Archive for June, 2011

HOT article: New chemistry of closo-heteroboranes

In this HOT article, the molecular structures of 1,2-closo-P2B10H10 (1) and 1,2-closo-As2B10H10 (2) have been determined by gas electron diffraction and the results obtained compared with those from computation at the MP2/6-31G** level of theory. The first examples of metalladiphosphaboranes and a considerable extension of the range of known metalladiarsaboranes, these compounds being prepared from deboronated derivatives of 1 and 2, respectively, are also reported.

Read more for FREE about the structural chemistry of closo-heteroboranes in the gas-phase…. at:

New chemistry of 1,2-closo-P2B10H10 and 1,2-closo-As2B10H10; in silico and gas electron diffraction structures, and new metalladiphospha- and metalladiarsaboranes
R. McLellan, N. M. Boag, K. Dodds, D. Ellis, S. A. Macgregor, D. McKay, S. L. Masters, R. Noble-Eddy, N. P. Platt, D. W. H. Rankin, H. E. Robertson, G. M. Rosair and A. J. Welch
Dalton Trans., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1DT10540J

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Hot Article: Coumarin phosphorescence for luminescent oxygen sensing

A N^N Pt(II) bis(acetylide) complex containing coumarin was prepared in this Dalton Transactions Hot article.

The coordination chemistry of the complex was investigated to better understand its phosphorescence. Room temperature phosphorescence of coumarin has not previously been observed at room temperature, which is an exciting discovery.

The authors went on to use their complex as a sensitizer for triplet–triplet-annihilation based upconversion and luminescent oxygen sensing, with encouraging results.

Read the full article for FREE to find out more…

Coumarin phosphorescence observed with NN Pt(II) bisacetylide complex and its applications for luminescent oxygen sensing and triplet–triplet-annihilation based upconversion
Haiyang Sun, Huimin Guo, Wenting Wu, Xin Liu and Jianzhang Zhao
Dalton Trans., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C1DT10490J

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Hot Article: Technetium nitrides in nuclear waste management

The most stable crystal structures of different TCN compounds are investigated in this Dalton Transactions Hot article.

Philippe F. Weck and colleagues from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, USA, use gradient-corrected density functional theory to look at the structures and properties of technetium nitride phases.

Technetium nitride is used in nuclear waste management, as nitride forms are a good way of storing technetium isotopes, a common by product of the nuclear fuel cycle, and also in nuclear medicine, where it acts a a radiopharmaceutical (if you are interested in radiopharmaceuticals, check out our recent themed issue)

Read the full article for FREE to find out more…

Interplay between structure, stoichiometry and properties of technetium nitrides
Philippe F. Weck, Eunja Kim and Kenneth R. Czerwinski
Dalton Trans., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C1DT10334B

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Ian Manners elected Fellow of the Royal Society

Our Editorial Board member, Professor Ian Manners from Bristol University has been made a fellow of the Royal Society. The Royal Society is the oldest scientific academy in the world, and being elected as a fellow is a great honour.

Professor Manners was recognised for his contributions to inorganic and materials chemistry. Read the full citation at the Royal Society’s webpage, or find out more about his research at the University of Bristol.

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HOT article: Next generation anode materials

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have successfully dominated the commercial power supply market for advanced portable electronics.  In this regard, metallic Sn has attracted a great deal of interest as an anode material because of its high theoretical capacity offering a significant advantage over the currently used graphite but until now has not been utilized due to the huge volumetric changes during Li-insertion/extraction cycling, which leads to rapid pulverization and poor cyclability of the materials. 

This HOT article reports an interesting study on Sn/PPy composite as negative electrode using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) binder for Li-ion batteries.   The electrochemical results show that both the capacity retention and the rate capability are in the same order of nano-Sn/PPy-CMC > nano-Sn/PPy-PVDF > nano-Sn-CMC > nano-Sn-PVDF. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results show that CMC can prevent the formation of cracks in electrodes caused by the big volume changes during the charge–discharge process, and the PPy in the composite can provide a conducting matrix and alleviate the agglomeration of Sn nanoparticles. The present results indicate that the nano-Sn/PPy composite could be suitable for the next generation of anode materials.

Read more for FREE about these interesting developments in new generation anode materials at:

Tin/polypyrrole composite anode using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose binder for lithium-ion batteries
Shu-Lei Chou, Xuan-Wen Gao, Jia-Zhao Wang, David Wexler, Zhao-Xiang Wang, Li-Quan Chen and Hua-Kun Liu
Dalton Trans., 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1DT10396B

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Morphology-dependent nanocatalysis

The rapid development of materials science now enables tailoring of metal and metal oxide particles with tunable size and shape at the nanometre level. As a result, nanocatalysis is undergoing an explosive growth, and it has been seen that the size and shape of a catalyst particle tremendously affects the reaction performance.

Wenjie Shen and colleagues recently surveyed the recent progress on morphology-dependent nanocatalysis of precious metal particles to emphasise the chemical nature of the morphology effect. Get up to speed fast on this rapidly growing field now by reading their Perspective article!

Morphology-dependent nanocatalysis: metal particles
Yong Li, Qiying Liu and Wenjie Shen
Dalton Trans., 2011, 40, 5811-5826 DOI: 10.1039/C0DT01404D

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Hot Article: Pegging NCN pincers to early transition metals

Gerard van Koten and colleagues test a synthetic method for the synthesis of NCN-pincer complexes of early and middle transition metals, in cases where their synthesis via the corresponding lithium reagents fails. The paper also describes the results of tests using these new NCN-pincer metal complexes as olefin polymerisation precatalysts. Read more in their article below – free to read until the 30th June.

Mono N,C,N-pincer complexes of titanium, vanadium and niobium. Synthesis, structure and catalytic activity in olefin polymerisation
Alexey V. Chuchuryukin, Rubin Huang, Ernst E. van Faassen, Gerard P. M. van Klink, Martin Lutz, John C. Chadwick, Anthony L. Spek and Gerard van Koten, Dalton Trans., 2011, Advance Article DOI: 10.1039/C1DT10482A 

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This Hot Article will feature in the forthcoming Pincers themed issue appearing soon – indeed Professor van Koten is a guest editor of this issue, along with Professor Bert Klein Gebbink. Look out for the issue when it is published later this summer!

Do you make or use pincer ligands as part of your own research? Why not tell us your thoughts on your own work or this paper by posting a comment on this blog post below…….

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Optical electron transfer for smart devices

In molecular computing how does structure influence electron transfer ?

In their Dalton Transactions Hot Article, Frederic Paul and his team look at the intramolecular electron transfer in a fluorenyl iron compound with a view to optimising mixed valent compounds for smart molecular devices.

Optical electron transfer through 2,7-diethynylfluorene spacers in mixed-valent complexes containing electron-rich “(η2-dppe)(η5-C5Me5)Fe” endgroups
Floriane Malvolti, Cedric Rouxel, Olivier Mongin, Philippe Hapiot, Loic Toupet, Mireille Blanchard-Desce and Frédéric Paul, Dalton Trans., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C1DT10231A

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Hot Article: Intelligently interlocking

Combining the properties of transition metals with the dynamic properties of mechanically interlocked molecules has the potential to create chemical systems with a variety of unique applications, the scope of which, are just beginning to be explored. However, the synthesis of such sophisticated ligands and their transition metal complexes still present a major challenge for synthetic inorganic chemists.

In their Dalton Transactions Hot Article Stephen Loeb and Darren Mercer introduce a practical method of incorporating inert metal ions directly into an interlocked species by constructing a ligand that is itself a permanently interlocked rotaxane. Read more about this clever synthesis in their Dalton Transactions Hot Communication:

Complexes of a [2]rotaxane ligand with terminal terpyridine groups
Darren J. Mercer and Stephen J. Loeb
Dalton Trans., 2011, 40, 6385-6387DOI: 10.1039/C1DT10569H

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Hot Review Article: Claude Piguet looks at self assembly

This Perspective article by Claude Piguet has been selected as a Dalton Transactions Hot article, where the current understanding of the role of energy in self assembly is explained.

Claude Piguet looks at intermolecular interactions in pure materials and diluted solutions, and the thermodynamic considerations behind enthalpy-entropy compensation.

As the author comments, this field is very important as ‘a thorough understanding of the underlying intermolecular connection of an effector to a receptor could be at the origin of some novel design for drugs…’

Professor Piguet is based at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, find out more about his research by visiting his website.

Read the full review for FREE for one month…

Enthalpy–entropy correlations as chemical guides to unravel self-assembly processes
Claude Piguet
Dalton Trans., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C1DT10055F

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