“Inversion substitution” reactions with participation of molecular oxygen: ZH<Subscript>3</Subscript>I + O<Subscript>2</Subscript> → O<Subscript>2</Subscript>ZH<Subscript>3</Subscript> + I (Z = C,Si). The potential energy surface and rate constants

A new class of reactions of molecular oxygen O₂ + ZH₃I → O₂ZH₃ + I (Z = C, Si) proceeding by the mechanism of “inversion substitution” was investigated by quantum chemistry methods and the transition state theory (TST). The profiles of the potential energy surfaces (PES) along the reaction coordinate and the characteristics of transition states were calculated using the DFT approach with the B3LYP hybrid functional and the DZVP basis set. The characteristics of the transition states were then used for TST calculations of the rate constants for the direct and reverse “inversion substitution” reactions and their temperature dependences in the temperature interval 273–2000 K. The activation barriers to the substitution reactions under study were found to be substantially lower than the barriers to the abstraction reactions O₂ + ZH₃I → ZH₂I + HO₂ (by 16.3 kcal mol⁻¹ for Z = C and by 7.2 kcal mol⁻¹ for Z = Si). The results obtained show that the “inversion substitution” reactions dominate over the abstraction reactions in the interaction of molecular oxygen with carbon- and silicon-centered iodides as well as (probably) many other substrates. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1803–1807, September, 2008.     

Phase equilibria in the Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript>–CdO system and the thermal stability of Cd<Subscript>2</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> and CdNb<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript>

Phase equilibria were studied in the Nb₂O₅–CdO system in the Nb₂O₅-rich region including CdNb₂O₆ and Cd₂Nb₂O₇. It was determined that CdNb₂O₆ and Cd₂Nb₂O₇ in air are stable to 1150 and 1120°C, respectively, and that, above these temperatures, there is solid-phase decomposition of niobates with CdO release in the gas phase. Along with the cadmium oxide evaporation, the Cd₂Nb₂O₇ decomposition is accompanied by the formation of cadmium metaniobate CdNb₂O₆ and the CdNb₂O₆ decomposition results in the formation of niobium oxide Nb₂O₅. No thermal events were observed in the differential thermal analysis curve for a 1: 1 CdNb₂O₆–Cd₂Nb₂O₇ mixture heated to 1100°C in air, which suggests that there are neither phase transformations in cadmium niobates, nor a eutectic within this temperature and concentration ranges. A study of the morphology of compacted samples of niobates determined specific conditions for producing dense composite ceramics, a mixture of niobates, that is suitable for using as a dielectric material.     

Identification of iron oxidation states in the products of interaction of Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> and Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> by Mössbauer absorption spectroscopy

The first stage of the solid-phase reaction of Na₂O₂ and Fe₂O₃ yields a tetravalent iron derivative. The product is unstable and disproportionates to form compounds with different oxidation states of iron. Analysis of their Mössbauer spectra was performed with the DISCVER program based on the Afanas’ev-Chuev method. At the early stage of analysis, the program identifies the maximal possible number of well-defined lines in the spectrum with a specified statistical quality and, thus, discerns a large number of known and unknown iron derivatives (phases) in samples of complex composition. Previously unknown highest oxidation states of iron from +5 to +8 were identified.     

Thermal properties and crystallization of MgO–FeO<Subscript>x</Subscript>–P<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> glasses

Five novel bridged heptaphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs), in which two identical silicon cages R₇(SiO_1.5)₈ (with R = Phenyl) are linked to various aliphatic [(CH₂) _n with n = 2, 6 and 10] and aromatic (Ar–Ar and Ar–O–Ar, where Ar = p-C₆H₄) bridges, were synthesized. The obtained compounds were characterized by elemental analysis and ¹ H NMR spectroscopy, and the results were in very good agreement with those of expected products. The synthesized heptaphenyl POSSs were thermally degraded, in dynamic heating conditions (25–700 °C), in both flowing nitrogen and static air atmosphere. The temperatures at 5% mass loss (T _5%) and residues at 700 °C were thus determined to evaluate their resistance to thermal degradation, but no substantial difference was found between the values in the two studied environments. The obtained T _5% values were much higher than those of the corresponding isobutyl and cyclopentyl POSSs we investigated in the past. Also, the T _5% values of the phenyl POSSs with aliphatic bridges decreased quite linearly on increasing the number of bridge carbon atoms (n _C). This behaviour was interpreted and attributed to the presence of the external corona formed by voluminous phenyl groups. The residue at 700 °C, which was largely higher than those of the corresponding isobutyl and cyclopentyl POSSs, was a further confirmation of the better thermal stability of the compounds here studied.     

Effects of Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> on the crystallization and structure of CaO–Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>–SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> glass ceramics

Radiation-induced degradation of the weakly and strongly 4-vinylpyridine basic ion exchange resins by gamma radiolysis was investigated in the presence of air and liquid water. This study is focused on evaluating the radiolytic gases (H₂, CO, CO₂ and CH₄) and liquid products (water-solute TOC and NH₄ ⁺). The weakly basic resin yielded lower amounts of H₂ and CO and higher amounts of CO₂ than those of the strongly basic resin. Moreover, the strong basic resin tended to yield greater amounts of NH₄ ⁺. Resins were characterized by the FTIR spectroscopy technique and the results showed that the resins structures are relatively stable.     

Formation of solid solutions of multiferroics in the Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>–Nd<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>–Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> system

The sequence of phases appearance during the formation of Bi_1–xNd_xFeO₃ solid solutions in powder oxides mixtures of bismuth, neodymium, and iron has been determined. It has been shown that the closeness of the reaction mixture composition to that of the individual compound (BiFeO₃ or NdFeO₃) is essential for the realization of the series of phase transformations yielding solid solutions of multiferroics Bi_1–xNd_xFeO₃ as the final product, due to the prevalence of various interphase contacts in the starting reaction zone.     

Thermogravimetric analysis of wheatleyite Na<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Superscript>2+</Superscript>(C<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>·2H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O

Evidence for the existence of primitive life forms such as lichens and fungi can be based upon the formation of oxalates. These oxalates form as a film like deposit on rocks and other host matrices. The anhydrous oxalate mineral moolooite CuC₂O₄ as the natural copper(II) oxalate mineral is a classic example. Another example of a natural oxalate is the mineral wheatleyite Na₂Cu²⁺(C₂O₄)₂·2H₂O. High resolution thermogravimetry coupled to evolved gas mass spectrometry shows decomposition of wheatleyite at 255°C. Two higher temperature mass losses are observed at 324 and 349°C. Higher temperature mass losses are observed at 819, 833 and 857°C. These mass losses as confirmed by mass spectrometry are attributed to the decomposition of tennerite CuO. In comparison the thermal decomposition of moolooite takes place at 260°C. Evolved gas mass spectrometry for moolooite shows the gas lost at this temperature is carbon dioxide. No water evolution was observed, thus indicating the moolooite is the anhydrous copper(II) oxalate as compared to the synthetic compound which is the dihydrate.     

Synthesis and thermal properties of Co<Subscript>2</Subscript>P<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> · 6H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O

The dependence of solid phase composition on the main parameters of the interaction in the CoSO₄-K₄P₂O₇-H₂O system was studied. The synthesis conditions were determined and a crystalline cobalt(II) diphosphat of the composition Co₂P₂O₇ · 6H₂O was synthesized. Its thermal properties were studied. The composition and the intervals, wherein the thermally stable products of partial and complete dehydration of Co₂P₂O₇ · 6H₂O are formed, were specified. The final heat treatment product, anhydrous α-Co₂P₂O₇, was identified and a sequence of the solid phase thermal transformations accompanying its formation was established.     

Solubilities of salts in the ternary systems NaCl + CaCl<Subscript>2</Subscript> + H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O and KCl + CaCl<Subscript>2</Subscript> + H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O at 75°C

The solubility in the NaCl-CaCl₂-H₂O and KCl-CaCl₂-H₂O systems were determined at 75°C and the phase diagrams and the diagram of physicochemical property vs composition were plotted. One invariant point, two univariant curves, and two crystallization zones, corresponding to potassium chloride, dihydrate (CaCl₂ · 2H₂O) showed up in the phase diagrams of the ternary systems. The mixing parameters θ_{M, Ca} and Ψ_{M, Ca, Cl} (M = Na or K) and equilibrium constant K _sp were evaluated in NaCl-CaCl₂-H₂O and KCl-CaCl₂-H₂O systems by least-squares optimization procedure, in which the single-salt Pitzer parameters of NaCl, KCl, and CaCl₂ β⁽⁰⁾, β⁽¹⁾, β⁽²⁾, and C ^Φ were directly calculated from the literature. The results obtained were in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Structural and Temperature Dependent Electrical Conductivity Properties of Dy<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>–Sm<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> CO-Doped Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>

In the present work, Dy₂O₃ and Sm₂O₃ double-doped Bi₂O₃-based materials are synthesized by exploiting the solid-state synthesis method. The structural and temperature dependent electrical properties of these ternary ceramic samples, which are candidate materials for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFCs) electrolyte, are determined by means of a powder X-ray diffractometer (XRD), the four point-probe method (FPPM), and the thermal-gravimetry/differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA). As a result of the XRD measurements, the fluorite-type fcc δ-phase with a stable structure is obtained for higher values of the dopant oxide material, which are the samples with the maximum content of fixed 20% Dy₂O₃ and 15% and 20% Sm₂O₃. The samples with the stable δ-phase structure have higher conductivities. The highest electrical conductivity is found for the (Bi₂O₃)0.6(Dy₂O₃)_0.2(Sm₂O₃)_0.2 sample, which was 2.5×10^–2 (Ohm cm)^–1 at 750 °C. The activation energies are also calculated from the Arrhenius charts, which were determined from the FPPM measurements. The lowest activation energy is found as 0.85 eV for the sample with the highest electrical conductivity.     

Structure and magnetic properties of the nanocomposites γ-Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The structural features and magnetic properties of composite materials Fe₂O₃-SiO₂ consisting of γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles in an amorphous porous matrix of SiO₂ were considered. The studied samples were synthesized by the sol-gel method. The structure of γ-Fe₂O₃-SiO₂ depending on the heating temperature was studied by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, ESR and IR spectroscopy. Magnetic measurements were performed on a SQUID magnetometer in the range 2–350 K.     

Analysis of applicability of translational-factor approximations to calculation of vibrational exchange rate constants in the N<Subscript>2</Subscript>–O<Subscript>2</Subscript> system under low-pressure discharge conditions

Level-to-level rate constants of single-photon vibration–translation and vibration–vibration exchange have been calculated for the N₂–O₂ system in the temperature range of 300–800 K in terms of the generalized Schwartz–Slawsky–Herzfeld theory using exact relationships and the most commonly used approximations. It has been shown that the quality of the approximation is improved with an increase in temperature and deteriorates with an increase in the vibrational quantum number. The calculated distributions of vibrationally excited species over levels for the low-pressure glow-discharge conditions substantially depend on the rate constants used in the calculation, especially in the area of high vibrational levels.     

Synthesis and heat capacity study of stannates Dy<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> and Ho<Subscript>2</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript> in the range 370–1000 K

Stannates Dy₂Sn₂O₇ and Ho₂Sn₂O₇ are produced by solid-phase synthesis from Dy₂O₃ (Ho₂O₃)–SnO₂ stoichiometric mixtures by calcining at 1473 K. The molar heat capacity of holmium and dysprosium stannates is measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in the temperature range 370–1000 K. The experimental data are used to calculate thermodynamic properties (enthalpy change H°(T)–H°(370 K), entropy change S°(T)–S°(370 K), and the reduced Gibbs free energy Φ°(T)) of the synthesized compound.     

Structural characterisation and thermo-physical properties of glasses in the Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>O–SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>–Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>–K<Subscript>2</Subscript>O system

This article aims to shed some light on the structure and thermo-physical properties of lithium disilicate glasses in the system Li₂O–SiO₂–Al₂O₃–K₂O. A glass with nominal composition 23Li₂O–77SiO₂ (mol%) (labelled as L₂₃S₇₇) and glasses containing Al₂O₃ and K₂O with SiO₂/Li₂O molar ratios (3.13–4.88) were produced by conventional melt-quenching technique in bulk and frit forms. The glass-ceramics (GCs) were obtained from nucleation and crystallisation of monolithic bulk glasses as well as via sintering and crystallisation of glass powder compacts. The structure of glasses as investigated by magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR) depict the role of Al₂O₃ as glass network former with four-fold coordination, i.e., Al(IV) species while silicon exists predominantly as a mixture of Q ³ and Q ⁴ (Si) structural units. The qualitative as well as quantitative crystalline phase evolution in glasses was followed by differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) adjoined with Rietveld-reference intensity ratio (R.I.R.) method, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The possible correlation amongst structural features of glasses, phase composition and thermo-physical properties of GCs has been discussed.     

On the Control of Plasma Parameters and Active Species Kinetics in CF<Subscript>4</Subscript> + O<Subscript>2</Subscript> + Ar Gas Mixture by CF<Subscript>4</Subscript>/O<Subscript>2</Subscript> and O<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Ar Mixing Ratios

The effects of both CF₄/O₂ and Ar/O₂ mixing ratios in three-component CF₄ + O₂ + Ar mixture on plasma parameters, densities and fluxes of active species determining the dry etching kinetics were analyzed. The investigation combined plasma diagnostics by Langmuir probes and zero-dimensional plasma modeling. It was found that the substitution of CF₄ for O₂ at constant fraction of Ar in a feed gas produces the non-monotonic change in F atom density, as it was repeatedly reported for the binary CF₄/O₂ gas mixtures. At the same time, the substitution of Ar for O₂ at constant fraction of CF₄ results in the monotonic increase in F atom density toward more oxygenated plasmas. The natures of these phenomena as well as theirs possible impacts on the etching/polymerization kinetics were discussed in details.     

Synthesis and X-ray diffraction study of Li(H<Subscript>3</Subscript>O)[UO<Subscript>2</Subscript>(C<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>(H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O)] · H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O

Single crystals of Li(H₃O)[UO₂(C₂O₄)₂(H₂O)] · H₂O (I) have been synthesized and studied by X-ray diffraction. Compound I crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system with the unit cell parameters: a = 7.1682(10) Å, b = 29.639(6) Å, c = 6.6770(12) Å, β= 112.3(7)°, space group P 2₁/c, Z = 4, R = 4.36%. Structure I contains discrete mononuclear groups [UO₂(C₂O₄)₂(H₂O)]^2? ascribed to the crystal-chemical group AB ₂ ⁰¹ M¹ (A = UO₂ ²⁺, B⁰¹ =C₂O ₄ ^2? , M¹ = H₂O), which are “cross-linked” by the lithium ions into infinite layers {Li(UO₂)(C₂O₄)₂(H₂O)₂}^? perpendicular to [010]. The hydroxonium ions are located between adjacent uranium-containing layers. A hydrogen bond system involving water molecules, oxalate ions, and hydroxonium combines the anionic layers into a three-dimensional framework.     

Synthesis and properties of γ-Ga<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>–Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> solid solutions

The textural and structural properties of mixed oxides Ga₂O₃–Al₂O₃, obtained via impregnating γ-Al₂O₃ with a solution of Ga(NO₃)₃ and subsequent heat treatment, are studied. According to the results from X-ray powder diffraction, gallium ions are incorporated into the structure of aluminum oxide to form a solid solution of spinel-type γ-Ga₂O₃–Al₂O₃ up to a Ga₂O₃ content of 50 wt % of the total weight of the sample, accompanied by a reduction in the specific surface area, volume, and average pore diameter. It is concluded that when the Ga₂O₃ content exceeds 50 wt %, the β-Ga₂O₃ phase is observed along with γ-Ga₂O₃–Al₂O₃ solid solution. ⁷¹Ga and ²⁷Al NMR spectroscopy shows that gallium replaces aluminum atoms from the tetrahedral position to the octahedral coordination in the structure of γ-Ga₂O₃–Al₂O₃.     

Regime of superhigh reactivity of the YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>6 + δ</Subscript> superconductor toward the components of air

Physicochemical features of the YBa₂Cu₃O_{6 + δ} superconductor synthesized via ceramic route and subjected to a kind of modification by long-term exposure to an atmosphere with low pH₂O have been studied by X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and magnetometry. The resulting material had a high degree of saturation with air components at room temperature and 30% humidity, up to 1.5 wt % in 30 days, which is not inherent in YBa₂Cu₃O_{6 + δ}.     

Balance,uniformity, and asymmetry of the structure of volborthite Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript>(V<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>7</Subscript>)·2H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O

Four structural models of volborthite Cu₃(OH)₂(V₂O₇)·2H₂O (a = 10.646(2) Å, b = 5.867(1) Å, c = 14.432(2) Å, β = 95.19(1)°, V = 897.7(5) ų, Z = 4, R/R _w = 0.038/0.046) calculated in the space groups determined from the systematic absences are compared. Based on the structure balance and the similarity of constituting polyhedra, values of the R factor, and isotropic thermal parameters, the space group Ia is found to be preferable, which is the only possible asymmetric and uniform variant. Hydrogen atoms of OH-groups, oxygen atoms and, partially, hydrogen atoms of water are localized.