Polymer Lamellae as Reaction Intermediates in the Formation of Copper Nanospheres as Evidenced by In Situ X‐ray Studies

The classical nucleation theory (CNT) is the most common theoretical framework used to explain particle formation. However, nucleation is a complex process with reaction pathways which are often not covered by the CNT. Herein, we study the formation mechanism of copper nanospheres using in situ X‐ray absorption and scattering measurements. We reveal that their nucleation involves coordination polymer lamellae as pre‐nucleation structures occupying a local minimum in the reaction energy landscape. Having learned this, we achieved a superior monodispersity for Cu nanospheres of different sizes. This report exemplifies the importance of developing a more realistic picture of the mechanism involved in the formation of inorganic nanoparticles to develop a rational approach to their synthesis.     

Synthesis of a Ferrolite: A Zeolitic All‐Iron Framework

Crystals of the first sodalite‐type zeolite containing an all‐iron framework, a ferrolite, Ba₈(Fe₁₂O₂₄)Na_y(OH)₆?x H₂O, were synthesized using the hydroflux method in nearly quantitative yield. Ba₈(Fe₁₂O₂₄)Na_y(OH)₆?x H₂O crystallizes in the cubic space group with a=10.0476(1) Å. Slightly distorted FeO₄ tetrahedra are linked to form Fe₄O₄ and Fe₆O₆ rings, which in turn yield channels and internal cavities that are characteristic of the sodalite structure. Barium, sodium, and hydroxide ions and water molecules are found in the channels and provide charge balance. Magnetic measurements indicate that the ferrolite exhibits magnetic order up to at least 700 K, with the field‐cooled and zero‐field‐cooled curves diverging. Analysis of the ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra revealed two spectral components that have equal spectral areas, indicating the presence of two subsets of iron centers in the structure. Dehydrated versions of the ferrolite were also prepared by heating the sample.     

飞秒激光光刻波导偏振器

飞秒激光诱导折射率变化提供了一种灵活的三维光子器件制作手段.飞秒激光光刻的II类波导具有偏振导光特性,可以作为波导偏振器,但是对于要保留的偏振分量损耗太大.本文阐述了一种利用飞秒激光在熔融石英中制作的新型低损耗波导偏振器.它由中间的一根I类波导及两侧的两根II类纳米光栅轨迹构成.基于飞秒激光诱导的纳米光栅的偏振依赖散射特性,II类纳米光栅轨迹能够对I类波导的倏逝场进行调制.偏振方向垂直于纳米光栅的模式相对于偏振方向平行于纳米光栅的模式有更大的散射损耗,因此导通的是偏振方向平行于纳米光栅的模式.研究了消光比随I类波导与II类纳米光栅轨迹之间的间距的变化关系,选择一个最佳间距来进一步研究消光比随II类纳米光栅轨迹长度的变化关系.在间距6 μm,II类纳米光栅轨迹扫描长度6 mm处实现了最大15.91 dB的消光比.通过增加II类轨迹的长度或者数量,很容易得到更高的消光比.     

Measurement of the sputter yield after mild ion erosion of a pristine Cu(001) surface

Using the STM technique we have determined the sputter yield on a pristine Cu(001) surface after mild (fluence less than 0.044 ions per surface atom) bombardment of the pristine surface with 800 eV Ar⁺ions at normal incidence. The experiments have been performed at substrate temperatures ranging from 200 to 350 K. Making use of the positional correlation of adatoms and surface vacancies, at 200 K and 325 K, we concluded that about 1/3 of the surface adatoms originate from interstitials arriving at the surface and they give a direct indication of the buried bulk vacancies. A careful analysis of the different areas for surface vacancies and adatom then allowed a quantitative evaluation of the sputter yield at 1.2 Cu atoms per 800 eV Ar⁺ ion.     

A sulfido-bridged diiron(II) compound and its reactions with nitrogenase-relevant substrates

The active site iron-molybdenum cofactor of nitrogenase has sulfide-bridged pairs of redox-active, trigonal pyramidal iron atoms that are postulated to be the site of N2 transformation. A synthetic compound is described in which two three-coordinate iron(II) ions are bridged similarly by sulfide. The compound binds nitrogen donors to become trigonal pyramidal and cleaves the N-N bond of phenylhydrazine with oxidation of iron(II) to iron(III).     

Initial members of the family of molecular mid-valent high-nuclearity iron nitrides: [Fe4N2X10]4- and [Fe10N8X12]5- (X = Cl-, Br-)

Current theoretical and experimental evidence points toward X = N as the identity of the interstitial atom in the [MoFe7S9X] core of the iron-molybdenum cofactor cluster of nitrogenase. This atom functions with mu6 bridging multiplicity to six iron atoms and, if it is nitrogen as nitride, raises a question as to the existence of a family of molecular iron nitrides of higher nuclearity than known dinuclear Fe(III,IV) species with linear [Fe-N-Fe]5+,4+ bridges. This matter has been initially examined by variation of reactant stoichiometry in the self-assembly systems [FeX4]1-/(Me3Sn)3N (X = Cl-, Br-) in acetonitrile. A 2:1 mol ratio affords [Fe4N2Cl10]4- (1), isolated as the Et4N+ salt (72%). This cluster has idealized C2h symmetry with a planar antiferromagnetically coupled [Fe(III)4(mu3-N)2]6+ core containing an Fe2N2 rhombus to which are attached two FeCl3 units. DFT calculations have been performed to determine the dominant magnetic exchange pathway. An 11:8 mol ratio leads to [Fe10N8Cl12]5- (3) as the Et4N+ salt (37%). The cluster possesses idealized D2h symmetry and is built of 15 edge- and vertex-shared rhomboids involving two mu3-N and six mu4-N bridging atoms, and incorporates two of the core units of 1. Four FeN2Cl2 and four FeN3Cl sites are tetrahedral and two FeN5 sites are trigonal pyramidal. The cluster is mixed-valence (9Fe(III) + Fe(IV)); a discrete Fe(IV) site was not detected by crystallography or M?ssbauer spectroscopy. The corresponding clusters [Fe4N2Br10]4- and [Fe10N8Br12]5- are isostructural with 1 and 3, respectively. Future research is directed toward defining the scope of the family of molecular iron nitrides.