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Materials Data on Cs(CoAs)2 by Materials Project

Cs(CoAs)2 crystallizes in the tetragonal I4/mmm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Cs1+ is bonded in a distorted body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent As3- atoms. All Cs–As bond lengths are 3.66 Å. Co+2.50+ is bonded to four equivalent As3- atoms to form a mixture of edge and corner-sharing CoAs4 tetrahedra. All Co–As bond lengths are 2.31 Å. As3- is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to four equivalent Cs1+ and four equivalent Co+2.50+ atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Materials Data on Cs(CoSe)2 by Materials Project

Cs(CoSe)2 is alpha bismuth trifluoride-derived structured and crystallizes in the tetragonal I4/mmm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Cs1+ is bonded in a body-centered cubic geometry to eight equivalent Se2- atoms. All Cs–Se bond lengths are 3.64 Å. Co+1.50+ is bonded to four equivalent Se2- atoms to form a mixture of edge and corner-sharing CoSe4 tetrahedra. All Co–Se bond lengths are 2.36 Å. Se2- is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to four equivalent Cs1+ and four equivalent Co+1.50+ atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Molecular Origins of Near-Infrared Luminescence in Molybdenum and Tungsten Oxyhalide Perovskites

Materials with near-infrared (near-IR) luminescence are desirable for applications in communications and sensing, as well as biomedical diagnostics and imaging. The most used inorganic near-IR emitters rely on precise doping of host crystal structures with select rare-earth or transition metal ions. Recently, another class of materials with intrinsic near-IR emission has been reported. The compositions of these materials were initially described as vacancy-ordered halide double perovskites Cs 2 MoCl 6 and Cs 2 WCl 6 , but further investigation by some of us on the compound reported as Cs2WCl6 revealed an oxyhalide instead, with a composition Cs 2 WO x Cl 6–x , where 1 < x < 2. Here we demonstrate that the Mo compounds similarly possess the composition Cs 2 MoO x Cl 6–x or Cs 2 MoO x Br 6–x where 1 < x < 2. Preparing the pure halide appears harder for Mo than for W, and we have not succeeded in doing so. The distinctly different composition requires the coordination environment and oxidation state for the Mo and W centers to be reconsidered from what was assumed for the pure halides. In this work, we examine the mechanism for near-IR emission in these materials given their true structures and compositions. We demonstrate that the luminescence is due to the specific d-orbital splitting caused by the presence of oxygen in the distorted [MOX 5 ] 2– octahedra (X is Cl or Br). The fine structure in the emission spectra at low temperatures has been resolved and is attributed to vibronic coupling to the Mo–O and W–O bond stretches. Understanding the true structure and composition of these interesting materials, besides explaining the near-IR luminescence, suggests how this desirable emission can be realized and manipulated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Materials Data on SnC8(S3N)2 by Materials Project

(C)4Sn(CS)2(C3N)2Sn3C20(N3S11)2 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/m space group. The structure is two-dimensional and consists of four 1-azatricyclo[1.1.0.0^{2,4}]butane molecules; eight methane molecules; two Sn(CS)2 clusters; and one Sn3C20(N3S11)2 sheet oriented in the (0, 0, 1) direction. In each Sn(CS)2 cluster, Sn2+ is bonded in a linear geometry to two equivalent S2- atoms. Both Sn–S bond lengths are 3.05 Å. C2+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one S2- atom. The C–S bond length is 1.62 Å. S2- is bonded in a distorted bent 120 degrees geometry to one Sn2+ and one C2+ atom. In the Sn3C20(N3S11)2 sheet, there are two inequivalent Sn2+ sites. In the first Sn2+ site, Sn2+ is bonded in a distorted octahedral geometry to six S2- atoms. There are two shorter (2.33 Å) and four longer (2.66 Å) Sn–S bond lengths. In the second Sn2+ site, Sn2+ is bonded in an octahedral geometry to six S2- atoms. There are a spread of Sn–S bond distances ranging from 2.72–3.01 Å. There are six inequivalent C2+ sites. In the first C2+ site, C2+ is bonded in a distorted bent 120 degrees geometry to two S2- atoms. There is one shorter (1.81 Å) and one longer (1.82 Å) C–S bond length. In the second C2+ site, C2+ is bonded in a distorted trigonal non-coplanar geometry to one N3- and two S2- atoms. The C–N bond length is 1.54 Å. There is one shorter (1.79 Å) and one longer (1.88 Å) C–S bond length. In the third C2+ site, C2+ is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one N3- atom. The C–N bond length is 1.58 Å. In the fourth C2+ site, C2+ is bonded in a water-like geometry to two equivalent S2- atoms. Both C–S bond lengths are 1.69 Å. In the fifth C2+ site, C2+ is bonded in a distorted bent 120 degrees geometry to one N3- and one S2- atom. The C–N bond length is 1.42 Å. The C–S bond length is 1.64 Å. In the sixth C2+ site, C2+ is bonded in a distorted bent 120 degrees geometry to one N3- and one S2- atom. The C–N bond length is 1.35 Å. The C–S bond length is 1.74 Å. There are two inequivalent N3- sites. In the first N3- site, N3- is bonded in an L-shaped geometry to two C2+ atoms. In the second N3- site, N3- is bonded in a 3-coordinate geometry to three C2+ atoms. There are six inequivalent S2- sites. In the first S2- site, S2- is bonded in a water-like geometry to two C2+ atoms. In the second S2- site, S2- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to one Sn2+ and one C2+ atom. In the third S2- site, S2- is bonded in a water-like geometry to one Sn2+ and one C2+ atom. In the fourth S2- site, S2- is bonded in a single-bond geometry to one Sn2+ atom. In the fifth S2- site, S2- is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to one Sn2+ and two C2+ atoms. In the sixth S2- site, S2- is bonded in a distorted bent 120 degrees geometry to one Sn2+ and one C2+ atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High Layer Number ( n = 1–6) 2D Ruddlesden–Popper Lead Bromide Perovskites: Nanosheets, Crystal Structure, and Optoelectronic Properties

2D Ruddlesden–Popper (RP) lead halide perovskites have highly tunable structures, compositions, and properties that enable their promising optoelectronic applications. Among various 2D halide perovskites, the materials chemistry and fundamental optoelectronic properties of high layer number (n) lead-bromide RP perovskites, where n refers to the number of inorganic octahedra layers, have been less studied. Here, we report the synthesis of thin nanosheets of (PEA) 2 Cs n–1 Pb n Br 3n+1 (n = 1–6, PEA = phenylethylammonium) perovskites and study the optical properties, assigning photoluminescence emissions of 486, 496, and 505 nm to n = 4–6 phases, respectively, and reporting the photoluminescence lifetimes. Furthermore, the crystal structure of (PEA) 2 Cs 2 Pb 3 Br 10 was determined to reveal minimal octahedral structural distortions. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements reveal the positioning of the valence and conduction bands for n = 1–3 phases and confirm the type-I band alignment for the (PEA) 2 Cs n–1 Pb n Br 3n+1 series, laying the foundation for rational heterostructure device design in the future.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Fabrication of Low-Cost Large-Volume Ceramic A 2 HfX 6 (A= Cs or Tl, X = Cl, Br, or I) Scintillators for Gamma Ray Detection (SBIR Phase I Final Technical Report)

Scintillator crystals play an important role in the radiation detection field. Widespread use of scintillators as gamma-ray detectors is largely generated by their extensive availability and tunable properties, such high light output, high stopping power (Z eff ), fast decay time, and good proportionality. Additionally, the cost for manufacturing a scintillation detector like NaI:Tl is usually considerably lower than the cost for manufacturing a semiconductor detector like CdZnTe. Because there is no such thing as an ideal scintillation material, an application requiring certain detection characteristics may incorporate a scintillator tailored to its specific properties. The vast variety of applications and requirements necessitates more research into new scintillation materials and/or better methods of producing existing materials.The goal of this project was to grow low cost and environmentally stable inorganic transparent ceramic scintillators with excellent gamma ray resolution, excellent energy proportionality, excellent detection efficiency due to high density (>5 g/cm 3 ) and very high Z eff (55-80), and good light yields (>40,000 ph/MeV). In Phase I Xtallized Intelligence, Inc. (XI, Inc) developed a novel ceramic fabrication technique to produce low cost and environmentally stable highly efficient inorganic transparent ceramic scintillators of various dimensions. XI, Inc., collaborating with Fisk University (Fisk), investigated the scintillation properties of these new ceramic scintillators and compared them to in their single crystal counterparts. The results of this Phase I project show that successful production of high-quality inorganic halide ceramic scintillators Cs 2 HfCl 6 (CHC) and Tl 2 HfCl 6 (THC). Both ceramic CHC and THC scintillators have achieved good performance close to the performance of their single crystal counterparts. Fabricating these inorganic ceramic scintillators mitigate many issues encountered during conventional bulk crystal growth by melt methods. Additional benefits of the ceramic fabrication technique include high production yield, low production cost, fast production time, and no material waste Inorganic transparent ceramic scintillators produced in this project will enhance cost effectiveness at the instrument level based on low projected cost of the proposed compounds, as much smaller crystal sizes would be required to achieve similar efficiency as current radioisotope identification devices (RIID’s) used in homeland security applications as well as spectrometers in high energy physics applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Carbonyl Sulfide (OCS): Detections in Comets C/2002 T7 (LINEAR), C/2015 ER61 (PanSTARRS), and 21P/Giacobini–Zinner and Stringent Upper Limits in 46P/Wirtanen

Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) is one of the sulfur-bearing molecules detected in different astronomical environments, including comets. The present-day sulfur chemistry in comets may reveal much about the origin of these ices and their subsequent processing history. Cometary sulfur molecules such as H{sub 2}S, H{sub 2}CS, SO{sub 2}, SO, CS, CS{sub 2}, S{sub 2}, and NS have been detected in many comets. However, OCS, the only sulfur-bearing species with fluorescence emission lines at infrared wavelengths, is under-represented in comet volatile studies, having been reported in only six comets so far. We targeted OCS with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility in comets 46P/Wirtanen, 21P/Giacobini–Zinner, and C/2015 ER61 (PanSTARRS) in 2017–2018 using the high-resolution iSHELL spectrograph, and in C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) in 2004 using the heritage CSHELL spectrograph. In comet C/2015 ER61, the OCS abundance was similar to those measured in bright comets such as comets C/2012 S1 (ISON) and C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake), whereas in C/2002 T7 it was relatively depleted. Our OCS measurement in 21P/Giacobini–Zinner is the first definitive detection of this molecule in a Jupiter-family comet from a ground-based facility and is close to the average OCS abundance determined in comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko by the Rosetta mission. Our 3σ upper limit for comet 46P/Wirtanen is the lowest reported OCS abundance in any comet. We present production rates and mixing ratios (with respect to H{sub 2}O) for these comets and place our results in the context of comets measured to date.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Devising novel methods for the controlled synthesis with morphology and size control of scintillator materials

Nanoscale scintillators represent an important class of materials underlying the functioning of high resolution, high ‘light yield’ radiation detection equipment, applicable for medicine in addition to security and environmental monitoring. This current study has focused on the controlled synthesis of Cs 2 ZnX 4 (X = Cl, Br) not only due to its very fast and promising radioluminescence decay time but also because no reliable synthesis protocols have been reported for producing nanoscale motifs of this material, to date. Solution-based methods can be used to synthesize products, possessing different, discrete morphologies with the ability to dictate particle size and shape. Specifically, we have demonstrated that a hot injection technique can be used to fabricate nanoscale rods and plates. Using this method, we systematically studied the effect of varying reaction variables, such as (i) reaction temperature, (ii) surfactants, and (iii) reaction time. As synthesized nanorods of Cs 2 ZnCl 4 possessed lengths of 101.3 ± 24.4 nm with widths of 17.3 ± 4.5 nm, whereas Cs 2 ZnBr 4 , created under identical conditions, were characterized by lengths of 206 ± 50 nm and widths of 26.7 ± 12.6 nm. Ligand-assisted re-precipitation (LARP) was used to produce the corresponding micron-sized particles. Under these conditions, we successfully synthesized spindles and spherical particles of Cs 2 ZnCl 4 with sizes of 1.58 ± 0.16 μm and 1.03 ± 0.34 μm, respectively, whereas plates of Cs 2 ZnBr 4 were prepared with average sizes of 0.76 ± 0.21 μm. High resolution synchrotron mapping, using the hard X-ray nanoprobe at NSLS II, was used to confirm the expected spatial distribution of Cs, Zn, and Cl within the as-produced crystals. Nanorods of Cs 2 ZnCl 4 and Cs 2 ZnBr 4 were subsequently tested for scintillation light yield and decay times. Preliminary results showed that Cs 2 ZnCl 4 maintained a light yield of 100–300 photons per MeV with a fast decay component of 2.6 ns. Finally, the Cs 2 ZnBr 4 analogue did not give rise to any perceptible scintillation emission.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Metal-Tuned Ligand Reactivity Enables CX 2 (X = O, S) Homocoupling with Spectator Cu Centers

Ligand non-innocence is ubiquitous in catalysis with ligands in synthetic complexes contributing as electron reservoirs or co-sites for substrate activation. The latter chemical non-innocence is manifested in H + storage or relay at sites beyond the metal primary coordination sphere. Reaction of a competent CO 2 -to-oxalate reduction catalyst, namely, [K(THF) 3 ](Cu 3 SL), where L 3– is a tris(β-diketiminate) cyclophane, with CS 2 affords tetrathiooxalate at long reaction times or at high CS 2 concentrations, where otherwise an equilibrium is established between the starting species and a complex–CS 2 adduct in which the CS 2 is bound to the C atom on the ligand backbone. X-ray diffraction analysis of this adduct reveals no apparent metal participation, suggesting an entirely ligand-based reaction controlled by the charge state of the cluster. Here, thermodynamic parameters for the formation of the aforementioned Cligand–CS 2 bond were experimentally determined, and trends with cation Lewis acidity were studied, where more acidic cations shift the equilibrium toward the adduct. Relevance of such an adduct in the reduction of CO 2 to oxalate by this complex is supported by DFT studies, similar effects of countercation Lewis acidity on product formation, and the homocoupled heterocumulene product speciation as determined by isotopic labeling studies. Taken together, this system extends chemical non-innocence beyond H + to effect catalytic transformations involving C–C bond formation and represents the rarest example of metal–ligand cooperativity, that is, spectator metal ion(s) and the ligand as the reaction center.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Heat capacity and thermodynamic functions of partially dehydrated cation-exchanged (Na + , Cs + , Cd 2+ , Li + , and NH 4 + ) $\mathrm{RHO}$ zeolites

Synthetic zeolites have a myriad of applications in industry due to their porous frameworks, potential to exhibit flexibility, and specific interactions with guest molecules. One topology of zeolites, RHO, is known to be flexible and have strong interactions with both H 2 O and CO 2 . Here we have performed heat capacity measurements on three partially dehydrated zeolite RHO samples containing extra-framework cations Na + and Cs + , Cd 2+ and Cs + , and Li + and NH 4 + to understand the energetics of these materials. Based on fits of the heat capacity data, we report smooth thermodynamic functions of C p,m , Δ T 0 S m °, Δ T 0 H m °, and Φ m ° for these samples. The standard S m ° at 298.15 K are 76.3 ± 0.8, 72.1 ± 0.8, and 68.8 ± 0.7 J∙K -1 ∙mol -1 for the Na,Cs RHO, Cd,Cs RHO, and Li,NH 4 RHO samples, respectively, and the standard H m ° at 298.15 K are 12.1 ± 0.1, 11.4 ± 0.1, and 11.4 ± 0.1 kJ∙mol -1 . Our measurements also show a transition in the heat capacity of Na,Cs RHO, the sample with the highest water content, between 180 and 300 K that is not clearly observed in the other two samples. We attribute this transition to labile water and cations in the framework. This movement could also be coupled with a temperature-induced lattice expansion. Future work will include heat capacity measurements on fully dehydrated and fully hydrated zeolite RHO in order to separate these two possible phenomena.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Impurity-enhanced core valence luminescence via Zn-doping in cesium magnesium chlorides

Scintillators with faster timing capabilities are currently in high demand for use in radiation detection systems in the fields of nuclear and medical physics. The limited number of suitable materials that meet the performance criteria of next generation detection systems presents an opportunity for discovery of new fast scintillator materials. In this work, the effects of doping several ultrafast core-valence luminescent (CVL) scintillators with divalent Zn is explored. Three compounds are investigated – CsMgCl 3 , Cs 2 MgCl 4 , and Cs 3 MgCl 5 – and single crystals of each doped with 5 mol% Zn are grown via the Bridgman method. Additionally, mixing across the full range of concentrations (from 0 % to 100 % Zn) is explored in the Cs 2 Mg 1-x Zn x Cl 4 and Cs 3 Mg 1-x Zn x Cl 5 systems. For low concentrations of Zn, light yields of all three compounds are enhanced (by up to ~60 %) compared to the pure crystals, achieving what we believe to be the brightest known CVL, CsMgCl 3 :Zn 5 % (3400 ± 170 ph/MeV light yield). More importantly, Zn doping does not affect the ultrafast timing properties, with each composition maintaining a single-component decay time around 1–3 ns. A sub-100 ps coincidence time resolution (CTR) is also achieved with CsMgCl 3 :Zn 5 %. The results of this work reveal a new avenue towards obtaining brighter CVL materials, which could open up possibilities for more advanced ultrafast scintillators to be discovered moving forward.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Revisiting heat treatment and surface activation of GaAs photocathodes: In situ studies using scanning tunneling microscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy

The lifetime of GaAs photocathodes in polarized electron guns is limited due to the delicate activation layer. An atomically clean and smooth GaAs surface is needed to deposit a robust activation layer, such as Cs 2 Te, with longer lifetime compared to traditional (Cs,O) activation. A previous experiment with Cs 2 Te activation on GaAs used heat cleaning temperatures around 400°C to avoid an increase in surface roughness [Bae et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 112, 154101 (2018)]. Furthermore, high-temperature heat cleaning around 580°C, which results in a relatively contamination-free surface, could be one possible way to improve quantum efficiency. However, one should be cautious about surface roughness degradation during high-temperature heat cleaning. In this paper, we report results of surface roughness measurements on native, heat cleaned, and (Cs,O) activated GaAs photocathodes under vacuum. The results, measured by ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy, show that the surface roughness improves as the heat cleaning temperature is increased, by at least a factor of three for 580°C heat cleaning, compared to the native sample. Activation with (Cs,O) is shown to increase surface roughness by a factor of four compared to a 580°C heat cleaned sample. This confirms that high-temperature heat cleaning can be useful for depositing good quality robust activation layers on GaAs. Additionally, we also report chemical analysis for each step of preparation for p-doped GaAs photocathodes using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), angle-resolved XPS, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Our results indicate that the (Cs,O) activation layer forms a sandwich structure consists of Cs and oxygen. We found no formation of any specific compound such as Cs 2 O or Cs 11 O 3 .

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Ligand Noninnocence in β-Diketiminate and β-Diketimine Copper Complexes

Metal–ligand cooperative systems have a long precedent in catalysis, with the classification depending on the site of substrate bond cleavage and formation and on redox state changes. Recently, our group reported the participation of a β-diketiminate ligand in chemical bonding to heterocumulenes such as CO 2 and CS 2 by tricopper complexes, leading to cooperative catalysis. Herein, we report the reactivity of these copper clusters, [Cu 3 EL] – (E = S, Se; L = tris(β-diketiminate) cyclophane ligand), toward other electrophiles, viz. alkyl halides and Brønsted acids. We identified a family of ligand-functionalized complexes, Cu 3 EL (R) (R = primary alkyls), and a series of disubstituted products, Cu 3 EL (R) 2 , through single-crystal X-ray diffraction, mass spectrometry, and infrared and UV–visible spectroscopy. Furthermore, as part of mechanistic studies on these alkylation reactions, we evaluated the acid–base reactivity of these complexes and the influence of the backbone substitution on the reduction potential. Implications of these findings for ligand noninnocence and the relevance of the metal core as a cofactor for the ligand’s reactivity are discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Carrier Diffusion Lengths Exceeding 1 μm Despite Trap-Limited Transport in Halide Double Perovskites

In this work we image charge carrier transport over nanometers–micrometers and picoseconds–microseconds in halide double perovskites Cs 2 AgBiBr 6 and Cs 2 AgTlBr 6 single crystals using stroboscopic scattering microscopy. Both materials exhibit long, microsecond carrier lifetimes because of their indirect or symmetry-forbidden direct bandgaps. We extract free-charge and trap-limited mobilities near the surface and in the crystal bulk. The free-charge mobilities for both materials (~10–50 cm 2 /(V s)) can reach those reported for archetypal lead halide perovskites. We measure trap densities exceeding 10 17 cm –3 within ~20 nm of the crystal surface. Measurements on freshly cleaved or thermally annealed crystals suggest the traps are primarily halide vacancies that likely form through surface bromine degassing. Although these traps considerably slow charge transport, they are energetically shallow, enabling thermally induced detrapping and mobile carriers over microseconds at room temperature. This defect tolerance yields carrier diffusion lengths exceeding 1 μm even in the presence of large trap densities and under solar excitation conditions where traps are not saturated. These results suggest that halide double perovskites could rival the best lead-based perovskites for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Comparison of Ce( iv )/Th( iv )-alkynyl complexes and observation of a trans -influence ligand series for Ce( iv )

Organometallic cerium(iv) complexes have been challenging to isolate and characterize due to the strongly oxidizing nature of the cerium(iv) cation. Herein, we report two cerium(iv) alkynyl complexes, [Ce(TriNOx)(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-SiMe3)] (1-CeTMS) and [Ce(TriNOx)(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-Ph)] (1-CePh) (TriNOx3- = tris(2-tert-butylhydroxylaminato)benzylamine), that include terminal alkyne moieties. The isostructural thorium analogue [Th(TriNOx)(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-SiMe3)] (1-ThTMS) was also synthesized and compared with 1-CeTMS in bond distance, 13C-NMR spectra, vibrational spectra and electronic structure. The Ce-C bond distances were 2.501(3) Å for 1-CePh and 2.513(5) Å for 1-CeTMS on the shorter end of the few reported CeIV-C single bonds (2.478(3)-2.705(2) Å), possibly indicating significant Ce 5d- and 4f-orbital involvement. 13C-NMR spectroscopy was also consistent with Ce-C covalency, with significantly deshielded resonances ranging from 185-213 ppm. Such 13C-NMR shifts demonstrate a strong influence from spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effects, corroborated by computational studies. Raman analysis showed ν C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C stretching frequencies of 2000 cm-1 (1-CeTMS) and 2052 cm-1 (1-CePh), indicating the cerium(iv)-alkynyl interaction, compared to the parent HC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CPh (IR = 2105 cm-1 and Raman = 2104 cm-1). L3-edge X-ray absorption measurements revealed a predominant Ce(iv) electronic configuration, and magnetic measurements revealed temperature-independent paramagnetism. Electrochemical studies similarly revealed the electron donating ability of the alkynyl ligands, stronger than either fluoride or imido ligands for the Ce(iv)(TriNOx)-framework, with a cerium(iv/iii) reduction potential of E pc = -1.58 to -1.66 V vs. Fc/Fc+. Evidence for a trans-influence has been observed by evaluating a series including previously reported [CeIV(TriNOx)X]+/0 complexes with axial ligands X = THF, I-, Br-, Cl-, F-, -C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-Ph, -C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-SiMe3, -NH(3,5-(CF3)2-Ar), -OSiPh3, -N(M(L))(3,5-(CF3)2-Ar) [M(L) = Li(TMEDA), K(DME)2 or Cs(2,2,2-crypt)]. These data stand in contrast with previous reports of an inverse trans-influence at cerium(iv) and point to differences in involvement of cerium 4f- versus 5d-orbitals in the electronic structures of the complexes.

Yang, Qiaomu↗

Native frames: An approach for separating sequential and concerted three-body fragmentation

Disentangling sequential and concerted three-body fragmentation has been a longstanding endeavor in studies of molecular dynamics. To accomplish this goal, we recently introduced a novel method to separate sequential from concerted breakup, where the sequential events are analyzed in their native frames [J. Rajput et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 103001 (2018)]. The essence of this method is the use of the Jacobi coordinates' conjugate momenta to reduce the dimensionality of the multibody fragmentation in combination with a clear signature for sequential breakup. To demonstrate this method, we employ coincidence momentum imaging to study the strong-field dissociative ionization of OCS into O + +C + + S + , which typically undergoes concerted fragmentation or sequential breakup involving either a metastable CO 2+ or CS 2+ molecule. We identify sequential breakup using a uniform distribution as a function of the angle between the conjugate momenta, associated with the first and second fragmentation steps, which is due to the rotation of the intermediate molecule in the fragmentation plane. Furthermore, by exploiting this uniform distribution, we separate the sequential and concerted distributions in any plot created from the measured momenta.

Atomic & molecular processes in external fields↗

CsO x Nanostructures on Au(111): Morphology- and Size-dependent Activity for the Water–Gas Shift Reaction

Alkali oxides are typically used as promoters of heterogeneous catalysts for the water–gas shift (WGS; H 2 O + CO → H 2 + CO 2 ) reaction. On Au(111), CsO x exhibits diverse nanostructures at varying coverages, as revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy. Clusters of cesium oxide (Cs 2 O 2 ) nucleate at elbow sites of the Au(111) herringbone when θ Cs is less than 0.1 ML. Subsequently, these clusters transform into two-dimensional (2D) islands (Cs 2 O, Cs 2 O 2 , CsO 2 ) as the cesium coverage increases (θ Cs > 0.1 ML). Both types of CsO x nanostructures enable the WGS process on Au(111). The highest activity was seen for the cesium oxide clusters which facilitated the partial dissociation of water and binding of CO. The CO ads and OH ads groups were not strongly bound and probably reacted to yield a short-lived HOCO intermediate that led to gaseous H 2 and CO 2 . The 2D islands of CsO x also enabled the WGS but their efficiency was reduced due to the formation of cesium hydroxide compounds (limiting mobility of OH groups) and the generation of CO 3 and C species (blocking of active centers). The fact that the performance of the CsO x /Au(111) catalysts changed dramatically with variations in the chemical properties of the CsO x nanostructures indicates that the alkali oxide was an integral part of the active phase, playing a central role in the activation and conversion of the reactants. To attach the label of “promoter” to CsO x is a simplification that does not help in the design and optimization of catalysts for C1 chemistry. In conclusion, to achieve a rational design, one must consider the structural and chemical properties of the alkali oxide.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A CS J = 2 1 survey of the galactic center region

A CS map of the galactic center region is presented consisting of 15,000 spectra covering -1 deg. less than 3. deg. 6 min., -0 deg.4 min. less than b less than 0 deg. 4 min., each having an rms noise of 0.15 K in 1 MHz filters. CS is a high-excitation molecule, meaning that it is excited into emission only when the ambient density is less than n much greater than or approx. 2 x 10 to the 4th power/cu cm CS emission in the inner 2 deg. of the galaxy is nearly as pervasive as CO emission, in stark contrast to the outer galaxy where CS emission is confined to cloud cores. Galactic center clouds are on average much more dense than outer Galaxy clouds. This can be understood as a necessary consequence of the strong tidal stresses in the inner galaxy.

Stark, A. A.↗