Studies of the state of iron contained in α- and β-silicon nitride by Mössbauer and Raman effects

The Mössbauer spectra of β- and α-Si₃N₄ containing Fe have been measured at 300 and 93 K. The former consists of a singlet and a doublet, whereas the latter exhibits paramagnetic hyperfine patterns and a doublet. The single line and hyperfine patterns arise from isolated high-spin Fe³⁺ ions which are bonded equivalently with 4 nitrogen neighbors. Both doublets arise from high-spin Fe³⁺ ion-pairs each of which is strongly bonded by a kind of superexchange force. In β-Si₃N₄ the Fe³⁺ ions occupy the same sites regardless of whether they are doped into the crystal lattice before or after its preparation, while in α-Si₃N₄ the Fe³⁺ ions are located at different sites depending on the doping procedure. From the Raman spectra, the difference in the Mössbauer spectra for the two compounds is attributable to different relaxation by lattice phonons of the host crystals.The Mössbauer spectral lines for β-Si₃N₄ alone have been found to decrease in intensity with tune even at room temperature, such an ageing being observed to be entirely suppressed by γ-irradiation. From different behaviors of the three lines in the ageing and quenching from 1150°C down to room temperature, the ageing is interpretable based on a model that the Fe³⁺ ions jump from substitutional sites into interestitial sites and take place thermal vibration with a large amplitude there.     

Effect of pulse width and fluence of femtosecond laser on the size of nanobump array

Conical nanobump arrays were generated on gold thin film processed by interfering femtosecond laser. The transition of the height and diameter as functions of fluence and pulse width was investigated. When the fluence was 87 mJ/cm², the height and diameter were not so different at 350 fs or shorter pulse width. They decreased at longer pulse width, and no bump could be generated over 1.6 ps. The results suggest the decrease of size is due to the diffusion of electron to not-excited region, and due to heat conduction to not heated region or substrate, or change of absorbance of laser. At long pulse width of 2.4 ps and relatively higher fluence of 190 mJ/cm², nanobump had liquid-like structure as a stop motion of a water drop.     

Different shapes of spherical vaterite by photo-induced cis–trans isomerization of an azobenzene-containing polymer in a mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide and water

We studied the crystallization of CaCO₃ by the photoisomerization of azobenzene groups in poly[1-[4-[3-carboxy-4-hydroxyphenylazobenzenesulfonamido]-1,2-ethanediyl, sodium salt] (PAZO) in a mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide and water at 30 °C. The products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FT-IR, and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. We observed that the different shapes of spherical vaterite particles were produced by the changes of configuration and polarity of the azobenzene groups in the polymer which resulted from photo-induced isomerization. The results indicate that the nucleation of primary particles of CaCO₃ was inhibited by in situ photo-induced cis–trans isomerization of PAZO. Therefore, we suggest that the shapes of the spherical vaterite can be effectively modified by photoisomerization of the azobenzene groups in the polymer at the initial stage of CaCO₃ crystallization.     

Recent Progress in the Development of Solid‐State Luminescent o‐Carboranes with Stimuli Responsivity

o‐Carborane, a cluster compound containing boron and adjacent carbon atoms, displays intriguing luminescent properties. Recently, compounds containing o‐carborane units were found to show suppressed aggregation‐induced quenching and intense solid‐state emission; they also show potential for the development of stimuli‐responsive luminochromic materials. In this Minireview, we introduce three kinds of fundamental photochemical properties: aggregation‐induced emission, twisted intramolecular charge transfer in crystals, and environment‐sensitive excimer formation in solids. Based on these properties, several types of luminochromism, such as thermos‐, vapo‐, and mechanochromism, have been discovered. Based mainly on results from recent studies, we illustrate these mechanisms as well as unique luminescent behaviors of o‐carborane derivatives.     

Synthesis of ruthenium(II) complexes containing hydroxymethylphosphines and their catalytic activities for hydrogenation of supercritical carbon dioxide

Ligand substitution of RuCl2[P(C6H5)3]3 and Cp*RuCl(isoprene) (Cp*=1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) complexes with hydroxymethylphosphines was investigated to develop new catalyst systems for CO2 hydrogenation. A reaction of P(C6H5)2CH2OH with RuCl2[P(C6H5)3]3 in CH2Cl2 gave Ru(H)Cl(CO)[P(C6H5)2CH2OH]3 (1), which was characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallographic analysis. An isotope labeling experiment using P(C6H5)213CH2OH indicated that the carbonyl moiety in complex 1 originated from formaldehyde formed by degradation of the hydroxymethylphosphine. Elimination of formaldehyde from PCy2CH2OH (Cy=cyclohexyl) was also promoted by treatment of RuCl2[P(C6H5)3]3 in ethanol to give RuCl2(PHCy2)4 under mild conditions. On the other hand, the substitution reaction using Cp*RuCl(isoprene) with the hydroxymethylphosphine ligands proceeded smoothly with formation of Cp*RuCl(L)2 [2a-2c; L=P(C6H5)2CH2OH, PCy(CH2OH)2, and P(CH2OH)3] in good yields. The isolable hydroxymethylphosphine complexes 1 and 2 efficiently catalyzed the hydrogenative amidation of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) to N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF).     

Boron‐Ketoiminate‐Based Polymers: Fine‐Tuning of the Emission Color and Expression of Strong Emission Both in the Solution and Film States

In this research, the synthesis of boron‐ketoiminate‐containing polymers is reported with large molecular weights ( = 20 000) and their optical properties are examined by UV–vis absorption and photoluminescence spectrometries. It is shown that the polymers exhibit strong emission both in the solution and solid states (Φ _PL,THF = 0.46–0.80, Φ _PL,film = 0.13–0.38). These optical properties can be explained by a donor–acceptor interaction between the boron ketoiminate and the electron‐donating comonomer such as fluorene or bithiophene. Furthermore, in the solid states, their emission colors can be successfully tuned from blue to orange by the substituents on the nitrogen atom with the difference of the steric hindrance (λ _PL,THF = 464–546 nm, λ _PL,film = 486–604 nm).

     

A luminescent coordination polymer based on bisterpyridyl ligand containing o-carborane: two tunable emission modes

We designed a novel ditopic bisterpyridyl ligand containing o-carborane that can construct a coordination polymer by complexation with metal ions. Through the use of Sonogashira-Hagihara coupling, the desired ligand molecule was successfully synthesized. Addition of Zn(II) ions rapidly underwent the generation of a fluorescent coordination polymer, which was confirmed by (1)H NMR, UV-vis, and fluorescent titration experiments. Furthermore, the electronic structure of the bisterpyridyl ligand molecules was drastically changed upon the complexation with metal ions. The obtained coordination polymer showed light blue emission derived from the intraligand charge transfer (ILCT) state, whereas a bare ligand molecule exhibited yellowish-green aggregation-induced emission (AIE) in a poor solvent such as water, because of the variable C-C bond in o-carborane.     

Interfacial water on hydrophobic surfaces recognized by ions and molecules

Recent spectrophotometric and molecular dynamics simulation studies have shown that the physicochemical properties and structures of water in the vicinity of hydrophobic surfaces differ from those of the bulk water. However, the interfacial water acting as a separation medium on hydrophobic surfaces has never been detected and quantified experimentally. In this study, we show that small inorganic ions and organic molecules differentiate the interfacial water formed on the surfaces of octadecyl-bonded (C(18)) silica particles from the bulk water and the chemical separation of these solutes in aqueous media with hydrophobic materials can be interpreted with a consistent mechanism, partition between the bulk water phase and the interfacial water formed on the hydrophobic surface. Thermal transition behaviour of the interfacial water incorporated in the nanopores of the C(18) silica materials and the solubility parameter of the water calculated from the distribution coefficients of organic compounds have indicated that the interfacial water may have a structure of disrupted hydrogen bonding. The thickness of the interfacial water or the limit of distance from the hydrophobic surface at which molecules and ions can sense the surface was estimated to be 1.25 ± 0.13 nm from the volume of the interfacial water obtained by a liquid chromatographic method and the surface area, suggesting that the hydrophobic effect may extend beyond the first solvation shell of water molecules directly surrounding the surfaces.     

Isolation and structural characterization of magic silver clusters protected by 4-(tert-butyl)benzyl mercaptan

Small silver clusters (average diameter of 1.2 nm) protected by 4-(tert-butyl)benzyl mercaptan (BBSH) were converted to stable, monodisperse clusters (2.1 nm) by a ripening process with excess amount of BBSH. Multiple characterizations of the isolated magic clusters revealed an approximate chemical composition of Ag(～280)(SBB)(～120).