Special Grain Boundaries in Ultrafine-Grained Tungsten.

Field ion microscopy and computer simulation were used for the study of an atomic structure high-angle grain boundary in hard-drawn ultrafine-grained tungsten wire. These boundaries with special misorientations are beyond the scope of the coincident site lattice model. It was demonstrated that the special non-coincident grain boundaries are the plane-matching boundaries, and rigid-body displacements of adjacent nanograins are normal to the <110> misorientation axis. The vectors of rigid-body translations of grains are described by broad asymmetric statistical distribution. Mathematical modeling showed that special incommensurate boundaries with one grain oriented along the {211} plane have comparatively high cohesive energies. The grain-boundary dislocations ½<110> were revealed and studied at the line of local mismatch of {110} atomic planes of adjacent grains.

Conventional superconductivity at 203 kelvin at high pressures in the sulfur hydride system.

A superconductor is a material that can conduct electricity without resistance below a superconducting transition temperature, Tc. The highest Tc that has been achieved to date is in the copper oxide system: 133 kelvin at ambient pressure and 164 kelvin at high pressures. As the nature of superconductivity in these materials is still not fully understood (they are not conventional superconductors), the prospects for achieving still higher transition temperatures by this route are not clear. In contrast, the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of conventional superconductivity gives a guide for achieving high Tc with no theoretical upper bound--all that is needed is a favourable combination of high-frequency phonons, strong electron-phonon coupling, and a high density of states. These conditions can in principle be fulfilled for metallic hydrogen and covalent compounds dominated by hydrogen, as hydrogen atoms provide the necessary high-frequency phonon modes as well as the strong electron-phonon coupling. Numerous calculations support this idea and have predicted transition temperatures in the range 50-235 kelvin for many hydrides, but only a moderate Tc of 17 kelvin has been observed experimentally. Here we investigate sulfur hydride, where a Tc of 80 kelvin has been predicted. We find that this system transforms to a metal at a pressure of approximately 90 gigapascals. On cooling, we see signatures of superconductivity: a sharp drop of the resistivity to zero and a decrease of the transition temperature with magnetic field, with magnetic susceptibility measurements confirming a Tc of 203 kelvin. Moreover, a pronounced isotope shift of Tc in sulfur deuteride is suggestive of an electron-phonon mechanism of superconductivity that is consistent with the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer scenario. We argue that the phase responsible for high-Tc superconductivity in this system is likely to be H3S, formed from H2S by decomposition under pressure. These findings raise hope for the prospects for achieving room-temperature superconductivity in other hydrogen-based materials.

Structure and electrical resistivity of mixed-valent EuNi2P2 at high pressure.

The structural properties and electrical resistivity of homogeneous mixed-valent EuNi2P2 are studied at pressures up to 45 GPa. No structural phase transition is observed in the whole pressure range and the overall pressure behavior of the structural parameters is similar to that of related compounds in the collapsed tetragonal ThCr2Si2-type structure. Electrical resistivity measured up to 31 GPa at temperatures between 4 and 300 K exhibits continuous changes from the behavior typical for a mixed-valent Eu system to that of a normal metallic system at pressures above 20 GPa, indicating a transition of the strongly mixed-valent Eu atoms with a valence ~2.5 towards a pure trivalent state. No superconductivity was observed in the whole studied pressure-temperature range.

Spin-crossover and liquid crystal properties in 2D cyanide-bridged Fe(II)-M(I/II) metalorganic frameworks.

Novel two-dimensional heterometallic Fe(II)-M(Ni(II), Pd(II), Pt(II), Ag(I), and Au(I)) cyanide-bridged metalorganic frameworks exhibiting spin-crossover and liquid crystal properties, formulated as {FeL(2)[M(I/II)(CN)(x)](y)}·sH(2)O, where L are the ligands 4-(4-alkoxyphenyl)pyridine, 4-(3,4-dialkoxyphenyl)pyridine, and 4-(3,4,5-trisalkoxyphenyl)pyridine, have been synthesized and characterized. The physical characterization has been carried out by means of EXAFS, X-ray powder diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, differential scanning measurements, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The 2D Fe(II) metallomesogens undergo incomplete and continuous thermally induced spin transition at T(1/2) ≈ 170 K and crystal-to-smectic transition above 370 K.

Tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural phase transition at 90 K in the superconductor Fe(1.01)Se.

In this Letter we show that superconducting Fe(1.01)Se undergoes a structural transition at 90 K from a tetragonal to an orthorhombic phase but that nonsuperconducting Fe(1.03)Se does not. High resolution electron microscopy at low temperatures further reveals an unexpected additional modulation of the crystal structure of the superconducting phase that involves displacements of the Fe atoms, and that the nonsuperconducting composition shows a different, complex nanometer-scale structural modulation. Finally, we show that magnetism is not the driving force for the phase transition in the superconducting phase.

Electronic and magnetic phase diagram of beta-Fe(1.01)Se with superconductivity at 36.7 K under pressure.

The discovery of new high-temperature superconductors based on FeAs has led to a new 'gold rush' in high-T(C) superconductivity. All of the new superconductors share the same common structural motif of FeAs layers and reach T(C) values up to 55 K (ref. 2). Recently, superconductivity has been reported in FeSe (ref. 3), which has the same iron pnictide layer structure, but without separating layers. Here, we report the magnetic and electronic phase diagram of beta-Fe(1.01)Se as a function of temperature and pressure. The superconducting transition temperature increases from 8.5 to 36.7 K under an applied pressure of 8.9 GPa. It then decreases at higher pressures. A marked change in volume is observed at the same time as T(C) rises, owing to a collapse of the separation between the Fe(2)Se(2) layers. No static magnetic ordering is observed for the whole p-T phase diagram. We also report that at higher pressures (starting around 7 GPa and completed at 38 GPa), Fe(1.01)Se transforms to a hexagonal NiAs-type structure and exhibits non-magnetic behaviour.

Thermal- and light-induced spin crossover in novel 2D Fe(II) metalorganic frameworks {Fe(4-PhPy)(2)[M(II)(CN)(x)](y)}.sH(2)O: spectroscopic, structural, and magnetic studies.

Five novel two-dimensional coordination polymers {Fe(4PhPy)(2)[M(II)(CN)(4)]}.sH(2)O (4PhyPy = 4-phenylpyridine; 1: M(II) = Pd, s = 0; 2: M(II) = Ni, s = 0; 3: M(II) = Pt, s = 1) and {Fe(4PhPy)(2)[M(I)(CN)(2)](2)}.sH(2)O (4: M(I) = Ag, s = 1; 5: M(I) = Au, s = 0.5) exhibiting spin-crossover properties have been synthesized. They were characterized at various temperatures using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The occurrence of a cooperative thermal spin transition detected by the magnetic method is located at critical temperatures T(c)( downward arrow)/T(c)( upward arrow) = 163 K/203 K (1), 135 K/158 K (2), and 172 K/221 K (3), and a less cooperative one is located at T(c) = 188 K (4) and 225 K (5). Compounds 1-5 show an abrupt color change from yellow (high-spin (HS) state) to red (low-spin (LS) state) upon spin-state conversion. The dehydration of the compounds changes the type of the spin transition, making it more abrupt and shifting the critical temperature to higher temperatures. For 1 and 2, XAS provides local structural information on the contraction of the FeN(6) coordination sphere upon the HS-to-LS transition, in line with the magnetic results. Variable-temperature characterization of 1 by X-ray diffraction evidences the very abrupt phase transition with a large hysteresis. A light-induced spin conversion (LIESST effect) is detected by magnetic measurements in 1-5 below 70 K.

A new approach for explanation of specimen rupture under high electric field.

Failure of needle-shaped specimens under the action of high electric fields is one of the most serious problems in many field-ionization devices and methods. It was shown that the length of what was removed during discharge part of specimens in most of the cases was several orders greater than that of an initial radius of the specimen apex. Experimental results obtained in this work indicate that electrical breakdown in field-ion microscopes is initiated by the impact of nanoparticles detached from a point anode in a high electric field. A new approach for explanation of an observed specimen failure in a high electric field was proposed, where the formation and expansion of the cathode plasma play the key role in the mechanical rupture and melting of field-ion tips. The expanding plasma behaves as a dynamic capacitor plate characterized by a high velocity and increasing field strength at the specimen tip. The field rise rate at a constant voltage in a dynamic plasma-to-tip capacitor is of the order of >10(20)V/m/s. The present experimental data along with the ecton model of the vacuum breakdown allow the results to be discussed as a mechanical sample failure under the action of the superhigh positive field pulse induced by the cathode plasma expansion.

The metal-insulator transition in Fe(1.01-x)Cu(x)Se.

Iron selenide, Fe(1.01)Se, the layered parent compound of the recently discovered superconducting arsenide family, has previously been shown to be non-magnetic and superconducting with a critical temperature of 8 K. Here we show that copper can be substituted at the iron site in Fe(1.01)Se up to a solubility limit of 20-30%, after which a first-order transition to the three-dimensional CuFeSe(2) structure type is observed. As little as 1.5% copper is sufficient to suppress the superconductivity, and 4% drives the system through a metal-insulator transition. A local magnetic moment is introduced, which maximizes near 12% doping, where a spin-glass transition near 15 K is observed.

Pressure-induced hysteresis in the high spin [Formula: see text] low spin transition in bis(2,4-bis(pyridin-2-yl)thiazole) iron(II) tetrafluoroborate.

Studies of the spin transition behavior of the mononuclear compound [Fe(pythiaz)(2)](BF(4))(2) have been carried out under hydrostatic pressures up to 9.13 kbar in the 5-300 K temperature range. Under ambient pressure this compound exhibits an approximately half-step (incomplete) HS [Formula: see text] LS transition with T(1/2) = 146 K without any thermal hysteresis. At pressures up to 4.5 kbar the behavior remains similar but with an upward displacement of T(1/2) and a slight decrease in the residual high spin fraction at low T. Application of higher pressures resulted in an almost complete two-step spin transition with several unusual pressure effects. Along with the expected pressure dependence of T(1/2) the surprising appearance of hysteresis in the spin transition curves was observed. It is suggested that the likely origin of this unprecedented behavior is a pressure-induced structural change.

One-dimensional iron(II) compounds exhibiting spin crossover and liquid crystalline properties in the room temperature region.

A novel series of 1D Fe(II) metallomesogens have been synthesized using the ligand 5-bis(alkoxy)- N-(4 H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)benzamide (C n -tba) and the Fe(X) 2. sH 2O salts. The polymers obey the general formula [Fe(C n -tba) 3](X) 2. sH 2O [X = CF 3SO 3 (-), BF 4 (-); n = 4, 6, 8, 10, 12]. The derivatives with n = 4, 6 exhibit spin transition behavior like in crystalline compounds, whereas those with n = 8, 10, 12 present a spin transition coexisting with the mesomorphic behavior in the room-temperature region. A columnar mesophase has been found for the majority of the metallomesogens, but also a columnar lamellar mesophase was observed for other derivatives. [Fe(C 12-tba) 3](CF 3SO 3) 2 represents a new example of a system where the phase transition directly influences the spin transition of the Fe(II) ions but is not the driving energy of the spin crossover phenomenon. The compounds display drastic changes of color from violet (low-spin state, LS) to white (high-spin state, HS). The compounds are fluid, and it is possible to prepare thin films from them.

Does the solid-liquid crystal phase transition provoke the spin-state change in spin-crossover metallomesogens?

Three types of interplay/synergy between spin-crossover (SCO) and liquid crystalline (LC) phase transitions can be predicted: (i) systems with coupled phase transitions, where the structural changes associated to the Cr<-->LC phase transition drives the spin-state transition, (ii) systems where both transitions coexist in the same temperature region but are not coupled, and (iii) systems with uncoupled phase transitions. Here we present a new family of Fe(II) metallomesogens based on the ligand tris[3-aza-4-((5-C(n))(6-R)(2-pyridyl))but-3-enyl]amine, with C(n) = hexyloxy, dodecyloxy, hexadecyloxy, octadecyloxy, eicosyloxy, R = hydrogen or methyl (C(n)-trenH or C(n)-trenMe), which affords examples of systems of types i, ii, and iii. Self-assembly of the ligands C(n)-trenH and C(n)-trenMe with Fe(A)2 x xH2O salts have afforded a family of complexes with general formula [Fe(C(n)-trenR)](A)2 x sH2O (s > or = 0), with A = ClO4(-), F-, Cl-, Br- and I-. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements have been performed on two derivatives of this family, named as [Fe(C6-trenH)](ClO4)2 (C(6)-1) and [Fe(C6-trenMe)](ClO4)2 (C(6)-2), at 150 K for C(6)-1 and at 90 and 298 K for C(6)-2. At 150 K, C(6)-1 displays the triclinic space group P, whereas at 90 and at 298 K C(6)-2 adopts the monoclinic P2(1)/c space group. In both compounds the iron atoms adopt a pseudo-octahedral symmetry and are surrounded by six nitrogen atoms belonging to imino groups and pyridines of the ligands C(n)-trenH and C(n)-trenMe. The average Fe(II)-N bonds (1.963(2) A) at 150 K denote that C(6)-1 is in the low-spin (LS) state. For C(6)-2 the average Fe(II)-N bonds (2.007(1) A) at 90 K are characteristic of the LS state, while at 298 K they are typical for the high-spin (HS) state (2.234(3) A). Compound C(6)-1 and [Fe(C18-trenH)](ClO4)2 (C(18)-1) adopts the LS state in the temperature region between 10 and 400 K, while compound C(6)-2 and [Fe(Cn-trenMe)](ClO4)2 (n = 12 (C(12)-2), 18 (C(18)-2)) exhibit spin crossover behavior at T(1/2) centered around 140 K. The thermal spin transition is accompanied by a pronounced change of color from dark red (LS) to orange (HS). The light-induced excited spin state trapping (LIESST) effect has been investigated in compounds C(6)-2, C(12)-2 and C(18)-2. The T(1/2)LIESST is 56 K (C(6)-2), 48 K (C(16)-2), and 56 K (C(18)-2). On the basis of differential scanning calorimetry, optical polarizing microscopy, and X-ray diffraction findings for C(18)-1, C(12)-2, and C(18)-2 at high temperature a smectic mesophase SX has been identified with layered structures similar to C(6)-1 and C(6)-2. The compounds [Fe(C(n)-trenH)](Cl)2 x sH2O (n = 16 (C(16)-3, s = 3.5, C(16)-4, s = 0.5, C(16)-5, s = 0), 18 (C(18)-3, s = 3.5, C(18)-4, s = 0.5, C(18)-5, s = 0), 20 (C(20)-3, s = 3.5, C(20)-4, s = 0.5, C(20)-5, s = 0)) and [Fe(C18-tren)](F)2 x sH2O (C(18)-6, s = 3.5, C(18)-7, s = 0) show a very particular spin-state change, while [Fe(C18-tren)](Br)2 x 3H2O (C(18)-8) together with [Fe(C18-tren)](I)2 (C(18)-9) are in the LS state (10-400 K) and present mesomorphic behavior like that observed for the complexes C(18)-1, C(12)-2, and C(18)-2. In compounds C(n)-3 50% of the Fe(II) ions undergo spin-state change at T(1/2) = 375 K induced by releasing water, and in partially dehydrated compounds (s = 0.5) the Cr-->SA phase transition occurs at 287 K (C(16)-4), 301 K (C(18)-4) and 330 K (C(20)-4). For the fully dehydrated materials C(n)-5 50% of the Fe(II) ions are in the HS state and show paramagnetic behavior between 10 and 400 K. In the partially dehydrated C(n)-4 the spin transition is induced by the change of the aggregate state of matter (solid<-->liquid crystal). For compound C(18)-6 the full dehydration to C(18)-7 provokes the spin-state change of nearly 50% of the Fe(II) ions. The compounds C(n)-3 and C(18)-6 are dark purple in the LS state and become light purple-brown when 50% of the Fe(II) atoms are in the HS state.

Large orbital moments and internal magnetic fields in lithium nitridoferrate(I).

The iron nitridometalates Li2[(Li(1-x)Fe(I)(x))N] display ferromagnetic ordering and spin freezing. Large magnetic moments up to 5.0mu(B)/Fe are found in the magnetization. In Mössbauer effect studies huge hyperfine magnetic fields up to 696 kOe are observed at specific Fe sites. These extraordinary fields and moments originate in an unusual ligand field splitting for those Fe species leading [within local spin density approximation (LSDA)] to a localized orbitally degenerate doublet. Including spin-orbit interaction and strong intra-atomic electron correlation (LDA+SO+U) gives rise to a large orbital momentum.

Pressure- and temperature-induced valence tautomeric interconversion in a o-dioxolene adduct of a cobalt-tetraazamacrocycle complex.

An electronic switch at the molecular level has been realized by using a class of ionic compounds of the formula [Co(L)(diox)]Y (L = tetraazamacrocyclic ligand, Y = mononegative anion). Such compounds undergo temperature- and pressure-induced intramolecular one-electron transfer equilibria. The transition temperature of interconversion varies with the nature of the counterions Y (Y = PF6, BPh4, I). Surprisingly the effect of the anion on the transition temperature is not only governed by its volume but also by its coulombic interaction.

Electronic relaxation phenomena following (57)Co(EC)(57)Fe nuclear decay in [Mn(II)(terpy)2](ClO4)2.(1/2)H2O and in the spin crossover complexes [Co(II)(terpy)2]X2.nH2O (X = Cl and ClO4): a Mössbauer emission spectroscopic study.

The valence states of the nucleogenic (57)Fe arising from the nuclear disintegration of radioactive (57)Co by electron capture decay, (57)Co(EC)(57)Fe, have been studied by Mössbauer emission spectroscopy (MES) in the (57)Co-labeled systems: [(57)Co/Co(terpy)(2)]Cl(2).5H(2)O (1), [(57)Co/Co(terpy)(2)](ClO(4))(2).(1)/(2)H(2)O (2), and [(57)Co/Mn(terpy)(2)](ClO(4))(2). (1)/(2)H(2)O (3) (terpy = 2,2':6',2' '-terpyridine). The compounds 1, 2, and 3 were labeled with ca. 1 mCi of (57)Co and were used as the Mössbauer sources at variable temperatures between 300 K and ca. 4 K. [Fe(terpy)(2)]X(2) is a diamagnetic low-spin (LS) complex, independent of the nature of the anion X, while [Co(terpy)(2)]X(2) complexes show gradual spin transition as the temperature is varied. The Co(II) ion in 1 "feels" a somewhat stronger ligand field than that in 2; as a result, 83% of 1 stays in the LS state at 321 K, while in 2 the high-spin (HS) state dominates at 320 K and converts gradually to the LS state with a transition temperature of T(1/2) approximately 180 K. Variable-temperature Mössbauer emission spectra for 1, 2, and 3 showed only LS-(57)Fe(II) species at 295 K. On lowering the temperature, metastable HS Fe(II) species generated by the (57)Co(EC)(57)Fe process start to grow at ca. 100 K in 1, at ca. 200 K in 2, and at ca. 250 K in 3, reaching maximum values of 0.3 at 20 K in 1, 0.8 at 50 K in 2, and 0.86 at 100 K in 3, respectively. The lifetime of the metastable HS states correlates with the local ligand field strength, and this is in line with the "inverse energy gap law" already successfully applied in LIESST relaxation studies.