RESUMEN
Intermetallic compounds in the Al-Pt system were systematically studied via hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, focusing on the positions of Pt 4f and Al 2s core levels and valence band features. On one hand, with increasing Al content, the Pt 4f core levels shift towards higher binding energies (BE), revealing the influence of the atomic interactions (chemical bonding) on the electronic state of Pt. On the other hand, the charge transfer from Al to Pt increases with increasing Al content in Al-Pt compounds. These two facts cannot be combined using the standard "chemical shift" approach. Computational analysis reveals that higher negative effective charges of Pt atoms are accompanied by reduced occupancy of Pt 5d orbitals, leading to the limited availability of these electrons for the screening of the 4f core hole and this in turn explains the experimentally observed shift of 4f core levels to higher BE.
RESUMEN
Mg3-xGa1+xIr (x = 0.05) was synthesized by direct reaction of the elements in welded tantalum containers at 1200 °C and subsequent annealing at 500 °C for 30 days. Its crystal structure represents a new prototype and was determined by single-crystal technique as follows: space group P63/mcm, Pearson symbol hP90, Z = 18, a = 14.4970(3) Å, c = 8.8638(3) Å. The composition and atomic arrangement in Mg3GaIr do not follow the 8-N rule due to the lack of valence electrons. Based on chemical bonding analysis in positional space, it was shown that the title compound has a polycationic-polyanionic organization. In comparison with other known intermetallic substances with this kind of bonding pattern, both the polyanion and the polyanion are remarkably complex. Mg3-xGa1+xIr is an example of how the general organization of intermetallic substances (e.g., formation of polyanions and polycations) can be understood by extending the principles of 8-N compounds to electron-deficient materials with multi-atomic bonding.
RESUMEN
Hf2B2-2δIr5+δ crystallizes with a new type of structure: space group Pbam, a = 5.6300(3) Å, b = 11.2599(5) Å, and c = 3.8328(2) Å. Nearly 5% of the boron pairs are randomly replaced by single iridium atoms (Ir5+δB2-2δ). From an analysis of the chemical bonding, the crystal structure can be understood as a three-dimensional framework stabilized by covalent two-atom B-B and Ir-Ir as well as three-atom Ir-Ir-B and Ir-Ir-Ir interactions. The hafnium atoms center 14-atom cavities and transfer a significant amount of charge to the polyanionic boron-iridium framework. This refractory boride displays moderate hardness and is a Pauli paramagnet with metallic electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity. The metallic character of this system is also confirmed by electronic structure calculations revealing 5.8 states eV-1 fu-1 at the Fermi level. Zr2B2-2δIr5+δ is found to be isotypic with Hf2B2-2δIr5+δ, and both form a continuous solid solution.
RESUMEN
The production of hydrogen via water electrolysis is feasible only if effective and stable catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are available. Intermetallic compounds with well-defined crystal and electronic structures as well as particular chemical bonding features are suggested here to act as precursors for new composite materials with attractive catalytic properties. Al2 Pt combines a characteristic inorganic crystal structure (anti-fluorite type) and a strongly polar chemical bonding with the advantage of elemental platinum in terms of stability against dissolution under OER conditions. We describe here the unforeseen performance of a surface nanocomposite architecture resulting from the self-organized transformation of the bulk intermetallic precursor Al2 Pt in OER.
RESUMEN
The ethylene epoxidation is a challenging catalytic process, and development of active and selective catalyst requires profound understanding of its chemical behaviour under reaction conditions. The systematic study on intermetallic compounds in the Ca-Ag system under ethylene epoxidation conditions clearly shows that the character of the oxidation processes on the surface originates from the atomic interactions in the pristine compound. The Ag-rich compounds Ca2Ag7 and CaAg2 undergo oxidation towards fcc Ag and a complex Ca-based support, whereas equiatomic CaAg and the Ca-rich compounds Ca5Ag3 and Ca3Ag in bulk remain stable under harsh ethylene epoxidation conditions. For the latter presence of water vapour in the gas stream leads to noticeable corrosion. Combining the experimental results with the chemical bonding analysis and first-principles calculations, the relationships among the chemical nature of the compounds, their reactivity and catalytic performance towards epoxidation of ethylene are investigated.
RESUMEN
The chemical behavior of CaAg as catalyst for ethylene epoxidation was studied using a combination of experimental (X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy), and quantum chemical techniques as well as real-space chemical bonding analysis. Under oxidative ethylene epoxidation conditions, the CaAg (010) surface possesses an outstanding stability during long-term experiments. It is caused by the formation of an ordered, stable and dense CaO passivation layer with a small amount of embedded Ag atoms. On this way, the (010) surface constitutes a kinetic barrier for further incorporation of oxygen into the subsurface region and thereby prevents further oxidative decomposition of CaAg. The calculated adsorption energies of the reaction species show strong adsorption of the reaction products that may explain the observed low conversion of ethylene toward ethylene oxide using CaAg as catalyst.
RESUMEN
The title compound was synthesized by a reaction of the elemental educts in a corundum crucible at 1200 °C under an Ar atmosphere. The excess of Ga used in the initial mixture served as a flux for the subsequent crystal growth at 600 °C. The crystal structure of Yb4Ga24Pt9 was determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data: new prototype of crystal structure, space group C2/m, Pearson symbol mS74, a = 7.4809(1) Å, b = 12.9546(2) Å, c = 13.2479(2) Å, ß = 100.879(1)°, V = 1260.82(6) Å3, RF = 0.039 for 1781 observed reflections and 107 variable parameters. The structure is described as an ABABB stacking of two slabs with trigonal symmetry and compositions Yb4Ga6 (A) and Ga12Pt6 (B). The hard X-ray photoelectron spectrum (HAXPES) of Yb4Ga24Pt9 shows both Yb2+ and Yb3+ contributions as evidence of an intermediate valence state of ytterbium. The evaluated Yb valence of â¼2.5 is in good agreement with the results obtained from the magnetic susceptibility measurements. The compound is a bad metallic conductor.
RESUMEN
The chemical bonding of transition metal compounds with a MgAgAs-type of crystal structure is analyzed with quantum chemical position-space techniques. The observed trends in QTAIM Madelung energy and nearest neighbor electron sharing explain the occurrence of recently synthesized MgAgAs-type compounds, TiPtGe and TaIrGe, at the boundary to the TiNiSi-type crystal structure. These bonding indicators are used to identify favorable element combinations for new MgAgAs-type compounds. The new phases-the high-temperature VIrGe and the low-temperature HfPtGe-showing this type of crystal structure are prepared and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis.
RESUMEN
Al-Pt compounds have been systematically studied as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Considering the harsh oxidative conditions of the OER, all Al-Pt compounds undergo modifications during electrochemical experiments. However, the degree of changes strongly depends on the composition and crystal structure of a compound. In contrast to Al-rich compounds (Al4Pt and Al21Pt8), which reveal strong leaching of aluminum, changes in other compounds (Al2Pt, Al3Pt2, rt-AlPt, Al3Pt5, and rt-AlPt3) take place only on the surface or in the near-surface region. Furthermore, surface modification leads to a change in the electronic structure of Pt, giving rise to the in situ formation of catalytically more active surfaces, which are composed of intermetallic compounds, Pt-rich AlxPt1-x phases and Pt oxides. Forming a compromise between sufficient OER activity and stability, Al2Pt and Al3Pt2 can be considered as precursors for OER electrocatalysts.