High-pressure synthesis, crystal structure, and electromagnetic properties of CdRh2O4: an analogous oxide of the postspinel mineral MgAl2O4

The postspinel mineral MgAl(2)O(4) exists only under the severe pressure conditions in the subducted oceanic lithosphere in the Earth's deep interior. Here we report that its analogous oxide CdRh(2)O(4) exhibits a structural transition to a quenchable postspinel phase under a high pressure of 6 GPa at 1400 °C, which is within the general pressure range of a conventional single-stage multianvil system. In addition, the complex magnetic contributions to the lattice and metal nonstoichiometry that often complicate investigations of other analogues of MgAl(2)O(4) are absent in CdRh(2)O(4). X-ray crystallography revealed that this postspinel phase has an orthorhombic CaFe(2)O(4) structure, thus making it a practical analogue for investigations into the geophysical role of postspinel MgAl(2)O(4). Replacement of Mg(2+) with Cd(2+) appears to be effective in lowering the pressure required for transition, as was suggested for CdGeO(3). In addition, Rh(3+) could also contribute to this reduction, as many analogous Rh oxides of aluminous and silicic minerals have been quenched from lower-pressure conditions.     

High-pressure synthesis, crystal structure, and properties of BiPd2O4 with Pd2+ and Pd4+ ordering and PbPd2O4

BiPd(2)O(4) and PbPd(2)O(4) were synthesized at high pressure of 6 GPa and 1500 K. Crystal structures of BiPd(2)O(4) and PbPd(2)O(4) were studied with synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. BiPd(2)O(4) is isostructural with PbPt(2)O(4) and crystallizes in a triclinic system (space group P1, a = 5.73632(4) ?, b = 6.02532(5) ?, c = 6.41100(5) ?, α = 114.371(1)°, β = 95.910(1)°, and γ = 111.540(1)° at 293 K). PbPd(2)O(4) is isostructural with LaPd(2)O(4) and BaAu(2)O(4) and crystallizes in a tetragonal system (space group I4(1)/a, a = 5.76232(1) ?, and c = 9.98347(2) ? at 293 K). BiPd(2)O(4) shows ordering of Pd(2+) and Pd(4+) ions, and it is the third example of compounds with ordered arrangements of Pd(2+) and Pd(4+) in addition to Ba(2)Hg(3)Pd(7)O(14) and KPd(2)O(3). In PbPd(2)O(4), the following charge distribution is realized Pb(4+)Pd(2+)(2)O(4). PbPd(2)O(4) shows a structural phase transition from I4(1)/a to I2/a at about 240 K keeping basically the same structural arrangements (space group I2/a, a = 5.77326(1) ?, b = 9.95633(2) ?, c = 5.73264(1) ?, β = 90.2185(2)° at 112 K). BiPd(2)O(4) is nonmagnetic while PbPd(2)O(4) exhibits a significant temperature-dependent paramagnetic moment of 0.46μ(B)/f.u. between 2 and 350 K. PbPd(2)O(4) shows metallic conductivity, and BiPd(2)O(4) is a semiconductor between 2 and 400 K.     

A study of the properties of synthetic analogs of the tryptophan-containing fragment 113–121 of the basic protein of myelin

New analogs of fragment 113–121 of the basic protein of myelin were synthesized: Phe-Ser-Trp-Gly-Ala-Glu-Gly-Gln-Arg, in which the phenylalanine in the first position has been replaced by L-alanine (V) and by D-phenylalanine (IX), and also a shortened analog with the deletion of the serine in the second position (XIII) and a lengthened analog with the insertion of glycine between the phenylalanine and tryptophan (XVII). In experiments on guinea pigs, one of the compounds obtained exhibited encephalitogenic activity. The circular dichroism spectra of compounds (I) and (IX), and also of some model compounds, have been studied in order to analyze the contribution of the aromatic amino acid residues to the dichroic absorption.

     

A new method for predicting conduction anesthesia

A new method for predicting conduction anesthesia has been suggested. The method is based on calculation of theP matrix probabilities of interatomic contacts for each molecule of the compounds considered. TheP matrix enables one to evaluate the main tendencies of atoms and atomic groups to interact in biochemical sorption on the nerve fiber surface. The minimum effective concentrations calculated for 25 compounds are in good agreement with the experimental data. The correlation coefficient between the experimental and calculated values is 0.98 when the standard deviation is 0.1 mmol L⁻¹. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 1781–1784, October, 1997.     

Comment on “Impedance spectroscopy study and ground state electronic properties of In(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3 (Physica B 406 (2011) 1081–1087)” and related works

In this comment, we demonstrated that some reports about synthesis and properties of double In-based perovskites, In(Mg_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃, In(Ni_1/2Zr_1/2)O₃, and In(Co_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃, are incorrect. Mixtures of different known oxides were investigated instead of the claimed new compounds. We also tried to prepare In(Ni_1/2Zr_1/2)O₃, In(Ni_1/2Ti_1/2)O₃, and In(Zn_1/2Mn_1/2)O₃ using a high-pressure method (at 6 GPa and 1580 K) and found that these compounds are not formed. Only in the In₂O₃–NiO–MnO₂ system, a new perovskite phase is formed using the high-pressure preparation method.     

Cu-Site Disorder in CuAl2O4 as Studied by XPS Spectroscopy

JETP Letters - The results of full study of X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) of spin-liquid candidate CuAl2O4 including the measurements of high-energy resolved core level (Cu $$2p$$ , Al $$3p$$ ,...     

Characterization of quasi-one-dimensional S=1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnets Sr2Cu(PO4)2 and Ba2Cu(PO4)2 with magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and thermal analysis

Properties of Sr₂Cu(PO₄)₂ and Ba₂Cu(PO₄)₂ having [Cu(PO₄)₂]_∞ linear chains in their structures with Cu-O-P-O-Cu linkages were studied by magnetic susceptibility (T=2-400 K, H=100 Oe) and specific heat measurements (T=0.45-21 K). Magnetic susceptibility versus temperature curves, χ(T), showed broad maxima at T_M=92 K for Sr₂Cu(PO₄)₂ and T_M=82 K for Ba₂Cu(PO₄)₂ characteristic of quasi-one-dimensional systems. The χ(T) data were excellently fitted by the spin susceptibility curve for the uniform S=1/2 chain (plus temperature-independent and Curie-Weiss terms) with g=2.153(4) and J/k_B=143.6(2) K for Sr₂Cu(PO₄)₂ and g=2.073(4) and J/k_B=132.16(9) K for Ba₂Cu(PO₄)₂ (Hamiltonian H=JΣS_iS_i+1). The similar J/k_B values were obtained from the specific heat data. No anomaly was observed on the specific heat from 0.45 to 21 K for both compounds indicating that the temperatures of long-range magnetic ordering, T_N, were below 0.45 K. Sr₂Cu(PO₄)₂ and Ba₂Cu(PO₄)₂ are an excellent physical realization of the S=1/2 linear chain Heisenberg antiferromagnet with k_BT_N/J<0.34% together with Sr₂CuO₃ (k_BT_N/J≈0.25%) and γ-LiV₂O₅ (k_BT_N/J<0.16%). Sr₂Cu(PO₄)₂ and Ba₂Cu(PO₄)₂ were stable in air up to 1280 and 1150 K, respectively.     

Investigation of the crystal structure and the structural and magnetic properties of SrCu2(PO4)2

SrCu2(PO4)2 was prepared by the solid-state method at 1153 K. Its structure was solved by direct methods in the space group Pccn (No. 56) with Z = 8 from synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data measured at room temperature. Structure parameters were then refined by the Rietveld method to obtain the lattice parameters, a = 7.94217(8) A, b = 15.36918(14) A, and c = 10.37036(10) A. SrCu2(PO4)2 presents a new structure type and is built up from Sr2O16 and Cu1Cu2O8 units with Cu1...Cu2 = 3.256 A. The magnetic properties of SrCu2(PO4)2 were investigated by magnetic susceptibility, magnetization up to 65 T, Cu nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR), electron-spin resonance, and specific heat measurements. With spin-dimer analysis, it was shown that the two strongest spin-exchange interactions between Cu sites result from the Cu1-O...O-Cu2 and Cu2-O...O-Cu2 super-superexchange paths with Cu1...Cu2 = 5.861 A and Cu2...Cu2 = 5.251 A, and the superexchange associated with the structural dimer Cu1Cu2O8 is negligible. The magnetic susceptibility data were analyzed in terms of a linear four-spin cluster model, Cu1-Cu2-Cu2-Cu1 with -2J(1)/kB = 82.4 K for Cu1-Cu2 and -2J(2)/k(B) = 59 K for Cu2-Cu2. A spin gap deduced from this model (Delta/kB = 63 K) is in agreement with that obtained from the Cu NQR data (Delta/kB = 65 K). A one-half magnetization plateau was observed between approximately 50 and 63 T at 1.3 K. Specific heat data show that SrCu2(PO4)2 does not undergo a long-range magnetic ordering down to 0.45 K. SrCu2(PO4)2 melts incongruently at 1189 K. We also report its vibrational properties studied with Raman spectroscopy.