April 2011 – CrystEngComm Blog

Archive for April, 2011

Happy Easter from CrystEngComm: Top Ten Articles

21 Apr 2011

To celebrate Easter CrystEngComm is highlighting the top ten articles from 2010.

2010 was a very successful year for the journal, and 2011 is shaping up to be even better!

To keep up to date with what is happening in CrystEngComm and to find out about the latest research, sign up to the CrystEngComm e-alert, follow us on Twitter, or get the RSS feed.

Here are our most cited articles from 2010*:

Recent advances in crystal engineering
Christer B. Aakeröy, Neil R. Champness and Christoph Janiak
CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 22-43

Vertex-, face-, point-, Schläfli-, and Delaney-symbols in nets, polyhedra and tilings: recommended terminology
V. A. Blatov, M. O’Keeffe and D. M. Proserpio
CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 44-48

Constructions of helical coordination compounds
Xiao-Dan Zheng and Tong-Bu Lu
CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 324-336

Cadmium(II) complexes with 3,5-di(1H-imidazol-1-yl)benzoate: topological and structural diversity tuned by counteranions
Zhi Su, Kai Cai, Jian Fan, Shui-Sheng Chen, Man-Sheng Chen and Wei-Yin Sun
CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 100-108

Hedge balls nano-structure of a mixed-ligand lead(II) coordination polymer; thermal, structural and X-ray powder diffraction studies
Homa Sadeghzadeh and Ali Morsali
CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 370-372

pH effect on the assembly of metal–organic architectures
La-Sheng Long
CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 1354-1365

One-step hydrothermal fabrication and photocatalytic activity of surface-fluorinated TiO2 hollow microspheres and tabular anatase single micro-crystals with high-energy facets
Jiaguo Yu, Quanjun Xiang, Jingrun Ran and Stephen Mann
CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 872-879

Hydrothermal syntheses, crystal structures and luminescent properties of zinc(II) coordination polymers constructed by bifunctional tetrazolate-5-carboxylate ligands
Mei-Feng Wu, Fa-Kun Zheng, A-Qing Wu, Yan Li, Ming-Sheng Wang, Wei-Wei Zhou, Feng Chen, Guo-Cong Guo and Jin-Shun Huang
CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 260-269

Storage and separation applications of nanoporous metal–organic frameworks
Ruqiang Zou, Amr I. Abdel-Fattah, Hongwu Xu, Yusheng Zhao and Don D. Hickmott
CrystEngComm, 2010, 12, 1337-1353

*Top cited articles according to ISI on the 21st April 2011, for articles published in 2010.

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Lanthanide MOFs: Amazing Structures say ‘Hello!’ to Outstanding Properties

20 Apr 2011

Ángeles Monge and co-workers delve into the world of Y and Sc MOFs in their recently published CrystEngComm Highlight article. You can read their HOT article for FREE until the 20th May 2011 by clicking on the following link:

Lanthanide, Y and Sc MOFs: where amazing crystal structures meet outstanding material properties
Ángeles Monge, Felipe Gándara, Enrique Gutiérrez-Puebla and Natalia Snejko
CrystEngComm, 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0CE00891E

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HOT Article: Nickel-platinum alloy nanocubes

19 Apr 2011

In this CrystEngComm Hot article, Balachandran Jeyadevan and co-workers from the University of Shiga Prefecture, Japan make cubic-shaped standing Ni–Pt alloy nanoparticles via an alcohol reduction process.

These nanoparticles are particularly interesting because, rather unusually, they stand on their corners, instead of on a face. Jeyadevan believes this due to ‘the magnetic interaction between particles whose easy axis is in the [111] direction’.

Novel standing Ni–Pt alloy nanocubes
Jhon L. Cuya Huaman, Shunya Fukao, Kozo Shinoda and Balachandran Jeyadevan
CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CE05241A, Communication

FREE TO READ until 13th May

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HOT Article: Perfect single crystals of magnesium diboride

18 Apr 2011

Chinping Chen, Rongming Wang and colleagues have made perfect single crystals of MgBr₂, as part of their collaboration between Peking University and Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Magnesium diboride is known for its good superconducting properties, and many forms of MgB2 have been made previously, but large single crystals are still extremely difficult to obtain. In this CrystEngComm Hot article, Chen and Wang use a hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition technique to obtain perfect crystals.

Read the full article to find out more about magnesium diboride single crystals…

Single-crystal MgB2 hexagonal microprisms via hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition
Weimeng Chen, Wei Liu, Chinping Chen, Rongming Wang and Qingrong Feng
CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CE05272A, Communication

FREE TO READ until 13th May

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HOT article: Shuttle-like nanorods

15 Apr 2011

In this HOT article, Chinese scientists describe the controlled synthesis of orderly NaLa(MoO₄)₂ shuttle-like architectures (nanorods Shuttle-like nanorods composed of nanoparticles) composed of nanoparticles under hydrothermal conditions. Ethylene glycol was used as the solvent which can decrease the reaction rate by forming ligand bonds with lanthanide ions and further control the final morphology of the product. Eu³⁺ ion was chosen as a structural information probe to obtain more luminescent and phase structure information.

Read more for FREE until 12th May 2011 at:

Synthesis and luminescent properties of NaLa(MoO₄)₂:Eu³⁺ shuttle-like nanorods composed of nanoparticles
Mei Yang, Hongpeng You, Yongchao Jia, Hui Qiao, Ning Guo and Yanhua Song
CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0CE00822B

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HOT article: Guest-selective sensors based on porous coordination polymers

15 Apr 2011

In this HOT article, Kitagawa and co-workers describe two isomorphic frameworks, [Zn(thdc)(dpNDI)]_n, based on 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate (thdc) as the topology-directing ligand, assembled from zinc ions and N,N‘-di(4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide (dpNDI) as the electron-accepting ligand. The unique connecting angle of thdc promotes the formation of either a 3D pillared-layer framework or an interdigitated 2D layer framework, which are originally synthesized with terephthalic acid or isophthalic acid, respectively. In addition, these isomers show different charge-transfer interactions with electron-donating aromatic molecules because of their intrinsic porous structure determined by their topology. Such a topological design of PCPs can be used in guest-selective sensor materials.

Read more for FREE until 12th May 2011 here:

Control of the charge-transfer interaction between a flexible porous coordination host and aromatic guests by framework isomerism
Yohei Takashima, Shuhei Furukawa and Susumu Kitagawa
CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CE05201B

See also the tutorial review on coordination polymers by Kitagawa:

Dynamic porous properties of coordination polymers inspired by hydrogen bonds
Susumu Kitagawa and Kazuhiro Uemura
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2005, 34, 109-119
DOI:10.1039/B313997M

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HOT Article: Metal nitride and titanate nanofibers

15 Apr 2011

This CrystEngComm Hot article demonstrates the fabrication of metal nitride nanofibres by electrospinning and thermolysis in different atmospheres.

Xingbin Yan and colleagues from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou make zinc titanate compounds, which are known for their wide application in roles as varied as paint pigments, gas sensors and catalysis.

In this paper they are making Zn₂TiO₄, which is an inverse spinel, and TiN nanofibers, but their method can be extended to other metal nitrides.

Read the full article to find out more about these nanofibers…

Fabrication of Zn2TiO4 and TiN nanofibers by pyrolysis of electrospun precursor fibers
Dongfei Sun, Xingbin Yan, Jiangtao Chen, Shengxue Yu, Litian Hu and Qunji Xue
CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CE05033H, Paper

FREE TO READ until 14th May

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This week’s CrystEngSelects

15 Apr 2011

Here is this week’s selection of advanced articles of interest to crystal engineers from across the RSC journals.

Articles are chosen from:
ChemComm,
CrystEngComm,
Dalton Transactions,
Journal of Materials Chemistry,
New Journal of Chemistry,
Nanoscale,
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry.

A facile method to tune zeolite L crystals with low aspect ratio

Adriana Gaona Gomez, Glynis de Silveira, Huu Doan and Chil-Hung Cheng, Chem. Commun., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CC10894H, Communication

Urchin-like Ni–P microstructures: facile synthesis, properties and application in the fast removal of heavy-metal ions

Yonghong Ni, Kai Mi, Chao Cheng, Jun Xia, Xiang Ma and Jianming Hong, Chem. Commun., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CC11640A, Communication

The crystallographic structure of thermoNicotianamine synthase with a synthetic reaction intermediate highlights the sequential processing mechanism

Cyril Dreyfus, Manuel Larrouy, Florine Cavelier, Jean Martinez, David Pignol and Pascal Arnoux, Chem. Commun., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CC10565E, Communication

A new approach towards tetrahedral imidazolate frameworks for high and selective CO₂ uptake

Fei Wang, Yan-Xi Tan, Hui Yang, Hai-Xia Zhang, Yao Kang and Jian Zhang, Chem. Commun., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CC10829H, Communication

A rod packing microporous metal–organic framework: unprecedented ukv topology, high sorption selectivity and affinity for CO₂

Lei Hou, Wen-Juan Shi, Yao-Yu Wang, Ying Guo, Chen Jin and Qi-Zhen Shi, Chem. Commun., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CC10990A, Communication

Some aspects of quantum dot toxicity

Melanie Bottrill and Mark Green, Chem. Commun., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CC10692A, Feature Article

Enhanced porosity in a new 3D Hofmann-like network exhibiting humidity sensitive cooperative spin transitions at room temperature

Carlos Bartual-Murgui, Norma A. Ortega-Villar, Helena J. Shepherd, M. Carmen Muñoz, Lionel Salmon, Gábor Molnár, Azzedine Bousseksou and José Antonio Real, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0JM04387G, Paper

Effect of RF power on the formation and size evolution of nC-Si quantum dots in an amorphous SiO_x matrix

Arup Samanta and Debajyoti Das, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1JM10443H, Paper

Synthesis of quasi-oriented α-MoO₃ nanobelts and nanoplatelets on TiO₂ coated glass

Murat E. Kurtoglu, Travis Longenbach and Yury Gogotsi, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1JM10752F, Paper

The crystal structure of the first borohydride borate, Ca₃(BD₄)₃(BO₃)

M. D. Riktor, Y. Filinchuk, P. Vajeeston, E. G. Bardají, M. Fichtner, H. Fjellvåg, M. H. Sørby and B. C. Hauback, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1JM00074H, Paper

Synthesis of sub-2 nm ceria crystallites in carbon matrixes by simple pyrolysis of ion-exchange resins

Mahlon S. Wilson, Andrew Delariva and Fernando H. Garzon, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1JM10529A, Paper

Fabrication of flexible dye-sensitised solar cells with photoanodes composed of periodically aligned single crystalline vertical ZnO NRs by utilising a direct metal transfer method

Jin Ju Kim, Ki Seok Kim and Gun Young Jung, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0JM04419A, Paper

Addressing fluorescence and liquid crystal behaviour in multi-mesogenic BODIPY materials

Michael Benstead, Geraldine A. Rosser, Andrew Beeby, Georg H. Mehl and Ross W. Boyle, New J. Chem., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0NJ00990C, Paper

Synthesis of highly b-oriented zeolite MFI films by suppressing twin crystal growth during the secondary growth

Xianming Li, Yong Peng, Zhengbao Wang and Yushan Yan, CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CE05094J, Communication

Self-assembled 3D hierarchical clew-like Bi₂WO₆ microspheres: Synthesis, photo-induced charges transfer properties, and photocatalytic activities

Dongqing He, Lingling Wang, Haiyan Li, Tianyi Yan, Dejun Wang and Tengfeng Xie, CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0CE00918K, Paper

Novel ligands and complexes in situ generated from the copper-mediated conversions of 2,5-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole: structures and magnetic properties

Zhen-Lan Fang, Rong-Min Yu, Jie Zhang and Can-Zhong Lu, CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0CE00907E, Paper

Synthesis and luminescent properties of NaLa(MoO₄)₂:Eu³⁺ shuttle-like nanorods composed of nanoparticles

Mei Yang, Hongpeng You, Yongchao Jia, Hui Qiao, Ning Guo and Yanhua Song, CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0CE00822B, Paper

Underlying nets in three-periodic coordination polymers: topology, taxonomy and prediction from a computer-aided analysis of the Cambridge Structural Database

E. V. Alexandrov, V. A. Blatov, A. V. Kochetkov and D. M. Proserpio, CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0CE00636J, Highlight

A novel family of 3D photoluminescent lanthanide–bta–flexible MOFs constructed from 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid and different spanning of dicarboxylate acid ligands

Ke-Ling Hou, Feng-Ying Bai, Yong-Heng Xing, Jian-Ling Wang and Zhan Shi, CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0CE00707B, Paper

Hierarchical Bi₂O₂CO₃ microspheres with improved visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

Tianyu Zhao, Jiantao Zai, Miao Xu, Qiong Zou, Yuezeng Su, Kaixue Wang and Xuefeng Qian, CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1CE05113J, Paper

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Hot Article: Hydrogen bonds vs. Halogen bonds

14 Apr 2011

In this CrystEngComm Hot Article, Tullio Pilati and Franco Cozzi describe the structural variations of crystal structures in which a strong interaction, provided by a network of hydrogen bonds, is modulated by the introduction of halogen atoms.

The team chose systems of a series of crystals and co-crystals formed by 3,4-diX-substituted maleimide, 3,5-diYsubstituted-2,6-diaminopyridine, where X, Y = H, Cl, Br, and some of their 1 : 1 adducts.

Hydrogen bonding continues to play a central role in crystal engineering strategies but other interactions have received increasing attention as supramolecular synthons. Among these, halogen bonding is a stabilizing directional interaction between the halogen atom and an electron donor.

Read the article for free until 12th May 2011 here.

Structures of hydro-, chloro-, and bromo-substituted maleimides and 2,6-diaminopyridines, and of some of their 1:1 heterodimers
Tullio Pilati and Franco Cozzi
CrystEngComm, 2011, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C1CE05166K

You might also find interesting a recent Dalton Transactions blog post called “IUPAC define the hydrogen bond“.

Why not check it out here.

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CrystEngComm Blog

Archive for April, 2011

Top Ten most-read CrystEngComm articles in March

Happy Easter from CrystEngComm: Top Ten Articles

Lanthanide MOFs: Amazing Structures say ‘Hello!’ to Outstanding Properties

HOT Article: Nickel-platinum alloy nanocubes

HOT Article: Perfect single crystals of magnesium diboride

HOT article: Shuttle-like nanorods

HOT article: Guest-selective sensors based on porous coordination polymers

HOT Article: Metal nitride and titanate nanofibers

This week’s CrystEngSelects

Hot Article: Hydrogen bonds vs. Halogen bonds

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