Lanthanoid coordination with a tetrazole-substituted calix[4]diquinone and calix[4]dihydroquinone

The tetrazole-functionalised calixdiquinone 5,17-di-tert-butyl-26,28-bis-(1H-tetrazole-5-ylmethoxy)-calix[4]-25,27-diquinone Q was synthesised by chemical oxidation of the bis-tetrazole calix[4]arene precursor using PbO₂/HClO₄. The single crystal X-ray structure determination of Q confirmed the structure and showed binding of a water molecule in the solid state. Chemical reduction of Q to the dihydroquinone QR was achieved using N,N-diethylhydroxylamine. Comparison of the solution phase photophysical properties of Q or QR in the presence of terbium ions showed significant excitation only with QR, suggesting redox switching of the photophysical response may be possible with this or similar receptor.     

Electronic structure and physical properties of bcc selenium under high pressure

Abstract

Here we report a theoretical calculation of the band structure and superconductivity of Se in the bcc phase. The energy band structure and the effect of pressure on the band structure is obtained by means of the Linear Muffin-Tin Orbital method within the atomic sphere approximation. The superconducting transition temperature (T_c) is calculated using McMillan's formula and we predict the value of T_c at 115.3 Gpa as 2.3 K. Further increase in presssure decreases the T_c values. The normal state electrical resistivity at 115.3 Gpa is 1.43 fl cm, with further increase in pressure the resistivity decreases, which is a typical behaviour of number of elemental metals under pressure.     

Theoretical investigations on structural, elastic and electronic properties of thallium halides

Theoretical investigations on structural, elastic and electronic properties, viz. ground state lattice parameter, elastic moduli and density of states, of thallium halides (viz. TlCl and TlBr) have been made using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The ground state lattice parameter and bulk modulus and its pressure derivative have been obtained using optimization method. Young's modulus, shear modulus, Poisson ratio, sound velocities for longitudinal and shear waves, Debye average velocity, Debye temperature and Grüneisen parameter have also been calculated for these compounds. Calculated structural, elastic and other parameters are in good agreement with the available data.     

First principles study of structural,magnetic and electronic properties of half-metallic CrO<Subscript>2</Subscript> under pressure

A first-principles tight-binding linear muffin tin orbital (TB-LMTO) method within the local-density approximation is used to calculate the total energy, lattice parameter, bulk modulus, magnetic moment, density of states and energy band structures of half-metallic CrO₂ at ambient as well as at high pressure. The magnetic and structural stabilities are determined from the total energy calculations. From the present study we predict a magnetic transition from ferromagnetic (FM) state to a non-magnetic (NM) state at 65 GPa, which is of second order in nature. We also observe from our calculations that CrO₂ is more stable in tetragonal phase (rutile-type) at ambient conditions and undergoes a transition to an orthorhombic structure (CaCl₂-type) at 9.6 GPa, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. We predict a second structural phase transition from CaCl₂- to fluorite-type structure at 89.6 GPa with a volume collapse of 7.3%, which is yet to be confirmed experimentally. Interestingly, CrO₂ shows half metallicity under ambient conditions. After the first structural phase transition from tetragonal to orthorhombic, half metallicity has been retained in CrO₂ and it vanishes at a pressure of 41.6 GPa. Ferromagnetism is quenched at a pressure of 65 GPa.     

Reaction intermediates in the catalytic Gif-type oxidation from nuclear inelastic scattering

Nuclear inelastic scattering (NIS) of synchrotron radiation, also known as nuclear resonant vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS), has been shown to provide valuable insights into metal-centered vibrations at Mössbauer-active nuclei. We present a study of the iron-centered vibrational density of states (VDOS) during the first step of the Gif-type oxidation of cyclohexene with a novel trinuclear Fe₃(μ₃-O) complex as catalyst precursor. The experiments were carried out on shock-frozen solutions for different combinations of reactants: Fe₃(μ₃-O) in pyridine solution, Fe₃(μ₃-O) plus Zn/acetic acid in pyridine without and with addition of either oxygen or cyclohexene, and Fe₃(μ₃-O)/Zn/acetic acid/pyridine/cyclohexene (reaction mixture) for reaction times of 1 min, 5 min, and 30 min. The projected VDOS of the Fe atoms was calculated on the basis of pseudopotential density functional calculations. Two possible reaction intermediates were identified as [Fe^(III)(C₅H₅N)₂(O₂CCH₃)₂]⁺ and Fe^(II)(C₅H₅N)₄(O₂CCH₃)₂, yielding evidence that NIS (NRVS) allows to identify the presence of iron-centered intermediates also in complex reaction mixtures.     

A new simulation method for the determination of forces in polymer/colloid systems

We introduce a new simulation method, which we call the contact-distribution method, for the determination of the Helmholtz potential for polymer/colloid systems from lattice Monte-Carlo simulations. This method allows one to obtain forces between finite or semi-infinite objects of any arbitrary shape and dimensions in the presence of polymer chains in solution or physisorbed or chemisorbed at interfaces. We illustrate the application of the method using two examples: (i) the interaction between the tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a single, end-grafted polymer chain and (ii) the interaction between an AFM tip and a polymer brush. Numerical results for the first two cases illustrate how the method can be used to confirm and extend scaling laws for forces and Helmholtz potentials, to examine the effects of the shapes and sizes of the objects and to examine conformational transitions in the polymer chains. Received: 15 May 1998 / Revised: 11 June 1998 / Accepted: 12 June 1998     

Book Review

Journal of Nanoparticle Research -     

Ionic conductivity studies in PMMA/PVdF polymer blend electrolyte with lithium salts

Batteries using ionically conducting polymer membranes as electrolytes are very attractive, since the concept of power sources capable of combining a high energy content with plasticity is very appealing for the consumer electronics market and in electric vehicle applications. Blend based polymer electrolytes composed of poly (methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), Poly Vinylidene fluoride (PVdF), Lithium salt (LiX) (X=ClO₄, BF₄ and CF₃SO₃) and Dimethyl Phthalate (DMP) are prepared using solvent casting technique. The films have been characterized using XRD, FTIR, Thermal and SEM studies; the effect of complexing salt and temperature on ionic conductivity is also discussed. The maximum conductivity value obtained for the solid polymer electrolyte film at 303 K is 4.2 × 10⁻³ S/cm.