Nuclear forward scattering vs. conventional Mössbauer studies of atomically tailored Eu-based materials

With the decrease in size of devices, rapid characterization of nano-devices is an inevitable necessity. It is shown that Mössbauer spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation from the advanced photon source provides such a tool of investigation. Results are presented and compared for conventional Mössbauer and Nuclear Forward Scattering for ¹⁵¹Eu-doped magnesium sulfide as an example, especially at low concentrations.     

稀土添加剂对烃类水蒸汽重整镍催化剂性能的影响——水蒸汽吸附的TPD研究

用程序升温脱附技术,研究了添加稀土的烃类水蒸汽重整催化剂(Ni/α-Al_2O_3)对水蒸汽的吸附性能,同未加稀土的镍催化剂作了对比。结果表明,加有稀土的镍催化剂对水蒸汽的吸附能力主要是稀土的贡献。还原态催化剂对水蒸汽的吸附量比相应的氧化态多1.4倍。发现催化剂对水蒸汽的吸附能力不仅取决于浸渍方式,而且同稀土含量有关。当稀土含量较多时,催化剂表面上呈现出三个能量不同的吸附位。稀土含量少于1.3%时。对提高催化剂吸附水蒸汽的能力已作用不大。含稀土的镍催化剂吸附水蒸汽的能力大,正是其抗结炭性能耐硫性能好的原因。     

Antiferromagnetic Ordering in TmCu2

Intermetallic compound TmCu₂ crystalizes in the orthorhombic structure, orders antiferromagnetically (AF) and exhibits four different AF phases below T _N = 6.5 K. In all these phases the Tm magnetic moment is parallel to the b-axis. The ground-state AF1 (T < 3.4 K) corresponds to the squared-up AF structure with propagation vector ₀₁ = (5/8, 0, 0) and magnetic unit cell 8a × b × c. Narrow phases AF2 and AF3 (3.3 K < T < 3.7 K and 3.6 K < T < 4.6 K) are 'spin-slip'-derivatives from the AF1 structure, yielding propagation vectors ₀₂ = (0.633, 0, 0.02) and ₀₃ = (0.618, 0, 0), respectively. The phase AF4 (4.4 K < T < T _N) is then incommensurate transversal spin-wave with the propagation ₀₄ = (0.64, 0, 0). The co-existence of AF phases indicates the first-order transitions between them.     

Magnetic-field-induced valence transition in rare-earth systems

The magnetic-field-induced valence transition in rare-earth systems has been investigated using the periodic Anderson model supplemented by the Falicov-Kimball term. This model has been solved by first decoupling the Falicov-Kimball term as proposed by Khomskii and Koharjan and then taking the limit of infinite intra-site Coulomb repulsion. The valence transition both in the absence and in the presence of magnetic field as a function of temperature is studied. It has been found that the system makes transition from non-magnetic to magnetic state when the magnetic field increases beyond a critical value H _c. The phase boundary defined in terms of reduced field H _c(T)/H _c(0) and reduced temperature T/T _v (T _v being the valence transition temperature in the absence of field) is almost independent of the position of the localized level. The results are in qualitative agreement with experimental observations in Yb- and Eu-compounds.     

Pressure induced phase transition behaviour in f-electron based dialuminides

The rare-earth and actinide based compounds are endowed with several exotic physical and chemical properties due to the presence of f-electrons. These properties exhibit interesting changes under the action of various thermodynamic fields and hence continues to be a subject of extensive research. For instance, under pressure, the nature of f-electrons can be changed from localized to itinerant, leading to a variety of changes in their structural, physical and chemical properties. The present review on the high pressure phase transition behaviour of dialuminides of rare earths and actinides is an outcome of research in our laboratory during the last five years using a unique combination of a Guinier diffractometer and a diamond anvil cell built in-house. To bring out the correlations between the compressibility and structural behaviour with the electronic structure, we have also carried out electronic structure calculation. Further, the usefulness of Villars’ three parameter structure maps in predicting pressure induced structural transitions has been explored and this has been illustrated with the available phase transition data.     

Modification of Lytle’s theory: Interpretation of the extended fine structure associated with LIII absorption discontinuity of some ytterbium systems

In Lytle’s theory for the extended fine structure in x-ray absorption spectra, the potential at the boundary of the ‘equivalent sphere’ around the absorbing atom, having volume equal to that of the Wigner-Seitz cell is considered to be infinite. It has been observed that Lytle’s theory is applicable only in the case of metals and metallic systems. In the present paper the extended fine structure associated with the L_III absorption spectra of some systems of ytterbium is interpreted on the basis of Lytle’s model, modified by using a finite potential instead of an infinite one at the boundary of the equivalent sphere. The values of this potential are estimated for eight systems of ytterbium. It has been shown that there exists a correlation between the potentials and covalency of the compounds.     

Stabilisation of Ce-Cu-Fe amorphous alloys by addition of Al

The present work describes the formation of amorphous alloys in the (Al_1?xCe_x)₆₂Cu₂₅Fe₁₃ quaternary system (0 ≤ x ≤ 1). When the amount of Ce falls in the range 0.67 ≤ x ≤ 0.83, the alloys obtained exhibit a completely amorphous structure confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction. Otherwise, at compositions x = 0.5, 0.58, 0.92 and 1, a primary crystalline phase forms together with an amorphous matrix. The crystallisation temperature (T_x) decreases with increasing Ce content, varying from 593 K for x = 0.5–383 K for x = 1. Composition x = 0.75 is considered as the best glass former, exhibiting a large supercooled liquid region of 40 K width that precedes crystallisation. In order to form bulk amorphous alloys, ribbons with this later composition were consolidated into few millimetre thick discs using pulsed electric current sintering at different temperatures, yet preserving the amorphous structure. Meanwhile, increasing temperature above 483 K triggers crystallisation of a primary phase isostructural to AlCe₃. Further increase in the temperature up to 573 K yields a higher fraction of the crystalline phase. Testing mechanical properties, using nanoindentation, revealed that both elastic modulus (E) and hardness (H) depend on the Al content, ranging from E = 85.6 ± 3.7 GPa and H = 6.2 ± 0.7 GPa for x = 0.5 down to E = 39.8 ± 1.0 GPa and H = 3.1 ± 0.2 GPa for x = 0.92.     

新的稀土Eu,Tb(Ⅲ)β-二酮三元配合物的合成与光谱性质

采用Claisen缩合反应合成了一种β-二酮1-(4-氨基苯)-3-苯基丙烷-1,3-二酮(L:C15H13NO2),以元素分析和1H NMR谱确定了其组成,核磁和红外分析结果表明L主要以烯醇式存在。以L为第一配体,分别以邻菲罗啉(phen),2,2’-联吡啶(bipy)为第二配体,合成了新的稀土Eu,Tb(Ⅲ)三元配合物。通过元素分析、红外光谱、紫外光谱、磷光光谱和荧光光谱对合成的配合物进行了表征。荧光光谱表明:稀土铽配合物的发光性能优于稀土铕配合物,进一步研究表明配体L与Tb3+间能级差较匹配,分子内传能效率高;phen对配合物的荧光敏化效果优于bipy,表明第二配体的刚性和共轭性越大,配合物的发光性能越好。     

Thermal Analysis of the Equilibrium Phases in the System Ho2O3−SeO2−H2O

The selenites of holmium have been used as initial substances to obtain the respective selenides which have valuable semiconductive properties. Similarly to tellurites of rare-earth elements they can find an application as materials for making lasers as well. Concerning the various usages of the selenites of lanthanides lately (holmium in particular), obtaining and study of the selenites of holmium prove to be a question of present interest. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Polar-Group Activated Isospecific Coordination Polymerization of ortho-Methoxystyrene: Effects of Central Metals and Ligands

Stereoselective polymerization of polar vinyl monomers has been a long-standing challenge because the employed transition-metal catalysts are easily poisoned by polar groups of monomers. In this contribution, a series of β-diketiminato rare-earth metal complexes 1 – 5 (L^1–5Ln(CH₂SiMe₃)₂(THF)_n, Ln=Gd–Lu, Y, and Sc) were successfully synthesized. In combination with AliBu₃ and [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄], complexes 1 c (Tb)– 1 g (Tm) exhibited high activities and excellent isoselectivities for the polymerization of ortho-methoxystyrene (oMOS), in which, the polar methoxy group of oMOS did not poison but activated the polymerization through σ–π chelation to the active species together with the vinyl group. Moreover, the large Gd-attached precursor 1 b showed a higher activity, albeit with a slightly decreased isoselectivity. The small Sc-attached precursor 1 i was completely inert. Meanwhile, the spatial steric arrangement and the coordination mode of the β-diketiminato ligand could clearly affect and even block oMOS polymerization. This work sheds new light on the coordination polymerization of polar monomers.