Ca3ZnGeO2[Ge4O12]: a Ca–Zn germanate related to the mineral taikanite

The title compound, Ca₃ZnGeO₂[Ge₄O₁₂] (tricalcium zinc germanium dioxide dodecaoxidotetragermanate), adopts a taikanite‐type structure. The tetrahedral [Ge₄O₁₂] chain geometry is very similar to that of the silicate chain of taikanite, i.e. BaSr₂Mn³⁺₂O₂[Si₄O₁₂], while the major difference is found parallel to the c axis. In taikanite, Mn³⁺ octahedra form an infinite zigzag chain, whereas the title compound has a chain of distorted ZnO₆ octahedra, which alternates with distorted GeO₄ tetrahedra connected to each other via two common edges. Eightfold‐coordinated Ca²⁺ polyhedra and ZnO₆ octahedra form a slab parallel to (001) which alternates with another slab containing the tetrahedrally coordinated Ge sites along the c axis.     

(Li0.91Mn0.09)Mn2O4

Lithium manganese oxide crystals with composition (Li_0.91Mn_0.09)Mn₂O₄ were synthesized by a flux method. The crystals have a structure closely related to that of the cubic spinel LiMn₂O₄, but 9% of the lithium ions in the tetrahedral 4a site are substituted by Mn²⁺ ions. This substitution lowers the average Mn oxidation state below 3.5+, resulting in a Jahn–Teller distortion of the MnO₆ octahedron.     

Crystal structures of disordered A2Mn3+M5+O6 (A=Sr,Ca; M=Sb,Nb, Ru) perovskites

Polycrystalline samples of A₂MnMO₆ (A=Sr, Ca; M=Nb, Sb, Ru) were prepared by conventional solid state synthesis and their crystal structures were determined using neutron powder diffraction data. All six compounds can be classified as distorted, disordered perovskites. The Mn³⁺/M⁵⁺ distribution is disordered in all six compounds. The strontium containing compounds, Sr₂MnMO₆ (M=Nb, Sb, Ru), undergo out of phase rotations of the octahedra about the c-axis (tilt system a⁰a⁰c⁻) leading to tetragonal I4/mcm space group symmetry. The calcium containing compounds, Ca₂MnMO₆ (M=Nb, Ru, Sb), have orthorhombic Pnma space group symmetry, as a result of a GdFeO₃-type octahedral tilting distortion (tilt system a⁻b⁺a⁻). A cooperative Jahn–Teller distortion is observed in Sr₂MnSbO₆ and Sr₂MnRuO₆, but it is much smaller than the distortion observed in LnMnO₃ (Ln=lanthanide ion) perovskites. It is possible that Jahn–Teller distortions of the MnO₆ octahedra take place on a short-range length scale in the other four compounds, but there is little or no evidence for cooperative ordering of the local distortions. These findings demonstrate a link between orbital ordering, cation ordering and octahedral tilting.     

铁和锰的化学状态对 LaFexMnyAl12-x-yO19 催化剂上 N2O 分解的影响

 以共沉淀法制备了 LaFexMnyAl12-x-yO19 六铝酸盐催化剂, 并用 X 射线衍射、扫描电镜、N2 吸附-脱附、紫外-可见漫反射光谱和穆斯堡尔谱对催化剂进行了表征, 考察了催化剂上高浓度 N2O 分解反应的性能. 结果表明, 在所考察的条件下, Mn 比 Fe 更有利于促进六铝酸盐晶相的形成. LaFexAl12-xO19 (x = 0.5, 1) 中 Fe 以 Fe3+位于六铝酸盐尖晶石结构中的四面体位和镜面层结构中的三角双锥位, 其中后者为 N2O 分解的主要活性中心. LaMnyAl12-yO19 (y = 0.5, 1) 中 Mn 优先以 Mn2+进入四面体位, 然后以 Mn3+进入尖晶石结构中的八面体位, 并成为 N2O 分解的主要活性中心.     

P2‐Na0.67AlxMn1−xO2: Cost‐Effective,Stable and High‐Rate Sodium Electrodes by Suppressing Phase Transitions and Enhancing Sodium Cation Mobility

Sodium layered P2‐stacking Na_0.67MnO₂ materials have shown great promise for sodium‐ion batteries. However, the undesired Jahn–Teller effect of the Mn⁴⁺/Mn³⁺ redox couple and multiple biphasic structural transitions during charge/discharge of the materials lead to anisotropic structure expansion and rapid capacity decay. Herein, by introducing abundant Al into the transition‐metal layers to decrease the number of Mn³⁺, we obtain the low cost pure P2‐type Na_0.67Al_xMn_1?xO₂ (x=0.05, 0.1 and 0.2) materials with high structural stability and promising performance. The Al‐doping effect on the long/short range structural evolutions and electrochemical performances is further investigated by combining in situ synchrotron XRD and solid‐state NMR techniques. Our results reveal that Al‐doping alleviates the phase transformations thus giving rise to better cycling life, and leads to a larger spacing of Na⁺ layer thus producing a remarkable rate capability of 96 mAh g^‐1 at 1200 mA g^‐1.     

Regulating Cation Interactions for Zero-Strain and High-Voltage P2-type Na2/3Li1/6Co1/6Mn2/3O2 Layered Oxide Cathodes of Sodium-Ion Batteries

Deep sodium extraction/insertion of sodium cathodes usually causes undesired Jahn–Teller distortion and phase transition, both of which will reduce structural stability and lead to poor long-cycle reliability. Here we report a zero-strain P2- Na_2/3Li_1/6Co_1/6Mn_2/3O₂ cathode, in which the lithium/cobalt substitution contributes to reinforcing the host structure by reducing the Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺ redox, mitigating the Jahn–Teller distortion, and minimizing the lattice change. 94.5 % of Na⁺ in the unit structure can be reversibly cycled with a charge cut-off voltage of 4.5 V (vs. Na⁺/Na). Impressively, a solid-solution reaction without phase transitions is realized upon deep sodium (de)intercalation, which poses a minimal volume deviation of 0.53 %. It attains a high discharge capacity of 178 mAh g⁻¹, a high energy density of 534 Wh kg⁻¹, and excellent capacity retention of 95.8 % at 1 C after 250 cycles.     

Optical and ESR investigations of lanthanum aluminates LaMg1−xMnxO19 single crystals with magnetoplumbite-like structure

New lanthanum aluminates LaMAl₁₁O₁₉ (M²⁺ = Ni, Co, Mn, Mg_1?xMn_x, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1), with magnetoplumbite-like structure have been obtained as single crystals. This paper is particularly devoted to the Mn²⁺ and $\text{Mg}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}\text{Mn}{}^{\mathrm{2+}}$ mixed compounds, which exhibit promising luminescent properties. Several characteristics of the crystals are given. The absorption spectra of the materials, as grown, are assigned to Mn²⁺ ions in tetrahedral sites. After annealing in air new absorptions attributed to octahedral Mn³⁺ ions, appear. The ESR spectra of Mn²⁺ in all these crystals exhibit axial symmetry. For x ≤ 0.25 they arise from isolated Mn²⁺ ions in slightly distorted tetrahedral sites and reveal a strong disorder effect. For x ≥0.5 the spectra consist of a single line, attributed to clusters of magnetically interacting Mn²⁺ ions.     

Cyano‐Bridged MnIII?MIII Single‐Chain Magnets with MIII=CoIII,FeIII, MnIII,and CrIII

A series of isostructural cyano‐bridged Mn^III(h.s.)–M^III(l.s.) alternating chains, [Mn^III(5‐TMAMsalen)M^III(CN)₆] ? 4H₂O (5‐TMAMsalen^2?=N,N′‐ethylenebis(5‐trimethylammoniomethylsalicylideneiminate), Mn^III(h.s.)=high‐spin Mn^III, M^III(l.s.)=low‐spin Co^III, Mn? Co ; Fe^III, Mn? Fe ; Mn^III, Mn? Mn ; Cr^III, Mn? Cr ) was synthesized by assembling [Mn^III(5‐TMAMsalen)]³⁺ and [M^III(CN)₆]^3?. The chains present in the four compounds, which crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/c, are composed of an [‐Mn^III‐NC‐M^III‐CN‐] repeating motif, for which the ‐NC‐M^III‐CN‐ motif is provided by the [M^III(CN)₆]^3? moiety adopting a trans bridging mode between [Mn^III(5‐TMAMsalen)]³⁺ cations. The Mn^III and M^III ions occupy special crystallographic positions: a C₂ axis and an inversion center, respectively, forming a highly symmetrical chain with only one kind of cyano bridge. The Jahn–Teller axis of the Mn^III(h.s.) ion is perpendicular to the N₂O₂ plane formed by the 5‐TMAMsalen tetradentate ligand. These Jahn–Teller axes are all perfectly aligned along the unique chain direction without a bending angle, although the chains are corrugated with an Mn‐N_axis‐C angle of about 144°. In the crystal structures, the chains are well separated with the nearest inter‐chain M???M distance being relatively large at 9 Å due to steric hindrance of the bulky trimethylammoniomethyl groups of the 5‐TMAMsalen ligand. The magnetic properties of these compounds have been thoroughly studied. Mn? Fe and Mn? Mn display intra‐chain ferromagnetic interactions, whereas Mn? Cr is characterized by an antiferromagnetic exchange that induces a ferrimagnetic spin arrangement along the chain. Detailed analyses of both static and dynamic magnetic properties have demonstrated without ambiguity the single‐chain magnet (SCM) behavior of these three systems, whereas Mn? Co is merely paramagnetic with S_Mn=2 and D/k_B=?5.3 K (D being a zero‐field splitting parameter). At low temperatures, the Mn? M compounds with M=Fe, Mn, and Cr display remarkably large M versus H hysteresis loops for applied magnetic fields along the easy magnetic direction that corresponds to the chain direction. The temperature dependence of the associated relaxation time for this series of compounds systematically exhibits a crossover between two Arrhenius laws corresponding to infinite‐chain and finite‐chain regimes for the SCM behavior. These isostructural hetero‐spin SCMs offer a unique series of alternating [‐Mn‐NC‐M‐CN‐] chains, enabling physicists to test theoretical SCM models between the Ising and Heisenberg limits.     

P2‐Na0.67AlxMn1−xO2: Cost‐Effective,Stable and High‐Rate Sodium Electrodes by Suppressing Phase Transitions and Enhancing Sodium Cation Mobility

Sodium layered P2‐stacking Na_0.67MnO₂ materials have shown great promise for sodium‐ion batteries. However, the undesired Jahn–Teller effect of the Mn⁴⁺/Mn³⁺ redox couple and multiple biphasic structural transitions during charge/discharge of the materials lead to anisotropic structure expansion and rapid capacity decay. Herein, by introducing abundant Al into the transition‐metal layers to decrease the number of Mn³⁺, we obtain the low cost pure P2‐type Na_0.67Al_xMn_1?xO₂ (x=0.05, 0.1 and 0.2) materials with high structural stability and promising performance. The Al‐doping effect on the long/short range structural evolutions and electrochemical performances is further investigated by combining in situ synchrotron XRD and solid‐state NMR techniques. Our results reveal that Al‐doping alleviates the phase transformations thus giving rise to better cycling life, and leads to a larger spacing of Na⁺ layer thus producing a remarkable rate capability of 96 mAh g^‐1 at 1200 mA g^‐1.     

Synthetic aenigmatite analog Na2(Mn5.26Na0.74)Ge6O20: structure and crystal chemical considerations

Disodium hexamanganese(II,III) germanate is the first aenigmatite‐type compound with significant amounts of manganese. Na₂(Mn_5.26Na_0.74)Ge₆O₂₀ is triclinic and contains two different Na positions, six Ge positions and 20 O positions (all with site symmetry 1 on general position 2i of space group P). Five out of the seven M positions are also on general position 2i, while the remaining two have site symmetry (Wyckoff positions 1f and 1c). The structure can be described in terms of two different layers, A and B, stacked along the [011] direction. Layer A contains pyroxene‐like chains and isolated octahedra, while layer B is built up by slabs of edge‐sharing octahedra connected to one another by bands of Na polyhedra. The GeO₄ tetrahedra show slight polyhedral distortion and are among the most regular found so far in germanate compounds. The M sites of layer A are occupied by highly charged (trivalent) cations, while in layer B a central pyroxene‐like zigzag chain can be identified, which contains divalent (or low‐charged) cations. This applies to the aenigmatite‐type compounds in general and to the title compound in particular.     

Investigations of the local distortions and EPR parameters for Cu2+ in xNa2O‐(30–x)K2O‐70B2O3 (5 ≤ x ≤ 25 mol%) glasses

The local distortions and electron paramagnetic resonance parameters for Cu²⁺ in the mixed alkali borate glasses xNa₂O‐(30–x)K₂O‐70B₂O₃ (5 ≤ x ≤ 25 mol%) are theoretically studied with distinct modifier Na₂O compositions x. Owing to the Jahn–Teller effect, the octahedral [CuO₆]¹⁰⁻ clusters show significant tetragonal elongation ratios p ~19% along the C₄ axis. With the increase of composition x, the cubic field parameter Dq and the orbital reduction factor k exhibit linearly and quasi‐linearly decreasing tendencies, respectively, whereas the relative tetragonal elongation ratio p has quasi‐linearly increasing rule with some fluctuations, leading to the minima of g factors at x = 10 mol%. The composition dependences of the optical spectra and the electron paramagnetic resonance parameters are suitably reproduced by the linear or quasi‐linear relationships of the relevant quantities (i.e., Dq, k, and p) with x. The above composition dependences are analyzed from mixed alkali effect, which brings forward the modifications of the local crystal‐fields and the electronic cloud distribution around Cu²⁺ with the variation of the composition of Na₂O.     

ϵ‐RbCuCl3, a new polymorph of rubidium copper trichloride: synthesis,structure and structural complexity

A novel polymorph of RbCuCl₃ (rubidium copper trichloride), denoted ϵ‐RbCuCl₃, has been prepared by chemical vapour transport (CVT) from a mixture of CuO, CuCl₂, SeO₂ and RbCl. The new polymorph crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group C222₁. The crystal structure is based on an octahedral framework of the 4H perovskite type. The Rb⁺ and Cl⁻ ions form a four‐layer closest‐packing array with an ABCB sequence. The Cu²⁺ cations reside in octahedral cavities with a typical [4 + 2]‐Jahn–Teller‐distorted coordination, forming four short and two long Cu—Cl bonds. ϵ‐RbCuCl₃ is the most structurally complex and most dense among all currently known RbCuCl₃ polymorphs, which allows us to suggest that it is a high‐pressure phase, which is unstable under ambient conditions.     

Farbeffekte in oxidischen and anderen Mn2+-Verbindungen – die Ligandenfeldspektren von MgO/MnO- und CaO/MnO-Mischkristallen sowie von MnAl2O4

Colour Effects in Oxidic and Other Mn²⁺ Compounds – the Ligand Field Spectra of Mixed Crystals MgO/MnO, CaO/MnO, and of MnAl₂O₄ The colour intensity and the shift of the hue is examined for mixed crystals Mg_1?xMn_x^IIO and Mn_1?y^IICa_yO in dependence of the Mn²⁺-concentration and interpreted in terms of Mn²⁺? Mn²⁺ pair interactions and variations of the Mn? O bond length, respectively. The experimental band positions (sextet-quartet transitions) could be fitted quantitatively – also in case of Mn²⁺ in tetrahedral (MnAl₂O₄) and dodecahedral oxygen coordination (Mn₃Al₂Ge₃O₁₂, MnY₂Mg₂Ge₃O₁₂) – by means of crystal field calculations. The obtained ligand field parameters are discussed in comparison with data for octahedral Mn²⁺ ions with H₂O, F^? and Cl^? as ligands.     

Site Occupancies,Electron–Vibration Interaction and Energy Transfer of CaMgSi2O6: Eu2+, Mn2+ Phosphors for Potential Temperature-Sensing and Anti-counterfeiting Applications

Eu²⁺-, Mn²⁺- and Eu²⁺−Mn²⁺-doped CaMgSi₂O₆ phosphors have been prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction. Systematic investigation of the concentration- and temperature-dependent luminescence of Mn²⁺ showed that Mn²⁺ ions occupy two distinct sites in CaMgSi₂O₆. Electron–vibration interaction (EVI) analyses of Mn²⁺ ions revealed Huang–Rhys factors of 4.73 and 2.82 as well as effective phonon energies of 313 and 383 cm⁻¹ for the two sites. Eu²⁺−Mn²⁺ energy transfer is also discussed, and its efficiency is estimated by lifetime and luminescence spectra. The different thermal quenching behaviours of Eu²⁺ and Mn²⁺, the distinct emission colours of Eu²⁺ (blue, band peak at ∼451 nm) and Mn²⁺ (yellow–red range, band peaks at ∼583 and 693 nm) endow the co-doped samples with potential applications in luminescence thermometry and temperature-/excitation wavelength-responsive dual anti-counterfeiting.     

Ge4+、Sn4+掺杂尖晶石LiMn2O4的合成与电化学表征

使用Ge⁴⁺、Sn⁴⁺作为掺杂离子, 通过高温固相法制备四价阳离子掺杂改性的尖晶石LiMn₂O₄材料. X射线衍射(XRD)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)分析表明, Ge⁴⁺离子取代尖晶石中Mn⁴⁺离子形成了LiMn_2-xGe_xO₄ (x=0.02,0.04, 0.06)固溶体; 而Sn⁴⁺离子则以SnO₂的形式存在于尖晶石LiMn₂O₄的颗粒表面. Ge⁴⁺离子掺入到尖晶石LiMn₂O₄材料中, 抑制了锂离子在尖晶石中的有序化排列, 提高了尖晶石LiMn₂O₄的结构稳定性; 而在尖晶石颗粒表面的SnO₂可以减少电解液中酸的含量, 抑制酸对LiMn₂O₄活性材料的侵蚀. 恒电流充放电测试表明, 两种离子改性后材料的容量保持率均有较大幅度的提升, 有利于促进尖晶石型LiMn₂O₄锂离子电池正极材料的商业化生产.     

M4Ge9O20碱金属锗酸盐晶体、玻璃及熔体结构的拉曼光谱研究

本文研究了M₄Ge₉O₂₀型锗酸盐(M=Na,K)273～1 373 K常温、高温及熔体拉曼光谱。应用量子化学从头计算方法计算了系列二元钠锗酸盐离子簇模型振动频率。M₄Ge₉O₂₀型锗酸盐晶体结构四配位锗、六配位锗共存。研究表明,随温度升高六配位锗将逐渐转变为四配位锗,产生非桥氧,并观察到在熔点以后全部转变为四配位锗,且其桥氧角分布范围为94～145°,其高频区非桥氧对称伸缩振动频率与其精细结构密切相关,振动频率等性质主要依赖于其精细结构而非其初级结构单元-GeO₄,非桥氧对称伸缩振动频率随锗氧四面体应力指数SIT(Stress Index of Tetrahedron)的增大而增大,与实验所得到的频率与SIT的线性关系一致。玻璃结构以四配位锗为主,存在少量六配位锗,其含量取决于冷速的大小。     

A comparison of the clinopyroxene compounds CaZnSi2O6 and CaZnGe2O6

Single crystals of CaZnSi₂O₆ (calcium zinc silicate) and CaZnGe₂O₆ (calcium zinc germanate) were synthesized at 1623 K and 2.5 GPa by slow cooling of the melts from 1473 K. Structure solution using Patterson methods revealed the two compounds to be isomorphous and thus isostructural. They adopt the clinopyroxene structure type with space group C2/c. The substitution of Ge⁴⁺ for Si⁴⁺ increases the distortion of the tetrahedra and octahedra. The increased size of the tetrahedral GeO₄ chain is mainly compensated by (i) increasing the kinking of the tetrahedral chain and (ii) lengthening the Zn—O bonds.     

Crystal Chemistry of the M11+,2+–M22+,3+–(H)‐Arsenites: the First Cadmium(II) Arsenite,Na4Cd7(AsO3)6

The crystal structures among M1–M2–(H)‐arsenites (M1 = Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, Cs⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, Ba²⁺, Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺; M2 = Mg²⁺, Mn^2+,3+, Fe^2+,3+, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺) are less investigated. Up to now, only the structure of Pb₃Mn(AsO₃)₂(AsO₂OH) was described. The crystal structure of hydrothermally synthesized Na₄Cd₇(AsO₃)₆ was solved from the single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction data. Its trigonal crystal structure [space group R$\bar{3}$ , a = 9.5229(13), c = 19.258(4) Å, γ = 120°, V = 1512.5(5) ų, Z = 3] represents a new structure type. The As atoms are arranged in monomeric (AsO₃)^3– units. The surroundings of the two crystallographically unique sodium atoms show trigonal antiprismatic coordination, and two mixed Cd/Na sites are remarkably unequal showing tetrahedral and octahedral coordinations. Despite the 3D connection of the AsO₃ pyramids, (Cd,Na)O_x polyhedra and NaO₆ antiprisms, a layer‐like arrangement of the Na atoms positioned in the hexagonal channels formed by CdO₄ deformed tetrahedra and AsO₃ pyramids in z = 0, 1/3, 2/3 is to be mentioned. These pseudo layers are interconnected to the 3D network by (Cd,Na)O₆ octahedra. Raman spectra confirmed the presence of isolated AsO₃ pyramids.     

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.     

Chromium‐based clinopyroxene‐type germanates NaCrGe2O6 and LiCrGe2O6 at 298 K

The structure analyses of sodium chromium digermanate, NaCrGe₂O₆, (I), and lithium chromium digermanate, LiCrGe₂O₆, (II), provide important structural information for the clinopyroxene family, and form part of our ongoing studies on the phase transitions and magnetic properties of clinopyroxenes. (I) shows C2/c symmetry at 298 K, contains one Na, one Cr (both site symmetry 2 on special position 4e), one Ge and three O‐atom positions (on general positions 8f) and displays the well known clinopyroxene topology. The basic units of the structure of (I) are infinite zigzag chains of edge‐sharing Cr³⁺O₆ octahedra (M1 site), infinite chains of corner‐sharing GeO₄ tetrahedra, connected to the M1 chains by common corners, and Na sites occupying interstitial space. (II) was found to have P2₁/c symmetry at 298 K. The structure contains one Na, one Cr, two distinct Ge and six O‐atom positions, all on general positions 4e. The general topology of the structure of (II) is similar to that of (I); however, the loss of the twofold symmetry makes it possible for two distinct tetrahedral chains, having different conformation states, to exist. While sodium is (6+2)‐fold coordinated, lithium displays a pure sixfold coordination. Structural details are given and chemical comparison is made between silicate and germanate chromium‐based clinopyroxenes.