Physicochemical and Electrophysical Properties of Metal/Semiconductor Containing Nanostructured Composites

The properties of nanostructured composites based on metal oxides and metal–polymer materials are analyzed, along with ways of preparing them. The effect the interaction between metal and semiconductor nanoparticles has on the conductivity, photoconductivity, catalytic activity, and magnetic, dielectric, and sensor properties of nanocomposites is discussed. It is shown that as a result of this interaction, a material can acquire properties that do not exist in systems of isolated particles. The transfer of electrons between metal particles of different sizes in polymeric matrices leads to specific dielectric losses, and to an increase in the rate and a change in the direction of chemical reactions catalyzed by these particles. The interaction between metal-oxide semiconductor particles results in the electronic and chemical sensitization of sensor effects in nanostructured composite materials. Studies on creating molecular machines (Brownian motors), devices for magnetic recording of information, and high-temperature superconductors based on nanostructured systems are reviewed.     

Fluoride-rich, hydrofluorothermal routes to functional transition metal (Mn, Fe, Co, Cu) fluorophosphates

Hydrofluorothermal methods are shown to offer a facile route to a very large family of mid-late first row, transition metal fluorophosphates with 50 new compounds identified to date for manganese(III), iron(III), cobalt(II), and copper(II). Reactions of a transition metal fluoride with a phosphate source in a very low-water, high-fluoride content system and in the presence of framework charge balancing metal cations or template molecular cations, lead to materials with structures formed from linked M(O,F)(n) and P(O,F)(n) polyhedra. The structures of these materials, which contain a variety of 1, 2, and 3-dimensional motifs with a level of framework termination dependent upon their fluoride content, show numerous useful characteristics for functionality and applications. The new and unusual features of these fluorophosphate materials include interlayer spaces or channels lined with fluoride ions, metal polyhedra, M(O,F)(n), linked through vertex, edge, or face-sharing, and μ(2), μ(3), and μ(4) bridging fluoride ions. Preliminary characterization of the properties of some of these metal fluorophosphates is reported, including reductive lithium ion insertion, of interest for Li-ion battery positive electrodes, ion exchange reactions, the formation of nanoporous material derivatives through template destruction, and magnetic susceptibility behaviors.     

Electronic phase separation in correlated oxides: the phenomenon, its present status and future prospects.

Many transition metal oxide materials of high chemical purity are not necessarily monophasic. Thus, single crystals of chemically pure rare earth manganites and cobaltates of the general formula Ln(1-x)A(x)MO(3) (Ln=rare earth metal, A=alkaline earth metal, M=Mn, Co) exhibit the phenomenon of electronic phase separation wherein "phases" of different electronic and magnetic properties coexist. Such phase separation, the length scale of which can vary anywhere between a few nanometers to microns, gives distinct signatures in X-ray and neutron diffraction patterns, electrical and magnetic properties, as well as in NMR and other spectroscopies. While the probe one employs to investigate electronic phase separation depends on the length scale, it is noteworthy that direct imaging of the inhomogeneities has been accomplished. Some understanding of this phenomenon has been possible on the basis of some of the theoretical models, but we are far from unraveling the varied aspects of this new phenomenon. Herein, we present the highlights of experimental techniques and theoretical approaches, and comment on the future outlook for this fascinating phenomenon.     

金属氧化物表面化学吸附和反应的量子化学簇模型方法研究

综述了本研究小组利用量子化学簇模型方法研究金属氧化物表面化学吸附和反应的工作.提出了选簇的三个原则,即电中性原则、化学配比原则和配位原则.发现在符合前两个原则的基础上,一个具有最饱和配位、或最少悬空键的簇往往是一个用于化学吸附研究的好的簇模型.与此同时,探讨了如何恰当地考虑大块固体本底的长程影响,提出了用球电荷模拟簇模型的环境、环境与簇体进行电荷自洽的SPC簇模型方法.利用该模型研究了一系列具有催化背景的重要体系,包括H2/ZnO、O/MgO、NO/MgO、N2O/MgO、N2O/Li/MgO、CO/MgO、CO/NiO等.     

The reactivity of endohedral fullerenes. What can be learnt from computational studies?

The last two decades have witnessed major advances in the synthesis and characterization of endohedral fullerenes. These species have interesting physicochemical properties with many potential interesting applications in the fields of magnetism, superconductivity, nonlinear optical properties, radioimmunotherapy, and magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents, among others. In addition to the synthesis and characterization, the chemical functionalization of these species has been a main focus of research for at least four reasons: first, to help characterize endohedral fullerenes that could not be well described structurally otherwise; second, to generate materials with fine-tuned properties leading to enhanced functionality in one of their multiple potential applications; third, to produce water-soluble endohedral fullerenes needed for their use in medicinal sciences; and fourth, to generate electron donor-acceptor conjugates that can be used in solar energy conversion/storage. The functionalization of these species has been achieved through different types of reactions, the most common being the Diels-Alder reactions, 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, Bingel-Hirsch reactions, and free-radical reactions. It has been found that the performance of these reactions in endohedral fullerenes may be quite different from that of the empty fullerenes. Indeed, encapsulated species have a large influence on the thermodynamics, kinetics, and regiochemistry of these reactions. A detailed understanding of the changes in chemical reactivity due to incarceration of atoms or clusters of atoms is essential to assist the synthesis of new functionalized endohedral fullerenes with specific properties. This Perspective seeks to highlight the key role played by computational chemistry in the analysis of the chemical reactivity of these systems. It is shown that the information obtained through calculations is highly valuable in the process of designing new materials based on endohedral fullerenes.     

Paradoxes and paradigms: observations on pyrohydrolysis,oxygen bomb combustion,and alkaline carbonate fusion,most frequently used decomposition methods for subsequent determination of fluorine and accompanying thermochemistry

Pyrohydrolysis, oxygen bomb combustion, and alkaline carbonate fusion are the most frequently used methods for decomposition of fluorine containing materials. The efficiency of these methods was proven by the determination of fluorine content in certified reference materials of clay and vegetation. Possible reactions proceeding during decomposition were suggested and accompanying thermochemistry discussed. The Gibbs energies were estimated to establish if suggested reactions are thermodynamically favorable or not. In addition, linear relationships between the enthalpies of formation of metal fluorides and the balanced values of the enthalpies of formation of the plausible reaction products (metal tungstates, metal oxides, or metal carbonates), electronegativity of metals, and number of fluorine atoms in metal fluorides were established. These equations were suggested for the estimation of the enthalpies of formation of metal tungstates, metal oxides, or metal carbonates, for which experimental data are not available.     

Recent developments in the field of metal complexes containing photochromic ligands: Modulation of linear and nonlinear optical properties

Organic photochromic molecules are important for the design of photoresponsive functional materials, as switches and memories. Over the past 10 years, research efforts have been directed towards the incorporation of photoresponsive molecules into metal systems, in order either to modulate the photochromic properties, or to photoregulate the redox, optical and magnetic properties of the organometallic moieties. This review article focuses on some of the recent work reported within the last few years in the area of organometallic and coordination complexes containing photochromic ligands for the photoregulation of optical and nonlinear optical properties. The first part is related to photochromic 1,2-diarylethene (DAE)-containing metal complexes, examples of mono- and multi-DAE metal-based will be discussed. The second part deals with metal complexes incorporating spiropyran and spirooxazine derivatives.     

A Topochemical Approach to Synthesize Layered Materials Based on the Redox Reactivity of Anionic Chalcogen Dimers

Layered transition metal compounds represent a major playground to explore unconventional electric or magnetic properties. In that framework, topochemical approaches that mostly preserve the topology of layered reactants have been intensively investigated to tune properties and/or design new materials. Topochemical reactions often involve the insertion or deinsertion of a chemical element accompanied by a change of oxidation state of the cations only. Conversely, cases where anions play the role of redox centers are very scarce. Here we show that the insertion of copper into two dimensional precursors containing chalcogen dimers (Q₂)^2? (Q=S, Se) can produce layered materials with extended (CuQ) sheets. The reality of this topochemical reaction is demonstrated here for different pristine materials, namely La₂O₂S₂, Ba₂F₂S₂, and LaSe₂. Therefore, this work opens up a new synthetic strategy to design layered transition metal compounds from precursors containing polyanionic redox centers.     

Various strategies to tune the ionic/electronic properties of electrode materials

This Perspective highlights, through several snapshot examples, the importance of electrochemically-driven redox reactions in tuning the electronic/ionic as well as magnetic properties of 3d-metal-based inorganic compounds through a careful control of the metal oxidation state. Although such redox reactions usually imply the electron-ionic duality, they can be extended to insulating compounds (LiFePO(4)) or semiconductors (CoO) as long as we can combine electrochemistry at the nanoscale to reduce diffusion and migration limitations, and provide the compounds with electrons through metallic coating techniques. A thorough investigation of the composition-structure-property relationships of the Li(x)CoO(2) system, through the assembly of LiCoO(2)/Li electrochemical cells has led to the identification of the CoO(2) phase, whose property and stability are discussed in terms of cationic-anionic redox competition, thus bearing some similarity with the high T(c) cuprate superconductors. Such a d-sp redox competition could have structural and electronic consequences. Encouraged by the recently reported superconductivity in Na(x)CoO(2);yH(2)O phase, the room temperature Li(x)CuO(2) phase diagram was reinvestigated through Li-driven electrochemical reactions. A solid solution domain was unravelled but superconductivity was not evident. With Cu-based materials such as Cu(2.33)V(4)O(11), we have shown the feasibility of a new reversible Li electrochemically-driven copper extrusion/insertion process, owing to the enhanced copper diffusion within the structure.     

Prediction of shock response of pyrotechnic mixtures from thermal analysis

The thermal behavior of metal, oxide, and oxidizer mixtures, some with fluorine compound additions, has been studied in order to examine the influence of thermal properties on the initiation conditions for chemical reaction of pyrotechnic powders under dynamic loading conditions. The autoignition energies of the mixtures obtained from thermal analyses were compared with shock initiation energies, determined from planar shock measurements. Although some mixtures showed an approximate equivalency between the energies obtained from the two different experiments, the experimental results indicated that any comparison should be made with great care.We thank A. J. Lindfors and S. Pockrandt for the planar shock measurements.     

Analyzing the Case for Bifunctional Catalysis

Bifunctional coupling of two different catalytic site types has often been invoked to explain experimentally observed enhanced catalytic activities. We scrutinize such claims with generic scaling‐relation‐based microkinetic models that allow exploration of the theoretical limits for such a bifunctional gain for several model reactions. For sites at transition‐metal surfaces, the universality of the scaling relations between adsorption energies largely prevents any improvements through bifunctionality. Only the consideration of systems that involve the combination of different materials, such as metal particles on oxide supports, offers hope for significant bifunctional gains.     

A Review of Recent Developments of Mesoporous Materials

This personal account concerns novel recent discoveries in the area of mesoporous materials. Most of the papers discussed have been published within the last two to three years. A major emphasis of most of these papers is the synthesis of unique mesoporous materials by a variety of synthetic methods. Many of these articles focus on the control of the pore sizes and shapes of mesoporous materials. Synthetic methods of various types have been used for such control of porosity including soft templating, hard templating, nano‐casting, electrochemical methods, surface functionalization, and trapping of species in pores. The types of mesoporous materials range from carbon materials, metal oxides, metal sulfides, metal nitrides, carbonitriles, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), and composite materials. The vast majority of recent publications have centered around biological applications with a majority dealing with drug delivery systems. Several other bio‐based articles on mesoporous systems concern biomass conversion and biofuels, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, ultrasound therapy, enzyme immobilization, antigen targeting, biodegradation of inorganic materials, applications for improved digestion, and antitumor activity. Numerous nonbiological applications of mesoporous materials have been pursued recently. Some specific examples are photocatalysis, photo‐electrocatalysis, lithium ion batteries, heterogeneous catalysis, extraction of metals, extraction of lanthanide and actinide species, chiral separations and catalysis, capturing and the mode of binding of carbon dioxide (CO₂), optical devices, and magneto‐optical devices. Of this latter class of applications, heterogeneous catalysis is predominant. Some of the types of catalytic reactions being pursued include hydrogen generation, selective oxidations, aminolysis, Suzuki coupling and other coupling reactions, oxygen reduction reactions (ORR), oxygen evolution reactions (OER), and bifunctional catalysis. For perspective, there have been over 40,000 articles on mesoporous materials published in the last 4 years and about 1388 reviews. By no means is this personal account thorough or all inclusive. One objective has been to choose a variety of articles of different types to obtain a flavor of the breadth of diversity involved in the area of mesoporous materials.     

Metal bis-1,2-dithiolene complexes in conducting or magnetic crystalline assemblies

Crystalline materials studied for their conducting or magnetic properties based on metal complexes of 1,2-dithiolene ligands are discussed emphasising the wide diversity of ligands now available and the variety of materials prepared from these. Complexes have been prepared using electronically delocalised dithiolene ligands where the core complex is extended with units such as thioethers, aromatics, tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and other heterocycles to explore the influence of these variations on the solid-state structures and properties derived from them. Although superconductivity in dithiolene complexes has so far been limited to [M(dmit)₂]^X− salts, other ligand systems have given rise to numerous conducting and metallic salts and have proven informative in rationalising the criteria for design of the molecular units. Novel material properties have been observed in systems such as hybrid conducting ∣ magnetic materials and mixed dithiolene-metallocene salts. In particular, highly conducting and metallic single-component materials have recently been found uniquely within materials based on metal-bis-1,2-dithiolene complexes. Magnetic materials containing dithiolene-complex building blocks have yielded systems such as ferromagnets, ferrimagnets, metamagnets and spin ladders in addition to other model systems suitable for the study of magnetic ordering. These can involve systems where the dithiolene complex is the only paramagnetic component in addition to more complex systems involving other types of building block.     

Magnetization of individual yeast cells by in situ formation of iron oxide on cell surfaces

Magnetic functionalization of living cells has intensively been investigated with the aim of various bioapplications such as selective separation, targeting, and localization of the cells by using an external magnetic field. However, the magnetism has not been introduced to individual living cells through the in situ chemical reactions because of harsh conditions required for synthesis of magnetic materials. In this work, magnetic iron oxide was formed on the surface of living cells by optimizing reactions conditions to be mild sufficiently enough to sustain cell viability. Specifically, the reactive LbL strategy led to formation of magnetically responsive yeast cells with iron oxide shells. This facile and direct post-magnetization method would be a useful tool for remote manipulation of living cells with magnetic interactions, which is an important technique for the integration of cell-based circuits and the isolation of cell in microfluidic devices.     

Immobilization of organorhenium(VII) oxides

In the last decade considerable progress has been made in research on organorhenium(VII) oxide catalysts, particularly with respect to methyltrioxorhenium(VII) (MTO). Heterogeneous systems have been developed with particular emphasis on the supporting systems including inorganic and organic carrier materials. As a result efficient and reasonably selective catalysts are now available for a variety of catalytic reactions like olefin epoxidation in particular and other oxidation reactions, metathesis, etc. Besides the MTO/UHP system, polymer supports for the organometallic catalysts are now also successfully applicable. The systems exhibit in several cases the required properties of stability, selectivity, activity and recyclability.     

Surface organometallic chemistry on metals: a novel and effective route to custom-designed bimetallic catalysts

The synthesis, characterization and catalytic properties of new materials obtained by reaction of organometallic complexes of groups IIb, IVa, and VIa with the surface of metallic particles are reviewed. Two types of materials may be obtained by surface organometallic chemistry on metals: metal particles covered with organometallic fragments, and bimetallic particles of predetermined composition. Characterization of the organometallic fragments on the metal particles has demonstrated their thermal stability. These particles covered with surface organometallic fragments are new catalytic materials, highly selective in several reactions such as the hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, ethyl pyruvate, nitrobenzene, acrylonitrile, and olefins. The bimetallic particles without organometallic fragments are also highly active and selective for a variety of reactions such as hydrogenolysis of various alkanes and hydrogenolysis of esters. For these systems, the concept of “site isolation” has been advanced to account for the high selectivity of the reactions.     

Tailored Synthesis of Various Nanomaterials by Using a Graphene‐Oxide‐Based Gel as a Nanoreactor and Nanohybrid‐Catalyzed CC Bond Formation

New graphene oxide (GO)‐based hydrogels that contain vitamin B₂/B₁₂ and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) have been synthesized in water (at neutral pH value). These gel‐based soft materials have been used to synthesize various metal nanoparticles, including Au, Ag, and Pd nanoparticles, as well as nanoparticle‐containing reduced graphene oxide (RGO)‐based nanohybrid systems. This result indicates that GO‐based gels can be used as versatile reactors for the synthesis of different nanomaterials and hybrid systems on the nanoscale. Moreover, the RGO‐based nanohybrid hydrogel with Pd nanoparticles was used as an efficient catalyst for C? C bond‐formation reactions with good yields and showed high recyclability in Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions.     

Graphene materials-based chemiluminescence for sensing

Graphene has attracted considerable attention in multidisciplinary research fields and shown various promising applications due to its unique structure and extraordinary physicochemical properties. This review covers the latest advances in graphene materials-based chemiluminescence (CL) for sensing. Chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer and luminescence quenching of graphene materials are discussed. Graphene materials, such as graphene nanosheets, graphene quantum dots, graphene oxide, and reduced graphene oxide have been employed successfully in CL systems in recent years. Graphene materials can be utilized as catalysts, platforms, and energy acceptors to improve the performance of CL. Possible challenges and future perspective on this topic are also presented.     

Impacts of fluorine on the electrochemical properties of Li[Ni0.5Mn0.5]O2 and Li[Li0.2Ni0.15Co0.1Mn0.55]O2

The impact of the fluorine substitution on the electrochemical properties of layered lithium nickel manganese positive electrode materials for lithium ion batteries is summarized. The addition of a controlled amount of fluorine to the oxygen lattice can effectively improve the capacity retention as well as reduce the impedance of the positive electrode materials. The fluorination of the nickel and manganese based layered oxide cathode material has also led to significant improvement in cycle life and power capability of the battery.     

Metal Redox Processes for the Controlled Synthesis of Metal Alloy Nanoparticles

Nanocrystalline metals have received widespread interest and found various applications owing to their magnetic and catalytic properties and in energy‐related fields. A flexible approach for the growth of nanoalloys with controlled properties and well‐defined structures on the atomic scale is thus greatly desired. A new synthetic method that avoids incompatible reduction potentials and rates would be critical to grow metal nanostructures with high purities and the desired stoichiometries. A metal‐redox strategy that employs spontaneous oxidation/reduction reactions to grow nanocrystalline alloys using molecular‐scale zerovalent metal precursors is now described. The selection of suitable zerovalent metal species allows for thermodynamic control of the compositional stoichiometry during the temperature‐dependent formation of the metal alloy nanoparticles. A practical and scalable strategy for nanoalloy growth that can potentially produce key metal components of superior metallurgical quality for catalytic and magnetic systems has thus been developed.