James P. S. Walsh

Feedback Obstruction: The Influence of the Information Environment on Employee Turnover Intentions

A model of the relationship between feedback obstruction and employee turnover intent is proposed and tested. Eighty-nine pharmaceutical sales representatives completed questionnaires measuring the value of feedback, feedback obstruction across five sources of information, anxiety, (dis)satisfaction, and turnover intent. Results demonstrate that the obstruction of several feedback sources is significantly correlated with anxiety, (dis)satisfaction, and turnover intentions. A regression analysis reveals that self- and supervisory feedback obstruction bear the strongest relationships to turnover intent. Interestingly, the self-feedback obstruction relationship is not in the predicted direction.

Tetranuclear lanthanide(III) complexes in a seesaw geometry: Synthesis, structure, and magnetism

The reaction of 2-methoxy-6-(pyridin-2-ylhydrazonomethyl)phenol (LH) with Ln(III) (Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho) salts in the presence of an excess of triethylamine afforded [Gd4(L)4(μ4-OH)(μ3-OH)2(NO3)4]·(NO3)·4CH3CN·CH3OH·2H2O (1), [Tb4(L)4(μ4-OH)(μ3-OH)2(NO3)4]·(NO3)·4CH3CN·3H2O (2), [Dy4(L)4(μ4-OH)(μ3-OH)2(NO3)4]·(NO3)·6CH3CN·H2O (3), and [Ho4(L)4(μ4-OH)(μ-OH)2(NO3)4]·(NO3)·8CH3CN·3CH3OH·2H2O (4). All four complexes contain a monocationic tetranuclear core with a unique seesaw topology. The tetranuclear assembly is formed through the coordination of four [L](-), one μ4-OH, two μ3-OH, and four chelating nitrate ligands, with a charge-balancing nitrate counteranion. Magnetic studies reveal a weak antiferromagnetic coupling throughout the series. Compound 1 can be modeled well with an isotropic exchange between all centers parametrized by J = -0.09 cm(-1). Compound 3 exhibits slow magnetic relaxation at low temperatures.

Self-assembly of a 3d-5f trinuclear single-molecule magnet from a pentavalent uranyl complex.

Mixed-metal uranium compounds are very attractive candidates in the design of single-molecule magnets (SMMs), but only one 3d-5f hetero-polymetallic SMM containing a uranium center is known. Herein, we report two trimeric heterodimetallic 3d-5f complexes self-assembled by cation-cation interactions between a uranyl(V) complex and a TPA-capped M(II)  complex (M=Mn (1), Cd (2); TPA=tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine). The metal centers were strategically chosen to promote the formation of discrete molecules rather than extended chains. Compound 1, which contains an almost linear {MnOUOMn} core, exhibits SMM behavior with a relaxation barrier of 81±0.5 K-the highest reported for a mono-uranium system-arising from intramolecular Mn-U exchange interactions combined with the high Ising anisotropy of the uranyl(V) moiety. Compound 1 also exhibits an open magnetic hysteresis loop at temperatures less than 3 K, with a significant coercive field of 1.9 T at 1.8 K.

Discrete and polymeric cobalt organophosphates: isolation of a 3-D cobalt phosphate framework exhibiting selective CO2 capture

Structurally diverse mononuclear, dinuclear, and tetranuclear cobalt organophosphates and a three-dimensional framework based on a D4R cobalt phosphate are reported. The role of auxiliary ligands in determining the nuclearity of the phosphate clusters has further been established. Reaction of cobalt acetate tetrahydrate with 2,6-di-iso-propylphenylphosphate (dippH2) in methanol or DMSO in the presence of ancillary N-donor ligands leads to the formation of mononuclear octahedral cobalt phosphate [Co(dippH)2(py)4] (1), dinuclear octahedral cobalt phosphates [Co(dipp)(NN)(MeOH)2]2·2MeOH (NN = bpy 2; phen 3), tetrahedral cobalt phosphates [Co(dipp)(L)2]2·2(MeOH) (L = imz 4; dmpz 5) and symmetric and asymmetric tetranuclear tetrahedral cobalt phosphates [Co(dipp)(2-apy)]4 (6) and [Co4(dipp)4(2-apy)3(DMSO)]·(DMSO)·(H2O) (7), in nearly quantitative yields. The use of a linear N-donor ditopic linker, 3,6-di(pyridin-4-yl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (dptz), as the ancillary ligand leads to the formation of a robust three dimensional, four-fold interpenetrated network based on the D4R platform, {[Co(dipp)(dptz)0.5]4}n (8), under ambient conditions. The new compounds have been characterized by analytical, thermo-analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Further, the molecular structures of compounds 1-8 have been established using single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Compound 1 is a mononuclear complex in which the dippH ligands occupy trans-positions around the octahedral cobalt ion. The core structure of compounds 2-5, a Co2P2O4 ring, resembles the S4R (single-4-ring) SBU of zeolites, whereas the Co4P4O12 inorganic core found in compounds 6 and 7 resembles the D4R (double-4-ring) SBU. Cobalt organophosphate framework 8 shows significant CO2 adsorption at 273 K (7.73 wt% at 1 bar and 18.21 wt% at 15.5 bar) with high selectivity to CO2 uptake over N2 and H2 at 273 K. Magnetic studies of these symmetric complexes indicate the presence of weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the metal ions via the phosphate bridging moiety.

Discovery of a Superconducting Cu–Bi Intermetallic Compound by High‐Pressure Synthesis

A new intermetallic compound, the first to be structurally identified in the Cu-Bi binary system, is reported. This compound is accessed by high-pressure reaction of the elements. Its detailed characterization, physical property measurements, and ab initio calculations are described. The commensurate crystal structure of Cu11 Bi7 is a unique variation of the NiAs structure type. Temperature-dependent electrical resistivity and heat capacity measurements reveal a bulk superconducting transition at Tc =1.36 K. Density functional theory calculations further demonstrate that Cu11 Bi7 can be stabilized (relative to decomposition into the elements) at high pressure and temperature. These results highlight the ability of high-pressure syntheses to allow for inroads into heretofore-undiscovered intermetallic systems for which no thermodynamically stable binaries are known.

Discovery of FeBi2

Recent advances in high-pressure techniques offer chemists access to vast regions of uncharted synthetic phase space, expanding our experimental reach to pressures comparable to the core of the Earth. These newfound capabilities enable us to revisit simple binary systems in search of compounds that for decades have remained elusive. The most tantalizing of these targets are systems in which the two elements in question do not interact even as molten liquids—so-called immiscible systems. As a prominent example, immiscibility between iron and bismuth is so severe that no material containing Fe–Bi bonds is known to exist. The elusiveness of Fe–Bi bonds has a myriad of consequences; crucially, it precludes completing the iron pnictide superconductor series. Herein we report the first iron–bismuth binary compound, FeBi2, featuring the first Fe–Bi bond in the solid state. We employed geologically relevant pressures, similar to the core of Mars, to access FeBi2, which we synthesized at 30 GPa and 1500 K. The compound crystallizes in the Al2Cu structure type (space group I4/mcm) with a = 6.3121(3) Å and c = 5.4211(4) Å. The new binary intermetallic phase persists from its formation pressure of 30 GPa down to 3 GPa. The existence of this phase at low pressures suggests that it might be quenchable to ambient pressure at low temperatures. These results offer a pathway toward the realization of new exotic materials.

Electronic Structure of a Mixed-Metal Fluoride-Centered Triangle Complex: A Potential Qubit Component

A novel fluoride-centered triangular-bridged carboxylate complex, [Ni2Cr(μ3-F)(O2C(t)Bu)6(HO2C(t)Bu)3] (1), is reported. Simple postsynthetic substitution of the terminal pivalic acids in 1 with pyridine and 4-methylpyridine led to the isolation of [Ni2Cr(μ3-F)(O2C(t)Bu)6(C5H5N)3] (2) and [Ni2Cr(μ3-F)(O2C(t)Bu)6((4-CH3)C5H4N)3] (3). Structural and magnetic characterizations carried out on the series reveal a dominating antiferromagnetic interaction between the nickel and chromium centers leading to an S = (1)/2 ground state with a very unusual value of geff = 2.48.

Relationships between electron density and magnetic properties in water-bridged dimetal complexes

The electron densities in two analogous dimetallic transition metal compounds, namely, [M2(μ-OH2)((t)BuCOO)4((t)BuCOOH)2(C5H5N)2] (M = Co(1), Ni(2)), were determined from combined X-ray and neutron single-crystal diffraction at 100 K. Excellent correspondence between the thermal parameters from X- and N-derived atomic displacement parameters is found, indicating high-quality X-ray data and a successful separation of thermal and electronic effects. Topological analysis of electron densities derived from high-resolution X-ray diffraction, as well as density functional theory calculations, shows no direct metal-metal bonding in either compound, while the total energy density at the bond critical points suggests stronger metal-oxygen interactions for the Ni system, in correspondence with its shorter bond distances. The analysis also allows for estimation of the relative strength of binding of terminal and bridging ligands to the metals, showing that the bridging water molecule is more strongly bound than terminal carboxylic acid, but less so than bridging carboxylates. Recently, modeling of magnetic and spectroscopic data in both of these systems has shown weak ferromagnetic interactions between the metal atoms. Factors related to large zero-field splitting effects complicate the magnetic analysis in both compounds, albeit to a much greater degree in 1. The current results support the conclusion drawn from previous magnetic and spectroscopic measurements that there is no appreciable direct communication between metal centers.

Impact of Pressure on Magnetic Order in Jarosite

Jarosite, a mineral with a kagomé lattice, displays magnetic frustration yet orders magnetically below 65 K. As magnetic frustration can engender exotic physical properties, understanding the complex magnetism of jarosite comprises a multidecade interdisciplinary challenge. Unraveling the nature of the disparate magnetic coupling interactions that lead to magnetic order in jarosite remains an open question. Specifically, there is no observed trend in the interlayer spacing with magnetic order. Similarly, the relationship between metal-ligand bond distance and magnetic order remains uninvestigated. Here, we use applied pressure to smoothly vary jarosites structure without manipulating the chemical composition, enabling a chemically invariant structure-function study. Using single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, we show that high applied pressures alter both the interlayer spacing and the metal-ligand bond distances. By harnessing a suite of magnetic techniques under pressure, including SQUID-based magnetometry, time-resolved synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy, and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, we construct the magnetic phase diagram for jarosite up to 40 GPa. Notably, we demonstrate that the magnetic ordering temperature increases dramatically to 240 K at the highest pressures. Additionally, we conduct X-ray emission spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy experiments to comprehensively map the magnetic and electronic structures of jarosite at high pressure. We use these maps to construct chemically pure magnetostructural correlations which fully explain the nature and role of the disparate magnetic coupling interactions in jarosite.

High-Pressure Synthesis: A New Frontier in the Search for Next-Generation Intermetallic Compounds

The application of high pressure adds an additional dimension to chemical phase space, opening up an unexplored expanse bearing tremendous potential for discovery. Our continuing mission is to explore this new frontier, to seek out new intermetallic compounds and new solid-state bonding. Simple binary elemental systems, in particular those composed of pairs of elements that do not form compounds under ambient pressures, can yield novel crystalline phases under compression. Thus, high-pressure synthesis can provide access to solid-state compounds that cannot be formed with traditional thermodynamic methods. An emerging approach for the rapid exploration of composition-pressure-temperature phase space is the use of hand-held high-pressure devices known as diamond anvil cells (DACs). These devices were originally developed by geologists as a way to study minerals under conditions relevant to the earths interior, but they possess a host of capabilities that make them ideal for high-pressure solid-state synthesis. Of particular importance, they offer the capability for in situ spectroscopic and diffraction measurements, thereby enabling continuous reaction monitoring-a powerful capability for solid-state synthesis. In this Account, we provide an overview of this approach in the context of research we have performed in the pursuit of new intermetallic compounds. We start with a discussion of pressure as a fundamental experimental variable that enables the formation of intermetallic compounds that cannot be isolated under ambient conditions. We then introduce the DAC apparatus and explain how it can be repurposed for use as a synthetic vessel with which to explore this phase space, going to extremes of pressure where no chemist has gone before. The remainder of the Account is devoted to discussions of recent experiments we have performed with this approach that have led to the discovery of novel intermetallic compounds in the Fe-Bi, Cu-Bi, and Ni-Bi systems, with a focus on the cutting-edge methods that made these experiments possible. We review the use of in situ laser heating at high pressure, which led to the discovery of FeBi2, the first binary intermetallic compound in the Fe-Bi system. Our work in the Cu-Bi system is described in the context of in situ experiments carried out in the DAC to map its high-pressure phase space, which revealed two intermetallic phases (Cu11Bi7 and CuBi). Finally, we review the discovery of β-NiBi, a novel high-pressure phase in the Ni-Bi system. We hope that this Account will inspire the next generation of solid-state chemists to boldly explore high-pressure phase space.