Abdeljalil Assoud

Semiquinone-Bridged Bisdithiazolyl Radicals as Neutral Radical Conductors

Semiquinone-bridged bisdithiazolyls 3 represent a new class of resonance-stabilized neutral radical for use in the design of single-component conductive materials. As such, they display electrochemical cell potentials lower than those of related pyridine-bridged bisdithiazolyls, a finding which heralds a reduced on-site Coulomb repulsion U. Crystallographic characterization of the chloro-substituted derivative 3a and its acetonitrile solvate 3a·MeCN, both of which crystallize in the polar orthorhombic space group Pna2(1), revealed the importance of intermolecular oxygen-to-sulfur (CO···SN) interactions in generating rigid, tightly packed radical π-stacks, including the structural motif found for 3a·MeCN in which radicals in neighboring π-stacks are locked into slipped-ribbon-like arrays. This architecture gives rise to strong intra- and interstack overlap and hence a large electronic bandwidth W. Variable-temperature conductivity measurements on 3a and 3a·MeCN indicated high values of σ(300 K) (>10(-3) S cm(-1)) with correspondingly low thermal activation energies E(act), reaching 0.11 eV in the case of 3a·MeCN. Overall, the strong performance of these materials as f = ½ conductors is attributed to a combination of low U and large W. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements were performed on both 3a and 3a·MeCN. The unsolvated material 3a orders as a spin-canted antiferromagnet at 8 K, with a canting angle φ = 0.14° and a coercive field H(c) = 80 Oe at 2 K.

Solid state polyselenides and polytellurides: a large variety of Se-Se and Te-Te interactions.

A large variety of different interactions between the chalcogen atoms, Q, occur in the solid state structures of polyselenides and polytellurides, including both molecular and infinite units. The simplest motifs are classical Q22– dumbbells and nonlinear Qn2– chains (n = 3, 4, 5, ..), e.g. found in alkali metal polychalcogenides. In addition, nonclassical so-called hypervalent motifs exist in the form of linear Q34– units or within larger units such as Q44– and Q54–. Infinitely extended Q units include zigzag, cis/trans and linear chains, as well as planar and slightly puckered layers. Several of those are susceptible to Peierls distortions, leading to the formation of both commensurate and incommensurate superstructures and anomalies in transport properties, including metal-nonmetal transitions.

Cyclobutanone mimics of penicillins: effects of substitution on conformation and hemiketal stability.

The tendency for carbocyclic analogues of penicillins to undergo hydrate and hemiketal formation is central to their ability to function as beta-lactamase inhibitors. 2-Thiabicyclo[3.2.0]heptan-6-one-4-carboxylates with alkoxy functionality at C3 have been prepared through two complementary diastereoselective substitution reactions following a highly stereoselective chlorination with sulfuryl chloride. We have found that carbocyclic analogues with 3beta substituents favor an endo envelope conformation in solution, the solid state, and the gas phase, whereas those with 3alpha substituents adopt an exo envelope. Evidence from X-ray crystal structures and ab initio calculations suggests that an anomeric effect contributes to the large conformational preference of the tetrahydrothiophene ring that favors the C3 substituent in an axial orientation. In addition, the envelope conformation of the bicycle, which is determined by the stereochemistry of the C3 substituent, has a dramatic effect on the ability of the cyclobutanone to undergo hemiketal formation in methanol-d4.

Na11Sn2PS12: a new solid state sodium superionic conductor

We report a new sodium superionic conductor, Na11Sn2PS12, that crystallizes in an unprecedented three-dimensional structure type and exhibits an ionic conductivity of 1.4 mS cm−1, with a very low activation energy barrier for Na-ion mobility of 0.25 eV. A combination of structural elucidation via single crystal X-ray diffraction and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations show that Na+-ion conduction pathways flow through equi-energetic sodium–sulfur octahedra interconnected by partial vacancy cross-over sites in all crystallographic dimensions, providing an understanding of the underlying isotropic 3D fast-ion conduction in this material.

Pentacyclic furanosteroids: the synthesis of potential kinase inhibitors related to viridin and wortmannolone.

A regiocontrolled intermolecular Diels-Alder reaction of an o-benzoquinone followed by an intramolecular nitrile oxide cyclization is employed to prepare the BCD fragment of viridin. The AE segment is attached to it by means of an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of an o-benzoquinone monoketal generated in situ from tricycle 15 and 5-trimethylsilyl-2E,4E-pentadienol 20. The silyl substituent at C-1 of the pentacyclic product directs the dihydroxylation of the C2-C3 double bond to its beta-face. Various transformations of the 1alpha-trimethylsilyl-2beta,3beta-dihydroxy pentacycle into several others with oxygen substituents in ring A are described. One of these products 40 possesses the same structure and relative stereochemistry in rings A, B, and E as that of the natural product wortmannolone 3.

Multiple orbital effects and magnetic ordering in a neutral radical.

The alternating ABABAB π-stacked architecture of the EtCN solvate of the iodo-substituted, oxobenzene-bridged bisdithiazolyl radical IBBO (space group Pnma) gives rise to strong ferromagnetic exchange along the π-stacks, and the material orders as a spin-canted antiferromagnet with T(N) = 35 K, with a spontaneous (canted) moment M(spont) = 1.4 × 10(-3) μB and a coercive field H(c) = 1060 Oe (at 2 K). The observation of spin-canting can only be understood in terms of multiorbital contributions to both isotropic and anisotropic exchange interactions, the magnitude of which are enhanced by spin-orbit effects arising from the heavy-atom iodine substituent. Pseudodipolar interactions lead to a net canted moment along the c-axis, while the sublattice magnetization is predicted to possess an easy a-axis.

Crystal structures, electronic structures, and physical properties of Tl4MQ4 (M = Zr or Hf; Q = S or Se).

The ternary thallium chalcogenides of the general formula Tl(4)MQ(4) (M = Zr or Hf; Q = S or Se) were obtained from high-temperature reactions without air. These sulfides and selenides are isostructural, crystallizing in the triclinic system with space group P1 and Z = 5, in contrast to Tl(4)MTe(4) compounds that adopt space group R3. The unit cell parameters for Tl(4)ZrS(4) are as follows: a = 9.0370(5) Å, b = 9.0375(5) Å, c = 15.4946(9) Å, α = 103.871(1)°, β = 105.028(1)°, γ = 90.138(1)°, and V = 1183.7(1) Å(3). In contrast to the corresponding tellurides, the sulfides and selenides exhibit edge-shared MQ(6) octahedra, propagating along the c axis in a zigzag manner. All elements occur in the most common oxidation states, according to the formulation (Tl(+))(4)M(4+)(Q(2-))(4). Electronic structure calculations predict energy band gaps of 1.7 eV for Tl(4)ZrS(4) and 1.3 eV for Tl(4)ZrSe(4), which are in accordance with the large resistivity values observed experimentally.

Syntheses, crystal structures and thermoelectric properties of two new thallium tellurides: Tl4ZrTe4 and Tl4HfTe4

Three new isostructural tellurides Tl4MTe4 with M = Zr and Hf were prepared from the constituent elements. Single crystal X-ray diffraction data analyses showed that these compounds belong to a new structure type, adopting the space group R with the unit cell dimensions of a = 14.6000(5) A and c = 14.189(1) A when M = Zr, and a = 14.594(1) A and c = 14.142(3) A when M = Hf (Z = 9). The structure consists of M atoms in distorted octahedra formed by Te atoms, which are face-condensed to oligomeric M3Te12 units. The structure refinement of the Zr compound revealed an additional site, occupied by 10% Zr, leading to a refined formula of Tl4Zr1.03Te4. The electronic structure calculations predict semiconducting behavior for the stoichiometric compounds, which is in accordance with the experimental results. The thermoelectric properties of both compounds were determined, and the maximum values of the dimensionless figure-of-merit, ZT, were found to be 0.16 at 420 K for Tl4ZrTe4 and 0.09 at 540 K for Tl4HfTe4 in the measured temperature regime.

New barium copper chalcogenides synthesized using two different chalcogen atoms: Ba2Cu(6-x)STe4 and Ba2Cu(6-x)Se(y)Te(5-y).

Ba(2)Cu(6-x)STe(4) and Ba(2)Cu(6-x)Se(y)Te(5-y) were prepared from the elements in stoichiometric ratios at 1123 K, followed by slow cooling. These chalcogenides are isostructural, adopting the space group Pbam (Z = 2), with lattice dimensions of a = 9.6560(6) Å, b = 14.0533(9) Å, c = 4.3524(3) Å, and V = 590.61(7) Å(3) in the case of Ba(2)Cu(5.53(3))STe(4). A significant phase width was observed in the case of Ba(2)Cu(6-x)Se(y)Te(5-y) with at least 0.17(3) ≤ x ≤ 0.57(4) and 0.48(1) ≤ y ≤ 1.92(4). The presence of either S or Se in addition to Te appears to be required for the formation of these materials. In the structure of Ba(2)Cu(6-x)STe(4), Cu-Te chains running along the c axis are interconnected via bridging S atoms to infinite layers parallel to the a,c plane. These layers alternate with the Ba atoms along the b axis. All Cu sites exhibit deficiencies of up to 26%. Depending on y in Ba(2)Cu(6-x)Se(y)Te(5-y), the bridging atom is either a Se atom or a Se/Te mixture when y ≤ 1, and the Te atoms of the Cu-Te chains are partially replaced by Se when y > 1. All atoms are in their most common oxidation states: Ba(2+), Cu(+), S(2-), Se(2-), and Te(2-). Without Cu deficiencies, these chalcogenides were computed to be small gap semiconductors; the Cu deficiencies lead to p-doped semiconducting properties, as experimentally observed on selected samples.

Reversible Reconstructive Phase Transition of Ba2SnSe5: A New High Temperature Modification with Completely Different Structural Motifs

A new modification of Ba(2)SnSe(5) was prepared by high temperature synthesis. In contrast to its low temperature modification that adopts the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), the new beta-Ba(2)SnSe(5) crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group P2(1)/c, with the lattice parameters a = 9.3949(6) A, b = 8.8656(6) A, c = 12.5745(7) A, beta = 113.299(4) degrees, V = 961.9(1) A(3), Z = 4. alpha-Ba(2)SnSe(5) is comprised of Sn(3)Se(10)(8-) units, SnSe(4)(4-) tetrahedra, and isolated Se(3)(2-) units, while beta-Ba(2)SnSe(5) contains only SnSe(5)(4-) units, wherein Sn is tetrahedrally coordinated by four Se atoms. The fifth Se atom is connected to one Se atom of the SnSe(4)(4-) tetrahedron, thereby forming a Se(2)(2-) dumbbell. Different band gaps are a result of the different structure motifs, which are reflected in different colors of the two Ba(2)SnSe(5) modifications, the alpha-form being dark brown and the beta-form being red.