B18-Core EXAFS
I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Shunsuke
Sasaki
,
Souvik
Giri
,
Simon J.
Cassidy
,
Sunita
Dey
,
Maria
Batuk
,
Daphne
Vandemeulebroucke
,
Giannantonio
Cibin
,
Ronald I.
Smith
,
Philip
Holdship
,
Clare P.
Grey
,
Joke
Hadermann
,
Simon J.
Clarke
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[25166, 14239]
Open Access
Abstract: Topochemistry enables step-by-step conversions of solid-state materials often leading to metastable structures that retain initial structural motifs. Recent advances in this field revealed many examples where relatively bulky anionic constituents were actively involved in redox reactions during (de)intercalation processes. Such reactions are often accompanied by anion-anion bond formation, which heralds possibilities to design novel structure types disparate from known precursors, in a controlled manner. Here we present the multistep conversion of layered oxychalcogenides Sr2MnO2Cu1.5Ch2 (Ch = S, Se) into Cu-deintercalated phases where antifluorite type [Cu1.5Ch2]2.5- slabs collapsed into two-dimensional arrays of chalcogen dimers. The collapse of the chalcogenide layers on deintercalation led to various stacking types of Sr2MnO2Ch2 slabs, which formed polychalcogenide structures unattainable by conventional high-temperature syntheses. Anion-redox topochemistry is demonstrated to be of interest not only for electrochemical applications but also as a means to design complex layered architectures.
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May 2023
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I21-Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS)
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Robert A.
House
,
Gregory J.
Rees
,
Kit
Mccoll
,
John-Joseph
Marie
,
Mirian
Garcia-Fernandez
,
Abhishek
Nag
,
Ke-Jin
Zhou
,
Simon
Cassidy
,
Benjamin J.
Morgan
,
M.
Saiful Islam
,
Peter G.
Bruce
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[25589]
Abstract: Oxide ions in transition metal oxide cathodes can store charge at high voltage offering a route towards higher energy density batteries. However, upon charging these cathodes, the oxidized oxide ions condense to form molecular O2 trapped in the material. Consequently, the discharge voltage is much lower than charge, leading to undesirable voltage hysteresis. Here we capture the nature of the electron holes on O2− before O2 formation by exploiting the suppressed transition metal rearrangement in ribbon-ordered Na0.6[Li0.2Mn0.8]O2. We show that the electron holes formed are delocalized across the oxide ions coordinated to two Mn (O–Mn2) arranged in ribbons in the transition metal layers. Furthermore, we track these delocalized hole states as they gradually localize in the structure in the form of trapped molecular O2 over a period of days. Establishing the nature of hole states on oxide ions is important if truly reversible high-voltage O-redox cathodes are to be realized.
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Feb 2023
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Robert D.
Smyth
,
Jack N.
Blandy
,
Ziyu
Yu
,
Shuai
Liu
,
Craig V.
Topping
,
Simon J.
Cassidy
,
Catherine F.
Smura
,
Daniel N.
Woodruff
,
Pascal
Manuel
,
Craig L.
Bull
,
Nicholas P.
Funnell
,
Christopher J.
Ridley
,
John E.
Mcgrady
,
Simon J.
Clarke
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[13284, 18786, 25166]
Open Access
Abstract: Sr2NiO2Cu2Se2, comprising alternating [Sr2NiO2]2+ and [Cu2Se2]2– layers, is reported. Powder neutron diffraction shows that the Ni2+ ions, which are in a highly elongated NiO4Se2 environment with D4h symmetry, adopt a high-spin configuration and carry localized magnetic moments which order antiferromagnetically below ∼160 K in a √2a × √2a × 2c expansion of the nuclear cell with an ordered moment of 1.31(2) μB per Ni2+ ion. The adoption of the high-spin configuration for this d8 cation in a pseudo-square-planar ligand field is supported by consideration of the experimental bond lengths and the results of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This is in contrast to the sulfide analogue Sr2NiO2Cu2S2, which, according to both experiment and DFT calculations, has a much more elongated ligand field, more consistent with the low-spin configuration commonly found for square-planar Ni2+, and accordingly, there is no evidence for magnetic moment on the Ni2+ ions. Examination of the solid solution Sr2NiO2Cu2(Se1–xSx)2 shows direct evidence from the evolution of the crystal structure and the magnetic ordering for the transition from high-spin selenide-rich compounds to low-spin sulfide-rich compounds as a function of composition. Compression of Sr2NiO2Cu2Se2 up to 7.2 GPa does not show any structural signature of a change in the spin state. Consideration of the experimental and computed Ni2+ coordination environments and their subtle changes as a function of temperature, in addition to transitions evident in the transport properties and magnetic susceptibilities in the end members, Sr2NiO2Cu2Se2 and Sr2NiO2Cu2S2, suggest that simple high-spin and low-spin models for Ni2+ may not be entirely appropriate and point to further complexities in these compounds.
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Oct 2022
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[18786, 25166]
Open Access
Abstract: Intercalation of alkali and alkaline earth metals into ZrSe3 via soft chemical routes injects electrons and has a significant effect on the selenide-selenide bonding. K, Rb and Cs intercalates of ZrSe3 prepared at low temperatures (−78 °C) from metal ammonia solutions contrast with related polymorphs obtained at high temperature (850 °C). KxZrSe3 synthesised at low temperatures crystallises in orthorhombic Cmc21, while the polymorph obtained at high temperatures crystallises in Immm. The two structures prepared under drastically different conditions differ by relative shifting of ZrSe3 layers. In contrast, CsxZrSe3 shows the Immm polymorph at low temperature and the Cmc21 polymorph at high temperatures, while a single RbxZrSe3 polymorph in Immm is formed at both temperatures. Intercalation of Ca from liquid ammonia facilitates the co-intercalation of the solvent because of the strong solvation of Ca2+. This compound has severe faulting due to the flexibility in the relative shifts of adjacent ZrSe3 layers.
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Jul 2022
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[25166]
Open Access
Abstract: We report the synthesis, crystal structure, thermal response, and electrochemical behavior of the Prussian blue analogue (PBA) K2Cu[Fe(CN)6]. From a structural perspective, this is the most complex PBA yet characterized: its triclinic crystal structure results from an interplay of cooperative Jahn–Teller order, octahedral tilts, and a collective “slide” distortion involving K-ion displacements. These different distortions give rise to two crystallographically distinct K-ion channels with different mobilities. Variable-temperature X-ray powder diffraction measurements show that K-ion slides are the lowest-energy distortion mechanism at play, as they are the only distortion to be switched off with increasing temperature. Electrochemically, the material operates as a K-ion cathode with a high operating voltage and an improved initial capacity relative to higher-vacancy PBA alternatives. On charging, K+ ions are selectively removed from a single K-ion channel type, and the slide distortions are again switched on and off accordingly. We discuss the functional importance of various aspects of structural complexity in this system, placing our discussion in the context of other related PBAs.
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May 2022
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
I12-JEEP: Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[18786, 20375]
Open Access
Abstract: Intercalation of lithium and ammonia into the layered semiconductor Bi2Se3 proceeds via a hyperextended (by >60%) ammonia-rich intercalate, to eventually produce a layered compound with lithium amide intercalated between the bismuth selenide layers which offers scope for further chemical manipulation.
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Aug 2021
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
I12-JEEP: Joint Engineering, Environmental and Processing
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Kieran W. P.
Orr
,
Sean M.
Collins
,
Emily M.
Reynolds
,
Frank
Nightingale
,
Hanna L. B.
Bostroem
,
Simon J.
Cassidy
,
Daniel M.
Dawson
,
Sharon E.
Ashbrook
,
Oxana
Magdysyuk
,
Paul A.
Midgley
,
Andrew L.
Goodwin
,
Hamish H.-M.
Yeung
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[20946, 18786]
Open Access
Abstract: Control over the spatial distribution of components in metal–organic frameworks has potential to unlock improved performance and new behaviour in separations, sensing and catalysis. We report an unprecedented single-step synthesis of multi-component metal–organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles based on the canonical ZIF-8 (Zn) system and its Cd analogue, which form with a core–shell structure whose internal interface can be systematically tuned. We use scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and a new composition gradient model to fit high-resolution X-ray diffraction data to show how core–shell composition and interface characteristics are intricately controlled by synthesis temperature and reaction composition. Particle formation is investigated by in situ X-ray diffraction, which reveals that the spatial distribution of components evolves with time and is determined by the interplay of phase stability, crystallisation kinetics and diffusion. This work opens up new possibilities for the control and characterisation of functionality, component distribution and interfaces in MOF-based materials.
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Feb 2021
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[18786]
Abstract: Solid solutions between the known compounds Ca2FeO3CuCh and Sr2FeO3CuCh (Ch = S, Se) in which there are two fairly similar sites (8 and 9 coordinate) for the alkaline earth cations are not attainable under standard high temperature solid state syntheses under thermodynamic control. Instead compounds with greater condensation of FeO5 square pyramids form as these afford one 8-coordinate site and one 12-coordinate site for the alkaline earths which is better suited to the size-mismatched cations in the compounds Sr3-xCaxFe2O5Cu2Ch2 (Ch = S, Se; x = 1, 2). Sr2CaFe2O5Cu2S2, SrCa2Fe2O5Cu2S2, Sr2CaFe2O5Cu2Se2 and SrCa2Fe2O5Cu2Se2 all crystallise in the tetragonal space group I4/mmm with two formula units in the unit cell with the crystal structure first described for Sr3Fe2O5Cu2S2. Oxide slabs composed of vertex-sharing FeO5 square pyramids are separated by Cu2Ch2 anti-fluorite-type layers. The larger Sr2+ ions have a strong preference for the 12-coordinate site in the oxide slabs, while Ca2+ cations dominate the 8-coordinate sites separating the oxide and chalcogenide slabs. Powder neutron diffraction reveals that all the compounds display antiferromagnetic long range ordering of the Fe3+ moments with ordering temperatures well above room temperature and exceeding 526 K in the case of Ca2SrFe2O5Cu2Se2.
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Oct 2020
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I11-High Resolution Powder Diffraction
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[13284, 18786]
Abstract: Sr2CrO2Cr2As2 and Ba2CrO2Cr2As2 with Cr2+ ions in CrO2 sheets and in CrAs layers crystallize with the Sr2Mn3Sb2O2 structure (space group I4/mmm, Z = 2) and lattice parameters a = 4.00800(2) Å, c = 18.8214(1) Å (Sr2CrO2Cr2As2) and a = 4.05506(2) Å, c = 20.5637(1) Å (Ba2CrO2Cr2As2) at room temperature. Powder neutron diffraction reveals checkerboard-type antiferromagnetic ordering of the Cr2+ ions in the arsenide layers below TN1_Sr, of 600(10) K (Sr2CrO2Cr2As2) and TN1_Ba 465(5) K (Ba2CrO2Cr2As2) with the moments initially directed perpendicular to the layers in both compounds. Checkerboard-type antiferromagnetic ordering of the Cr2+ ions in the oxide layer below 230(5) K for Ba2CrO2Cr2As2 occurs with these moments also perpendicular to the layers, consistent with the orientation preferences of d4 moments in the two layers. In contrast, below 330(5) K in Sr2CrO2Cr2As2, the oxide layer Cr2+ moments are initially oriented in the CrO2 plane; but on further cooling, these moments rotate to become perpendicular to the CrO2 planes, while the moments in the arsenide layers rotate by 90° with the moments on the two sublattices remaining orthogonal throughout [behavior recently reported independently by Liu et al. [Liu et al. Phys. Rev. B 2018, 98, 134416]]. In Sr2CrO2Cr2As2, electron diffraction and high resolution powder X-ray diffraction data show no evidence for a structural distortion that would allow the two Cr2+ sublattices to couple, but high resolution neutron powder diffraction data suggest a small incommensurability between the magnetic structure and the crystal structure, which may account for the coupling of the two sublattices and the observed spin reorientation. The saturation values of the Cr2+ moments in the CrO2 layers (3.34(1) μB (for Sr2CrO2Cr2As2) and 3.30(1) μB (for Ba2CrO2Cr2As2)) are larger than those in the CrAs layers (2.68(1) μB for Sr2CrO2Cr2As2 and 2.298(8) μB for Ba2CrO2Cr2As2) reflecting greater covalency in the arsenide layers.
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Oct 2020
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B18-Core EXAFS
I15-1-X-ray Pair Distribution Function (XPDF)
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[22856, 22930, 24676]
Open Access
Abstract: For magnesium ion batteries (MIBs) to be used commercially, new cathodes must be developed that show stable reversible Mg intercalation. VS4 is one such promising material, with vanadium and disulfide anions [S2]2– forming one-dimensional linear chains, with a large interchain spacing (5.83 Å) enabling reversible Mg insertion. However, little is known about the details of the redox processes and structural transformations that occur upon Mg intercalation and deintercalation. Here, employing a suite of local structure characterization methods including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), V and S X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES), and 51V Hahn echo and magic-angle turning with phase-adjusted sideband separation (MATPASS) NMR, we show that the reaction proceeds via internal electron transfer from V4+ to [S2]2–, resulting in the simultaneous and coupled oxidation of V4+ to V5+ and reduction of [S2]2– to S2–. We report the formation of a previously unknown intermediate in the Mg–V–S compositional space, Mg3V2S8, comprising [VS4]3– tetrahedral units, identified by using density functional theory coupled with an evolutionary structure-predicting algorithm. The structure is verified experimentally via X-ray pair distribution function analysis. The voltage associated with the competing conversion reaction to form MgS plus V metal directly is similar to that of intermediate formation, resulting in two competing reaction pathways. Partial reversibility is seen to re-form the V5+ and S2– containing intermediate on charging instead of VS4. This work showcases the possibility of developing a family of transition metal polychalcogenides functioning via coupled cationic–anionic redox processes as a potential way of achieving higher capacities for MIBs.
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Oct 2020
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