Neutron diffraction investigation of the hydrogen positions in the crystal structure of monetite,CaHPO4

An occupation-factor analysis using single-crystal neutron diffraction data has shown that the hydrogen atoms in the structure of the mineral monetite, CaHPO₄, occupy hydrogen-bonding sites closely similar to those predicted in a previous X-ray refinement. Least-squares refinement in space groupP¯1 of the potential coordinates and isotropic temperature parameters for the three distinct proton sites led to a resultantR of 0·10 over the 371 independent neutron structure factors. Detailed analysis showed that the distribution of the hydrogen atoms was almost certainly ordered in symmetryP1 with only half of the O(6) atoms (in space groupP¯1) carrying hydrogen atoms; the short O(7)-P(1)... O(7) hydrogen bond of 2·44 Å across what would be a symmetry centre inP¯1 is probably unsymmetrical. Minute piezo- and pyroelectric effects confirmedP1 as the space group. Further refinement of the X-ray data in space groupP1 indicated that the deviations from centrosymmetry must be small and, so far as can be detected, confined to the hydrogen atoms.We thank Mr James R. Lehr for the crystal, Prof. W. G. Perdok for the piezoelectric measurement, and Dr. G. Ferraris for a useful discussion. We are also grateful to Mr. D. H. C. Harris and the staff of the University Support Group for help at AERE, and to the S.R.C. for providing access to neutron and computational facilities and for financial support to WAD.     

Atomic layer deposition of ZrO2 thin films using a new alkoxide precursor

Zirconium oxide thin films were grown by atomic layer deposition using a new type of Zr alkoxide: [Zr(O^tBu)₂(dmae)₂]₂ (dmae is dimethylaminoethoxide). Water was used as the oxygen source. The films grown at 190-240 °C were amorphous, and the films grown at 290-340 °C were nanocrystalline. The highest refractive index of the films was 2.08 at a wavelength of 580 nm. The permittivity of a film grown at 240 °C was 25.     

Preparation of cyclophanes by room-temperature ring-closing alkyne metathesis with imidazolin-2-iminato tungsten alkylidyne complexes

Room-temperature ring-closing alkyne metathesis of 1,2-, 1,3-, and 1,4-bis(3-pentynyloxymethyl)benzenes has been investigated in the presence of catalytic amounts of an imidazolin-2-iminato tungsten alkylidyne complex. The m- and p-diynes selectively form the respective [10]metacyclophane or [10.10]paracyclophane, respectively, whereas a mixture of monomeric and dimeric cycloalkynes is obtained in the case of the o-diyne. DFT calculations reveal that the different selectivities can be attributed to the relative thermodynamic stability of the emerging cyclophanes.     

Copper-containing monodisperse mesoporous silica nanospheres by a smart one-step approach

Copper-containing mesoporous silica spheres of size in the colloidal range with perfect conservation of pore-ordering, shape and monodispersity and high intra-pore metal dispersion were prepared via a new one-step synthesis and functionalisation route.     

Exploring the relationship between cocrystal stability and symmetry: is Wallach's rule applicable to multi-component solids?

Comparison of structure and hydration stability of pairs of chiral and racemic binary cocrystals indicates that the racemic solid is more stable than the chiral one; we illustrate that this difference might arise from intermolecular (crystal packing) factors in one case, while intramolecular (molecular conformation) factors are more significant in the other.     

Unusual reactivity of N-acyl imides: N-aroyl-1,2,4-dithiazolidine-3,5-diones as acyl isocyanate equivalents

Crystalline samples of three N-aroyl-1,2,4-dithiazolidine-3,5-diones have been prepared as the first examples of a novel class of compound that displays the reactivity of an acyl isocyanate when treated with nucleophiles.     

New structural types and different oxidation levels in the family of Mn6-oxime single-molecule magnets

The synthesis and magnetic properties of three new members of a family of salicyaldoxime based [Mn6] single-molecule magnets possessing new structural types, core topologies and Mn oxidation state distributions are reported. The isostructural complexes [MnIII6O2(R-sao)6(X)2(EtOH)6] (R = Et, X = Br (1); R = Me, X = I (2)) exhibit single-molecule magnet behaviour with spin Hamiltonian parameters S = 12, g = 1.98 and D = -0.36 cm(-1) in both cases. The hexametallic cluster [MnIII4MnIV2O2(OMe)(4-)(Et-sao)6(MeOH)2].MeOH (3.MeOH) possesses a planar rod-like topology and a mixed valent [MnIV4MnIII2] core, which is unprecedented in this family of [Mn6] SMMs.     

Rare tetranuclear mixed-valent [Mn(II)2Mn(IV)2] clusters as building blocks for extended networks

We report the synthesis of a series of mixed valence Mn(II/IV) tetranuclear clusters [Mn(II)(2)Mn(IV)(2)O(2)(heed)(2)(EtOH)(6)Br(2)]Br(2) (), [Mn(II)(2)Mn(IV)(2)O(2)(heed)(2)(H(2)O)(2)Cl(4)].2EtOH.H(2)O (.2EtOH.H(2)O), [Mn(II)(2)Mn(IV)(2)O(2)(heed)(2)(heedH(2))(2)](ClO(4))(4) (), [Mn(II)(2)Mn(IV)(2)O(2)(heed)(2)(MeCN)(2)(H(2)O)(2)(bpy)(2)](ClO(4))(4) () and [Mn(II)(2)Mn(IV)(2)O(2)(heed)(2)(bpy)(2)Br(4)].2MeOH (.2MeOH). Clusters are constructed from the tripodal ligand N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylene diamine (heedH(2)) and represent rare examples of tetranuclear Mn clusters possessing the linear trans zig-zag topology, being the first Mn(II/IV) mixed-valent clusters of this type. The molecular clusters can then be used as building blocks in tandem with the (linear) linker dicyanamide ([N(CN)(2)](-), dca(-)) for the formation of a novel extended network {[Mn(II)(2)Mn(IV)(2)O(2)(heed)(2)(H(2)O)(2)(MeOH)(2)(dca)(2)]Br(2)}(n) (), which exhibits a rare form of the 2D herring bone topology.     

3-Amino- and 3-acylamido-2-phosphonopyridines: synthesis by Pd-catalyzed P-C coupling, structure and conversion to pyrido[b]-anellated PC-N heterocycles

Palladium catalyzed cross-coupling of 3-amino- and 3-acylamido-2-bromopyridines 1a-f with triethyl phosphite allowed the synthesis of 3-amino- and 3-acylamido pyridine-2-phosphonic acid diethyl esters 2a-f, whereas nickel catalysts, although providing access to related anilido-2-phosphonates, proved inactive. Reduction of the aminophosphonate 2a with LiAlH₄ afforded 3-amino-2-phosphinopyridine (3a), which was cyclocondensed with dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMFA) via phosphaalkene intermediates 4a to the novel pyrido[b]-anellated 1,3-azaphosphole 5a. Reaction of amidophosphonates 2b-f with LiAlH₄ did not result in the expected reductive cyclization, as shown by closely related anilido-2-phosphonates, but led to product mixtures containing N-secondary 3-amino-2-phosphinopyridines 3b-f as the main or major component. The conversion of 3b,d,e with DMFA to 5b,d,e provides first examples of N-substituted pyrido[b]-anellated azaphospholes. Structures were confirmed by multinuclear NMR and X-ray crystallography (for 2c, 3b).     

Polysulfonylamine. CLXXXIV. Kristallstrukturen molekularer Triphenylphosphangold(I)‐di(4‐X‐benzolsulfonyl)‐amide: Isomorphie und dichte Packung (X = Me,F, Cl,NO2) vs. struktursteuernde Halogenbrücken C–X···Au/O (X = Br,I)

Polysulfonylamines. CLXXXIV. Crystal Structures of Molecular Triphenylphosphanegold(I) Di(4‐X‐benzenesulfonyl)amides: Isomorphism and Close Packing (X = Me, F, Cl, NO₂) vs. Structure‐Determining C–X···Au/O Halogen Bonds (X = Br, I) In order to study the structure‐determining influence that halogen bonding can exert during the course of crystallization, solid‐state structures are compared for two previously reported and four new molecular gold(I) complexes of the type Ph₃P–Au–N(SO₂–C₆H₄–4‐X)₂, each featuring linear P,N coordination at gold and two phenyl rings with varying p‐substituents X = Me, F, Cl, NO₂, Br or I. The compounds were synthesized by reactions of Ph₃PAuX (X = Cl or I) with the corresponding silver di(arenesulfonyl)amides, crystallized from dichloromethane, and characterized by low‐temperature X‐ray diffraction. The Me, F, Cl and NO₂ congeners are isomorphic and crystallize without solvent inclusion in the chiral orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁ (Z′ = 1). These structures are governed by isotropic close packing via three‐dimensional 2₁ symmetry, incidentally supported by an invariant set of C–H···O=S hydrogen bonds, CH/π interactions and π/π stackings of aromatic rings; in particular, the hard halogen atoms of the fluoro and the chloro homologues are not involved in X···Au, X···O or X···X interactions. The higher homologues, with soft halogen atoms, were obtained as a dichloromethane hemisolvate for X = Br and a corresponding monosolvate for X = I, each triclinic in the centrosymmetric space group (Z′ = 1). Here, the primary structural effect is implemented by infinite chains in which translation‐related molecules are connected for the bromo compound by a bifurcated Au···Br(2)···O=S interaction, for the iodo congener by an equivalent Au···I(2)···O=S interaction and a short halogen bond C–I(1)···O=S. The latter bond is stronger than a similar C–Br···O=S interaction and induces a conformational adjustment of the (CSO₂)₂N group from the normal twofold symmetry in the bromo compound to an energetically unfavourable asymmetric form in the iodo homologue. In both cases, pairs of antiparallel molecular catemers are associated into strands via sixfold phenyl embraces, the strands are stacked to form layers, the solvent molecules are intercalated between adjacent layers, and the crystal packings are reinforced by a number of C–H···O=S hydrogen bonds and interactions of aromatic rings.