Thermodynamic properties of Na2Ti6O13 and Na2Ti3O7: electrochemical and calorimetric determination

Standard values of Gibbs free energy, entropy, and enthalpy of Na₂Ti₆O₁₃ and Na₂Ti₃O₇ were determined by evaluating emf-measurements of thermodynamically defined solid state electrochemical cells based on a Na–β″-alumina electrolyte. The central part of the anodic half cell consisted of Na₂CO₃, while two appropriate coexisting phases of the ternary system Na–Ti–O are used as cathodic materials. The cell was placed in an atmosphere containing CO₂ and O₂. By combining the results of emf-measurements in the temperature range of 573⩽T/K⩽1023 and of adiabatic calorimetric measurements of the heat capacities in the low-temperature region 15⩽T/K⩽300, the thermodynamic data were determined for a wide temperature range of 15⩽T/K⩽1100. The standard molar enthalpy of formation and standard molar entropy at T=298.15 K as determined by emf-measurements are Δ_fH_m⁰=(−6277.9±6.5) kJ · mol⁻¹ and S_m⁰=(404.6±5.3) J · mol⁻¹ · K⁻¹ for Na₂Ti₆O₁₃ and Δ_fH_m⁰=(−3459.2±3.8) kJ · mol⁻¹ and S_m⁰=(227.8±3.7) J · mol⁻¹ · K⁻¹ for Na₂Ti₃O₇. The standard molar entropy at T=298.15 K obtained from low-temperature calorimetry is S_m⁰=399.7 J · mol⁻¹ · K⁻¹ and S_m⁰=229.4 J · mol⁻¹ · K⁻¹ for Na₂Ti₆O₁₃ and Na₂Ti₃O₇, respectively. The phase widths with respect to Na₂O content were studied by using a Na₂O-titration technique.     

Reversible cation/anion extraction from K2La2Ti3O10: formation of new layered titanates, KLa2Ti3O9.5 and La2Ti3O9

A new soft-chemical transformation of layered perovskite oxides is described wherein K2O is sequentially extracted from the Ruddlesden-Popper (R-P) phase, K2La2Ti3O10 (I), yielding novel anion-deficient KLa2Ti3O(9.5) (II) and La2Ti3O9 (III). The transformation occurs in topochemical reactions of the R-P phase I with PPh4Br and PBu4Br (Ph = phenyl; Bu = n-butyl). The mechanism involves the elimination of KBr accompanied by decomposition of PR4+ (R = phenyl or n-butyl) that extracts oxygen from the titanate. Analysis of the organic products of decomposition reveals formation of Ph3PO, Ph3P, and Ph-Ph for R = phenyl, and Bu3PO, Bu3P along with butane, butene, and octane for R = butyl. The inorganic oxides II and III crystallize in tetragonal structures (II: P4/mmm, a = 3.8335(1) A, c = 14.334(1) A; III: I4/mmm, a = 3.8565(2) A, c = 24.645(2) A) that are related to the parent R-P phase. II is isotypic with the Dion-Jacobson phase, RbSr2Nb3O10, while III is a unique layered oxide consisting of charge-neutral La2Ti3O9 anion-deficient perovskite sheets stacked one over the other without interlayer cations. Interestingly, both II and III convert back to the parent R-P phase in a reaction with KNO3. While transformations of the R-P phases to other related layered/three-dimensional perovskite oxides in ion-exchange/metathesis/dehydration/reduction reactions are known, the simultaneous and reversible extraction of both cations and anions in the conversions K2La2Ti3O10 right harpoon over left harpoon KLa2Ti3O9.5 right harpoon over left harpoon La2Ti3O9 is reported here for the first time.     

Synthesis and Thermodynamic Properties of MgO·B_2O_3·4H_2O

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＴｈｅｒｅａｒｅｍａｎｙｋｉｎｄｓｏｆｍａｇｎｅｓｉｕｍｂｏｒａｔｅｓ ,ｂｏｔｈｎａｔｕｒａｌａｎｄｓｙｎｔｈｅｔｉｃ .Ａｂｏｒａｔｅｄｏｕｂｌｅｓａｌｔ (2ＭｇＯ·2Ｂ2 Ｏ3 ·ＭｇＣｌ2 · 14Ｈ2 Ｏ)ｎａｍｅｄｃｈｌｏｒｏｐｉｎｎｏｉｔｅｗａｓｏｂ ｔａｉｎｅｄｆｒｏｍｔｈｅｎａｔｕｒａｌｃｏｎｃｅｎｔｒａｔｅｄｓａｌｔｌａｋｅｂｒｉｎｅ .1Ｉｎｏｒｄｅｒｔｏｆｉｎｄｔｈｅｆｏｒｍｉｎｇｒｅｌａｔｉｏｎｂｅｔｗｅｅｎｔｈｅｄｏｕｂｌｅｓａｌｔａｎｄｍａｇｎｅｓｉｕｍ ｂｏｒａ…     

Ca3Mn2O7

The tricalcium dimanganese heptaoxide (Ca₃Mn₂O₇) member of the Ruddlesden–Popper series Ca_n+1Mn_nO_3n+1, i.e. with n = 2, was previously reported with an I‐centred tetragonal lattice [a_t = 3.68 and c_t = 19.57 Å] by Fawcett, Sunstrom, Greenblatt, Croft & Ramanujachary [Chem. Mater. (1998), 10 , 3643–3651]. It is now found to be orthorhombic, with an A‐­centred lattice [a = 5.2347 (6), b = 5.2421 (2) and c = 19.4177 (19) Å]. The structure has been refined in space group A2₁am using X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction data and assuming the existence of twin domains related by the (10) plane. A comparison with the basic perovskite structure CaMnO₃ (n = ∞) is proposed.     

Photocatalytic properties and hydration of perovskite-type layered titanates A2Ln2Ti3O10 (A = Li, Na, K; Ln = La, Nd)

Layered perovskite-type oxides A₂Ln₂Ti₃O₁₀ (A = Li, Na, K; Ln = La, Nd) prepared by solid-phase synthesis and their hydrated forms were characterized by the methods of TGA, XRD, and by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity of A₂Ln₂Ti₃O₁₀ oxides in reaction of hydrogen evolution from aqueous alcoholic suspensions irradiated by UV-light was studied. It was shown that the ability to intercalation of water into interlayer space essentially affects the rate of photoinduced hydrogen evolution and is a determining factor leading to a high photocatalytic activity.     

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of tunable emission phosphors Ca4Si2O7F2:Ce3+

The Ce³⁺ activated phosphors Ca₄Si₂O₇F₂:Ce³⁺ are prepared by a solid state reaction technique. The UV–vis luminescence properties as well as fluorescence decay time spectra are investigated and discussed. The results revealed that there were two kinds of Ce³⁺ luminescence behavior with 408 and 470 nm emissions, respectively. Under 355 nm excitation, the Ce(1) emission (408 nm) is dominant at low doping concentration, and then the Ce(2) emission (470 nm) get more important with increasing of Ce³⁺ concentrations in the host. The phosphors Ca₄Si₂O₇F₂:xCe³⁺ show tunable emissions from blue area to green-blue area under near-ultraviolet light excitation, indicating a potential application in near-UV based w-LEDs.     

A new perovskite-type compound: Ca4Fe2Ti2O11

A new perovskite-related oxide with a composition Ca₄Fe₂Ti₂O₁₁ has been found in the Ca₂Fe₂O₅-Ca TiO₃ system. Synthesis and characterization by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy are reported. A model based on a stacking sequence of … OOOTOOOT′ … along theb axis of this material, corresponding to the structure of a compound withn = 4 in theA_nM_nO_3n−1 series, is proposed.     

Photoacoustic determination of the band gaps of Ca2MnO4 and Ca3Mn2O7

Black powders of the magnetically layered semiconductors Ca₂MnO₄ and Ca₃Mn₂O₇ prepared by a carbonate-precursor technique have been investigated by photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) over the energy range 1.25–4 eV. The band-gap energies of these two compounds have been evaluated to be 1.6 and 1.4 (± 0.1) eV, respectively. It is concluded that PAS is a most useful method for determining the variation of the band gap with composition in large band-gap polycrystalline semiconductors.     

Low-temperature heat capacity and thermodynamic properties of layered perovskite-like oxides NaNdTiO4 and Na2Nd2Ti3O10

We report the results of the study of thermodynamic properties for layered perovskite-like oxides NaNdTiO₄ and Na₂Nd₂Ti₃O₁₀. Isobaric heat capacity of the compounds was measured in an adiabatic calorimeter in the range of 5–340 K. Low-temperature heat capacity anomaly was observed in the heat capacity curve of Na₂Nd₂Ti₃O₁₀. Standard thermodynamic properties of the oxides were evaluated from the experimental heat capacity temperature dependencies. Finally, on the basis of the experimental data obtained in this work, we tested applicability of the additivity principle for prediction of thermodynamic properties for layered compounds built of fragments of various structural types.     

Photoluminescence of perovskite nanosheets prepared by exfoliation of layered oxides, K2Ln2Ti3O10, KLnNb2O7, and RbLnTa2O7 (Ln: lanthanide ion)

Luminescent perovskite nanosheets were prepared by exfoliation of single- or double-layered perovskite oxides, K2Ln2Ti3O10, KLnNb2O7, and RbLnTa2O7 (Ln: lanthanide ion). The thickness of the individual nanosheets corresponded to those of the perovskite block in the parent layered compounds. Intense red and green emissions were observed in aqueous solutions with Gd1.4Eu0.6Ti3O10- and La0.7Tb0.3Ta2O7-nanosheets, respectively, under UV illumination with energies greater than the corresponding host oxide band gap. The coincidence of the excitation spectrum and the band gap absorbance indicates that the visible emission results from energy transfer within the nanosheet. The red emission intensity of the Gd1.4Eu0.6Ti3O10-nanosheets was much stronger than that of the La0.90Eu0.05Nb2O7-nanosheets reported previously. The strong emission intensity is a result of a two-step energy transfer cascade within the nanosheet from the Ti-O network to Gd(3+) and then to Eu(3+). The emission intensities of the Gd1.4Eu0.6Ti3O10- and La0.7Tb0.3Ta2O7-nanosheets can be modulated by applying a magnetic field (1.3-1.4 T), which brings about a change in orientation of the nanosheets in solution. The emission intensities increased when the excitation light and the magnetic field directions were perpendicular to each other, and they decreased when the excitation and magnetic field were collinear and mutually perpendicular to the direction of detection of the emitted light.     

Thermodynamic properties of melts of SrO-B2O3 and BaO-B2O3 systems

Gibbs energies, activities, and chemical potentials of SrO, BaO, and B₂O₃ in melts of SrO-B₂O₃ and BaO-B₂O₃ systems within the temperature range of 1840–1970 K were determined. Significant negative deviations from the ideal behavior were found in the melts studied.     

Cu3V10O28·24H2O and CuNa4V10O28·23H2O

The crystal structures of tricopper decavanadate tetracosa­hydrate, (I), and copper tetra­sodium decavanadate tricosa­hydrate, (II), have been determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Both compounds exhibit a catenary structure consisting of [V₁₀O₂₈]⁶⁻ anions linked by Cu²⁺ cations in (I) or by Na⁺ cations in (II). Compound (II) also contains a polymeric linear array of edge‐sharing [Na(OH₂)₆]⁺ and [Cu(OH₂)₆]²⁺ octahedra. In both compounds, the [V₁₀O₂₈]⁶⁻ ions lie about inversion centres and the Cu²⁺ ions in (I) also lie about inversion centers.     

Influences of Sr2+ Doping on Microstructure,Giant Dielectric Behavior,and Non-Ohmic Properties of CaCu3Ti4O12/CaTiO3 Ceramic Composites

The microstructure, dielectric response, and nonlinear current-voltage properties of Sr²⁺-doped CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂/CaTiO₃ (CCTO/CTO) ceramic composites, which were prepared by a solid-state reaction method using a single step from the starting nominal composition of CCTO/CTO/xSrO, were investigated. The CCTO and CTO phases were detected in the X-ray diffraction patterns. The lattice parameter increased with increasing Sr²⁺ doping concentration. The phase compositions of CCTO and CTO were confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy with elemental mapping in the sintered ceramics. It can be confirmed that most of the Sr²⁺ ions substituted into the CTO phase, while some minor portion substituted into the CCTO phase. Furthermore, small segregation of Cu-rich was observed along the grain boundaries. The dielectric permittivity of the CCTO/CTO composite slightly decreased by doping with Sr²⁺, while the loss tangent was greatly reduced. Furthermore, the dielectric properties in a high-temperature range of the Sr²⁺-doped CCTO/CTO ceramic composites can be improved. Interestingly, the nonlinear electrical properties of the Sr²⁺-doped CCTO/CTO ceramic composites were significantly enhanced. The improved dielectric and nonlinear electrical properties of the Sr²⁺-doped CCTO/CTO ceramic composites were explained by the enhancement of the electrical properties of the internal interfaces.     

Ca7.96Cu0.04Ge5O18: a new calcium germanate with GeO4 and Ge3O10 units

The title compound, octa­calcium copper penta­germanium octa­deca­oxide, represents a new inter­mediate phase between CaO and GeO₂, and has not previously been reported in the literature. The structure consists of three different Ge sites, two of them on general 8d positions, site symmetry 1, one on special position 4d, site symmetry 2. Three of the five Ca sites occur on 8d positions, site symmtery 1, one Ca is on 4b with site symmetry and one Ca is on 4c with site symmetry 2. All nine O atoms have symmetry 1 (8d position). By sharing common edges, the Ca sites form infinite bands parallel to the c axis, and these bands are inter­connected by isolated GeO₄ and Ge₃O₁₀ units. These (100) layers are stacked along a in an ABAB… sequence, with the B layer being inverted and displaced along b/2.