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Sr2Be2B2O7 (SBBO) has long been considered as one of the most promising deep-ultraviolet nonlinear optical materials, but its crystal structure described by space group P6c2 in previous studies has remained questionable. On the basis of first-principles calculations coupled with the high-throughput crystal structure prediction method, we found three energetically favorable structures for SBBO with space groups Cm, Pm, and P6. These structures and a superstructure of space group Pm-S derived from the Cm structure were refined by the Rietveld method using the available powder X-ray diffraction data. These analyses show that the Pm-S structure is the best one, but its parent Cm structure is almost equally good and has the advantage of having higher symmetry. Via atom response theory analysis, we resolved the cause for the second-harmonic generation (SHG) responses of SBBO at the atomic and orbital level to elucidate the importance of local inversion symmetry in reducing the SHG response.

The magnetic structure of NaYMnWO6 was determined by neutron powder diffraction measurements. Below 9 K, the magnetic structure is a helix to wave vector k = (0, 0.447, 1/2), in contrast with NaYNiWO6, which shows a transverse spin density wave with k = (0.47, 0, 0.49). By analyzing the differences in the spin exchanges of NaYMnWO6 and NaYNiWO6, and in the magnetic anisotropies of the Mn2+ (d5, S = 5/2) and the Ni2+ (d2, S = 1) ions, we show what factors govern the propagation direction of a noncollinear magnetic structure and whether it becomes a helix or a cycloid.

Neutron diffraction studies on magnetic solids composed of axially elongated CoO4X2 (X = Cl, Br, S, Se) octahedra show that the ordered magnetic moments of their high-spin Co2+ (d7, S = 3/2) ions are greater than 3 μB, i.e., the spin moment expected for S = 3/2 ions, and increase almost linearly from 3.22 to 4.45 μB as the bond-length ratio rCo-X/rCo-O increases from 1.347 to 1.659 where rCo-X and rCo-O are the Co-X and Co-O bond lengths, respectively. These observations imply that the orbital moments of the Co2+ ions increase linearly from 0.22 to 1.45 μB with increasing the rCo-X/rCo-O ratio from 1.347 to 1.659. We probed this implication by examining the condition for unquenched orbital moment and also by evaluating the magnetic moments of the Co2+ ions based on DFT+U+SOC calculations for those systems of the CoO4X2 octahedra. Our work shows that the orbital moments of the Co2+ ions are essentially quenched and, hence, that the observations of the neutron diffraction studies are not explained by the current theory of magnetic moments. This discrepancy between experiment and theory urges one to check the foundations of the current theory of magnetic moments as well as the current method of neutron diffraction refinements for ordered magnetic structures.

The incommensurate magnetic structure (0.47, 0, 0.49) of NaYNiWO6 exhibits unconventional spin-density waves (SDWs) along the [100] direction, in which up and down spins alternate in each half-wave. This is in contrast to conventional SDWs, in which only one type of spin is present in each half-wave. We probed the formation of these unconventional SDWs by evaluating the spin exchanges of NaYNiWO6 based on density functional theory calculations and analyzing the nature of the spin frustration in NaYNiWO6 and by noting that a SDW is a superposition of two cycloids of opposite chirality. The unconventional SDWs along the [100] direction originate from the spin-frustrated antiferromagnetic chains of Ni2+ ions along that direction, leading to conventional SDWs along the [101] direction and unconventional SDWs along the [001] direction.

In the presence of the roughly flat sequestering agent, [K(18-crown-6)]+, the reaction of Rh2(CO)4Cl2 with K5Bi4 in ethylenediamine (en) solution at room temperature yielded the heterometallic cluster anion [Rh@Bi10(RhCO)6]3- (1), in which two hitherto unknown Binm- building blocks (i.e., Bi6 crown and Bi4 pyramid) were stabilized by six +Rh-CO units. When the reaction was carried out at 60 °C using Rh(acac)(CO)2 (acac = acetylacetonate) as the source of +Rh-CO units, one obtained the anion [Rh@Bi9(RhCO)5]3- (2) in which two different Binn- units (n = 2, 3) and two weakly bonded Bi atoms were stabilized by five +Rh-CO units. The structures and bonding of the novel heterometallic cluster anions 1 and 2 were discussed.

International audience; John B. Goodenough won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019 with Stanley Wittingham and Akira Yoshino for their fundamental contributions to the development of lithium-ion batteries. Calls for recognition for John’s pioneering work on lithium-ion batteries had been launched at the Nobel Committee for many years and finally the calls were answered! This was wonderful, though long overdue, news for the communities of solid-state chemistry and materials sciences. John impacted these areas of research greatly via his constant desire to account for the physical properties of solids through the discussion of their local crystal structures and their chemical bonding. Let us notice that, on this special occasion, John also set the record for being the oldest person, at 97, to receive this prestigious honor!

Thin films of Ca-doped double perovskite, PrBa0.7Ca0.3Co2O5+δ (PBCC), were epitaxially grown on (001) SrTiO3, and their redox reactions under a switching flow of H2 and O2 gases were examined at various temperatures by measuring the resistance R(t) of the films as a function of the gas flow time t. In the temperature range between 350 and 725 °C, these thin films are reduced and oxidized in an ultrafast manner under the flow of H2 and O2 gases, respectively, suggesting that PBCC thin films are promising candidates for developing ultra-sensitive oxygen sensors or SOFC cathodes at intermediate or high temperatures. When the gas flow is switched to O2, the reduced PBCC thin films exhibit a negative resistance at temperatures above 600 °C but a positive resistance at temperatures below 600 °C. The probable cause for these anomalous transport properties is the diffusion of the H atoms from the cathode to the anode in the PBCC film, which provides a current opposite to that resulting from the external voltage.

In implementing the materials genome approach to search for new materials with interesting properties or functions, it is necessary to find the correct functional motif. To this end, it is common to partition an extended structure into various building units and then partition its properties to find the appropriate functional motif. We have developed the general principles for partitioning a structure and its properties in terms of a set of atoms and bonds by analyzing the differential cross-sections of neutron and X-ray scattering phenomena and proposed the procedures with which to partition an extended structure and its properties. We demonstrate how these procedures work by analyzing the nonlinear optical crystal KBe2BO3F2. Our partitioning analysis of KBe2BO3F2 leads to the conclusion that the second harmonic generation response of KBe2BO3F2 is dominated by the ionically bonded metal-centered groups.

Two seemingly puzzling observations on two magnetic systems were analyzed. For the oxide-hydrides Sr2VO3H, Sr3V2O5H2, and SrVO2H, made up of VO4H2 octahedra, the spin orientations of the V3+ (d2, S = 1) ions were reported to be different, namely, perpendicular to the H-V-H bond in Sr2VO3H but parallel to the H-V-H bond in Sr3V2O5H2 and SrVO2H, despite that the d-state split patterns of the VO4H2 octahedra are similar in the three oxide-hydrides. Another puzzling observation is the contrasting magnetic structures of Sr2CoO2Cu2Te2 and Sr2MnO2Cu1.58Te2, consisting of the layers made up of corner-sharing MO4Te2 (M = Co, Mn) octahedra. The Co2+ spins in each CoO2Te2 layer are antiferromagnetically coupled with spins perpendicular to the Te–Co–Te bond, whereas the Mn3+/Mn2+ ions of each MnO2Te2 layer are ferromagnetically coupled with spins parallel to the Te-Mn-Te bonds. We investigated the cause for these observations by performing first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations for stoichiometr...

Magnetic ions M in discrete molecules and extended solids form MLn complexes with their first-coordinate ligand atoms L. The spin moment of M in a complex MLn prefers a certain direction in coordin...

The effective spin Hamiltonian method has drawn considerable attention for its power to explain and predict magnetic properties in various intriguing materials. In this review, we summarize different types of interactions between spins (hereafter, spin interactions, for short) that may be used in effective spin Hamiltonians as well as the various methods of computing the interaction parameters. A detailed discussion about the merits and possible pitfalls of each technique of computing interaction parameters is provided.

A new oxide, sodium-iron antimonate, Na2FeSbO5, was synthesized and structurally characterized, and its static and dynamic magnetic properties were comprehensively studied both experimentally by dc and ac magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, specific heat, electron spin resonance (ESR) and Mössbauer measurements, and theoretically by density functional calculations. The resulting single-crystal structure (a = 15.6991(9) Å b = 5.3323 (4) Å c = 10.8875(6) Å S.G. Pbna) consists of edge-shared SbO6 octahedral chains, which alternate with vertex-linked, magnetically active FeO4 tetrahedral chains. The 57Fe Mössbauer spectra confirmed the presence of high-spin Fe3+ (3d5) ions in a distorted tetrahedral oxygen coordination. The magnetic susceptibility and specific heat data show the absence of a long-range magnetic ordering in Na2FeSbO5 down to 2 K, but ac magnetic susceptibility unambigously demonstrates spin-glass-type behavior with a unique two-step freezing at Tf1 ≈ 80 K and Tf2 ≈ 35 K. Magnetic hyperfine splitting of 57Fe Mössbauer spectra was observed below T∗ ≈ 104 K (Tf1 < T*). The spectra just below T∗ (Tf1 < T < T*) exhibit a relaxation behavior caused by critical spin fluctuations, indicating the existence of short-range correlations. The stochastic model of ionic spin relaxation was used to account for the shape of the Mössbauer spectra below the freezing temperature. A complex slow dynamics is further supported by ESR data revealing two different absorption modes presumably related to ordered and disordered segments of spin chains. The data imply a spin-cluster ground state for Na2FeSbO5. © 2019 American Chemical Society.

The cause for the orbital-ordered structure of orthorhombic Cs2AgF4 and its effect on thermoelectric properties were probed by density functional theory calculations. The orbital-ordered structure of orthorhombic Cs2AgF4 has been regarded as caused by a cooperative Jahn-Teller (JT) distortion of the AgF6 octahedra of tetragonal Cs2AgF4. However, each AgF6 octahedron of tetragonal Cs2AgF4 is axially compressed and hence has no JT instability. The orbital-ordering transition of Cs2AgF4 is best described as a metal-to-insulator transition driven by a bandgap opening at the Fermi level. The orbital-ordering opens a bandgap at the Fermi level and generates peaks in the density of states at the conduction band minimum (CBM) and valence band maximum (VBM). Consequently, orthorhombic Cs2AgF4 has strongly enhanced Seebeck coefficients as compared to tetragonal Cs2AgF4.

We examined how to enhance the lifetime of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on bipolar host molecules ET-HT, where ET and HT refer to electron- and hole-transporting units, respectively, by analyzing their thermodynamic and kinetic stabilities. Our DFT calculations reveal that the thermodynamic stability of ET-HT is determined by that of its anion, which is difficult to improve by chemical modifications of ET and HT. The kinetic stability of ET-HT can be enhanced by the spiroconjugation between ET and HT, which occurs when their π-frameworks are extended and have an orthogonal arrangement. Green OLED devices were fabricated by using ET-HTs with and without spiroconjugation, to find that the device with spiroconjugation has a lifetime that is approximately 6 times longer than the one without spiroconjugation.

Four new manganese germanates and silicates, A2MnGeO4 (A = Li, Na) and A2MnSiO4 (A = Na, Ag), were prepared, and their crystal structures were determined using the X-ray Rietveld method. All of them contain all components in tetrahedral coordination. Li2MnGeO4 is orthorhombic (Pmn21) layered, isostructural with Li2CdGeO4, and the three other compounds are monoclinic (Pn) cristobalite-related frameworks. As in other stuffed cristobalites of various symmetry (Pn A2MXO4, Pna21 and Pbca AMO2), average bond angles on bridging oxygens (here, Mn–O–X) increase with increasing A/X and/or A/M radius ratios, indicating the trend to the ideal cubic (Fd3m) structure typified by CsAlO2. The sublattices of the magnetic Mn2+ ions in both structure types under study (Pmn21 and Pn) are essentially the same; namely, they are pseudocubic eutaxy with 12 nearest neighbors. The magnetic properties of the four new phases plus Li2MnSiO4 were characterized by carrying out magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, magnetization, and...

The read/write operations with individual quantum bits (i.e., qbits) is a challenging problem to solve in quantum computing. To alleviate this difficulty, we considered the possibility of using a group of qbits that act collectively as a bit (hereafter, a group bit or a gbit, in short). A promising candidate for a gbit is a single-domain ferromagnet (SDF) independent of its size, which can be prepared as a magnet of well separated uniaxial magnetic ions (UMIs) at sites of no electric dipole moment with their uniaxial axes aligned along one common direction. When magnetized, the UMIs of such a magnet have a ferromagnetic (FM) arrangement and the resulting SDF becomes a gbit with its two opposite moment orientations representing the |0> and |1> states of a bit. We probed the requirements for such magnets, and identified several 2H-perovskites as materials satisfying these requirements.

We prepared trirutile-type polycrystalline samples of CuTa2O6 by low-temperature decomposition of a Cu–Ta–oxalate precursor. Diffraction studies at room temperature identified a slight monoclinic distortion of the hitherto surmised tetragonal trirutile crystal structure. Detailed high-temperature X-ray and neutron powder diffraction investigations as well as Raman scattering spectroscopy revealed a structural phase transition at 503(3) K from the monoclinic structure to the tetragonal trirutile structure. GGA+U density functional calculations of the spin-exchange parameters as well as magnetic susceptibility and isothermal magnetization measurements reveal that CuTa2O6 is a new 1D Heisenberg magnet with predominant anti-ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor intrachain spin-exchange interaction of ∼50 K. Interchain exchange is a factor of ∼5 smaller. Heat capacity and low-temperature high-intensity neutron powder diffraction studies could not detect long-range order down to 0.45 K.

The onsite repulsion, spin–orbit coupling and polarizability of elements and their ions play important roles in controlling the physical properties of molecules and condensed materials. In celebration of the 150th birthday of the periodic table this year, we briefly review how these parameters affect the physical properties and are interrelated.

We examined the magnetic ground states, the preferred spin orientations and the spin exchanges of four layered phases MPS3 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) by first principles density functional theory plus onsite repulsion (DFT + U) calculations. The magnetic ground states predicted for MPS3 by DFT + U calculations using their optimized crystal structures are in agreement with experiment for M = Mn, Co and Ni, but not for FePS3. DFT + U calculations including spin-orbit coupling correctly predict the observed spin orientations for FePS3, CoPS3 and NiPS3, but not for MnPS3. Further analyses suggest that the ||z spin direction observed for the Mn2+ ions of MnPS3 is caused by the magnetic dipole–dipole interaction in its magnetic ground state. Noting that the spin exchanges are determined by the ligand p-orbital tails of magnetic orbitals, we formulated qualitative rules governing spin exchanges as the guidelines for discussing and estimating the spin exchanges of magnetic solids. Use of these rules allowed us to recognize several unusual exchanges of MPS3, which are mediated by the symmetry-adapted group orbitals of P2S64− and exhibit unusual features unknown from other types of spin exchanges.

Magnetoelastic coupling in the quantum magnet [Ni(HF2)(pyrazine)2]SbF6 has been investigated via vibrational spectroscopy using temperature, magnetic field, and pressure as tuning parameters. While pyrazine is known to be a malleable magnetic superexchange ligand, we find that HF2– is surprisingly sensitive to external stimuli and is actively involved in both the magnetic quantum phase transition and the series of pressure-induced structural distortions. The amplified spin–lattice interactions involving the bifluoride ligand can be understood in terms of the relative importance of the intra- and interplanar magnetic energy scales.

In developing physical theories, analogical reasoning has been found to be very powerful, as attested by a number of important historical examples. An analogy between two apparently different phenomena, once established, allows one to transfer information and bring new concepts from one phenomenon to the other. Here, we discuss an important analogy between two widely different physical problems, namely, the Jahn–Teller distortion in molecular physics and the Rashba spin splitting in condensed matter physics. By exploring their conceptual and mathematical features and by searching for the counterparts between them, we examine the orbital texture in Jahn–Teller systems, as the counterpart of the spin texture of the Rashba physics, and put forward a possible way of experimentally detecting the orbital texture. Finally, we discuss the analogy by comparing the coexistence of linear Rashba + Dresselhaus effects and Jahn–Teller problems for specific symmetries, which allow for nontrivial spin and orbital textures, respectively.

In this review on spin exchanges, written to provide guidelines useful for finding the spin lattice relevant for any given magnetic solid, we discuss how the values of spin exchanges in transition metal magnetic compounds are quantitatively determined from electronic structure calculations, which electronic factors control whether a spin exchange is antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic, and how these factors are related to the geometrical parameters of the spin exchange path. In an extended solid containing transition metal magnetic ions, each metal ion M is surrounded with main-group ligands L to form an MLn polyhedron (typically, n = 3–6), and the unpaired spins of M are represented by the singly-occupied d-states (i.e., the magnetic orbitals) of MLn. Each magnetic orbital has the metal d-orbital combined out-of-phase with the ligand p-orbitals; therefore, the spin exchanges between adjacent metal ions M lead not only to the M–L–M-type exchanges, but also to the M–L…L–M-type exchanges in which the two metal ions do not share a common ligand. The latter can be further modified by d0 cations A such as V5+ and W6+ to bridge the L…L contact generating M–L…A…L–M-type exchanges. We describe several qualitative rules for predicting whether the M–L…L–M and M–L…A…L–M-type exchanges are antiferromagnetic or ferromagnetic by analyzing how the ligand p-orbitals in their magnetic orbitals (the ligand p-orbital tails, for short) are arranged in the exchange paths. Finally, we illustrate how these rules work by analyzing the crystal structures and magnetic properties of four cuprates of current interest: -CuV2O6, LiCuVO4, (CuCl)LaNb2O7, and Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2.

The origin of interband electron pairing responsible for enhancing superconductivity and the factors controlling its strength were examined. We show that the interband electron pairing is a natural consequence of breaking down the Born-Oppenheimer approximation during the electron-phonon interactions. Its strength is determined by the pair-state excitations around the Fermi surfaces that take place to form a superconducting state. Fermi surfaces favorable for the pairing were found and its implications were discussed., 5 pages, 4 figures

A magnetic solid with weak spin frustration tends to adopt a noncollinear magnetic structure such as cycloidal structure below a certain temperature and a spin density wave (SDW) slightly above this temperature. The causes for these observa-tions were explored by studying the magnetic structures of BaYFeO4, which undergoes an SDW and a cycloidal phase transi-tion below 48 and 36 K, respectively, in terms of density func-tional theory calculations. We show that an SDW structure aris-es from a superposition of two magnetic states of opposite chi-rality, an SDW state precedes a chiral magnetic state due to the lattice relaxation, and whether an SDW is transversal or longitudinal is governed by the magnetic anisotropy of magnetic ions., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures not including the SI

To enhance the photocatalytic activity of monoclinic BiVO4 for O2 evolution from water, Ce-doped BiVO4 was prepared using the one-pot facile solvothermal method and characterized via XRD, Raman, XPS, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The XPS spectra confirm that Ce component is Ce3+ ions instead of Ce4+ ions. From the structural characterization and the calculations of formation energies it has been stated that the doping of Ce3+ ions takes place at Bi3+ sites without changing the host structure. The as-prepared Ce-doped BiVO4 samples display significantly enhanced photocatalytic O2 evolution activities from water compared to pristine BiVO4. Density of states calculations indicate that Ce3+ ions act as hole traps, thereby delaying the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. The results demonstrate that the substitution of the remaining monoclinic crystal structure may offer an attractive alternative approach for the doping of BiVO4 to enhance the evolution activity of photocat...

The enhanced catalytic and photocatalytic activities of a RuO2 layer deposited on the TiO2(110) surface were examined by constructing model RuO2/TiO2(110) heterostructures with and without oxygen vacancies and performing density functional calculations. The formation of the heterojunction only weakly affects the atomic structure of the interface due to a pseudomorphic deposition but causes a strong electron density accumulation in the interface as well as a bending of the valence and conduction bands of TiO2. The electron accumulation in the interface creates a strong internal electric field, which helps to effectively separate photogenerated electron–hole pairs during a photocatalytic process. Finally, we report on the catalytic role of oxygen vacancies at the surface.

A layered quaternary uranium-containing oxide, Cs2Mn3U6O22, was crystallized from a cesium chloride flux. The crystal structure was determined to consist of α-U3O8 topological layers that are separated by alternating cesium and manganese layers. This ordered arrangement creates a separation between manganese layers of 13 Å, leading to complex low-dimensional magnetic properties. The compound crystallizes in a new structure type in the monoclinic space group, C2/m, with a = 6.8730(10) Å, b = 11.7717(17) Å, c = 13.374(2) Å, and β = 99.673(5)°. The magnetic properties were measured and analyzed by first-principles density functional theory calculations.

We examined the magnetic properties of layered oxide Li4NiTeO6 by magnetic susceptibility, magnetization and ESR measurements and density functional calculations, and characterized phase relations, crystal structure and electrochemical properties of Li4NiTeO6. The magnetization and ESR data indicate the absence of a long-range magnetic order down to 1.8 K, and the magnetic susceptibility data the presence of dominant antiferromagnetic interactions. These observations are well accounted for by density functional calculations, which show that the spin exchanges of the LiNiTeO6 layers in Li4NiTeO6 are strongly spin frustrated. The electrochemical charging of Li4NiTeO6 takes place at constant potential of ca. 4.2 V vs. Li/Li+ indicating two-phase process as confirmed by X-rays. The starting phase is only partially recovered on discharge due to side reactions.

Triphylite-NaFePO4 is a cathode material for Na(+)-ion batteries, whereas its alternative polymorph maricite-NaFePO4 is not. These two different polymorphs exhibit widely different magnetic structures; the ordered magnetic structure of triphylite-NaFePO4 below ∼50 K is described by the propagation vector q1 = (0, 0, 0) with collinear spins, and that of maricite-NaFePO4 below ∼13 K is described by q2 = (1/2, 0, 1/2) with noncollinear spins. We probed the causes for these differences by calculating the spin exchange interactions of the two polymorphs and determining the preferred orientations of their high-spin Fe(2+) (d(6), S = 2) ions on the basis of density functional calculations. Our study shows that maricite-NaFePO4 is not spin-frustrated, which is also the case for triphylite-NaFePO4, that the ordered magnetic structure of triphylite-NaFePO4 is determined mainly by spin exchange, whereas that of maricite-NaFePO4 is determined by both spin exchange and magnetic anisotropy, and that the preferred spin orientations in the two polymorphs can be explained by perturbation theory using spin-orbit coupling as the perturbation.

The structure of silicene/Ir(111) was examined on the basis of density functional theory. We have found that Ir(111) preserves the 2D character of silicene but significantly distorts its structure from the trigonal one expected for an isolated silicene. The electronic structure of silicene is strongly hybridized with that of Ir(111) so that silicene on Ir(111) loses its linear band dispersion around the Fermi level, giving rise to a metallic band structure; however, silicene/Ir(111) exhibits a hidden linear-dispersive band, which is related to the linear-dispersive conduction band of an isolated silicene.

We explored how the visible-light energy absorbed by noble-metal nanoparticles (NPs) is converted to electrons and holes in the semiconductor in a visible-light plasmonic photocatalyst by studying the representative system Ag@AgCl on the basis of density functional calculations and classical electrodynamics calculations. These calculations suggest that the energy transfer from the Ag NPs to the semiconductor AgCl requires the presence of midgap defect states in the semiconductor and that the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the Ag NPs strongly enhances the optical transitions of the semiconductor involving the defect states. We verified this suggestion experimentally by preparing Ag@AgCl samples possessing different degrees of bulk and surface defects and subsequently by carrying out photodegradation experiments using these samples.

The new oxofluoride FeSeO3F, which is isostructural with FeTeO3F and GaTeO3F, was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis, and its structure was determined by X-ray diffraction. The magnetic properties of FeSeO3F were characterized by magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements, by evaluating its spin exchanges on the basis of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and by performing a quantum Monte Carlo simulation of the magnetic susceptibility. FeSeO3F crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n and has one unique Se(4+) ion and one unique Fe(3+) ion. The building blocks of FeSeO3F are [SeO3] trigonal pyramids and cis-[FeO4F2] distorted octahedra. The cis-[FeO4F2] octahedra are condensed by sharing the O-O and F-F edges alternatingly to form [FeO3F]∞ chains, which are interconnected via the [SeO3] pyramids by corner-sharing. The magnetic susceptibility of FeSeO3F is characterized by a broad maximum at 75(2) K and a long-range antiferromagnetic order below ∼45 K. The latter is observed by magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements. DFT calculations show that the Fe-F-Fe spin exchange is stronger than the Fe-O-Fe exchange, so each [FeO3F]∞ chain is a Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain with alternating antiferromagnetic spin exchanges. The temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility is well-reproduced by a quantum-Monte Carlo simulation.

A new orthorhombic phase, MnCrO4, isostructural with MCrO 4 (M = Mg, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd) was prepared by evaporation of an aqueous solution, (NH4)2Cr2O7 + 2 Mn(NO 3)2, followed by calcination at 400 C. It is characterized by redox titration, Rietveld analysis of the X-ray diffraction pattern, Cr K edge and Mn K edge XANES, ESR, magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and resistivity measurements. In contrast to the high-pressure MnCrO4 phase where both cations are octahedral, the new phase contains Cr in a tetrahedral environment suggesting the charge balance Mn2+Cr 6+O4. However, the positions of both X-ray absorption K edges, the bond lengths and the ESR data suggest the occurrence of some mixed-valence character in which the mean oxidation state of Mn is higher than 2 and that of Cr is lower than 6. Both the magnetic susceptibility and the specific heat data indicate an onset of a three-dimensional antiferromagnetic order at TN ≈ 42 K, which was confirmed also by calculating the spin exchange interactions on the basis of first principles density functional calculations. Dynamic magnetic studies (ESR) corroborate this scenario and indicate appreciable short-range correlations at temperatures far above T N. MnCrO4 is a semiconductor with activation energy of 0.27 eV; it loses oxygen on heating above 400 C to form first Cr 2O3 plus Mn3O4 and then Mn 1.5Cr1.5O4 spinel. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Ultrathin Ag2Mo3O10·2H2O nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by soft chemistry under atmospheric pressure from a hybrid organic-inorganic polyoxometalate (CH3NH3)2[Mo7O22] and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, DSC/TGA analyses, FT-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopies, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Their diameters are a few tens of nanometers and hence much thinner than that found for silver molybdates commonly obtained under hydrothermal conditions. The optical properties of Ag2Mo3O10·2H2O NWs before and after UV irradiation were investigated by UV-vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy revealing, in addition to photoreduction of Mo(6+) to Mo(5+) cations, in situ photogeneration of well-dispersed silver Ag(0) nanoparticles on the surface of the NWs. The resulting Ag@Ag2Mo3O10·2H2O heterostructure was confirmed by electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Auger spectroscopy. Concomitant reduction of Mo(6+) and Ag(+) cations under UV excitation was discussed on the basis of electronic band structure calculations. The Ag@Ag2Mo3O10·2H2O nanocomposite is an efficient visible-light-driven plasmonic photocatalyst for degradation of Rhodamine B dye in aqueous solution.

The magnetic properties of α-Cu(dca)2(pyz) were examined by magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, inelastic neutron scattering (INS), muon-spin relaxation (μSR) measurements and by first-principles density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations and quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulations. The χ versus T curve shows a broad maximum at 3.5 K, and the data between 2 and 300 K is well described by an S = 1/2 Heisenberg uniform chain model with g = 2.152(1) and J/kB = −5.4(1) K. μSR measurements, conducted down to 0.02 K and as a function of longitudinal magnetic field, show no oscillations in the muon asymmetry function A(t). This evidence, together with the lack of spin wave formation as gleaned from INS data, suggests that no long-range magnetic order takes place in α-Cu(dca)2(pyz) down to the lowest measured temperatures. Electronic structure calculations further show that the spin exchange is significant only along the Cu–pyz–Cu chains, such that α-Cu(dca)2(pyz) can be described by a Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain model. Further support for this comes from the M versus B curve, which is strongly concave owing to the reduced spin dimensionality. α-Cu(dca)2(pyz) is a molecular analogue of KCuF3 owing to d x 2 - y 2 orbital ordering where nearest-neighbor magnetic orbital planes of the Cu2+ sites are orthogonal in the planes perpendicular to the Cu–pyz–Cu chains.

[Ni(HF(2))(3-Clpy)(4)]BF(4) (py = pyridine) is a simple one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymer composed of compressed NiN(4)F(2) octahedra that form chains with bridging HF(2)(-) ligands. In spite of significant distortion of the HF(2)(-) bridge, a quasi-1D antiferromagnetic (AFM) behavior was observed with J(FHF) = 4.86 K.

[Ni(HF2)(pyz)2]X {pyz = pyrazine; X = PF6- (1), SbF6- (2)} were structurally characterized by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and found to possess axially compressed NiN4F2 octahedra. At 298 K, 1 is monoclinic (C2/c) with unit cell parameters, a = 9.9481(3), b = 9.9421(3), c = 12.5953(4) angstrom, and beta = 81.610(3) degrees while 2 is tetragonal (P4/nmm) with a = b = 9.9359(3) and c = 6.4471(2) angstrom and is isomorphic with the Cu-analogue. Infinite one-dimensional (1D) Ni-FHF-Ni chains propagate along the c-axis which are linked via mu-pyz bridges in the ab-plane to afford three-dimensional polymeric frameworks with PF6- and SbF6- counterions occupying the interior sites. A major difference between 1 and 2 is that the Ni-F-H bonds are bent (similar to 157 degrees) in 1 but are linear in 2. Ligand field calculations (LFT) based on an angular overlap model (AOM), with comparison to the electronic absorption spectra, indicate greater pi-donation of the HF2- ligand in 1 owing to the bent Ni-F-H bonds. Magnetic susceptibility data for 1 and 2 exhibit broad maxima at 7.4 and 15 K, respectively, and lambda-like peaks in d chi T/dT at 6.2 and 12.2 K that are ascribed to transitions to long-range antiferromagnetic order (TN). Muon-spin relaxation and specific heat studies confirm these TN's. A comparative analysis of chi vs T to various 1D Heisenberg/Ising models suggests moderate antiferromagnetic interactions, with the primary interaction strength determined to be 3.05/3.42 K (1) and 5.65/6.37 K (2). However, high critical fields of 19 and 37.4 T obtained from low temperature pulsed-field magnetization data indicate that a single exchange constant (J(1D)) alone is insufficient to explain the data and that residual terms in the spin Hamiltonian, which could include interchain magnetic couplings (J(perpendicular)), as mediated by Ni-pyz-Ni, and single-ion anisotropy (D), must be considered. While it is difficult to draw absolute conclusions regarding the magnitude (and sign) of J(perpendicular) and D based solely on powder data, further support offered by related Ni(II)-pyz compounds and our LFT and density-functional theory (DFT) results lead us to a consistent quasi-1D magnetic description for 1 and 2.

Recently it was discovered that the iron coordination complex L(N4)Fe(II)(OTf)(2) (1) (L(N4) = neutral tetraazadendate ligand and OTf = OSO(2)CF(3)) and its analogues are efficient water oxidizing catalysts (WOCs) in aqueous acidic solution with excess amount of ceric(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN), [Ce(IV)(NO(3))(6)](NH(4))(2), as sacrificial oxidants. The probable mechanism of water oxidation by these catalysts was explored on the basis of density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations for 1 as a representative WOC. We examined the conversion of 1 to the resting intermediate [L(N4)Fe(IV)(O)(OH(2))](2+) [2(IV)] as well as two catalytic cycles involving 2(IV): one proposed by Fillol et al. [Nat. Chem. 2011, 3, 1] in which the Fe oxidation states of the intermediate species vary from +2 to +5, and the alternative cycle in which they remain constant at +4. In addition, we investigated the role of the sacrificial oxidant CAN in driving the catalytic cycle. Our DFT and TD-DFT calculations confirm the experimental observation that 2(IV) is the resting species, and indicate that the catalytic cycle in which the Fe oxidation states of the intermediate species remain at +4 is energetically more favorable.

The new compound LiNaCo[PO(4)]F was synthesized by a solid state reaction route, and its crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements. The magnetic properties of LiNaCo[PO(4)]F were characterized by magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and neutron powder diffraction measurements and also by density functional calculations. LiNaCo[PO(4)]F crystallizes with orthorhombic symmetry, space group Pnma, with a = 10.9334(6), b = 6.2934(11), c = 11.3556(10) Å, and Z = 8. The structure consists of edge-sharing CoO(4)F(2) octahedra forming CoFO(3) chains running along the b axis. These chains are interlinked by PO(4) tetrahedra forming a three-dimensional framework with the tunnels and the cavities filled by the well-ordered sodium and lithium atoms, respectively. The magnetic susceptibility follows the Curie-Weiss behavior above 60 K with θ = -21 K. The specific heat and magnetization measurements show that LiNaCo[PO(4)]F undergoes a three-dimensional magnetic ordering at T(mag) = 10.2(5) K. The neutron powder diffraction measurements at 3 K show that the spins in each CoFO(3) chain along the b-direction are ferromagnetically coupled, while these FM chains are antiferromagnetically coupled along the a-direction but have a noncollinear arrangement along the c-direction. The noncollinear spin arrangement implies the presence of spin conflict along the c-direction. The observed magnetic structures are well explained by the spin exchange constants determined from density functional calculations.

The structural and magnetic properties of the newly crystallized CuX 2(pyzO)(H 2O) 2 (X = Cl, Br; pyzO = pyrazine-N,N'-dioxide) coordination polymers are reported. These isostructural compounds crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/c with, at 150 K, a = 17.0515(7) Å, b = 5.5560(2) Å, c = 10.4254(5) Å, β = 115.400(2)°, and V = 892.21(7) Å 3 for X = Cl and a = 17.3457(8) Å, b = 5.6766(3) Å, c = 10.6979(5) Å, β = 115.593(2)°, and V = 950.01(8) Å 3 for X = Br. Their crystal structure is characterized by one-dimensional chains of Cu 2+ ions linked through bidentate pyzO ligands. These chains are joined together through OH···O hydrogen bonds between the water ligands and pyzO oxygen atoms and Cu-X⋯X-Cu contacts. Bulk magnetic susceptibility measurements at ambient pressure show a broad maximum at 7 (Cl) and 28 K (Br) that is indicative of short-range magnetic correlations. The dominant spin exchange is the Cu-X···X-Cu supersuperexchange because the magnetic orbital of the Cu 2+ ion is contained in the CuX 2(H 2O) 2 plane and the X··· X contact distances are short. The magnetic data were fitted to a Heisenberg 1D uniform antiferromagnetic chain model with J 1D/k B = -11.1(1) (Cl) and -45.9(1) K (Br). Magnetization saturates at fields of 16.1(3) (Cl) and 66.7(5) T (Br), from which J 1D is determined to be -11.5(2) (Cl) and -46.4(5) K (Br). For the Br analog the pressure dependence of the magnetic susceptibility indicates a gradual increase in the magnitude of J 1D/k B up to -51.2 K at 0.84 GPa, suggesting a shortening of the Br···Br contact distance under pressure. At higher pressure X-ray powder diffraction data indicates a structural phase transition at ∼3.5 GPa. Muon-spin relaxation measurements indicate that CuCl2(pyzO)(H 2O) 2 is magnetically ordered with T N = 1.06(1) K, while the signature for long-range magnetic order in CuBr2(pyzO)(H 2O) 2 was much less definitive down to 0.26 K. The results for the CuX 2(pyzO)(H 2O) 2 complexes are compared to the related CuX 2(pyrazine) materials. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Single crystals of a new iron-containing oxide, Ba4KFe3O9, were grown from a hydroxide melt, and the crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This ferrite represents the first complex oxide containing isolated 6-membered rings of corner-sharing FeO4 tetrahedra. Mossbauer measurements are indicative of two tetrahedral high-spin Fe3+ coordination environments. The observed magnetic moment (∼3.9 μB) at 400 K is significantly lower than the calculated spin-only (∼5.2 μB) value, indicating the presence of strong antiferromagnetic interactions in the oxide. Our density functional theory calculations confirm the strong antiferromagnetic coupling between adjacent Fe3+ sites within each 6-membered ring and estimate the nearest-neighbor spin-exchange integral as ∼200 K; next-nearest-neighbor interactions are shown to be negligible. The lower than expected effective magnetic moment for Ba4KFe3O9 calculated from χT data is explained as resulting from the occupation of lower-lying magnetic...

In the isostructural oxides Ca3CoMO6 (M = Co, Rh, Ir), the CoMO6 chains made up of face-sharing CoO6 trigonal prisms and MO6 octahedra are separated by Ca atoms. We analyzed the magnetic and electronic properties of these oxides on the basis of density functional theory calculations including on-site repulsion and spin-orbit coupling, and examined the essential one-electron pictures hidden behind results of these calculations. Our analysis reveals an intimate interplay between Jahn-Teller instability, uniaxial magnetism, spin arrangement, metal-metal interaction, and spin-orbit coupling in governing the magnetic and electronic properties of these oxides. These oxides undergo a Jahn-Teller distortion but their distortions are weak, so that their trigonal-prism Con+ (n = 2, 3) ions still give rise to strong easy-axis anisotropy along the chain direction. As for the d-state split pattern of these ions, the electronic and magnetic properties of Ca3CoMO6 (M = Co, Rh, Ir) are consistent with d0 < (d2, d-2) < (d1, d-1), but not with (d2, d-2) < d0 < (d1, d-1). The trigonal-prism Co3+ ion in Ca3Co2O6 has the L = 2 configuration (d0)1(d2, d-2)3(d1, d-1)2 because of the metal-metal interaction between adjacent Co3+ ions in each Co2O6 chain, which is mediated by their z2 orbitals, and the spin-orbit coupling of the trigonal-prism Co3+ ion. The spins in each CoMO6 chain of Ca3CoMO6 prefer the ferromagnetic arrangement for M = Co and Rh, but the antiferromagnetic arrangement for M = Ir. The octahedral M4+ ion of Ca3CoMO6 has the (1a)1(1e)4 configuration for M = Rh but the (1a)2(1e)3 configuration for M = Ir, which arises from the difference in the spin-orbit coupling of the M4+ ions and the Co...M metal-metal interactions., 43 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables

The origin of the collinear antiferromagnetic magnetic structure of Ni(3)TeO(6) below 52 K was analyzed by calculating its spin exchanges on the basis of density functional calculations, and the cause for the parallelc-spin orientation found for this magnetic structure by calculating the spin-orbit coupling and magnetic dipole-dipole interaction energies. The calculated exchanges correctly predict the observed magnetic structure below 52 K, and lead practically to no spin frustration. The perpendicularc- and parallelc-spin orientations are predicted by the spin-orbit coupling and the magnetic dipole-dipole interactions, respectively. However, the magnetic dipole-dipole interactions are stronger than the spin-orbit coupling interactions, and hence are responsible for the spin orientation observed for Ni(3)TeO(6).

A new composite photocatalyst Ag/AgBr/WO(3).H(2)O was synthesized by reacting Ag(8)W(4)O(16) with HBr and then reducing some Ag(+) ions in the surface region of AgBr particles to Ag nanoparticles via the light-induced chemical reduction. Ag nanoparticles are formed from AgBr by the light-induced chemical reduction reaction. The Ag/AgBr particles are on the surface of WO(3).H(2)O and have irregular shapes with sizes varying between 63 and 442 nm. WO(3).H(2)O appears as flakes about 31 nm thick and 157-474 nm wide. The as-grown Ag/AgBr/WO(3).H(2)O sample shows strong absorption in the visible region because of the plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles in Ag/AgBr/WO(3).H(2)O. The ability of this compound to destroy E. coli and oxidize methylic orange under visible light was compared with those of other reference photocatalysts. Ag/AgBr/WO(3).H(2)O is a highly efficient photocatalyst under visible light. The Ag/AgBr/WO(3).H(2)O samples recovered from repeated photooxidation experiments are almost identical to the as-prepared samples, proving the stability of Ag/AgBr/WO(3).H(2)O sample.

The ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic states of anatase and rutile TiO 2 doped with N atoms at oxygen sites were investigated by density functional theory calculations for a number of model N-doped TiO 2 structures. The each N dopant at an O site exists as an N 2− ion with net spin moment of 1.0 μ B . In general, the spin exchange coupling between the spin moments of two N dopants is strong when the two dopants are coordinated to a common Ti atom, and whether the coupling between the two N atoms is ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic in such a case depends on the ∠N–Ti–N angle.

We investigated the optical properties of (NBu{sub 4}){sub 3}[Ni(NCS){sub 5}], a pentacoordinate Ni compound, and compared the results with the more traditional hexacoordinate analogue (NEt{sub 4}){sub 4}[Ni(NCS){sub 6}]. On the basis of our complementary electronic structure calculations, the color properties of this high spin complex can be understood in terms of excitations between strongly hybridized orbitals with significant Ni d and ligand character. Variable temperature vibrational studies show mode softening with decreasing temperature and splitting near 200 K, trends that we attribute to improved low temperature intermolecular interactions and a weak structural phase transition, respectively.

The structural and electronic properties of two possible substitutional carbon-doped structures of anatase and rutile TiO2 [i.e., C for O (C@O)- and C for Ti (C@Ti)-doped TiO2] were studied by performing first-principle density functional theory calculations. In C-doped TiO2 with C@O, the band gap changes slightly, but the doped carbon introduces spin-polarized gap states of C 2p orbital in character. Thus, the associated electron excitations among the valence band, the conduction band, and the gap states explain the various visible-light absorption thresholds observed for C anion-doped TiO2. For C-doped anatase and rutile TiO2 with C@Ti, the doped C atom does not induce spin-polarized states. For C-doped anatase TiO2 with C@Ti, the optical absorption energy is reduced by about 0.18 eV, and the C dopant forms a linear O−C−O unit with short C−O distance resembling carbon dioxide, which is consistent with experiment. In C-doped rutile TiO2 with C@Ti, C-doping reduces the optical absorption energy by about 0...

The crystal structure of copper carbodiimide, CuNCN, was determined from neutron diffraction data at room temperature and at 4 K, and the electrical resistivity, specific heat, and magnetic susceptibility measurements were carried out. The spin exchange interactions of CuNCN were evaluated by performing first-principles density functional theory electronic structure calculations. CuNCN is a semiconductor containing Jahn−Teller distorted CuN6 octahedra around the divalent copper ions, and the material shows a very small and almost temperature-independent magnetic susceptibility. Our electronic structure calculations evidence that the spin exchange interactions of CuNCN are dominated by two antiferromagnetic spin exchange paths leading to a triangular lattice antiferromagnet within the ab plane. Because the coupling between the layers (along the c axis) is small, CuNCN may be regarded a two-dimensional S = 1/2 frustrated triangular Heisenberg quantum antiferromagnet.