Three-Center M-H-B Bonds Are Strong Field Interactions. Synthesis and Characterization of M(CH2NMe2BH3)3 Complexes of Titanium, Chromium, and Cobalt.

We describe new compounds of stoichiometry M(CH2NMe2BH3)3 (M = Ti, Cr, and Co), each of which contains three chelating boranatodimethylaminomethyl (BDAM) ligands. In all three compounds, the BDAM anion, which is isoelectronic and isostructural with the neopentyl group, is bound to the metal center at one end by a metal-carbon σ bond and at the other by one three-center M-H-B interaction. The crystal structures show that the d1 titanium(III) compound is trigonal prismatic (or eight-coordinate, if two longer-ranged M···H interactions with the BH3 groups are included), whereas the d3 chromium(III) compound and the d6 cobalt(III) compounds are both fac-octahedral. The Cr and Co compounds exhibit two rapid dynamic processes in solution: exchange between the Δ and Λ enantiomers and exchange of the terminal and bridging hydrogen atoms on boron. For the Co complex, the barrier for Δ/Λ exchange (ΔG⧧298 = 10.1 kcal mol-1) is significantly smaller than those seen in other octahedral cobalt(III) compounds; DFT calculations suggest that Bailar twist and dissociative pathways for Δ/Λ exchange are both possible mechanisms. The UV-vis absorption spectra of the cobalt(III) and chromium(III) species show that the ligand field splittings Δo caused by the M-H-B interactions are unexpectedly large, thus placing them high on the spectrochemical series (near ammonia and alkyl groups); their nephelauxetic effect is also large. The DFT calculations suggest that these properties of M-H-B interactions are in part a consequence of their three-center nature, which delocalizes electron density away from the metal center and reduces electron-electron repulsions.

Structural and Spectroscopic Studies of Steric and Electronic Substituent Effects in a Series of Magnesium Aminodiboranates Mg[(BH3)2NMeR]2.

The magnesium N,N-dimethylaminodiboranate compound Mg[(BH3)2NMe2]2, the most volatile compound of magnesium known, serves as an excellent chemical vapor deposition (CVD) precursor for the growth of thin films such as the dielectric material MgO. To explore how the thermal stability and physical properties of magnesium aminodiboranates depend on the steric and electronic properties of the nitrogen-bound substituents, we have made a series of analogues of Mg[(BH3)2NMe2]2, in which one of the two methyl substituents on nitrogen is replaced with an ethyl, iso-propyl, or tert-butyl group. In the crystal structure of Mg[(BH3)2NMe(t-Bu)]2, the magnesium center is coordinated to two chelating (BH3)2NMe(t-Bu) ligands, each of which binds in a κ2,κ2 fashion so that the magnesium center forms eight Mg-H contacts. Unlike Mg[(BH3)2NMe2]2, however, which has a linear N···Mg···N angle and is an isolated molecule in the solid state, the N···Mg···N angle in Mg[(BH3)2NMe(t-Bu)]2 is distinctly nonlinear (149.9°) because hydrogen atoms of BH3 groups of nearby molecules form two additional Mg-H contacts with the magnesium center. When the complexes are heated in toluene solution, the (BH3)2NMeR- groups reversibly undergo B-N bond cleavage (with concomitant migration of a hydrogen atom) to release the aminoborane BH2═NMeR and form magnesium borohydride, Mg(BH4)2. For the methyl, ethyl, and iso-propyl derivatives, the equilibrium strongly favors Mg[(BH3)2NMeR]2. In contrast, for the tert-butyl derivative, the equilibrium strongly favors BH2═NMe(t-Bu) and Mg(BH4)2. The results suggest that more strongly electron-donating groups slightly strengthen the B-N bonds and disfavor B-N bond cleavage, provided that the groups are not too large. In contrast, sterically bulky ligands disfavor B-N bond reformation, thus promoting the dissociative equilibrium that involves B-N bond cleavage. Interestingly, the rates at which the complexes approach equilibrium depend only weakly on the nature of the R group, at least within the series studied. These findings are relevant to the potential use of magnesium aminodiboranates as CVD precursors to the superconducting phase MgB2.

Synthesis and Characterization of Ether Adducts of Thorium Tetrahydroborate Th(BH4)4 and Chemical Vapor Deposition of Thorium Boride Thin Films.

Treating ThCl4 with LiBH4 in various ethereal solvents affords the adducts Th(BH4)4(Et2O)2, Th(BH4)4(thf)2, and Th(BH4)4(dme) (thf = tetrahydrofuran and dme = 1,2-dimethoxyethane). The structures of these three compounds have been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction: if the tetrahydroborate groups are considered as occupying one coordination site, the Et2O and thf complexes adopt trans-octahedral coordination geometries, whereas the dme complex exhibits a cis-octahedral structure. All four BH4- ligands in each compound are tridentate, rendering each thorium center 14-coordinate. The Th···B distances range from 2.64 to 2.67 Å, and the Th-O bond lengths are 2.47-2.52 Å. We propose that crystals of Th(BH4)4(thf)2 are isomorphous with those of U(BH4)4(thf)2, but owing to pseudosymmetry the latter was reported in a unit cell that was too small by a factor of 2. IR spectra and 1H and 11B NMR data are reported as well. All three adducts are volatile, subliming readily at 60 °C and 10-4 Torr, making them potentially useful as precursors for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of thin films of thorium boride. Passage of Th(BH4)4(Et2O)2 over glass, Si(100), and aluminum substrates heated to 350 °C yields amorphous films of approximate stoichiometry ThB2; films deposited from Th(BH4)4(thf)2 have stoichiometries closer to ThB2.5 and contain some oxygen. Auger, XPS, XRD, and SEM studies of these films are reported.

Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of Volatile Lanthanide Dialkyltriazenides.

Several dialkyltriazenide complexes of the lanthanide elements neodymium, europium, and erbium have been prepared; these include the homoleptic complex Er(ButN3But)3, the tetrahydrofuran monoadducts Ln(ButN3But)3(THF) where Ln = Nd or Eu, and the lithium salts [Li(THF)][Ln(MeN3But)4] where Ln = Eu or Er. Crystal structures, nuclear magnetic resonance data, and infrared data are reported for all complexes. The di-tert-butyltriazenide complexes are thermally stable, sublime at reasonably low temperatures, and show smooth volatilization without decomposition, which make them potentially useful in lanthanide separation processes and as chemical vapor deposition precursors for lanthanide nitrides and other phases.

Pr(H3BNMe2BH3)3 and Pr(thd)3 as Volatile Carriers for Actinium-225. Deposition of Actinium-Doped Praseodymium Boride Thin Films for Potential Use in Brachytherapy.

Here we show that the praseodymium N,N-dimethylaminodiboranate complex Pr(H3BNMe2BH3)3 and the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dionate complex Pr(thd)3 can serve as volatile carriers for 225Ac. The actinium coordination complexes Ac(H3BNMe2BH3)3 and Ac(thd)3 are the likely species subliming with the carrier material. A sample of 225Ac-doped Pr(H3BNMe2BH3)3 was used to deposit amorphous 225Ac-doped praseodymium boride films on glass and Si(100) at 300 °C. The α emission spectra of the refractory films are well-resolved, suggesting that they could be used as radioactive implants for brachytherapy and related treatments.

Sodium Aminodiboranates Na(H3BNR2BH3): Structural and Spectroscopic Studies of Steric and Electronic Substituent Effects.

We describe the syntheses of a series of sodium aminodiboranate salts, Na(H3B-NR2-BH3), with different substituents on nitrogen, including sodium salts of the unsubstituted aminodiboranate, H3B-NH2-BH3-, and of the N-substituted anions H3B-NRR'-BH3-, where NRR' = NHMe, NHEt, NH(SiMe3), NEt2, N(i-Pr)2, N(SiMe3)2, NMe(i-Pr), NMe(t-Bu), NMe(SiMe3), and the pyrrolidide and piperidide derivatives NC4H8, NC5H10, and NC5H8-cis-2,6-Me2. The compounds have been characterized by 1H and 11B NMR spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy; crystallographic studies have been carried out for the unsolvated N,N-dimethylaminodiboranate salt Na(H3B-NMe2-BH3) and several sodium aminodiboranate salts in which the sodium ions are solvated with ethers (dioxane, diglyme, tetrahydrofuran, and 12-crown-4) or amines (N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine). One of the structures contains a rare example of an ether ligand in which one oxygen atom bridges between two metal ions. General structural and spectroscopic trends as a function of the substituents on nitrogen are discussed.

Platinum(II) Di-ω-alkenyl Complexes as "Slow-Release" Precatalysts for Heat-Triggered Olefin Hydrosilylation.

We describe the synthesis, characterization, and catalytic hydrosilylation activity of platinum(II) di-ω-alkenyl compounds of stoichiometry PtR2, where R = CH2SiMe2(vinyl) (1) or CH2SiMe2(allyl) (2), and their adducts with 1,5-cyclooctadiene (COD), dibenzo[a,e]cyclooctatetraene (DBCOT), and norbornadiene (NBD), which can be considered as slow-release sources of the reactive compounds 1 and 2. At loadings of 0.5 × 10-6-5 × 10-6 mol %, 1-COD is an active hydrosilylation catalyst that exhibits heat-triggered latency: no hydrosilylation activity occurs toward many olefin substrates even after several hours at 20 °C, but turnover numbers as high as 200000 are seen after 4 h at 50 °C, with excellent selectivity for formation of the anti-Markovnikov product. Activation of the PtII precatalyst occurs via three steps: slow dissociation of COD from 1-COD to form 1, rapid reaction of 1 with silane, and elimination of both ω-alkenyl ligands to form Pt0 species. The latent catalytic behavior, the high turnover number, and the high anti-Markovnikov selectivity are a result of the slow release of 1 from 1-COD at room temperature, so that the concentration of Pt0 during the initial stages of the catalysis is negligible. As a result, formation of colloidal Pt, which is known to cause side reactions, is minimized, and the amounts of side products are very small and comparable to those seen for platinum(0) carbene catalysts. The latent reaction kinetics and high turnover numbers seen for 1-COD after thermal triggering make this compound a potentially useful precatalyst for injection molding or solvent-free hydrosilylation applications.

Synthesis and Characterization of Divalent Samarium and Thulium N,N-Dimethylaminodiboranates.

The syntheses and molecular structures of new SmII and TmII N,N-dimethylaminodiboranate (DMADB) complexes are described. Treating SmI2(THF)2 with Na(H3BNMe2BH3) in THF results in the formation of Sm(H3BNMe2BH3)2(THF)3 (1), which can be readily converted to Sm(H3BNMe2BH3)2(DME)2 (DME = 1,2-dimethoxyethane) or Sm(H3BNMe2BH3)2(diglyme) by exchange with the corresponding ether. We also show that Sm(H3BNMe2BH3)2(THF)3 can be prepared by reduction of the SmIII compound Sm(H3BNMe2BH3)3(THF) with KC8 and that addition of 18-crown-6 to this reaction mixture results in the formation of the SmII compound Sm(H3BNMe2BH3)2(18-crown-6). In a similar fashion, two new TmII complexes have been synthesized: treatment of TmI2 in THF with Na(H3BNMe2BH3) results in the formation of Tm(H3BNMe2BH3)2(THF)2 and Tm(H3BNMe2BH3)2(THF)3, which form a cocrystal. IR data and elemental analyses are reported for all the new compounds, as are their crystal structures. 1H and 11B NMR data are provided where available.

X-ray Crystal Structure of Thorium Tetrahydroborate, Th(BH4)4, and Computational Studies of An(BH4)4 (An = Th, U).

The crystal structure of Th(BH4)4 is described. Two of the four BH4- ions are terminal and tridentate (κ3), whereas the other two bridge between neighboring ThIV centers in a κ2,κ2 (i.e., bis-bidentate) fashion. Thus, each thorium center is bound to six BH4- groups by 14 Th-H bonds. The six boron atoms describe a distorted octahedron in which the κ3-BH4- ions are mutually cis; the 14 ligating hydrogen atoms define a highly distorted bicapped hexagonal antiprism. The thorium centers are linked into a polymer consisting of interconnected helical chains wound about 4-fold screw axes. The structures of An(BH4)4 (An = Th, U) were also investigated by DFT. The geometries of [An(BH4)6]2-, [An3(BH4)16]4-, and [An5(BH4)26]6- fragments of the polymeric structures were optimized at the B3LYP and/or PBE levels. Most calculated geometries are 14-coordinate and agree with the experimental structures, but isolated [Th(BH4)6]2- units are predicted to feature 16-coordinate ThIV centers.

Nature of the Short Rh-Li Contact between Lithium and the Rhodium ω-Alkenyl Complex [Rh(CH2CMe2CH2CH═CH2)2].

We describe the preparation of the cis-bis(η1,η2-2,2-dimethylpent-4-en-1-yl)rhodate(I) anion, cis-[Rh(CH2CMe2CH2CH═CH2)2]-, and the interaction of this species with Li+ both in solution and in the solid state. For the lithium(diethyl ether) salt [Li(Et2O)][Rh(CH2CMe2CH2CH═CH2)2], VT-NMR and 1H{7Li} NOE NMR studies in toluene-d8 show that the Li+ cation is in close proximity to the dz2 orbital of rhodium. In the solid-state structure of the lithium(12-crown-4) salt [Li(12-crown-4)2][Li{Rh(CH2CMe2CH2CH═CH2)2}2], one lithium atom is surrounded by two [Rh(CH2CMe2CH2CH═CH2)2]- anions, and in this assembly there are two unusually short Rh-Li distances of 2.48 Å. DFT calculations, natural energy decomposition, and ETS-NOCV analysis suggest that there is a weak dative interaction between the 4dz2 orbitals on the Rh centers and the 2pz orbital of the Li+ cation. The charge-transfer term between Rh and Li+ contributes only about the 1/5 of the total interaction energy, however, and the principal driving force for the proximity of Rh and Li in compounds 1 and 2 is that Li+ is electrostatically attracted to negative charges on the dialkylrhodiate anions.

Synthesis and Characterization of Strontium N,N-Dimethylaminodiboranates as Possible Chemical Vapor Deposition Precursors.

The reaction of SrBr2 with 2 equiv of sodium N,N-dimethylaminodiboranate (DMADB; Na(H3BNMe2BH3)) in Et2O at 0 °C followed by crystallization and drying under vacuum gives the unsolvated strontium compound Sr(H3BNMe2BH3)2 (1). Before the vacuum-drying step, the colorless crystals obtained by crystallization consist of the diethyl ether adduct Sr(H3BNMe2BH3)2(Et2O)2 (2). If the reaction of SrBr2 with 2 equiv of Na(H3BNMe2BH3) is carried out in the more strongly coordinating solvent thf, the solvate Sr(H3BNMe2BH3)2(thf)3 (3) is obtained. Treating the thf adduct 3 with 1,2-dimethoxyethane (dme), bis(2-methoxyethyl) ether (diglyme), or N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (tmeda) in thf affords the new compounds Sr(H3BNMe2BH3)2(dme)2 (4), Sr(H3BNMe2BH3)2(diglyme) (5), and Sr(H3BNMe2BH3)2(tmeda) (6), respectively, in greater than 60% yields. Treatment of 3 with 2 equiv of the crown ether 12-crown-4 affords the charge-separated salt [Sr(H3BNMe2BH3)(12-crown-4)2][H3BNMe2BH3] (7). Crystal structures of all the Lewis base adducts are described. Compounds 2-6 all possess chelating κ2-BH3NMe2BH3-κ2 groups, in which two hydrogen atoms on each boron center are bound to strontium. Compound 6 is dinuclear because each metal atom is also coordinated to one hydrogen atom on a BH3NMe2BH3- ligand that chelates to the neighboring metal center. Compound 7 possesses an unusual κ1-BH3NMe2BH3- group owing to the near-complete encapsulation of the Sr atom by two 12-crown-4 molecules; the other BH3NMe2BH3- anion is a charge-separated counterion. When they are heated, the diglyme and tmeda compounds 5 and 6 melt without decomposition and can be sublimed readily under reduced pressure (1 Torr) at 120 °C. The diglyme and tmeda adducts are some of the most volatile strontium compounds known and are promising candidates as CVD precursors for the growth of strontium-containing thin films.

Tracking the Metal-Centered Triplet in Photoinduced Spin Crossover of Fe(phen)32+ with Tabletop Femtosecond M-Edge X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure Spectroscopy.

Fe(II) coordination complexes are promising alternatives to Ru(II) and Ir(III) chromophores for photoredox chemistry and solar energy conversion, but rapid deactivation of the initial metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) state to low-lying (d,d) states limits their performance. Relaxation to a long-lived quintet state is postulated to occur via a metal-centered triplet state, but this mechanism remains controversial. We use femtosecond extreme ultraviolet (XUV) transient absorption spectroscopy to measure the excited-state relaxation of Fe(phen)32+ and conclusively identify a 3T intermediate that forms in 170 fs and decays to a vibrationally hot 5T2g state in 39 fs. A coherent vibrational wavepacket with a period of 249 fs and damping time of 0.63 ps is observed on the 5T2g surface, and the spectrum of this oscillation serves as a fingerprint for the Fe-N symmetric stretch. The results show that the shape of the M2,3-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectrum is sensitive to the electronic structure of the metal center, and the high-spin sensitivity, fast time resolution, and tabletop convenience of XUV transient absorption make it a powerful tool for studying the complex photophysics of transition metal complexes.

Improved charge transfer multiplet method to simulate M- and L-edge X-ray absorption spectra of metal-centered excited states.

Charge transfer multiplet (CTM) theory is a computationally undemanding and highly mature method for simulating the soft X-ray spectra of first-row transition metal complexes. However, CTM theory has seldom been applied to the simulation of excited-state spectra. In this article, the CTM4XAS software package is extended to simulate M2,3- and L2,3-edge spectra for the excited states of first-row transition metals and also interpret CTM eigenfunctions in terms of Russell-Saunders term symbols. These new programs are used to reinterpret the recently reported excited-state M2,3-edge difference spectra of photogenerated ferrocenium cations and to propose alternative assignments for the electronic state of these cations responsible for the spectroscopic features. These new programs were also used to model the L2,3-edge spectra of FeII compounds during nuclear relaxation following photoinduced spin crossover and to propose spectroscopic signatures for their vibrationally hot states.

Comparing the 2,2'-Biphenylenedithiophosphinate Binding of Americium with Neodymium and Europium.

Advancing our understanding of the minor actinides (Am, Cm) versus lanthanides is key for developing advanced nuclear-fuel cycles. Herein, we describe the preparation of (NBu4 )Am[S2 P((t) Bu2 C12 H6 )]4 and two isomorphous lanthanide complexes, namely one with a similar ionic radius (i.e., Nd(III) ) and an isoelectronic one (Eu(III) ). The results include the first measurement of an Am-S bond length, with a mean value of 2.921(9) Å, by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Comparison with the Eu(III) and Nd(III) complexes revealed subtle electronic differences between the complexes of Am(III) and the lanthanides.

Synthesis and characterization of calcium N,N-dimethylaminodiboranates as possible chemical vapor deposition precursors.

The reaction of CaBr2 with 2 equiv of sodium N,N-dimethylaminodiboranate, Na(H3BNMe2BH3) in Et2O at 0 °C followed by crystallization and drying in vacuum yields the unsolvated calcium compound Ca(H3BNMe2BH3)2, 1. Before the vacuum drying step, the colorless crystals obtained by crystallization consist of the diethyl ether adduct Ca(H3BNMe2BH3)2(Et2O)2, 2. If the reaction of CaBr2 with 2 equiv of Na(H3BNMe2BH3) is carried out in the more strongly coordinating solvent tetrahydrofuran (thf), the solvate Ca(H3BNMe2BH3)2(thf)2, 3, is obtained. This compound does not desolvate as easily in vacuum as the diethyl ether compound 2. Treating the thf adduct 3 with 1,2-dimethoxyethane (dme), bis(2-methoxyethyl) ether (diglyme), or N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (tmeda) in thf affords the new compounds Ca(H3BNMe2BH3)2(dme), 4, Ca(H3BNMe2BH3)2(diglyme), 5, and Ca(H3BNMe2BH3)2(tmeda), 6, respectively, in greater than 60% yields. Treatment of 3 with 2 equiv of the crown ether 12-crown-4 in thf affords the charge-separated salt [Ca(12-crown-4)2][H3BNMe2BH3]2, 7. Crystal structures of all the Lewis base adducts are described. Compounds 2-6 all possess chelating κ(2)-BH3NMe2BH3-κ(2) groups, in which two hydrogen atoms on each boron center are bound to calcium. Compound 7 is the only ionic compound in the series; the Ca atom is completely encapsulated by two 12-crown-4 rings, and the anions are charge-separated counterions within the unit cell. When heated, the dme, diglyme, and tmeda compounds 4, 5, and 6 melt without decomposition, and can be sublimed readily under reduced pressure (1 Torr) at 90 °C (4) and 120 °C (5, 6). The dme adduct is one of the most volatile calcium compounds known, and is a promising CVD precursor for the growth of calcium-containing thin films.

Synthesis and single crystal structure of sodium octahydrotriborate, NaB3H8.

This paper describes a modified synthesis of NaB3H8 by the reduction of BH3·THF with sodium dispersed on silica gel. Single crystals obtained from CH2Cl2 show conclusively that the space group is Pmn21, in contrast to the Pmmn space group previously deduced from powder diffraction data.

The energy landscape of glassy dynamics on the amorphous hafnium diboride surface.

Direct visualization of the dynamics of structural glasses and amorphous solids on the sub-nanometer scale provides rich information unavailable from bulk or conventional single molecule techniques. We study the surface of hafnium diboride, a conductive ultrahigh temperature ceramic material that can be grown in amorphous films. Our scanning tunneling movies have a second-to-hour dynamic range and single-point current measurements extend that to the millisecond-to-minute time scale. On the a-HfB2 glass surface, two-state hopping of 1-2 nm diameter cooperatively rearranging regions or "clusters" occurs from sub-milliseconds to hours. We characterize individual clusters in detail through high-resolution (<0.5 nm) imaging, scanning tunneling spectroscopy and voltage modulation, ruling out individual atoms, diffusing adsorbates, or pinned charges as the origin of the observed two-state hopping. Smaller clusters are more likely to hop, larger ones are more likely to be immobile. HfB2 has a very high bulk glass transition temperature Tg, and we observe no three-state hopping or sequential two-state hopping previously seen on lower Tg glass surfaces. The electronic density of states of clusters does not change when they hop up or down, allowing us to calibrate an accurate relative z-axis scale. By directly measuring and histogramming single cluster vertical displacements, we can reconstruct the local free energy landscape of individual clusters, complete with activation barrier height, a reaction coordinate in nanometers, and the shape of the free energy landscape basins between which hopping occurs. The experimental images are consistent with the compact shape of α-relaxors predicted by random first order transition theory, whereas the rapid hopping rate, even taking less confined motion at the surface into account, is consistent with ß-relaxations. We make a proposal of how "mixed" features can show up in surface dynamics of glasses.

Nanosoldering carbon nanotube junctions by local chemical vapor deposition for improved device performance.

The performance of carbon nanotube network (CNN) devices is usually limited by the high resistance of individual nanotube junctions (NJs). We present a novel method to reduce this resistance through a nanoscale chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. By passing current through the devices in the presence of a gaseous CVD precursor, localized nanoscale Joule heating induced at the NJs stimulates the selective and self-limiting deposition of metallic nanosolder. The effectiveness of this nanosoldering process depends on the work function of the deposited metal (here Pd or HfB2), and it can improve the on/off current ratio of a CNN device by nearly an order of magnitude. This nanosoldering technique could also be applied to other device types where nanoscale resistance components limit overall device performance.

Response to the rebuttal of the article Pathological crystal structures.

We stand fully behind our earlier suggestion [Raymond & Girolami (2023). Acta Cryst. C79, 445-455] that the claim by Fish and co-workers [Chen et al. (1995). J. Am. Chem. Soc. 117, 9097-9098; Smith et al. (2014). Organometallics, 33, 2389-2404] of a linear two-coordinate rhodium(I) species is incorrect, and that the putative rhodium atom is in fact silver.

Pathological crystal structures.

Recent decades have seen enormous changes in the technology of crystal structure analysis, but the interpretation of these data still depends on human judgment, and errors are far from uncommon. Although analysing the crystallographic results with available software tools can catch many types of errors, others can be detected only by combining knowledge of both crystallography and chemistry. We discuss several such examples from the published literature, and for each of them we identify what lessons they teach us. The examples are categorized by the type of error: correct crystallography but incorrect chemistry, mis-assignment of atoms, high-symmetry superstructures with included guest molecules, incorrect choice of space group, incorrect choice of unit-cell size, and unresolved problems. These examples are intended to counteract the aura of infallibility that crystal structures sometimes assume and to alert the reader to features to look for in detecting pathological structures.