Diiodine complex of diferrocenyl(phenyl)phosphine sulfide: the structural and electrochemical behaviour of Fc2(Ph)PS · I2

The title compound, Fc₂(Ph)PS · I₂, has been prepared and characterised in both the solid state and solution. Single crystal X-ray crystallography reveals that the adduct adopts a molecular charge-transfer structure in the solid state. Mössbauer spectroscopy confirms the presence of low spin Fe²⁺ but also indicates the presence of ca. 24% of an Fe³⁺ species. The electrochemistry of Fc₂(Ph)PS · I₂, Fc₂(Ph)PS and Fc₂(Ph)P has been studied using a combination of cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The data for Fc₂(Ph)PS · I₂ show two redox processes, consistent with the sequential oxidation of the ferrocenyl groups to ferrocenium species.     

Performance of a prototype microwave frequency standard based on laser-detected,trapped171Yb+ ions

A microwave frequency standard based on buffer gas-cooled¹⁷¹Yb⁺ ions confined in a linear Paul trap has been demonstrated in prototype form. The standard exhibits a fractional frequency instability characterised by an Allan deviation of (_y() = 2.9 × 10^–13–1/2 for < 2 × 10⁴ s. Factors affecting the stability of the standard have been systematically investigated.     

Optical pumping of nuclear spin magnetization in GaAs/AlAs quantum wells of variable electron density

We report the use of time-resolved Faraday rotation to induce and probe the polarization of nuclear spins within a set of quantum wells with varying background electron density. The electron density was controlled over a broad range by making use of structures of mixed type-I/type-II GaAs/AlAs quantum wells that spatially separate photoexcited electron–hole pairs. We find that the optically detected nuclear magnetic field decreases quasi-monotonically with increasing electron density. The likely factors responsible for this behavior are increased electron spin-lattice relaxation, increased electron spin delocalization, and dilution of the electron spin polarization.     

The effect of nearby bubbles on array gain

The coherent processing of signals from multiple hydrophones in an array offers improvements in angular resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. When the array is steered in a particular direction, the signals arriving from that direction are added in phase, and any signals arriving from other directions are not. Array gain (AG) is a measure of how much the signal arriving from the steering direction is amplified relative to signals arriving from all other directions. The subject of this paper is the manner in which the AG of an acoustic array operating in water that contains air bubbles is affected by scattering from nearby bubbles. The effects of bubbles on acoustic attenuation and dispersion are considered separately from their effects on AG. Acoustic measurements made in bubbly water using the AB Wood tank at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, in June 2008 show that as bubble density increases, relative phase shifts in individual hydrophone signals increase and signal correlation among the hydrophones is reduced. A theory and numerical simulation linking bubble density at the hydrophone to the AG is in good agreement with the measurements up to the point where multiple scattering becomes important.     

Experimental upper limits for hadronic and axion decays of the γ(1S)

A search for the decays γ→ρπ, γ→J/ψX and γ→γa (whereX is undetermined and a is an axion) has been completed using the LENA detector at the DORIS storage ring. No evidence for any of these processes was found. For these decay modes we set branching fraction upper limits (90% C.L.) of 2.1×10^?3, 2.0×10^?2 and 9.1×10^?4, respectively.     

Adsorption of gold on low index planes of rhenium

On atomically rough areas of a thermally cleaned rhenium field emitter, adsorbed gold behaves like it does on tungsten. The average work function $\text{}\text{?}$gf increases at low average gold coverage $\text{}\text{?}$gq due to formation of gold-rhenium dipoles, and at high coverage a structural transformation in the gold layer leads to a $\text{}\text{?}$gq-independent work function. Broadly similar behaviour is found for gold on the low-index planes of tungsten, but on low-index rhenium planes gold behaves rather differently. When thermally cleaned at > 2200 K and annealed below 800 K, the work function, φ(clean), of (101&#x0304;1&#x0304;) takes one of two values 5.25 ± 0.04 eV, and 5.36 ± 0.04 eV, which are tentatively attributed to the two possible structures of this plane. Similar behaviour is expected and observed for (101&#x0304;0),but the values taken by φ(clean) are not well defined. Both forms of (101&#x0304;1&#x0304;) are thought to undergo reconstruction above 800 K forming a single structure with φ(clean) = 5.55 ± 0.03 eV. (112&#x0304;0) and (112&#x0304;2&#x0304;) each have only one possible structure, and in keeping with this, φ(clean) has a single well-defined value for each plane. The flatness of (101&#x0304;1&#x0304;) and (101&#x0304;0) leads to field reduction at their centres which produces an increase in their measured work functions by up to 10%. The initial increase in φ produced by gold condensed at 78 K and spread at low equilibration temperatures T_s on (112&#x0304;2&#x0304;), (101&#x0304;1&#x0304;) and (112&#x0304;0) is attributed to gold-rhenium dipoles, which, on the latter two planes approximate to the Topping model, giving dipoles characterised by μ₀(1011) = 0.1 × 10^?30 C-m with α = 10 ų and μ₀(112&#x0304;0) = 0.32 × 10^?30 C-m with α = 22 ų, where μ₀ is the zero-coverage dipole moment and α its polarizability. Failure of the Topping model on (112&#x0304;2&#x0304;) is attributed to its atomically rough structure. No dipole effect is seen on (101&#x0304;0). Energy spectroscopy of electrons field emitted at (202&#x0304;1&#x0304;) and (101&#x0304;1&#x0304;) demonstrates the non-free character of electrons in rhenium, while the small effect of adsorbed gold strengthens the belief that gold is bound through a greatly broadened 6s level centred 5.6 eV below the Fermi level and the dipolar nature of the bond supports this model. At higher values of T_s and $\text{}\text{?}$gq gold appears to form states which are well-characterised by a coverage-independent work function. (101&#x0304;0), (101&#x0304;1&#x0304;) and (112&#x0304;0) each form two such states, one in the range 2 < $\text{}\text{?}$gq < 4 (state 1), and the second at $\text{}\text{?}$gq > 4 (state 2). The atomic radii of gold and rhenium are thought to be sufficiently similar to allow the possibility that state 1 is a replication of the Re plane structure by gold. The high work function and thermal stability of state 2, taken together with the observed temperature dependence of the transformation of state 1 to state 2, encourages the belief that state 2 results from atomic rearrangement of state 1 into a close-packed Au(111) structure. State 2 also forms on (112&#x0304;2&#x0304;) and the absence of state 1 on this plane suggests some surface alloying at coverages below 4 $\text{}\text{?}$gq.     

Carbon–chalcogen bond formation initiated by [Al(NONDipp)(E)]− anions containing Al–E{16} (E{16} = S,Se) multiple bonds

Multiply-bonded main group metal compounds are of interest as a new class of reactive species able to activate and functionalize a wide range of substrates. The aluminium sulfido compound K[Al(NON^Dipp)(S)] (NON^Dipp = [O(SiMe₂NDipp)₂]²⁻, Dipp = 2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃), completing the series of [Al(NON^Dipp)(E)]⁻ anions containing Al–E{16} multiple bonds (E{16} = O, S, Se, Te), was accessed via desulfurisation of K[Al(NON^Dipp)(S₄)] using triphenylphosphane. The crystal structure showed a tetrameric aggregate joined by multiple K⋯S and K⋯π(arene) interactions that were disrupted by the addition of 2.2.2-cryptand to form the separated ion pair, [K(2.2.2-crypt)][Al(NON^Dipp)(S)]. Analysis of the anion using density functional theory (DFT) confirmed multiple-bond character in the Al–S group. The reaction of the sulfido and selenido anions K[Al(NON^Dipp)(E)] (E = S, Se) with CO₂ afforded K[Al(NON^Dipp)(κ²E,O-EC{O}O)] containing the thio- and seleno-carbonate groups respectively, consistent with a [2 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction and C–E bond formation. An analogous cycloaddition reaction took place with benzophenone affording compounds containing the diphenylsulfido- and diphenylselenido-methanolate ligands, [κ²E,O-EC{O}Ph₂]²⁻. In contrast, when K[Al(NON^Dipp)(E)] (E = S, Se) was reacted with benzaldehyde, two equivalents of substrate were incorporated into the product accompanied by formation of a second C–E bond and complete cleavage of the Al–E{16} bonds. The products contained the hitherto unknown κ²O,O-thio- and κ²O,O-seleno-bis(phenylmethanolate) ligands, which were exclusively isolated as the cis-stereoisomers. The mechanisms of these cycloaddition reactions were investigated using DFT methods.

Reaction of Al–E (E = S, Se) multiple bonds with C O functionalities generates new C–E bonds.     

Phosphaguanidines as scaffolds for multimetallic complexes containing metal-functionalized phosphines

Phospha(III)guanidines, R2PC{NR'}{NHR'}, have been used to synthesize multimetallic compounds containing combinations of aluminum with platinum or copper, in which the main-group metal is N,N'-bound by an amidinate moiety, thereby generating a metal-functionalized phosphine that bonds to the transition metal through phosphorus.     

The synthesis of a [2.2]paracyclophane-derived secondary phosphine oxide and a study of its reactivity

A planar chiral secondary phosphine oxide based on [2.2]paracyclophane was synthesized and its chemistry investigated; it was shown to be a competent pre-ligand in palladium(0)-mediated reactions, and displayed promising activity in gold(I)-catalysed cyclisations. The secondary phosphine oxide could be transformed into a collection of P-stereogenic tertiary phosphine oxides. These are rare examples of the planar chirality of [2.2]paracyclophane being combined with a P-stereogenic centre. Unfortunately, epimerisation of the phosphorus stereocentre during reduction limits the use of this chemistry.