Low-melting imidazolium-based salts with the paramagnetic reineckate-analogue anion [Cr(NCS)4(bipy)]- (bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine): syntheses, properties, and structures.

In order to investigate the potential ionic liquid properties of Reineckate-analogue materials, four new salts, consisting of the heteroleptic [Cr(NCS)(4)(bipy)](-) complex anion and imidazolium-based cations A(+) = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, pentamethylimidazolium, and 1,3-dimethyl-2,4,5-triphenylimidazolium, were investigated. Their structures were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compounds are paramagnetic with effective magnetic moments in the range of those expected by the number of unpaired spins of the chromium(III) ion.

Two isotypic transition metal germanophosphates M(II)4(H2O)4[Ge(OH)2(HPO4)2(PO4)2] (M(II) = Fe, Co): synthesis, structure, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and magnetic properties.

Synthetic, structural, thermogravimetric, Mössbauer spectroscopic, and magnetic studies were performed on two new isotypic germanophosphates, M(II)(4)(H(2)O)(4)[Ge(OH)(2)(HPO(4))(2)(PO(4))(2)] (M(II) = Fe, Co), which have been prepared under hydro-/solvo-thermal conditions. Their crystal structures, determined from single crystal data, are built from zigzag chains of M(II)O(6)-octahedra sharing either trans or skew edges interconnected by [GeP(4)O(14)(OH)(4)](8-) germanophosphate pentamers to form three-dimensional neutral framework structure. The edge-sharing M(II)O(6)-octahedral chains lead to interesting magnetic properties.

Chemical bonding and properties of "layered" quaternary antimonide oxide REOZnSb (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd).

An efficient route to construct a three-dimensional crystal structure is stacking of two-dimensional building blocks (2D-BBs). The crystal structures of potential thermoelectric compounds REOZnSb (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd) were virtually constructed from insulating [REO] and conducting [ZnSb] layers. Further optimizations performed by means of first-principles calculations show that REOZnSb should exhibit semimetal or narrow band-gap semiconductor behaviors, which is a prerequisite for high thermoelectric efficiency.

Thermoelectric properties of Eu(Zn(1-x)Cd(x))2Sb2.

The thermoelectric performance of EuZn(2)Sb(2) and EuCd(2)Sb(2) was optimized by mixed occupation of the transition metal position. Samples in the solid solution Eu(Zn(1-x)Cd(x))(2)Sb(2) with the CaAl(2)Si(2)-type crystal structure (space group Pm1) were prepared from the elements for compositions with x = 0, 0.1, 0.

A new type of thermoelectric material, EuZn2Sb2.

Polycrystalline EuZn(2)Sb(2) is prepared by direct reaction of the elements. Its composition, structure, magnetism, heat capacity, and thermoelectric properties have been investigated. EuZn(2)Sb(2) crystallizes in p3m space group with a=4.

"Work-Hardenable" ductile bulk metallic glass.

Usually, monolithic bulk metallic glasses undergo inhomogeneous plastic deformation and exhibit poor ductility (< 1%) at room temperature. We present a new class of bulk metallic glass, which exhibits high strength of up to 2265 MPa together with extensive "work hardening" and large ductility of 18%. Significant increase in the flow stress was observed during deformation.