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Here, we show that calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum) can be directly, rapidly and reversibly converted to calcium sulfate hemihydrate (bassanite) in high salinity solutions (brines). The optimum conditions for the efficient production of bassanite in a short time (<5 min) involve the use of brines with c(NaCl) > 4 M and maintaining a temperature, T > 80 °C. When the solution containing bassanite crystals is cooled down to around room temperature, eventually gypsum is formed. When the temperature is raised again to T > 80 °C, bassanite is rapidly re-precipitated. This contrasts with the better-known behaviour of the bassanite phase in low-salt environments. In low-salinity aqueous solutions, bassanite is considered to be metastable with respect to gypsum and anhydrite, and therefore gypsum-to-bassanite conversion does not occur in pure water. Interestingly, the high-salinity transformation of gypsum-to-bassanite has been reported by many authors and used in practice for several decades, although its very occurrence actually contradicts numerical thermodynamic predictions regarding solubility of calcium sulfate phases. By following the evolution of crystalline phases with in situ and time-resolved X-ray diffraction/scattering and Raman spectroscopy, we demonstrated that the phase stability in brines at elevated temperatures was inaccurately represented in the thermodynamic databases. Most notably for c(NaCl) > 4 M, and T > 80 °C gypsum becomes readily more soluble than bassanite, which induces the direct precipitation of the latter from gypsum. The fact that these transformations are controlled by the solution provides extensive opportunities for precise manipulation of crystal formation. Our experiments confirmed that bassanite remained the sole crystalline phase for many hours before reverting into gypsum. This property is extremely advantageous for practical processing and efficient crystal extraction in industrial scenarios.
This study investigates the mechanochemical reactions between AgBr 3-picolylamine and 4-picolylamine. The use of different stoichiometry ratios of the reagents allows [(AgBr)(n-pica)]n and [(AgBr)2(n-pica)]n to be obtained, and we report the new structures of [(AgBr)2(3-pica)]n and [(AgBr)2(4-pica)]n which are characterized by the presence of the following: (a) infinite inorganic chains, (b) silver atom coordinated only by bromide atoms and (c) argentophilic interactions. Furthermore, we studied the interconversion of [(AgBr)(n-pica)]n/[(AgBr)2(n-pica)]n by mechanochemical and thermal properties. The in situ experiments suggest that [(AgBr)(3-pica)]n is kinetically favoured while [(AgBr)2(3-pica)]n is converted into [(AgBr)(3-pica)]n only with a high excess of the ligand. Finally, the liquid nature of the ligands is not sufficient to assist the grinding process, and the complete reaction is observed with the addition of a small quantity of acetonitrile.
A route to a ZrF4 catalyst active in room temperature Friedel–Crafts and dehydrofluorination reactions was developed via a fluorolytic sol–gel route, which was followed by a postfluorination step using a stream of CHClF2. The behaviour of different Zr(IV) precursors in a sol–gel reaction with anhydrous isopropanol/HF solution was investigated. The subsequent post-fluorination step was optimised in its temperature ramp and confirmed the necessity of a fluorination of the generated xerogels to obtain catalytic activity. The process is discussed in the context of the analysis of the materials using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis (BET), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The local structure of the amorphous catalyst was elucidated by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS).
In materials science, traditional techniques for analyzing layered structures are essential for obtaining information about local structure, electronic properties and chemical states. While valuable, these methods often require high vacuum environments and have limited depth profiling capabilities. The grazing exit x-ray absorption near-edge structure (GE-XANES) technique addresses these limitations by providing depth-resolved insight at ambient conditions, facilitating in situ material analysis without special sample preparation. However, GE-XANES is limited by long data acquisition times, which hinders its practicality for various applications. To overcome this, we have incorporated Bayesian optimization (BO) into the GE-XANES data acquisition process. This innovative approach potentially reduces measurement time by a factor of 50. We have used a standard GE-XANES experiment, which serve as reference, to validate the effectiveness and accuracy of the BO-informed experimental setup. Our results show that this optimized approach maintains data quality while significantly improving efficiency, making GE-XANES more accessible to a wider range of materials science applications.
Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) offer a platform to create different chemical structures and linkages for highly stable covalent organic frameworks (COFs). As an illustrative example, the multicomponent Povarov reaction generates 2,4-phenylquinoline from aldehydes and amines in the presence of electron-rich alkenes. In this study, we introduce a new domino reaction to generate unprecedented 2,3-phenylquinoline COFs in the presence of epoxystyrene. This work thus presents, for the first time, structural isomeric COFs produced by multicomponent domino and Povarov reactions. Furthermore, 2,3-phenylquinolines can undergo a Scholl reaction to form extended aromatic linkages. With this approach, we synthesize two thermally and chemically stable MCR-COFs and two heteropolyaromatic COFs using both domino and in situ domino and Scholl reactions. The structure and properties of these COFs are compared with the corresponding 2,4-phenylquinoline-linked COF and imine-COF, and their activity toward benzene and cyclohexane sorption and separation is investigated. The position of the pendant phenyl groups within the COF pore plays a crucial role in facilitating the industrially important sorption and separation of benzene over cyclohexane. This study opens a new avenue to construct heteropolyaromatic COFs via MCR reactions.
Physical adsorption at cryogenic temperature (cryoadsorption) is a reversible mechanism that can reduce the pressure of conventional compressed gas storage systems. Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials are remarkable candidates due to the combination of high specific surface area and density which, in some cases, provide a high volumetric storage capacity. However, such extensive use of MOFs for this application requires the selection of affordable structures, easy to produce and made from feasible metallic and organic components. Herein, we introduce a MOF database detailing the crystallographic and porous properties of 3600 existing MOFs made from industrially relevant metals and their organic composition. The comparison of the available minimum costs of linkers allowed the creation of a database to select affordable structures with high potential for volumetric hydrogen storage by cryoadsorption, considering their composition based on individual or mixed building blocks. A user interface, available online, facilitates the selection of MOFs based on the properties or names of structures and linkers.
We present how mesoporosity can be engineered in transition metal phosphate (TMPs) materials in a template-free manner. The method involves a transformation of a precursor metal phosphate phase, called M-struvite (NH4MPO4·6H2O, M = Mg2+, Ni2+, Co2+, NixCo1-x2+). It relies on the thermal decomposition of crystalline M-struvite precursors to an amorphous and simultaneously mesoporous phase, which forms while degassing of NH3 and H2O. The temporal evolution of mesoporous frameworks and the response of the metal coordination environment were followed with in-situ and ex-situ scattering and diffraction, as well as X -ray spectroscopy. Despite sharing the same precursor struvite structure, different amorphous and mesoporous structures were obtained depending on the involved transition metal. We highlight the systematic differences in absolute surface area, pore shape, pore size, and phase transitions depending on a metal cation present in the analogous M-struvites. The amorphous structures of thermally decomposed Mg-, Ni- and NixCo1-x-struvites exhibit high surface areas and pore volumes (240 m²g-1 and 0.32 cm-3 g-1 for Mg and 90 m²g-1 and 0.13 cm-3 g-1 for Ni). We propose that the low-cost, environmentally friendly M-struvites could be obtained as recycling products from industrial and agricultural wastewaters. These waste products could be then upcycled into mesoporous TMPs through a simple thermal treatment for further applications, for instance, in (electro)catalysis.
Due to their favorable properties and high porosity, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) have recently received much limelight for key technologies such as energy storage, optoelectronics, sensorics, and catalysis. Despite widespread interest in these materials, fundamental questions regarding the zinc coordination environment remain poorly understood. By focusing on zinc(II)2-methylimidazolate (ZIF-8) and its tetrahedrally coordinated analogues with Br-, Cl-, and H-substitution in the 2-ring position, we aim to clarify how variations in the local environment of Zn impact the charge distribution and the electronic properties of these materials. Our results from densityfunctional theory confirm the presence of a Zn coordinative bond with a large polarization that is quantitatively affected by different substituents on the organic ligand. Moreover, our findings suggest that the variations in the Zn coordination induced by the functionalization have a negligible effect on the electronic structure of the considered compounds. On the other hand, halogen terminations of the ligands lead to distinct electronic contributions in the vicinity of the frontier region which ultimately reduce the band gap size by a few hundred millielectron volts. Experimental results obtained from X-ray absorption spectroscopy (Zn K-edge) confirm the trends predicted by theory and, together with them, contribute to a better understanding of the structure−property relationships that are needed to tailor ZIFs for target applications.
Mechanical flexibility in molecular crystals is a fascinating behavior with potential for developing advanced technologies. However, the phenomenon of mechanical bending is poorly understood. We explore for the first time the atomistic origin of elastic bending in a single component organic crystal using a combination of μ-focus synchrotron X-ray diffraction and ab initio simulation.
An amorphous Lewis-acidic zirconium chlorofluoride as HF shuttle: C–F bond activation and formation
(2023)
An exceptional HF transfer reaction by C–F bond activation of fluoropentane and a subsequent hydrofluorination of alkynes at room temperature is reported. An amorphous Lewis-acidic Zr chlorofluoride serves as heterogeneous catalyst, which is characterised by an eightfold coordination environment at Zr including chlorine atoms. The studies are seminal in establishing sustainable fluorine chemistry.
We show that mechanochemically driven polymorphic transformations can require extremely long induction periods, which can be tuned from hours to days by changing ball milling energy. The robust design and interpretation of ball milling experiments must account for this unexpected kinetics that arises from energetic phenomena unique to the solid state. Detailed thermal analysis, combined with DFT simulations, indicates that these marked induction periods are associated with processes of mechanical activation. Correspondingly, we show that the pre‐activation of reagents can also lead to marked changes in the length of induction periods. Our findings demonstrate a new dimension for exerting control over polymorphic transformations in organic crystals. We expect mechanical activation to have a much broader implication across organic solid‐state mechanochemistry.
Ananion-dopedaluminiumchlorofluoride AlCl0.1F2.8(OTeF5)0.1(ACF-teflate) was synthesized.The material contains pentafluor-oorthotellurate(teflate)groups, which mimic fluoride ions electronically, but are sterically more demanding. They are embedded into the amorphous structure. The latter was studied by PDF analysis, EXAFS data and MAS NMR spectroscopy. The mesoporous powder is a Lewis superacid, and ATR-IR spectra of adsorbed CD3CN reveal a blue-shift of the adsorption band by73 cm-1, which is larger than the shift for SbF5. Remarkably,ACF-teflate catalyzes dehydrofluorination reactions of mono-fluoroalkanes to yield olefins in C6D6. In these cases,no Friedel-Crafts products were formed.
The precipitation of struvite, a magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate (MgNH₄PO₄ · 6H₂O) mineral, from wastewater is a promising method for recovering phosphorous. While this process is commonly used in engineered environments, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for the formation of struvite crystals remains limited. Specifically, indirect evidence suggests the involvement of an amorphous precursor and the occurrence of multi-step processes in struvite formation, which would indicate non-classical paths of nucleation and crystallization. In this study, we use synchrotron-based in situ x-ray scattering complemented by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy to obtain new insights from the earliest stages of struvite formation. The holistic scattering data captured the structure of an entire assembly in a time-resolved manner. The structural features comprise the aqueous medium, the growing struvite crystals, and any potential heterogeneities or complex entities. By analysing the scattering data, we found that the onset of crystallization causes a perturbation in the structure of the surrounding aqueous medium. This perturbation is characterized by the occurrence and evolution of Ornstein-Zernike fluctuations on a scale of about 1 nm, suggesting a non-classical nature of the system. We interpret this phenomenon as a liquid-liquid phase separation, which gives rise to the formation of the amorphous precursor phase preceding actual crystal growth of struvite. Our microscopy results confirm that the formation of Mg-struvite includes a short-lived amorphous phase, lasting >10 s.
Mechanochemistry has proven to be a highly effective method for the synthesis of organic compounds. We studied the kinetics of the catalyst-free Knoevenagel reaction between 4-nitrobenzaldehyde and malononitrile, activated and driven by ball milling. The reaction was investigated in the absence of solvents (neat grinding) and in the presence of solvents with different polarities (liquid-assisted grinding). The reaction was monitored using time-resolved in situ Raman spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Our results indicate a direct relationship between solvent polarity and reaction kinetics, with higher solvent polarity leading to faster product (2-(4-nitrobenzylidone)malononitrile) formation. For the first time, we were able to isolate and determine the structure of an intermediate 2-(hydroxy(4-nitrophenyl)methyl)malononitrile based on PXRD data.
Transition metal phosphates (TMPs) have attracted interest as materials for (electro-) catalysis, and electrochemistry due to their low-cost, stability, and tunability. In this work, an automated synthesis platform was used for the preparation of transition metal phosphate crystals to efficiently explore the multidimensional parameter space, determining the phase selection, crystal sizes, shapes. By using X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy-based methods and electron microscopy imaging, a complete characterization of the phase stability fields, phase transitions, and crystal morphology/sizes was achieved. In an automated three-reactant synthesis, the individual effect of each reactant species NH4+, M2+, and PO43- on the formation of transition metal phosphate phases: M-struvite NH4MPO4·6H2O, M-phosphate octahydrate M3(PO4)2·8H2O with M = Ni, Co and an amorphous phase, was investigated. The NH4+ concentration dictates the phase composition, morphology, and particle size in the Ni-system (crystalline Ni-struvite versus amorphous Ni-PO4 phase), whereas in the Co-system all reactant species - NH4+, Co2+, and PO43- - influence the reaction outcome equivalently (Co-struvite vs. Co-phosphate octahydrate). The coordination environment for all crystalline compounds and of the amorphous Ni-PO4 phase was resolved by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, revealing matching characteristics to its crystalline analogue, Ni3(PO4)2·8H2O. The automated synthesis turned out to be significantly advantageous for the exploration of phase diagrams due to its simple modularity, facile traceability, and enhanced reproducibility compared to a typical manual synthesis.
We present how mesoporosity can be engineered in transition metal phosphate (TMPs) materials in a template-free manner. The method involves the transformation of a precursor metal phosphate phase, called M-struvite (NH4MPO4·6H2O, M = Mg2+, Ni2+, Co2+, NixCo1−x2+). It relies on the thermal decomposition of crystalline M-struvite precursors to an amorphous and simultaneously mesoporous phase, which forms during degassing of NH3 and H2O. The temporal evolution of mesoporous frameworks and the response of the metal coordination environment were followed by in situ and ex situ scattering and diffraction, as well as X-ray spectroscopy. Despite sharing the same precursor struvite structure, different amorphous and mesoporous structures were obtained depending on the involved transition metal. We highlight the systematic differences in absolute surface area, pore shape, pore size, and phase transitions depending on the metal cation present in the analogous M-struvites. The amorphous structures of thermally decomposed Mg-, Ni- and NixCo1−x-struvites exhibit high surface areas and pore volumes (240 m2 g−1 and 0.32 cm−3 g−1 for Mg and 90 m2 g−1 and 0.13 cm−3 g−1 for Ni). We propose that the low-cost, environmentally friendly M-struvites could be obtained as recycling products from industrial and agricultural wastewaters. These waste products could be then upcycled into mesoporous TMPs through a simple thermal treatment for further application, for instance in (electro)catalysis.
Mechanically flexible single crystals of molecular materials offer potential for a multitude of new directions in advanced materials design. Before the full potential of such materials can be exploited, insight into their mechanisms of action must be better understood. Such insight can be only obtained through synergistic use of advanced experimentation and simulation. We herein report the first detailed mechanistic study of elasto-plastic flexibility in a molecular solid. An atomistic origin for this mechanical behaviour is proposed through a combination of atomic force microscopy, μ-focus synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, ab initio simulation, and computed elastic tensors. Our findings suggest that elastic and plastic bending are intimately linked and result from extensions of the same molecular deformations. The proposed mechanism bridges the gap between contested mechanisms, suggesting its applicability as a general mechanism for elastic and plastic bending in organic molecular crystals.
Crystalline porous materials are recognized as promising proton conductors for the proton exchange membrane (PEM) in fuel cell technology owing to their tunable framework structure. However, it is still a challenging bulk synthesis for real-world applications of these materials. Herein, we report the mechanochemical gram-scale synthesis of two isostructural metal hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (MHOFs) of Co(II) and Ni(II) based on 1-hydroxyethylidenediphosphonic acid (HEDPH4) with 2,2′-bipyridine (2,2′-bipy): Co(HEDPH3)2(2,2′-bipy)·H2O (1) and Ni(HEDPH3)2(2,2′-bipy)·H2O (2). In situ monitoring of the mechanochemical synthesis using different synchrotron-based techniques revealed a one-step mechanism – the starting materials are directly converted to the product. With the existence of extensive hydrogen bonds with amphiprotic uncoordinated phosphonate hydroxyl and oxygen atoms, both frameworks exhibited proton conduction in the range of 10–4 S cm–1 at room temperature under humid conditions. This study demonstrates the potential of green mechanosynthesis for bulk material preparation of framework-based solid-state proton conductors.