(119)Sn MAS NMR and first-principles calculations for the investigation of disorder in stannate pyrochlores

The local structure and cation disorder in Y(2)Ti(2-x)Sn(x)O(7) pyrochlores, materials proposed for the encapsulation of lanthanide- and actinide-bearing radioactive waste, is studied using (119)Sn (I = 1/2) NMR spectroscopy. NMR provides an excellent probe of disorder, as it is sensitive to the atomic scale environment without the need for any long-range periodicity. However, the complex and overlapping spectral resonances that often result can be difficult to interpret. Here, we demonstrate how (119)Sn DFT calculations can be used to aid the spectral interpretation and assignment, confirming that Sn occupies only the six-coordinate pyrochlore B site, and that the Sn chemical shift is sensitive to the number of Sn/Ti on the neighbouring B sites. Although distinct resonances are resolved experimentally when the Ti content is low, there is significant spectral overlap for Ti-rich compositions. We establish that this is a result of two competing contributions to the Sn chemical shift; an upfield shift resulting from the incorporation of the more polarizing Ti(4+) cation onto the neighbouring B sites, and a concomitant downfield shift arising from the decrease in unit cell size. Despite the considerably easier spectral acquisition, the lower resolution in the (119)Sn spectra hinders the extraction of the detailed structural information previously obtained using (89)Y NMR. However, the spectra we obtain are consistent with a random distribution of Sn/Ti on the pyrochlore B sites. Finally, we consider whether an equilibrium structure has been achieved by investigating materials that have been annealed for different durations.     

Investigation of anharmonicity in rotational phonon mode for BaWO4 crystal

Spontaneous Raman spectra in the BaWO₄ were measured in the temperature range from 4 K to 280 K, and the temperature dependence of the linewidth of the A_g (191 cm⁻¹) Raman mode was analyzed using the lattice dynamical perturbative approach and one-phonon density of states (PDOS). The linewidth slope for the 191 cm⁻¹ peak for an external mode is 7.2 times larger than that for the 926 cm⁻¹ peak for a breathing mode. The different behaviors of these two modes in the case of temperature broadening could be attributed to the large energy band gap in the one-phonon density of states (PDOS) resulting in different anharmonic interactions. The origin may be that the ratio of up-conversion TDOS to down-conversion TDOS for Eg mode (191 cm⁻¹) is more than that for A_g (926 cm⁻¹). The peak of the Eg mode (191 cm⁻¹) is attributed to the coupling mode both a rotation of the Barium and an out-of-phase rotation of the oxygen in x–y plane as a librational mode.     

The role of acoustic phonon scattering in charge transport in organic semiconductors: a first-principles deformation-potential study

The electron-acoustic phonon scattering for charge transport in organic semiconductors has been studied by first-principles density functional theory and the Boltzmann transport equation with relaxation time approximation. Within the framework of deformation-potential theory, the electron-longitudinal acoustic phonon scattering probability and the corresponding relaxation time have been obtained for oligoacene single crystals (naphthalene, anthracene, tetracene and pentacene). Previously, the electron-optic...     

Alkylation of amines using trivalent bismuth derivatives

Mixed alkylaryl Bi^III derivatives have been prepared by both anionic and free radical methods. The thermal stability of these compounds permits them to be used in the presence of cupric acetate for the alkylation of amines. Trialkylbismuth compounds can also be used in the same way.     

Electroanalysis of some nitro-compounds using bulk bismuth electrode

Nitro compounds were usually determined electrochemically using the mercury drop with DPP technique. An alternate way to toxic mercury is the increasing use of the bismuth electrode as thin film electrodeposited on glassy carbon or copper for example, or as bulk bismuth disc. In the present paper several nitrocompounds were investigated: mononitrophenols, dinitrophenol, nitrobenzoic acid, nitrobenzaldehyde and a well known pesticide, parathion, which has a nitro group in para position on a phenyl cycle. Bulk bismuth electrode was a disc (cross section of a rod of 5 mm diameter embedded in Teflon®) polished with silicon carbide disc (P2400) and sonicated to remove any abrasive particle. The supporting electrolyte was the acetic buffer (pH 4.7), which was found suitable for all these compounds. Using cathodic sweep differential pulse voltammetry, it was noticed that according to the position of the nitro group on the cycle, the peak potentials might range between ?300 to ?750 mV vs. SCE. Limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantification (LOQ) were determined for each compound whose response for increasing concentration was linear in the ～3–50 µmol L^?1 whatever the considered molecule. Adsorptive differential pulse voltammetry was found very efficient to determine parathion, because this molecule adsorbs on bismuth at ?0.2 V vs. SCE. Bulk bismuth electrode was compared to the hanging mercury drop electrode and led to an identical behaviour.     

Towards better photocatalysts: first-principles studies of the alloying effects on the photocatalytic activities of bismuth oxyhalides under visible light

Via density functional theory computations, we investigated the photocatalytic activities of pure and alloyed bismuth oxyhalides (BiOXs). The dipole moments of the majority of pure and alloyed BiOXs are larger than 2.00 Debye, which can ensure their high photocatalytic efficiencies. Both the redox potentials of the photon-induced holes and the band gaps increase with an increasing content of lighter halogen atoms in the BiOXs, which competitively affects the photocatalytic efficiency. The hole mobility decreases a lot due to the hybridization of the halogen np states, while the electron mobility is not affected by such hybridization. Therefore, the alloying effect in BiOXs brings about a substantially lower electron-hole recombination rate and, accordingly, a much higher photocatalytic efficiency. Our investigation also suggests that O vacancies, which are energetically more favorable in alloyed BiOXs, could act as capture centers for excited electrons and, consequently, improve the separation of the electron-hole pairs. Our findings present a reasonable explanation for the recent experimental reports and provide some guidance for the design of alloyed BiOX photocatalysts.     

Investigation of Raman and infrared phonon modes in case of barium bismuth tantalate (BaBi2Ta2O9)

The Raman and the infrared wavenumbers in the Aurivillius structure BaBi₂Ta₂O₉ (BBT) having space group I4/mmm (no. 139-D_4h¹⁷) are investigated using normal coordinate analysis. The calculation of zone center phonons incorporates seven stretching and seven bending force constants. The Raman and the infrared frequencies for BBT have been assigned for the first time in I4/mmm phase. The calculated Raman and infrared wavenumbers are in very good agreement with the observed ones. The potential energy distributions (PED) are also investigated for each normal mode in BBT and the contributions of different force constants to various frequencies are determined.     

Coordination mode of nitrate in uranyl(VI) complexes: a first-principles molecular dynamics study

According to Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations for [UO(2)(NO(3))(3)](-), [UO(2)(NO(3))(4)](2-), and [UO(2)(OH(2))(4-)(NO(3))](+) complexes in the gas phase and in aqueous solution, the nitrate coordination mode to uranyl depends on the interplay between ligand-metal attractions, interligand repulsions, and solvation. In the trinitrate, the eta(2)-coordination is clearly favored in water and in the gas phase, leading to a coordination number (CN) of 6. According to pointwise thermodynamic integration involving constrained molecular dynamics simulations, a change in free energy of +6 kcal/mol is predicted for eta(2)- to eta(1)-transition of one of the three nitrate ligands in the gas phase. In the gas phase, the mononitrate-hydrate complex also prefers a eta(2)-binding mode but with a CN of 5, one H(2)O molecule being in the second shell. This contrasts with the aqueous solution where the nitrate binds in a eta(1)-fashion and uranyl coordinates to four H2O ligands. A driving force of ca. -3 kcal/mol is predicted for the eta(2)- to eta(1)- transition in water. This structural preference is interpreted in terms of steric arguments and differential solvation of terminal vs uranyl-coordinated O atoms of the nitrate ligands. The [UO(2)(NO(3))(4)](2-) complex with two eta(2)- and two eta(1)- coordinated nitrates, observed in the solid state, is stable for 1-2 ps in the gas phase and in solution. In the studied series, the modulation of uranyl-ligand distances upon immersion of the complex in water is found to depend on the nature of the ligand and the composition of the complex.     

Aerobic oxidation of alcohols using bismuth bromide as a catalyst

We developed an environmentally friendly method for aerobic oxidation of alcohols using a commercially available, relatively benign bismuth salt as a catalyst. We found that the catalytic combination of BiBr₃ with nitric acid is key for enhancing the reactivity. The reaction proceeds well under air, making the use of pure oxygen unnecessary. Each of the primary or secondary alcohols tested was oxidized to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones using this protocol.     

Electrochemical determination of lead using bismuth modified glassy carbon electrode

Electrochemical application of bismuth film modified glassy carbon electrode was studied with the objective of lead detection. Bismuth film on glassy carbon substrate was formed in a plating solution of 2 mmol/L Bi(NO₃)₃, in 1 mol/L HCl at ?1.1 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) for 300 s. Lead was detected by differential pulse anodic voltammetry in acetate buffer of pH 5.0 in the concentration range of 7.5 nmol/L to 12.5 μmol/L. Factors influencing the anodic stripping performance, including deposition time, solution pH, Bi(III) concentration, potential, pulse amplitude, pulse width, have been optimized. Three linear calibration plots in the range 7.5 nmol/L to 0.1 μmol/L, 0.25 to 1 μmol/L, 2.5 to 12.5 μmol/L with regression coefficients of 0.991, 0.986 and 0.978 respectively were obtained. The theoretical detection limit equivalent to three times standard deviation for 7.5 nmol/L lead (n = 5) was calculated to be 5.25 nmol/L utilizing a 5 min deposition time and sensitivity 83.97 A L/mol. The sensitivity and detection limit of the method was compared with reported voltammetric methods for detection of lead and the result obtained was found to be promising for determination of lead.     

Structure-property correlation of CdSe clusters using experimental results and first-principles DFT calculations

Structures and properties of CdSe quantum dots (clusters) up to a diameter of approximately 2 nm were investigated by combining experimental absorption, photoluminescence (PL), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopies as well as ab initio DFT calculations. These CdSe clusters were nucleated and grown from solutions containing respective cadmium and selenium precursors following the hot-injection technique that allows one to obtain size-controlled CdSe clusters having PL efficiency up to 0.5. The DFT calculations were performed at the B3LYP/Lanl2dz level and followed by time-dependent TDDFT calculations to estimate n energy singlet transitions. On the basis of the results of these experimental and theoretical studies, an approach to determine whether the proposed cluster with a mean diameter of approximately 2 nm is more physically reasonable is discussed. It was shown that the minimum nucleus of a CdSe cluster consists of (CdSe)(3) with a six-membered ring and planar structure. No PL is observed for this structure. The formation of the next stable cluster depends on whether hexadecylamine (HDA) was used for the growth of the CdSe clusters. In the absence of HDA, the second cluster was found to be (CdSe)(6) characterized by a broad PL spectrum, while in the presence of HDA, it was found to be (CdSe)(n) (where n > or = 14) with a sharp PL spectrum.     

Environmentally friendly organic synthesis using bismuth compounds: bismuth(III) iodide catalyzed deprotection of acetals in water

The chemoselective deprotection of a wide range of acetals and ketals in water is catalyzed by bismuth(III) iodide. Bismuth(III) compounds are remarkably nontoxic and hence are attractive as environmentally friendly catalysts.     

Synthesis of amides using the Ritter reaction with bismuth triflate catalysis

N-tert-Alkyl and aryl amides were obtained by a Ritter reaction of various nitriles with tertiary alcohols in the presence of a catalytic amount of bismuth triflate.     

Catalyst-free ipso-nitration of aryl boronic acids using bismuth nitrate

We report a catalyst-free ipso-nitration of aryl boronic acids using bismuth (III) nitrate as nitrating agent. Reaction proceeds in shorter reaction times with moderate to excellent yields. This method is operationally simple, regioselective, and possesses excellent functional group compatibility to synthesize nitroarenes.     

The phonon spectrum of phase-I ammonia: reassignment of lattice mode symmetries from combined molecular and lattice dynamics calculations

The zone-center phonon spectra of phase-I ammonia and deuterated ammonia have been obtained from plane-wave DFT molecular dynamics and localized basis set harmonic lattice dynamics simulations. These data have proved to be excellent for benchmarking the two approaches. Significant changes to the assignments of the experimental low-frequency lattice modes are proposed on the basis of the calculated data. The magnitude of the splitting of the longitudinal and transverse optical modes has been determined and is shown to be significant in some cases. The high-frequency internal mode region of the spectrum has also been obtained and is shown to be in excellent agreement with the results of previous studies. The symmetry coordinates and Davydov splittings of the internal modes are fully analyzed.     

Bismuth compounds in organic synthesis. Synthesis of resorcinarenes using bismuth triflate

Bismuth triflate (5 mol%) smoothly catalyzes the condensation of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes with resorcinol to give tetrameric cyclic products, resorcinarenes. With benzaldehyde, the product is obtained as a mixture of two diastereomers and the ratio of the diastereomers depends on reaction time. On the other hand, a single diastereomer is obtained with aliphatic aldehydes. The low toxicity and ease of handling of bismuth compounds coupled with fast reaction times make this method an attractive alternative to the existing methods for resorcinarene formation.     

Synthesis of sub-20-nm-sized bismuth 1-D structures using gallium-bismuth systems

Bismuth (Bi) nanowires are interesting one-dimensional systems due to the significant quantum confinement effects exhibited as a function of the wire diameters, and synthesizing Bi nanowires with sizes below 20 nm is of fundamental importance in understanding quantum effects. Here, we report a bulk synthesis method to synthesize ultrafine Bi nanowires and a new morphology of bismuth nanostructures, tapered whiskers. These tapered whiskers are about 10-20 mum in length and have diameters of 5-10 nm at the tip and 250-500 nm at the base. The synthesis method is based upon the multiple nucleation and basal growth of nanometer scale nuclei from molten gallium (Ga) melts that result from the low solubility of Bi in Ga and the low eutectic temperature of the Ga-Bi binary system. Adopting different methods of supplying bismuth and using variations in simple heating and cooling, we have synthesized a variety of bismuth nanostructures.     

Chemical-state analysis of organic semiconductors using soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy combined with first-principles calculation

The chemical states of organic semiconductors were investigated by total-electron-yield soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (TEY-XAS) and first-principles calculations. The organic semiconductors, pentacene (C(22)H(14)) and pentacenequinone (C(22)H(12)O(2)), were subjected to TEY-XAS and the experimental spectra obtained were compared with the 1s core-level excited spectra of C and O atoms, calculated by a first-principles planewave pseudopotential method. Excellent agreement between the measured and the calculated spectra were obtained for both materials. Using this methodology, we examined the chemical states of the aged pentacene, and confirmed that both C-OH and C═O chemical bonds are generated by exposure to air. This result implies that not only oxygen but also humidity causes pentacene oxidation.