide mole fraction and compare them with those of TeO₂–ZnO–Na₂O (TZN). The characteristic temperatures of this new glass family (glass transition, T_g, crystallization, T_x, and melting, T_m) increase significantly with BaO content and the glasses are more thermally stable (greater ΔT = T_x ? T_g) than TZN glasses. Relative to these, Raman gain coefficient of the TZBa glasses also increases by approximately 40% as well as the Raman shift from ~ 680 cm^? 1 to ~ 770 cm^? 1. The latter shift is due to the modification of the glass with the creation of non-bridging oxygen ions in the glass network. Raman spectroscopy allows us to monitor the changes in the glass network resulting from the introduction of BaO.     

Specific features of the temperature dependence of the low-and infralow-frequency spectra of complex permittivity ε* for the polar phase of diglycine nitrate crystals

The low-and infralow-frequency (ε^*) spectra have been studied for the polar phase of diglycine nitrate crystals of different history (slowly cooled and heated above the Curie point T _c ). The specific features of the spectra are discussed in terms of point defect “freezing” and interaction with domain walls.     

Effect of growth conditions on the functional properties of K2Co(SO4)2·6H2O crystals

K₂Co(SO₄)₂ · 6H₂O single crystals of optical quality have been grown and the effect of solution pH on their solubility and transmission spectra has been investigated. A kinetic growth curve is obtained for the (110) face and the onset temperature of dehydration is established for single-crystal samples. The structural quality of single crystals grown at different supersaturations is analyzed.     

Coloring elimination in Sr1 − x Ce x F2 + x crystals in the visible spectral range during growth from melt

Crystals of the Sr_{1 ? x} Ce _x F_{2 + x} compositions close to the congruent one (x ～ 0.3) are fabricated by the vertical directional crystallization. It is shown that the use of CF₄ to form a fluorinating atmosphere during growth leads to additional spurious absorption in the crystals in the range 350–600 nm. The use of PbF₂ and ZnF₂ for fluorination makes it possible to obtain colorless Sr_{1 ? x} Ce _x F_{2 + x} crystals of the desired optical quality from melt. The thermal conductivity of crystal with x ～ 0.28 in the temperature range 80-500 K lies within 1.50 ± 0.03 W m^?1 K^?1. High ionic conductivity makes the Sr_{1 ? x} Ce _x F_{2 + x} crystals promising for application in solid-state ionics.     

Polymorphic–polytypic transition induced in crystals by interaction of spirals and 2D growth mechanisms

The relationship between crystal polymorphism and polytypism can be revealed by surface patterns through the interlacing of the growth spirals. Simple high-symmetry structures as SiC, ZnS, CdI2 and more complex low-symmetry layered structures as n-paraffins, n-alcohols and micas are concerned with polymorphic–polytypic transition. In this paper, we will show for the first time, through in situ AFM observations and X-ray diffractometry, that a protein polymorph (P2₁2₁2₁α-amylase) locally changes, during growth, to a monoclinic P2₁ polytype, thanks to the screw dislocation activity. The interplay between spiral steps and 2D nuclei of the polytypes coexisting in the same crystalline individual allows to foresee the consequences on the crystal quality. The discussion is extended to other mineral and biological molecules and a new general rule is proposed to explain the interactions between surface patterns and the bulk crystal structure.     

Thermodynamic analysis of the W-Al2O3 system near the melting temperature of Al2O3. I. Evolution of the system in the pressure range of 1 × 10−1−1 × 10−4 bar

The changes in the main chemical reactions occurring upon the interaction between tungsten and the evaporation products of Al₂O₃ melt are considered at a fixed temperature (2400 K). The concentrations of the components coexisting in equilibrium in a closed system under isobaric-isothermal conditions are determined by stochastic simulation for low (× 10⁻¹−1 × 10⁻³ bar) and high (1 × 10⁻⁴ bar) vacuum. It is shown that the gas-liquid-solid system is in heterogeneous equilibrium for the basic component ratio W: Al₂O₃ = 1: 1 in the entire pressure range under consideration. A detailed study of the chemistry of this system should facilitate the choice of the optimal conditions for growing leucosapphire crystals from melt.     

Nucleation and growth of needle-like fluorapatite crystals in bioactive glass–ceramics

The nucleation behaviors of glass–ceramics with different Ca–mica (Ca_0.5Mg₃AlSi₃O₁₀F₂)/fluorapatite ratios were investigated. By using differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM/EDS), the effect of CaO and P₂O₅ addition on the nucleation behaviors was studied. Results showed that the addition of CaO and P₂O₅ promoted nucleation process and led to the formation of different nucleation phases. After further heat treatment, Ca₅(PO₄)₃F crystals were of needle-like morphology, instead of particle-like reported in previous studies. This can be attributed to the one-dimensional rapid growth of fluorapatite along the c-axis. The values of the Avrami parameter, n, and the dimensionality of crystal growth, m, are found to be 2 and 1, respectively, which indicated that the bulk nucleation is the dominant mechanism in crystallization, and one-dimensional growth of fluorapatite is preferred. Since needle-like fluorapatite crystals are of the same morphology to hydroxyapatites in human bones, the glass–ceramics thus prepared show excellent bioactivity in vivo.