A reinvestigation of quaternary layered bismuth oxyhalides of the Sillén X1 type

A family of layered bismuth oxyhalides, L^I_0.5Bi_1.5O₂X and L^IIBiO₂X has been reinvestigated. Formation of X1-type Sillén compounds has been established for L^I=Li, Na, L^II=Ca, Sr, Ba, and X=Cl, Br, I, but the details of their crystal structures are different. While all L^I_0.5Bi_1.5O₂X, CaBiO₂Br, and CaBiO₂I adopt the disordered tetragonal Nd₂O₂Te structure, all compounds of L^II=Sr and Ba are orthorhombic and isostructural to PbSbO₂Cl, due to L/Bi cation ordering. Crystal structures have been determined for CaBiO₂I, SrBiO₂Br, SrBiO₂I, and BaBiO₂I. We discuss the factors which determine the occurrence and type of cation ordering in the quaternary bismuth and antimony X1-type oxyhalides. We also predict that more isostructural compounds can be prepared with antimony.     

Analysis of grid file algorithms

Grid file algorithms were suggested in [12] to provide multi-key access to records in a dynamically growing file. We specify here two algorithms and derive the average sizes of the corresponding directories. We provide an asymptotic analysis. The growth of the indexes appears to be non-linear for uniform distributions:O(v ^c ) orO(v ), wherec=1+b^–1, =1+(s-1)/(sb+1),s is the number of attributes being used,v the file size, andb the page capacity of the system. Finally we give corresponding results for biased distributions and compare transient phases.     

Magnetische Wechselwirkungen in Inselstrukturen ternärer Cobaltchalkogenide. Die Spinstrukturen von Na6CoS4 und Na6CoSe4

Magnetic Interactions in Ternary Cobalt Chalcogenides containing Isolated Tetrahedral Cobalt Anionic Groups. The Spin Structures of Na₆CoS₄ and Na₆CoSe₄ The sodium cobalt chalcogenides Na₆CoS₄ and Na₆CoSe₄ are characterized by isolated [CoX₄]-units. Despite the large distances of more than 6 Å between the cobalt ions magnetic inter-actions at low temperatures lead to threedimensionally ordered spin structures, that were determined from neutron diffraction experiments. The magnetic structure can be described in the Shubnicov group P_2abc2₁ with a unit cell that is four times as large as the crystallographic cell. The magnetic moments of both compounds correspond to the value expected for three unpaired electrons per Co²⁺ ion.     

Consequences of the ‘Pedersen papers’ on crown type chemistry at Würzburg and Bonn Universities: From heteroaromatic crowns and podands to large molecular and crystalline cavities including multisite receptors,cascade molecules,chromoionophores, siderophores,surfactant-type,and extreme ligands

We thank the editors of this issue for the opportunity to present the historic development of crown chemistry at the Universities of Wurzburg and Bonn in memory of C. J. Pedersen, the originator of the crown ethers. His legacy of science has tremendously stimulated research at both universities.This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Dr C. J. Pedersen.     

Two noncentrosymmetric complexes: [W(CO)4(bipy)] and [W(CO)4(phen)](bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) obtained through solvothermal synthesis and their optical properties

Solvothermal treatments of W(CO)₆ with 2,2′-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline give [W(CO)₄(bipy)] (1) and [W(CO)₄(phen)] (2), respectively, which both crystallize in noncentrosymmetric space groups, suggesting that they meet the requirement of second harmonic generation (SHG) investigations. The preliminary experiment indicates that they are SHG active, and approximately estimated to be that of urea.     

Selective formation of AAB- and ABC-type heterotrimeric alpha-helical coiled coils

The alpha-helical coiled coils have a representative amino acid sequence of (abcdefg)(n) heptad repeats. We previously reported that two peptides named IZ-2A and IZ-2W formed an (IZ-2A)(2)/IZ-2W heterotrimer with an Ala-Ala-Trp interaction in the hydrophobic core. In this paper, we describe the selective formation of AAB- and ABC-type heterotrimers. To increase the selectivity of the AAB-type heterotrimeric formation, Lys residues at the f position were mutated to either an Ala or a Gln residue to form IZ-2A(fA) or IZ-2W(fQ). Separately, both IZ-2A(fA) and IZ-2W(fQ) have a random structure at pH 7 and 20 degrees C. However, together IZ-2A(fA) and IZ-2W(fQ) form a 2:1 complex with a thermal transition midpoint (Tm) of 48 degrees C. This procedure was applied to prepare the ABC-type heterotrimer, in which two sets of Ala-Ala-Trp interactions were designed in the hydrophobic core. Interhelical interaction between the e and g positions and the alpha-helical propensity of the amino acid at the f position were also considered in the design. The resultant three peptides selectively formed the ABC-type heterotrimer with a Tm of 51 degrees C. Other peptide combinations had random coil properties.     

Über Oxotantalate der Lanthanide des Formeltyps MTaO4 (M = La – Nd,Sm – Lu)

About Lanthanide Oxotantalates with the Formula MTaO₄ (M = La – Nd, Sm – Lu) Besides being a by‐product of solid state syntheses in tantalum ampoules the lanthanide(III) oxotantalates of the formula MTaO₄ can be easily prepared by sintering lanthanide sesquioxide M₂O₃ and tantalum(V) oxide Ta₂O₅ with sodium chloride as flux. Under these conditions two structure types emerge depending upon the M³⁺ cationic radius. For M = La – Pr the MTaO₄‐type tantalates crystallize in the space group P2₁/c with lattice constants of a = 762(±1), b = 553(±4), c = 777(±4) pm, β = 101(±1)° and four formula units per unit cell. With M = Nd, Sm – Lu, the monoclinic cell dimensions (space group P2/c) shrink to the lattice constants like a = 516(±9), b = 551(±9), c = 534(±9) pm, β = 96.5(±0.3)° and there are only two formula units present. Both structures show a coordination sphere of eight oxygen atoms for the lanthanide trications shaped as distorted square antiprism for the structure with the larger lanthanides (in the following referred to as A‐type) and as trigonal dodecahedron for the structure with the smaller ones (called as B‐type in the following). The coordination environment about the Ta⁵⁺ cations can be described as a slightly distorted octahedron (CN = 6) for the A‐type structure of MTaO₄ and a heavily distorted one (CN = 6) for the B‐type. The difference between the two types results from the interconnection of these [TaO₆]^7? octahedra. Whereas they are connected via four vertices to form corrugated layers according to parallel the bc‐plane in the A‐type, the octahedra of the B‐type MTaO₄ structure share edges to built up zig‐zag chains along the c axis.