On the Crystal Chemistry of Inorganic Nitrides: Crystal-Chemical Parameters and Opportunities in the Exploration of Their Compositional Space

The scarcity of nitrogen in Earth’s crust, combined with challenging synthesis, have made inorganic nitrides a relatively-unexplored class of compounds compared to their naturally-abundant oxide counterparts. To facilitate exploration of their compositional space via a priori modeling, and to help a posteriori structure verification not limited to inferring the oxidation state of redox-active cations, we derive a suite of bond-valence parameters and Lewis-acid strength values for 76 cations observed bonding to N3-, and further outline a baseline statistical knowledge of bond lengths for these compounds. We examine structural and electronic effects responsible for the functional properties and anomalous bonding behavior of inorganic nitrides, and identify promising venues for exploring uncharted compositional spaces beyond the reach of high-throughput computational methods. We find that many mechanisms of bond-length variation ubiquitous to oxide and oxysalt compounds (e.g., lone-pair stereoactivity, the Jahn-Teller and pseudo Jahn-Teller effects) are similarly pervasive in inorganic nitrides, and are occasionally observed to result in greater distortion magnitude than their oxide counterparts. We identify inorganic nitrides with multiply-bonded metal ions as a promising venue in heterogeneous catalysis, e.g. in the development of a post-Haber-Bosch process proceeding at milder reaction conditions, thus representing further opportunity in the thriving exploration of the functional properties of this emerging class of materials.

On the Crystal Chemistry of Inorganic Nitrides: Crystal-Chemical Parameters and Opportunities in the Exploration of Their Compositional Space

10.26434/chemrxiv.11626974.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Olivier Charles Gagné

Keyword(s):

Functional Properties ◽

A Priori ◽

Lone Pair ◽

Length Variation ◽

Electronic Effects ◽

Statistical Knowledge ◽

Redox Active ◽

Multiply Bonded ◽

Jahn Teller ◽

The scarcity of nitrogen in Earth’s crust, combined with challenging synthesis, have made inorganic nitrides a relatively-unexplored class of compounds compared to their naturally-abundant oxide counterparts. To facilitate exploration of their compositional space via a priori modeling, and to help a posteriori structure verification not limited to inferring the oxidation state of redox-active cations, we derive a suite of bond-valence parameters and Lewis-acid strength values for 76 cations observed bonding to N3-, and further outline a baseline statistical knowledge of bond lengths for these compounds. We examine structural and electronic effects responsible for the functional properties and anomalous bonding behavior of inorganic nitrides, and identify promising venues for exploring uncharted compositional spaces beyond the reach of high-throughput computational methods. We find that many mechanisms of bond-length variation ubiquitous to oxide and oxysalt compounds (e.g., lone-pair stereoactivity, the Jahn-Teller and pseudo Jahn-Teller effects) are similarly pervasive in inorganic nitrides, and are occasionally observed to result in greater distortion magnitude than their oxide counterparts. We identify inorganic nitrides with multiply-bonded metal ions as a promising venue in heterogeneous catalysis, e.g. in the development of a post-Haber-Bosch process proceeding at milder reaction conditions, thus representing further opportunity in the thriving exploration of the functional properties of this emerging class of materials.

On the Crystal Chemistry of Inorganic Nitrides: Crystal-Chemical Parameters, Bonding Behavior, and Opportunities in the Exploration of Their Compositional Space

10.26434/chemrxiv.11626974.v4 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Olivier Charles Gagné

Keyword(s):

Multiple Bond ◽

A Priori ◽

Lone Pair ◽

Length Variation ◽

Electronic Effects ◽

Metal Centers ◽

Redox Active ◽

Jahn Teller ◽

Ion Substitution ◽

The scarcity of nitrogen in Earth’s crust, combined with challenging synthesis, have made inorganic nitrides a relatively unexplored class of compounds compared to their naturally-abundant oxide counterparts. To facilitate exploration of their compositional space via a priori modeling, and to help a posteriori structure verification not limited to inferring the oxidation state of redox-active cations, we derive a suite of bond-valence parameters and Lewis-acid strength values for 76 cations observed bonding to N3-, and further outline a baseline statistical knowledge of bond lengths for these compounds. Examination of structural and electronic effects responsible for the functional properties and anomalous bonding behavior of inorganic nitrides shows that many mechanisms of bond-length variation ubiquitous to oxide and oxysalt compounds (e.g., lone-pair stereoactivity, the Jahn-Teller and pseudo Jahn-Teller effects) are similarly pervasive in inorganic nitrides, and are occasionally observed to result in greater distortion magnitude than their oxide counterparts. We identify promising functional units for exploring uncharted chemical spaces of inorganic nitrides, e.g. multiple-bond metal centers with promise regarding the development of a post-Haber-Bosch process proceeding at milder reaction conditions, and promote an atomistic understanding of chemical bonding in nitrides relevant to such pursuits as the development of a model of ion substitution in solids, a problem of great relevance to semiconductor doping whose resolve would fast-track the development of compound solar cells, battery materials, electronics, and more.

On the Crystal Chemistry of Inorganic Nitrides: Crystal-Chemical Parameters, Bonding Behavior, and Opportunities in the Exploration of Their Compositional Space

10.26434/chemrxiv.11626974 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Olivier Charles Gagné

Keyword(s):

Multiple Bond ◽

A Priori ◽

Lone Pair ◽

Length Variation ◽

Electronic Effects ◽

Metal Centers ◽

Redox Active ◽

Jahn Teller ◽

Ion Substitution ◽

The scarcity of nitrogen in Earth’s crust, combined with challenging synthesis, have made inorganic nitrides a relatively unexplored class of compounds compared to their naturally-abundant oxide counterparts. To facilitate exploration of their compositional space via a priori modeling, and to help a posteriori structure verification not limited to inferring the oxidation state of redox-active cations, we derive a suite of bond-valence parameters and Lewis-acid strength values for 76 cations observed bonding to N3-, and further outline a baseline statistical knowledge of bond lengths for these compounds. Examination of structural and electronic effects responsible for the functional properties and anomalous bonding behavior of inorganic nitrides shows that many mechanisms of bond-length variation ubiquitous to oxide and oxysalt compounds (e.g., lone-pair stereoactivity, the Jahn-Teller and pseudo Jahn-Teller effects) are similarly pervasive in inorganic nitrides, and are occasionally observed to result in greater distortion magnitude than their oxide counterparts. We identify promising functional units for exploring uncharted chemical spaces of inorganic nitrides, e.g. multiple-bond metal centers with promise regarding the development of a post-Haber-Bosch process proceeding at milder reaction conditions, and promote an atomistic understanding of chemical bonding in nitrides relevant to such pursuits as the development of a model of ion substitution in solids, a problem of great relevance to semiconductor doping whose resolve would fast-track the development of compound solar cells, battery materials, electronics, and more.

Bond-Length Distributions for Ions Bonded to Oxygen: Results for the Transition Metals and Quantification of the Factors Underlying Bond-Length Variation in Inorganic Solids

10.26434/chemrxiv.11605698.v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Olivier Charles Gagné ◽

Frank Christopher Hawthorne

Keyword(s):

Transition Metal ◽

Bond Length ◽

A Priori ◽

Bond Formation ◽

Length Variation ◽

Electronic Effects ◽

Coordination Polyhedra ◽

Jahn Teller ◽

Jahn Teller Effect ◽

Bond-length distributions are examined for 63 transition-metal ions bonded to O2- in 147 configurations, for 7522 coordination polyhedra and 41,488 bond distances, providing baseline statistical knowledge of bond lengths for transi-tion metals bonded to O2-. A priori bond valences are calculated for 140 crystal structures containing 266 coordination poly-hedra for 85 transition-metal ion configurations with anomalous bond-length distributions. Two new indices, Δ𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙 and Δ𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑡, are proposed to quantify bond-length variation arising from bond-topological and crystallographic effects in extended solids. Bond-topological mechanisms of bond-length variation are [1] non-local bond-topological asymmetry, and [2] multi-ple-bond formation; crystallographic mechanisms are [3] electronic effects (with inherent focus on coupled electronic-vibra-tional degeneracy in this work), and [4] crystal-structure effects. The Δ𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙 and Δ𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑡 indices allow one to determine the primary cause(s) of bond-length variation for individual coordination polyhedra and ion configurations, quantify the dis-torting power of cations via electronic effects (by subtracting the bond-topological contribution to bond-length variation), set expectation limits regarding the extent to which functional properties linked to bond-length variations may be optimized in a given crystal structure (and inform how optimization may be achieved), and more. We find the observation of multiple bonds to be primarily driven by the bond-topological requirements of crystal structures in solids. However, we sometimes observe multiple bonds to form as a result of electronic effects (e.g. the pseudo Jahn-Teller effect); resolution of the origins of multiple-bond formation follows calculation of the Δ𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙 and Δ𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑡 indices on a structure-by-structure basis. Non-local bond-topological asymmetry is the most common cause of bond-length variation in transition-metal oxides and oxysalts, followed closely by the pseudo Jahn-Teller effect (PJTE). Non-local bond-topological asymmetry is further suggested to be the most widespread cause of bond-length variation in the solid state, with no a priori limitations with regard to ion identity. Overall, bond-length variations resulting from the PJTE are slightly larger than those resulting from non-local bond-topological asym-metry, comparable to those resulting from the strong JTE, and less than those induced by π-bond formation. From a compar-ison of a priori and observed bond valences for ~150 coordination polyhedra in which the strong JTE or the PJTE is the main reason underlying bond-length variation, the Jahn-Teller effect is found not to have a symbiotic relation with the bond-topo-logical requirements of crystal structures. The magnitude of bond-length variations caused by the PJTE decreases in the fol-lowing order for octahedrally coordinated d0 transition metals oxyanions: Os8+ > Mo6+ > W6+ >> V5+ > Nb5+ > Ti4+ > Ta5+ > Hf4+ > Zr4+ > Re7+ >> Y3+ > Sc3+. Such ranking varies by coordination number; for [4], it is Re7+ > Ti4+ > V5+ > W6+ > Mo6+ > Cr6+ > Os8+ >> Mn7+; for [5], it is Os8+ > Re7+ > Mo6+ > Ti4+ > W6+ > V5+ > Nb5+. We conclude that non-octahedral coordinations of d0 ion configurations are likely to occur with bond-length variations that are similar in magnitude to their octahedral counterparts. However, smaller bond-length variations are expected from the PJTE for non-d0 transition-metal oxyanions.

Bond-Length Distributions for Ions Bonded to Oxygen: Results for the Transition Metals and Quantification of the Factors Underlying Bond-Length Variation in Inorganic Solids

10.26434/chemrxiv.11605698.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Olivier Charles Gagné ◽

Frank Christopher Hawthorne

Keyword(s):

Transition Metal ◽

Bond Length ◽

A Priori ◽

Bond Formation ◽

Length Variation ◽

Electronic Effects ◽

Coordination Polyhedra ◽

Jahn Teller ◽

Jahn Teller Effect ◽

Bond-length distributions are examined for 63 transition-metal ions bonded to O2- in 147 configurations, for 7522 coordination polyhedra and 41,488 bond distances, providing baseline statistical knowledge of bond lengths for transi-tion metals bonded to O2-. A priori bond valences are calculated for 140 crystal structures containing 266 coordination poly-hedra for 85 transition-metal ion configurations with anomalous bond-length distributions. Two new indices, Δ𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙 and Δ𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑡, are proposed to quantify bond-length variation arising from bond-topological and crystallographic effects in extended solids. Bond-topological mechanisms of bond-length variation are [1] non-local bond-topological asymmetry, and [2] multi-ple-bond formation; crystallographic mechanisms are [3] electronic effects (with inherent focus on coupled electronic-vibra-tional degeneracy in this work), and [4] crystal-structure effects. The Δ𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙 and Δ𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑡 indices allow one to determine the primary cause(s) of bond-length variation for individual coordination polyhedra and ion configurations, quantify the dis-torting power of cations via electronic effects (by subtracting the bond-topological contribution to bond-length variation), set expectation limits regarding the extent to which functional properties linked to bond-length variations may be optimized in a given crystal structure (and inform how optimization may be achieved), and more. We find the observation of multiple bonds to be primarily driven by the bond-topological requirements of crystal structures in solids. However, we sometimes observe multiple bonds to form as a result of electronic effects (e.g. the pseudo Jahn-Teller effect); resolution of the origins of multiple-bond formation follows calculation of the Δ𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙 and Δ𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑡 indices on a structure-by-structure basis. Non-local bond-topological asymmetry is the most common cause of bond-length variation in transition-metal oxides and oxysalts, followed closely by the pseudo Jahn-Teller effect (PJTE). Non-local bond-topological asymmetry is further suggested to be the most widespread cause of bond-length variation in the solid state, with no a priori limitations with regard to ion identity. Overall, bond-length variations resulting from the PJTE are slightly larger than those resulting from non-local bond-topological asym-metry, comparable to those resulting from the strong JTE, and less than those induced by π-bond formation. From a compar-ison of a priori and observed bond valences for ~150 coordination polyhedra in which the strong JTE or the PJTE is the main reason underlying bond-length variation, the Jahn-Teller effect is found not to have a symbiotic relation with the bond-topo-logical requirements of crystal structures. The magnitude of bond-length variations caused by the PJTE decreases in the fol-lowing order for octahedrally coordinated d0 transition metals oxyanions: Os8+ > Mo6+ > W6+ >> V5+ > Nb5+ > Ti4+ > Ta5+ > Hf4+ > Zr4+ > Re7+ >> Y3+ > Sc3+. Such ranking varies by coordination number; for [4], it is Re7+ > Ti4+ > V5+ > W6+ > Mo6+ > Cr6+ > Os8+ >> Mn7+; for [5], it is Os8+ > Re7+ > Mo6+ > Ti4+ > W6+ > V5+ > Nb5+. We conclude that non-octahedral coordinations of d0 ion configurations are likely to occur with bond-length variations that are similar in magnitude to their octahedral counterparts. However, smaller bond-length variations are expected from the PJTE for non-d0 transition-metal oxyanions.

Bond-Length Distributions for Ions Bonded to Oxygen: Results for the Transition Metals and Quantification of the Factors Underlying Bond-Length Variation in Inorganic Solids

10.26434/chemrxiv.11605698 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Olivier Charles Gagné ◽

Frank Christopher Hawthorne

Keyword(s):

Transition Metal ◽

Bond Length ◽

A Priori ◽

Bond Formation ◽

Length Variation ◽

Electronic Effects ◽

Coordination Polyhedra ◽

Jahn Teller ◽

Jahn Teller Effect ◽

Bond-length distributions are examined for 63 transition-metal ions bonded to O2- in 147 configurations, for 7522 coordination polyhedra and 41,488 bond distances, providing baseline statistical knowledge of bond lengths for transi-tion metals bonded to O2-. A priori bond valences are calculated for 140 crystal structures containing 266 coordination poly-hedra for 85 transition-metal ion configurations with anomalous bond-length distributions. Two new indices, Δ𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙 and Δ𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑡, are proposed to quantify bond-length variation arising from bond-topological and crystallographic effects in extended solids. Bond-topological mechanisms of bond-length variation are [1] non-local bond-topological asymmetry, and [2] multi-ple-bond formation; crystallographic mechanisms are [3] electronic effects (with inherent focus on coupled electronic-vibra-tional degeneracy in this work), and [4] crystal-structure effects. The Δ𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙 and Δ𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑡 indices allow one to determine the primary cause(s) of bond-length variation for individual coordination polyhedra and ion configurations, quantify the dis-torting power of cations via electronic effects (by subtracting the bond-topological contribution to bond-length variation), set expectation limits regarding the extent to which functional properties linked to bond-length variations may be optimized in a given crystal structure (and inform how optimization may be achieved), and more. We find the observation of multiple bonds to be primarily driven by the bond-topological requirements of crystal structures in solids. However, we sometimes observe multiple bonds to form as a result of electronic effects (e.g. the pseudo Jahn-Teller effect); resolution of the origins of multiple-bond formation follows calculation of the Δ𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑙 and Δ𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑡 indices on a structure-by-structure basis. Non-local bond-topological asymmetry is the most common cause of bond-length variation in transition-metal oxides and oxysalts, followed closely by the pseudo Jahn-Teller effect (PJTE). Non-local bond-topological asymmetry is further suggested to be the most widespread cause of bond-length variation in the solid state, with no a priori limitations with regard to ion identity. Overall, bond-length variations resulting from the PJTE are slightly larger than those resulting from non-local bond-topological asym-metry, comparable to those resulting from the strong JTE, and less than those induced by π-bond formation. From a compar-ison of a priori and observed bond valences for ~150 coordination polyhedra in which the strong JTE or the PJTE is the main reason underlying bond-length variation, the Jahn-Teller effect is found not to have a symbiotic relation with the bond-topo-logical requirements of crystal structures. The magnitude of bond-length variations caused by the PJTE decreases in the fol-lowing order for octahedrally coordinated d0 transition metals oxyanions: Os8+ > Mo6+ > W6+ >> V5+ > Nb5+ > Ti4+ > Ta5+ > Hf4+ > Zr4+ > Re7+ >> Y3+ > Sc3+. Such ranking varies by coordination number; for [4], it is Re7+ > Ti4+ > V5+ > W6+ > Mo6+ > Cr6+ > Os8+ >> Mn7+; for [5], it is Os8+ > Re7+ > Mo6+ > Ti4+ > W6+ > V5+ > Nb5+. We conclude that non-octahedral coordinations of d0 ion configurations are likely to occur with bond-length variations that are similar in magnitude to their octahedral counterparts. However, smaller bond-length variations are expected from the PJTE for non-d0 transition-metal oxyanions.

Bond-length distributions for ions bonded to oxygen: results for the transition metals and quantification of the factors underlying bond-length variation in inorganic solids

IUCrJ ◽

10.1107/s2052252520005928 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 581-629

Author(s):

Olivier Charles Gagné ◽

Frank Christopher Hawthorne

Keyword(s):

Transition Metal ◽

Bond Length ◽

Crystal Structures ◽

Multiple Bond ◽

A Priori ◽

Bond Formation ◽

Length Variation ◽

Electronic Effects ◽

Coordination Polyhedra ◽

Bond-length distributions are examined for 63 transition metal ions bonded to O2− in 147 configurations, for 7522 coordination polyhedra and 41 488 bond distances, providing baseline statistical knowledge of bond lengths for transition metals bonded to O2−. A priori bond valences are calculated for 140 crystal structures containing 266 coordination polyhedra for 85 transition metal ion configurations with anomalous bond-length distributions. Two new indices, Δtopol and Δcryst, are proposed to quantify bond-length variation arising from bond-topological and crystallographic effects in extended solids. Bond-topological mechanisms of bond-length variation are (1) non-local bond-topological asymmetry and (2) multiple-bond formation; crystallographic mechanisms are (3) electronic effects (with an inherent focus on coupled electronic vibrational degeneracy in this work) and (4) crystal-structure effects. The indices Δtopol and Δcryst allow one to determine the primary cause(s) of bond-length variation for individual coordination polyhedra and ion configurations, quantify the distorting power of cations via electronic effects (by subtracting the bond-topological contribution to bond-length variation), set expectation limits regarding the extent to which functional properties linked to bond-length variation may be optimized in a given crystal structure (and inform how optimization may be achieved) and more. These indices further provide an equal footing for comparing bond-length variation and the distorting power of ions across ligand types, including resolution for heteroligand polyhedra. The observation of multiple bonds is found to be primarily driven by the bond-topological requirements of crystal structures in solids. However, sometimes multiple bonds are observed to form as a result of electronic effects (e.g. the pseudo Jahn–Teller effect, PJTE); resolution of the origins of multiple-bond formation follows calculation of the Δtopol and Δcryst indices on a structure-by-structure basis. Non-local bond-topological asymmetry is the most common cause of bond-length variation in transition metal oxides and oxysalts, followed closely by the PJTE. Non-local bond-topological asymmetry is further suggested to be the most widespread cause of bond-length variation in the solid state, with no a priori limitations with regard to ion identity. Overall, bond-length variations resulting from the PJTE are slightly larger than those resulting from non-local bond-topological asymmetry, comparable with those resulting from the strong JTE, and less than those induced by π-bond formation. From a comparison of a priori and observed bond valences for ∼150 coordination polyhedra in which the strong JTE or the PJTE is the main reason underlying bond-length variation, the JTE is found not to have a cooperative relation with the bond-topological requirements of crystal structures. The magnitude of bond-length variation caused by the PJTE decreases in the following order for octahedrally coordinated d 0 transition metal oxyanions: Os8+ > Mo6+ > W6+ >> V5+ > Nb5+ > Ti4+ > Ta5+ > Hf4+ > Zr4+ > Re7+ >> Y3+ > Sc3+. Such ranking varies by coordination number; for [4] it is Re7+ > Ti4+ > V5+ > W6+ > Mo6+ > Cr6+ > Os8+ >> Mn7+; for [5] it is Os8+ > Re7+ > Mo6+ > Ti4+ > W6+ > V5+ > Nb5+. It is concluded that non-octahedral coordinations of d 0 ion configurations are likely to occur with bond-length variations that are similar in magnitude to their octahedral counterparts. However, smaller bond-length variations are expected from the PJTE for non-d 0 transition metal oxyanions.

Steric and Electronic Effects of Ligand Substitution on Redox-Active Fe4S4-Based Coordination Polymers

Dalton Transactions ◽

10.1039/d1dt01652k ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Omar Salinas ◽

Jiaze Xie ◽

Robert Papoular ◽

Noah Horwitz ◽

Erik Elkaim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coordination Polymers ◽

Ligand Substitution ◽

Molecular Materials ◽

Electronic Effects ◽

Redox Active ◽

And Function ◽

Structure Properties

One of the notable advantages of molecular materials is the ability to precisely tune structure, properties, and function via molecular substitutions. While many studies have demonstrated this principle with classic...