Li4Ge2B as a new derivative of the Mo2B5 and Li5Sn2 structure types

Binary and multicomponent intermetallic compounds based on lithium and p‐elements of Groups III–V of the Periodic Table are useful as modern electrode materials in lithium‐ion batteries. However, the interactions between the components in the Li–Ge–B ternary system have not been reported. The structure of tetralithium digermanium boride, Li₄Ge₂B, exhibits a new structure type, in the noncentrosymmetric space group R3m, in which all the Li, Ge and B atoms occupy sites with 3m symmetry. The title structure is closely related to the Mo₂B₅ and Li₅Sn₂ structure types, which crystallize in the centrosymmetric space group Rm. All the atoms in the title structure are coordinated by rhombic dodecahedra (coordination number = 14), similar to the atoms in related structures. According to electronic structure calculations using the tight‐binding–linear muffin‐tin orbital–atomic spheres approximation (TB–LMTO–ASA) method, strong covalent Ge—Ge and Ge—B interactions were established.     

Annealing of thin B/Nb<Subscript>2</Subscript>N bilayers,B/Nb bilayers and Nb/B/Nb trilayers via rapid thermal processing (RTP)

B/Nb and B/Nb₂N bilayers and Nb/B/Nb trilayers of about 550 nm total thickness have been deposited on Si(100) wafers with 100 nm thermally grown oxide. Nb and B layers were deposited by magnetron sputtering. Nb₂N layers were prepared by nitridation of Nb films via rapid thermal processing (RTP). The samples were annealed subsequently at temperatures between 600 and 1,200 °C in an RTP system under Ar or NH₃ gas flow to study interdiffusion and reactivity of niobium, boron and nitrogen. Formation of phases was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD); surface morphology and roughness were studied via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Elemental depth profiles of selected samples were recorded by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Annealing of the B/Nb bilayers and Nb/B/Nb trilayers under Ar leads to the formation of Nb₃B₂ at 1,200 °C at the B/Nb interface. At lower temperatures the high oxygen content in the boron layer is supposed to hinder the formation of borides due to formation of glass-like boron oxides. In NH₃ several niobium nitrides are formed but no boride phases. Here again the reactivity of boron with niobium is suppressed by the high oxygen content and boron oxide formation. During annealing of the B/Nb₂N bilayers no borides were formed indicating that well-formed Nb₂N is an effective diffusion barrier for B.     

New examples of ternary rare-earth metal boride carbides containing finite boron-carbon chains: The crystal and electronic structure of RE15B6C20 (RE=Pr, Nd)

The ternary rare-earth metal boride carbides RE₁₅B₆C₂₀ (RE=Pr, Nd) were synthesized by co-melting the elements. They exist above 1270 K. Their crystal structures were determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Both crystallize in the space group P1¯, Z=1, a=8.3431(8) Å, b=9.2492(9) Å, c=8.3581(8) Å, α=84.72(1)°, β=89.68(1)°, γ =84.23(1)° (R1=0.041 (wR2=0.10) for 3291 reflections with I_o>2σ(I_o)) for Pr₁₅B₆C₂₀, and a=8.284(1) Å, b=9.228(1) Å, c=8.309(1) Å, α=84.74(1)°, β=89.68(1)°, γ=84.17(2)° (R1=0.033 (wR2=0.049) for 2970 reflections with I_o>2σ(I_o)) for Nd₁₅B₆C₂₀. Their structure consists of a three-dimensional framework of rare-earth metal atoms resulting from the stacking of slightly corrugated and distorted square nets, leading to cavities filled with unprecedented B₂C₄ finite chains, disordered C₃ entities and isolated carbon atoms, respectively. Structural and theoretical analyses suggest the ionic formulation (RE³⁺)₁₅([B₂C₄]⁶⁻)₃([C₃]⁴⁻)₂(C⁴⁻)₂·11ē. Accordingly, density functional theory calculations indicate that the compounds are metallic. Both structural arguments as well as energy calculations on different boron vs. carbon distributions in the B₂C₄ chains support the presence of a CBCCBC unit. Pr₁₅B₆C₁₈ exhibits antiferromagnetic order at T_N=7.9 K, followed by a meta-magnetic transition above a critical external field B>0.03 T. On the other hand, Nd₁₅B₆C₁₈ is a ferromagnet below T_C≈40 K.     

Nickel boride mediated chemoselective deprotection of 1,1-diacetates to aldehydes and deprotection with concomitant reduction to alcohols at ambient temperature

A variety of 1,1-diacetates have been chemoselectively and efficiently deprotected to the corresponding aldehydes as well as deprotected and concomitantly reduced to the corresponding alcohols in high yields at ambient temperature with nickel boride generated in situ using different molar ratios of sodium borohydride and nickel (II) chloride in methanol at room temperature. Deprotection and reduction of a variety of aromatic, aliphatic and heterocyclic acylals have been achieved efficiently. Mild reaction conditions, easy work-up, high yields and chemoselectivity demonstrate the efficiency of this new method.     

Ab initio study on the electronic and mechanical properties of ReB and ReC

The structural, electronic, and mechanical properties of ReB and ReC have been studied by use of the density functional theory. For each compound, six structures are considered, i.e., hexagonal WC, NiAs, wurtzite, cubic NaCl, CsCl, and zinc-blende type structures. The results indicate that for ReB and ReC, WC type structure is energetically the most stable among the considered structures, followed by NiAs type structure. ReB-WC (i.e., ReB in WC type structure) and ReB-NiAs are both thermodynamically and mechanically stable. ReC-WC and ReC-NiAs are mechanically stable and becomes thermodynamically stable above 35 and 55 GPa, respectively. The estimated hardness from shear modulus is 34 GPa for ReB-WC, 28 GPa for ReB-NiAs, 35 GPa for ReC-WC and 37 GPa for ReC-NiAs, indicating that they are potential candidates to be ultra-incompressible and hard materials.     

New ternary rare-earth metal boride carbides R15B4C14 (R=Y, Gd-Lu) containing BC2 units: Crystal and electronic structures, magnetic properties

The ternary rare-earth boride carbides R₁₅B₄C₁₄ (R=Y, Gd-Lu) were prepared from the elements by arc-melting followed by annealing in silica tubes at 1270 K for 1 month. The crystal structures of Tb₁₅B₄C₁₄ and Er₁₅B₄C₁₄ were determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. They crystallize in a new structure type in space group P4/mnc (Tb₁₅B₄C₁₄: a=8.1251(5) Å, c=15.861(1) Å, Z=2, R₁=0.041 (wR₂=0.088) for 1023 reflections with I_o>2σ(I_o); Er₁₅B₄C₁₄: a=7.932(1) Å, c=15.685(2) Å, Z=2, R₁=0.037 (wR₂=0.094) for 1022 reflections with I_o>2σ(I_o)). The crystal structure contains discrete carbon atoms and bent CBC units in octahedra and distorted bicapped square antiprisms, respectively. In both structures the same type of disorder exists. One R atom position needs to be refined as split atom position with a ratio 9:1 indicative of a 10% substitution of the neighboring C⁴⁻ by C₂⁴⁻. The actual composition has then to be described as R₁₅B₄C_14.2. The isoelectronic substitution does not change the electron partition of R₁₅B₄C₁₄ which can be written as (R³⁺)₁₅(C⁴⁻)₆(CBC⁵⁻)₄•e⁻. The electronic structure was studied with the extended Hückel method. The investigated compounds Tb₁₅B₄C₁₄, Dy₁₅B₄C₁₄ and Er₁₅B₄C₁₄ are hard ferromagnets with Curie temperatures T_C=145, 120 and 50 K, respectively. The coercive field B_C=3.15 T for Dy₁₅B₄C₁₄ is quite remarkable.     

CaB3—A new calcium boride stabilized by thin film epitaxy

Codeposition of Ca and B on various single crystal substrates was carried out by MBE technique. A new calcium boride CaB₃ was epitaxially grown on Al₂O₃(0001) with substrate temperature . Structural characterization by RHEED and X-ray diffraction indicated that CaB₃ has a hexagonal cell with lattice parameters and . No evidence for superconductivity was found down to 2 K.     

类MgB2硼化物晶体电子结构比较研究

应用准确的第一原理方法 ,对 8种类MgB2 超导体结构的二硼化物进行了电子结构比较研究 ,发现其中的超导体具有特殊的能带属性 .对其在高压下态密度的变化情况做了对照 .