Understanding the emergence of the boson peak in molecular glasses

A common feature of glasses is the "boson peak", observed as an excess in the heat capacity over the crystal or as an additional peak in the terahertz vibrational spectrum. The microscopic origins of this peak are not well understood; the emergence of locally ordered structures has been put forward as a possible candidate. Here, we show that depolarised Raman scattering in liquids consisting of highly symmetric molecules can be used to isolate the boson peak, allowing its detailed observation from the liquid into the glass. The boson peak in the vibrational spectrum matches the excess heat capacity. As the boson peak intensifies on cooling, wide-angle x-ray scattering shows the simultaneous appearance of a pre-peak due to molecular clusters consisting of circa 20 molecules. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations indicate that these are caused by over-coordinated molecules. These findings represent an essential step toward our understanding of the physics of vitrification.

Speciation and Proton Conductivity of Phosphoric Acid Confined in Mesoporous Silica

Phosphoric acid (PA) confined in a commercial mesoporous silica (CARIACT G) with porous size in the range of 3 to 10 nm was studied in relation to its coordination with the silanol groups on the silica surface as a function of temperature, up to 180 °C, using 31P and 29Si MAS NMR spectroscopy. As the temperature increases, the coordination of Si and P in the mesopores depends on the pore size, that is, on the area/volume ratio of the silica matrix. In the mesoporous silica with the higher pore size (10 nm), a considerable fraction of PA is nonbonded to the silanol groups on the surface, and it seems to be responsible for its higher conductivity at temperatures above 120 °C as compared to the samples with a smaller pore size. The electrical conductivity of the functionalized mesoporous silica was higher than that reported for other silico-phosphoric composites synthesized by sol-gel methods using soft templates, which require high-temperature calcination and high-cost reagents and are close to that of the best PA-doped polybenzimidazole membranes used in high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs). The rate of PA release from the mesoporous silica matrix when the system is exposed to water has been measured, and it was found to be strongly dependent on the pore size. The low cost and simplicity of the PA-functionalized mesoporous silica preparation method makes this material a promising candidate to be used as an electrolyte in HT-PEMFCs.

Li3[Al(PO4)2(H2O)1.5] and Na[AlP2O7]: from 2D layered polar to 3D centrosymmetric framework structures

Two new aluminophosphates with moderate NLO property or a short UV cut-off edge (∼190 nm) are reported.

Five- and six-fold coordinated silicon in silicodiphosphonates: short range order investigation by solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Silicodiphosphonates synthesized by two different pathways show interesting chemical shifts of five- and sixfold coordinated silicon.

Preparation of Silicophosphate Alternating Hybrid Copolymers via Nonaqueous Acid-Base Reactions of Phosphoric Acid and Organo-Bridged Bis(chlorosilane)

A design of atomic and oligomer level structure in organic-inorganic hybrid materials is highly important for various applications. Nonaqueous acid-base reaction allows us to prepare silicophosphates with controlled inorganic networks (-(O-P-O-Si)_n) at atomic level because phosphorous and silicon-based precursors can react directly, resulting in an alternating copolymer network. Organic functionalization in those materials has been realized so far by using organic-modified phosphorous acid and/or organo-chlorosilane as precursors. In the present study, silicophosphate oligomers exhibiting inorganic-organic hybrid chains of (-(O-P-O-Si-R-Si)_n) (R: bridging organic functional groups), are prepared from phosphoric acid and organo-bridged bis(chlorosilane). The 1, 2-bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)ethane ((C₂H₄)(Me₂SiCl)₂) and 1, 4-bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)benzene ((C₆H₄)(Me₂SiCl)₂) were used as organo-bridged bis(chlorosilane). Different types of silicophosphate oligomers with different network structures and terminal groups (P-OH and/or Si-Cl) were prepared by changing the reaction temperature and molar ratio of precursors. The formation of low molecular weight oligomers of ring and cage morphologies (ring tetramer, cage pentamer, and ring hexamer) is suggested in the product prepared from phosphoric acid and (C₆H₄)(Me₂SiCl)₂ molecule at 150 °C. Those silicophosphate hybrid oligomers are expected to be used as building blocks of hybrid materials with well-defined network structures for desired functionalities.

Surface reactivity of non-hydrolytic silicophosphate xerogels: a simple method to create Brønsted or Lewis acid sites on porous supports

The reactivity of residual acetoxy and trimethylsilyloxy groups is studied in order to introduce new moieties into the surface of silicophosphates.

Accessible bidentate diol functionality within highly ordered composite periodic mesoporous organosilicas

Periodic mesoporous organosilicas containing biphenol bridging groups were modified post-synthesis to prepare aryl phosphate esters from the free diols.

Tp*Cu(I)-CN-SiL2-NC-Cu(I)Tp*--a hexacoordinate Si-complex as connector for redox active metals via π-conjugated ligands

Hexacoordinate silicon complexes L2SiX2 (L = a 2-benzoylpyrrol-1-yl derivative, X = CN, NCS) were synthesized from L2SiCl2 by ligand exchange with trimethylsilyl reagents Me3SiX. In the presence of [Tp*CuNCMe] and Me3SiCN the silicon complex L2Si(NC(CuTp*))2 was obtained, which contains a linear Cu-CN-Si-NC-Cu unit (Tp* = hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borato).

Non-aqueous template-assisted synthesis of mesoporous nanocrystalline silicon orthophosphate

Mesoporous nanocrystalline silicon orthophosphate Si₅P₆O₂₅ was synthesized by the non-hydrolytic sol–gel reaction in the presence of Pluronic P123 template and displays superior catalytic activity and selectivity in methylstyrene dimerization.

2-Acylpyrroles as mono-anionic O,N-chelating ligands in silicon coordination chemistry

Kryptopyrrole (2,4-dimethyl-3-ethylpyrrole) was acylated with, for example, benzoyl chloride to afford 2-benzoyl-3,5-dimethyl-4-ethylpyrrole (L(1)H). With SiCl4 this ligand reacts under liberation of HCl and formation of the complex L(1)2SiCl2. In related reactions with HSiCl3 or H2SiCl2, the same chlorosilicon complex is formed under liberation of HCl and H2 or liberation of H2, respectively. The chlorine atoms of L(1)2SiCl2 can be replaced by fluoride and triflate using ZnF2 and Me3Si-OTf, respectively. The use of a supporting base (triethylamine) is required for the complexation of phenyltrichlorosilane and diphenyldichlorosilane. The complexes L(1)2SiCl2, L(1)2SiF2, L(1)2Si(OTf)2, L(1)2SiPhCl, and L(1)2SiPh2 exhibit various configurations of the octahedral silicon coordination spheres (i.e. cis or trans configuration of the monodentate substituents, different orientations of the bidentate chelating ligands relative to each other). Furthermore, cationic silicon complexes L(1)3Si(+) and L(1) SiPh(+) were synthesized by chloride abstraction with GaCl3. In contrast, reaction of L(1)2SiCl2 with a third equivalent of L(1)H in the presence of excess triethylamine produced a charge-neutral hexacoordinate Si complex with a new tetradentate chelating ligand which formed by Si-templated C-C coupling of two ligands L(1).