Ammonium Protons Research Articles

Stabilization of Organic Cations in Lead Halide Perovskite Solar Cells Using Phosphine Oxides Derivatives.

Preventing ion migration in perovskite photovoltaics is key to achieving stable and efficient devices. The activation energy for ion migration is affected by the chemical environment surrounding the ions. Thus, the migration of organic cations in lead halide perovskites can be mitigated by engineering their local interactions, for example through hydrogen bonding. Ion migration also leads to ionic losses via interfacial reactions. Undesirable reactivities of the organic cations can be eliminated by introducing protecting groups. In this work, we report bis(2-oxo-3-oxazolidinyl) phosphinic chloride (BOP-Cl) as a perovskite ink additive with the following benefits: (1) The phosphoryl and two oxo groups form six-membered intermolecular hydrogen-bonded rings with the formamidinium cation (FA), mitigating ion migrations. (2) The hydrogen bonding reduces the electrophilicity of the ammonium protons by donating electron density, therefore reducing its reactivity with the surface oxygen on the metal oxide. Furthermore, the molecule can react to form a protecting group on the nucleophilic oxygen at the tin oxide transport layer surface through the elimination of chlorine. As a result, we achieve perovskite solar cells with an efficiency of 25.0% and improved MPP stability T93 = 1200 h at 40-45 °C compared to a control device (T86 = 550 h). In addition, we show a negative correlation between the strength of hydrogen bonding of different phosphine oxide derivatives to the organic cations and the degree of metastable behavior (e.g., initial burn-in) of the device.

Design of a robust and strong-acid MOF platform for selective ammonium recovery and proton conductivity.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are potential candidates for the platform of the solid acid; however, no MOF has been reported that has both aqueous ammonium stability and a strong acid site. This manuscript reports a highly stable MOF with a cation exchange site synthesized by the reaction between zirconium and mellitic acid under a high concentration of ammonium cations (NH4+). Single-crystal XRD analysis of the MOF revealed the presence of four free carboxyl groups of the mellitic acid ligand, and the high first association constant (pKa1) of one of the carboxyl groups acts as a monovalent ion-exchanging site. NH4+ in the MOF can be reversibly exchanged with proton (H+), sodium (Na+), and potassium (K+) cations in an aqueous solution. Moreover, the uniform nanospace of the MOF provides the acid site for selective NH4+ recovery from the aqueous mixture of NH4+ and Na+, which could solve the global nitrogen cycle problem. The solid acid nature of the MOF also results in the proton conductivity reaching 1.34 × 10-3 S cm-1 at 55 °C by ion exchange from NH4+ to H+.

Electrochemical reaction of CO2 to CO on a catalyst coated cation exchange membrane enabled by ammonium proton shuttling

CO2 reduction (CO2RR) can convert CO2 into feedstock for the chemical industry. In a novel operation mode NH4+ ions locally buffer the pH on a cation exchange membrane (CEM) and thereby enable efficient CO2RR on an Ag-coated CEM cathode.

Co-catalyst and Metal-free CO2 Fixation into Cyclic Carbonates: COPs to the Rescue

The non-redox fixation of CO2 in cyclic and polymeric carbonates is regarded as one of the most promising technologies for small-scale CO2 utilization. Yet, most heterogeneous catalysts reported to date require the use of co-catalysts, harsh reaction conditions, and non-base metals. In this issue of Chem, Yavuz and coworkers report the one-step synthesis of a new covalent organic polymer that circumvents these issues.

The Influence of β-Ammonium Substitution on the Reaction Kinetics of Aminooxy Condensations with Aldehydes and Ketones.

The click-chemistry capture of volatile aldehydes and ketones by ammonium aminooxy compounds has proven to be an efficient means of analyzing the carbonyl subset in complex mixtures, such as exhaled breath or environmental air. In this work, we examine the carbonyl condensation reaction kinetics of three aminooxy compounds with varying β-ammonium ion substitution using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). We determined the activation energies for the reactions of the aminooxy compounds ATM, ADMH and AMAH with a panel of ketones and aldehydes that included acrolein and crotonaldehyde. The measurements indicate that the activation energies for the oximation reactions are quite low, less than 75 kJ mol-1 . ADMH is observed to react the fastest with the carbonyls studied. We postulate this result may be attributed to the ADMH ammonium proton effecting a Brønsted-Lowry acid-catalyzed elimination of water during the rate-determining step of oxime ether formation. A theoretical study of oxime ether formation is presented to explain the enhanced reactivity of ADMH relative to the tetraalkylammonium analog ATM.

Si8O12][OH]8: Isolation, Structure, and Reactivity of a Cubic Octamer of Orthosilicic Acid

An ammonium–proton exchange in double-four-ring (D4R) spherosilicate [Si8O20][NMe4]8 with Meldrum’s acid in N,N-dimethylacetamide afforded the corresponding silanol [Si8O12][OH]8 (1), which was pur...

Unveiling Noncovalent Interactions in Imidazolium, Pyrrolidinium, or Quaternary Ammonium Cation and Acetate Anion Based Protic Ionic Liquids: Structure and Spectral Characteristics.

In the present work protic ionic liquids (PILs) composed of imidazolium-, quaternary ammonium-, or pyrrolidinium-dications and acetate (OAc-) anion have been modeled as the dication-anion complexes through the M06-2x based density functional theory. It has been shown that cation-anion interaction energies are larger for the PILs containing the quaternary ammonium cation, which can be attributed to strong hydrogen bonding from the terminal ammonium protons. Underlying N-H···O and C-H···O hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, and van der Waals interactions are unraveled using the natural bond orbital analyses in conjunction with the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and noncovalent interaction index reduced density gradient methods. The ramifications of noncovalent binding to 1H NMR and vibrational spectra are presented. The calculations further demonstrate a linear correlation of the kinetic energy density parameter G( r) in QTAIM analysis with the characteristic frequency shift of -NH3+ stretching in the dication-anion complexes. Moreover, the chemical shifts (δH) in 1H NMR spectra from theory reveal larger deshielding; the corresponding δH value correlates well with proton affinities and cation-anion binding energies as well. Effect of solvent (DMSO) on structure, binding energies, and 1H NMR are presented. The shifts of the characteristic carbonyl and the terminal ammonium stretching vibrations accompanying the dication-anion complexes from gas phase calculations are in consonance with the self-consistent reaction field theory.

Spin diffusion and 1H spin-lattice relaxation in Cs2(HSO4)(H2PO4) containing a small amount of ammonium ions

Inorganic solid acid salts with hydrogen bond networks frequently show very long spin-lattice relaxation times even for 1H because the hydrogen bonds suppress motions. In the present work, the 1H spin-lattice relaxation in Cs2(HSO4)(H2PO4) containing a small amount of ammonium ions were studied in detail by use of the effect of magic angle spinning (MAS) on the relaxation. The 1H spin-lattice relaxation times of the acid protons decrease with increase in the content of ammonium ions. Reorientation of the NH4 group fluctuates the dipole-dipole interaction and relaxes the ammonium protons as well as the acid protons. The 1H relaxation times of the acid protons are a little bit longer than those of the ammonium protons at the MAS rate of 8 kHz. The spinning at 50 kHz makes the relaxation times of the acid protons longer and those of the ammonium protons shorter. Spin diffusion between the acid and the ammonium protons averages partially the 1H relaxation of the acid and the ammonium protons at the MAS rate of 8 kHz. The spin diffusion is suppressed completely at the MAS rate of 50 kHz. Spin diffusion between the acid protons is not suppressed at the MAS rate of 50 kHz. The acid protons always show the same relaxation times. The intrinsic relaxation times not affected by spin diffusion are evaluated quantitatively for both the acid and the ammonium protons. Those values are independent of the ammonium content. Contribution of the spin diffusion between the acid and the ammonium protons to the relaxation is estimated quantitatively. Using those parameters, the effect of ammonium ions on the 1H spin-lattice relaxation can be predicted. The 1H spin-lattice relaxation is a sensitive tool to study the distribution of ammonium ions in solids.

Synthesis and Characterization of the New Lacunar Zincophosphate [C6H10N2][ZnP2O8H2]·0.6H2O

The new zincophosphate of chemical formula [C6H10N2][ZnP2O8H2]·0.6H2O was hydrothermally synthesized with p‐phenylenediamine as structure‐directing agent. The title compound crystallizes in the trigonal symmetry (proposed space group P3m1), where inorganic zincophosphate chains form layers due to the half occupancy of the unique crystallographic zinc site. The layers are separated from each other by p‐phenylenediammonium dications with hydrogen bonding scheme involving the ammonium protons that reveals a pillar‐like 3D structure aspect. The compound was characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction, multinuclear solid‐state NMR, scanning electron microscopy, chemical analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis.

Detailed mechanisms of 1H spin-lattice relaxation in ammonium dihydrogen phosphate confirmed by magic angle spinning

Mechanisms of the 1H spin-lattice relaxation in NH4H2PO4 were studied in detail by use of the effect of magic angle spinning on the relaxation. The acid and the ammonium protons have different relaxation times at the spinning rates higher than 10 kHz due to suppression of spin diffusion between the two kinds of protons. The intrinsic relaxation times not affected by the spin diffusion and the spin-diffusion assisted relaxation times were evaluated separately, taking into consideration temperature dependence. Both mechanisms contribute to the 1H relaxation of the acid protons comparatively. The spin-diffusion assisted relaxation mechanism was suppressed to the level lower than the experimental errors at the spinning rate of 30 kHz.

Hysteresis effect of ammonium and water protons by 1H MAS NMR in (NH4)2CuBr4·2H2O

The chemical shifts, linewidths, and spin-lattice relaxation times for ammonium and water protons in (NH4)2CuBr4·2H2O were investigated by 1H magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) with a focus on the roles of NH4+ and H2O at high temperatures. The changes in the temperature dependence of the data near Td (=360 K) were related to variations of the H environments; the mechanism above Td was related to hydrogen-bond transfer involving breakage of the weak part of the hydrogen bond. The hysteresis effects for the ammonium and water protons in (NH4)2CuBr4·2H2O by MAS NMR were described with respect to heating and cooling.

Ionic liquids based on triethanolammonium salts of dicarboxylic acids (oxalic, malonic, succinic). Crystal structure and cation-anion interaction

The series of ionic liquids based on triethanolammonium salts of dicarboxylic acids (oxalic, malonic and succinic) was synthesized, characterized by IR and H1, C13 NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Their structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It was found that triethanolammonium [(HOCH2CH2)3NH]+ cations in salts of oxalic (1), malonic (2) and succinic acids (3) containing monoanions [OOC(CH2)nCOOH]− (n = 0–2) have the endo conformation and the ammonium proton (Ham) resides inside the “lampshade” formed by three CH2CH2OH branches connected with nitrogen atom. The asymmetric cell of the second modification of the succinic acid salt (4) includes two triethanolammonium cations and a succinate dianion [(HOCH2CH2)3NH]2+[OOC(CH2)2COO]2 −. In this salt (4) one CH2CH2OH branch of the triethanolammonium cation is rotated around the NC bond (endo-exo conformation) and forms infinite TEA chains. This pattern was firstly found in organic salts of TEA. The obtained results show that different structures of triethanolammonium cations in the salts of dicarboxylic acids have significant influence on the cation-anion interaction.

Highly efficient hydrogen evolution catalysis by MoS2–MoN/carbonitride composites derived from tetrathiomolybdate/polymer hybrids

Sustainable hydrogen production from water splitting has attracted much attention due to the promising alternatives to carbon-based fuels without the emission of carbon dioxide. However, Pt-group materials are both expensive and low abundant, which fuels the desire to gain cost-effective and alternative electrocatalysts for hydrogen production. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has emerged as a promising material for hydrogen production by hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), but its performance is currently limited by poor electron transport or low active sites. Herein, a new synthetic route was developed to fabricate nitrogen-incorporated MoS2/carbonitride nanomaterials by a facile polymerization reaction and a subsquent thermal annealing process. The in-situ confinement of MoS3 nanoparticles into carbonitride framework were achieved through the reaction between ammonium tetrathiomolybdate and protons released from the homogeneous polymerization of 2,6–diaminopyridine. The nitrogen incorporation after annealing with NH3 can effectivly regulate the electronic structure and further improve the intrinsic conductivity. The resulted MoN–MoS2/carbonitride composite exhibits remarkable HER activity with onset overpotential as low as 30mV, accompanied by extremely large cathodic current density (52.4mA/cm2 at η=200mV), a small Tafel slope (52mV decade−1) and excellent stability (10000 cycles) due to synergistic effects and confinement effects. The composite via polymerization reaction in situ and a subsquent thermal annealing process is a promising strategy towards promising alternative catalyst for platinum–based HER electrocatalysts.

Revisiting NH4H2PO4: 1H MAS, CRAMPS, and Spin–Lattice Relaxation

Numerous nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigations of the KH2PO4 family of hydrogen-bonded compounds that display ferroelectric behavior have reported results related to structure, molecular motion, and phase transitions. The current study looks at how high magnetic field and high-resolution solid-state techniques affect the measured NMR parameters for ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (NH4H2PO4). Under magic-angle spinning (MAS), the ammonium and acid protons do not achieve a common spin temperature as previously stated in the literature [i.e., the spin–lattice relaxation times (T1) are different]. While the relaxation behavior in the static sample can be well-described with a single exponential at ambient temperature and below, the behavior becomes increasingly nonexponential as the sample is taken above ambient temperature. This behavior may arise from the motion of the ammonium moiety or from ionic conduction. The three principal values of the 1H shielding tensors for the different species of proton...

Density functional theory analysis of the impact of steric interaction on the function of switchable polarity solvents.

A density functional theory (DFT) analysis has been performed to explore the impact of steric interactions on the function of switchable polarity solvents (SPS) and their implications on a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model previously proposed for SPS. An X-ray crystal structure of the N,N-dimethylcyclohexylammonium bicarbonate (Hdmcha) salt has been solved as an asymmetric unit containing two cation/anion pairs, with a hydrogen bonding interaction observed between the bicarbonate anions, as well as between the cation and anion in each pair. DFT calculations provide an optimized structure of Hdmcha that closely resembles experimental data and reproduces the cation/anion interaction with the inclusion of a dielectric field. Relaxed potential energy surface (PES) scans have been performed on Hdmcha-based computational model compounds, differing in the size of functional group bonded to the nitrogen center, to assess the steric impact of the group on the relative energy and structural properties of the compound. Results suggest that both the length and amount of branching associated with the substituent impact the energetic limitations on rotation of the group along the N-R bond and NC-R bond, and disrupt the energy minimized position of the hydrogen bonded bicarbonate group. The largest interaction resulted from functional groups that featured five bonds between the ammonium proton and a proton on a functional group with the freedom of rotation to form a pseudo six membered ring which included both protons.

Influence of solvent chemistry on 1H NMR spectral and relaxation properties of a long-chain ionic surfactant in chloroform-d

1H NMR chemical shift, line width, indirect nuclear splitting value, peak area integration value, and spin–lattice and spin–spin relaxation times at 298 K are compared for low-concentration isotropic solutions of n-octylammonium n-octadecanoate prepared via different techniques and conditions using dried, distilled, and degassed deuterochloroform and the nontreated solvent containing tetramethylsilane. The nature of the variation of observed spectral parameters and relaxation/rotational behavior with chemical composition (presence of oxygen and other paramagnetic species, stabilizer, impurities, and degradation products) of the solvent, history of the solution, and sample containment are analyzed. Relaxation times are interpreted in terms of monomer structure and reorientation and internal rotation modes as a function of atomic position along the n-alkyl chains. Collectively, the relaxation behavior of the surfactant complies with the two-step model of fast picosecond internal rotations of different size segments containing methylene groups separated in timescale from slower large segment and overall molecular tumbling modes of the monomer. Fast motional phenomena do not appear to be appreciably influenced by the chemistry of the solvent in contrast to spectral parameters such as chemical shift and line width of the labile ammonium protons. A model is also presented to explain anomalous variation of the peak area integration value with chemical shift of the ammonium resonance peak.

Simultaneous Hydrogen Generation and Waste Acid Neutralization in a Reverse Electrodialysis System

Waste acid streams produced at industrial sites are often co-located with large sources of waste heat (e.g., industrial exhaust gases, cooling water, and heated equipment). Reverse electrodialysis (RED) systems can be used to generate electrical power and hydrogen gas using waste heat-derived solutions, but high electrode overpotentials limit system performance. We show here that an ammonium bicarbonate (AmB) RED system can achieve simultaneous waste acid neutralization and in situ hydrogen production, while capturing energy from excess waste heat. The rate of acid neutralization was dependent on stack flow rate and increased 50× (from 0.06 ± 0.04 to 3.0 ± 0.32 pH units min–1 m–2 membrane), as the flow rate increased 6× (from 100 to 600 mL min–1). Acid neutralization primarily took place due to ammonium electromigration (37 ± 4%) and proton diffusion (60 ± 5%). The use of a synthetic waste acid stream as a catholyte (pH ≈ 2) also increased hydrogen production rates by 65% (from 5.3 ± 0.5 to 8.7 ± 0.1 m3 H...

Heteronuclear transverse and longitudinal relaxation in AX4 spin systems: Application to 15N relaxations in 15NH4+

The equations that describe the time-evolution of transverse and longitudinal 15N magnetisations in tetrahedral ammonium ions, 15NH4+, are derived from the Bloch-Wangsness-Redfield density operator relaxation theory. It is assumed that the relaxation of the spin-states is dominated by (1) the intra-molecular 15N–1H and 1H–1H dipole–dipole interactions and (2) interactions of the ammonium protons with remote spins, which also include the contribution to the relaxations that arise from the exchange of the ammonium protons with the bulk solvent. The dipole–dipole cross-correlated relaxation mechanisms between each of the 15N–1H and 1H–1H interactions are explicitly taken into account in the derivations. An application to 15N-ammonium bound to a 41kDa domain of the protein DnaK is presented, where a comparison between experiments and simulations show that the ammonium ion rotates rapidly within its binding site with a local correlation time shorter than approximately 1ns. The theoretical framework provided here forms the basis for further investigations of dynamics of AX4 spin systems, with ammonium ions in solution and bound to proteins of particular interest.

Study on nuclear magnetic resonance of superionic conductor NH4HSeO4in rotating frame

In order to obtain information on the structural geometry of <TEX>$NH_4HSeO_4$</TEX> near the phase transition temperature, the spectrum and spin-lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame <TEX>$T_{1{\rho}}$</TEX> for the ammonium and hydrogen-bond protons were investigated through <TEX>$^1H$</TEX> MAS NMR. <TEX>$T_{1{\rho}}$</TEX> for the hydrogen-bond protons abruptly decreased at high temperature and it is associated with the change in the structural geometry in <TEX>$O-H{\cdots}O$</TEX> bonds. This mobility of the hydrogen-bond protons may be the main reason for the high conductivity.

Thermodynamic properties and phase transitions of Tutton salt (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2·6H2O from MAS NMR and single-crystal NMR

The thermodynamic properties and phase transitions of Tutton salt (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2·6H2O were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. The first mass loss occurs around 330 K (Td), which is interpreted as the onset of partial thermal decomposition. Phase transitions were found at 387 K (=TC1) and 500 K (=TC2). The temperature dependences of the spin–lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame, T1ρ, and that in the laboratory frame, T1, for the H nuclei change abruptly near TC1. These changes are associated with changes in the geometry of the arrangement of octahedral water molecules and ammonium protons.