Conformational pseudopolymorphism and orientational disorder in two-dimensional alkyl carbamate crystals

The structures of self-assembled physisorbed monolayers of alkyl carbamates were examined with atomic detail by scanning tunneling microscopy at the liquid-solid interface. Through systematic variation of molecular structure, the factors determining the two-dimensional crystal packing and dynamics of alkyl carbamate monolayers were isolated. Two different conformational pseudopolymorphs on the surface were observed and their order of stability was varied by changing the length of the alkyl groups. The relative size of the two alkyl groups in a molecule affected the frequency of orientational flipping within a column, which in turn, exerts an influence on the relative orientation of the two-dimensional crystalline domains. These phenomena were explained on the basis of the preferred hydrogen-bonding geometry of the carbamate functional group and the different degree of van der Waals interaction for each form.     

2,6‐Bis(pyrazol‐3‐yl)pyridine as Meridional Capping Ligand: Synthesis,Characterization, and Crystal Structure of the First Corresponding Hexanuclear Iron(III) Complex

Based on the 2,6‐bis(pyrazol‐3‐yl)pyridine ligand (H₂bpp) the hexanuclear iron(III) complex [Fe₆(bpp)₄(μ₃‐O)₂(μ‐OMe)₃(μ‐OH)Cl₂] ( 1 ) was synthesized. The reaction with iron(II) chloride and additional pyridine leads to the exclusive formation of the complex through self‐assembly process. Six octahedrally coordinated iron atoms are linked through the pyrazolido groups of four H₂bpp ligands. These are further linked through bridging hydroxido, methoxido, and oxido groups. The complex has been characterized by IR spectroscopy, ESI mass spectrometry, elemental analysis and X‐ray crystallography. Temperature‐dependent magnetic measurements indicate strong antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between the high‐spin iron(III) ions within the complex, which leads to an S = 0 spin ground state. As a result of the two Fe3(μ₃‐O) fragments two frustrated exchange pathways are present. In addition the properties of H₂bpp as a potential capping ligand for the synthesis of heteroleptic trinuclear complexes based on the triaminoguanidine core is investigated.     

Slow magnetic relaxation in mononuclear tetrahedral cobalt(II) complexes with 2-(1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenol based ligands

Three mononuclear cobalt(II) complexes based on the 2-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenol ligand and its nitro and methoxy derivatives have been synthesized and investigated. For two of these complexes, which were derived from the parent ligand and its nitro derivative, the molecular structures have been determined by X-ray crystallography. A distorted tetrahedral coordination environment is observed for the cobalt(II) centers with two bidentate N,O ligands. The magnetic properties have been studied by susceptibility and magnetization measurements revealing the presence of high-spin cobalt(II) ions with a considerable zero-field splitting in the order of D = –35 to –41 cm⁻¹ for the three complexes. With an applied dc field the ac susceptibility data reveal a slow magnetic relaxation which is characteristic for single-molecular magnet (SMM) behavior.     

Causal loop diagrams as a de-escalation technique

Escalation of commitment, the tendency of decision makers to keep on investing in losing courses of action, has been shown to be a costly decision bias that affects many areas of decision making. Even though escalation is a widely studied phenomenon, there has been comparatively little research on how to avoid this bias. The present study focuses on de-escalation of commitment and proposes that causal loop diagrams (CLDs) can help to decrease escalating commitment to a failing course of action. By means of an experiment, this study shows that using a CLD decreases escalation tendencies.     

Spatial and temporal control over adsorption from multicomponent solutions

The composition of physisorbed monolayers formed from multicomponent solutions varies with time and selection between two phases is possible by controlled desorption of one phase and the kinetically favored adsorption of another.     

Trinuclear copper(II) complexes derived from Schiff-base ligands based on a 6-amino-6-deoxyglucopyranoside: structural and magnetic characterization

The trinuclear copper(II) complexes ([CuL1)(mu-ac)Cu(mu-ac)CuL1) (1) and ([CuL2)(mu-ac)Cu(mu-ac)CuL2) (2) of the tridentate aminosaccharide-derived Schiff-base ligands H2L1 [6-N-(salicylidene)amino-6-deoxy-1,2,3-tri-O-methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside] and H2L2 [6-N-(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)amino-6-deoxy-1,2,3-tri-O-methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside] were synthesized and structurally characterized. The trinuclear complex units can be described as two terminal copper-ligand moieties bridged by a central copper acetate moiety, with the Cu centers arranged in a triangular fashion. IR and UV/vis spectroscopic studies strongly indicate that the trinuclear structure is maintained in a methanolic solution. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of both complexes shows a moderate antiferromagnetic coupling and can be well interpreted by applying a symmetric Cua-Cub-Cua' model with linear spin topology. The fit of the magnetic data affords coupling constants J of -34 and -24 cm(-1) for 1 and 2, respectively [H = -J(SaSb + SbSa')]. For mu-alkoxo-mu-acetato-bridged copper(II) complexes with a large dihedral angle between the adjacent coordination planes, as found in 1 and 2, such an antiferromagnetic coupling is unusual. However, density functional theory calculations of 2 using BP86, B3LYP*, and B3LYP density functionals confirmed a symmetric doublet ground state.     

Correlation between photoluminescence, optical and structural properties of amorphous nitrogen-rich carbon nitride films

Amorphous nitrogen-rich carbon nitride (CN_x) films have been prepared by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapour deposition (ICP-CVD) utilizing transport reactions from a solid carbon source. The nitrogen atomic fraction N/(C+N) is about 1 or even higher as detected by various surface and bulk sensitive methods. An investigation of the chemical bonding structure showed that the films are composed of >C=N units with a small fraction of C≡N groups. Based on these findings, several structural units derived from cis- and trans-conjugated carbon–nitrogen chains are proposed. The optical properties of the CN_x films were studied by transmission spectroscopy and spectral ellipsometry; the optical Tauc gap was determined to 2.1±0.05 eV. The photoluminescence characteristics were measured at three different excitation wavelengths (476, 488 and 515 nm) and revealed two individual contributions. These data are interpreted in terms of the different structural units comprising the nitrogen-rich CN_x films. Received: 14 July 2000 / Accepted:17 July 2000 / Published online: 22 November 2000