The oxygen deficient cubic perovskite SrFe1−xScxO3−δ (x ≤ 0.5; 0.1 ≤ δ ≤ 0.5): Structural features and physical properties

Solid state synthesis method has been used to stabilize oxygen deficient perovskite phases SrFe_1?xSc_xO_3?δ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5). The good homogeneity of samples is confirmed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis performed with a transmission electronic microscope (TEM). By combining X-ray and electronic diffraction (ED), it is demonstrated that the cationic substitution on the B site of the perovskite induces a decrease of the oxygen content but without inducing long range ordering phenomenon. On this basis, X-ray patterns of compounds were indexed in the cubic Pm3m space group. The oxidation states of iron evidenced by Mössbauer spectroscopy, are in good agreement with the oxygen stoichiometries determined by cerimetric titration. In the SrFe_1?xSc_xO_3?δ series, the Fe³⁺/Fe⁴⁺ origin of the electronic conductivity is clearly evidenced. The limit compound SrFe_0.5Sc_0.5O_2.5 is highly resistive and characterized by a cluster glass-like behaviour. Finally, negative magnetoresistivity properties are revealed for the x = 0.1 and x = 0.2 samples, reaching ?10% around the magnetic transition temperature in a 7T magnetic field.     

Well-defined silica supported aluminum hydride: another step towards the utopian single site dream?

Reaction of triisobutylaluminum with SBA15₇₀₀ at room temperature occurs by two parallel pathways involving either silanol or siloxane bridges. It leads to the formation of a well-defined bipodal [(SiO)₂Al–CH₂CH(CH₃)₂] 1a, silicon isobutyl [Si–CH₂CH(CH₃)₂] 1b and a silicon hydride [Si–H] 1c. Their structural identity was characterized by FT-IR and advanced solid-state NMR spectroscopies (¹H, ¹³C, ²⁹Si, ²⁷Al and 2D multiple quantum), elemental and gas phase analysis, and DFT calculations. The reaction involves the formation of a highly reactive monopodal intermediate: [SiO–Al–[CH₂CH(CH₃)₂]₂], with evolution of isobutane. This intermediate undergoes two parallel routes: transfer of either one isobutyl fragment or of one hydride to an adjacent silicon atom. Both processes occur by opening of a strained siloxane bridge, Si–O–Si but with two different mechanisms, showing that the reality of “single site” catalyst may be an utopia: DFT calculations indicate that isobutyl transfer occurs via a simple metathesis between the Al-isobutyl and O–Si bonds, while hydride transfer occurs via a two steps mechanism, the first one is a β-H elimination to Al with elimination of isobutene, whereas the second is a metathesis step between the formed Al–H bond and a O–Si bond. Thermal treatment of 1a (at 250 °C) under high vacuum (10^–5 mbar) generates Al–H through a β-H elimination of isobutyl fragment. These supported well-defined Al–H which are highly stable with time, are tetra, penta and octa coordinated as demonstrated by IR and ²⁷Al–¹H J-HMQC NMR spectroscopy. All these observations indicate that surfaces atoms around the site of grafting play a considerable role in the reactivity of a single site system.     

Integral algorithm and density matrix integration scheme for ab initio band structure calculations on polymeric systems

A new program for band structure calculations of periodic one-dimensional systems has been constructed. It is distinguishable from other codes by the efficient two-electron integral evaluation and the integration schemes of the density matrix in the first Brillouin zone. The computation of polymeric two-electron integrals is based on the McMurchie Davidson algorithm and builds batches of the different cell indices included in the polymeric system. Consequently it presents efficient scaling with respect to the number of unit cells taken into account. Our algorithm takes into account fully the polymeric symmetry rather than the molecular symmetry. A semidirect procedure where only exchange integrals are computed at each SCF cycle is proposed in order to maintain balance between computation time and disk space. In addition, the integration of the density matrix over a large number of cell indices can be performed by different methods, such as Gauss-Legendre, Clenshaw-Curtis, Filon, and Alaylioglu-Evans-Hyslop. This last scheme is able to obtain an accuracy of 10(-13) a.u. on each individual density matrix element for all cell indices with only 48 k-points.     

Universal behavior of linear alkanes in a confined medium: toward a calibrationless use of thermoporometry

A general law has been derived for predicting the transition temperature of linear alkanes confined in nanoporous materials from the simple knowledge of the free solvent transition temperature. This law is in very good agreement with the one previously determined for substituted benzenes, attesting a possible universal behavior of confined solvents.     

Continuous process for singlet oxygenation of hydrophobic substrates in microemulsion using a pervaporation membrane

Chemically generated singlet oxygen (1O2, 1Deltag) is able to oxidize a great deal of hydrophobic substrates from molybdate-catalyzed hydrogen peroxide decomposition, provided a suitable reaction medium such as a microemulsion system is used. However, high substrate concentrations or poorly reactive organics require large amounts of H2O2 that generate high amounts of water and thus destabilize the system. We report results obtained on combining dark singlet oxygenation of hydrophobic substrates in microemulsions with a pervaporation membrane process. To avoid composition alterations after addition of H2O2 during the peroxidation, the reaction mixture circulates through a ceramic membrane module that enables a partial and selective dewatering of the microemulsion. Optimization phase diagrams of sodium molybdate/water/alcohol/anionic surfactant/organic solvent have been elaborated to maximize the catalyst concentration and therefore the reaction rate. The membrane selectivity towards the mixture constituents has been investigated showing that a high retention is observed for the catalyst, for organic solvents and hydrophobic substrates, but not for n-propanol (cosurfactant) and water. The efficiency of such a process is illustrated with the peroxidation of a poorly reactive substrate, viz., beta-pinene.     

Sodium Salts of the Bipyridine Dianion: Polymer [(bpy)2−{Na+(dme)}2]∞, Cluster [(Na8O)6+Na+6(bpy)62−(tmeda)6], and Monomer [(bpy)2−{Na+(pmdta)}2]

Bipyridine, a workhorse among the ligands of complex chemistry, can be reduced with sodium to its dianion. Depending on the solvent different sodium salts crystallize: from dimethoxyethane/toluene a polymer, from tetramethylethylenediamine/benzene a lipophilically wrapped [Na₁₄O]¹²⁺ cluster, and from pure pentamethyldiethylenetriamine a normal Na₂-bpy salt (see picture) are obtained.     

Controlled Arrangement of Supramolecular Metal Coordination Arrays on Surfaces

Metallo-supramolecular systems have been adsorbed in a controlled way onto graphite surfaces and visualized with molecular resolution for the first time. A parallel or orthogonal arrangement of the metal coordination arrays is evident depending on the specific ligands (see picture). Furthermore, simple nanomanipulations were performed by extracting single grids from the layer.     

Frontier orbital interactions of electron pushing and drawing substituents with ferrocenyl group

The frontier orbital interactions of electron pushing and drawing substituents with ferrocenyl group were analyzed based on the electrochemical,UV visible spectral and spectroelectrochemical results of five ferrocene derivatives,R-Fc-A1(PⅠ),A1-Fc-A1(PⅡ),D-Fc-R (PⅢ),D-Kc-A1(PIV) and D-Fc-A2(PV)(R,CH2OH;A1 CHO;A2,CH=C(CN)2 and D,(C18H37)2N-C6H4-CH=CH) It was found that there are strong interactions of the LUMO (πA) of electron drawing substituents with le2g(dxy,dx2 y2)and e2u of the ferroeenyl group because the energy levels of πA and e2g,C2U of (Cp )2 are close,which lower not only the energy levels of bonded orbits,πA+ and dx2-y2+[πA] of PⅠ,PⅡ,PⅣ and PⅤobviously,but also those of their non-bonded orbu dxy For PⅢ,PⅣ and PⅤ,there are strong interactions of HOMO(πD) of the electron pushing substituent with le of the ferrocenyl group because the levels of πD and e of (Cp)2 are close,which result in the formation of anti-bonded orbit,πD- and bonded orbit