The structure of coordination precursors as an effective tool for governing of size and morphology of ZnS and ZnO nanoparticles

Coordination Compounds of Cu, Zn, and Ni with Dicarboxylic Acids and N Donor Ligands, and Their Biological Activity: A Review

Complexes of carboxylic acids are very often studied due to their interesting structural, spectral, and magnetic properties. This review is focused on complexes of four dicarboxylic acids, namely, 2,2'-thiodioacetic, 3,3'-thiodipropionic, 3,3'-dithiodipropionic, and fumaric acid. Many of the complexes were characterized by single crystal X-ray analyses. Without the analyses, it is very difficult to predict the coordination mode of carboxylate groups or nitrogen ligands on central atoms. Thus, structural properties are also discussed, as well as potential applications.

Low recombination rates and improving charge transfer as decisive conditions for high current densities and fill factors in ZnS complex systems

The growth of ZnS photoelectrodes on ZnO particles identified as ZnO/ZnS(ZC + TAA) by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method showed excellent photovoltaic parameters of J_SC = 1.2 mA cm^-2 and FF = 0.66, even compared to ZnS(ZC + TAA) used as a reference sample with J_SC = 0.15 mA cm^-2 and FF = 0.52. A careful analysis indicates that the better charge transfer and the higher resistance to recombination present in the ZnO/ZnS(ZC + TAA) samples were the origin of the best photovoltaic behavior. These assertions are supported by a set of samples synthesized from different precursors resulting in different crystal structures, which can be directly associated with current densities and fill factors. All aspects about synthesis and optical/electronic parameters associated with structural features will be available in this article.

Crystal structure of di-ethano-lbis(thio-cyanato)-bis(urotropine)cobalt(II) and tetra-ethano-lbis(thio-cyanato)-cobalt(II)-urotropine (1/2)

The reaction of one equivalent Co(NCS)2 with four equivalents of urotropine (hexa-methyl-ene-tetra-mine) in ethanol leads to the formation of two compounds, namely, bis-(ethanol-κO)bis-(thio-cyanato-κN)bis-(urotropine-κN)cobalt(II), [Co(NCS)2(C6H12N4)2(C2H6O)2] (1), and tetra-kis-(ethanol-κO)bis-(thio-cyanato-κN)cobalt(II)-urotropine (1/2), [Co(NCS)2(C2H6O)4]·2C6H12N4 (2). In 1, the Co cations are located on centers of inversion and are sixfold coordinated by two terminal N-bonded thio-cyanate anions, two ethanol and two urotropine ligands whereas in 2 the cobalt cations occupy position Wyckoff position c and are sixfold coordinated by two anionic ligands and four ethanol ligands. Compound 2 contains two additional urotropine solvate mol-ecules per formula unit, which are hydrogen bonded to the complexes. In both compounds, the building blocks are connected via inter-molecular O-H⋯N (1 and 2) and C-H⋯S (1) hydrogen bonding to form three-dimensional networks.

Influence of n-ZnO Morphology on Sulfur Crosslinking and Properties of Styrene-Butadiene Rubber Vulcanizates

This paper examines the influence of the morphology of zinc oxide nanoparticles (n-ZnO) on the activation energy, vulcanization parameters, crosslink density, crosslink structure, and mechanical properties in the extension of the sulfur vulcanizates of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine the particle size distribution and morphology, whereas the specific surface area (SSA) and squalene wettability of the n-ZnO nanoparticles were adequately evaluated using the Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) equation and tensiometry. The n-ZnO were then added to the SBR in conventional (CV) or efficient (EV) vulcanization systems. The vulcametric curves were plotted, from which the cure rate index (CRI) rate of the vulcanization and the activation energy were calculated. The influence on the mechanical properties of the SBR vulcanizates was stronger in the case of the EV curing system than when the CV curing system was used. Of the vulcanizates produced in the EV curing system, the best performance was detected for n-ZnO particles with a hybrid morphology (flat-ended rod-like particles on a “cauliflower” base) and high SSA. Vulcanizates produced using the CV curing system showed slightly better mechanical properties after the addition of nanoparticles with a “cauliflower” morphology than when the rod-like type were used, irrespective of their SSA. In general, nanoparticles with a rod-like structure reduced the activation energy and increased the speed of vulcanization, whereas the cauliflower type slowed the rate of the process and the vulcanizates required a higher activation energy, especially when using the EV system. The crosslink structures were also more clearly modified, as manifested by a reduction in the polysulfidic crosslink content, especially when n-ZnO activators with a rod-like morphology were applied.

Structural Insights into Influence of Isomerism on Properties of Open Shell Cobalt Coordination System

The two coordination compounds of cobalt were designed and synthesized. The substrates were carefully selected to allow gentle tuning of the molecular structure of the designed compounds. The crystal, molecular and supramolecular structure of studied compounds has been determined and discussed. The spectroscopic and thermal properties of designed coordination compounds have been studied and their application as precursors for the synthesis of cobalt oxide nanoparticles has been demonstrated. It was proven that not only are parameters of conversion of the precursor to nanoparticles important, but also small changes in molecular structure can considerably affect the size of formed particles. For unambiguous determination of the influence of compounds structure on their UV-Vis radiation absorption, density functional theory and time-dependent density functions theory calculations have been performed. The complexity of the correct ab-initio reflection of the open shell molecular system was outlined and discussed. The results obtained from density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been also employed for discussion of the bonding properties.