Confined linear molecules inside an aperiodic supramolecular crystal: the sequence of superspace phases in n-hexadecane/urea.

High-resolution studies of the host-guest inclusion compound n-hexadecane/urea are reported at atmospheric pressure, using both cold neutrons and x-ray diffraction. This intergrowth crystal presents a misfit parameter, defined by the ratio c(h)/c(g) (c(host)/c(guest)), which is temperature independent and irrational (γ = 0.486 ± 0.002) from 300 to 30 K. Three different structural phases are reported for this aperiodic crystal over this temperature range. The crystallographic superspaces are of rank 4 in phases I and II, whereas phase III is associated with an increase in rank to 5, with a supplementary misfit parameter (δ = 0.058 ± 0.002) that is constant throughout this phase. The superspace group of phase I is hexagonal P6(1)22(00γ) down to T(c1) = 149.5 ± 0.5 K; phase II, which persists down to T(c2) = 127.8 ± 0.5 K is orthorhombic P2(1)2(1)2(1)(00γ), and phase III is orthorhombic P2(1)2(1)2(1)(00γ)(00δ).

Mixed acoustic phonons and phase modes in an aperiodic composite crystal.

Aperiodic crystals which are long range ordered materials present original dynamics features due to the lack of translational symmetry formally implying the nonvalidity of the Brillouin zone concept. This Letter reports the observation by neutron scattering of an overdamped acousticlike mode at a Bragg peak position in a n-alkane-urea inclusion crystal. This result implies the existence of a gap in the dispersion branch. The gap and anomalous damping of these collective modes are discussed in terms of specific dynamics and interaction in aperiodic materials.

Crystal growth and twinned crystal structure of Sr2CaWO6.

Single crystals of Sr(2)CaWO(6) have been prepared by sintering at high temperature. Powder samples were compressed into rods and heated up to 1953 K. This seems a promising new route for further studies of the structure and physical properties of double perovskites. The structural model of Sr(2)CaWO(6) includes a quantitative description of the twinning shown by the diffraction pattern that should be present in almost any single-crystal specimen for this type of compound.

Incommensurate structure of InAl1 - xTixO3 + x/2[x = 0.701 (1)]: comparison between modulated and composite models.

The structure of the monoclinic phase of the compound InAl(1 - x)Ti(x)O(3 + x/2) with x = 0.701 (1) has been analyzed within the (3 + 1)-dimensional superspace formalism. Two different models were refined describing the structure as an incommensurate modulated layer and modulated composite, respectively. Both models include the same composition-structure relation. In the composite approach it is derived from the mismatching between the two subsystems. In the incommensurate modulated system, it is derived from a closeness condition between O atomic domains. The distribution and coordination of the cations is discussed and compared with previously proposed models for similar compounds.

Experimental study of the ferroelastic phase transition in urea/n-heptadecane composite.

An experimental study of the ferroelastic phase transition in urea/n-heptadecane CO(NH2)2/C17H40 composite around the structural phase transition undergone by this crystal at 159 K is presented. The temperature dependence of the macroscopic spontaneous strain and the optical birefringence around this temperature has been determined. A phenomenological model limited to the hexagonal-orthorhombic change of the urea sublattice leads to a linear relation between these quantities and the phase transition entropy. The experimental data agree with this description exception made of the near vicinity of the phase transition, where the influence of the alkane chain ordering processes cannot be excluded.

Phase transitions in the urea/n-nonadecane system by calorimetric techniques.

A calorimetric study of urea/n-nonadecane, CO(NH(2))(2)/C(19)H(40), and the deuterated derivatives, CO(ND(2))(2)/C(19)D(40) and CO(NH(2))(2)/C(19)D(40), around the structural phase transition temperature is presented. For this purpose differential scanning (DSC), temperature-modulated (AC) and adiabatic calorimetry have been used and the obtained results are compared. Leaving apart the noticeable peak associated with the main phase transition at 158.5, 149.4 and 154 K respectively, small anomalies of the specific heat are found at lower temperatures and their corresponding entropic and enthalpic changes are reported. Heating and cooling experiments show the influence of the temperature rate and the thermal history on the detailed profile of the specific heat traces. The presence of thermal hysteresis and latent heat as a way to characterize the order of the phase transitions is discussed. Finally, a tentative approach to the urea and the alkyl chain contributions to the specific heat and their influence on the phase transition mechanisms is presented.

Pressure-induced lock-in in an aperiodic nanoporous crystal.

This Letter reports on the first observation of a commensurate lock-in inside an aperiodic composite. This result is obtained by neutron diffraction, under hydrostatic pressure, in the prototype self-assembled crystal of hexadecane urea. A selective compressibility of the sublattices is a required condition together with the existence of a lock-in energy term in these supramolecular materials. This measurement, under one-dimensional confinement, opens the way for the use of continuously controlled forces to manipulate molecular properties or functions.

X-ray diffraction study of the phase transition of K2Mn2(BeF4)3: a new type of low-temperature structure for langbeinites.

The potassium manganese tetrafluoroberyllate langbeinite compound has been studied in the temperature range 100-300 K. Using DSC measurements, a phase transition has been detected at 213 K. The space group of the low-temperature phase was determined to be P112(1) using X-ray diffraction experiments and optical observations of the domain structure. The b axis is doubled with respect to the prototypic P2(1)3 cubic phase. Lattice parameters were determined by powder diffraction data [a = 10.0690 (8), b = 20.136 (2), c = 10.0329 (4) A, gamma = 90.01 (1) degrees ]. A precise analysis of the BeF(4) tetrahedra in the low-temperature phase shows that two independent tetrahedra rotate in opposite directions along the doubled crystallographic axis. A symmetry mode analysis of the monoclinic distortion is also reported. This is the first report of the existence of such a phase transition in K(2)Mn(2)(BeF(4))(3) and also of a new type of low-temperature structure for langbeinite compounds.

Superspace description of the structure of the composite crystal urea/n-octane at room temperature.

A structural model for the composite crystal urea/n-octane is proposed. Despite the lack of information from the largely disordered guest substructure, the final model is consistent with the collected diffraction pattern. The use of the superspace approach stresses the composite character of the inclusion compounds and makes easier a unified view of the whole urea/n-alkane family. In particular, a comparison between the octane and heptadecane derivatives shows a common pattern for the origin of the modulation of the guest chains based on the distribution of the NH(2) groups within each tunnel wall.

Average structure of the composite crystal urea/octanedioic acid at room temperature within the superspace formalism.

The average structure of the composite urea/octanedioic acid has been refined using the superspace formalism [superspace group H'3(1)21(00gamma)001;]. Modulation effects seem to be almost negligible. The guest substructure appears to be largely disordered and has been modelled using rigid units occupying 12 equiprobable different orientations inside the urea tunnels. Guest molecules are slightly tilted with respect to the tunnel axis favouring a stronger guest-guest intratunnel interaction.

Characterization of the room-temperature phase of Tl2MoO4: crystal structure, symmetry mode analysis and second-harmonic generation measurements.

The crystal structure of the glaserite-related compound dithallium(I)-molybdate(VI), which at 293 K crystallizes monoclinic, space group C121 with lattice parameters a = 10.565 (3), b = 6.418 (1), c = 8.039 (2) A, beta = 91.05 (4) degrees, has been determined. The structure was refined as an inversion twin to a final R(F(all)) value of 0.0611 for 1006 unique reflections [R(F(obs)) = 0.0285 for 644 observed reflections]. Second-harmonic generation measurements led to a value of d(eff) = 5.5 +/- 0.5 pm V(-1) as an estimation of the second-harmonic conversion efficiency at phase matching. Symmetry mode analysis shows that, in general, primary modes have the highest amplitudes, yet surprisingly some of the secondary modes assume amplitudes of comparable magnitude. A comparison of the phase at 293 K with that at 350 K (space group P3m1) shows that the main change can be described as a rotation of the molybdate tetrahedra around the trigonal a(b) axis. The molybdate tetrahedra as well as the octahedra around one of the symmetry-independent Tl atoms are more strongly distorted in the monoclinic phase. The coordination number for the other two Tl atoms is decreased from 12 and 10 in the high-symmetry phase to 10 and 9 in the monoclinic phase. Furthermore, the number of common edges between the Tl and Mo coordination polyhedra is reduced and the common face which is observed between them in the high-temperature phase is changed to a common edge in the low-temperature phase. The contribution of the primary symmetry modes leads exactly to this change in the coordination spheres of the atoms.

X-ray structure determination of the monoclinic (121 K) and orthorhombic (85 K) phases of langbeinite-type dithallium dicadmium sulfate

The structures of the monoclinic and the orthorhombic phases of type I langbeinite Tl(2)Cd(2)(SO(4))(3) have been determined at 121 and 85 K, respectively, by X-ray diffraction. A precise analysis of these structures shows the existence of some differences compared to langbeinites of type II. The monoclinic structure differs very little from the high-temperature cubic structure and the distortion relating the monoclinic structure to the cubic one is very small. SO(4) tetrahedra seem to rotate under orthorhombic symmetry in the monoclinic phase. A symmetry distortion analysis of the ferroelectric monoclinic distortion discloses the importance of the secondary modes with orthorhombic symmetry, especially for the O atoms of the SO(4) groups.

X-ray diffraction study of the phase transitions of (CH3)4NCdCl3 between 293 and 80 K: a quantitative analysis of the ferroelastic domains distribution below 118 K

X-ray diffraction patterns of [N(CH3)4][CdCl3], tetramethylammonium trichlorocadmate(II), have been investigated in the temperature range 80-293 K, which includes two phase transitions at 118 and 104 K, respectively. The main interest in this compound is to establish the mechanism of the structural phase transitions common to other members of the isostructural family [(CH3)4N][MX3]. It is supposed to be related to the ordering of the organic part together with some small distortion of the inorganic chains. The origin of the order-disorder mechanism would be the orientationally disordered distribution of the tetramethylammonium tetrahedra at room temperature. Maximum Entropy Methods suggest that the most probable distribution of the organic groups can be described through the so-called two-well model, in which one threefold axis of the tetramethylammonium tetrahedron coincides with the crystallographic threefold axis of the structure. Below 118 K the reflections are split. However, the splitting cannot be fully explained by the ferroelastic domains expected to appear after the phase transitions. Recent NMR results [Mulla-Osman et al. (1998). J. Phys. Condensed Matter, 10, 2465-2476] corroborate the existence of more domains than expected from symmetry considerations. A model of ferroelastic domains which is in agreement with both X-ray diffraction diagram and NMR measurements is proposed.

Incommensurately modulated phase of Rb2CoBr4 at 295 and 200 K

The crystal structure of Rb2CoBr4 at 295 and 200 K has been determined. At these temperatures Rb2CoBr4 exhibits an incommensurately modulated structure with wavevector q = (1/3 + delta)a*. At room temperature only the average structure was refined. Lattice parameters are a = 9.732 (3), b = 13.328 (4), c = 7.654 (3) A, space group Pnam. The R(F) value was 0.0414 for 286 observed reflections (0.0778 for all 477 reflections). At 200 K the lattice parameters are a = 9.691 (4), b = 13.278 (5), c = 7.630 (6) A, superspace group P:Pnam:1ss. Main reflections and satellite reflections of first order were measured. The refinement converged at R(F) = 0.052 for 309 observed reflections (255 main reflections and 54 satellites) and 0.2971 for all reflections (1849; 695 main reflections and 1154 satellites). Amplitudes and phases of the modulation function as well as bond distances show close relationships to those observed in the incommensurately modulated phase of Rb2ZnBr4.