Chemical Bonding and Dynamic Structural Fluxionality of a Boron-Based BAl Cluster.

We studied the boron-based composite cluster BAl doped with Al atoms. The global minimum structure of the BAl cluster is a three-layer structure, consisting of three parts: an Al unit, a B ring and an isolated Al atom. Charge calculations analysis shows that the cluster can be expressed as [Al][B][Al], has 6π/6σ double aromaticity and follows the (4+2) Hückel rule.

Facile Fabrication of Co-Doped Porous Carbon from Coal Hydrogasification Semi-Coke for Efficient Microwave Absorption.

A Co-doped porous carbon was successfully fabricated by a facile carbonizing procedure using coal hydrogasification semi-coke (SC) as the carbon and cobalt nitrate as the magnetic precursors, respectively. The mass ratio of the precursors was changed to regulate the microwave absorption (MA) capabilities. The favorable MA capabilities are a result of a synergistic interaction be-tween the dielectric loss from the carbon framework, the magnetic loss from nano-sized Co particles, and multiple scattering from the residual pores.

Five monocyclic pyridinium derivative based halo-argentate/cuprate hybrids or iodide salts: influence of composition on photochromic behaviors.

The rational choice of an electron acceptor was proved to be an effective strategy for the development of novel electron transfer (ET) photochromic iodides, but the types and amounts of reported electron acceptors are relatively limited so far, especially for monocyclic aromatic molecules. Herein, using monocyclic pyridinium derivatives (N-protonation-4-carboxypyridinium/N-protonation-4-carbamoylpyridinium/1-methyl-4-(carbomethoxy)pyridinium) as structural directing agents and electron acceptors, five new electron donor-acceptor-based halo-argentate/cuprate hybrids or iodide salts have been synthesized, including [HINA][Ag4I5] (1), [HINAM]I (2), [HINAM]I·0.5(I2) (3), [MCMP][Ag2Br3] (4) and [MCMP][Cu2I3] (5).

Halogen-dependent photoinduced electron transfer and chromism of three protonated nicotinohydrazide halozincates.

Three isostructural halozincates, [HNH][ZnX]·HO (HNH = protonated nicotinohydrazide, X = I (1), Br (2), Cl (3)), have been synthesized and exhibit halogen-dependent photoinduced electron transfer and chromic properties. Due to the different electron-donating nature of halogen atoms, only iodozincate hybrid 1 can easily undergo photoinduced electron transfer and eye-detectable photochromic behavior, revealing a unique matching rule between a moderate electron acceptor and halozincates.

Stoichiometry-controlled structural and functional variation in two photochromic iodoargentates with a fast and wide range response.

By using 1-methyl-4-(carbomethoxy)pyridinium (MCMP) as counterions, two iodoargentate hybrids, 1D [MCMP][AgI] (1) and 3D [MCMP][AgI] (2) have been synthesized and they exhibit rare electron transfer photochromism with a fast response rate, a wide response range and a long-lived charge-separated state in iodometallate systems. Noteworthily, the marked differences in the structure and photochromic performance of 1 and 2 are largely ascribed to the different aggregating behavior of electron-deficient MCMP counterions (C-HO hydrogen bonded trimer in 1 and π-π/C-Hπ chain in 2).

Ultrasensitive Photochromic Iodocuprate(I) Hybrid.

By employing in situ methylnicotinohydrazide dication (MNH(2+)) as an electron acceptor, we have constructed an iodocuprate(I) hybrid {[MNH][Cu2I3]2}n (1), which exhibits charge transfer (CT) thermochromism due to the intense absorption of CT and electron transfer (ET) photochromism with high photocoloration contrast and fast response to UV irradiation due to the synergetic effect of valence change of copper ions.