Cornucopia of Structures in the Pseudobinary System (SnSe) xBi2Se3: A Crystal-Chemical Copycat.

Pseudobinary phases (SnSe) xBi2Se3 exhibit a very diverse structural chemistry characterized by different building blocks, all of which are cutouts of the NaCl type. For SnSe contents between x = 5 and x = 0.5, several new phases were discovered. Next to, for example, Sn4Bi2Se7 ( x = 4) in the NaCl structure type and SnBi4Se7 ( x = 0.5) in the layered defect GeSb2Te4 structure type, there are at least four compounds (0.8 ≤ x ≤ 3) with lillianite-like structures built up from distorted NaCl-type slabs (L4,4-type Sn2.22Bi2.52Se6, L4,5-type Sn9.52Bi10.96Se26, L4,7-type Sn11.49Bi12.39Se30, and L7,7-type Sn3.6Bi3.6Se9). For two of them (L4,7 and L7,7), the cation distributions were determined by resonant X-ray scattering, which also confirmed the presence of significant amounts of cation vacancies. Thermoelectric figures of merit ZT range from 0.04 for Sn4Bi2Se7 to 0.2 for layered SnBi4Se7; this is similar to that of the related compounds SnBi2Te4 or PbBi2Te4. Compounds of the lillianite series exhibit rather low thermal conductivities (∼0.75 W/mK for maximal ZT). More than other "sulfosalts", compounds in the pseudobinary system SnSe-Bi2Se3 adapt to changes in the cation-anion ratio by copying structure types of compounds containing lighter or heavier homologues of Sn, Bi, or Se and can incorporate significant amounts of vacancies. Thus, (SnSe) xBi2Se3 is a multipurpose model system with vast possibilities for substitutional and structural modification aiming at the optimization of thermoelectric or other properties.

Correlation of High Magnetoelectric Coupling with Oxygen Vacancy Superstructure in Epitaxial Multiferroic BaTiO3-BiFeO3 Composite Thin Films.

Epitaxial multiferroic BaTiO3-BiFeO3 composite thin films exhibit a correlation between the magnetoelectric (ME) voltage coefficient αME and the oxygen partial pressure during growth. The ME coefficient αME reaches high values up to 43 V/(cm·Oe) at 300 K and at 0.25 mbar oxygen growth pressure. The temperature dependence of αME of the composite films is opposite that of recently-reported BaTiO3-BiFeO3 superlattices, indicating that strain-mediated ME coupling alone cannot explain its origin. Probably, charge-mediated ME coupling may play a role in the composite films. Furthermore, the chemically-homogeneous composite films show an oxygen vacancy superstructure, which arises from vacancy ordering on the {111} planes of the pseudocubic BaTiO3-type structure. This work contributes to the understanding of magnetoelectric coupling as a complex and sensitive interplay of chemical, structural and geometrical issues of the BaTiO3-BiFeO3 composite system and, thus, paves the way to practical exploitation of magnetoelectric composites.

High Thermoelectric Figure of Merit Values of Germanium Antimony Tellurides with Kinetically Stable Cobalt Germanide Precipitates.

Heterostructures that consist of a germanium antimony telluride matrix and cobalt germanide precipitates can be obtained by straightforward solid-state synthesis including simple annealing and quenching procedures. The microscale precipitates are homogeneously distributed in a matrix with pronounced "herringbone-like" nanostructure associated with very low thermal conductivities. In comparison to the corresponding pure tellurides, the figure of merit (ZT) values of heterostructured materials are remarkably higher. This is mostly due to an increase of the Seebeck coefficient with only little impact on the electrical conductivity. In addition, the phononic part of the thermal conductivity is significantly reduced in some of the materials. As a result, ZT values of ca. 1.9 at 450 °C are achieved. Temperature-dependent changes of the thermoelectric properties are well-understood and correlate with complex phase transitions of the telluride matrix. However, the high ZT values are retained in multiple measurement cycles.

Discovery and Structure Determination of an Unusual Sulfide Telluride through an Effective Combination of TEM and Synchrotron Microdiffraction.

The structure elucidation of the novel sulfide telluride Pb8Sb8S15Te5 demonstrates a new versatile procedure that exploits the synergism of electron microscopy and synchrotron diffraction methods for accurate structure analyses of side-phases in heterogeneous microcrystalline samples. Suitable crystallites of unknown compounds can be identified by transmission electron microscopy and relocated and centered in a microfocused synchrotron beam by means of X-ray fluorescence scans. The refined structure model is then confirmed by simulating HRTEM images of the same crystallite. Pb8Sb8S15Te5 consists of chains of heterocubane-like units. Cation coordination polyhedra form unusually entwined chains of edge- and face-sharing bicapped trigonal prisms. The structure data are precise enough for bond-valence calculations, which confirm the disordered atom distribution. On this basis, optimization of physical properties becomes feasible.

Synthesis of CuInS2 nanocrystals from a molecular complex - characterization of the orthorhombic domain structure.

CuInS2 nanocrystals were synthesized by thermal decomposition of the molecular precursor [(Me3P)3Cu(SC2H4S)In(i)Pr2] in the presence of oleylamine in dioctyl phthalate. According to X-ray diffraction patterns, the as-synthesized CuInS2 nanocrystals crystallize in the wurtzite type structure. High-resolution transmission electron images and selected area electron diffraction patterns reveal a nanodomain structure. The individual domains are approximately 5-10 nm in size and characterized by short-range cation ordering, which assuming hypothetical long-range order, corresponds to an orthorhombic superstructure (space group Pmc21, a = 4.09 ± 0.01 Å, b = 7.16 ± 0.02 Å and c = 6.56 ± 0.03 Å). The domains are separated by twin and antiphase boundaries.

Silver Indium Telluride Semiconductors and Their Solid Solutions with Cadmium Indium Telluride: Structure and Physical Properties.

Ag0.8In2.4Te4 (= AgIn3Te5) and Ag0.5In2.5Te4 (= AgIn5Te8) form solid solutions with CdIn2Te4, which are interesting as materials for photovoltaics or with respect to their thermoelectric properties. The corresponding crystal structures are related to the chalcopyrite type. Rietveld refinements of high-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction data measured at K-absorption edges of Cd, Ag, In, and Te and electron diffraction reveal the symmetry as well as the element and vacancy distribution in Ag0.8In2.4Te4 (= AgIn3Te5)/Ag0.5In2.5Te4 (= AgIn5Te8) mixed crystals such as Ag0.25Cd0.5In2.25Te4 and Ag0.2Cd0.75In2.1Te4. All compounds of the solid solution series (CdIn2Te4)x(Ag0.5In2.5Te4)1-x exhibit the HgCu2I4 structure type (space group I4̅2m) with completely ordered vacancies but disordered cations. The uniform cation distribution and thus the local charge balance are comparable to that of CdIn2Te4. In contrast, Ag0.8In2.4Te4 (= AgIn3Te5) crystallizes in the space group P4̅2c with disordered cations and partially ordered vacancies. This is corroborated by bond-valence sum calculations and the fact that there is a Vegard-like behavior for compounds with 0.5 < x in the pseudobinary system (CdIn2Te4)x(Ag0.8In2.4Te4)1-x. Owing to the different structures, there is no complete solid solution series between CdIn2Te4 and AgIn3Te5. All compounds in this work are n-type semiconductors with a low electrical conductivity (∼1 S/m) and rather high absolute Seebeck coefficients (up to -750 µV/mK; 225 °C). Electrical band gaps (Eg) determined from the Seebeck coefficients as well as (more reliably) from the electrical conductivity range between 0.19 and 1.13 eV.

New organometallic single-source precursors for CuGaS(2)-polytypism in gallite nanocrystals obtained by thermolysis.

The complex [((i)Pr(3)PCu)(2)(Me(2)Ga)(2)(SCH(2)CH(2)S)(2)] (4) was synthesized from trimethylgallium, [((i)Pr(3)PCu)(4)(SCH(2)CH(2)S)(2)] (1) and ethanedithiol by elimination of methane. The related monomethyl compound [((i)Pr(3)PCu)(2)(MeGaSPh)(2)(SCH(2)CH(2)S)(2)] (5) has been prepared from [((i)Pr(3)PCuSPh)(3)] (2) and [(MeGaSCH(2)CH(2)S)(2)] (3) by a ligand exchange reaction in tetrahydrofuran solution. The molecular structures of 1 and 3-5 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Thermolysis of 4 and 5 results in the formation of the ternary semiconductor CuGaS(2), gallite. The residue of 5 was characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The CuGaS(2) crystals obtained are mainly hexagonal plates of around 200 to 300 nm diameter and 10 to 30 nm thickness, exhibiting an unusual metastable hexagonal crystal structure, related to wurtzite. Partially, the usual tetragonal chalcopyrite structure or its disordered cubic zinc-blende analogue is realized by stacking faults, resulting in an overall similarity to the zinc-blende-wurtzite polytypism in ZnS and related compounds.

Photochemical generation and reactivity of carbenes within an organic cavitand and capsule: photochemistry of adamantanediazirines.

Chemical behavior of carbenes (adamantylidenes) generated by photolysis of adamantanediazirines has been investigated while they were incarcerated within an organic container in water and on silica surfaces. Confined carbenes behave differently from the free ones, and their behavior is dictated by the nature and the structure of the host-guest complexes. The substituent present on the adamantyl skeleton controls the stoichiometry (1:1 or 2:2) and the orientation of guest molecules within the host.

Structure-reactivity relationships: reactions of a 5-substituted aziadamantane in a resorcin[4]arene-based cavitand.

The complexation properties of two novel C5-substituted adamantanediazirines within the resorcin[4]arene-based cavitand 4 were investigated in DMSO-d(6), revealing that binding is up to 1.4 kcal/mol stronger for halogenated adamantanediazirines when compared with the unsubstituted species. The thermal behavior of 5-bromo-2-aziadamantane (3) was investigated by DSC analysis as the first representative of the adamantanediazirine family in the neat solid state, as well as encapsulated within the aromatic cavity of cavitand 4. In the solid phase, the reactions of photolytically or thermolytically generated 5-bromo-2-adamantanylidene (11) can be controlled by complexation within cavitand 4.

Controllable selective functionalization of a cavitand via solid state photolysis of an encapsulated phenyl azide.

Phenyl azide (1) has been encapsulated within cavitand 2 to form a 1:1 complex of 1@2 in the solid state. Subsequent irradiation affords two diastereomeric nitrene addition products 5 and 7. The ratio of 5 and 7 can be reversed by thermally induced valence isomerization to 1H-azepine 8 followed by photolysis. In sharp contrast, phenylnitrene generation by photolysis of the corresponding 1.5:1 complex results mainly in the regioselective formation of C-H insertion product 4. The supramolecular approach to phenylnitrene chemistry provides good yields, in contrast to the generally low yield reactions of this species in solution.

1,2,4,5-Tetrakis(diazidomethyl)benzene.

The molecule of the title compound, C(10)H(6)N(24), lies on a crystallographic inversion centre located in the middle of the benzene ring. Steric overcrowding by the bulky N(3) groups is avoided by the tendency of four azide entities to be arranged parallel to the benzene ring and the other four azide groups to be arranged alternately above and below the benzene plane in a skeletal C(i) symmetry. The compound is of interest for high-energy research and as a precursor for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes, nanospheres or high-nitrogen carbon nitrides with great potential for biological and technological applications.

Babesia odocoilei infection in elk.

Two male North American elk from a commercial herd were evaluated because of a sudden onset of lethargy, anorexia, and voiding of red urine. These 2 elk were kept in the same pen as 4 other male elk that had died during the preceding 2 months. Laboratory analyses revealed anemia and intraerythrocytic parasites, later confirmed as Babesia odocoilei (a protozoal hemoparasite of cervids). Of the 240 elk remaining in the herd, 59 were screened for B odocoilei by microscopic evaluation of blood smears, protozoal culture of blood, and immunofluorescent antibody testing of serum. Of those 59 elk, 34 (58%) were infected with B odocoilei. Babesia odocoilei infection in elk can be fatal and should be considered in cases of sudden death or acute hemolytic anemia. Familiarity with the disease in elk is essential for practitioners because of the increasing popularity of commercial elk farming.