Boron Phosphorus Nitride at Extremes: PN6 Octahedra in the High‐Pressure Polymorph β‐BP3N6

The high‐pressure behavior of non‐metal nitrides is of special interest for inorganic and theoretical chemistry as well as materials science, as these compounds feature intriguing elastic properties. The double nitride α‐BP₃N₆ was investigated by in situ single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (XRD) upon cold compression to a maximum pressure of about 42 GPa, and its isothermal bulk modulus at ambient conditions was determined to be 146(6) GPa. At maximum pressure the sample was laser‐heated, which resulted in the formation of an unprecedented high‐pressure polymorph, β‐BP₃N₆. Its structure was elucidated by single‐crystal XRD, and can be described as a decoration of a distorted hexagonal close packing of N with B in tetrahedral and P in octahedral voids. Hence, β‐BP₃N₆ is the first nitride to contain PN₆ octahedra, representing the much sought‐after proof of principle for sixfold N‐coordinated P that has been predicted for numerous high‐pressure phases of nitrides.     

Cyclotris(paraquat‐p‐phenylenes)

Reported here is the synthesis, solid‐state characterization, and redox properties of new triangular, threefold symmetric, viologen‐containing macrocycles. Cyclotris(paraquat‐p‐phenylene) ( CTPQT⁶⁺ ) and cyclotris(paraquat‐p‐1,4‐dimethoxyphenylene) ( MCTPQT⁶⁺ ) were prepared and their X‐ray single‐crystal (super)structures reveal intricate three‐dimensional packing. MCTPQT⁶⁺ results in nanometer‐sized channels, in contrast with its parent counterpart CTPQT⁶⁺ which crystallizes as a couple of polymorphs in the form of intercalated assemblies. In the solid state, MCTPQT^3(.+) exhibits stacks between the 1,4‐dimethoxyphenylene and bipyridinium radical cations, providing new opportunities for the manipulation and control of the recognition motif associated with viologen radical cations. These redox‐active cyclophanes demonstrate that geometry‐matching and weak intermolecular interactions are of paramount importance in dictating the formation of their intricate solid‐state superstructures.     

Mo2B4O9—Connecting Borate and Metal-Cluster Chemistry

We report on the first thoroughly characterized molybdenum borate, which was synthesized in a high-pressure/high-temperature experiment at 12.3 GPa/1300 °C using a Walker-type multianvil apparatus. Mo₂B₄O₉ incorporates tetrahedral molybdenum clusters into an anionic borate crystal structure—a structural motif that has never been observed before in the wide field of borate crystal chemistry. The six bonding molecular orbitals of the [Mo₄] tetrahedron are completely filled with 12 electrons, which are fully delocalized over the four molybdenum atoms. This finding is in agreement with the results of the magnetic measurements, which confirmed the diamagnetic character of Mo₂B₄O₉. The two four-coordinated boron sites can be differentiated in the ¹¹B MAS-NMR spectrum because of the strongly different degrees of local distortions. Experimentally obtained IR and Raman bands were assigned to vibrational modes based on DFT calculations.