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Plants and animals that thrive in arid regions utilize the diurnal changes in environmental temperature and humidity to optimize their water budget by combining water-harvesting mechanisms and morphophysiological traits. The Athel tamarisk (Tamarix aphylla) is a halophytic desert shrub that survives in arid, hypersaline conditions by excreting concentrated solutions of ions as droplets on its surface that crystallize into salt crystals and fall off the branches. Here, we describe the crystallization on the surface of the plant and explore the effects of external conditions such as diurnal changes in humidity and temperature. The salt mixtures contain at least ten common minerals, with NaCl and CaSO4·2H2O being the major products, SiO2 and CaCO3 main sand contaminants, and Li2SO4, CaSO4, KCl, K2Ca(SO4)2·H2O, CaMg(CO3)2 and AlNaSi3O8 present in smaller amounts. In natural conditions, the hanging or sitting droplets remain firmly attached to the surface, with an average adhesion force of 275 ± 3.5 µN measured for pure water. Rather than using morphological features of the surface, the droplets adhere by chemical interactions, predominantly by hydrogen bonding. Increasing ion concentration slightly increases the contact angle on the hydrophobic cuticle, thereby lowering surface wettability. Small amounts of lithium sulfate and possibly other hygroscopic salts result in strong hygroscopicity and propensity for deliquescence of the salt mixture overnight. Within a broader context, this natural mechanism for humidity harvesting that uses environmentally benign salts as moisture adsorbents could provide a bioinspired approach that complements the currently available water collection or cloud-seeding technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the systematic investigation of the ternary system Ca(CH3COO)2–Ca(HCOO)2–H2O at room temperature, the congruent crystallisation of two solid calcium acetate formates was observed: the hitherto unknown Ca3(CH3COO)4(HCOO)2·4H2O and the poorly characterised Ca(CH3COO)(HCOO)·H2O. The latter is a frequently observed efflorescence phase found on calcareous objects and it could be also identified as a corrosion phase in a natural history collection of birds' eggs. Elemental and thermal analyses were employed to determine the phase compositions and by Raman and IR spectroscopy the presence of acetate and formate anions in both solids was confirmed. Laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data were used to solve the crystal structures. Ca3(CH3COO)4(HCOO)2·4H2O crystallises in a primitive tetragonal unit cell with space group P41212 and lattice parameters of a = 6.8655(1) Å and c = 45.5454(6) Å, while Ca(CH3COO)(HCOO)·H2O crystallises in a primitive monoclinic unit cell with space group P21/c and lattice parameters of a = 9.2729(1) Å, b = 6.8002(1) Å, c = 11.2219(2) Å and β = 121.232(1)°. Calcium carboxylate zig-zag chains [Ca(μ2-RCOO)+]n (R = CH3 or H) are the main motif of both crystal structures. In Ca3(CH3COO)4(HCOO)2·4H2O these chains are exclusively composed of acetate anions, whereas in Ca(CH3COO)(HCOO)·H2O only formate anions are situated in the chains. The remaining places in the 7–8 fold coordination sphere of the calcium cations are filled by water molecules and additional carboxylate anions that interconnect neighbouring chains, which eventually leads to layered motifs in both structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term crystallisation from aqueous copper(ii)–acetate solution after the addition of ammonia at 25 °C led to the formation of a hitherto poorly characterised phase in the verdigris pigment system Cu(CH3COO)2–Cu(OH)2–H2O. Laboratory X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) was successfully employed to solve the crystal structure. The structure solution reveals a phase composition of the Cu3(CH3COO)4(OH)2·5H2O ≡ 2-1-5 phase, which was also confirmed by thermal analysis. The 2-1-5 phase crystallises in space group P21/c (14) with lattice parameters of a = 12.4835(2) Å, b = 14.4246(2) Å, c = 10.7333(1) Å and β = 102.871(1)°. The crystal structure consists of Cu2(CH3COO)2(CH3COO)1/2(OH)4/3H2O1/6+ dimers that are interconnected by Cu(CH3COO)(CH3COO)1/2(OH)2/31/6− squares forming chains running in the c-direction. Non-coordinating hydrate water molecules are intercalated inbetween the chains and mediate the inter-chain interaction. IR and Raman spectroscopy techniques were also employed to confirm selected aspects of the determined crystal structure. The magnetic properties of the 2-1-5 phase decompose into two independent subsystems: a strongly antiferromagnetically spin exchange coupled magnetic Cu–Cu dimer and a significantly weaker coupled Cu monomer. The light blue colour of the sample originates from a reflectance maximum at 488 nm and significantly differs from the known verdigris phases. An investigation of several historic verdigris pigment samples revealed that this phase occurs both as a minor and a major component. Hence, our reference data for the title compound will help to improve the understanding of the multiphase mixtures occurring in historic verdigris samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main phases formed at the beginning of the carbonation reaction of cementitious building materials is the calcium hemicarboaluminate (abbreviated as Hc). This AFm (shorthand for hydrated calcium aluminate phases structurally related to hydrocalumite) phase was synthesized, crystallized and then studied by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy. At room temperature and standard experimental conditions two major cementitious phases were detected, the Hc phase (as a major phase) and carbonated calcium hemicarboaluminate (abbreviated as cHc). By increasing the temperature the Hc form transforms into cHc. The crystal structures of these important AFm phases were successfully solved and refined in the space group of the trigonal crystal system. Hc has the unit-cell parameters a = 5.7757 (1) and c = 48.812 (2) Å, and cHc the unit-cell parameters a = 5.7534 (1) and c = 46.389 (1) Å. The two crystal structures are composed of positively charged main layers, [Ca4Al2(OH)12]2+, and negatively charged interlayers, [OH2 n(CO3)1 − n·4H2O]2−. The structure of the main layers is typical of the AFm family. Conversely, the interlayer region has a characteristic structure built up from water molecules and statistically distributed anions. In the interlayer, the Hc carbonate and hydroxyl anions are distributed in a 0.25:0.5 ratio, whereas the ratio of the anions in the cHc interlayers is 0.4:0.2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure with the idealized formula Mg3(OH)5Cl·4H2O, the so-called F5 phase according to 5Mg(OH)2·MgCl2·8H2O in the system MgCl2–MgO–H2O, has been solved ab initio from high-quality laboratory powder diffraction data at room temperature. The F5 phase is structurally related to 3Mg(OH)2·MgCl2·8H2O (F3 form). The F5 phase consists of infinite triple chains with one Mg(OH)6 and two Mg(OH)4(OH2)2 octahedra as building units intercalated by chlorides, which are partly substituted by disordered hydroxides in the real structure. The F5 phase is of technological importance as the most important binder phase in Sorel cements. Knowledge of the crystal structure enables the full quantitative phase analysis of magnesia cements for the first time, which turns out to be very helpful in the search for possible causes of broken or bleached magnesia floors. Two real-life examples are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na3PO2S2 was synthesized from the corresponding undecahydrate by freeze–drying. It dismutates at temperatures above 350 °C into Na3PO3S and Na3POS3. The crystal structure of Na3PO2S2 was determined from X-ray powder diffraction data, and refined using the Rietveld technique (Pbca, a=17.5359(2) A˚, b=11.3044(1) A˚, c=5.8656(1) A˚, RF2=8.45%, Rp=4.80%, Rwp=6.79%). The baricenters of the PO2S2-tetrahedra are arranged in the sense of a hexagonal close packing. One of the P&z.sbnd;O bonds of these tetrahedra is oriented parallel to the crystallographic c-axis with the POS2-groups in an eclipsed mutual orientation. The crystal structure of Na3PO2S2 displays a close relationship to the ones of Ca3CrN3 and Na3POS3. Above 330 °C, Na3PO2S2 can be regarded as a fast ionic conductor (with σ>10−5 S cm−1). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reports on the determination of the crystal structure of the organometallic compound, pentamethylcyclopentadienylsodium, from high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction. Crystallization of the compound in space group Cmcm; Formation of polymeric multidecker chains along the a axis.

Reports on the crystal structures of the chalcogenide triniobium tetratelluride (Nb[sub 3]Te[sub 4] and In[sub x]Nb[sub 3]Te[sub 4]) for a series of pressures between 0 and 40 GPa. Crystallization of both groups in the space group P6[sub 3]; Measurement of high-pressure X-ray powder diffraction using a diamond anvil cell and synchrotron radiation.

Examines the crystal structure of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl-lithium, from a high-resolution powder pattern by modeling and the maximum entropy method. Crystallization of the compound in space group R3m; Finding that the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl anions are coplanar with each other and show threefold rotational disorder.

A bicyclobutyl that bears six carboxylic acid groups results from a trimerisation of a diene diacid in the solid state. Powder X-ray diffraction and a co-crystallisation are used to solve the structure of the diene and elucidate the stereochemistry of the bicyclobutyl, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paclitaxel is an important antineoplastic drug, which is used widely in the treatment of many forms of cancer. The crystal structures of the anhydrous form and the hemihydrate were determined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data, whereas the dihydrate was solved from single-crystal synchrotron diffraction data. Intermolecular spaces allow for the inclusion of loosely bound water molecules, which are then lost easily upon heating. All three forms were found to crystallize in the orthorhombic spacegroup P212121, with Z′ = 2. The unit cell parameters were found to be a = 9.6530(3) Å, b = 28.1196(8) Å, c = 33.5378(14) Å, and V = 9103.5(5) Å for the anhydrous form (363 K); a = 9.6890(2) Å, b = 28.0760(4) Å, c = 33.6166(8) Å, and V = 9144.7(3) Å3 for the hemihydrate (333 K); and a = 9.512(6) Å, b = 28.064(16) Å, c = 33.08(2) Å, and V = 8829.0(9) Å3 for the dihydrate (120 K). Water loss occurs in two steps between 120 K ≤ t ≤ 363 K. The thermal stability of the hydrates and accompanying unit cell changes were observed in situ via temperature-resolved X-ray powder diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 102:674-683, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present the electrochemical synthesis by galvanostatic electro-oxidation method and single crystal structure determination of a complex of silver(II) with a macrocyclic N donor ligand crystallized with hexafluorophosphate anions. The crystal structure analysis showed a penta-coordinated environment of silver(II) and displacement of the metal centre from the rectangular planar configuration of the macrocyclic N donor which is due to axial coordination by a solvent acetonitrile molecule. Both PF6 − anions were modelled with two-fold disorder. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]