The analysis of inorganic and organometallic antimony,arsenic and tin compounds using an on-column hydride generation method

A novel method of analysis of inorganic and organometallic compounds is reported. Essentially this utilizes the well-documented hydride generation technique, but in the present method the hydrides are generated from their involatile precursors (e.g. chlorides) on a GC column and separated from each other and from extraneous materials on the same GC column in a single process. Using the method, a solution of butyltin chlorides can be directly injected into a GC AA system to yield the volatile hydrides for separation, detection and quantification. To date, species analysed by this method include inorganic As(III), Me₂AsOOH, inorganic Sb(III) and Sb(V), MeSnCl₃, Me₂SnCl₂, Me₃SnCl, Et₂SnCl₂, Et₃SnCl, BuSnCl₃, Bu₂SnCl₂, Bu₃SnCl and Pr₃SnCl. With the use of the internal standard Pr₃SnCl and with the almost complete hydridization afforded by the technique, the procedure is shown to eliminate errors and to reduce the time involved in the analysis. The use of on-column derivatization also allows for the possibility that, in some cases, organotin hydrides reported to be found in the natural environment may, in fact, be organotin chlorides being reported as hydrides owing to inadvertent hydride production on the column. Some reports of successful gas chromatography for organotin halides could also conceivably be due to on-column hydride generation.     

New materials based on the reaction of cyclo- and poly-(organo phosphazenes) with SiO2, TiO2 and ZrO2 precursors

A new class of organic-inorganic materials can be prepared, based on inorganic networks and cycloor poly-(organophosphazenes). Poly(organophosphazenes) are polymers characterized by many interesting technological properties. This report is based on a investigation on the reactivity of SiO₂, TiO₂ and ZrO₂ precursors with different phosphazene compounds functionalized with hydroxyl groups, to prepare materials with a hybrid structure. The synthesis of these systems was studied in different experimental conditions. Evidences on the structures and properties of these materials will be presented on the basis of FTIR, SEM and thermal analysis characterization results.     

Preparation of single-phase α-Fe(III) oxide nanoparticles by thermal decomposition. Influence of the precursor on properties

In this research, we present an experimental procedure to prepare single-phase α-Fe(III) oxide nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of five different precursors including: iron(III) citrate; Fe(C₆H₅O₇), iron(III) acetylacetonate; Fe(C₅H₇O₂)₃, and iron(III) oxalate; Fe(C₂O₄)₃, iron(III) acetate; Fe(C₂H₃O₂)₃, and the thermal curves obtained were analyzed. The influence of the thermal decomposition of precursors on the formation α-Fe₂O₃ was studied by differential thermal gravimetry and thermogravimetry. The synthesized powders were characterized by using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. High quality iron oxide nanoparticles with narrow size distribution and average particle size between ca. 2 and 30 nm have been obtained. It was found that the iron precursors affect the temperatures of the pure α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticle formation with different diameters; iron(III) citrate (29 nm), iron(III) acetylacetonate (37 nm), and iron(III) oxalate (24 nm).     

CVD of metal organic and other rare-earth compounds

Three major applications have been found for rare-earth compounds in Metal Organic Chemical Vapour Depostion (MOCVD) or Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD). Yttrium 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionates and 6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl-3,5-octanedionates have been used in conjunction with barium and copper(II) β-diketonates to deposit YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ as superconducting thin films. Rare-earth fluorides and chlorides have been used for CFD doping of rare earths into MOCVD-deposited ZnS, whilst yttrium chloride has been used, with barium iodide and copper(I) chloride, to produce YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ superconducting material by CVD. Lanthanoid (Ln) tris(cyclopentadienyl) compounds, Ln(C₅H₅)₃ or Ln(C₅H₄Me)₃, have been used for doping of rare earths into 13–15 (III–V) semiconductors. Their volatility, structure/volatility relationships, and preparations are discussed. Possible alternative reagents and problems to be faced in doping 12–16 (II–VI) semiconductors are also considered.     

Features of Joint Thermolysis of Organometallic Compounds of Group III and V Elements

The kinetic data on thermolysis of equimolar gaseous mixtures of organometallic compounds of Group III and V elements show that the thermal stability of the mixture differs from that of the components taken separately, which is mainly due to complexation between the mixture components. The complex is a kinetically active species. The rate of joint thermolysis of the organometallic compounds grows as the number of hydride atoms at the Group V element increases in the order AsMe3 < t-BuPH₂ < AsH₃. The stability of the complexes formed by organometallic compounds of Group III and V elements decreases in the same order. Joint thermolysis of Me₃Ga and AsH₃ yields a solid oligomer Me₂GaAs(H)Ga(Me)AsH₂. The complicated pattern of decomposition of a mixture of trimethylaluminum with various electron donors is due to participation in the pyrolysis of two trimethylaluminum species: monomeric and dimeric. In decomposition of pure trimethylaluminum or its mixtures with organometallic compounds of Group V elements or with ether, solid pyrolysis products deposited on the vessel walls catalyzed further transformations of the mixture components.     

Studies on Water and Ammonia Programmed Thermodesorption of Mixed M(III)-vanadyl Phosphates

Hydrated M(III)-vanadyl phosphates (M (III)=Mn, Fe, Ga, Al) have been prepared and studied for water and ammonia adsorption properties by TG/DTA, NH₃ TPD, FTIR and XRD techniques. The compounds have the same tetragonal layered structure of VOPO₄ ⋅2H₂ O, but shorter interlayer distances. Ammonia adsorption leads to intercalation of large amounts (0.19–0.39 mol/mol) of base between the layers of the materials, without displacement of water. The ammoniated phases obtained from these compounds have interlayer distances shorter than that of the corresponding precursors. In this connection an interaction mechanism NH₃ -host is proposed. Treated at 450°C the materials adsorb ammonia only on the external surface because of the large decrease of the interlayer distance that prevents NH₃ from entering the interlayer space. All M(III)-vanadyl phosphates present a wide distribution of strength of ammonia adsorbing sites. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synthesis of nanocrystalline nickel ferrite by thermal decomposition of organic precursors

Nickel ferrite powders were synthesized by thermal decomposition of the precursors obtained in the redox reaction between the mixture of Ni(NO₃)₂·6H₂O and Fe(NO₃)₃·9H₂O with polyalcohol: 1,4-butanediol, polyvinyl alcohol and also with their mixture. During this reaction the primary C?COH groups were oxidized at ?CCOOH, while secondary C?COH groups at C=O groups. The carboxylic groups formed coordinate to the present Ni(II) and Fe(III) cations leading to carboxylate type compounds, further used as precursors for NiFe₂O₄. These precursors were characterized by thermal analysis and FT-IR spectrometry. All precursors thermally decomposed up to 350?°C leading to nickel ferrite weakly crystallized. By annealing at higher temperatures, nanocrystalline nickel ferrite powders were obtained, as resulted from XRD. SEM images have evidenced the formation of nanoparticulate powders; these powders present magnetic properties characteristic to the oxidic system formed by magnetic nanoparticles.     

Facile Hydrazine‐Hydrothermal Syntheses and Characterizations of Two Quaternary Thioarsenates(III): Two‐Dimensional SrAg4As2S6⋅2 H2O and One‐Dimensional BaAgAsS3

Two new quaternary thioarsenates(III), SrAg₄As₂S₆?2 H₂O ( 1 ) and BaAgAsS₃ ( 2 ), have been prepared through a hydrazine‐hydrothermal method at low temperature. Compound 1 possesses a two‐dimensional (2D) layer network, while compound 2 features a one‐dimensional (1D) column structure. The detailed structure analysis indicates that Sr²⁺ and Ba²⁺ cations have different directing effects on the structures of thioarsenates(III). Both experimental and theoretical studies demonstrate that compounds 1 and 2 are narrow‐gap semiconductors. Our success in synthesizing these two quaternary thioarsenates(III) proves that the hydrazine‐hydrothermal technique is a powerful yet facile synthetic method for exploring new complex chalcogenides with diverse crystal structures and interesting physical properties.     

Heterogeneous reactions of solid nickel(II) complexes XXIV

The Stoichiometry of thermal decomposition was studied for the following compounds: Ni(NCS)₂(pip)₄ (I), (pip=piperidine), Ni(NCS)₂(pip)₂py·H₂O (II), (py=piridine), Ni(NCS)₂(4-Mepip)₃ (III), Ni(NCS)₂(3-Mepip)₃ (IV) and Ni(NCS)₂(3.5-Me₂pip)₃ (V). In complexes I, II, III and IV the loss of the volatile ligands (on the TG curve to 300 °C) occurs in three steps and in complex V in two steps. The loss of the last molecules of volatile ligands is accompanied by the decomposition of NCS groups. Spectral data and magnetic moment values for the initial complexes I and II (together with the defined intermediates) indicated pseudooctahedral configuration while pentacoordination for complexes III, IV and V. Structural changes of the complexes studied in thermal decomposition reactions are discussed.     

All-in-one: a new approach toward robust and solution-processable copper halide hybrid semiconductors by integrating covalent,coordinate and ionic bonds in their structures

Conventional inorganic semiconductors are best known for their superior physical properties and chemical robustness, and their widespread use in optoelectronic devices. However, implementation of these materials in many other applications has been hindered by their poor solubility and/or solution-processability, a longstanding drawback that is largely responsible for issues such as high cost. While recent progress on hybrid perovskites, an important class of inorganic–organic hybrid materials, has shed light on the development of high-performance solution processable semiconductors, they rely heavily on toxic metals and generally suffer from framework instability. To address these issues, a new group of hybrid semiconductors based on anionic copper(i) halide and cationic organic ligands has been developed. These compounds are noted as All-In-One (AIO) structures as they consist of covalently bonded anionic CuX inorganic modules that form both coordinate and ionic bonds with cationic organic ligands. Studies demonstrate that framework stability and solution processibility of these materials are greatly enhanced as a result of such bonds. In the perspective, we highlight the development of this newly emerged type of materials including their crystal structures, chemical and physical properties and possible applications. The untapped potential that the AIO approach can offer for other hybrid families is also discussed.

This Perspective features the newly emerged AIO-type Cu(i)X-based hybrid semiconductors and showcases their structural diversity, solution-processability, framework stability, important photophysical properties and related potential applications.     

Preparation of99mTc-thiourea complex as a precursor for Tc(III) labeled compounds

Ligand exchange is one of the possible synthetic routes to obtain^99mTc coordination compounds. However, the success of this route depends on the availability of good precursors. The objective of this work is the preparation of the complex [^99mTc(tu)₆]³⁺ (tu = thiourea), as a potential precursor for^99mTc(III) coordination compounds. The preparation was successfully performed in acidic conditions, the excess of tu serving as reducing agent. At pH values higher than 3, the compound becomes unstable and on addition of polydentate ligands new Tc(III) complexes are formed. With edta, the complex^99mTc(III)-edta was obtained in high yield.     

Altered protein synthesis in rat kidney cells exposed to semiconductor materials

It is thought that the extensive industrial use of arsenic, gallium and indium, which have applications as the materials for III–V semiconductors, will increase human exposure to these compounds in the near future. We have undertaken the development of new biological indicators for assessing exposure to these elements. Element-specific alterations in protein synthesis patterns were expected to occur following exposure to arsenic compounds. We examined alterations in protein synthesis in primary cultures of rat kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells by sodium arsenite, gallium chloride and indium chloride, utilizing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. After incubation with the chemicals for 20 h, newly synthesized proteins were labeled with [³⁵S]methionine. A protein with a molecular weight (M_r) of 30 000 was markedly induced on exposure to 10 μM arsenite or 300 μM gallium chloride, and synthesis of proteins with M_r values of 85 000, 71 000, 65 000, 51 000, 38 000 and 28 000 were also increased by exposure to arsenite and gallium chloride. No significant changes were observed upon exposure to indium. Some of these increased proteins could be heat-shock proteins.     

New synthetic routes to nano-composites with ceramic particles, using lanthanide compounds

Gas-phase as well as sol–gel techniques can be used to access to materials which contain two sorts of solid phases, of which one is mostly acting as the matrix. The choice of the molecular precursor in both processing techniques is crucial to obtain the desired composite product. Single source precursors have advantages over multi source precursors, as they allow a simplified technique and often also lead to purer materials. Moreover, the same precursor may behave similarly in the gas phase or wet process or may behave very differently. In this review composite compounds are discussed with Al₂O₃ mostly acting as a matrix and with Ln₂O₃ (Ln = lanthanide element) acting as a second phase. Two processes for Nd:YAG materials are described in more detail as well as some new alcoholates of lanthanides derived from carbinol substituted by thiophenes.     

Thermal decomposition of some metal-organic precursors

In this paper we present a study on the synthesis of Fe(III) oxide, by thermal decomposition of some complex combinations of Fe(III) with carboxylate type ligands, obtained in the redox reaction between some polyols (ethylene glycol (EG), 1,2-propane diol (1,2PG), 1,3-propane diol (1,3PG) and glycerol (GL)) and NO₃ ^– ions (from ferric nitrate). Fe₂O₃ was obtained by thermal decomposition of the synthesized metal-organic precursors at low temperatures. γ-Fe₂O₃ was obtained as nanoparticles at 300°C, while at higher temperatures α-Fe₂O₃ starts to crystallize and becomes single phase at ~500°C. The formation of the metal-organic precursors and their thermal decomposition were studied by thermal analysis and FTIR spectroscopy.     

Study of the thermal behaviour of [Cr(NH3)6]MF6 (M=CR,Al, Fe,Ga and In) and [Cr(NH3)6]F3·HF·H2O

The thermal behaviour of the hexamminechromium hexafluorometallates and [Cr(NH₃)₆]F₃. HF·H₂O was investigated by non-reciprocal quasi-isobaric thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and i.r. spectroscopy. Reduction of chromium(III) was not observed, neither during the decomposition [Cr(NH₃)₆]F₃·HF·H₂O nor during the decomposition of any of the title hexamminechromium hexafluorometallates. Obviously this reduction is not promoted by the coordinative Cr?N bonds, neither these in the starting materials nor those in the intermediately formed phases. Under non-reciprocal quasi-isobaric conditions, hexamminechromium hexafluorometallates are ideal precursors for preparing mixed cationic fluorides both in the rhombohedral modification and in the modification of the hexagonal tungsten bronze type structure.     

Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Using TiO2-Based Photocatalysts and TiO2 Z-Scheme Heterojunction Composites: A Review

Photocatalytic CO₂ reduction is a most promising technique to capture CO₂ and reduce it to non-fossil fuel and other valuable compounds. Today, we are facing serious environmental issues due to the usage of excessive amounts of non-renewable energy resources. In this aspect, photocatalytic CO₂ reduction will provide us with energy-enriched compounds and help to keep our environment clean and healthy. For this purpose, various photocatalysts have been designed to obtain selective products and improve efficiency of the system. Semiconductor materials have received great attention and have showed good performances for CO₂ reduction. Titanium dioxide has been widely explored as a photocatalyst for CO₂ reduction among the semiconductors due to its suitable electronic/optical properties, availability at low cost, thermal stability, low toxicity, and high photoactivity. Inspired by natural photosynthesis, the artificial Z-scheme of photocatalyst is constructed to provide an easy method to enhance efficiency of CO₂ reduction. This review covers literature in this field, particularly the studies about the photocatalytic system, TiO₂ Z-scheme heterojunction composites, and use of transition metals for CO₂ photoreduction. Lastly, challenges and opportunities are described to open a new era in engineering and attain good performances with semiconductor materials for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction.     

Thermolyse von Phosphor(V)-Schwefel(VI)-nitridhalogeniden

Thermolysis of Phosphorus(V) Sulfur(VI) Nitride Halides Thermolysis of compounds of the type R₂PCl = N–SO₂X (R = Cl, CH₃, C₆H₅; X = F, Cl) results in the formation of the compounds R₂P(O)Cl and [NS(O)X]_n. Pyrolysis of the title compounds with longer chains yields, among others, the cyclic compounds III and IX. IX is also one of the decomposition products of a sulfamide derivative (XXI). Finally the thermal behaviour of carbon containing phosphorus(V) sulfur(VI) nitride chlorides has been investigated.     

Rational Development of Guanidinate and Amidinate Based Cerium and Ytterbium Complexes as Atomic Layer Deposition Precursors: Synthesis,Modeling, and Application

Owing to the limited availability of suitable precursors for vapor phase deposition of rare-earth containing thin-film materials, new or improved precursors are sought after. In this study, we explored new precursors for atomic layer deposition (ALD) of cerium (Ce) and ytterbium (Yb) containing thin films. A series of homoleptic tris-guanidinate and tris-amidinate complexes of cerium (Ce) and ytterbium (Yb) were synthesized and thoroughly characterized. The C-substituents on the N-C-N backbone (Me, NMe₂, NEt₂, where Me=methyl, Et=ethyl) and the N-substituents from symmetrical iso-propyl (iPr) to asymmetrical tertiary-butyl (tBu) and Et were systematically varied to study the influence of the substituents on the physicochemical properties of the resulting compounds. Single crystal structures of [Ce(dpdmg)₃] 1 and [Yb(dpdmg)₃] 6 (dpdmg=N,N'-diisopropyl-2-dimethylamido-guanidinate) highlight a monomeric nature in the solid-state with a distorted trigonal prismatic geometry. The thermogravimetric analysis shows that the complexes are volatile and emphasize that increasing asymmetry in the complexes lowers their melting points while reducing their thermal stability. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to study the reactivity of amidinates and guanidinates of Ce and Yb complexes towards oxygen (O₂) and water (H₂O). Signified by the DFT calculations, the guanidinates show an increased reactivity toward water compared to the amidinate complexes. Furthermore, the Ce complexes are more reactive compared to the Yb complexes, indicating even a reactivity towards oxygen potentially exploitable for ALD purposes. As a representative precursor, the highly reactive [Ce(dpdmg)₃] 1 was used for proof-of-principle ALD depositions of CeO₂ thin films using water as co-reactant. The self-limited ALD growth process could be confirmed at 160 °C with polycrystalline cubic CeO₂ films formed on Si(100) substrates. This study confirms that moving towards nitrogen-coordinated rare-earth complexes bearing the guanidinate and amidinate ligands can indeed be very appealing in terms of new precursors for ALD of rare earth based materials.     

Preparation of FexOy/SiO2 nanocomposites by thermal decomposition of some carboxylate precursors formed inside the silica matrix

In this paper we present a study regarding the obtaining of iron oxides embedded in silica matrix, using a modified sol-gel method. This method consists in the formation, inside the silica matrix, of some Fe(III)-carboxylate compounds, resulted in the redox reaction between Fe(NO₃)₃ and diol. We have synthesized four gels, starting from tetra-ethyl orthosilicate, Fe(NO₃)₃·9H₂O and different diols: ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol and 1,4-butanediol, for a final composition 50% Fe₂O₃/50% SiO₂. The obtained gels have been thermally treated at 130°C, when the redox reaction Fe(NO₃)₃-diol took place with formation of the precursors in the xerogels pores. The thermal decomposition of all four precursors took place up to 300°C.     

Sol–gel synthesis,crystal structure,surface morphology,and optical properties of Eu2O3-doped La2Mo3O12 ceramic

In this paper, we report the synthesis of the La–Mo–O tartrate gel precursors with the initial composition for La₂Mo₃O₁₂ ceramic prepared from different starting materials by an aqueous sol–gel synthesis route using tartaric acid as a complexing agent. Moreover, the La–Mo–O carbonate–tartrate and nitrate–tartrate gel precursors doped with x % of Eu₂O₃ (x = 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0) by aqueous sol–gel synthesis method were also prepared. The thermal decomposition of both the La–Mo–O carbonate–tartrate and nitrate–tartrate gels, which is the critical stage of this preparation technique, is investigated in detail. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy were used for the determination of crystal structure, surface morphology, and optical properties of the La–Mo–O:xEu₂O₃ samples annealed at 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 1,000 °C temperatures, respectively. The obtained results show that the thermal decomposition of the La–Mo–O tartrate gel precursors has occurred in a separate manner. The differences that came up during the thermal treatment of La–Mo–O tartrate gels have related only with the initial composition that determined the different crystallization ways of final compounds. Besides, the dopant concentration mainly influences the size of obtained particles and agglomeration of synthesized final materials. The initial composition of the La–Mo–O gel precursors has significant influence on the formation of final crystal phases at relatively lower temperatures than was expected according to the TG–DTA measurements. Finally, the optical properties of La–Mo–O tartrate gel precursors annealed at 500 °C depend on the nature of the initial compounds, which were used during the aqueous sol–gel process.