Crystal structures and phase transition in the system SrTiO3-La2/3TiO3

The distribution of A-site cations in the perovskite system La_xSr_1−3x/2TiO₃ depends on the concentration of La³⁺ ions and associated vacancies. For small x (x?0.2), the substitutions are expected to be random. For x?0.55, the cations are ordered in such a way that successive layers of A-sites are occupied to greater and lesser degree, and this ordering drives a tetragonal distortion. For x from about 0.3 to 0.5, the X-ray patterns show diffuse peaks indicative of similar ordering, but this is not long-range order and no tetragonal distortion results. The lower temperature structures also exhibit out-of-phase tilting of the TiO₆ octahedra, setting in at temperatures varying linearly with composition from 105 K for x=0, to about 650 K at x=2/3.     

Synthesis and properties of the double perovskites La2NiVO6, La2CoVO6, and La2CoTiO6

The double perovskites La₂CoVO₆, La₂CoTiO₆, and La₂NiVO₆, are described. Rietveld fitting of neutron and powder X-ray diffraction data show La₂NiVO₆ and La₂CoVO₆ to have a disordered arrangement of B-cations whereas La₂CoTiO₆ shows ordering of the B-cations (with ∼5% Co/Ti inversion). Curie-Weiss fits to the linear region of the 1/χ plots reveal Weiss temperatures of −107, −34.8, and 16.3 K for La₂CoVO₆, La₂CoTiO₆, and La₂NiVO₆, respectively, and magnetic transitions are observed. La₂CoTiO₆ prepared by our method differs from material prepared by lower-temperature routes. A simple antiferromagnetic spin model is consistent with the data for La₂CoTiO₆. These compounds are semiconductors with bandgaps of 0.41 (La₂CoVO₆), 1.02 (La₂CoTiO₆) and 0.45 eV (La₂NiVO₆).     

Synthesis and characterization of a Ruddlesden-Popper compound: Sr3FeMoO7

A powder sample of Sr₃FeMoO₇ was synthesized by solid-state reaction in reduced atmosphere (5% H₂/Ar). At room temperature, Sr₃FeMoO₇ crystallizes in a typical Ruddlesden-Popper (n=2) structure in the space group I4/mmm, and . The structure refinement indicates that the Fe and Mo ions are randomly distributed in a single B-site with small fraction of B-site and oxygen vacancies. At low temperature, long-range magnetic interaction was observed. The antiferromagnetic magnetic interaction can be described with a large unit cell, and c_m=c_n, in the magnetic space group An′.     

Comparison of the fragility index of different eudragit polymers determined by activation enthalpies

The present study aimed to apply fragility index (m) of polymers in the determination of the optimal amount of plasticizer in polymer films. The fragility index of different Eudragit polymers (RS, RL, EPO) was assessed by differential scanning calorimerty (DSC), applying the Arrhenius connection (logq–1/T _g). The fragility of Eudragit EPO films proved to be the highest, while in the case of RS and RL, the increase of the alkyl-chain length caused the increase of fragility. Studying the effect of plasticizer (triethyl citrate, TEC) on the m value of Eudragit RL and RS films, a near linear reduction of the fragility index could be observed between 5–30% TEC concentration, but above 30%, this value leveled out to constant.     

Kinetics and mechanisms in carbocationic polymerization: The quest for true rate constants

This article is a critical analysis of kinetic dataavailable on carbocationic polymerizations. A survey of published propagation rate constant (k_p) data revealed several orders of magnitude differences. In this article, an explanation of this apparent discrepancy is offered with a case study involving the carbocationic polymerization of 2,4,6‐trimethylstyrene (TMS). With the polymerization mechanism originally proposed for this system, k_p = 1.35 × 10⁴ L mol^?1 s^?1 was extracted from experimental data with the Predici polyreaction package. The alternative mechanism yielded k_p = 1.01 × 10⁷ L mol^?1 s^?1, close to that predicted by Mayr's Linear Free Energy Relationship (LFER). We propose that true rate constants can only be obtained from direct competition experiments or from kinetic interpretation based on independently proven mechanisms. The second part of this review discusses critical analysis of the temperature and concentration dependence of various living IB systems. Comparison of the temperature dependence in systems initiated with 2‐ chloro‐2,4, 4‐ trimethylpentane (TMPCl)/TiCl₄ from various laboratories yielded of ΔH ～?25 and ?34.5 kJ/mol for high and low TMPCl/TiCl₄ ratios, respectively. Aromatic (cumyl‐type) initiators show ΔH ～ ?40 kJ/mol, whereas H₂O/TiCl₄ in the presence of the strong electron‐ pair donor dimethylacetamide gave ΔH = ?12 kJ/mol. The significant differences indicate different underlying mechanisms with complex elementary reactions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 5394–5413, 2005     

Neutron powder diffraction study of A2BeF4 (A=K, Rb, Cs): Structure refinement and analysis of background

The crystal structure of potassium, rubidium and caesium fluoroberyllates have been re-examined by neutron powder diffraction at room temperature and at 1.5 K. Previously, their structures, obtained from X-ray data, were described in the Pn2₁a space group. However, the results obtained from Rietveld refinements, using powder neutron diffraction, at both temperatures, indicated that all structures are orthorhombic with space group Pnma. The known phase transition at high temperature is probably related to the appearance of a hexagonal pseudo-symmetry instead of the elimination of the mirror plane between the above mentioned orthorhombic space groups. A possible phase transition, at very low temperature, was discarded considering the stereochemical criteria concerning the structural stability of A₂BX₄ compounds. This was confirmed by thermal analysis. On the other hand, a modulated background has been detected in all samples during the refinements. This is compatible with the presence of an amorphous phase, coexisting with the crystalline phase, or with a disordered component within the main crystalline phase. Instead of using a polynomial function, the background was modelled by Fourier filtering improving the fit for all patterns. The radial distribution function (RDF) was obtained from the analysis of the calculated background and compared with the RDF from the average crystal structure. The advantages of neutron with respect to X-ray diffraction were evidenced for this type of compound with β-K₂SO₄-type structure.     

Structure refinement and chemical analysis of Cs3Li(DSO4)4, formerly ‘Cs1.5Li1.5D(SO4)2’

An accurate structure refinement of the deuterated analog of the cesium lithium acid sulfate, formerly identified as ‘Cs_1.5Li_1.5H(SO₄)₂’, has been carried out using neutron diffraction methods. Like the protonated material reported earlier (Merinov et al., Solid State Ionics 69 (1994) 53), the compound is cubic, , however, the correct stoichiometry is Cs₃Li(DSO₄)₄. There are four formula units per unit cell and six atoms in the asymmetric unit. The lattice constant measured in this work is a=11.743(2) Å, comparable to the earlier results. The structure contains one disordered hydrogen bond, formed between O(2) atoms and located on two of the edges of the single LiO₄ tetrahedron. The Li site occupancy is , as is that of the deuterium site. This level of site occupancies is consistent with a structure in which hydrogen bonds are formed only when the lithium site is unoccupied, and explains the otherwise close proximity of the Li and D atoms, 1.394(10) Å. This unusual structural feature furthermore leads to a fixed stoichiometry, as confirmed here by chemical analysis of both the deuterated and protonated materials, despite the partial occupancy of the lithium and deuterium (hydrogen) atom sites.     

Selective palladium-catalyzed arylation(s) of benzaldehyde derivatives by N-heterocarbene ligands

The 2- or 2,6-position(s) of aromatic aldehydes were directly and selectively arylated with aryl chlorides or bromides in the presence of a catalytic system prepared in situ from Pd(OAc)₂, imidazolinium chlorides (1-5) and Cs₂CO₃.     

The effect of thermal pretreatment on the electrochemical response for palladium in aqueous media

Previous work on the electrochemistry of palladium in aqueous acid solution demonstrated the existence of two multilayer hydrous oxide reduction peaks, one at ca. 0.24 V and another at ca. 0.55 V vs. RHE, plus the presence of a reversible active surface state transition at ca. 0.24 V. In the present work with thermally activated palladium it was observed that, in agreement with the hydrous oxide reduction behaviour of the system, there is a second active state transition at E≥ca. 0.45 V. In most of its reactions in aqueous acid solution, apart from its unusual capacity to absorb hydrogen, palladium exhibits properties very similar to those of platinum; however, palladium seems to be more prone to dissolution and subsurface oxygen formation. Also the premonolayer oxidation responses of these two metals are often different as the more active state of the palladium surface is not as readily generated as that of platinum. The electrocatalytic properties of palladium, as reported earlier, correlate quite well with the hydrous oxide and premonolayer oxidation behaviour of this electrode system. Electronic Publication     

Thermal studies on some organotin(IV) complexes with piperidine and 2-aminopyridine dithiocarbamates

The complexes of piperidine dithiocarbamate, 2-aminopyridine dithiocarbamate and organotin(IV) of the type R₃Sn(L¹), R₂Sn(L¹)₂, R₃Sn(L²), R₂Sn(L²)₂, [R=C₆H₅CH₂ (benzyl), p-ClC₆H₄CH₂ (p-chlorobenzyl), L ¹=sodium piperidine dithiocarbamate and L ²=sodium 2-aminopyridine dithiocarbamate] have been synthesised and characterised by spectral studies (IR, UV, ¹H NMR). Thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analytical (DTA) studies have beeen carried out for these complexes and from the TG curves, the order and apparent activation energy for the thermal decomposition reactions have been elucidated. The various thermal studies have been correlated with some structural aspects of the complexes concerned. From DTA curves, the heat of reaction has been calculated.