Boron-Made N2: Realization of a B≡B Triple Bond in the B2Al3− Cluster

Until now, all B≡B triple bonds have been achieved by adopting two ligands in the L→B≡B←L manner. Herein, we report an alternative route of designing the B≡B bonds based on the assumption that by acquiring two extra electrons, an element with the atomic number Z can have properties similar to those of the element with the atomic number Z+2. Specifically, we show that due to the electron donation from Al to B, the negatively charged B≡B kernel in the B₂Al₃⁻ cluster mimics a triple N≡N bond. Comprehensive computational searches reveal that the global minimum structure of B₂Al₃⁻ exhibits a direct B–B distance of 1.553 Å, and its calculated electron vertical detachment energies are in excellent agreement with the corresponding values of the experimental photoelectron spectrum. Chemical bonding analysis revealed one σ and two π bonds between the two B atoms, thus confirming a classical textbook B≡B triple bond, similar to that of N₂.     

Bismuth–Boron Multiple Bonding in BiB2O− and Bi2B−

Despite its electron deficiency, boron is versatile in forming multiple bonds. Transition‐metal–boron double bonding is known, but boron–metal triple bonds have been elusive. Two bismuth boron cluster anions, BiB₂O⁻ and Bi₂B⁻, containing triple and double B−Bi bonds are presented. The BiB₂O⁻ and Bi₂B⁻ clusters are produced by laser vaporization of a mixed B/Bi target and characterized by photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. Well‐resolved photoelectron spectra are obtained and interpreted with the help of ab initio calculations, which show that both species are linear. Chemical bonding analyses reveal that Bi forms triple and double bonds with boron in BiB₂O⁻ ([Bi≡B−B≡O]⁻) and Bi₂B⁻ ([Bi=B=Bi]⁻), respectively. The Bi−B double and triple bond strengths are calculated to be 3.21 and 4.70 eV, respectively. This is the first experimental observation of Bi−B double and triple bonds, opening the door to design main‐group metal–boron complexes with multiple bonding.     

PbCa2[Al8O15] with a novel three‐dimensional aluminate anion

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, lead(II) dicalcium octaaluminate, contains one Pb, one Ca, four Al and eight O atoms, with the Pb atom and one O atom situated on mirror planes. Three Al atoms exhibit slightly distorted tetrahedral coordinations with a mean Al—O bond length of 1.76 Å. The fourth Al atom is in a considerably distorted trigonal–bipyramidal coordination with a mean Al—O bond length of 1.89 Å. One AlO₄ tetrahedron forms infinite chains parallel to [100] via corner‐sharing. These chains are linked by parallel chains of edge‐sharing AlO₅ trigonal bipyramids into layers A of six‐membered double rings extending parallel to (010). The second layer B is made up of the remaining two AlO₄ tetrahedra. These tetrahedra share corners, resulting in likewise six‐membered double rings. Finally, the parallel layers A and B are linked into a three‐dimensional framework by common corners. Charge compensation is achieved by the Pb²⁺ and Ca²⁺ cations, which are situated in the cavities of the anionic framework, and which are surrounded by seven and six O atoms, respectively, both within highly irregular coordination polyhedra.     

Studies on the local structures for the trigonal Ni3+ centers in cathode materials LiAlyCo1–yO2 (y = 0, 0.1, 0.5, and 0.8)

The local angular distortions Δθ are theoretically studied for the various Ni³⁺ centers in LiAl_yCo_1–yO₂ at different Al concentrations (y = 0, 0.1, 0.5, and 0.8) based on the perturbation calculations of electron paramagnetic resonance g factors for a trigonally distorted octahedral 3d⁷ cluster with low spin (S = 1/2). Due to the Jahn–Teller effect, the [NiO₆]^9– clusters are found to experience the local angular distortions (Δθ ≈ 5°–9°) along the C₃ axis. The variation trend of Δθ with y is in accordance with that of anisotropy (Δg = g_|| − g_⊥). As the substitutions can weaken bond strengths between transition metal and oxygen and the structural stability plays an important role in cathode performances, detailed investigations on the structural properties of the cathode materials LiAl_yCo_1–yO₂ can be practically helpful to understand the performances of these materials. The oxy‐redox properties of LiAl_yCo_1–yO₂ systems are comprehensible in the framework of Ni³⁺/Ni⁴⁺ couples, and the trigonally compressed octahedral [NiO₆]^9– clusters are applicable to the clarification of the electrochemical properties of lithium nickel oxide batteries. It appears that LiAl_0.8Co_0.2O₂ with the largest Al concentration may correspond to the smallest distortion among the mixing systems.     

Sodium hydrogen bis­(phenoxy­acetate)

In the title compound, Na⁺·H⁺·2C₈H₇O₃⁻, the anion contains a short Speakman-type hydrogen bond [O⃛O = 2.413 (2) Å]. The anions and the Na atoms lie across twofold axes.     

Crystalline Boragermenes

Boragermene 3 featuring a double bond between the Ge and dicoordinate B atoms has been synthesized for the first time by reacting the cyclic (alkyl)(boryl)germylene–PMe₃ adduct 1 with Cl₂BN(SiMe₃)₂ followed by reductive dehalogenation with KC₈. Addition of a Lewis base (^MeNHC) to 3 leads to the formation of the corresponding adduct 4 , which shows double bond character between the Ge and tricoordinate B atoms. Compound 3 undergoes hydrogenation with H₂ concomitant with a complete scission of the Ge=B bond.     

Crystalline Boragermenes

Boragermene 3 featuring a double bond between the Ge and dicoordinate B atoms has been synthesized for the first time by reacting the cyclic (alkyl)(boryl)germylene–PMe₃ adduct 1 with Cl₂BN(SiMe₃)₂ followed by reductive dehalogenation with KC₈. Addition of a Lewis base (^MeNHC) to 3 leads to the formation of the corresponding adduct 4 , which shows double bond character between the Ge and tricoordinate B atoms. Compound 3 undergoes hydrogenation with H₂ concomitant with a complete scission of the Ge=B bond.     

27Al NMR diffusometry of Al13 Keggin nanoclusters

Although nanometer-sized aluminum hydroxide clusters (i.e., ϵ-Al₁₃, [Al₁₃O₄(OH)₂₄(H₂O)₁₂]⁷⁺) command a central role in aluminum ion speciation and transformations between minerals, measurement of their translational diffusion is often limited to indirect methods. Here, ²⁷Al pulsed field gradient stimulated echo nuclear magnetic resonance (PFGSTE NMR) spectroscopy has been applied to the AlO₄ core of the ϵ-Al₁₃ cluster with complementary theoretical simulations of the diffusion coefficient and corresponding hydrodynamic radii from a boundary element-based calculation. The tetrahedral AlO₄ center of the ϵ-Al₁₃ cluster is symmetric and exhibits only weak quadrupolar coupling, which results in favorable T₁ and T₂ ²⁷Al NMR relaxation coefficients for ²⁷Al PFGSTE NMR studies. Stokes–Einstein relationship was used to relate the ²⁷Al diffusion coefficient of the ϵ-Al₁₃ cluster to the hydrodynamic radius for comparison with theoretical simulations, dynamic light scattering from literature, and previously published ¹H PFGSTE NMR studies of chelated Keggin clusters. This first-of-its-kind observation proves that ²⁷Al PFGSTE NMR diffusometry can probe symmetric Al environments in polynuclear clusters of greater molecular weight than previously considered.     

Wasserstoffbrückenbindungen in o- und m-Phenylendiammonium-aquapentafluorometallaten(III) (MIII = Al,Cr, Fe)

Hydrogen Bonds in o- and m-Phenylenediammonium Aquapentafluoro Metallates(III) (M^III = Al, Cr, Fe) m- and o-Phenylenediammonium-[M^IIIF₅(H₂O)] compounds of Al, Cr and Fe were synthesized and characterized by X-ray single crystal structure analysis. All structures are described in the space group P2₁2₁2₁ (Z = 4). m-Ph(NH₃)₂²⁺ (Ph(NH₃)₂²⁺ = phenylenediammonium) compounds: Al : a = 6.489(2), b = 7.943(2), c = 18.204(2) Å, R/wR = 0.084/0.050 for 1 533 reflections; Cr : a = 6.571(2), b = 8.006(2), c = 18.456(3) Å, R/wR = 0.050/0.040 for 1 571 reflections; Fe : a = 6.608(2), b = 8.052(2), c = 18.424(4) Å, R/wR = 0.042/0.034 for 1 947 reflections. o-Ph(NH₃)₂²⁺ compounds: Al : a = 6.580(2), b = 7.891(2), c = 18.319(5) Å, R/wR = 0.050/0.045 for 2 370 reflections; Cr : a = 6.642(2), b = 7.954(2), c = 18.484(4) Å, R/wR = 0.065/0.043 for 2 041 reflections; Fe : a = 6.693(2), b = 7.995(4), c = 18.529(7) Å, R/wR = 0.035/0.033 for 2 651 reflections. Isolated distorted octahedral [M^IIIF₅(H₂O)]^2? anions are connected by double O? H ?F hydrogen bonds of alternating strength to form chains in the b direction. Those chains, packed in a pseudohexagonal way, are further linked by the ammonium functions of the phenylenediammonium cations to a 3 D hydrogen bond network.     

A long Nb=O double bond in bis(pyridinium) tetra­chlorooxo(pyridine‐κN)niobate(V) chloride

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, (C₅H₆N)₂[NbCl₄O(C₅H₅N)]Cl or (pyH)₂[O=NbCl₄(py)]Cl (py is pyridine), contains a discrete anionic niobium(V) complex, [O=NbCl₄(py)]⁻, and two protonated pyridine mol­ecules, which form medium–strong hydrogen bonds with the Cl⁻ counter‐ion. The Nb=O distance of 1.7643 (17) Å is the longest among those in congener niobium complexes reported to date. Extensive density functional theory studies of conformations of [O=NbCl₄(py)]⁻ and structural data mining raise doubts regarding the reliability of the length of this Nb=O double bond.     

Tetrabutylammonium Salts of Aluminum(III) and Gallium(III) Phthalocyanine Radical Anions Bonded with Fluoren‐9‐olato− Anions and Indium(III) Phthalocyanine Bromide Radical Anions

Reduction of aluminum(III), gallium(III), and indium(III) phthalocyanine chlorides by sodium fluorenone ketyl in the presence of tetrabutylammonium cations yielded crystalline salts of the type (Bu₄N⁺)₂[M^III(HFl−O⁻)(Pc^.3−)]^.−(Br⁻) ⋅ 1.5 C₆H₄Cl₂ [M=Al ( 1 ), Ga ( 2 ); HFl−O⁻=fluoren‐9‐olato⁻ anion; Pc=phthalocyanine] and (Bu₄N⁺) [In^IIIBr(Pc^.3−)]^.− ⋅ 0.875 C₆H₄Cl₂ ⋅ 0.125 C₆H₁₄ ( 3 ). The salts were found to contain Pc^.3− radical anions with negatively charged phthalocyanine macrocycles, as evidenced by the presence of intense bands of Pc^.3− in the near‐IR region and a noticeable blueshift in both the Q and Soret bands of phthalocyanine. The metal(III) atoms coordinate HFl−O⁻ anions in 1 and 2 with short Al−O and Ga−O bond lengths of 1.749(2) and 1.836(6) Å, respectively. The C−O bonds [1.402(3) and 1.391(11) Å in 1 and 2 , respectively] in the HFl−O⁻ anions are longer than the same bond in the fluorenone ketyl (1.27–1.31 Å). Salts 1 – 3 show effective magnetic moments of 1.72, 1.66, and 1.79 μ_B at 300 K, respectively, owing to the presence of unpaired S= 1/2 spins on Pc^.3−. These spins are coupled antiferromagnetically with Weiss temperatures of −22, −14, and −30 K for 1 – 3 , respectively. Coupling can occur in the corrugated two‐dimensional phthalocyanine layers of 1 and 2 with an exchange interaction of J /k _B=−0.9 and −1.1 K, respectively, and in the π‐stacking {[In^IIIBr(Pc^.3−)]^.−}₂ dimers of 3 with an exchange interaction of J /k _B=−10.8 K. The salts show intense electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals attributed to Pc^.3−. It was found that increasing the size of the central metal atom strongly broadened these EPR signals.     

Using NMR in Structural Studies of Aluminum Hydroxide Intercalation Compounds with Lithium Salts

The effect of the anion charge on the structure of [LiAl₂(OH)₆]_nX (X = Cl^-, Br^-, I^-, SO₄ ^2-, C₆H₈O₄ ^2-) intercalation compounds and the water effect on the structure of [LiAl₂(OH)₆]Cl·nH₂O have been studied using ¹H, ⁷Li, and ²⁷Al NMR. A change in the charge on the anion leads to significant changes in the asymmetry parameter for the lithium and aluminum nuclei with relatively small changes in the quadrupolar coupling constant and the broadening factor. The structure of the intermediate [LiAl₂(OH)₆]Cl·0.5H₂O hydrate can be represented as a derivative of the structure of the anhydrous [LiAl₂(OH)₆]Cl intercalate with a slightly increased layer thickness and a minor orthorhombic distortion of the hexagonal cell; the water molecules partially fill the interlayer voids and participate in the diffusion process. Further hydration of the intercalate (x 1) leads to a minor (0.2) increase in the layer thickness and is accompanied by disordering of chloride ions and water molecules in the interlayer space.     

Low-Valent MxAl3 Cluster Salts with Tetrahedral [SiAl3]+ and Trigonal-Bipyramidal [M2Al3]2+ Cores (M=Si/Ge)

Schnöckel's [(AlCp*)₄] and Jutzi's [SiCp*][B(C₆F₅)₄] (Cp*=C₅Me₅) are landmarks in modern main-group chemistry with diverse applications in synthesis and catalysis. Despite the isoelectronic relationship between the AlCp* and the [SiCp*]⁺ fragments, their mutual reactivity is hitherto unknown. Here, we report on their reaction giving the complex salts [Cp*Si(AlCp*)₃][WCA] ([WCA]⁻=[Al(OR^F)₄]⁻ and [F{Al(OR^F)₃}₂]⁻; R^F=C(CF₃)₃). The tetrahedral [SiAl₃]⁺ core not only represents a rare example of a low-valent silicon-doped aluminium-cluster, but also—due to its facile accessibility and high stability—provides a convenient preparative entry towards low-valent Si−Al clusters in general. For example, an elusive binuclear [Si₂(AlCp*)₅]²⁺ with extremely short Al−Si bonds and a high negative partial charge at the Si atoms was structurally characterised and its bonding situation analysed by DFT. Crystals of the isostructural [Ge₂(AlCp*)₅]²⁺ dication were also obtained and represent the first mixed Al−Ge cluster.     

Direct Observation of Dynamic Bond Evolution in Single-Atom Pt/C3N4 Catalysts

Single-atom catalysts are promising platforms for heterogeneous catalysis, especially for clean energy conversion, storage, and utilization. Although great efforts have been made to examine the bonding and oxidation state of single-atom catalysts before and/or after catalytic reactions, when information about dynamic evolution is not sufficient, the underlying mechanisms are often overlooked. Herein, we report the direct observation of the charge transfer and bond evolution of a single-atom Pt/C₃N₄ catalyst in photocatalytic water splitting by synchronous illumination X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Specifically, under light excitation, we observed Pt−N bond cleavage to form a Pt⁰ species and the corresponding C=N bond reconstruction; these features could not be detected on the metallic platinum-decorated C₃N₄ catalyst. As expected, H₂ production activity (14.7 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹) was enhanced significantly with the single-atom Pt/C₃N₄ catalyst as compared to metallic Pt-C₃N₄ (0.74 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹).     

Direct Comparison of Subvalent,Polycationic Group 13 Cluster Compounds: Lessons learned on Isoelectronic DMPE Substituted Gallium and Indium Tetracation Salts

The tetracationic, univalent cluster compounds [{M(dmpe)}₄]⁴⁺ (M=Ga, In; dmpe=bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane) were synthesized as their pf salts ([pf]⁻=[Al(OR^F)₄]⁻; R^F=C(CF₃)₃). The four-membered ring in [{M(dmpe)}₄]⁴⁺ is slightly puckered for M=Ga and almost square planar for M=In. Yet, although structurally similar, only the gallium cluster is prevalent in solution, while the indium cluster forms temperature dependent equilibria that include even the monomeric cation [In(dmpe)]⁺. This system is the first report of one and the same ligand inducing formation of isoelectronic and isostructural gallium/indium cluster cations. The system allows to study systematically analogies and differences with thermodynamic considerations and bonding analyses, but also to outline perspectives for bond activation using cationic, subvalent group 13 clusters.     

Inverse sandwich complexes based on low‐valent group 13 elements and cyclobutadiene: A theoretical investigation on E‐C4H4‐E (E = Al,Ga, In,Tl)

The chemistry of the low‐valent Group 13 elements (E = B, Al, Ga, In, Tl) has formed the recent hot topic. Recently, a series of low‐valent Group 13‐based compounds have been synthesized, i.e., [E‐Cp*‐E]⁺ (E = Al, Ga, In, Tl) cations, which have been termed as the interesting “inverse sandwich” complexes. To enrich the family of inverse sandwiches, we report our theoretical design of a new type of inverse sandwiches E‐C₄H₄‐E (E = Al, Ga, In, Tl) for stabilizing the low‐valent Group 13 elements. The calculated dissociation energies indicate that unlike [E‐Cp‐E]⁺ that dissociates via loss of the charged atom E⁺, E‐C₄H₄‐E dissociates via loss of the neutral atom E with the bond strengths of Al > Ga > In > Tl. Moreover, E‐C₄H₄‐E are more stable in dissociation than [E‐Cp‐E]⁺ cations. By comparing with other various isomers, we found that the inverted E‐C₄H₄‐E should be kinetically quite stable with the least conversion barriers of 33.5, 33.5, 35.2, and 36.9 kcal/mol for E = Al, Ga, In, and Tl, respectively. Furthermore, replacement of cyclobutadiene‐H atoms by the highly electron‐positive groups such as SiH₃ and Si(CH₃)₃ could significantly stabilize the inverted form in thermodynamics. Possible synthetic routes are proposed for E‐C₄H₄‐E. With no need of counterions, the newly designed neutral complexes E‐C₄H₄‐E welcome future synthesis. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Structure and energy of the positively ionized water clusters

Geometry optimization of small (H₂O)_n⁺ clusters (n ≤ 4) at the UHF/4–31 + + G^** level indicates that the cations consist of two fragments: the OH radical and the H_2n−1 O⁺_n−1 ion. The latter can be considered as a thermodynamically stable combination of a distorted H₃O⁺ ion and (n−2) H₂O molecules. The H bond between the fragments becomes weaker with increasing cluster size. Extrapolation of the adiabatic ionization potentials calculated for the (H₂O)_n oligomers (n ≤ 4) at the MP2 level to an infinite cluster size provides the value of approximately 8.7 eV, which can be presumably necessary for the ionization of liquid water in a vacuum. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A theoretical investigation on the structures of (NH3)·(H2SO4)·(H2O)0-14 clusters

Ternary clusters (NH₃)·(H₂SO₄)·(H₂O)_n have been widely studied. However, the structures and binding energies of relatively larger cluster (n > 6) remain unclear, which hinders the study of other interesting properties. Ternary clusters of (NH₃)·(H₂SO₄)·(H₂O)_n, n = 0-14, were investigated using MD simulations and quantum chemical calculations. For n = 1, a proton was transferred from H₂SO₄ to NH₃. For n = 10, both protons of H₂SO₄ were transferred to NH₃ and H₂O, respectively. The NH₄⁺ and HSO₄⁻ formed a contact ion-pair [NH₄⁺-HSO₄⁻] for n = 1-6 and a solvent separated ion-pair [NH₄⁺-H₂O-HSO₄⁻] for n = 7-9. Therefore, we observed two obvious transitions from neutral to single protonation (from H₂SO₄ to NH₃) to double protonation (from H₂SO₄ to NH₃ and H₂O) with increasing n. In general, the structures with single protonation and solvated ion-pair were higher in entropy than those with double protonation and contact ion-pair of single protonation and were thus preferred at higher temperature. As a result, the inversion between single and double protonated clusters was postponed until n = 12 according to the average binding Gibbs free energy at the normal condition. These results can serve as a good start point for studies of the other properties of these clusters and as a model for the solvation of the [H₂SO₄-NH₃] complex in bulk water.     

Die Kristallstruktur von (Al0,5Ga0,5)CuOAsO4 – Kupfer zwischen planarer und geschlossener Koordination

The Crystal Structure of (Al_0,5Ga_0,5)CuOAsO₄ – Copper Intermediate between Planar and Closed Coordination Single crystals of the new oxide arsenate (Al_0.5Ga_0.5)CuOAsO₄ (monoclinic, P2₁/c, a = 734.3(2) pm, b = 1024.79(9) pm, c = 563.4(2) pm, β = 99.93(1)°, Z = 4) were obtained by reaction of Al/As/Cu/Ga-alloys with oxygen. The crystal structure was determined from four-circle diffractometer data (w2R = 0.039 for 1211 F² values and 76 parameters). The structure contains [Cu₂O₆] double squares arranged in slabs perpendicular to the a axis such that a [4 + 1]-coordination of the copper atoms by oxygen atoms results which is intermediate between square-planar and square-pyramidal. Along [100] layers of corner sharing (Al/Ga)O₄ and AsO₄ tetrahedra are alternating with buckled Cu layers.     

Density functional theory studies on the external OH−‐induced barrierless proton dissociation mechanism for the forced hydrolysis reaction of Al3+(aq)

The forced hydrolysis reaction of aqueous aluminum ion (Al³⁺) is of critical importance in Al chemistry, but its microscopic mechanism has long been neglected. Herein, density functional calculations reveal an external OH⁻‐induced barrierless proton dissociation mechanism for the forced hydrolysis of Al³⁺(aq). Dynamic reaction pathway modeling results show that the barrierless deprotonations induced by the second‐ or third‐shell external OH⁻ proceed via the concerted proton transfer through H‐bond wires connected to the coordinated waters, and the inducing ability of the external OH⁻ decreases with increasing hydration layers between Al(H₂O)₆³⁺ and the external OH⁻. The OH⁻‐induced forced hydrolysis mechanism of Al³⁺(aq) is quite different from its self‐hydrolysis mechanism without OH⁻. The inducing ability is a unique characteristic of OH⁻, rather than other anions such as F⁻ or Cl⁻.