DFT study of 1‐D Li6Gd(BO3)3

Solid‐state calculations were performed with the program CASTEP to analyze some electronic structure features of the crystal compound Li₆Gd(BO₃)₃ (LIGDBO), which is known to be an efficient gamma radiation detector, in particular when doped with rare‐earth ions. The structure of this material displays a clear 1‐D preference, where chains of atoms are formed along one of the crystalline axes. These quasilinear chains are responsible for the energy transfer occurring in the system prior to the actual detection. To elucidate on some aspects of the former process, calculations based on a few cluster models were also carried out by means of the molecular program JAGUAR. One of our results corresponds to a theoretical absorption energy value close to that experimentally obtained. In our calculation, the absorption process seems to be associated with the formation of an excitonic magnon state. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2003     

Eu2+ & Mn2+‐Coactivated Ba3Gd(PO4)3 Orange‐Yellow‐Emitting Phosphor with Tunable Color Tone for UV‐Excited White LEDs

A novel orange‐yellow‐emitting Ba₃Gd(PO₄)₃:x Eu²⁺,y Mn²⁺ phosphor is prepared by high‐temperature solid‐state reaction. The crystal structure of Ba₃Gd(PO₄)₃:0.005 Eu²⁺,0.04 Mn²⁺ is determined by Rietveld refinement analysis on powder X‐ray diffraction data, which shows that the cations are disordered on a single crystallographic site and the oxygen atoms are distributed over two partially occupied sites. The photoluminescence excitation spectra show that the developed phosphor has an efficient broad absorption band ranging from 230 to 420 nm, perfectly matching the characteristic emission of UV‐light emitting diode (LED) chips. The emission spectra show that the obtained phosphors possess tunable color emissions from yellowish‐green through yellow and ultimately to reddish‐orange by simply adjusting the Mn²⁺ content (y) in Ba₃Gd(PO₄)₃:0.005 Eu²⁺,y Mn²⁺ host. The tunable color emissions origin from the change in intensity between the 4f–5d transitions in the Eu²⁺ ions and the ⁴T₁‐⁶A₁ transitions of the Mn²⁺ ions through the energy transfer from the Eu²⁺ to the Mn²⁺ ions. In addition, the mechanism of the energy transfer between the Eu²⁺ and Mn²⁺ ions are also studied in terms of the Inokuti–Hirayama theoretical model. The present results indicate that this novel orange‐yellow‐emitting phosphor can be used as a potential candidate for the application in white LEDs.     

Superior Na‐Storage Performance of Low‐Temperature‐Synthesized Na3(VO1−xPO4)2F1+2x (0≤x≤1) Nanoparticles for Na‐Ion Batteries

Na‐ion batteries are becoming comparable to Li‐ion batteries because of their similar chemical characteristics and abundant sources of sodium. However, the materials production should be cost‐effective in order to meet the demand for large‐scale application. Here, a series of nanosized high‐performance cathode materials, Na₃(VO_1?xPO₄)₂F_1+2x (0≤x≤1), has been synthesized by a solvothermal low‐temperature (60–120 °C) strategy without the use of organic ligands or surfactants. The as‐synthesized Na₃(VOPO₄)₂F nanoparticles show the best Na‐storage performance reported so far in terms of both high rate capability (up to 10 C rate) and long cycle stability over 1200 cycles. To the best of our knowledge, the current developed synthetic strategy for Na₃(VO_1?xPO₄)₂F_1+2x is by far one of the least expensive and energy‐consuming methods, much superior to the conventional high‐temperature solid‐state method.     

Darstellung,Eigenschaften und Kristallstruktur von RuSn6[(Al1/3–xSi3x/4)O4]2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1/3) – einem Oxid mit isolierten RuSn6‐Oktaedern

Preparation, Properties, and Crystal Structure of RuSn₆[(Al_1/3–xSi_3x/4)O₄]₂ (0 ≤ x ≤ 1/3) – an Oxide with isolated RuSn₆ Octahedra RuSn₆[(Al_1/3–xSi_3x/4)O₄]₂ is obtained by the solid state reaction of RuO₂, SnO₂, Sn, and Si in an Al₂O₃‐crucible at 1273 to 1373 K. The compound is cubic with the space group Fm 3 m (a = 9.941(1) Å, Z = 4, R₁ = 0.0277, wR₂ = 0.0619), a semiconductor and stable in air. Results of Mößbauer measurements as well as bond length‐bond strength calculations justify the ionic formulation Ru²⁺Sn₆²⁺[(Al_1/3–x³⁺Si_3x/4⁴⁺)O₄^2–]₂. The central motif of the crystal structure are separated RuSn₆‐octahedrea. These are interconnected by oxygen atoms, arranged tetrahedrely above the surfaces of the RuSn₆‐octahedrea and partialy filled with Al and Si, respectively. Because of these features the compound can be considered as a variant of the crystal structure type of pentlandite.     

Deprotonation reaction of α‐amino acid N‐carboxyanhydride at 4‐CH position by yttrium tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide]

Reaction of yttrium tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide] [(TMSN)₃Y] with equivalent L ‐alanine N‐carboxyanhydride (ALA NCA) yields yttrium α‐isocyanato carboxylate ( II ), yttrium ketenyl carbamate ( III ), and hexamethyldisilazane ( V ). The products indicate that 4‐CH group of ALA NCA monomer is deprotonated in addition to 3‐NH group, which has been neglected in NCA chemistry for decades. This result proves the acidity of 4‐CH in NCA and provides the first direct evidence for racemization phenomenon of NCA in strong base in microscopic aspect. Rare earth tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide] (TMSN)₃Ln (Ln = Sc, Y, La, Dy, and Lu) compounds are high efficient catalysts for ring‐opening polymerizations of NCAs. Polypeptides can be produced in quantitative yields with narrow molecular weight distributions below 1.3, and block copolypeptides can be facilely prepared by sequential addition method. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Neue Vertreter des Er6[Si11N20]O‐Strukturtyps Hochtemperatur‐Synthesen und Kristallstrukturen von Ln(6+x/3)[Si(11–y)AlyN(20+x–y)]O(1–x+y) mit Ln = Nd,Er, Yb,Dy und 0 ≤ x ≤ 3, 0 ≤ y ≤ 3

New Representatives of the Er₆[Si₁₁N₂₀]O Structure Type. High‐Temperature Synthesis and Single‐Crystal Structure Refinement of Ln_(6+x/3)[Si_(11–y)Al_yN_(20+x–y)]O_(1–x+y) with Ln = Nd, Er, Yb, Dy and 0 ≤ x ≤ 3, 0 ≤ y ≤ 3 According to the general formula Ln_(6+x/3)[Si_(11–y)Al_yN_(20+x–y)]O_(1–x+y) (0 ≤ x ≤ 3, 0 ≤ y ≤ 3) four nitridosilicates, namely Er₆[Si₁₁N₂₀]O, Yb_6.081[Si₁₁N_20.234]O_0.757, Dy_0.33Sm₆[Si₁₁N₂₀]N, and Nd₇[Si₈Al₃N₂₀]O were synthesized in a radiofrequency furnace at temperatures between 1300 and 1650 °C. The homeotypic crystal structures of all four compounds were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The nitridosilicates are trigonal with the following lattice constants: Er₆[Si₁₁N₂₀]O: a = 978.8(4) pm, c = 1058.8(3) pm; Yb_6.081[Si₁₁N_20.243]O_0.757: a = 974.9(1) pm, c = 1055.7(2) pm; Dy_0.33Sm₆[Si₁₁N₂₀]N: a = 989.8(1) pm, c = 1078.7(1) pm; Nd₇[Si₈Al₃N₂₀]O: a = 1004.25(9) pm, c = 1095.03(12) pm. The crystal structures were solved and refined in the space group P31c with Z = 2. The compounds contain three‐dimensional networks built up by corner sharing SiN₄ and AlN₄ tetrahedra, respectively. The Ln³⁺ and the “isolated” O^2– ions are situated in the voids of the structures. According to Ln_(6+x/3)[Si_(11–y)Al_yN_(20+x–y)]O_(1–x+y) an extension of the Er₆[Si₁₁N₂₀]O structure type has been found.     

Polymerization of α‐amino acid N‐carboxyanhydrides catalyzed by rare earth tris(borohydride) complexes: Mechanism and hydroxy‐endcapped polypeptides

In this work, rare earth tris(borohydride) complexes, Ln(BH₄)₃(THF)₃ (Ln = Sc, Y, La, and Dy), have been used to catalyze the ring‐opening polymerization of γ‐benzyl‐L ‐glutamate N‐carboxyanhydride (BLG NCA). All the catalysts show high activities and the resulting poly(γ‐benzyl‐L ‐glutamate)s (PBLGs) are recovered with high yields (≥90%). The molecular weights (MWs) of PBLG can be controlled by the molar ratios of monomer to catalyst, and the MW distributions (MWDs) are relatively narrow (as low as 1.16) depending on the rare earth metals and reaction temperatures. Block copolypeptides can be easily synthesized by the sequential addition of two monomers. The obtained P(γ‐benzyl‐L ‐glutamate‐b‐ε‐carbobenzoxy‐L ‐lysine) [P(BLG‐b‐BLL)] and P(γ‐benzyl‐L ‐glutamate‐b‐alanine) [P(BLG‐b‐ALA)] have been well characterized by NMR, gel permeation chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. A random copolymer P(BLG‐co‐BLL) with a narrow MWD of 1.07 has also been synthesized. The polymerization mechanisms have been investigated in detail. The results show that both nucleophilic attack at the 5‐CO of NCA and deprotonation of 3‐NH of NCA in the initiation process take place simultaneously, resulting in two active centers, that is, an yttrium ALA carbamate derivative [H₂BOCH₂(CH)NHC(O)OLn? ] and a N‐yttriumlated ALA NCA. Propagation then proceeds on these centers via both normal monomer insertion and polycondensation. After termination, two kinds of telechelic polypeptide chains, that is, α‐hydroxyl‐ω‐aminotelechelic chains and α‐carboxylic‐ω‐aminotelechelic ones, are formed as characterized by MALDI‐TOF MS, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹H–¹H COSY, and ¹H–¹³C HMQC measurements. By decreasing the reaction temperature, the normal monomer insertion pathway can be exclusively selected, forming an unprecedented α‐hydroxyl‐ω‐aminotelechelic polypeptide. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis,Persistent Luminescence,and Thermoluminescence Properties of Yellow Sr3SiO5:Eu2+,RE3+ (RE=Ce,Nd, Dy,Ho, Er,Tm, Yb) and Orange‐Red Sr3−xBaxSiO5:Eu2+, Dy3+ Phosphor

Sunlight‐excitable orange or red persistent oxide phosphors with excellent performance are still in great need. Herein, an intense orange‐red Sr_3?xBa_xSiO₅:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ persistent luminescence phosphor was successfully developed by a two‐step design strategy. The XRD patterns, photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra, and the thermoluminescence spectra were investigated in detail. By adding non‐equivalent trivalent rare earth co‐dopants to introduce foreign trapping centers, the persistent luminescence performance of Eu²⁺ in Sr₃SiO₅ was significantly modified. The yellow persistent emission intensity of Eu²⁺ was greatly enhanced by a factor of 4.5 in Sr₃SiO₅:Eu²⁺,Nd³⁺ compared with the previously reported Sr₃SiO₅:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺. Furthermore, Sr ions were replaced with equivalent Ba to give Sr_3?xBa_xSiO₅:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ phosphor, which shows yellow‐to‐orange‐red tunable persistent emissions from λ=570 to 591 nm as x is increased from 0 to 0.6. Additionally, the persistent emission intensity of Eu²⁺ is significantly improved by a factor of 2.7 in Sr_3?xBa_xSiO₅:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺ (x=0.2) compared with Sr₃SiO₅:Eu²⁺,Dy³⁺. A possible mechanism for enhanced and tunable persistent luminescence behavior of Eu²⁺ in Sr_3?xBa_xSiO₅:Eu²⁺,RE³⁺ (RE=rare earth) is also proposed and discussed.