In situ hydrogen loading on zirconium powder.

For the first time, various hydride phases in a zirconium-hydrogen system have been prepared in a high-energy synchrotron X-ray radiation beamline and their transformation behaviour has been studied in situ. First, the formation and dissolution of hydrides in commercially pure zirconium powder were monitored in real time during hydrogenation and dehydrogenation, then whole pattern crystal structure analysis such as Rietveld and Pawley refinements were performed. All commonly reported low-pressure phases presented in the Zr-H phase diagram are obtained from a single experimental arrangement.

Revealing the dynamic structure of complex solid catalysts using modulated excitation X-ray diffraction.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is typically silent towards information on low loadings of precious metals on solid catalysts because of their finely dispersed nature. When combined with a concentration modulation approach, time-resolved high-energy XRD is able to provide the detailed redox dynamics of palladium nanoparticles with a diameter of 2 nm in 2 wt % Pd/CZ (CZ = ceria-zirconia), which is a difficult sample for extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements because of the cerium component. The temporal evolution of the Pd(111) and Ce(111) reflections together with surface information from synchronous diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) measurements reveals that Ce maintains Pd oxidized in the CO pulse, whereas reduction is detected at the beginning of the O2 pulse. Oxygen is likely transferred from Pd to Ce(3+) before the onset of Pd re-oxidation. In this context, adsorbed carbonates appear to be the rate-limiting species for re-oxidation.

Synthesis, characterization, and crystal structure of a new trisodium triborate, Na(3)[B(3)O(4)(OH)(4)].

The preparation of a new trisodium triborate, Na(3)[B(3)O(4)(OH)(4)], and its complete characterization in terms of molecular structure and thermal behavior are reported. Synthesis of this compound was achieved either by NaBH(4) hydrolysis or by thermal treatment of Na[B(OH)(4)].2H(2)O. The crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The trisodium triborate crystallized in the monoclinic system (a = 12.8274(6) A, b = 7.7276(4) A, c = 6.9690(3) A, and beta = 98.161(3) degrees ), space group Cc, Z = 2. The structure of Na(3)[B(3)O(4)(OH)(4)] comprised [B(3)O(4)(OH)(4)](3-) polyanions, based on B-O-containing rings with two tetracoordinated boron atoms and one tricoordinated boron atom in the fragments BO(2)(OH)(2) and BO(3), respectively. These polyanions are interconnected by four intermolecular hydrogen bonds and presented a tilt of 10.470(4) degrees compared to the a axis. Thus, they are stacked by rotation of about 180 degrees around an axis defined by the three-coordinated boron atoms and parallel to the c axis. Such polyanions were only observed previously in two synthetic compounds, M(3)[B(3)O(4)(OH)(4)].2H(2)O with M = K and Rb, which were isostructural. The originality of the present work was the synthesis and the description of a different crystallographic structure containing this polyanion. Characteristic peaks ranging from 500 to 1500 cm(-1) and around 3300 cm(-1) highlighted the presence of the B-O rings and hydroxyl groups, respectively. The decomposition temperature T = 155 degrees C was obtained by thermogravimetric analysis, and the following equivalent formula in terms of hydration degree was proposed: NaBO(2).(2)/(3)H(2)O. Na(3)[B(3)O(4)(OH)(4)] decomposed into Na(3)[B(3)O(5)(OH)(2)] in equilibrium with its vapor.