Neutron diffraction of mixed-valence cesium trichloroaurate at high pressure

Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Gold Halide Perovskites: Structural Diversity through Cation Size

Crystal structures of a series of organic-inorganic hybrid gold iodide perovskites, formulated as A₂ [Au^I I₂ ][Au^III I₄ ] [A=methylammonium (MA) (1) and formamidinium (FA) (2)], A'₂ [I₃ ]_1-x [Au^I I₂ ]_x [Au^III I₄ ] [A'=imidazolium (IMD) (3), guanidinium (GUA) (4), dimethylammonium (DMA) (5), pyridinium (PY) (6), and piperizinium (PIP) (7)], systematically changed depending on the cation size. In addition, triiodide (I₃ ^- ) ions were partly incorporated into the AuI₂ ^- sites of 3-7, whereas they were not incorporated into those of 1 and 2. Such a difference comes from the size of the organic cation. Optical absorption spectra showed characteristic intervalence charge-transfer bands from Au^I to Au^III species, and the optical band gap increased as the size of the cation became larger.

Electronic and vibrational structure of one-dimensional conductors and superconductors

An attempt is made to treat molecular wires by quantum chemical methods. What is the electronic difference between systems (molecules, stacks of molecules, or polymers) that conducting and almost identical systems that are insulating? At 50% band filling a one-dimensional crystal undergoes a Peierls transition and becomes an insulator (without doping). In the case of 75% band filling, on the other hand, two phases are possible: charge density wave (CDW) and spin-density wave (SDW). The transition between these two insulating phases should be connected to a high conductivity. If CDW and SDW are energetically possible at zero T, vibrational coupling leads to stabilization of a superconducting (SC) ground state and the formation of an energy gap. This hypothesis is exemplified on (SN)x and (TMTSF)2X (X = ClO4, PF6).

Expanding dinitrogen reduction chemistry to trivalent lanthanides via the LnZ3/alkali metal reduction system: evaluation of the generality of forming Ln2(mu-eta2:eta2-N2) complexes via LnZ3/K

The Ln[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3)/K dinitrogen reduction system, which mimicks the reactions of the highly reducing divalent ions Tm(II), Dy(II), and Nd(II), has been explored with the entire lanthanide series and uranium to examine its generality and to correlate the observed reactivity with accessibility of divalent oxidation states. The Ln[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3)/K reduction of dinitrogen provides access from readily available starting materials to the formerly rare class of M(2)(mu-eta(2):eta(2)-N(2)) complexes, [[(Me(3)Si)(2)N](2)(THF)Ln](2)(mu-eta(2):eta(2)-N(2)), 1, that had previously been made only from TmI(2), DyI(2), and NdI(2) in the presence of KN(SiMe(3))(2). This LnZ(3)/alkali metal reduction system provides crystallographically characterizable examples of 1 for Nd, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Y, Tm, and Lu. Sodium can be used as the alkali metal as well as potassium. These compounds have NN distances in the 1.258(3) to 1.318(5) A range consistent with formation of an (N=N)(2)(-) moiety. Isolation of 1 with this selection of metals demonstrates that the Ln[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3)/alkali metal reaction can mimic divalent lanthanide reduction chemistry with metals that have calculated Ln(III)/Ln(II) reduction potentials ranging from -2.3 to -3.9 V vs NHE. In the case of Ln = Sm, which has an analogous Ln(III)/Ln(II) potential of -1.55 V, reduction to the stable divalent tris(amide) complex, K[Sm[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3)], is observed instead of dinitrogen reduction. When the metal is La, Ce, Pr, or U, the first crystallographically characterized examples of the tetrakis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide] anions, [M[N(SiMe(3))(2)](4)](-), are isolated as THF-solvated potassium or sodium salts. The implications of the LnZ(3)/alkali metal reduction chemistry on the mechanism of dinitrogen reduction and on reductive lanthanide chemistry in general are discussed.

Superconductivity in Copper, Silver, and Gold Compounds

High-temperature superconductivity exists in layered, square-planar cuprates, but is almost absent in most other Cu(II) compounds and in most Ag(II) and Au(II) compounds. Valence state II is quite unusual in silver and gold and often disproportionates to valence states I and III ("negative-U compounds"). The two-electron difference in oxidation state is suggestive of electron pairing, a prerequisite for superconductivity. In the present paper the connection between disproportionation and geometrical structure on one hand and superconductivity on the other is discussed by using the accepted theory for mixed valence complexes. It is concluded that absence of superconductivity in gold and silver compounds can be connected to the instability of oxidation state II and the large difference in equilibrium geometry between oxidation states I and III.

Comparative reactivity of sterically crowded nf3 (C5Me5)3Nd and (C5Me5)3U complexes with CO: formation of a nonclassical carbonium ion versus an f element metal carbonyl complex

Sterically crowded isoelectronic nf(3) (C(5)Me(5))(3)M complexes of neodymium and uranium, compounds which have unconventionally long metal ligand distances, are found to react very differently with CO as a substrate. The 4f(3) complex (C(5)Me(5))(3)Nd reacts with CO to form a nonclassical carbonium ion complex, (C(5)Me(5))(2)Nd(O(2)C(7)Me(5)), which contains a three-coordinate planar carbon. (C(5)Me(5))(3)U reacts with CO to form an even more crowded CO adduct through a reaction type never observed before for (C(5)Me(5))(3)M compounds. The rare uranium carbonyl complex, (C(5)Me(5))(3)U(CO), has nu(CO) = 1922 cm(-1) and a U-C(CO) distance of 2.485(9) A.

Tris(bis(trimethylsilyl)amido)samarium: X-ray Structure and DFT Study

The compound Sm[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3) has been investigated experimentally by X-ray crystallography and computationally by DFT methods. The structure is analogous to that of other tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)amido]lanthanides, featuring positional disorder of the metal atom above and below the plane defined by the three N donor atoms, resulting in a trigonal pyramidal configuration. One of the methyl groups of each amido ligand is placed above the apex of the pyramid at close distance to the metal center suggesting the presence of agostic interactions. The DFT calculations have been carried out on the real molecule and on a Si[N(SiH(3))(SiH(2)Me)](3) model where the unique Me group was placed above the apex of the pyramid to probe the agostic interaction. In both cases, the optimized geometry reproduces very well the experimental structure and indicates the presence of beta-Si-C agostic interactions. A comparison of the optimized geometries obtained in the presence/absence of the Sm d and the Si d orbitals serves to illustrate the relevance of these orbitals for (i). the establishment of the pyramidal configuration at Sm, (ii). the Sm-N bond length, and (iii). the Sm-(beta-Si-C) bond length. The bonding analysis, which was carried out by both Mulliken and NBO methods, not only confirms the importance of the metal d orbitals for the Sm-N and Sm-(beta-Si-C) chemical bonding but also illustrates the relevance of electrostatic terms in the agostic interaction. Sm-N and N-Si pi bonding is present according to the bonding analysis but is not important for enforcing the planar configuration at N, nor the pyramidal configuration at Sm.

Cerium(III) and neodymium(III) amides derived from a chelating 2-pyridyl amido ligand

Homoleptic Ce(III) and Nd(III) triamides [LnL(3)] [Ln = Ce(1) or Nd(2)] and the heterobimetallic amide-alkoxide derivatives [LnL(2)(mu-OBu(t))2M(tmeda)] [Ln = Ce, M = Na (3); Ln = Nd, M = Na (4); Ln = Nd, M = K (5)] supported by the bulky [N(SiBu(t)Me2)(2-C(5)H(3)N-6-Me)]- ligand (L-) have been successfully synthesized and characterized. Complexes 1-3 and 5 show a high activity toward the ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone.

Intramolecular hydrophosphination/cyclization of phosphinoalkenes and phosphinoalkynes catalyzed by organolanthanides: scope, selectivity, and mechanism

Organolanthanide complexes of the general type Cp'(2)LnE(TMS)(2) (Cp' = eta(5)-Me(5)C(5); Ln = La, Sm, Y, Lu; E = CH, N; TMS = SiMe(3)) serve as effective precatalysts for the rapid intramolecular hydrophosphination/cyclization of the phosphinoalkenes and phosphinoalkynes RHP(CH(2))(n)()CH=CH(2) (R = Ph, H; n = 3, 4) and H(2)P(CH(2))(n)C triple bond C-Ph (n = 3, 4) to afford the corresponding heterocycles and respectively. Kinetic and mechanistic data for these processes exhibit parallels to, as well as distinct differences from, organolanthanide-mediated intramolecular hydroamination/cyclizations. The turnover-limiting step of the present catalytic cycle is insertion of the carbon-carbon unsaturation into the Ln-P bond, followed by rapid protonolysis of the resulting Ln-C linkage. The rate law is first-order in [catalyst] and zero-order in [substrate] over approximately one half-life, with inhibition by heterocyclic product intruding at higher conversions. The catalyst resting state is likely a lanthanocene phosphine-phosphido complex, and dimeric [Cp'(2)YP(H)Ph](2) was isolated and cystallographically characterized. Lanthanide identity and ancillary ligand structure effects on rate and selectivity vary with substrate unsaturation: larger metal ions and more open ligand systems lead to higher turnover frequencies for phosphinoalkynes, and intermediate-sized metal ions with Cp'(2) ligands lead to maximum turnover frequencies for phosphinoalkenes. Diastereoselectivity patterns also vary with substrate, lanthanide ion, and ancillary ligands. Similarities and differences in hydrophosphination vis-à-vis analogous organolanthanide-mediated hydroamination are enumerated.