Superconducting materials: Cobalt oxide layers

Structural Evolution of Air-Exposed Layered Oxide Cathodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries: An Example of Ni-doped NaxMnO2

Sodium-ion batteries have recently aroused the interest of industries as possible replacements for lithium-ion batteries in some areas. With their high theoretical capacities and competitive prices, P2-type layered oxides (NaxTMO2) are among the obvious choices in terms of cathode materials. On the other hand, many of these materials are unstable in air due to their reactivity toward water and carbon dioxide. Here, Na0.67Mn0.9Ni0.1O2 (NMNO), one of such materials, has been synthesized by a classic sol-gel method and then exposed to air for several weeks as a way to allow a simple and reproducible transition toward a Na-rich birnessite phase. The transition between the anhydrous P2 to the hydrated birnessite structure has been followed via periodic XRD analyses, as well as neutron diffraction ones. Extensive electrochemical characterizations of both pristine NMNO and the air-exposed one vs sodium in organic medium showed comparable performances, with capacities fading from 140 to 60 mAh g-1 in around 100 cycles. Structural evolution of the air-exposed NMNO has been investigated both with ex situ synchrotron XRD and Raman. Finally, DFT analyses showed similar charge compensation mechanisms between P2 and birnessite phases, providing a reason for the similarities between the electrochemical properties of both materials.

Superconducting selenides intercalated with organic molecules: synthesis, crystal structure, electric and magnetic properties, superconducting properties, and phase separation in iron based-chalcogenides and hybrid organic-inorganic superconductors

Layered iron-based superconducting chalcogenides intercalated with molecular species are the subject of intensive studies, especially in the field of solid state chemistry and condensed matter physics, because of their intriguing chemistry and tunable electric and magnetic properties. Considerable progress in the research, revealing superconducting inorganic-organic hybrid materials with transition temperatures to superconducting state, T _c, up to 46 K, has been brought in recent years. These novel materials are synthesized by low-temperature intercalation of molecular species, such as solvates of alkali metals and nitrogen-containing donor compounds, into layered FeSe-type structure. Both the chemical nature as well as orientation of organic molecules between the layers of inorganic host, play an important role in structural modifications and may be used for fine tuning of superconducting properties. Furthermore, a variety of donor species compatible with alkali metals, as well as the possibility of doping also in the host structure (either on Fe or Se sites), makes this system quite flexible and gives a vast array of new materials with tunable electric and magnetic properties. In this review, the main aspects of intercalation chemistry are discussed with a particular attention paid to the influence of the unique nature of intercalating species on the crystal structure and physical properties of the hybrid inorganic-organic materials. To get a full picture of these materials, a comprehensive description of the most effective chemical and electrochemical methods, utilized for synthesis of intercalated species, with critical evaluation of their strong and weak points, related to feasibility of synthesis, phase purity, crystal size and morphology of final products, is included as well.

Dual-Excitation Polyoxometalate-Based Frameworks for One-Pot Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution and Oxidative Dehydrogenation

Dehydrogenation of the tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives coupled with hydrogen production is important for hydrogen storage applications. Herein, we formulated a new system that embedded Dawson-type polyoxometalates as efficient photosensitizers into the pores of redox-active coordination polymers for the light-driven photocatalytic oxidative Mannich reaction and hydrogen evolution. In the designed Co-POM polymer, UV light excitation gives the excited state of the Dawson-type polyoxometalate first to oxidize electron donors or substrates; the reduced form (i.e., heteropolyblue) adsorbs visible light to achieve a new excited state, which reduced the cobalt redox sites and facilitates hydrogen evolution reaction. The photosensitizer recovered to the ground state, completing the catalytic cycle. Under the optimized conditions, Co-POM enabled the hydrogen evolution and dehydrogenation of tetrahydroisoquinoline without the presence of any other additives. The high catalytic efficiency and robustness indicated the advantages of the combining functional polyoxometalate-based catalysts and porous characters of the coordination polymers for the development of highly active heterogeneous catalysts.

Nuclear and Magnetic Structures and Magnetic Properties of the Layered Cobalt Hydroxysulfate Co5(OH)6(SO4)2(H2O)4 and Its Deuterated Analogue, Co5(OD)6(SO4)2(D2O)4

The structures (nuclear and magnetic), magnetic properties (2-300 K, 1-10(4) bar), and heat capacity of the layered ferromagnet Co5(OH)6(SO4)2(H2O)4 are reported. The crystal structure consists of brucite-like M(II)-OH layers of edge-sharing octahedra, but having two different Co sites, which are pillared by ...O3SO-Co(H2O)4-OSO3.... The absorption spectrum confirms the presence of divalent Co, and by comparison of the two isotopic materials, the assignment of the vibrational spectra is proposed. The magnetic properties are those of a ferromagnet with a Curie temperature of 14 K. Temperature and field dependence magnetization data taken on an aligned sample suggest an easy-plane magnet. The Curie temperature increases linearly with pressure at a rate of +0.12 K/kbar, suggesting small progressive and uniform modifications of the Co-Co exchange interactions. Rietveld refinement of the neutron powder diffraction data and consideration of a group analysis reveal the direction of the moments of the Co within the layer to be along the b-axis, with a maximum moment of 3.33 micro(B) per cobalt. Those of the pillars remain random. Estimation of the entropy from the heat capacity data accounts for the presence of four ordered moments of Co with spin 1/2 at the long-range ordering temperature, while the moment of the pillaring Co contributes only at lower temperature due to the increase of the internal field as the temperature is lowered. The purely 2D-magnetic ordering in an easy-plane magnet, evidenced by neutron diffraction and heat capacity, challenges the existing theories and is a rare example of a single-layer magnet.