From crystal engineering to cluster engineering: How to transform cadmium chloride from 2-D to 0-D

The transformation of a 2-D perovskite structure to "expanded" 2-D and finally to a 0-D hexanuclear cadmium chloride cluster by varying the size of substituents on the associated counterions (H vs. methyl vs. ethyl) is described.     

Polymer single crystals of poly(4-hydroxybenzoate). II. A contribution to crystal structure and polymorphism

Electron diffraction has been used to investigate the structure of a wide range of as-polymerized crystals of poly(4-hydroxybenzoate) [systematic name: poly(1,4-oxybenzoyl)]. The chemical composition and the degree of polymerization (DP) have been varied and some samples have been thermally treated. At room temperature two crystalline modifications with orthorhombic unit cells coexist. The chains adopt a 2₁ helical conformation in both forms, but there are differences for oligomer and polymer crystals. Oligomers of low DP have an extended chain-conformation, whereas in polymers a shortening of the repeat distance along the chain is observed as a function of both the DP and the crystallization conditions. From the most extensive data sets we have derived the lattice parameters a = 7.52, b = 5.70, and c = 12.49 Å for polymer crystals of phase I, and the subcell parameters for oligomer crystals of phase II a = 3.77, b = 11.06, and c = 12.89 Å. Both phases contain two chains per unit cell. In addition to modifications I and II several defect structures exist the unit cells of which contain more than two chains. At temperatures which depend on the degree of polymerization, a phase transition to a third modification takes place. The large difference between the densities of phase III as compared to both phase I and II suggests that torsional degrees of freedom exist in phase III which allow a certain mobility of the phenyl and ester groups. This mobility enables the end groups of adjacent layers in interlamellar regions of oligomer crystals to undergo transesterification reactions and therefore to increase the molecular weight of the samples.     

Salting out in organic solvents: a new route to carbon nanotube bundle engineering

In this study we investigate salt effects on bundle formation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) dispersed in an organic solvent, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). Addition of NaI salt leads to self-assembly of CNTs into well-recognizable bundles. It is possible to control the size of the CNT bundles by varying the salt concentration.     

Putting liquid crystal droplets to work: a short history of polymer dispersed liquid crystals

A Commentary on the paper “Reorientation dynamics of polymer dispersed nematic liquid crystal films„, by P. Drzaic. First published in Liquid Crystals, 3, 1543-1559 (1988).     

Putting liquid crystal droplets to work: a short history of polymer dispersed liquid crystals

A Commentary on the paper ”Reorientation dynamics of polymer dispersed nematic liquid crystal films?, by P. Drzaic. First published in Liquid Crystals, 3, 1543‐1559 (1988).     

Supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering

Supramolecular chemistry is the chemistry of molecular ensembles and intermolecular interactions. Currently it is a major, interdisciplinary branch of science dealing with chemical, physical, biological and technological aspects of the creation and study of complex chemical systems based upon non-valent interactions. Crystal engineering is a direction of supramolecular chemistry aimed at the design of periodic structures with a desired supramolecular organization. This paper shortly reviews the goals and research objects of supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering and lists the most important historical facts and the literature.     

Tethered trinuclear cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes: from crystal engineering to tunable emission energy

The crystal structures and photoluminescence of trinuclear cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes are dependent on the tethering phosphine ligands and sensitive to metal-metal contacts and pi-pi stacking interactions.     

An easy access to an organometallic low molecular weight gelator: a crystal engineering approach

In this Letter, a crystal engineering rationale is exploited to achieve an easy access to an organometallic low molecular weight gelator (LMWG) derived from a salt of ferrocene-1,1′-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and dicyclohexyl amine (DCHA). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report wherein a crystal engineering approach has been exploited to design an organometallic LMWG.     

Basic modes of three-dimensional polymer crystal associations: Interlocked single crystals and crystal halves

Tridimensional associations of lamellar polymer single crystals, grown from dilute solutions, are described as derived from their sedimentation patterns. These associations include interlocked crystals and decorating crystal halves. The origin of these crystals and their mutual orientation are discussed and tentatively interpreted by specific interactions between the fold surface and the crystallizing chains.     

Diastereoselective cyclization in chiral diarylethene crystals: polymorphism and selectivity

[structure: see text] An optically active photochromic diarylethene, (S)-1-(2-methyl-5-phenyl-3-thienyl)-2-[2-methyl-5-(4-(3-methyl-1-penten-1-yl)phenyl)-3-thienyl]perfluorocyclopentene ((S)-1a), was synthesized. (S)-1a formed two crystalline phases, alpha- and beta-phases. The diarylethene underwent a photochromic reaction in solution and even in the single-crystalline phase. In solution, no diastereoselection was observed. On the other hand, in the beta-crystalline phase, only one diastereomer (S,R,R)-1b was produced. No such diastereoselection was observed in the alpha-crystalline phase.     

A fast low-pressure transport route to large black phosphorus single crystals

Black phosphorus, a promising candidate for lithium battery electrodes, can be prepared by a low-pressure transport reaction route representing the first effective and scalable access to this element modification. Crystal sizes larger than 1 cm were obtained at low-pressure conditions in silica ampoules. X-ray phase analyses, EDX, ICP-MS and optical microscopy were applied to characterize the resulting black phosphorus. The present method drastically improves the traditional preparation ways like mercury catalysis, bismuth-flux or high-pressure techniques and represents an easy, non-toxic, fast and highly efficient method to achieve black phosphorus. In contrast to a previously reported low-pressure route the present transport reaction allows an up-scaling to higher masses of starting materials, a larger black phosphorus yield and faster reaction time under retention of the high product crystallinity.     

Functional porphyrinic metal-organic frameworks: crystal engineering and applications

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a kind of material which are able to integrate functional groups on their framework backbones. The tunable functionalities let MOFs be applied in various fields of luminescence, gas storage, sensing, magnetics, catalysis and biomedical imaging. Because of their interesting properties of structural robustness, catalysis, charge and energy transformations, using porphyrins and metalloporphyrins as synthons for the fabrication of functional MOFs has attracted considerable interest. Many efficient strategies have been established for the construction of functional porphyrinic MOFs, and some of them present interesting properties for potential applications. This perspective is aimed to summarize recent progress on porphyrinic MOFs, including new synthesis strategies and applications.     

A "green route" to propene through selective hydrogen oxidation

The pros and cons of oxidative dehydrogenation of propane are outlined and a new catalytic system based on metal-doped cerianite catalysts is introduced. These novel materials catalyze the selective combustion of hydrogen from a mixture of hydrogen, propane, and propene at 550 degrees C. This gives three key advantages: energy is supplied directly where needed, product separation is made easier, and the dehydrogenation equilibrium is shifted to the desired products. A set of eighteen doped cerianites was synthesized in parallel, characterized, and screened for activity, selectivity, and stability in a cyclic redox system. The best results were obtained with Ce(0.89)Cr(0.02)Fe(0.09)O(2), Ce(0.98)Sn(0.02)O(2), and Ce(0.96)Cu(0.02)Zn(0.02)O(2), which gave 98 %, 91 %, and 98 % selectivity, respectively. Ce(0.89)Cr(0.02)Fe(0.09)O(2) also shows excellent stability in over 120 cycles (66 h on stream at 550 degrees C). Importantly, these doped cerias are monophasic crystalline materials. The dopants are incorporated as solid solutions throughout the fluorite lattice. This means that these catalysts are very stable (they do not sinter during reduction) as opposed to traditional supported metal oxides. The results show that both activity and selectivity towards hydrogen combustion can be tuned (increased or decreased) by selecting the appropriate dopant. Furthermore, the trends in selectivity differ from those measured on supported oxides of the same elements, which indicates that these novel materials indeed contain unique active sites. The factors governing selectivity towards hydrogen oxidation and the nature of the active site are discussed.     

双模板体系中多级结构碳酸钡晶体的控制合成

在用细乳液聚合法制备聚合物微球的基础上,以此聚合物形成的不溶性自组装膜与可溶性的修饰剂聚丙烯酰胺组成的双模板为三维聚合物模板体系,成功完成了多孔、刺球等具有复杂多级结构碳酸钡晶体的制备.实验过程中发现,调节双模板的组成可精确调控碳酸钡晶体的成核与生长.同时,多孔碳酸钡晶体为典型的大孔材料,孔径为103.4 rm,BET...     

Borrowing hydrogen: a catalytic route to C-C bond formation from alcohols

Ruthenium complexes have been shown to perform efficient transfer hydrogenation reactions between alcohols and alkenes; in combination with an in situ Wittig reaction, indirect formation of C-C bonds has been achieved from alcohols.     

Making and breaking peptide bonds: protein engineering using sortase

Sortases are a class of bacterial enzymes that possess transpeptidase activity. It is their ability to site-specifically break a peptide bond and then reform a new bond with an incoming nucleophile that makes sortase an attractive tool for protein engineering. This technique has been adopted for a range of applications, from chemistry-based to cell biology and technology. In this Minireview we provide a brief overview of the biology of sortase enzymes and current applications in protein engineering. We identify areas that lend themselves to further innovation and that suggest new applications.     

Pyrrole-2-carboxylate dimer: a robust supramolecular synthon for crystal engineering

Two pyrrole-2-carboxylates, tris[2-(2-pyrryl-carboxy)ethyl]amine (1) and tetrakis(2-pyrryl-carboxy-methyl)methane (2), were prepared by the treatment of 2-trichloroacetylpyrrole with tri(2-hydroxylethyl)amine and pentaerythritol, respectively. Hexagonal and grid supramolecular structures were obtained from the self-assembly of 1 and 2, respectively. From the assembly structure, a novel supramolecular synthon of the pyrrole-2-carbonyl dimer has been found. The synthon was demonstrated to be robust by our density functional calculation. It is expected to be useful in the self-assembly of crystal engineering.     

Solvothermal route to tin monoselenide bulk single crystal with different morphologies

Orthorhombic SnSe bulk single crystals with different morphologies were conveniently grown through solvothermal process at low temperature (180 degrees C). X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, scanning electronic microscope (SEM) images, electronic diffraction (ED), and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) were used to characterize the products. In the solvothermal process, the solvent plays an important role in the growth of the single crystal. The morphology of the crystal is influenced not only by the kind of solvent but also by the concentration of the reactants in solvent. Single crystals with rodlike or platelike morphology can be conveniently obtained under controlled concentration of reactants in solvent.