Superconductivity—a source of surprises

Superconductivity is ascribed to a tendency of pairwise localization of conduction electrons. As a necessary condition in k space bands with very small as well as large dispersion need to be present at the Fermi level (“flat band/steep band”). The sufficient condition is a strong enough coupling of the flat band states to specific phonons in case of phonon-mediated superconductivity. The electron–phonon coupling parameter λ reveals a peak structure in the phonon q-space. These aspects are discussed for actual examples, e.g., rare earth carbides and carbide halides as well as MgB₂.     

室温氧化还原反应制备AgCuSe三元纳米棒

AgCuSe nanorods were prepared at room temperature by a redox reaction. The as-prepared product was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.X-ray powder diffraction shows that the as-prepared product is the tetragonal phase of AgCuSe. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the sample consists of nanorods with a diameter varying from 5 nm to 20 nm and a length varying from 200 nm to 600 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that the purity of the sample is high. The formation mechanism of AgCuSe and the growth mechanism of AgCuSe nanorods were discussed.Thermodynamic calulations show that the final product in the synthetic system is pure AgCuSe. The solvent ethylenediamine did not only acts a didentate ligand to form relatively state Ag + and Cu + complexes, but also dissolved Se and enhanced the reactivity of Se. It played an important role in controlling the nucleation and growth of AgCuSe nanorods.     

Multiple Phases of Molybdenum Carbide as Electrocatalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Molybdenum carbide has been proposed as a possible alternative to platinum for catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Previous studies were limited to only one phase, β‐Mo₂C with an Fe₂N structure. Here, four phases of Mo‐C were synthesized and investigated for their electrocatalytic activity and stability for HER in acidic solution. All four phases were synthesized from a unique amine–metal oxide composite material including γ‐MoC with a WC type structure which was stabilized for the first time as a phase pure nanomaterial. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and valence band studies were also used for the first time on γ‐MoC. γ‐MoC exhibits the second highest HER activity among all four phases of molybdenum carbide, and is exceedingly stable in acidic solution.     

Synthesis, structure and properties of Li2Rh3B2

Li₂Rh₃B₂ has been synthesized at 1000 °C from a stoichiometric mix of rhodium and boron and an excess of lithium. Li₂Rh₃B₂ crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbam (no. 55, Z=2) with room temperature lattice constants a=5.7712(1) Å, b=9.4377(2) Å, c=2.8301(1) Å and cell volume 154.149(6) Å³. The structure was solved from single crystal X-ray diffraction yielding the final R indices (all data) R1=2.8% and wR2=4.7%. The structure is a distortion of the CeCo₃B₂ structure type, containing a network of Rh₆B trigonal prisms and short Li-Li contacts of 2.28(2) Å. Li₂Rh₃B₂ is a diamagnetic metal with a room temperature resistivity of 19 μΩ cm, as determined by magnetic susceptibility and single crystal transport measurements. The measured diamagnetism and electronic structure calculations show that Li₂Rh₃B₂ contains rhodium in a d¹⁰ configuration.     

非离子表面活性剂增敏三元离子缔合物光度法测定微量银

研究并建立了非离子表面活性剂聚乙二醇辛基苯基醚(Tx-100)胶束增敏离子缔合物分光光度法测定微量银的分析方法。实验结果表明,在表面活性剂存在下,方法的灵敏度比未增敏体系提高了近5倍,络合物稳定性也大大增加。方法的最佳酸度是pH=4.0,银浓度在0～0.4mg·mL-1符合比耳定律。以EDTA为掩蔽剂,只有Br-、I-、CN-、S2-有干扰。方法用于人工合成样品和显影废液中微量银的分析,准确度和精密度令人满意。     

Silver(I) Double and Multiple Salts Containing the 1,3‐Butadiynediide Dianion: Coordination Diversity and Assembly with the Supramolecular Synthon Ag4⊂CC?CC⊃Ag4

A series of 13 silver(I) double and multiple salts containing 1,3‐butadiynediide, C₄^2?, were synthesized by dissolving the silver carbide Ag₂C₄ in a concentrated aqueous solution of one or more of the silver salts AgNO₃, AgCF₃CO₂, AgC₂F₅CO₂, AgF, AgBF₄, and AgPF₆. The 1,3‐butadiynediide anion invariably adopts a μ₄,μ₄ coordination mode in these compounds, which indicates that the Ag₄?C?C? C?C?Ag₄ moiety can be used as a new type of metalloligand supramolecular synthon for the construction of coordination networks. Fine‐tuning with various ancillary anionic ligands caused the Ag₄ aggregate at each ethynide terminus to adopt a butterfly‐shaped, planar, or barblike configuration, within which the silver–ethynide interactions can be classified into three types: σ, π, and mixed (σ,π). The effect of coexisting nitrile ligands and quaternary ammonium salts on supramolecular assembly with the above synthon was also explored. The hydrolysis of PF₆^? and BF₄^? led to the formation of the quadruple salt Ag₂C₄?4 AgNO₃?AgPF₂O₂?Ag₃PO₄ and a novel (F)₂(H₂O)₁₈ hydrogen‐bonded tape in the triple salt Ag₂C₄?2 AgF? 10 AgC₂F₅CO₂?CH₃CN?12 H₂O, respectively. The largest silver–ethynide cluster aggregate described to date, (C₄)₃@Ag₁₈, occurs in 3 Ag₂C₄? 12 AgC₂F₅CO₂?5[(BnMe₃N)C₂F₅CO₂]? 4 H₂O (Bn=benzyl).     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a Novel Ternary Borate,NaSrB5O9

A novel ternary borate, sodium strontium pentaborate, NaSrB5O9, has been prepared by solid-state reaction below 800 ℃. The single-crystal X-ray structural analysis showed that NaSrB5O9 crystallizes in monoclinic, space group P21/c with a = 6.499(2), b = 13.979(3), c = 8.045(2) , β = 106.92(2)°, V = 699.2(3) 3, Z = 4, Mr = 308.66, Dc = 2.932 g/cm3, μ = 7.804 mm-1, F(000) = 584, R = 0.0264 and wR = 0.0621 for 2426 observed reflections and 146 variables. NaSrB5O9 is a layered compound containing double ring B5O11 building units composed of two BO4 tetrahedra and three BO3 triangles. Each B5O11 unit is connected to four other equivalent units through exocyclic oxygen atoms to form a two-dimensional ∞2 [B5O9]3- layer. Symmetry-center related layers are stacked along the b axis and held together by Na+ and Sr2+ cations via electrostatic interactions.     

Structure and high-temperature thermoelectric properties of SrAl2Si2

Single crystals of SrAl₂Si₂ were synthesized by reaction of the elements in an aluminum flux at 1000 °C. SrAl₂Si₂ is isostructural to CaAl₂Si₂ and crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P-3m1 (90 K, a=4.1834 (2), c=7.4104 (2) Å, Z=1, R1=0.0156, wR2=0.0308). Thermal analysis shows that the compound melts at ∼1020 °C. Low-temperature resistivity on single crystals along the c-axis shows metallic behavior with room temperature resistivity value of ∼7.5 mΩ cm. High-temperature Seebeck, resistivity, and thermal conductivity measurements were made on hot-pressed pellets. The Seebeck coefficient shows negative values in entire temperature range decreasing from ∼−78 μV K⁻¹ at room temperature to −34 μV K⁻¹ at 1173 K. Seebeck coefficients are negative indicating n-type behavior; however, the temperature dependence is consistent with contribution from minority p-type carriers as well. The lattice contribution to the thermal conductivity is higher than for clathrate structures containing Al and Si, approximately 50 mW cm⁻¹ K, and contributes to the overall low zT for this compound.     

Comparative effect of cyclodextrin nanocavities versus organic solvents on the fluorescence of carbamate and indole compounds

The effect of the addition of different amounts of organic solvents (S) on the fluorescence of aromatic compounds (C) and their inclusion complexes with β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) has been examined using steady-state measurements. Carbamate pesticides with different aromatic moiety, such as carbofuran (CF), promecarb (PC), carbaryl (CY) and bendiocarb (BC) were used, as well as indole derivatives with different polarity in their lateral chains, such as melatonin (M, neutral), 5-methoxytryptamine (MT, cation) and auxin (IA, anion). Their complexes in water show a fluorescence signal higher than that obtained for the free substrates in solvent:water mixtures (30%, v/v n-propanol or acetonitrile, and 50%, v/v methanol). The isofluorescent point (IF), the %IF and the F_85% are defined in order to evaluate the use of CD nanocavities as a non-polluting alternative for the analysis of the compounds analyzed.Apparent formation constants (K_AP, M⁻¹) for the complexes of C:HPCD at different solvent percentages were determined for CF and PC with methanol (MeOH), n-propanol (ProOH) and acetonitrile (ACN), and for indole compounds with ACN. A decrease in the K_AP values for the CF:HPCD (120–30) and PC:HPCD (2000–400) complexes occurs in accordance with the solvent affinities for CDs (MeOH < ACN < ProOH). Nevertheless, in the indolic series, the polar characteristics of MT, IA and M determine their behaviour in the presence of ACN. For the neutral substrate M, K_AP decreases with the increasing percentage of ACN (100–10). In contrast, for IA and MT (ionic substrates) K_AP increases (10–100).These results may be accounted for by two different mechanisms: the competition between C and S for the cavity of the receptor or the formation of ternary complexes C:S:CD with additional stabilization.     

On the system cerium-platinum-silicon

Phase relations in the ternary system Ce-Pt-Si have been established for the isothermal section at 800 °C based on X-ray powder diffraction, metallography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) techniques on about 120 alloys, which were prepared by various methods employing arc-melting under argon or powder reaction sintering. Nineteen ternary compounds were observed. Atom order in the crystal structures of τ₁₈-Ce₅(Pt,Si)₄ (Pnma; a=0.77223(3) nm, b=1.53279(8) nm c=0.80054(5) nm), τ₃-Ce₂Pt₇Si₄ (Pnma; a=1.96335(8) nm, b=0.40361(4) nm, c=1.12240(6) nm) and τ₁₀-CePtSi₂ (Cmcm; a=0.42943(2) nm, b=1.67357(5) nm, c=0.42372(2) nm) was determined by direct methods from X-ray single-crystal CCD data and found to be isotypic with the Sm₅Ge₄-type, the Ce₂Pt₇Ge₄-type and the CeNiSi₂-type, respectively. Rietveld refinements established the atom arrangement in the structures of Pt₃Si (Pt₃Ge-type, C2/m, a=0.7724(2) nm, b=0.7767(2) nm, c=0.5390(2) nm, β=133.86(2)°), τ₁₆-Ce₃Pt₅Si (Ce₃Pd₅Si-type, Imma, a=0.74025(8) nm, b=1.2951(2) nm, c=0.7508(1) nm) and τ₁₇-Ce₃PtSi₃ (Ba₃Al₂Ge₂-type, Immm, a=0.41065(5) nm, b=0.43221(5) nm, c=1.8375(3) nm). Phase equilibria in Ce-Pt-Si are characterised by the absence of cerium solubility in platinum silicides. Cerium silicides and cerium platinides, however, dissolve significant amounts of the third component, whereby random substitution of the almost equally sized atom species platinum and silicon is reflected in extended homogeneous regions at constant Ce content such as for τ₁₃-Ce(Pt_xSi_1−x)₂, τ₆-Ce₂Pt_3+xSi_5−x or τ₇-CePt_2−xSi_2+x.