Exceptional superionic conductivity in disordered sodium decahydro-closo-decaborate.

Na2 B10 H10 exhibits exceptional superionic conductivity above ca. 360 K (e.g.

Sodium superionic conduction in Na2B12H12.

Impedance measurements indicate that Na2B12H12 exhibits dramatic Na(+) conductivity (on the order of 0.1 S cm(-1)) above its order-disorder phase-transition at ≈529 K, rivaling that of current, solid-state, ceramic-based, Na-battery electrolytes. Superionicity may be aided by the large size, quasispherical shape, and high rotational mobility of the B12H12(2-) anions.

Low-temperature tunneling and rotational dynamics of the ammonium cations in (NH4)2B12H12.

Low-temperature neutron scattering spectra of diammonium dodecahydro-closo-dodecaborate [(NH(4))(2)B(12)H(12)] reveal two NH(4)(+) rotational tunneling peaks (e.g., 18.

Reorientational dynamics of the dodecahydro-closo-dodecaborate anion in Cs2B12H12.

Rapid reorientational motions of the B(12)H(12)(2-) icosahedral anion, a key intermediate in borohydride dehydrogenation, are revealed by quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) measurements of Cs(2)B(12)H(12) between 430 and 530 K. At 430 K, over the range of momentum transfers collected, the elastic incoherent structure factor (EISF) is consistent with a model for reorientational jumps about a single molecular axis. At temperatures of 480 K and higher, however, the EISF suggests the emergence of multiaxis reorientation by dynamically similar, independent jumps about two axes, on average, preserving crystallographic order.

Sodium magnesium amidoborane: the first mixed-metal amidoborane.

The first example of a mixed-metal amidoborane Na(2)Mg(NH(2)BH(3))(4) has been successfully synthesized. It forms an ordered arrangement in cation coordinations, i.e.

Size effects on the hydrogen storage properties of nanoscaffolded Li3BN2H8.

The use of Li3BN2H8 complex hydride as a practical hydrogen storage material is limited by its high desorption temperature and poor reversibility. While certain catalysts have been shown to decrease the dehydrogenation temperature, no significant improvement in reversibility has been reported thus far. In this study, we demonstrated that tuning the particle size to the nanometer scale by infiltration into nanoporous carbon scaffolds leads to dramatic improvements in the reversibility of Li3BN2H8.

Quasi-free methyl rotation in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8.

Using neutron inelastic scattering and diffraction, we have studied the quantum methyl rotation in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8: Zn(MeIM)(2), MeIM = 2-methylimidazolate). The rotational potential for the CH(3) groups in ZIF-8 is shown to be primarily 3-fold in character. The ground-state tunneling transitions at 1.

Structure of the novel ternary hydrides Li4Tt2D (Tt=Si and Ge).

The crystal structures of newly discovered Li4Ge2D and Li4Si2D ternary phases were solved by direct methods using neutron powder diffraction data. Both structures can be described using a Cmmm orthorhombic cell with all hydrogen atoms occupying Li6-octahedral interstices. The overall crystal structure and the geometry of these interstices are compared with those of other related phases, and the stabilization of this novel class of ternary hydrides is discussed.