Optical absorption of LiNaGe4O9:Mn crystal

The paper reports the results of optical absorption spectra studying in LiNaGe4O9 crystal doped with Mn. It is shown that Mn impurity causes the appearance of the additional absorption bands. The intensities of these bands change in different ways in the range of the ferroelectric phase transition. Semi-empirical version of the crystal field theory is used to discuss localization and charge state of Mn impurity ions in the LiNaGe4O9 structure.

Experimental and theoretical studies on induced ferromagnetism of new (1 − x)Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 + xBaFeO3−δ solid solution

New solid solution of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 with BaFeO3−δ materials were fabricated by sol–gel method. Analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that BaFeO3−δ materials existed as a well solid solution and resulted in distortion the structure of host Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 materials. The randomly incorporated Fe and Ba cations in the host Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 crystal decreased the optical band gap from 3.11 to 2.48 eV, and induced the room-temperature ferromagnetism. Our density-functional theory calculations further suggested that both Ba for Bi/Na-site and Fe dopant, regardless of the substitutional sites, in Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 lead to the induced magnetism, which is illustrated in terms of the exchange splitting between spin subbands through the crystal field theory and Jahn–Teller distortion effects. Our work proposes a simple method for fabricating lead-free ferroelectric materials with ferromagnetism property for multifunctional applications in smart electronic devices.

Modulation of optical absorption in m-Fe1−xRuxS2 and exploring stability in new m-RuS2

A first-principle computational method has been used to investigate the effects of Ru dopants on the electronic and optical absorption properties of marcasite FeS2. In addition, we have also revealed a new marcasite phase in RuS2, unlike most studied pyrite structures. The new phase has fulfilled all the necessary criteria of structural stability and its practical existence. The transition pressure of 8 GPa drives the structural change from pyrite to orthorhombic phase in RuS2. From the thermodynamical calculation, we have reported the stability of new-phase under various ranges of applied pressure and temperature. Further, from the results of phonon dispersion calculated at Zero Point Energy, pyrite structure exhibits ground state stability and the marcasite phase has all modes of frequencies positive. The newly proposed phase is a semiconductor with a band gap comparable to its pyrite counterpart but vary in optical absorption by around 106 cm−1. The various Ru doped structures have also shown similar optical absorption spectra in the same order of magnitude. We have used crystal field theory to explain high optical absorption which is due to the involvement of different electronic states in formation of electronic and optical band gaps. Lӧwdin charge analysis is used over the customarily Mulliken charges to predict 89% of covalence in the compound. Our results indicate the importance of new phase to enhance the efficiency of photovoltaic materials for practical applications.

Covalent d-Block Organometallics: Teaching Lewis Structures and sd/sd2 Hybridization Gives Students Additional Explanations and Powerful Predictive Tools

Despite tremendous efforts by instructors and textbook authors, students find it difficult to develop useful chemical intuitions about preferred structures, structural trends, and properties of even the most common d-block element organometallic species, that is d6, d8, and d10 systems. A full molecular orbital analysis of a transition metal species is not always feasible or desirable, and crystal field theory, while generally useful, is often too simplistic and limited. It would be helpful to give students of organometallic chemistry an additional toolkit that helps them to understand d-block compounds, in particular highly covalent ones. It is well known in the research literature in organometallic chemistry that hybridization arguments involving s and d orbitals (such as sd and sd2 hybridization for d8 and d6 systems, respectively) provides useful insight. However, this knowledge is much underused in undergraduate teaching and not taught in undergraduate textbooks. The purpose of this article is to make descriptions of bonding that are based on s,d-hybridized orbitals more accessible in a way that is directly useful for undergraduate teaching. Geometries of unusual low-coordinate structures can be successfully predicted. An in-depth physical explanation for the trans-influence, the weakening of a bond due to a strong bond trans to it, is provided. A clear explanation is given for why the cis isomer normally more stable than the trans isomer in square-planar d8 complexes of the type MR2L2 (R = alkyl/aryl, L = relatively weakly bonded neutral ligand). Similarly, the relative stability of fac versus mer isomers in octahedral d6 complexes of the type MR3L3 is explained. Relevant to catalysis, the method explains why strongly donating ligands do not always facilitate oxidative addition and why 12-electron and 14-electron Pd(0) species are thermodynamically much more accessible than one might expect. The method capitalizes on 1st year knowledge such as the ability to write Lewis structures and to use hybridization arguments. It also ties into the upper-year experience, including graduate school, where covalent d-block complexes may be encountered in research and where the hybridization schemes described here naturally emerge from using the NBO formalism. It is discussed where the method might fit into the inorganic curriculum.<br>

Covalent d-Block Organometallics: Teaching Lewis Structures and sd/sd2 Hybridization Gives Students Additional Explanations and Powerful Predictive Tools

Despite tremendous efforts by instructors and textbook authors, students find it difficult to develop useful chemical intuitions about preferred structures, structural trends, and properties of even the most common d-block element organometallic species, that is d6, d8, and d10 systems. A full molecular orbital analysis of a transition metal species is not always feasible or desirable, and crystal field theory, while generally useful, is often too simplistic and limited. It would be helpful to give students of organometallic chemistry an additional toolkit that helps them to understand d-block compounds, in particular highly covalent ones. It is well known in the research literature in organometallic chemistry that hybridization arguments involving s and d orbitals (such as sd and sd2 hybridization for d8 and d6 systems, respectively) provides useful insight. However, this knowledge is much underused in undergraduate teaching and not taught in undergraduate textbooks. The purpose of this article is to make descriptions of bonding that are based on s,d-hybridized orbitals more accessible in a way that is directly useful for undergraduate teaching. Geometries of unusual low-coordinate structures can be successfully predicted. An in-depth physical explanation for the trans-influence, the weakening of a bond due to a strong bond trans to it, is provided. A clear explanation is given for why the cis isomer normally more stable than the trans isomer in square-planar d8 complexes of the type MR2L2 (R = alkyl/aryl, L = relatively weakly bonded neutral ligand). Similarly, the relative stability of fac versus mer isomers in octahedral d6 complexes of the type MR3L3 is explained. Relevant to catalysis, the method explains why strongly donating ligands do not always facilitate oxidative addition and why 12-electron and 14-electron Pd(0) species are thermodynamically much more accessible than one might expect. The method capitalizes on 1st year knowledge such as the ability to write Lewis structures and to use hybridization arguments. It also ties into the upper-year experience, including graduate school, where covalent d-block complexes may be encountered in research and where the hybridization schemes described here naturally emerge from using the NBO formalism. It is discussed where the method might fit into the inorganic curriculum.<br>

Broadband photoluminescence in a ceramic (Mg2SnO4–SnO2):Cr3+ system

This study reports the synthesis and photoluminescence spectroscopic studies of Cr3+-doped Mg2SnO4–SnO2 ceramics. The crystal structure was analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction, and photoluminescence was investigated at room temperature. The diffractogram confirmed the presence of Mg2SnO4 and SnO2 phases. Photoluminescence spectroscopy identified broad and intense emission bands assigned to the Cr3+ cation occupation in octahedral Mg2SnO4 sites and an orange band assigned to SnO2 emission. All spectra were analyzed and interpreted according to crystal field theory and Tanabe–Sugano theory for the d3 electronic configuration. The broad and intense emission band covering the visible/near-infrared region suggests that this system may be a promising material for use as an active medium in a broadband light source at room temperature.

Peculiarities of electronic structure and chemical bonding in iron and cobalt metal complexes of porphyrazine and tetra(1,2,5-thiadiazole)porphyrazine

The geometrical and electronic structures of iron and cobalt metal complexes of porphyrazine and tetra(1,2,5-thiadiazole)porphyrazine in ground and low-lying excited electronic states were determined by DFT calculations and the complete active space (CASSCF) method with following accounting dynamic correlation by multiconfigurational quasidegenerate second-order perturbation theory (MCQDPT2). A geometrical structure of D[Formula: see text] symmetry has been obtained for all four complexes. According to data obtained by the MCQDPT2 method, the complexes of cobalt and iron possess the ground states 2A[Formula: see text] and 3A[Formula: see text], respectively, and wave functions of the ground states have the form of a single determinant. It is shown that the crystal field theory (CFT) can be used to describe the sequence of electronic states of the investigated complexes. The nature of the bonds between metal atoms and nitrogen atoms has been described using the analysis of the electron density distribution in the frame of Bader’s quantum theory of atoms in molecule (QTAIM).