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Controlling the connectivity and topology of solids is a versatile way to target desired physical properties. This is especially relevant in the realm of hybrid halide semiconductors, where the long-range connectivity of the inorganic substructural unit can lead to significant changes in optoelectronic properties such as photoluminescence, charge transport, and absorption. We present a new series of hybrid metal-halide semiconductors, (phenH2)BiI5·H2O, (2,2-bpyH2)BiI5, (BrbpyH)BiI4·H2O, (phenH2)2Pb3I10·2H2O, and (2,2-bpyH2)2Pb3I10 where (phenH2)2+ = 1,10-phenanthroline-1,10-diium, (2,2-bpyH2)2+ = 2,2'-bipyridine-1,1'-diium and (BrbpyH)+ = 6,6'-dibromo-2,2'-bipyridium. These compounds allow us to observe how the planarity of the cation, induced either through structural modification in the case of (phenH2)2+ or through non-covalent interactions in (BrbpyH)+, both relative to (2,2-bpyH2)2+, modifies the inorganic substructural unit. While the Pb2+ series of compounds show minimal changes in inorganic connectivity, we observe large differences in the Bi3+ series, ranging from 0-D dimers to corner- and edge-sharing 1-D chains of octahedra. We find that compounds containing (phenH2)2+ and (BrbpyH)+ pack more efficiently than those with (2,2-bpyH2)2+ due to their retention of planarity leading to greater inorganic connectivity. Electronic structure calculations and optical diffuse reflectance reveal that the band gaps of these compounds are influenced by the degree of inorganic connectivity and the inorganic substructural unit distances. These results show that the structure and planarity of organic cations can directly influence both the inorganic connectivity and the optical properties that could be tuned for certain optoelectronic applications.

In this work, we present our discovery and characterization of a new kagome prototype structure, ${\mathrm{KV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$. We also present the discovery of the isostructural compounds ${\mathrm{RbV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ and ${\mathrm{CsV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$. All materials exhibit a structurally perfect two-dimensional kagome net of vanadium. Density-functional theory calculations indicate that the materials are metallic, with the Fermi level in close proximity to several Dirac points. Powder and single-crystal syntheses are presented, with postsynthetic treatments shown to deintercalate potassium from single crystals of ${\mathrm{KV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$. Considering the proximity to Dirac points, deintercalation provides a convenient means to tune the Fermi level. Magnetization measurements indicate that ${\mathrm{KV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ exhibits behavior consistent with a the Curie-Weiss model at high temperatures, although the effective moment is low $(0.22{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\text{B}}$ per vanadium ion). An anomaly is observed in both magnetization and heat capacity measurements at 80 K, below which the moment is largely quenched. Elastic neutron scattering measurements find no obvious evidence of long-range or short-range magnetic ordering below 80 K. The possibility of an orbital-ordering event is considered. Single-crystal resistivity measurements show the effect of deintercalation on the electron transport and allow estimation of the Kadowaki-Woods ratio in ${\mathrm{KV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$. We find that $A/{\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{2}\ensuremath{\sim}61\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{Ohm}$ cm ${\mathrm{mol}}_{\text{FU}}^{2}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{K}}^{2}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{J}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$, suggesting that correlated electron transport may be possible. ${\mathrm{KV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ and its cogeners ${\mathrm{RbV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ and ${\mathrm{CsV}}_{3}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{5}$ represent a new family of kagome metals, and our results demonstrate that they deserve further study as potential model systems.

The quantum dimer magnet (QDM) is the canonical example of quantum magnetism. The QDM state consists of entangled nearest-neighbor spin dimers and often exhibits a field-induced triplon Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) phase. We report on a new QDM in the strongly spin-orbit coupled, distorted honeycomb-lattice material ${\mathrm{Yb}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$. Our single crystal neutron scattering, specific heat, and ultrasound velocity measurements reveal a gapped singlet ground state at zero field with sharp, dispersive excitations. We find a field-induced magnetically ordered phase reminiscent of a BEC phase, with exceptionally low critical fields of ${H}_{c1}\ensuremath{\sim}0.4$ and ${H}_{c2}\ensuremath{\sim}1.4\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{T}$. Using inelastic neutron scattering in an applied magnetic field we observe a Goldstone mode (gapless to within $\ensuremath{\delta}E=0.037\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{meV}$) that persists throughout the entire field-induced magnetically ordered phase, suggestive of the spontaneous breaking of U(1) symmetry expected for a triplon BEC. However, in contrast to other well-known cases of this phase, the high-field (${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}H\ensuremath{\ge}1.2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{T}$) part of the phase diagram in ${\mathrm{Yb}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ is interrupted by an unusual regime signaled by a change in the field dependence of the ultrasound velocity and magnetization, as well as the disappearance of a sharp anomaly in the specific heat. These measurements raise the question of how anisotropy in strongly spin-orbit coupled materials modifies the field induced phases of QDMs.

Hybrid metal halides yield highly desirable optoelectronic properties and offer significant opportunity due to their solution processability. This contribution reports a new series of hybrid semiconductors, (C

The family of hybrid metal-halide semiconductors (C7H7)MX4 (M = Bi3+, Sb3+; X = Cl–, Br–, I–) was synthesized. The optical and electronic properties of the new compounds were elucidated, revealing electronic band gaps that span the visible region. The tropylium cations stack into columns separated by chains of edge-sharing M-X octahedra to yield a low dimensional crystal structure with electron and hole charge carriers confined to the organic and inorganic components, respectively.

Two-dimensional perovskites have emerged as more intrinsically stable materials for solar cells. Chemical tuning of spacer organic cations has attracted great interest due to their additional functionalities. However, how the chemical nature of the organic cations affects the properties of two-dimensional perovskites and devices is rarely reported. Here we demonstrate that the selection of spacer cations (i.e., selective fluorination of phenethylammonium) affects the film properties of two-dimensional perovskites, leading to different device performance of two-dimensional perovskite solar cells (average n = 4). Structural analysis reveals that different packing arrangements and orientational disorder of the spacer cations result in orientational degeneracy and different formation energies, largely explaining the difference in film properties. This work provides key missing information on how spacer cations exert influence on desirable electronic properties and device performance of two-dimensional perovskites via the weak and cooperative interactions of these cations in the crystal lattice., Two dimensional halide perovskites solar cells have attracted research interest due to their higher stability compared to three dimensional counterparts. Here Hu et al. show that fine tuning of the chemical structure of the spacer cations leads to different packing arrangements and device efficiency.

The synthesis of complex oxides requires high temperatures to overcome barriers imparted by solid-state diffusion; as such, reactions typically yield the most stable polymorph for a given composition. To synthesize new or metastable complex oxides, kinetically competent reactions with lower initial energy barriers must be devised to control the reaction pathway and resulting products. This contribution details the selective synthesis of different yttrium manganese oxides through assisted metathesis reactions between Mn2O3, YCl3, and A2CO3 under flowing oxygen; where A = Li, Na, K. With lithium carbonate, the orthorhombic perovskite o-YMnO3 (o-YMnO3+δ) forms over the temperature range of 550–850 °C. With sodium carbonate, the pyrochlore Y2Mn2O7 forms at 650 °C. No apparent selectivity is observed with K2CO3, and all alkalis yields hexagonal YMnO3 at T > 950 °C. The alkali species modify the reaction pathway and thus impart kinetic control in the formation of both phases.

Hydroxyapatite is an inorganic mineral closely resembling the mineral phase in bone. However, as a biological mineral, it is highly disordered, and its composition and atomistic structure remain poorly understood. Here, synchrotron X-ray total scattering and pair distribution function analysis methods provide insight into the nature of atomistic disorder in a synthetic bone mineral analogue, chemically substituted hydroxyapatite. By varying the effective hydrolysis rate and/or carbonate concentration during growth of the mineral, compounds with varied degrees of paracrystallinity are prepared. From advanced simulations constrained by the experimental pair distribution function and density functional theory, the paracrystalline disorder prevalent in these materials appears to result from accommodation of carbonate in the lattice through random displacement of the phosphate groups. Though many substitution modalities are likely to occur in concert, the most predominant substitution places carbonate into the mirror plane of an ideal phosphate site. Understanding the mineralogical imperfections of a biologically analogous hydroxyapatite is important not only to potential bone grafting applications but also to biological mineralization processes themselves.

Preparation of metastable solid-state materials is often hindered by the limitations of traditional solid-state chemistry, namely the high temperatures required to induce solid-state diffusion. Here, we present the formation of the metastable pyrite polymorph of CuSe2 through a metathesis reaction mediated by the Lewis base, triphenylphosphine (Ph3P). The Ph3P added to the double salt-exchange reaction CuCl2 + Na2Se2 abstracts selenium from the precursor and promotes the reaction at 130–150 °C, rather than 300 °C required for the neat reaction mixture. Powder X-ray diffraction experiments indicate that substoichiometric amounts of added phosphine yield pyrite CuSe2; infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies as well as mass spectrometry corroborate the formation of Ph3PSe and Cu(Ph3P)n+ adducts, which implicates the Lewis base in facilitating atom-transfer reactions, thus lowering the activation barrier to forming the metastable pyrite polymorph of CuSe2. These results provide an example of a ...

Topological insulators have been predicted to exhibit a variety of interesting phenomena including a quantized magnetoelectric response and novel spintronics effects due to spin textures on their surfaces. However, experimental observation of these phenomena has proved difficult due to the finite bulk carrier density which may overwhelm the intrinsic topological responses that are expressed at the surface. Here, we demonstrate an ionic gel gating technique to tune the chemical potential of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ thin films while simultaneously performing THz spectroscopy. We can tune the carrier concentration by an order of magnitude and shift the Fermi energy ${E}_{F}$ to as low as $\ensuremath{\simeq}10$ meV above the Dirac point. At high-bias voltages and magnetic fields, we observe a quantized Faraday angle consistent with the topological magnetoelectric effect that can be tuned by ionic gel gating through a number of plateau states.

A central challenge for hydrogen generation via electrolytic water splitting is the identification of efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts; a key aspect of the challenge hinges on an ability to relate atomic-scale structure to observed activities. Amorphous iron-based oxide(hydroxides) prepared by photochemical metal organic decomposition (PMOD) are proven OER catalysts, but their atomistic structures have been elusive. Here, a combination of powder diffraction and pair distribution function (PDF) analyses enables the formulation of a set of structural characteristics that capture the salient features of amorphous iron oxide(hydroxide) (a-FeOx), a model compound for this class of materials. a-FeOx contains only octahedrally coordinated iron atoms, which form clusters of both edge- and corner-sharing octahedra. A degree of “eutaxy” with predominantly ABC-type anion stacking persists at length scales beyond the dimensions of cluster domains–consistent with thermally induced crystallization in...

Rational preparation of materials by design is a major goal of inorganic, solid-state, and materials chemists alike. Oftentimes, the use of nonmetallurgical reactions (e.g., chalcogenide fluxes, hydrothermal syntheses, and in this case solid-state metathesis) alters the thermodynamic driving force of the reaction and allows new, refractory, or otherwise energetically unfavorable materials to form under softer conditions. Taking this a step further, alteration of a metathesis reaction pathway can result in either the formation of the equilibrium marcasite polymorph (by stringent exclusion of air) or the kinetically controlled formation of the high-pressure pyrite polymorph of CuSe2 (by exposure to air). From analysis of the reaction coordinate with in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function analysis as well as differential scanning calorimetry, it is clear that the air-exposed reaction proceeds via slight, endothermic rearrangements of crystalline intermediates to form pyrite, whi...

The insulating magnetic material Fe3PO4O3 features a non-centrosymmetric lattice composed of Fe^{3+} triangular units. Frustration, due to competing near neighbor ($J_1$) and next nearest neighbor ($J_2$) antiferromagnetic interactions, was recently suggested to be the origin of an antiferromagnetic helical ground state with unusual needle-like nanoscale magnetic domains in Fe3PO4O3. Magnetic dilution is shown here to tune the ratio of these magnetic interactions, thus providing deeper insight into this unconventional antiferromagnet. Dilution of the Fe^{3+} lattice in Fe3PO4O3 was accomplished by substituting non-magnetic Ga^{3+} to form the solid solution series Fe_{3-x}Ga_xPO4O3 with $x = 0.012, 0.06, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5$. Magnetic susceptibility and neutron powder diffraction data from this series are presented. A continuous decrease of the both the helical pitch length and the domain size is observed with increasing dilution up to at least $x = 0.25$, while for $x \ge 0.5$, the compounds lack long range magnetic order entirely. The decrease in the helical pitch length with increasing $x$ can be qualitatively understood by reduction of the ratio of $J_2/J_1$ in the Heisenberg model, consistent with mean field considerations. Intriguingly, the magnetic correlation length in the $ab$ plane remains nearly equal to the pitch length for each value of $x \le 0.25$, showing that the two quantities are intrinsically connected in this unusual antiferromagnet.

Gas-solid interfaces enable a multitude of industrial processes, including heterogeneous catalysis; however, there are few methods available for studying the structure of this interface under operating conditions. Here, we present a new sample environment for interrogating materials under gas-flow conditions using time-of-flight neutron scattering under both constant and pulse probe gas flow. Outlined are descriptions of the gas flow cell and a commissioning example using the adsorption of N2 by Ca-exchanged zeolite-X (Na78−2xCaxAl78Si144O384,x ≈ 38). We demonstrate sensitivities to lattice contraction and N2 adsorption sites in the structure, with both static gas loading and gas flow. A steady-state isotope transient kinetic analysis of N2 adsorption measured simultaneously with mass spectrometry is also demonstrated. In the experiment, the gas flow through a plugged-flow gas-solid contactor is switched between N215 and N214 isotopes at a temperature of 300 K and a constant pressure of 1 atm; the gas flo...

Inorganic materials with organic constituents-hybrid materials-have shown incredible promise as chemically tunable functional materials with interesting optical and electronic properties. Here, the preparation and structure are reported of two hybrid materials containing the optoelectronically active tropylium ion within tin- and lead-iodide inorganic frameworks with distinct topologies. The crystal structures of tropylium tin iodide, (C7H7)2SnI6, and tropylium lead iodide, C7H7PbI3, were solved using high-resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction informed by X-ray pair distribution function data and high-resolution time-of-flight neutron diffraction. Tropylium tin iodide contains isolated tin(IV)-iodide octahedra and crystallizes as a deep black solid, while tropylium lead iodide presents one-dimensional chains of face-sharing lead(II)-iodide octahedra and crystallizes as a bright red-orange powder. Experimental diffuse reflectance spectra are in good agreement with density functional calculations of the electronic structure. Calculations of the band decomposed charge densities suggest that the deep black color of tropylium tin iodide is attributed to iodide ligand to tin metal charge transfer, while the bright red-orange color of tropylium lead iodide arises from charge transfer between iodine and tropylium states. Understanding the origins of the observed optoelectronic properties of these two compounds, with respect to their distinct topologies and organic-inorganic interactions, provides insight into the design of tropylium-containing compounds for potential optical and electronic applications.

The preparation of materials with limited phase stabilities yet high kinetic activation barriers is challenging. Knowledge of their possible formation pathways aids in addressing these challenges. Metathesis reactions present an approach to circumvent these barriers; however, solid-state metathesis reactions are often too rapid from extensive self-heating to understand the reaction. The stoichiometric reaction of MCl2 salts (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) with Na2S2 enables the formation of pyrite (FeS2), CoS2, and NiS2 at low temperatures (250-350 °C). Na2S2 has the same polyanionic dimer as found in the pyrite structure, which would suggest the possibility of a facile ion-exchange reaction. However, from high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry, the energetic driving force does not appear to result solely from NaCl formation but also from formation of intermediate and pyrite phases. It is apparent that the reaction proceeds through polyanionic disproportionation and formation of a low-density alkali-rich intermediate, followed by anionic comproportionation and atomic rearrangement into the pyrite phase. These results have profound implications for the use of low-temperature metathesis in achieving materials by design.

Organisms of the phylum Porifera, that is, sponges, utilize enzymatic hydrolysis to concatenate bioavailable inorganic silicon to produce lightweight, strong, and often flexible skeletal elements called spicules. In their optical transparency, these remarkable biomaterials resemble fused silica, despite having been formed under ambient marine biological conditions. Although previous studies have elucidated the chemical mechanisms of spicule formation and revealed the extensive hydration of these glasses, their precise composition and local and medium-range structures had not been determined. We have employed a combination of compositional analysis, (1) H and (29) Si solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and synchrotron X-ray total scattering to characterize spicule-derived silica produced by the demosponge Tethya aurantia. These studies indicate that the materials are highly hydrated, but in an inhomogeneous manner. The spicule-derived silica is, on average, perfectly dense for the given extent of hydration and regions of fully condensed and unstrained SiO networks persist throughout each monolithic spicule. To accommodate chemical strain and defects, the extensive hydration is concentrated in distinct regions that give rise to mesostructural features. The chemistry responsible for producing spicule silica resembles hydrolytic sol-gel processing, which offers exceptional control over the precise local atomic arrangement of materials. However, the specific processing involved in forming the sponge spicule silica further results in regions of fully condensed silica coexisting with regions of incomplete condensation. This mesostructure suggests a mechanism for atomistic defect tolerance and strain relief that may account for the unusual mechanical properties of the biogenic spicules.

PdTeI features quasi-1D –Pd–Te–Pd–Te– chains with palladium formally in the 3+ oxidation state. Using pair distribution function analysis of X-ray and neutron total scattering data, we find that there is a local charge-density wave arising from the disproportionation of Pd3+ towards Pd2+ in pseudo-square planar, and Pd4+ in pseudo-octahedral, coordination. The magnitude and coherence length for this distortion is small, such that the average structure determined by Bragg diffraction techniques possesses higher symmetry than the local structure at all temperatures. Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements show a transport anomaly at TCDW = 50 K, corresponding to the reduced fluctuations of the charge separated Pd2+ and Pd4+ sites. At higher temperatures, the charge separation is dynamic, with local Pd2+/Pd4+ pairs persisting up to room temperature.

Solid-state diffusion is often the primary limitation in the synthesis of crystalline inorganic materials and prevents the potential discovery and isolation of new materials that may not be the most stable with respect to the reaction conditions. Synthetic approaches that circumvent diffusion in solid-state reactions are rare and often allow the formation of metastable products. To this end, we present an in situ study of the solid-state metathesis reactions MCl2 + Na2S2 → MS2 + 2 NaCl (M = Fe, Co, Ni) using synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. Depending on the preparation method of the reaction, either combining the reactants in an air-free environment or grinding homogeneously in air before annealing, the barrier to product formation, and therefore reaction pathway, can be altered. In the air-free reactions, the product formation appears to be diffusion limited, with a number of intermediate phases observed before formation of the MS2 product. However, grinding the reactants in air allows NaCl to form directly without annealing and displaces the corresponding metal and sulfide ions into an amorphous matrix, as confirmed by pair distribution function analysis. Heating this mixture yields direct nucleation of the MS2 phase and avoids all crystalline binary intermediates. Grinding in air also dissipates a large amount of lattice energy via the formation of NaCl, and the crystallization of the metal sulfide is a much less exothermic process. This approach has the potential to allow formation of a range of binary, ternary, or higher-ordered compounds to be synthesized in the bulk, while avoiding the formation of many binary intermediates that may otherwise form in a diffusion-limited reaction.

Vacancy-ordered double perovskites of the general formula A2BX6 are a family of perovskite derivatives composed of a face-centered lattice of nearly isolated [BX6] units with A-site cations occupying the cuboctahedral voids. Despite the presence of isolated octahedral units, the close-packed iodide lattice provides significant electronic dispersion, such that Cs2SnI6 has recently been explored for applications in photovoltaic devices. To elucidate the structure-property relationships of these materials, we have synthesized solid-solution Cs2Sn1-xTexI6. However, even though tellurium substitution increases electronic dispersion via closer I-I contact distances, the substitution experimentally yields insulating behavior from a significant decrease in carrier concentration and mobility. Density functional calculations of native defects in Cs2SnI6 reveal that iodine vacancies exhibit a low enthalpy of formation, and that the defect energy level is a shallow donor to the conduction band rendering the material tolerant to these defect states. The increased covalency of Te-I bonding renders the formation of iodine vacancy states unfavorable and is responsible for the reduction in conductivity upon Te substitution. Additionally, Cs2TeI6 is intolerant to the formation of these defects, because the defect level occurs deep within the band gap and thus localizes potential mobile charge carriers. In these vacancy-ordered double perovskites, the close-packed lattice of iodine provides significant electronic dispersion, while the interaction of the B- and X-site ions dictates the properties as they pertain to electronic structure and defect tolerance. This simplified perspective based on extensive experimental and theoretical analysis provides a platform from which to understand structure-property relationships in functional perovskite halides.

Here, we study the nature of metal-metal bonding in the ThCr(2)Si(2) structure type by probing the rate-limiting steps in the oxidative deintercalation of KNi(2)Se(2). For low extents of oxidation, alkali ions are removed exclusively to form K(1-x)Ni(2)Se(2). For greater extents of oxidation, the rate of the reaction decreases dramatically, concomitant with the extraction of both potassium and nickel to form K(1-x)Ni(2-y)Se(2). The appreciable mobility of transition metal ions is unexpected, but illustrates the relative energy scales of different defects in the ThCr(2)Si(2) structure type. Furthermore, the fully oxidized compounds, K(0.25)Ni(1.5)Se(2), spontaneously convert from the tetrahedral [NiSe(4)]-containing ThCr(2)Si(2) structure to a vacancy-ordered NiAs structure with [NiSe(6)] octahedra. From analysis of the atom positions and kinetic data, we have determined that this transformation occurs by a continuous, low-energy pathway via subtle displacements of Ni atoms and buckling of the Se sublattice. These results have profound implications for our understanding of the stability, mobility, and reactivity of ions in materials.

The precipitation of crystals with stoichiometric and ordered arrangements of distinct metal cations often requires carefully designed molecular precursors and/or sufficient activation energy in addition to the necessary mass transport. Here, we study the formation of ordered double perovskite hydroxides, MnSn(OH)(6) and CoSn(OH)(6), of the generic chemical formula, BB'(OH)(6) (no A site), using kinetic control of aqueous hydrolysis from simple metal salt solutions. We find that the precipitation yields ordered compounds only when the B ion is Mn(II) or Co(II), and not when it is any other divalent transition metal ion, or Zn(II). The key step in forming the compounds is the prevention of rapid and uncontrolled hydrolysis of Sn(IV), and this is achieved by a fluoride counteranion. The two compounds, MnSn(OH)(6) and CoSn(OH)(6), are studied by high-resolution synchrotron X-ray diffraction and from the temperature dependence of magnetic behavior. From maximum entropy image restoration of the electron density and from Rietveld analysis, the degree of octahedral distortion and tilting and the small extent of anti-site disorder are determined. From the nonoverlapping electron density, we infer strongly ionic character of bonding. As the first magnetic study of such materials, we report simple paramagnetic behavior with no long-range magnetic order down to 2 K for the Mn(II) compound, while the cobalt compound presents uncompensated antiferromagnetic interactions, attributed to the single-ion anisotropy of octahedral Co(II).

Effectively modifying an existing synthesis method for materials can prove as useful as developing a new one. In this work, we revisited a conventional sol−gel synthesis of lithium vanadium oxide, a promising electrode material for rechargeable lithium batteries. Employing a kinetically controlled, vapor diffusion strategy (in which ammonia vapor was slowly diffused into the solution), we modified the conventional method to obtain a thin, flaky, lithium vanadium oxide with an average thickness of ∼120 nm. In comparison, material prepared by the conventional sol−gel route (in which aqueous ammonia was dropwise added to the solution) exhibited an agglomeration of irregular particles with a typical size of ∼10 μm. When evaluated as cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries, this flaky material displayed a stable, reversible capacity of ∼250 and ∼115 mAh/g at discharge rates of 0.1 C and 2 C, respectively, considerably better than the agglomerated sample. The reasons for this improved performance we...

Ceria nanoparticles are synthesized from aqueous cerium nitrate by a facile, room temperature, vapor diffusion based process, resulting in an unusual evolution of particle morpnoiogy without exogenous surface capping agents. Transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and UV-visible spectroscopy reveal that as the hydroxyl ion concentration of the reaction medium increases through progressive diffusion of ammonia vapor into the precursor solution, crystals grow from amorphous small seeds to 10 nm particles with unusual development ofwell-defined crystal morphologies. Quasi-spherical particles grow to form truncated octahedra that subsequently grow via face reconstruction to yield cubic nanocrystals with {100} surfaces. The slow progressive increase in hydroxyl concentration resulting from the controlled diffusion of ammonia into the reaction medium permits us to observe the sequence of evolutionary transformations and deduce a probable mechanism. We suggest that the increase in OH concentration provides the driving force for the increased growth rate along the 〈111〉 direction, while the exposed and otherwise unstable, polar {100} surfaces are stabilized through OH - adsorption or deprotonation of bound water. The progressive increase in basicity also leads to internal cracking that results in lattice expansion in the final CeO 2 particles. The tunable, size- and shape-selective formation of ceria nanoparticles offers advantages for catalytic applications.

We report the synthesis and characterization of new structural variants of the isotypic compound with the generic chemical formula, Co(1-0.5x)(oct) Co(x)(tet) (OH)2 (Cl)x (H2O)n, all modifications of an alpha-Co(OH)2 lattice. We show that the occupancy of tetrahedrally coordinated cobalt sites and associated chloride ligands, x, is modulated by the rate of formation of the respective layered hydroxide salts from kinetically controlled aqueous hydrolysis at an air-water interface. This new level of structural control is uniquely enabled by the slow diffusion of a hydrolytic catalyst, a simple technique. Independent structural characterizations of the compounds separately describe various attributes of the materials on different length scales, revealing details hidden by the disordered average structures. The precise control over the population of distinct octahedrally and tetrahedrally coordinated cobalt ions in the lattice provides a gentle, generic method for modulating the coordination geometry of cobalt in the material without disturbing the lattice or using additional reagents. A mechanism is proposed to reconcile the observation of the kinetic control of the structure with competing interactions during the initial stages of hydrolysis and condensation.

A low-cost, environmentally benign method was used to prepare nanostructured thin films of Co 5 (OH) 8 (NO 3 ) 2 ·2H 2 O, a layered double hydroxide p-type semiconductor. When infilled with poly(3-butylthiophene) (P3BT), an n-type semiconducting polymer, the resulting hybrid bulk heterojunction yields a photovoltaic device. The indium-doped tin oxide/Co 5 (OH) 8 (NO 3 ) 2 ·2H 2 O/P3BT/Al cell described here is an unprecedented example of an optoelectronic device fabricated by a low-cost biologically inspired pathway independent of organic structure-directing agents. Under illumination, this proof-of-principle device yields an open circuit voltage of 1.38 V, a short circuit current of 9 μA/cm 2 , a fill factor of 26% and a power efficiency of 3.2·10 − 3 %. While the open circuit voltage of this prototype cell is close to its theoretical maximum, potential sources of the observed low efficiency are identified, and a suggested path for improvement is discussed.

Change of electronic structure and chemical composition on the surface of freshly prepared As 35 S 65 thin films caused by electron- and light irradiation have been studied by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The mechanisms of the induced transformations are compared. It is shown that light irradiation causes redistribution of chemical bonds without change in chemical composition. The products of such light-induced structural transformations were also identified by Raman spectroscopy in the volume of thin films. Electron irradiation changes chemical composition of the surface by creating an As-enriched layer due to the formation of As–O bonds. Anomalous increase of the ~ 10 eV band associated with non-bonding As 4s electrons was observed after light- and low dose e-beam irradiation.

Chalcogenide glasses, generally soluble in alkaline solvents, become more resistant to etching in amine-based solvents after exposure to high energy electrons (30 keV). We have used this characteristic for fabricating structures that are suitable for nanolithography. Using a scanning electron microscope equipped with a lithography system, nano-gratings are written digitally with varying point spacing, line pitch, and electron dose. The spot size of the electron beam is ∼1 nm, but the finest structures that have been created in our arsenic sulphide films have lines with widths of 27 nm, separation of 7 nm, and heights from 80 to 250 nm. As the line pitch decreases, the best resolved spacing between the lines decreases until the lines blend into each other, much before the e-beam overlap. A discussion of the optimization of fabrication parameters is included.

We demonstrate an application of photo-induced silver diffusion into chalcogenide glass thin film for gray scale lithography. The gray scale chalcogenide glass masking layer generated in the present experiments was dry etched using reactive ion etching. The etching rate increases almost linearly with the total dose of absorbed light, thus forming the basis of gray scale lithography. Chemical composition as well as electronic structure on the surface of chalcogenide glassy film has been determined by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of the film at different stages of the patterning process. Influence of thermal annealing of chalcogenide film before Ag deposition has been investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and XPS techniques. It is observed that thermal annealing of the chalcogenide film slows the process of silver diffusion during the proposed processing procedure. A mechanism is proposed to explain the stages of gray scale lithography based on chalcogenide glass photoresists.

We report x-ray total scattering and pair distribution function (PDF) studies of the structural relaxation around interstitial manganese (Mn$_i$) in ferromagnetic Mn$_{1+\delta}$Sb ($0.03 \le \delta \le 0.23$) alloys, guided by density functional theory (DFT). Refinements to the experimental PDF using a crystallographically constrained structural model indicate an expansion in the equatorial plane of the Mn$_i$Sb$_5$ trigonal bipyramidal site, which introduces significant positional disorder in addition to the nominally-random occupation of interstitial voids. Observation of a weak diffuse signal near the symmetry-forbidden (001) reflection position is indicative of correlated disorder from the clustering of Mn$_i$. Density functional relaxation of supercells approximating the $\delta = 0.08$, $0.15,$ and $0.23$ compositions provides improved models that accurately describe the short-range structural distortions captured in the PDFs. Such structural relaxation increases the DFT calculated moment on Mn$_i$, which aligns antiparallel to the primary Mn moments, but leads to insubstantial changes in the average Mn and Sb moments and moments of Mn and Sb proximal to interstitials, thus providing a more accurate description of the observed bulk magnetic properties., Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures. Supplemental material available upon request

Iron pnictides and selenides display a variety of unusual magnetic phases originating from the interplay between electronic, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom. Using powder inelastic neutron scattering on the two-leg ladder BaFe2Se3, we fully characterize the static and dynamic spin correlations associated with the Fe4 block state, an exotic magnetic ground state observed in this low-dimensional magnet and in Rb0.89Fe1.58Se2. All the magnetic excitations of the Fe4 block state predicted by an effective Heisenberg model with localized spins are observed below 300 meV and quantitatively reproduced. However, the data only account for 16 mub^2 per Fe2+, approximatively 2/3 of the total spectral weight expected for localized S=2 moments. Our results highlight how orbital degrees of freedom in iron-based magnets can conspire to stabilize an exotic magnetic state., 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table

Rational preparation of materials by design is a major goal of inorganic, solid-state, and materials chemists alike. Oftentimes, the use of nonmetallurgical reactions (e.g., chalcogenide fluxes, hydrothermal syntheses, and in this case solid-state metathesis) alters the thermodynamic driving force of the reaction and allows new, refractory, or otherwise energetically unfavorable materials to form under softer conditions. Taking this a step further, alteration of a metathesis reaction pathway can result in either the formation of the equilibrium marcasite polymorph (by stringent exclusion of air) or the kinetically controlled formation of the high-pressure pyrite polymorph of CuSe2 (by exposure to air). From analysis of the reaction coordinate with in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function analysis as well as differential scanning calorimetry, it is clear that the air-exposed reaction proceeds via slight, endothermic rearrangements of crystalline intermediates to form pyrite, which is attributed to partial solvation of the reaction from atmospheric humidity. In contrast, the air-free reaction proceeds via a significant exothermic process to form marcasite. Decoupling the formation of NaCl from the formation of CuSe2 enables kinetic control to be exercised over the resulting polymorph of these superconducting metal dichalcogenides.

Representational analysis is used to characterize correlated short-range order in large atomistic ensembles. This method, analogous to tight-binding methods, enables the extraction of relevant structural parameters in an orthogonal and local basis that permits robust statistical analysis of crystalline disorder., With the increased availability of high-intensity time-of-flight neutron and synchrotron X-ray scattering sources that can access wide ranges of momentum transfer, the pair distribution function method has become a standard analysis technique for studying disorder of local coordination spheres and at intermediate atomic separations. In some cases, rational modeling of the total scattering data (Bragg and diffuse) becomes intractable with least-squares approaches, necessitating reverse Monte Carlo simulations using large atomistic ensembles. However, the extraction of meaningful information from the resulting atomistic ensembles is challenging, especially at intermediate length scales. Representational analysis is used here to describe the displacements of atoms in reverse Monte Carlo ensembles from an ideal crystallographic structure in an approach analogous to tight-binding methods. Rewriting the displacements in terms of a local basis that is descriptive of the ideal crystallographic symmetry provides a robust approach to characterizing medium-range order (and disorder) and symmetry breaking in complex and disordered crystalline materials. This method enables the extraction of statistically relevant displacement modes (orientation, amplitude and distribution) of the crystalline disorder and provides directly meaningful information in a locally symmetry-adapted basis set that is most descriptive of the crystal chemistry and physics.

High-temperature superconductivity has a range of applications from sensors to energy distribution. Recent reports of this phenomenon in compounds containing electronically active BiS2 layers have the potential to open a new chapter in the field of superconductivity. Here we report the identification and basic properties of two new ternary Bi-O-S compounds, Bi2OS2 and Bi3O2S3. The former is non-superconducting; the latter likely explains the superconductivity at T(c) = 4.5 K previously reported in "Bi4O4S3". The superconductivity of Bi3O2S3 is found to be sensitive to the number of Bi2OS2-like stacking faults; fewer faults correlate with increases in the Meissner shielding fractions and T(c). Elucidation of the electronic consequences of these stacking faults may be key to the understanding of electronic conductivity and superconductivity which occurs in a nominally valence-precise compound.

The magnetic ordering within LiMBO3 compounds (M = Mn, Fe, and Co) has been explored by magnetization measurements and neutron powder diffraction. For all M, an incommensurately ordered magnetic phase is established on cooling, followed by a change to a commensurate long-range antiferromagnetic state below TN2 = 12(1) K for LiMnBO3, TN2 = 25(1) K for LiFeBO3, and TN2 = 12(1) K for LiCoBO3. For LiMnBO3, the magnetic ordering at T = 2 K exhibits a propagation vector k = (1, 0, 0) and consists of antiferromagnetic chains that are coupled antiferromagnetically to each other, the magnetic moments being oriented along the [001] direction. In contrast, the magnetic order at T = 2 K in LiFeBO3 and LiCoBO3 exhibits a propagation vector of k = (1/2, 1/2, 1/2) and consists of ferromagnetic chains that are antiferromagnetically coupled. The magnetic moments lie roughly along the [023] direction within the bc plane for LiFeBO3, and along the [301] direction within the ac plane for LiCoBO3. The moment orientations in both LiMnBO3 and LiFeBO3 suggest an Ising character arising from unquenched orbital momentum due to unusual trigonal bipyrimidal coordination environments. No evidence of Ising behavior is found in the case of LiCoBO3.

The new compounds Bi2OS2 (I) and Bi3O2S3 (II) are prepared from mixtures of Bi2S3, Bi2O3, and S (430—520 °C, 10—17 h) and characterized by powder XRD and magnetic measurements.

Understanding the complexities of electronic and magnetic ground states in solids is one of the main goals of solid-state physics. Materials with the canonical ThCr${}_{2}$Si${}_{2}$-type structure have proved particularly fruitful in this regard, as they exhibit a wide range of technologically advantageous physical properties described by ``many-body physics,'' including high-temperature superconductivity and heavy fermion behavior. Here, using high-resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction and time-of-flight neutron scattering, we show that the isostructural mixed valence compound KNi${}_{2}$S${}_{2}$ displays a number of highly unusual structural transitions, most notably the presence of charge density wave fluctuations that disappear on cooling. This behavior occurs without magnetic or charge order, in contrast to expectations based on other known materials exhibiting related phenomena. Furthermore, the low-temperature electronic state of KNi${}_{2}$S${}_{2}$ is found to exhibit many characteristics of heavy-fermion behavior, including a heavy electron state (${m}^{*}/{m}_{e}\ensuremath{\sim}$ 24), with a negative coefficient of thermal expansion, and superconductivity below ${T}_{c}=0.46(2)$ K. In the potassium nickel sulfide, these behaviors arise in the absence of localized magnetism, and instead appear to originate in proximity to charge order.

The way nature evolves and sculpts materials using proteins inspires new approaches to materials engineering but is still not completely understood. Here, we present a cell-free synthetic biological platform to advance studies of biologically synthesized solid-state materials. This platform is capable of simultaneously exerting many of the hierarchical levels of control found in natural biomineralization, including genetic, chemical, spatial, structural, and morphological control, while supporting the evolutionary selection of new mineralizing proteins and the corresponding genetically encoded materials that they produce. DNA-directed protein expression and enzymatic mineralization occur on polystyrene microbeads in water-in-oil emulsions, yielding synthetic surrogates of biomineralizing cells that are then screened by flow sorting, with light-scattering signals used to sort the resulting mineralized composites differentially. We demonstrate the utility of this platform by evolutionarily selecting newly identified silicateins, biomineralizing enzymes previously identified from the silica skeleton of a marine sponge, for enzyme variants capable of synthesizing silicon dioxide (silica) or titanium dioxide (titania) composites. Mineral composites of intermediate strength are preferentially selected to remain intact for identification during cell sorting, and then to collapse postsorting to expose the encoding genes for enzymatic DNA amplification. Some of the newly selected silicatein variants catalyze the formation of crystalline silicates, whereas the parent silicateins lack this ability. The demonstrated bioengineered route to previously undescribed materials introduces in vitro enzyme selection as a viable strategy for mimicking genetic evolution of materials as it occurs in nature.

Here we show that the 2.80(8)${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ Fe${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ block antiferromagnetic order of BaFe${}_{2}$Se${}_{3}$ transforms into stripe antiferromagnetic order in KFe${}_{2}$Se${}_{3}$ with a decrease in moment to 2.1(1)${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ Fe${}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. This reduction is larger than expected from the change in electron count from Ba${}^{2+}$ to K${}^{+}$, and occurs with the loss of the displacements of Fe atoms from ideal positions in the ladders, as found by neutron pair distribution function analysis. Intermediate compositions remain insulating, and magnetic susceptibility measurements show a suppression of magnetic order and probable formation of a spin glass. Together, these results imply an orbital-dependent selection of magnetic versus bonded behavior, driven by relative bandwidths and fillings.

The emergence of complex electronic behaviour from simple ingredients has resulted in the discovery of numerous states of matter. Many examples are found in systems exhibiting geometric magnetic frustration, which prevents simultaneous satisfaction of all magnetic interactions. This frustration gives rise to complex magnetic properties such as chiral spin structures orbitally-driven magnetism, spin-ice behavior exhibiting Dirac strings with magnetic monopoles, valence bond solids, and spin liquids. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of LiZn2Mo3O8, a geometrically frustrated antiferromagnet in which the magnetic moments are localized on small transition metal clusters rather than individual ions. By doing so, first order Jahn-Teller instabilities and orbital ordering are prevented, allowing the strongly interacting magnetic clusters in LiZn2Mo3O8 to probably give rise to an exotic condensed valence-bond ground state reminiscent of the proposed resonating valence bond state. Our results also link magnetism on clusters to geometric magnetic frustration in extended solids, demonstrating a new approach for unparalleled chemical control and tunability in the search for collective, emergent electronic states of matter., Comment: 30 pages, 10 figures

We report long-range-ordered antiferromagnetism concomitant with local iron displacements in the spin-ladder compound BaFe${}_{2}$Se${}_{3}$. Short-range magnetic correlations, present at room temperature, develop into long-range antiferromagnetic order below ${T}_{N}$ $=$ 256 K, with no superconductivity down to 1.8 K. Built of ferromagnetic Fe${}_{4}$ plaquettes, the magnetic ground state correlates with local displacements of the Fe atoms. These iron displacements imply significant magnetoelastic coupling in Fe${X}_{4}$-based materials, ingredients hypothesized to be important in the emergence of superconductivity. This result also suggests that knowledge of these local displacements is essential for properly understanding the electronic structure of these systems. As with the copper oxide superconductors two decades ago, our results highlight the importance of reduced dimensionality spin-ladder compounds in the study of the coupling of spin, charge, and atom positions in superconducting materials.

In many ostensibly crystalline materials, unit-cell-based descriptions do not always capture the complete physics of the system due to disruption in long-range order. In the series of cobalt hydroxides studied here, Co(OH)${}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}$(Cl)${}_{x}$(H${}_{2}$O)${}_{n}$, magnetic Bragg diffraction reveals a fully compensated N\'eel state, yet the materials show significant and open magnetization loops. A detailed analysis of the local structure defines the aperiodic arrangement of cobalt coordination polyhedra. Representation of the structure as a combination of distinct polyhedral motifs explains the existence of locally uncompensated moments and provides a quantitative agreement with bulk magnetic measurements and magnetic Bragg diffraction.

Structures of layered metal hydroxides are not well described by traditional crystallography. Total scattering from a synthesis-controlled subset of these materials, as described here, reveals that different cobalt coordination polyhedra cluster within each layer on short length scales, offering new insights and approaches for understanding the properties of these and related layered materials. Structures related to that of brucite [Mg(OH)(2)] are ubiquitous in the mineral world and offer a variety of useful functions ranging from catalysis and ion-exchange to sequestration and energy transduction, including applications in batteries. However, it has been difficult to resolve the atomic structure of these layered compounds because interlayer disorder disrupts the long-range periodicity necessary for diffraction-based structure determination. For this reason, traditional unit-cell-based descriptions have remained inaccurate. Here we apply, for the first time to such layered hydroxides, synchrotron X-ray total scattering methods-analyzing both the Bragg and diffuse components-to resolve the intralayer structure of three different alpha-cobalt hydroxides, revealing the nature and distribution of metal site coordination. The different compounds with incorporated chloride ions have been prepared with kinetic control of hydrolysis to yield different ratios of octahedrally and tetrahedrally coordinated cobalt ions within the layers, as confirmed by total scattering. Real-space analyses indicate local clustering of polyhedra within the layers, manifested in the weighted average of different ordered phases with fixed fractions of tetrahedrally coordinated cobalt sites. These results, hidden from an averaged unit-cell description, reveal new structural characteristics that are essential to understanding the origin of fundamental material properties such as color, anion exchange capacity, and magnetic behavior. Our results also provide further insights into the detailed mechanisms of aqueous hydrolysis chemistry of hydrated metal salts. We emphasize the power of the methods used here for establishing structure-property correlations in functional materials with related layered structures.

Anion exchange reactions in layered double hydroxide films (M(OH)(2-x)(NO(3))(x).mH(2)O) followed by solid state conversion reactions are shown to yield micrometer-sized unsupported metal sulfide (M = Zn, Cd) films with unique textured morphologies. The characteristic three-dimensional nanostructured film morphology and crystallinity of the initial films are retained in the metal sulfide films although these conversion reactions involve anion exchanges concomitant with significant rearrangements of the crystal structures. Surface areas of 42 m(2)/g for zinc sulfide and 50 m(2)/g for cadmium sulfide thin films are observed. These values correspond to an increase in surface area of 75% for the Zn(5)(OH)(8)(NO(3))(2).2H(2)O to zinc sulfide conversion, while the cadmium sulfide films exhibit more than three times the surface area of their precursor material, Cd(OH)(NO(3)).H(2)O. The three-dimensional morphology of the resulting films is thus observed to combine the physical properties of the bulk materials with the advantages of higher surface areas typically associated with nanostructured or porous materials. The layered double hydroxide materials used in this study to provide both structural and chemical templates were prepared using the mild conditions of a biologically inspired vapor-diffusion catalytic synthesis.