Accessing Mg-Ion Storage in V2PS10 via Combined Cationic-Anionic Redox with Selective Bond Cleavage.

Magnesium batteries attract interest as alternative energy-storage devices because of elemental abundance and potential for high energy density. Development is limited by the absence of suitable cathodes, associated with poor diffusion kinetics resulting from strong interactions between Mg2+ and the host structure. V2PS10 is reported as a positive electrode material for rechargeable magnesium batteries. Cyclable capacity of 100 mAh g-1 is achieved with fast Mg2+ diffusion of 7.2 × ${\times }$ 10-11-4 × ${\times }$ 10-14 cm2 s-1. The fast insertion mechanism results from combined cationic redox on the V site and anionic redox on the (S2)2- site; enabled by reversible cleavage of S-S bonds, identified by X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Detailed structural characterisation with maximum entropy method analysis, supported by density functional theory and projected density of states analysis, reveals that the sulphur species involved in anion redox are not connected to the transition metal centres, spatially separating the two redox processes. This facilitates fast and reversible Mg insertion in which the nature of the redox process depends on the cation insertion site, creating a synergy between the occupancy of specific Mg sites and the location of the electrons transferred.

One Carbon Ring Expansion of Bipyrrole to Bipyridine Enables Access to a π-Extended, Non-innocent, Corrole-like Ligand.

A π-extended, diaza-triphenylene embedded, mono-anionic corrole analogue and its NiII complex were synthesized from a diaza-triphenylene precursor, which was obtained from a double one-carbon insertion into a naphthobipyrrole diester. Following conversion to the corresponding activated diol and acid-catalyzed condensation with pyrrole, subsequent reaction with pentafluorobenzaldehyde afforded mono-anionic, π-extended bipyricorrole-like macrocycle. Attempted NiII insertion with Ni(OAc)2 ⋅ 4H2 O resulted an ESR active, NiII bipyricorrole radical complex, which was converted to a stable cationic NiII complex upon treatment with [(Et3 O)+ (SbCl6 )- ]. Both complexes were characterized by 1 H and 13 C NMR, UV/Vis spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The NiII bipyricorrole radical complex is converted to a cationic NiII complex by single-electron reduction using cobaltocene. Both the cationic NiII complex and the radical NiII complex exhibited ligand-centered redox behavior, whereas the NiII remains in the +2 oxidation state.

Synthesis, photophysical properties and photo-induced cytotoxicity of novel tris(diazatriphenylene)ruthenium (II) complex.

Novel bipyridine-based heterocyclic building block, 3,10-dichloro-benzo[f][1,10]phenanthroline and its Ruthenium(II) complex have been synthesized and fully characterized. The synthesized Ru(II)-complex is highly luminescent displaying emission at 590 nm with quantum yield of ∼0.8 in methanol. Ru(II) complex showed photocytotoxicity upon 400 nm blue light irradiation. Mechanistic study revealed that photoactivated Ru(II) complex generates reactive radical species which can damage the protein inside the cells and induce cell death even with short irradiation time.

Sr2Nb6O13F8·4H2O and Sr3Nb2O2F12·2H2O: A Variant of Three-Dimensional Tungsten Bronze and a Polar Molecular Oxide Fluoride.

Crystals of two strontium niobium oxyfluorides, Sr2Nb6O13F8·4H2O and Sr3Nb2O2F12·2H2O, have been grown in phase pure forms via hydrothermal reactions using SrCO3, Nb2O5, and an aqueous HF solution. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction suggests that Sr2Nb6O13F8·4H2O, crystallizing in the orthorhombic centrosymmetric space group, Pbam (No. 55), reveals a new variant of the three-dimensional tungsten bronze structure with three-, four-, and five-membered rings that are composed of corner-sharing NbO2(O/F)2F2, NbO4(O/F)F, NbO3(O/F)3, and SrO3F6 groups. Sr3Nb2O2F12·2H2O with the noncentrosymmetric polar space group, Cmc21 (No. 36), however, reveals a molecular structure consisting of Nb(O/F)2F5 pentagonal bipyramids and two unique Sr2+ cations interacting with F, O/F, and water molecules. Band gaps calculated by the Kubelka-Munk function based on the ultraviolet-visible diffuse-reflectance spectra of Sr2Nb6O13F8·4H2O and Sr3Nb2O2F12·2H2O are estimated to be ca. 3.22 and 4.11 eV, respectively, in which the values are related to the contents of electronegative F atoms and the Nb-O(F)-Nb bond angles influenced by structural distortion. An interesting phase transition reaction from Sr3Nb2O2F12·2H2O to thermodynamically more stable Sr2Nb6O13F8·4H2O occurs under a hydrothermal condition.

p-Type Double Doping and the Diamond-like Morphology Shift of the Zintl Phase Thermoelectric Materials: The Ca11-xAxSb10-yGez (A = Na, Li; 0.06(3) ≤ x ≤ 0.17(5), 0.19(1) ≤ y ≤ 0.55(1), 0.13(1) ≤ z ≤ 0.22(1)) System.

Five ternary and quaternary Zintl phases in the solid-solution Ca11-xAxSb10-yGez (A = Na, Li; 0.06(3) ≤ x ≤ 0.17(5), 0.19(1) ≤ y ≤ 0.55(1), 0.13(1) ≤ z ≤ 0.22(1)) system have been successfully synthesized by both of the arc-melting and the molten Pb metal-flux reactions. The crystal structure of these title compounds was characterized by powder and single-crystal X-ray diffractions analyses, and all title compounds crystallized in the Ho11Ge10-type phase in the tetragonal space group I4/mmm (Z = 4, Pearson code tI84). The complex crystal structure can be described as an assembly of 1) three kinds of cationic polyhedra centered by three different Sb and 2) the cage-shaped anionic frameworks built through the connection of two types of Sb. The newly substituted p-type double dopants of the cationic (Na and Li) and anionic (Ge) elements displayed particular site preferences, which were successfully explained by either the size-factor criterion based on the atomic size or the electronic-factor criterion based on the electronegativity of an element. Quite interestingly, as the reaction conditions were changed, the morphology shift of single crystals in Ca10.94(3)Na0.06Sb9.58(1)Ge0.21 occurred from a cubic-shaped to a hummocky-type, to a hopper-type, and eventually to an octahedral-shaped crystal, just like the Yakutian kimberlite diamonds. Moreover, we firmly believe that the inclusion of the p-type Ge dopant for Sb was crucial to trigger this type of morphology shift and complete the octahedral-shaped morphology in the overall crystal-growth mechanism. The theoretical calculations using a DFT method rationalized the observed site preference of Na and the electronic effect of the p-type Ge dopants. The Seebeck coefficient measurements for Ca10.88(4)Li0.12Sb9.45(1)Ge0.21 indicated that some portions of electron charge carriers were effectively eliminated by the p-type double dopants using Li and Ge.

Catalytic and Enantioselective Control of the C-N Stereogenic Axis via the Pictet-Spengler Reaction.

An unprecedented example of a chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed atroposelective Pictet-Spengler reaction of N-arylindoles is reported. Highly enantioenriched N-aryl-tetrahydro-ß-carbolines with C-N bond axial chirality are obtained via dynamic kinetic resolution. The hydrogen bond donor introduced on the bottom aromatic ring, forming a secondary interaction with the phosphoryl oxygen, is essential to achieving high enantioselectivity. A wide variety of substituents are tolerable with this transformation to provide up to 98 % ee. The application of electron-withdrawing group-substituted benzaldehydes enables the control of both axial and point stereogenicity. Biological evaluation of this new and unique scaffold shows promising antiproliferative activity and emphasizes the significance of atroposelective synthesis.

Noncovalent Intermolecular Interaction in Cofacially Stacked 24π Antiaromatic Hexaphyrin Dimer.

π-π Stacking is omnipresent not only in nature but in a wide variety of practical fields applied to our lives. Because of its importance in a performance of natural and artificial systems, such as light harvesting system and working layer in device, many researchers have put intensive effort into identifying its underlying nature. However, for the case of π-π stacked systems composed of antiaromatic units, the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms is still unclear. Herein, we synthesized a new type of planar ß,ß'-phenylene-bridged hexaphyrin (1.0.1.0.1.0), referred as naphthorosarin which possesses the 24π-electron conjugated pathway. Especially, the corresponding antiaromatic porphyrinoid shows the unique property to form dimeric species adopting the face-to-face geometry which is unprecedented in cases of known annulated naphthorosarins. In order to elucidate the intriguing properties derived from the stacked dimer, the current study focuses on the experimental support to rationalize the observed π-π interactions between the two subunits.

Second-Harmonic Generation and Photoluminescence Properties of Sn(II)- and Bi(III)-Based Lone Pair Cation-Pyridine Dicarboxylate Coordination Compounds.

Lone pair cation-based novel coordination compounds Sn[(pdc)(H2O)] (Sn-I) and (H2bpy)[Bi(pdc)2(Hpdc)]·5H2O (Bi-I) (pdc = pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate; bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine) were synthesized through mild hydrothermal reactions. While Sn-I crystallizing in the polar space group, Pca21, exhibits a helical chain structure consisting of SnO3N distorted seesaws, 2,6-pdc linkers, and water molecules, Bi-I crystallizing in the centrosymmetric (CS) space group, P1̅, reveals a pseudo-3D network composed of BiO5N3 polyhedra, 2,6-pdc ligands, H2bpy2+ cations, and isolated H2O molecules. The lone cations Sn2+ and Bi3+ in the title compounds are in a highly deformed polyhedral environment. The single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation from Sn-I to the anhydrous Sn[(pdc)] (Sn-II) with the polar noncentrosymmetric structure was successfully achieved upon heating crystals of Sn-I. UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra indicate that the introduction of Sn2+ or Bi3+ red-shifts the adsorption edges upon coordination. Powder second-harmonic generation (SHG) measurements indicate that Sn-I and Sn-II are type-I phase-matchable and exhibit SHG intensity of ca. 15 and 35 times that of α-SiO2, respectively. Solid state photoluminescence (PL) measurements indicate that Bi-I is an excellent green emitting phosphor with the quantum efficiency up to 26% and outstanding decay lifetime of 1.82 ms at room temperature.

Two Steps to Improve the Thermoelectric Performance of the Ca5-xYbxAl2-yInySb6 System.

A series of quaternary and quinary Zintl phase thermoelectric (TE) compounds, Ca5-xYbxAl2-yInySb6 (3.07(1) ≤ x ≤ 4.88(2); 0.16(2) ≤ y ≤ 2.00), containing Al/In mixed sites as well as Ca/Yb mixed sites has been successfully synthesized by a direct arc-melting method, and the X-ray diffraction analyses indicated that the products initially adopted an orthorhombic Ba5Al2Bi6-type structure (space group Pbam, Z = 2). However, after a postannealing process at 973 K for 1 month, the particular Yb rich compounds underwent a transformation of the original structure type to a Ca5Ga2Sb6-type phase regardless of the In substitution for Al. The noticeable site preference of cationic Ca and Yb in the three available cationic sites could be understood on the basis of a size match between the central cation and the volume of the anionic polyhedra. The observed phase transition was nicely explained by DFT calculations, proving that the Ca5Ga2Sb6-type phase was energetically more favorable than the Ba5Al2Sb6-type phase for the particular Yb-rich compound. Moreover, this energy difference between the two title phases was originally the result of both the site energy in the Ca site and the bond energies in the [(Al/In)2Sb8] anionic building blocks. A series of thermoelectric property data indicated that a two-step process involving a partial/full In substitution for Al and a phase transition from the Ba5Al2Sb6-type to the Ca5Ga2Sb6-type phase successfully enhanced the electrical conductivities and the Seebeck coefficients of the title compounds. This kind of combined effect eventually resulted in a ZT improvement for the quinary compound Ca1.14(2)Yb3.86Al1.68(1)In0.32Sb6 by approximately 4 times in comparison to its quaternary predecessor Ca1.55(1)Yb3.45Al2Sb6.

Lead Mixed Oxyhalides Satisfying All Fundamental Requirements for High-Performance Mid-Infrared Nonlinear Optical Materials.

To design high-performance mid-infrared (mid-IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials, we have focused on the combination of a heavy metal lone pair cation, Pb2+ and mixed oxyhalides. A systematic investigation in PbO-PbCl2 -PbBr2 system led us to discover the first examples of NLO lead mixed oxyhalides, namely, Pb13 O6 Cl4 Br10 , Pb13 O6 Cl7 Br7 , and Pb13 O6 Cl9 Br5 . All the reported materials have remarkably comprehensive properties including broad IR transparency (up to 14.0 µm), qualified second harmonic generation (SHG) responses (0.6-0.9×AgGaS2 ), wide band gaps (3.05-3.21 eV), and ease of crystal growth. Interestingly, a centimeter-sized single crystal (2.9×1.3×0.5 cm3 ) of Pb13 O6 Cl9 Br5 revealing a wide transparent range (0.384-14.0 µm) and high laser damage threshold (LDT) (14.6×AgGaS2 ) has been successfully grown in an open system. The study suggests that all the reported mixed oxyhalides are outstanding candidates for mid-IR NLO materials.

Histidinium-Driven Chirality Control of Self-Assembled Hybrid Molybdenum Oxyfluorides.

Exploring macroscopic chiral materials with extended structures has become an important and fundamental topic in chemistry. To systematically control the chirality of novel organic-inorganic frameworks, histidinium-based cationic structure-directing agents containing specific chiral information are introduced. In this way, two chiral compounds, [(l-hisH2 )MoO2 F4 ]3 ⋅H2 O (L) and [(d-hisH2 )MoO2 F4 ]3 ⋅H2 O (D), and an achiral oxyfluoride, (l/d-hisH2 )MoO2 F4 (LD) (his=histidine, C6 H9 N3 O2 ) have been successfully self-assembled by a slow evaporation method. The structures of these compounds are composed of histidinium cations and distorted [MoO2 F4 ]2- octahedra. Surprisingly, the histidinium cations not only control macroscopic chirality, but also induce O/F ordering in MoO2 F4 octahedra through hydrogen-bonding interactions. Compounds L and D crystallize in the extremely rare polar space group P1, and exhibit positive second harmonic generation (SHG) signals attributable to a net moment originating from the MoO2 F4 groups. Solid-state circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicate that the MoO2 F4 units templated by histidinium cations are chirally aligned through ionic interactions. Crystallization processes influenced by the chirality of the reported materials are also discussed herein.

Trapping of Stable [4n+1] π-Electron Species from Peripherally Substituted, Conformationally Rigid, Antiaromatic Hexaphyrins.

Peripherally substituted antiaromatic naphthorosarins have been synthesized for the first time. The synthesis was accomplished by acid-catalyzed condensation of naphthobipyrrole building blocks with aromatic aldehydes. The naphthobipyrrole building blocks were synthesized by simple oxidative coupling of the corresponding pyrrole substituted aromatics. Solid-state structural analyses of the synthesized naphthorosarins revealed that the presence of meso-2,6-dichlorophenyl- and 5,6-difluoro-substitution substantially alter the geometry and properties of the naphthorosarins. The substituents affect the redox potentials as well and, in turn, the proton-coupled electron-transfer processes leading to the formation of one- and two-electron reduced forms of the corresponding naphthorosarins. One particular naphthorosarin that bears both peripheral fluorine and meso-2,6-dichlorophenyl substituents forms a stable 25 π-electron species upon treating with TFA that was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The current study underscores how structural modifications can be used to fine-tune the electronic features of naphthorosarins, including stabilization of odd electron species.

meso-Bis(ethynyl) Versus meso-Bis(aryl) Calix[4]pyrroles: Dimensionally Well-Modulated Receptors That Can Regulate the Anion Binding Domains.

meso-Substituted calix[4]pyrroles 2-6 containing a direct meso-ethynyl linker displayed high binding affinities and unique conformational features on halide anion binding. A general conformational bias for the equatorial alignments of the meso-(aryl)ethynyl groups was observed in the host-halide complexes which was attributed to the repulsive anion-alkyne interactions and released steric strain. Such conformational features of host-halide complexes persisted even in the case of calix[4]pyrrole 6 bearing cationic meso components, which displayed the highest binding affinity for chloride anions among known meso-aryl calix[4]pyrroles. Synthetic details, conformational features, and comparative halide anion binding properties of this series of calix[4]pyrroles are described.

Layered Bismuth Oxyfluoride Nitrates Revealing Large Second-Harmonic Generation and Photocatalytic Properties.

Two novel bismuth oxyfluoride nitrates, Bi2OF3(NO3) and Bi6O6F5(NO3), have been synthesized via hydrothermal reactions. Whereas Bi2OF3(NO3) crystallizes in the centrosymmetric (CS) hexagonal space group, P63/ m, Bi6O6F5(NO3) crystallizes in the polar noncentrosymmetric (NCS) trigonal space group, R3. The backbones of the title compounds reveal double layered structures composed of asymmetric BiF3(O/F)3 or BiO3F2 polyhedra and NO3 trigonal planar groups. The diffuse reflectance spectra indicate that Bi2OF3(NO3) and Bi6O6F5(NO3) contain wide band gaps of 3.5 and 4.0 eV, respectively. Powder second-harmonic generation (SHG) measurements suggest that NCS Bi6O6F5(NO3) is Type-I phase-matchable and has a large SHG response of ca. 3 times that of KH2PO4 (KDP). Electron localization function (ELF) analysis indicates that the large SHG efficiency of Bi6O6F5(NO3) is attributed to the synergistic effect of the alignment of NO3- trigonal planar groups and strong interactions between highly polarizable lone pair electrons on Bi3+ and π-delocalized electrons in NO3- groups. Bi2OF3(NO3) also exhibits a very good photocatalytic degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B (RhB) under the UV light irradiation.

Li6M(SeO3)4 (M = Co, Ni, and Cd) and Li2Zn(SeO3)2: Selenites with Late Transition-Metal Cations.

A series of lithium metal selenites, Li6M(SeO3)4 (M = Co, Ni, and Cd) and Li2Zn(SeO3)2, were synthesized by hydrothermal and solid-state reactions. Li6M(SeO3)4 is composed of Li+ cations, MO6 octahedra, and SeO3 polyhedra, while Li2Zn(SeO3)2 consists of Li+, Zn(Li)O4 tetrahedra, and SeO3 polyhedra. Isostructural Li6Co(SeO3)4 and Li6Ni(SeO3)4 crystallize in the rhombohedral space group R3̅, forming a three-dimensional distorted cubic lattice. Li2Zn(SeO3)2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbam and reveals a layered structure in the bc plane. Li6Cd(SeO3)4 revealing a unidimensional structure crystallizes in the polar non-centrosymmetric space group C2, attributed to the parallel alignment of distorted CdO6 octahedra. The direct-current magnetic susceptibility measurements unveil that Li6Co(SeO3)4 is a canted antiferromagnet with TN = 25 K, while Li6Ni(SeO3)4 undergoes an antiferromagnetic transition at TN = 54 K, having a negligible canted moment. The weak ferromagnetism observed in Li6Co(SeO3)4 indicates the significance of spin-orbit coupling, bringing about anisotropic exchange interactions. Li6Cd(SeO3)4 reveals a second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of 10 × α-SiO2. Dipole moment calculations on Li6Cd(SeO3)4 indicate that the cooperative interaction of CdO6 and SeO3 is responsible for the observed SHG properties. Band gaps of the compounds are enlarged as atomic number increases. The effect of late transition-metal cations with different coordination numbers on the framework structures and the subsequent physical properties will be also discussed.

Variable Asymmetric Chains in Transition Metal Oxyfluorides: Structure-Second-Harmonic-Generation Property Relationships.

Four novel transition metal oxyfluorides, [Zn(pz)3][MoO2F4]·0.1H2O (1), [Zn(pz)2F2][Zn(pz)3]2[WO2F4]2 (2), [Cd(pz)4][Cd(pz)4(H2O)][MoO2F4]2·0.625H2O (3), and [Zn(mpz)3]2[MoO2F4]2 (4) (pz = pyrazole; mpz = 3-methyl pyrazole) have been synthesized. Compounds 1 and 4 contain helical chains. Compound 2 accommodates zigzag chains, and compound 3 has quasi-one-dimensional linear chains. The variable chain structures are found to be attributable to the different structure-directing anionic groups and hydrogen bonding interactions. Compound 4 crystallized in the noncentrosymmetric (NCS) polar space group, Pna21, is nonphase-matchable (Type I), and reveals a moderate second-harmonic-generation (SHG) efficiency (10 × α-SiO2). The observed SHG efficiency of compound 4 is due to the small net polarization occurring from the arrangement of ZnN3F2 trigonal bipyramids. Spectroscopic and thermal characterizations along with calculations for the title materials are reported.

Rb3 VO(O2 )2 CO3 : A Four-in-One Carbonatoperoxovanadate Exhibiting an Extremely Strong Second-Harmonic Generation Response.

A nonlinear optical (NLO) carbonatoperoxovanadate, Rb3 VO(O2 )2 CO3 , was synthesized through a simple solution-evaporation method in phase-pure form. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that the structure of Rb3 VO(O2 )2 CO3 consists of important noncentrosymmetric (NCS) chromophores, that is, π-delocalized (CO3 )2- groups, a second-order Jahn-Teller (SOJT) distortive V5+ cation, and π-localized distorted O22- groups, as well as charge-balancing polarizable Rb+ ions. The powder second-harmonic generation (SHG) measurements indicated that Rb3 VO(O2 )2 CO3 is phase-matchable (Type I) and exhibits a remarkably strong SHG response circa 21.0 times that of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP), which is the largest efficiency observed among carbonate NLO materials. First-principles calculation analysis suggests that the extremely large SHG response of Rb3 VO(O2 )2 CO3 is attributed to the synergistic effect of the cooperation of all the constituting NCS chromophores.

Li13Mn(SeO3)8: Lithium-Rich Transition Metal Selenite Containing Jahn-Teller Distortive Cations.

A novel lithium-rich transition metal selenite, Li13Mn(SeO3)8, that is composed of a Jahn-Teller distortive cation, Mn3+, in the high spin d4 state, and a second-order Jahn-Teller (SOJT) distortive lone pair cation, Se4+, has been synthesized via hydrothermal and high temperature solid state reactions. The selenite is classified as a molecular compound consisting of MnO6 octahedra, SeO3 trigonal pyramids, and Li+ cations. Considering the Li-O interactions, the structure of Li13Mn(SeO3)8 may be described as a pseudo-three-dimensional framework as well. The title compound is thermally stable up to 500 °C and starts decomposing above the temperature attributable to the volatilization of SeO2. While the MnO6 octahedra in Li13Mn(SeO3)8 exhibit six identical Mn-O bond distances at room temperature due to the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect, a clear elongation of two Mn-O bonds along a specific direction is observed at 100 K. A series of isostructural selenites with different transition metals, i.e., Li13M(SeO3)8 (M = Sc, Cr, and Fe), have been also successfully obtained in phase pure forms using similar synthetic methods. Magnetic properties, spectroscopic characterizations, and local dipole moments calculations for all the synthesized selenites are presented.

Syntheses, Structures, and Characterization of Quaternary Tellurites, Li3MTe4O11 (M = Al, Ga, and Fe).

Three new quaternary lithium metal tellurites, Li3MTe4O11 (M = Al, Ga, and Fe), have been synthesized through hydrothermal and solid-state reactions by heating a mixture of LiOH·H2O, TeO2, and M2O3. The structures of the title compounds have been determined by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. Li3MTe4O11 reveal three-dimensional (3D) frameworks that consist of MO6 octahedra, TeO3 trigonal pyramids, and TeO4 polyhedra. The variable coordination mode of Te4+ within the framework leads to the formation of 1D channels that host Li+ cations on both tetrahedral and octahedral sites. The bulk and grain boundary Li+ ion conductivities for a Li3FeTe4O11 pellet in open air are estimated to be 1.0 × 10-4 and 2.7 × 10-6 S cm-1, respectively, at room temperature from the impedance profile analysis. A lower activation energy of 19.9 kJ mol-1 is obtained for the system, which is similar to that of Li10GeP2S12 (24 kJ mol-1). Detailed characterizations such as thermal, spectroscopic, and magnetic properties for the reported materials are also reported.

Photoconversion Mechanisms and the Origin of Second-Harmonic Generation in Metal Iodates with Wide Transparency, NaLn(IO3)4 (Ln = La, Ce, Sm, and Eu) and NaLa(IO3)4:Ln3+ (Ln = Sm and Eu).

Four new metal iodates, namely, NaLn(IO3)4 (Ln = La, Ce, Sm, and Eu), and a series of NaLa(IO3)4:Ln3+ (Ln = Sm and Eu) solid solutions were synthesized through hydrothermal reactions. The structures of the title compounds are similar to that of NaY(IO3)4 crystallizing in the acentric monoclinic space group Cc. The iodate materials reveal layered structures composed of LnO8 square antiprisms and IO3 polyhedra, in which each layer is connected by the I···O interactions. NaLa(IO3)4 suggests a great potential as a matrix for optical source attributed to its acentricity and broad transparency from visible to mid-IR region. The photoluminescence properties depending on the concentration of Sm3+ reveal that NaLa(IO3)4:Sm3+ undergoes a self-quenching relaxation over 7 mol % of Sm3+ by dipole-quadrupole interactions. Attributable to the asymmetric coordination environment of Ln3+, stronger electric dipole transitions compared to magnetic dipole transitions were observed for both compounds. In addition, the materials exhibit strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) responses and are type I phase-matchable. The structural origin of the SHG properties for the reported iodates is elucidated.