Search for a precursor crystal-to-crystal phase transition to amorphization in α-GeO2 and α-AlPO4 under pressure

Recent X-ray diffraction studies on α-quartz (SiO₂) by Kingmaet al [1], have shown the occurrence of a reversible, crystalline-to-crystalline, phase transition just prior to amorphization at ≈ 21 GPa. This precursor transition has also been confirmed by our recent molecular dynamics simulation study [2]. In order to investigate the possibility of a similar behaviour in other isostructural compounds, which also undergo pressure induced amorphization, α-GeO₂ and α-AlPO₄ (berlinite form) were studied using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction. In either of these materials, no such phase transition is detected prior to amorphization. The onset of amorphization and its reversal is found to be time dependent in GeO₂.     

New method for calculating the adsorption of noble gases on amorphous surfaces

A new approach to calculating the equilibrium characteristics of the adsorption of noble gases on the amorphous surfaces of adsorbents was developed and applied to the Ar−TiO₂(rutile) system. Intermolecular adsorbate-adsorbate interactions are taken into account for the nearest neighbors in the quasi-chemical approximation. The lattice energy parameters of all interactions of the model are determined from the Lennard-Jones potential (12-6). The formation of amorphous TiO₂(rutile) surface includes completion of the surface layers and partial removal of the surface oxygen ions. The quality of the amorphization procedure was confirmed by the experimentally measured heats and isotherms of adsorption of the system under study. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1109–1118, June, 1997.     

Differential scanning calorimetry as an analytical tool in the study of drug-cyclodextrin interactions

The interactions of trimethoprim, sulphadiazine and sulphamethoxazole with natural (a- b-, g- ) and amorphous (RAMEB) or crystalline (DIMEB) methylated b-cyclodextrins were investigated both in aqueous solution (using phase-solubility analysis) and in the solid state (using DSC supported by X-ray analysis). In particular, DSC studies enabled determination of the relative degree of crystallinity of each drug in its physical and ground mixtures with the different cyclodextrins on the basis of the variation of its heat of fusion in comparison with that of the pure drug. In all cases, the host cavity size was a prevalent factor for the inclusion complexation in liquid state. On the contrary, it had a negligible effect on solid-state interactions in terms of drug amorphization. DIMEB and RAMEB exhibited similar performances in aqueous solution, showing that the presence of methyl-groups improved the complexing and solubilizing properties of b-cyclodextrin. However, DSC studies revealed that RAMEB was clearly more active in performing solid-state interactions, i.e. drug amorphization, and as stabilizing agent for the amorphous state brought forth. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Thermal behaviour of mechanically amorphized colemanite

The effect of mechanical treatment on the thermal decomposition of calcium borate, colemanite — Ca₂B₆O₈(OH)₆·2H₂O was studied by means of XRD, FTIR, SEM and thermal analysis methods. Grinding of colemanite causes the solid-state amorphization of this mineral, as a result of the destruction of its structure along the cleavage plane. The decrease in the particle size of the original material and the increase in its internal structural disorder affect the temperatures and the magnitudes of the thermal effects accompanying the processes of dehydration and dehydroxylation. The diminishing values of the enthalpies of these processes may be a quantitative measure of the degree of amorphization of colemanite.Dedicated to Dr. Robert Mackenzie on the occasion of his 75th birthdayThe author is grateful to Professor L. Stoch for helpful discussions.Support for this work was provided by the Polish Committee for Scientific Research (KBN) — Grant No. 3 P407 034 06.     

Possibilities of nitric acid preparation of powder cellulose forms

For preparation of various modified forms of microcrystalline cellulose, an optional combination is proposed of hydrolytic activity with other properties of nitric acid such as, adduct forming ability (manifested as Knecht compound formation), oxidizing, bleaching and nitrating. The manifestation of a chosen acid function is reached by variation of the reaction conditions: concentration, temperature, time, etc. The sole-reagent continuous procedure involving several operations made in a predetermined sequence allows the use of a more simple technological scheme and saves energy, time and materials. The features of transformation of fibrous and microcrystalline forms of native cellulose into cellulose-II through the Knecht compound are discussed. Purely acidic transformation schemes of native cellulose into microcrystalline cellulose hydrate and amorphous low-nitrate powder cellulose according to the above scheme are considered. Morphological features as well as distinguishing properties — enhanced hydrophilicity, sorption activity and degree of whiteness — of the prepared materials are pointed out. The possibility of obtaining uniformly oxidized forms of powder cellulose according to this scheme and the outlook for the use of nitrogen(IV) oxide as a multifunctional reagent are discussed.     

Amorphous polymerization of nitrogen in compressed cupric azide

Metal azides have attracted increasing attention as precursors for synthesizing polymeric nitrogen. In this article, we report the amorphous polymerization of nitrogen by compressing cupric azide. The ab initio molecular dynamics simulations show that crystalline cupric azide transforms into a disordered network composed of singly bonded nitrogen at a hydrostatic pressure of 40 GPa and room temperature. The transformation manifests the formation of a π delocalization along the disordered Cu-N network, thus resulting in a semiconductor–metal transition. The estimated heat of formation of the amorphous polymeric nitrogen system is comparable to conventional high-energy-density materials. The amorphization provides an alternative route to the polymerization of nitrogen under moderate conditions.     

Interface Amorphization of Two-Dimensional Black Phosphorus upon Treatment with Diazonium Salts

Two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus (BP) represents one of the most appealing 2D materials due to its electronic, optical, and chemical properties. Many strategies have been pursued to face its environmental instability, covalent functionalization being one of the most promising. However, the extremely low functionalization degrees and the limitations in proving the nature of the covalent functionalization still represent challenges in many of these sheet architectures reported to date. Here we shine light on the structural evolution of 2D-BP upon the addition of electrophilic diazonium salts. We demonstrated the absence of covalent functionalization in both the neutral and the reductive routes, observing in the latter case an unexpected interface conversion of BP to red phosphorus (RP), as characterized by Raman, ³¹P-MAS NMR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies (XPS). Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis coupled to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (TG-GC-MS), as well as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) gave insights into the potential underlying radical mechanism, suggesting a Sandmeyer-like reaction.     

Amorphous Metal–Organic Framework‐Dominated Nanocomposites with Both Compositional and Structural Heterogeneity for Oxygen Evolution

Amorphous metal–organic frameworks (aMOFs) are an emerging family of attractive materials with great application potential, however aMOFs are usually prepared under harsh conditions and aMOFs with complex compositions and structures are rarely reported. In this work, an aMOF‐dominated nanocomposite (aMOF‐NC) with both structural and compositional complexity has been synthesized using a facile approach. A ligand‐competition amorphization mechanism is proposed based on experimental and density functional theory calculation results. The aMOF‐NC possesses a core–shell nanorod@nanosheet architecture, including a Fe‐rich Fe‐Co‐aMOF core and a Co‐rich Fe‐Co‐aMOF shell in the core–shell structured nanorod, and amorphous Co(OH)₂ nanosheets as the outer layer. Benefiting from the structural and compositional heterogeneity, the aMOF‐NC demonstrates an excellent oxygen evolution reaction activity with a low overpotential of 249 mV at 10.0 mA cm^?2 and Tafel slope of 39.5 mV dec^?1.     

压力诱导相变原位构建BiVO4/Bi0.6Y0.4VO4型异质结增强光催化全解水性能

光催化完全分解水制氢是一个在粉末颗粒中实现多个串行物理化学步骤的复杂反应过程.这一过程在理论上具有体系简单、成本低、易操作等特点.然而,单步光激发系统中通常存在严重的光生载流子复合,这极大地制约了光催化的整体效率.利用能带结构不同的半导体合理构建异质结催化剂被认为是解决这一难题的重要途径之一.特别是近年来,S型异质结概念的提出为设计异质结结构以及分析不同半导体之间的载流子迁移问题提供了新的思路.本文以小粒径BiVO₄/Bi_0.6Y_0.4VO₄(BYV)为研究对象,首先利用"共沉淀-晶化"的方法制备了BYV固溶体纳米颗粒,随后利用压力诱导固溶体中四方相钒酸铋结构转变为单斜相,从而构建了BiVO₄/Bi_0.6Y_0.4VO₄复合光催化剂.XRD,Raman,HRTEM,HAADF-EDS的结果表明,经过高压后处理的BYV固溶体表面会出现粒径约为5 nm单斜钒酸铋纳米颗粒,实现了原位构建异质结结构.随后载流子动力学的相关表征以及Au选择性光沉积的结果表明,在光照条件下,所构建异质结中的光生电子主要分布在BYV固溶体上,而在表面形成的单斜相钒酸铋颗粒主要起到了类似"空穴"捕获的作用.这种在异质结中的载流子迁移路径符合S型异质结机理.电化学、稳态荧光光谱以及瞬态荧光光谱的表征结果表明,相比于单一固溶体,在S型异质结这种两步激发系统中所存在的载流子迁移路径能够大幅促进光生载流子分离,从而提高了小粒径BYV的光催化完全分解水性能.综上,构建S型异质结是一种解决小粒径光催化剂中载流子分离能力差的有效途径.同时,压力诱导材料晶型转变实现原位构建异质结的制备方法也为提高光生载流子分离效率提供了新的研究思路与机遇.     

可调谐激光晶体GSGG∶Cr3+在低温下光谱压致移位的理论研究

采用单组态坐标模型,应用由对角化d3能量矩阵而获得的波函数,同时考虑了自旋-轨道相互作用和电-声子耦合,并定量计入了4T2与2T1各电子态对R线的影响以及局域压缩率和整体压缩率之间的差异,从微观的角度,研究了GSGG∶Cr3+低温下光谱结构的特点以及压力导致的R1线和4T2宽带的移位.理论计算的结果与实验符合较好,R线的常压位置及其分裂、R1线的压致移位及其"反转"现象和4T2宽带的压致移位都得到了合理的解释.