Synthesis and characterization of TiOx nanoparticles prepared by pulsed-laser ablation of Ti target in water

Nanoparticles (NPs) creation by pulsed-laser ablation of targets in a liquid environment has recently become a promising technique, which has several relative advantages, such as simplicity and low cost. This technique was employed in the present work for preparation of TiO_x NPs suspension by ablation of metal Ti targets into twice-distilled water. A second harmonic generation (SHG) pulsed Nd:YAG laser was used in the experiments. Preferential formation of spherical NPs and their TiO_x nature was established. Aggregation of the created particles during aging was found. Transition of the NPs’ structure from amorphous to crystalline with increasing the laser energy was revealed. A difference was observed in the transmittance of the suspensions obtained depending on the laser intensity.     

Mechanism of the aminolysis of methyl benzoate: a computational study

Density functional and ab initio methods were applied in examining the possible mechanistic pathways for the reaction of methyl benzoate with ammonia. Transition state structures and energies were determined for concerted and neutral stepwise mechanisms. The theoretical results show that the two possible pathways have similar activation energies. The general base catalysis of the process was also examined. The predictions reveal that the catalytic process results in considerable energy savings and the most favorable pathway of the reaction is through a general-base-catalyzed neutral stepwise mechanism. The structure and transition vectors of the transition states indicate that the catalytic role of ammonia is realized by facilitating the proton-transfer processes. Comparison of the energetics of the aminolysis for methyl benzoate and methyl formate shows the more favorable process to be that for the aliphatic ester. The differing reactivity of the two esters is explained in terms of the electrostatic potential values at the atoms of the ester functionality.     

Electronic Structure and Magnetic Anisotropy of an Unsaturated Cyclopentadienyl Iron(I) Complex with 15 Valence Electrons

The 15 valence-electron iron(I) complex [Cp^ArFe(IiPr₂Me₂)] ( 1 , Cp^Ar=C₅(C₆H₄-4-Et)₅; IiPr₂Me₂=1,3-diisopropyl-4,5-dimethylimidazolin-2-ylidene) was synthesized in high yield from the Fe^II precursor [Cp^ArFe(μ-Br)]₂. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer and EPR spectroscopic data, magnetic measurements, and ab initio ligand-field calculations indicate an S= 3/2 ground state with a large negative zero-field splitting. As a consequence, 1 features magnetic anisotropy with an effective spin-reversal barrier of U_eff=64 cm⁻¹. Moreover, 1 catalyzes the dehydrogenation of N,N-dimethylamine–borane, affording tetramethyl-1,3-diaza-2,4-diboretane under mild conditions.     

Highly phosphonated polypentafluorostyrene: Characterization and blends with polybenzimidazole

In this study we present results of the conductivity and resistance to thermooxidative and condensation reactions of a highly phosphonated poly(pentafluorostyrene) (PWN2010) and of its blends with poly(benzimidazole)s (PBI). This polymer, which combines both: (i) a high degree of phosphonation (above 90%) and (ii) a relatively high acidity (pK_a (–PO₃H₂ ↔ –PO₃H⁻) ∼ 0.5) due to the fluorine neighbors, is designed for low humidity operating fuel cell. This was confirmed by the conductivity measurements for PWN2010 reaching σ = 5 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ at 150 °C in dry N₂ and σ = 1 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at 150 °C (λ = 0.75). Furthermore, this polymer showed only 48% of anhydride formation when annealing it at T = 250 °C for 5 h and only 2% weight loss during a 96 h Fenton test. These properties combined with the ability of the PWN2010 to form homogeneous blends with polybenzimidazoles resulting in stable and flexible polymer films, makes PWN2010 a very promising candidate as a polymer electrolyte for intermediate- and high-temperature fuel cell applications.     

Rational Design of a Confacial Pentaoctahedron: Anisotropic Exchange in a Linear ZnIIFeIIIFeIIIFeIIIZnII Complex

The first confacial pentaoctahedron comprised of transition metal ions namely Zn^IIFe^III_AFe^III_BFe^III_AZn^II has been synthesized by using a dinucleating nonadentate ligand. The face-sharing bridging mode enforces short Zn^II⋅⋅⋅Fe^III_A and Fe^III_A⋅⋅⋅Fe^III_B distances of 2.83 and 2.72 Å, respectively. Ab-initio CASSCF/NEVPT2 calculations provide significant negative zero-field splittings for Fe^III_A and Fe^III_B with |D_A|>|D_B| with the main component along the C₃ axis. Hence, a spin-Hamiltonian comprised of anisotropic exchange, zero-field, and Zeeman term was employed. This allowed by following the boundary conditions from the theoretical results the simulation in a theory-guided parameter determination with J^xy=+0.37, J^z=−0.32, D_A=−1.21, E_A=−0.24, D_B=−0.35, and E_B=−0.01 cm⁻¹ supported by simulations of high-field magnetic Mössbauer spectra recorded at 2 K. The weak but ferromagnetic Fe^III_AFe^III_B interaction arises from the small bridging angle of 84.8° being at the switch from anti- to ferromagnetic for the face-sharing bridging mode.     

Cyanide-Bridged Fe(III)-Cu(II) Complexes: Jahn-Teller Isomerism and Its Influence on the Magnetic Properties

We report here the synthesis and characterization of four dinuclear cyanide-bridged Fe(III)-Cu(II) complexes, based on a tetra- or a pentadentate bispidine ligand (L(1) or L(2), respectively; bispidines are 3,7-diazabiyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivatives) coordinated to the Cu(II) center, and a tridentate bipyridineamide (bpca) coordinated to the low-spin Fe(III) site, with cyanide groups completing the two coordination spheres, one of them bridging between the two metal ions. The four structurally characterized complexes [{Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)}{Cu(L(1)·H(2)O)}]BF(4), [{Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)}{Cu(L(2))}][Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)]·5H(2)O, [{Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)}{Cu(L(2)·MeOH)}]PF(6)·MeOH·H(2)O, and [{Fe(bpca)(CN)(3)}{Cu(L(2))}]PF(6)·2H(2)O belong to different structural isomers. The most important differences are structurally and electronically enforced (direction of the pseudo-Jahn-Teller mode) strong or weak interactions of the copper(II) center with the cyanide bridge. The related strength of the magnetic coupling of the two centers is analyzed with a combination of experimental magnetic, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electronic spectroscopic data together with a ligand-field theory- and density functional theory (DFT)-based analysis.     

Pulsed laser deposited Er,Yb:YVO4 waveguiding films on MgO/Si substrates

Erbium, and erbium and ytterbium co-doped YVO₄ waveguiding films were deposited on MgO/Si substrates by PLD. The samples were post-annealed at two different temperatures in air atmosphere. The influence on the crystalline structure and waveguiding properties of the films at these annealing temperatures for two dopant concentrations was investigated. Layers annealed up to 900 °C are polycrystalline. The dominant fraction of YVO₄ crystallites exhibited preferred orientation of the (0 0 1) zone axes parallel to the substrate surface. The polycrystalline samples show difference in the refractive indexes Δn (Δn = n_TE − n_TM) for TE and TM polarizations.     

Curvature-induced quantum behaviour on a helical nanotube

We investigate the effect of curvature on the behaviour of a quantum particle bound to move on a surface shaped as a helical tube. We derive and discuss the governing Schrödinger equation and the corresponding quantum effective potential which is periodic and points to the helical configuration as more energetically favorable as compared to the straight tube. The exhibited periodicity also leads to energy band structure of pure geometrical origin.