Development of Surface Fluorescence X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy Using a Laue-Type Monochromator.

Surface fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy using a Laue-type monochromator has been developed to acquire structural information about metals with a very low concentrate on a flat highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface in the presence of electrolytes. Generally, surface fluorescence XAFS spectroscopy is hindered by strong scattering from the bulk, which often chokes the pulse counting detector. In this work, we show that a bent crystal Laue analyzer (BCLA) can efficiently remove the scattered X-rays from the bulk even in the presence of solution. We applied the technique to submonolayer (∼1014  atoms cm-2 ) Pt on HOPG and successfully obtained high signal/noise in situ XAFS data in combination with back-illuminated fluorescence XAFS (BI-FXAFS) spectroscopy. This technique allows in situ XAFS measurements of flat electrode surfaces to be performed in the presence of electrolytes.

Degradation mechanism of a high-performance real micro gas sensor, as determined by spatially resolved XAFS.

Of late, battery-driven high-performance gas sensors have gained acceptability in practical usage, whose atomic-scale structure has been revealed by µ-fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure analysis. We studied the chemical distribution of Pd species in the Pd/Al2O3 catalyst overlayer in the real gas sensor at various degrees of deterioration. In a freshly prepared sensor, all Pd species were in the PdO form; in a heavily deteriorated sensor, Pd/Al2O3 in the external region changed to metallic Pd particles, while the PdO structure in the inner region near the heater remained unchanged. The Pd species distribution was in agreement with the simulated thermal distribution. Temperature control was crucial to maintain the high performance of the gas sensor. The improved sensor allows homogeneous heating and has a lifetime of more than 5 years.

Dynamics of Photoelectrons and Structural Changes of Tungsten Trioxide Observed by Femtosecond Transient XAFS.

The dynamics of the local electronic and geometric structures of WO3 following photoexcitation were studied by femtosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy using an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL). We found that the electronic state was the first to change followed by the local structure, which was affected within 200 ps of photoexcitation.

Deprotonation of a dinuclear copper complex of 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole for high oxygen reduction activity.

A dinuclear copper(II) complex of 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole is one of the highly active copper-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in basic solutions. Our in situ X-ray absorption near edge structure measurements revealed that deprotonation of the triazole ligand might cause coordination geometrical changes, resulting in the enhancement of the ORR activity.

Trapping of a spatial transient state during the framework transformation of a porous coordination polymer.

Structural transformability accompanied by molecular accommodation is a distinguished feature of porous coordination polymers (PCPs) among porous materials. Conventional X-ray crystallography allows for the determination of each structural phase emerged during transformation. However, the propagation mechanism of transformation through an entire crystal still remains in question. Here we elucidate the structural nature of the spatial transient state, in which two different but correlated framework structures, an original phase and a deformed phase, simultaneously exist in one crystal. The deformed phase is distinctively generated only at the crystal surface region by introducing large guest molecules, while the remaining part of crystal containing small molecules maintains the original phase. By means of grazing incidence diffraction techniques we determine that the framework is sheared with sharing one edge of the original primitive cubic structure, leading to the formation of crystal domains with four mirror image relationships.

In situ back-side illumination fluorescence XAFS (BI-FXAFS) studies on platinum nanoparticles deposited on a HOPG surface as a model fuel cell: a new approach to the Pt-HOPG electrode/electrolyte interface.

We measured the in situ polarization-dependent X-ray absorption fine structure of platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) deposited on a flat highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrate under electrochemical conditions using a back-side illumination method. In this method, the thin HOPG substrate with PtNPs deposited on one side was used as a window for incident and fluorescent X-rays, as well as an electrode. A bent crystal Laue analyzer (BCLA) was applied to the extraction of the Pt Lα fluorescent X-ray signals from strong scattered X-rays. Pt L3 edge XAFS spectra were observed for various electrode potentials and polarization directions.

Mesoscopic architectures of porous coordination polymers fabricated by pseudomorphic replication.

The spatial organization of porous coordination polymer (PCP) crystals into higher-order structures is critical for their integration into separation systems, heterogeneous catalysts, ion/electron transport and photonic devices. Here, we demonstrate a rapid method to spatially control the nucleation site, leading to the formation of mesoscopic architecture made of PCPs, in both two and three dimensions. Inspired by geological processes, this method relies on the morphological replacement of a shaped sacrificial metal oxide used both as a metal source and as an 'architecture-directing agent' by an analogous PCP architecture. Spatiotemporal harmonization of the metal oxide dissolution and the PCP crystallization allowed the preservation of very fine mineral morphological details of periodic alumina inverse opal structures. The replication of randomly structured alumina aerogels resulted in a PCP architecture with hierarchical porosity in which the hydrophobic micropores of the PCP and the mesopores/macropores inherited from the parent aerogels synergistically enhanced the material's selectivity and mass transfer for water/ethanol separation.

Fine tuning and orientation control of surface Cu complexes on TiO2(110) premodified with mercapto compounds: the effect of different mercapto group positions.

Three-dimensional structures of vacuum-deposited Cu species formed on TiO2(110) surfaces premodified with three mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) isomers were studied using polarization-dependent total reflection fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure (PTRF-XAFS). We explored the possibility of fine tuning and orientation control of the surface Cu structures, including their coordination and configuration against the surface, according to the different mercapto group positions of the three MBA isomers (o-, m-, and p-MBA). Almost linear S-Cu-O (lattice O of TiO2) surface compounds were formed on the three MBA-modified TiO2(110) surfaces; however, the orientation of the Cu species on the o- and m-MBA-modified TiO2(110) surfaces (40-45° inclined from the surface normal) was different from that on the p-MBA-modified TiO2(110) surface (60° from the surface normal). This work suggests that the selection of a different MBA isomer for premodification of a single crystal TiO2(110) surface enables fine tuning and orientation control of surface Cu complexes.

Morphology design of porous coordination polymer crystals by coordination modulation.

The design of crystal morphology, or exposed crystal facets, has enabled the development (e.g., catalytic activities, material attributes, and oriented film formation) of porous coordination polymers (PCPs) without changing material compositions. However, because crystal growth mechanisms are not fully understood, control of crystal morphology still remains challenging. Herein, we report the morphology design of [Cu(3)(btc)(2)](n) (btc = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate) by the coordination modulation method (modulator = n-dodecanoic acid or lauric acid). A morphological transition (octahedron-cuboctahedron-cube) in the [Cu(3)(btc)(2)](n) crystal was observed with an increase in concentration of the modulator. By suitably defining a coarse-grained standard unit of [Cu(3)(btc)(2)](n) as its cuboctahedron main pore and determining its attachment energy on crystal surfaces, Monte Carlo coarse-grain modeling revealed the population and orientation of carboxylates and elucidated an important role of the modulator in determining the <100>- and <111>-growth throughout the crystal growth process. This comprehension, in fact, successfully led to designed crystal morphologies with oriented growth on bare substrates. Because selective crystal orientations on the bare substrates were governed by crystal morphology, this contribution also casts a new light on the unexplored issue of the significance of morphology design of PCPs.

Porous coordination polymer hybrid device with quartz oscillator: effect of crystal size on sorption kinetics.

A new strategy to synthesize monodispersed porous coordination polymer (PCP) nanocrystals at room temperature was developed and utilized for the formation of PCP thin films on gold substrates with fine control over the crystal sizes using the coordination modulation method. Hybridization of these PCP thin films with an environment-controlled quartz crystal microbalance system allowed determining the adsorption properties for organic vapors (methanol and hexane). In the case of high sensitivity (at the low-concentration dosing of analytes), the sensor response depended on the crystal size but not on the type of analyte. In contrast, at the high-concentration dosing, a clear dependence of the sorption kinetics on the analyte was observed due to significant sorbate-sorbate interaction.

Sequential functionalization of porous coordination polymer crystals.

Crystal extractor: heterostructured porous coordination polymer crystals fabricated using epitaxial growth have two contradictory porous functions, namely size selectivity and high storage. The crystals not only extract linear petroleum molecules from a mixture with its branched isomer, even at very low concentrations of linear isomer (1 wt %), but also shows improved accumulation of the molecules in its pores.

Organic Molecular Layer with High Electrochemical Bistability: Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of a Dynamic Redox System with Lipoate Units for Binding to Au(111).

Biphenyl-2,2'-diylbis(10-methyl-9-methyleneacridan)-type electron donor 1, which has two tethered cyclic disulfide units at the 6,6'-positions, was designed and synthesized as the first member of a dynamic redox (dyrex) system that can form molecular layers on a Au(111) electrode. Upon the two-electron (2 e) oxidation of 1, the persistent dicationic dye 22+ was generated with the formation of a new C-C bond, which is reversibly cleaved upon 2 e reduction to regenerate 1 (dyrex behavior). Similar dyrex interconversion occurs in the molecular layer of 1 on gold. The chemical identities of 1/Au and electrochemically generated 22+ /Au were unambiguously determined by in situ IR spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflection mode. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was conducted under electrochemical conditions to examine the surface structure of 1 adsorbed on a Au(111) electrode. Although no long-range-ordered morphology was found in the STM image of 1, an in situ STM study of the potential-induced dyrex reaction of 1 to 22+ showed that the grained spots in the image became slightly brighter.

Improvement of a Real Gas-Sensor for the Origin of Methane Selectivity Degradation by µ-XAFS Investigation.

We have directly investigated the chemical state of the Pd species in a real µ-gas sensor device by examining the µ-fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure. The µ-gas sensor device was heavily damaged by a heating process in which the temperature was ill-controlled, resulting in decrease of methane selectivity. We found that the PdO in the fresh µ-gas sensor was reduced to Pd metal particles as the methane selectivity decreased. Based on the investigation results, we modified the device structure so as to heat up homogeneously. The lifetime of the sensor was then successfully increased by more than 5 years.

A high-temperature in situ cell with a large solid angle for fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure measurement.

We present the design and performance of a high-temperature in situ cell with a large solid angle for fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra. The cell has a large fluorescence XAFS window (116 mm(ϕ)) near the sample in the cell, realizing a large half-cone angle of 56°. We use a small heater (25 × 35 mm(2)) to heat the sample locally to 873 K. We measured a Pt-SnO2 thin layer on a Si substrate at reaction conditions having a high activity. In situ measurement enables the analysis of the difference XAFS spectra between before and during the reaction to reveal the structure change during the operation.

A new spectroelectrochemical cell for in situ measurement of Pt and Au K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure.

A new spectroelectrochemical cell to investigate the structure of Pt/Au nanoclusters using Pt and Au K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements under the electrochemical conditions is developed. K-edge XAFS measurements for Pt and Au require a sample as thick as 1-2 cm, which prevents homogeneous potential distribution. We can measure in situ Pt and Au K-edge XAFS spectra and determine reasonable electrochemical surface areas using our developed spectroelectrochemical cell. This work provides a new approach to analyze Pt/Au core-shell nanoclusters. The new cell is designed to be applied to both spectra with high absorption-edge energies such as the K-edge of Pt and Au and those with low absorption-edge energy such as Pt L-edge.

Preparation and structure of a single Au atom on the TiO2(110) surface: control of the Au-metal oxide surface interaction.

Three-dimensional Au structures on bare and organic-compound-modified TiO2(110) surfaces were interrogated by Au L3-edge polarization dependent total reflection fluorescence X-ray absorption fine structure (PTRF-XAFS) spectroscopy. On the bare TiO2(110) surface, icosahedral Au55 nanoclusters were the main product found. When the surfaces were modified with ortho or meso mercaptobenzoic acid (o-MBA or m-MBA), Au was atomically dispersed. Sulfur atoms in the o- and m- MBA formed strong covalent bonds with Au to produce stable Au-MBA (o- and m- forms) surface complexes. On the other hand, only oxygen atoms on the surface did not make a strong enough interaction to stabilize the Au species. We discuss how the Au species formed on the modified TiO2(110) surface and the possibility to control the Au structure by the surface modification method.

Shape-memory nanopores induced in coordination frameworks by crystal downsizing.

Flexible porous coordination polymers change their structure in response to molecular incorporation but recover their original configuration after the guest has been removed. We demonstrated that the crystal downsizing of twofold interpenetrated frameworks of [Cu(2)(dicarboxylate)(2)(amine)](n) regulates the structural flexibility and induces a shape-memory effect in the coordination frameworks. In addition to the two structures that contribute to the sorption process (that is, a nonporous closed phase and a guest-included open phase), we isolated an unusual, metastable open dried phase when downsizing the crystals to the mesoscale, and the closed phase was recovered by thermal treatment. Crystal downsizing suppressed the structural mobility and stabilized the open dried phase. The successful isolation of two interconvertible empty phases, the closed phase and the open dried phase, provided switchable sorption properties with or without gate-opening behavior.

Redox reaction in two-dimensional porous coordination polymers based on ferrocenedicarboxylates.

A series of 1,1'-ferrocenedicarboxylate-based two-dimensional porous coordination polymers were synthesized by incorporating different diamine co-ligands. These compounds immobilized on electrodes, exhibited reversible redox reactions, arising from ferrocenyl moiety.

Molecular decoding using luminescence from an entangled porous framework.

Chemosensors detect a single target molecule from among several molecules, but cannot differentiate targets from one another. In this study, we report a molecular decoding strategy in which a single host domain accommodates a class of molecules and distinguishes between them with a corresponding readout. We synthesized the decoding host by embedding naphthalenediimide into the scaffold of an entangled porous framework that exhibited structural dynamics due to the dislocation of two chemically non-interconnected frameworks. An intense turn-on emission was observed on incorporation of a class of aromatic compounds, and the resulting luminescent colour was dependent on the chemical substituent of the aromatic guest. This unprecedented chemoresponsive, multicolour luminescence originates from an enhanced naphthalenediimide-aromatic guest interaction because of the induced-fit structural transformation of the entangled framework. We demonstrate that the cooperative structural transition in mesoscopic crystal domains results in a nonlinear sensor response to the guest concentration.