Ca3Ni8In4—An Ordered Noncentrosymmetric Variant of the BaLi4 Type

The title compound was synthesized by reacting the elements in an arc-melting apparatus under purified argon and subsequent annealing at 870 K. Ca₃Ni₈In₄ was investigated using X-ray diffraction on both powders and single crystals: P6₃mc, a=898.9(1) pm, c=752.2(2) pm, wR2=0.0591, 327 F² values, and 35 parameters. This structure is an ordered, noncentrosymmetric variant of the BaLi₄ type. The nickel and indium atoms build a complex three-dimensional [Ni₈In₄] polyanion in which the calcium atoms fill distorted hexagonal channels. To a first approximation the formula may be written as (3 Ca²⁺)⁶⁺ [Ni₈In₄]⁶⁻. Within the polyanion the Ni1, Ni3, and Ni4 atoms form one-dimensional cluster units which extend in the c direction while the Ni2 atoms have only indium neighbors in a distorted tetrahedral coordination. The Ni–Ni distances in the cluster range from 241 to 266 pm. The cluster units are surrounded and interconnected by indium atoms. The group– subgroup relation from centrosymmetric BaLi₄ to noncentrosymmetric Ca₃Ni₈In₄ is presented. Chemical bonding in Ca₃Ni₈In₄ and the structural relation with Lu₃Co_7.77Sn₄, Ca₃Au_6.61Ga_4.39, and Co₂Al₅ is briefly discussed.     

Infinite Gold Zig‐Zag Chains as Structural Motif in Ca3Au3In – A Ternary Ordered Variant of the Ni4B3 Type

New auride Ca₃Au₃In was synthesized from the elements in a sealed tantalum tube in a high‐frequency furnace. Ca₃Au₃In was investigated by X‐ray powder and single crystal diffraction: ordered Ni₄B₃ type, Pnma, a = 1664.1(6), b = 457.3(2), c = 895.0(3) pm, wR2 = 0.0488, 1361 F² values, and 44 variables. The three crystallographically independent boron positions of the Ni₄B₃ type are occupied by the gold atoms, while the four nickel sites are occupied by calcium and indium in an ordered manner. All gold atoms have trigonal prismatic coordination, i.e. Ca₆ prisms for Au1 and Au2 and Ca₄In₂ prisms for Au3. While the Au3 atoms are isolated, we observe Au1–Au1 and Au2–Au2 zig‐zag chains at Au–Au distances of 292 and 284 pm. These slabs resemble the CrB type structure of CaAu. Consequently Ca₃Au₃In can be considered as a ternary auride. Together the Au2, Au3 and indium atoms build up a three‐dimensional [Au₂In] polyanionic network (281–293 pm Au–In) in which the chains of Au1 centered trigonal prisms are embedded. The crystal chemical similarities with the structures of Ni₄B₃, CaAuIn, and CaAu are discussed.     

Ternary Indides Eu2Pd2In and Eu2Pt2In

The indides Eu₂Pd₂In and Eu₂Pt₂In were synthesized from the elements in sealed tantalum tubes in an induction furnace. The samples were characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction. The structures were refined on the basis of single‐crystal X‐ray diffractometer data: HT‐Pr₂Co₂Al type, C2/c, a = 1035.7(2), b = 592.9(1), c = 823.6(2) pm, β = 104.26(1) °, wR2 = 0.026, 1075 F² values, 25 variables for Eu₂Pd₂In and a = 1017.2(2), b = 588.7(1), c = 826.5(1) pm, β = 103.76(1) °, wR2 = 0.062, 706 F² values, 25 variables for Eu₂Pt₂In. The indium atoms have four platinum (palladium) neighbors in strongly distorted tetrahedral coordination at Pt–In and Pd–In distances ranging from 273 to 275 pm. These InPd_4/2 and InPt_4/2 units are condensed via common edges to infinite InPd₂ and InPt₂ chains, which are surrounded by the europium atoms. The chains form the motif of hexagonal rod packing.     

Aqua­(phthalocyaninato)magnesium n‐propyl­amine disolvate

The crystals of the title compound, [Mg(C₃₂H₁₆N₈)(H₂O)]·2C₃H₉N, are built up from MgPc(H₂O) [Pc is phthalo­cyaninate(2−)] and n‐propyl­amine mol­ecules that inter­act via O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds. The MgPc(H₂O) mol­ecule is non‐planar. The central Mg atom is coordinated by the four equatorial isoindole N atoms of the Pc ring system and by the O atom of an axial water mol­ecule. The Mg atom is displaced by 0.509 (1) Å from the N₄ plane towards the water O atom. MgPc(H₂O)·2(n‐propyl­amine) mol­ecules related by the inversion centre are linked by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds to form a dimeric aggregate.     

Modulation of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer by viscosity in protic media

3-Hydroxyquinolones undergo excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), resulting in a dual emission highly sensitive to H-bonding perturbations. Here, we report on the strong effect of viscosity on the dual emission of 2-(2-thienyl)-3-hydroxyquinolone in protic solvents. An increase in viscosity significantly decreases the formation of the ESIPT product, thus changing dramatically the ratio of the two emission bands. Time-resolved studies suggest the presence of solvated species characterized by decay times close to the solvent relaxation times in viscous media. The intramolecular H bond in this species is probably disrupted by the solvent, and therefore, its ESIPT requires a reorganization of the solvation shell for restoring this intramolecular H bond. Thus, the ESIPT reaction of this dye and its dual emission depend on solvent relaxation rates and, therefore, on viscosity. The present results suggest a new physical principle for the fluorescence ratiometric measurement of local viscosity.     

Steric control of the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer in 3-hydroxyquinolones: steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence study

3-Hydroxyquinolones (3HQs), similarly to their 3-hydroxychromone analogs, undergo excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) resulting in dual emission. In the ground state, 2-phenyl-3HQ derivatives are not flat due to a steric hindrance between the 2-phenyl group and the 3-OH group that participates in the ESIPT reaction. To study the effect of this steric hindrance on the ESIPT reaction, a number of 3HQ derivatives have been synthesized and characterized in different organic solvents by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. According to our results, 2-phenyl-3HQ derivatives undergo much faster ESIPT (by nearly 1 order of magnitude) than their 2-methyl-3HQ analogs. Moreover, 1-methyl-2-phenyl-3HQ having a strongly twisted 2-phenyl group undergoes a two- to three-fold slower ESIPT compared to 2-phenyl-3HQ. These results suggest that the flatter conformation of 2-phenyl-3HQ, which allows a close proximity of the 2-phenyl and 3-OH groups, favors a fast ESIPT reaction. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the 3HQ derivatives additionally confirm that the steric rather than the electronic effect of the 2-phenyl group is responsible for the faster ESIPT reaction. Based on the spectroscopic studies and quantum chemical calculations, we suggest that the 2-phenyl group decreases the rotational freedom of its proximal 3-OH group in the more planar conformation of 2-phenyl-3HQ. As a result, the conformations of 3HQ, where the 3-OH group orients to form an intramolecular H-bond with the 4-carbonyl group, are favored over those with a disrupted intramolecular H-bond. Therefore, the 2-phenyl group sterically favors the intramolecular H-bond and thus accelerates the ESIPT reaction. This conclusion provides a new understanding of the ESIPT process in 3-hydroxyquinolones and related systems and suggests new possibilities for the design of ESIPT based molecular sensors and switchers.     

Isomorphism criterion for monomial graphs

Let q be a prime power, ??_q be the field of q elements, and k, m be positive integers. A bipartite graph G = G_q(k, m) is defined as follows. The vertex set of G is a union of two copies P and L of two‐dimensional vector spaces over ??_q, with two vertices (p₁, p₂) ∈ P and [ l₁, l₂] ∈ L being adjacent if and only if p₂ + l₂ = pl. We prove that graphs G_q(k, m) and G_q′(k′, m′) are isomorphic if and only if q = q′ and {gcd (k, q ? 1), gcd (m, q ? 1)} = {gcd (k′, q ? 1),gcd (m′, q ? 1)} as multisets. The proof is based on counting the number of complete bipartite INFgraphs in the graphs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 48: 322–328, 2005     

Barker–Larman Problem for Convex Polygons in the Hyperbolic Plane

We solve an analogue of the Barker–Larman problem for convex polygons in the hyperbolic plane.     

Characterization of solutions of a class of ultraparabolic equations of the Kolmogorov type

For a class of ultraparabolic equations of the Kolmogorov type, we prove the theorems on the correct solvability and the integral representation of solutions of the Cauchy problem, whose initial data belong to special weight spaces of functions and generalized Borel measures. On the basis of these theorems, we obtained the full characterization of appropriate classes of solutions of the equations under consideration.     

Thermal properties of rare earth dodecaborides

We have measured heat capacity and thermal expansion of rare earth dodecaborides REB₁₂ (RE=Y, Tb-Tm, Lu). YB₁₂ and LuB₁₂ are diamagnetics whereas the other dodecaborides are ordered antiferromagnetically. The amplitude of the heat capacity discontinuity at the Néel temperature and the shape of the heat capacity variation in the critical region for all these antiferromagnetics are characteristics for amplitude-modulated magnetic structures. In the ordered state TbB₁₂ reveals two first-order phase transitions, most likely due to magnetic structure changes. The heat capacity of ErB₁₂ just below the Néel point shows an anomaly of unclear origin. From the Schottky contribution to the heat capacity we have determined crystal field parameters. They are completely different than that is estimated from Point Charge Model.