Metal Cation Size Research Articles

Mitigating anodic corrosion in aluminum–air batteries: Effects of alkali metal cation size on electrochemical performance

Anodic corrosion limits the performance of aluminum–air batteries (AABs) by reducing discharge capacity and hindering energy density. This study proposes a strategy to mitigate anodic corrosion by controlling electrolyte cations to decrease the activity of free water molecules in the anodic corrosion process. Alkali metal cations (Na+, K+, Rb+) are introduced into a 1mol dm−3 KOH solution to examine their solvation properties and effects on free water molecule activity. Results show that larger cations (Na+ < K+ < Rb+) enhance anode discharge capacity by promoting more stable discharge reactions. Raman spectroscopy reveals that as cation radius increases, free water molecule activity decreases due to increased hydration. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows that larger cations favor the formation of corrosion-resistant aluminum compounds like Al2O3 and Al(OH)3, due to their higher concentration in the electric double layer, inhibiting anodic corrosion. This study highlights the critical role of cation solvation in enhancing electrochemical performance and corrosion resistance of AAB anodes.

Role of metal and anions in organo-metal halide perovskites CH3NH3MX3 (M: Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Sn, Pb; X: Cl, Br, I) on structural and optoelectronic properties for photovoltaic applications.

Methylammonium metal halide perovskites have recently been explored for new uses due to their unique and exciting optoelectronic properties. Their exceptional electronic properties have often been attributed to the overlap between the metal cation s and halogen p states. In this study, density functional theory calculations have been carried out based on the orthorhombic phase of the organometal trihalide perovskite CH3NH3MX3 (M: Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Sn, Pb; X: Cl, Br, I) to systematically investigate the effects of the metal cation and halogen anion on the structural, electronic, and optical properties for solar cell applications. The calculated lattice parameters agree well with previously obtained experimental and theoretical results. All of these perovskites are direct band gap compounds at the G symmetry point, except CH3NH3GaX3. The band gap increases from iodide to chloride and also with the metal cation size, from Ge to Pb or Cu to Zn. Furthermore, metal halide perovskites show blue shifts in their optical absorption spectra with an increase in metal cation size. Among the studied examples, CH3NH3GaBr3 and CH3NH3CuCl3 absorb a wide range of light, from UV to the visible region, and possess very unusual high dielectric constants and refractive indices. Our calculations reveal that CH3NH3SnI3, CH3NH3GeI3, and CH3NH3ZnI3 are favorable candidates for lead-free photovoltaic applications.

Infrared multiple-photon dissociation spectroscopy of cationized glycine: effects of alkali metal cation size on gas-phase conformation.

The gas-phase structures of cationized glycine (Gly), including complexes with Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, and Cs+, are examined using infrared multiple-photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy utilizing light generated by a free electron laser, in conjunction with ab initio calculations. To identify the structures present in the experimental studies, measured IRMPD spectra are compared to spectra calculated at B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) for the Li+, Na+, and K+ complexes and at B3LYP/def2TZVP for the Rb+ and Cs+ complexes. Single-point energy calculations were carried out at the B3LYP, B3P86, and MP2(full) levels using the 6-311+G(2d,2p) basis set for Li+, Na+, K+ and the def2TZVPP basis set for Rb+ and Cs+. The Li+ and Na+ complexes are identified as metal cation coordination to the amino nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen, [N,CO]-tt, although Na+(Gly) may have contributions from additional structures. The heavier metal cations coordinate to either the carbonyl oxygen, [CO]-cc, or the carbonyl oxygen and hydroxy oxygen, [CO,OH]-cc, with the former apparently preferred for Rb+ and Cs+ and the latter for K+. These two structures reside in a double-well potential and different levels of theory predict very different relative stabilities. Some experimental evidence is provided that MP2(full) theory provides the most accurate relative energies.

Connecting Cation Exchange and Metal Deposition Outcomes via Hume-Rothery-Like Design Rules Using Copper Selenide Nanoparticles.

Heterogenous nanomaterials containing various inorganic phases have far-reaching impacts both from the physical phenomena they reveal and the technologies they enable. While the variety and impact of these materials has been demonstrated in many reports, there is critical ambiguity in the factors that lead to major bifurcations in developing these heterostructures, for example, the formation of either mixed metal semiconductors or segregated metal-semiconductor phases. Here, we compare outcomes of independently introducing 5 different metal cations (Au3+, Ag+, Hg2+, Pd2+, and Pt2+) to antifluorite copper selenide (Cu2-xSe) nanoparticles (diameter = 52 ± 5 nm). This suite of metal cations allowed us to control for and evaluate a variety of potentially competing intrinsic system parameters including metal cation size, valency, and reduction potential as well as lattice volume change, lattice formation energy, and lattice mismatch. Upon secondary metal addition, we determined that the transformation of a cubic Cu2-xSe lattice will occur via cation exchange reaction when the change in symmetry to the resulting metal selenide phase(s) preserves mutually orthogonal lattice vectors. However, if the new lattice symmetry would be disrupted further, metal deposition is the likely outcome of secondary metal cation addition, forming metal-semiconductor heterostructures. These results suggest a synthesis design rule that relies on an intrinsic property of the material, not the reaction pathway, and indicates that more such factors may be found in other particle and synthetic systems.

Impact of metal cations on the thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties of telechelic sulfonated polyetherimides

The glass transition temperature, thermal degradation temperature, and complex viscosity of metal sulfonated polyetherimides decrease with an increase in metal cation size.

Understanding alkali metal cation affinities of multi-layer guanine quadruplex DNA.

To gain better understanding of the stabilizing interactions between metal ions and DNA quadruplexes, dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D) based calculations were performed on double-, triple- and four-layer guanine tetrads interacting with alkali metal cations. All computations were performed in aqueous solution that mimics artificial supramolecular conditions where guanine bases assemble into stacked quartets as well as biological environments in which telomeric quadruplexes are formed. To facilitate the computations on these significant larger systems, optimization of the DFT description was performed first by evaluating the performance of partial reduced basis sets. Analysis of the stabilizing interactions between alkali cations and the DNA bases in double and triple-layer guanine quadruplex DNA reproduced the experimental affinity trend of the order Li+< Rb+ < Na+ < K+. The desolvation and the size of alkali metal cations are thought to be responsible for the order of affinity. Nevertheless, for the alkali metal cation species individually, the magnitude of the bond energy stays equal for binding as first, second or third cation in double, triple and four-layer guanine quadruplexes, respectively. This is the result of an interplay between a decreasingly stabilizing interaction energy and increasingly stabilizing solvation effects, along the consecutive binding events. This diminished interaction energy is the result of destabilizing electrostatic repulsion between the hosted alkali metal cations. This work emphasizes the stabilizing effect of aqueous solvent on large highly charged biomolecules.

Metal ions doped into merocyanine form of coumarin derivatives: nonlinear optical molecular switches.

In the present study, DFT calculations are carried out on domestically designed 7-methyl-2-phenyl-5'H-spiro[chromene-4,2'-chromeno[3,4-e][1,3]oxazin]-5'-one spiropyran and merocyanine derivatives to recognize alkali and alkaline earth metal ions. Detection of these metal ions can be attained by exploiting the variation of the second-order nonlinear optical properties. Merocyanine forms of these derivatives exhibit the ability to complex with different metal ions (Li+, Na+, K+, and Ca2+), which is associated with large contrasts in the hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) response as a function of metal size and charge. Interestingly, in this study, Mero-Li+ shows significant nonlinear optical response with dynamic HRS first hyperpolarizability amounting to 7607a.u., which is about nine times higher than its corresponding spiro form (846a.u.) at the CAM-B3LYP/6-311G* level of theory. The present investigation clarifies the effect of metal nature on the enhancement of the first hyperpolarizability between the closed and open forms of the studied coumarin derivatives. Graphical abstract The coumarin-based compound 3 demonstrate the higher second-order NLO responses as a function of metal cation size and charges. Complexation of smaller alkali metal ions leads to the formation of stronger metal-ligand bonds, larger geometrical relaxations and significant enhancement of the HRS first hyperpolarizabilities. This present investigation elucidates the effect of metal nature on the enhancement of the first hyperpolarizability between the closed and open forms of studied coumarin derivatives.

Synthesis, characterization, and theoretical analysis of three new nonlinear optical materials K7MRE2B15O30 (M= Ca and Ba, RE= La and Bi)

Three new complex borate compounds K7CaBi2B15O30, K7CaLa2B15O30 and K7BaBi2B15O30 have been synthesized by the high-temperature solution method. K7CaLa2B15O30 and K7CaBi2B15O30 crystallize in the chiral trigonal space group R32, while K7BaBi2B15O30 crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric orthorhombic polar space group Pca21. All of the title compounds have similar three-dimensional crystal structures, which are composed of isolated B5O10 groups and LaO6 or BiO6 octahedra, and K+, Ca2+, and Ba2+ cations fill into the cavities to keep charge balance. Based on our research, in the system of K7MIIRE2B15O30 (MII = Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn, Cd, Pb, K/RE0.5; RE = Sc, Y, La, Gd, Lu, Bi), K7BaBi2B15O30 is unique and crystallizes in a different space group, which enriches the structural chemistry of borate. Detailed structural analyses indicate that the structural variation is due to the difference in size and coordination number of the alkaline-earth metal cations. Besides, UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy analysis and the second-harmonic generation (SHG) measurement on the powder samples show that K7CaBi2B15O30 exhibits a UV cutoff edge (about 282 nm) and a moderate SHG response (about 0.6 × KDP). In addition, thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy were also presented. To better understand the structure-property relationships of the title compounds, the first-principles calculations have been performed.

Superlubricity and Antiwear Properties of In Situ-Formed Ionic Liquids at Ceramic Interfaces Induced by Tribochemical Reactions.

Several ionic liquids (ILs) are formed in situ with monovalent metal salts and ethylene glycol (EG). The macroscale superlubricity and antiwear properties of the ILs were studied between ceramic materials. Superlow coefficients of friction of less than 0.01 could be obtained for all ILs at silicon nitride (Si3N4) interfaces induced by tribochemical reactions. Notably, the IL ([Li(EG)]PF6) formed with LiPF6 and EG exhibited the greatest superlubricity and antiwear properties. The results of film thickness calculations and surface analysis showed that the lubrication regime during the superlubricity period was the mixed lubrication, and a composite tribochemical layer (composed of phosphates, fluorides, silica (SiO2), and ammonia-containing compounds), hydration layer, and fluid film contributed to superlubricity and wear protection. It was found that the small size of metal cations was beneficial for alleviating wear, and PF6- anions exhibited the smallest friction and best antiwear performance at Si3N4 interfaces. This work studied the lubricity and antiwear properties of ILs with different cations and anions, enriching the range of alternative ILs for macroscale superlubricity and low wear, and is of importance to engineering applications.

Single-Crystal Synthesis and Structures of Rb-Boroleucite Rb(BSi2)O6 and Boropollucite Cs(BSi2)O6 at 293 and 120 K

The structures of Rb-boroleucite Rb1.0(B0.333Si0.667)3O6 and boropollucite Cs0.87(B0.290Si0.710)3O6 were studied using single crystals, which were prepared under hydrothermal conditions. In the zeolite-like framework structures, Rb and Cs atoms are located in large window cavities formed by four, six, and eight tetrahedra. The B and Si atom randomly occupy general positions. Cubic space groups of both phases (acentric sp. gr. I $$\bar {4}$$ 3d for Rb and centrosymmetric holohedral sp. gr. Ia $$\bar {3}$$ d for Cs) remain unchanged at room temperature and down to 120 K. Rubidium boroleucite has a stoichiometric formula. Boropollucite is characterized by a deviation from the stoichiometric composition, which is manifested in the predominance of Si atoms in tetrahedra and the defect occupation of the Cs site. The size of alkali metal cations plays a crucial role in the existence of a particular modification, which is consistent with earlier results.

Organic-Free Synthesis of Silicoaluminophosphate Molecular Sieves.

Silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO) molecular sieves are an important class of microporous materials and are useful for industrial catalysis and separations. They have been synthesized exclusively by the use of expensive and environmentally unfriendly organic structure-directing agents. Now the synthesis of SAPO molecular sieves is reported with MER, EDI, GIS, and ANA topologies under wholly inorganic conditions. Multinuclear MAS NMR analyses demonstrate the presence of Si, Al, and P atoms in their frameworks. These SAPO materials all have unusually high framework charge densities (0.25-0.46), owing to the small size of alkali metal cations used as an inorganic structure-directing agent. A continuous Si increase in the synthesis gel for MER-type SAPO molecular sieves led to the formation of framework Si(0Al) units, decreasing the number of extra-framework cations per unit cell and thus making the resulting solid useful for CO2 adsorption.

Organic‐Free Synthesis of Silicoaluminophosphate Molecular Sieves

AbstractSilicoaluminophosphate (SAPO) molecular sieves are an important class of microporous materials and are useful for industrial catalysis and separations. They have been synthesized exclusively by the use of expensive and environmentally unfriendly organic structure‐directing agents. Now the synthesis of SAPO molecular sieves is reported with MER, EDI, GIS, and ANA topologies under wholly inorganic conditions. Multinuclear MAS NMR analyses demonstrate the presence of Si, Al, and P atoms in their frameworks. These SAPO materials all have unusually high framework charge densities (0.25–0.46), owing to the small size of alkali metal cations used as an inorganic structure‐directing agent. A continuous Si increase in the synthesis gel for MER‐type SAPO molecular sieves led to the formation of framework Si(0Al) units, decreasing the number of extra‐framework cations per unit cell and thus making the resulting solid useful for CO2 adsorption.

Synthesis of helical polyisocyanides bearing aza‐crown ether groups as pendant

ABSTRACTWe, herein, present a novel synthesis of responsive helical poly(aryl isocyanide)s bearing aza‐crown ethers as pendant groups. Chiral aryl isocyanide monomers bearing an aza‐crown ether as a pendant were designed and synthesized, piror to polymerization using a Pd‐Pt µ‐ethynediyl complex as an initiator to give the corresponding polymers in good yield. The resulting polyisocyanides adopted a stable helical structure in solution, as confirmed by circular dichroism spectroscopic analysis. In addition, the polymers were soluble in various solvents. Furthemore, the addition of suitable alkali metal ions to the crown ether of the sidechain on the helical polyisocyanide to form host‐gest complexes resulted in deformation of the helix due to electrostatic repulsion, and these phenomena depended on the size of metal cations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 496–504.

Intrinsic and extrinsic factors which influence metal adsorption to road dust

The adsorption behaviour of metals deposited on road surfaces is a complex process and influenced by a range of factors common to the urban environment. However, all factors do not have the same level of importance. It is therefore important to identify the most crucial factors for accurate stormwater quality predictions and to implement effective stormwater pollution mitigation measures. Accordingly, this study investigated the extrinsic and intrinsic factors in terms of their degree of influence on the adsorption of individual metal cations to particulates. The variability associated with the adsorption of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni to road dust was found to be influenced by changes to the antecedent dry days and land use characteristics. The initial dry days after a storm event exerts a significant influence on adsorption compared to the later dry days in all land uses. In terms of the intrinsic physico-chemical properties of road dust, the parameters that influence the adsorption process differ in terms of the type of metal cation and particle size fractions of solids. Based on the influential parameters identified, the bioavailability characteristics of Zn, Cd, Pb and Ni in <150μm size fraction of road dust and potential stormwater quality impacts can be highlighted.

Landau theory and giant room-temperature barocaloric effect in MF3 metal trifluorides

The structural phase transitions of MF$_3$ (M=Al, Cr, V, Fe, Ti, Sc) metal trifluorides are studied within a simple Landau theory consisting of tilts of rigid MF$_6$ octahedra associated with soft antiferrodistoritive optic modes that are coupled to long-wavelength strain generating acoustic phonons. We calculate the temperature and pressure dependence of several quantities such as the spontaneous distortions, volume expansion and shear strains as well as $T-P$ phase diagrams. By contrasting our model to experiments we quantify the deviations from mean-field behavior and found that the tilt fluctuations of the MF$_6$ octahedra increase with metal cation size. We apply our model to predict giant barocaloric effects in Sc substituted TiF$_3$ of up to about $15\,$JK$^{-1}$kg$^{-1}$ for modest hydrostatic compressions of $0.2\,$GPa. The effect extends over a wide temperature range of over $140\,$K (including room temperature) due to a large predicted rate $dT_c/dP = 723\,$K GPa$^{-1}$, which exceeds those of typical barocaloric materials. Our results suggest that open lattice frameworks such as the trifluorides are an attractive platform to search for giant barocaloric effects.

Synthesis, structure and complexation of biscrown-containing 1,4-distyrylbenzenes

An improved method for the synthesis of two symmetric biscrown-containing and one model tetramethoxy-substituted 1,4-distyrylbenzenes was suggested. The structures of compounds were established by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Spectrophotometric and fluorescent titration were used to determine spectral properties, stoichiometry, and stability of complexes of biscrown-containing 1,4-distyrylbenzenes with alkali and alkaline-earth metal cations. The stability of the complexes was found to depend on the metal cation size and charge, as well as on the size of the crown ether fragment. The electrochemical oxidation and reduction potentials of the biscrown-containing 1,4-distyrylbenzenes and the model compound in solution were determined and their basic differences from the corresponding characteristics of biscrown-containing stilbenes were identified.

Alkali Metal Variation and Twisting of the FeNNFe Core in Bridging Diiron Dinitrogen Complexes.

Alkali metal cations can interact with Fe–N2 complexes, potentially enhancing back-bonding or influencing the geometry of the iron atom. These influences are relevant to large-scale N2 reduction by iron, such as in the FeMoco of nitrogenase and the alkali-promoted Haber–Bosch process. However, to our knowledge there have been no systematic studies of a large range of alkali metals regarding their influence on transition metal–dinitrogen complexes. In this work, we varied the alkali metal in [alkali cation]2[LFeNNFeL] complexes (L = bulky β-diketiminate ligand) through the size range from Na+ to K+, Rb+, and Cs+. The FeNNFe cores have similar Fe–N and N–N distances and N–N stretching frequencies despite the drastic change in alkali metal cation size. The two diketiminates twist relative to one another, with larger dihedral angles accommodating the larger cations. In order to explain why the twisting has so little influence on the core, we performed density functional theory calculations on a simplified LFeNNFeL model, which show that the two metals surprisingly do not compete for back-bonding to the same π* orbital of N2, even when the ligand planes are parallel. This diiron system can tolerate distortion of the ligand planes through compensating orbital energy changes, and thus, a range of ligand orientations can give very similar energies.

ChemInform Abstract: New Niobium Selenites, ANbO(SeO3)2 (A: Na, K, Rb, and Cs): Effect of Alkali Metal Cation Size on the Dimensionality and Intraoctahedral Distortion.

AbstractSingle crystals of MNbO(SeO3)2 (M: Na, K, Rb, Cs) are grown by solid state reaction of M2CO3 and Nb2O5 in a reactive SeO2 flux (evacuated silica tubes, 400 °C, 3 d; cooling to 25 °C at a rate of 6 °C/h).

The Influence of Alkali Metal Cation Size on the Formation and Dissociation of Crown Ether Fullerene Dimers in Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

Crown ether fullerenes, C60H(cr – H), form two different dimers in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, a noncovalently bound, metal-bridged dimer [C60H(cr – H)]2M+, and a singly bonded fullerene dimer of the type (cr – H)–C60–C60–(cr – H)Mnn+, with n = 1, 2. In this work, the dependence of both the formation and the dissociation of these dimers on the respective sizes of the crown ether moiety (12cr4, 15cr5, 18cr6) and of the alkali metal ion (M+ = Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+) is studied. The size ratio of crown ether cavity to metal cation size has a profound influence on the formation of the noncovalent dimers, [C60H(cr – H)]2M+. These are only formed if the cation is larger than the crown ether cavity. Also, the doubly charged, covalent dimers [C60(cr – H)]2M22+ show a dependence on the size ratio. The proposed formation mechanism involves the recombination of two C60(cr – H)M•+ radical cations, which can only occur if the repulsion between the two charges is sufficiently reduced by encapsulating the...

New niobium selenites, ANbO(SeO3)2 (A = Na, K, Rb, and Cs): Effect of alkali metal cation size on the dimensionality and intraoctahedral distortion

Four new alkali metal niobium selenites with both families of second-order Jahn-Teller distortive (SOJT) cations, ANbO(SeO3)2 (A = Na, K, Rb, and Cs), have been synthesized through standard solid state reactions using A2CO3, Nb2O5, and SeO2 in sealed fused silica tubes. Crystal structures of all four materials have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. While NaNbO(SeO3)2 is configured with corner-shared zigzag chains of NbO6 octahedra and SeO3 intrachain connectors, three isostructural ANbO(SeO3)2 (A = K, Rb, and Cs) are arranged with corrugated layers that are composed of NbO6 octahedra and SeO3 trigonal pyramids. More detailed structural investigations indicate that the size and the coordination environment of alkali metal cations particularly affect the backbone geometries and the dimensions of the reported materials. With ANbO(SeO3)2 (A = K, Rb, and Cs), the alkali metal cations in between the layers also influence the extent of octahedral distortions. Full characterizations including thermal analyses, infrared and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, intraoctahedral distortions, and local dipole moment calculations are also presented.