Oxana V. Magdysyuk

In situ X-ray diffraction monitoring of a mechanochemical reaction reveals a unique topology metal-organic framework.

Chemical and physical transformations by milling are attracting enormous interest for their ability to access new materials and clean reactivity, and are central to a number of core industries, from mineral processing to pharmaceutical manufacturing. While continuous mechanical stress during milling is thought to create an environment supporting nonconventional reactivity and exotic intermediates, such speculations have remained without proof. Here we use in situ, real-time powder X-ray diffraction monitoring to discover and capture a metastable, novel-topology intermediate of a mechanochemical transformation. Monitoring the mechanochemical synthesis of an archetypal metal-organic framework ZIF-8 by in situ powder X-ray diffraction reveals unexpected amorphization, and on further milling recrystallization into a non-porous material via a metastable intermediate based on a previously unreported topology, herein named katsenite (kat). The discovery of this phase and topology provides direct evidence that milling transformations can involve short-lived, structurally unusual phases not yet accessed by conventional chemistry.

I12: the Joint Engineering, Environment and Processing (JEEP) beamline at Diamond Light Source

JEEP is a high-energy (50–150 keV) multi-purpose beamline offering polychromatic and monochromatic modes. It can accommodate large samples and experimental rigs, enabling in situ studies using radiography, tomography, energy-dispersive diffraction, monochromatic and white-beam two-dimensional diffraction/scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering.

Metal–Organic Nanosheets Formed via Defect-Mediated Transformation of a Hafnium Metal–Organic Framework

We report a hafnium-containing MOF, hcp UiO-67(Hf), which is a ligand-deficient layered analogue of the face-centered cubic fcu UiO-67(Hf). hcp UiO-67 accommodates its lower ligand:metal ratio compared to fcu UiO-67 through a new structural mechanism: the formation of a condensed “double cluster” (Hf12O8(OH)14), analogous to the condensation of coordination polyhedra in oxide frameworks. In oxide frameworks, variable stoichiometry can lead to more complex defect structures, e.g., crystallographic shear planes or modules with differing compositions, which can be the source of further chemical reactivity; likewise, the layered hcp UiO-67 can react further to reversibly form a two-dimensional metal–organic framework, hxl UiO-67. Both three-dimensional hcp UiO-67 and two-dimensional hxl UiO-67 can be delaminated to form metal–organic nanosheets. Delamination of hcp UiO-67 occurs through the cleavage of strong hafnium-carboxylate bonds and is effected under mild conditions, suggesting that defect-ordered MOFs could be a productive route to porous two-dimensional materials.

Crystal structures of calcium hemicarboaluminate and carbonated calcium hemicarboaluminate from synchrotron powder diffraction data

One of the main phases formed at the beginning of the carbonation reaction of cementitious building materials is the calcium hemicarboaluminate (abbreviated as Hc). This AFm (shorthand for hydrated calcium aluminate phases structurally related to hydrocalumite) phase was synthesized, crystallized and then studied by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy. At room temperature and standard experimental conditions two major cementitious phases were detected, the Hc phase (as a major phase) and carbonated calcium hemicarboaluminate (abbreviated as cHc). By increasing the temperature the Hc form transforms into cHc. The crystal structures of these important AFm phases were successfully solved and refined in the R3c space group of the trigonal crystal system. Hc has the unit-cell parameters a = 5.7757 (1) and c = 48.812 (2) Å, and cHc the unit-cell parameters a = 5.7534 (1) and c = 46.389 (1) Å. The two crystal structures are composed of positively charged main layers, [Ca(4)Al(2)(OH)(12)](2+), and negatively charged interlayers, [OH(2n)(CO(3))(1 - n)·4H(2)O](2-). The structure of the main layers is typical of the AFm family. Conversely, the interlayer region has a characteristic structure built up from water molecules and statistically distributed anions. In the interlayer, the Hc carbonate and hydroxyl anions are distributed in a 0.25:0.5 ratio, whereas the ratio of the anions in the cHc interlayers is 0.4:0.2.

Trapping Reactive Intermediates by Mechanochemistry: Elusive Aryl N‐Thiocarbamoylbenzotriazoles as Bench‐Stable Reagents

Monitoring of mechanochemical thiocarbamoylation by in situ Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of aryl N-thiocarbamoylbenzotriazoles, reactive intermediates deemed unisolable in solution. The first-time isolation and structural characterization of these elusive molecules demonstrates the ability of mechanochemistry to access otherwise unobtainable intermediates and offers a new range of masked isothiocyanate reagents.

Processing two-dimensional X-ray diffraction and small-angle scattering data in DAWN 2

The Powder Calibration and Processing packages implemented in DAWN 2 provide an automated diffraction-geometry calibration and data processing environment for two-dimensional diffraction experiments. The customizable processing chains permit the execution of data processing steps to convert raw two-dimensional data into meaningful data and diffractograms. The provenance of the processed data is maintained, which guarantees reproducibility and transparency of the data treatment.

Understanding the adsorption mechanism of noble gases Kr and Xe in CPO-27-Ni, CPO-27-Mg, and ZIF-8

An experimental study of Xe and Kr adsorption in metal-organic frameworks CPO-27-Ni, CPO-27-Mg, and ZIF-8 was carried out. In situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction experiments allowed precise determination of the adsorption sites and sequence of their filling with increasing of gas pressure at different temperatures. Structural investigations were used for interpretation of gas adsorption measurements.

Novel characterization of the adsorption sites in large pore metal-organic frameworks: combination of X-ray powder diffraction and thermal desorption spectroscopy.

The preferred adsorption sites of xenon in the recently synthesized metal-organic framework MFU-4l(arge) possessing a bimodal pore structure (with pore sizes of 12 Å and 18.6 Å) were studied via the combination of low temperature thermal desorption spectroscopy and in situ X-ray powder diffraction. The diffraction patterns were collected at 110 K and 150 K according to the temperature of the desorption maxima. The maximum entropy method was used to reconstruct the electron density distribution of the structure and to localize the adsorbed xenon using refined data of the Xe-filled and empty sample. First principles calculations revealed that Xe atoms exclusively occupy the Wyckoff 32f position at approximately 2/3 2/3 2/3 along the body diagonal of the cubic crystal structure. At 110 K, Xe atoms occupy all 32 f positions (8 atoms per pore) while at 150 K the occupancy descends to 25% (2 atoms per pore). No Xe occupation of the small pores is observed by neither experimental measurements nor theoretical studies.

CaSeO4-0.625H2O - Water Channel Occupation in a bassanite Related Structure

Calcium selenate subhydrate, CaSeO(4)·0.625H(2)O, was prepared by hydrothermal conversion of CaSeO(4)·2H(2)O at 463 K. From the single crystals obtained in the shape of hexagonal needles, 50-300 µm in length, the crystal structure could be solved in a trigonal unit cell with space group P3(2)21. The cell was confirmed and refined by high-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction. The subhydrate was characterized by thermal analysis and Raman spectroscopy.

Synthesis of monosubstituted thioureas by vapour digestion and mechanochemical amination of thiocarbamoyl benzotriazoles

Thiocarbamoyl benzotriazoles, as safe and easy-to-handle isothiocyanate equivalents, were quantitatively converted to N-monosubstituted thioureas by vapour digestion synthesis under an ammonia atmosphere. This simple, but timely process provided a synthetic platform that enabled the “slow” amination reaction to be successfully transformed into a rapid one aided by mechanochemical milling. The ammonium chloride/sodium carbonate equimolar mixture allowed in situ formation of ammonia under ball-milling conditions. This novel and green approach yielded aromatic and aliphatic primary thioureas in near-quantitative isolated yields with workup entirely based on using only water. In addition, the molecular and crystal structures of selected polyaromatic primary thioureas were determined from the synchrotron powder diffraction data.