Distinction between space groups having principal rotation and screw axes, which are combined with twofold rotation axes, using the coherent convergent-beam electron diffraction method

Atomic-level handedness determination of chiral crystals using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy

Handedness or chirality determination is a challenging and important topic in various fields including chemistry and biology, as two enantiomers have the same composition and mirror symmetry related structures, but might show totally different activities and properties in enantioselective separations, catalysis and so on. However, current methods are unable to reveal the handedness locally of a nanocrystal at the atomic-level in real-space imaging due to the well-known fact that chiral information is lost in a two-dimensional projection. Herein, we present a method for handedness determination of chiral crystals by atomic-resolution imaging using Cs-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. In particular, we demonstrate that enantiomorphic structures can be distinguished through chirality-dependent features in two-dimensional projections by comparing a tilt-series of high-resolution images along different zone axes. The method has been successfully applied to certify the specific enantiomorphic forms of tellurium, tantalum silicide and quartz crystals, and it has the potential to open up new possibilities for rational synthesis and characterization of chiral crystals.

Handedness or chirality determination of crystals has always been challenging for chemists, biologists and materials scientists. Here, the authors report a method for handedness determination by atomic-resolution imaging using Cs-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy.

Identification of the impurity phase in high-purity CeB6 by convergent-beam electron diffraction

The rare earth hexaborides are known for their tendency towards very high crystal perfection. They can be grown into large single crystals of very high purity by inert gas arc floating zone refinement. The authors have found that single-crystal cerium hexaboride grown in this manner contains a significant number of inclusions of an impurity phase that interrupts the otherwise single crystallinity of this prominent cathode material. An iterative approach is used to unequivocally determine the space group and the lattice parameters of the impurity phase based on geometries of convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED) patterns and the symmetry elements that they possess in their intensity distributions. It is found that the impurity phase has a tetragonal unit cell with space group P4/mbm and lattice parameters a = b = 7.23 ± 0.03 and c = 4.09 ± 0.02 Å. These agree very well with those of a known material, CeB₄. Confirmation that this is indeed the identity of the impurity phase is provided by quantitative CBED (QCBED) where the very close match between experimental and calculated CBED patterns has confirmed the atomic structure. Further confirmation is provided by a density functional theory calculation and also by high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy.

Electron crystallography for determining the handedness of a chiral zeolite nanocrystal

Chiral crystals can be exploited for applications in enantioselective separation and catalysis. However, the study of chirality at the atomic level in a sub-micrometre-sized crystal is difficult due to the lack of adequate characterization methods. Herein, we present two efficient and practical methods of characterization that are based on electron crystallography. These methods are successfully applied to reveal the handedness of a chiral, zeolite nanocrystal. The handedness is identified through either a comparison of two high-resolution transmission electron microscope images, taken from the same nanocrystal but along different zone axes by tilting it around its screw axis, or the intensity asymmetry of a Bijvoet pair of reflections in a single precession electron-diffraction pattern. These two approaches provide new ways to determine the handedness of small, chiral crystals.

Convergent-beam electron diffraction

This paper reviews the convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED) technique. Point- and space-group determination methods of ordinary crystals are described, along with an example of the determination method for Sr₃Ru₂O₇. The symmetry determination of one-dimensionally incommensurate crystals and quasicrystals is explained. The large-angle CBED technique, which is indispensable for lattice defect and lattice strain analysis, is also described. A real procedure for lattice strain analysis is provided, using an example of a multilayer Si₁-xGe(x)/Si material. A nanometer-scale crystal structure refinement method and charge density and crystal potential determination method by CBED are briefly described.

Volatile Imido−Hydrazido Compounds of the Refractory Metals Niobium, Tantalum, Molybdenum, and Tungsten

Volatile 1,1-dimethyl-2-(trimethylsilyl)hydrazido(1-) complexes of niobium, tantalum, molybdenum, and tungsten have been synthesized and fully characterized for use as precursors in their chemical vapor deposition to metal nitrides. Different reaction patterns were observed in the hydrazinolysis of imido complexes of those four metals with (trimethylsilyl)dimethylhydrazine HN(SiMe3)NMe2 (H-TDMH). [Ta(NtBu)Cl3Py2] gave [Ta(TDMH)2Cl3] (1) with loss of the imido functionality, and [M(NtBu)2Cl2Py2] gave [M(NtBu)2(TDMH)Cl] (M = W, 8a; Mo, 8b). Reactions of both types of metal imido complexes with magnesium hydrazides produced [M(NtBu)(TDMH)2X] (M = Ta, X = Cl, 2a; X = Br, 3a; M = Nb, X = Cl, 2b; X = Br, 3b) and [M(NtBu)2(TDMH)X] (M = W, X = Cl, 8a; X = Br, 9a; M = Mo, X = Cl, 8b; X = Br, 9b). Halogen substitution reactions at 2 and 3 by -NMe2, -NHtBu, and CH2Ph groups as well as imido ligand replacement reactions have been investigated. The results of crystal structure determinations of 1, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7b, and 9b are presented.