Searching for stable copper borozene complexes in CuB7- and CuB8.

Copper has been shown to be an important substrate for the growth of borophenes. Copper-boron binary clusters are ideal platforms to study the interactions between copper and boron, which may provide insight about the underlying growth mechanisms of borophene on copper substrates. Here we report a joint photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical study on two copper-doped boron clusters, CuB7- and CuB8-. Well resolved photoelectron spectra are obtained for the two clusters at different wavelengths and are used to understand the structures and bonding properties of the two CuBn- clusters. We find that CuB8- is a highly stable borozene complex, which possesses a half-sandwich structure with a Cu+ species interacting with the doubly aromatic η8-B82- borozene. The CuB7- cluster is found to consist of a terminal copper atom bonded to a double-chain B7 motif, but it has a low-lying isomer composed of a half-sandwich structure with a Cu+ species interacting with an open-shell η7-B72- borozene. Both ionic and covalent interactions are found to be possible in the binary Cu-B clusters, resulting in different structures.

Kinetic features of solvent extraction by N,O-donor ligands of f-elements: a comparative study of diamides based on 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2'-bipyridine.

A variant of microfluidic setup design for the study of extraction kinetics has been proposed. Mass transfer constants for Am(III) and Eu(III) and observed rate constants were obtained for N-,O-donor ligands featuring phenanthroline and bipyridyl cores. The possibility of determining rate constants for cations independently of each other makes it possible to observe the kinetic effect of separation. The extraction rate was found to be lower for the bipyridyl ligand, compared to phenanthroline. The values of the rotation barriers for the ligands were calculated using the DFT method. The values correlate with the obtained low extraction rate for the bipyridyl ligand. Also, crystallographic data showing anti-conformation for the bipyridyl ligand align with the kinetic data. Surface tension was also determined for the systems with the studied ligands. It is shown that at equal ligand concentrations, the value of surface tension agrees with the extraction rate. Furthermore, it is shown that for the bipyridyl ligand, prior contact of the organic phase with nitric acid significantly affects the surface tension.

Sensing and extraction of hazardous metals by di-phosphonates of heterocycles: a combined experimental and theoretical study.

In this study, pyridine and phenanthroline diphosphonate ligands were investigated for the first time from the context of solvent extraction and potentiometric sensing of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) cations. The extraction efficiency under the same conditions for phenanthroline-diphosphonates is considerably higher than that for pyridine ligands. At the same time, the pyridine-diphosphonates show pronounced selectivity towards lead in this metal series. The extraction systems with phenanthroline diphosphonates provided the most efficient extraction of Cd(II) and Pb(II) cations (D > 90). The newly developed pyridine and phenanthroline diphosphonate ligands have proven to be highly effective components in plasticized polymeric membranes. These ligands can be utilized to construct potentiometric ion sensors that exhibit a notable response specifically towards Pb(II) cations. Among the previously reported tetradentate ligands, the phenanthroline diphosphonate ligand, when incorporated into plasticized polymeric membranes, demonstrated the highest sensitivity towards d-metals and Pb(II). The structure of the single crystal complex of Pb(II) and Cd(II) with pyridine-diphosphonates was studied by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The geometry of Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) complexes and the energy effect of the complex formation, including pseudo-oligomerization reactions, were determined by DFT calculations. The high sensing and extraction efficiency of diphosphonates with respect to Pb(II) is consistent with the minimum values of complex formation energies. The variation in sensory and extraction properties observed among the studied diphosphonate ligands is influenced by the ability to form polynuclear complexes with Pb(II) cations, whereas such properties are absent in the case of Cd(II) cations.

Bismuth Infrared Star: Being at a Glance.

Bismuth polycations have garnered significant attention from researchers due to their extraordinary and counter-intuitive structures and stoichiometries. Despite extensive experimental and theoretical investigations, understanding of the bonding in such clusters remains insufficient. An AdNDP bonding analysis was conducted to elucidate the bonding characteristics using both homoatomic and heteroatomic bismuth clusters with various stoichiometries. Analysis of the calculated nucleus-independent chemical shift data confirmed the aromatic nature of these species. Universal bonding patterns were identified that can be applied to a range of homoatomic and heteroatomic bismuth clusters. Additionally, calculations of absorbance and fluorescence spectra were performed to gain insights into the near-infrared emission and establish a potential correlation between absorbance and the identified bonding patterns.

Global Minimum Search and Bonding Analysis of Tl2 Hx and Tl3 Hy (x=0-6; y=0-5) Series.

A remarkable distinction between boron and carbon hydrides lies in their extremely different bonding patterns and chemical reactivity, resulting in diverse areas of application. Particularly, carbon, characterized by classical two-center - two-electron bonds, gives rise to organic chemistry. In contrast, boron forms numerous exotic and non-intuitive compounds collectively called non-classical structures. It is reasonable to anticipate that other elements of Group 13 exhibit their own unusual bonding patterns; however, our knowledge of the hydride chemistry for other elements in Group 13 is much more limited, especially for the heaviest stable element, thallium. In this work, we performed a conformational analysis of Tl2 Hx and Tl3 Hy (x=0-6, y=0-5) series via Coalescence Kick global minimum search algorithm, DFT, and ab initio quantum chemistry methods; we investigated the bonding pattern using the AdNDP algorithm, thermodynamic stability, and stability toward electron detachment. All found global minimum structures are classified as non-classical structures featuring at least one multi-center bond.

Exploring the Structure and Bonding of Group 13 Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Hydrides with the X2H4 Stoichiometry: A Theoretical Investigation.

We investigated the structure evolution of the Group 13 hydrides on the example of X2H4 (X = B, Al, Ga, In, Tl) and BAlH4, AlGaH4, GaInH4, and InTlH4 stoichiometries via density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio quantum chemistry methods performing Coalescence Kick (CK) global minimum search and AdNDP chemical bonding analysis. We found that all global minimum structures possess multicenter electron bonds. The difference between the structures of X2H4 stoichiometry for boron and aluminum is much more significant than that between other pairs of Al-Ga, Ga-In, and In-Tl. The evolution of Group 13 hydride structure involves the gradual prevalence of classical 2c-2e bonds over multicenter bonds for heavier elements. The found structural features of the heterogeneous hydrides are in total agreement with those of homogeneous hydrides and with the trends common for the periodic table that allows us to investigate the structural evolution of Group 13 hydrides more completely.

Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Theoretical Study of Di-Copper-Boron Clusters: Cu2B3- and Cu2B4.

Copper has been found to be able to mediate the formation of bilayer borophenes. Copper-boron binary clusters are ideal model systems to probe the copper-boron interactions, which are essential to understand the growth mechanisms of borophenes on copper substrates. Here, we report a joint photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical study on two di-copper-doped boron clusters: Cu2B3- and Cu2B4-. Well-resolved photoelectron spectra are obtained, revealing the presence of a low-lying isomer in both cases. Theoretical calculations show that the global minimum of Cu2B3- (C2v, 1A1) contains a doubly aromatic B3- unit weakly interacting with a Cu2 dimer, while the low-lying isomer (C2v, 1A1) consists of a B3 triangle with the two Cu atoms covalently bonded to two B atoms at two vertexes. The global minimum of Cu2B4- (D2h, 2Ag) is found to consist of a rhombus B4 unit covalently bonded to the two Cu atoms at two opposite vertexes, whereas in the low-lying isomer (Cs, 2A'), one of the two Cu atoms is bonded to two B atoms.

Competing Routes in the Extraction of Lanthanide Nitrates by 1,10-Phenanthroline-2,9-diamides: An Impact of Structure of Complexes on the Extraction.

The fact of the fracture of the extraction curve of lanthanides by 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-diamides is explained in terms of the structure of complexes, solvent extraction data and quantum chemical calculations. The solvent extraction proceeds in two competing directions: in the form of neutral complexes LLn(NO3)3 and in the form of tight ion pairs {[LLn(NO3)2 H2O]+ (NO3-).

Tinning the carbon: hydrostannanes strike back.

Carbon possesses an important ability to be in a valence state of IV, which is essential for organic chemistry and all carbon-based life forms. In turn, tin is usually observed in the valence state of II, although it is a carbon group element. This creates an open question about the possibility of the existence of tin-based "organic" molecules. In this work, we investigate hydro-tin compounds Sn2Hx (x = 1-6) and Sn3Hy (y = 1-8) via DFT and ab initio quantum chemistry methods, studying their global minimum geometry, thermodynamic stability, and chemical bonding patterns. We show that hydrogen-saturated stoichiometries (Sn2H6 and Sn3H8) are exact analogs of hydrocarbons, while unsaturated stoichiometries are characterized by multi-center bonds, aromaticity, and different valence states of tin. In addition, a refined procedure of global geometry minimization based on simulated annealing and ab initio molecular dynamics is proposed.

First Trifluoromethylated Phenanthrolinediamides: Synthesis, Structure, Stereodynamics and Complexation with Ln(III).

The first examples of 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-diamides bearing CF3-groups on the side amide substituents were synthesized. Due to stereoisomerism and amide rotation, such complexes have complicated behavior in solutions. Using advanced NMR techniques and X-ray analysis, their structures were completely elucidated. The possibility of the formation of complex compounds with lanthanoids nitrates was shown, and the constants of their stability are quantified. The results obtained are explained in terms of quantum-chemical calculations.

Theoretical Investigation of Geometries and Bonding of Indium Hydrides in the In2Hx and In3Hy (x = 0-4,6; y = 0-5) Series.

Boron hydrides have been an object of intensive theoretical and experimental investigation for many decades due to their unusual and somewhat unique bonding patterns. Despite boron being a neighboring element to carbon, boron hydrides almost always form non-classical structures with multi-center bonds. However, we expect indium to form its interesting molecules with non-classical patterns, though such molecules still need to be extensively studied theoretically. In this work, we investigated indium hydrides of In2Hx (x = 0-4,6) and In3Hy (y = 0-5) series via DFT and ab initio quantum chemistry methods, performing a global minimum search, chemical bonding analysis, and studies of their thermodynamical stability. We found that the bonding pattern of indium hydrides differs from the classical structures composed of 1c-2e lone pairs and 2c-2e bonds and the bonding pattern of earlier investigated boron hydrides of the BnHn+2 series. The studied stoichiometries are characterized by multi-center bonds, aromaticity, and the tendency for indium to preserve the 1c-2e lone pair.