This thesis is an investigation into the hydrogenous behavior of Zintl phases. Zintl phases are comprised of an active metal (i.e alkali, alkaline earth, and rare earth) and a p-block element. The discussion gives an overview of the influence hydrogen affects the electronic and geometric structure of Zintl phases and subsequent properties. Incorporation of hydrogen into a Zintl phase is categorized as either polyanionic or interstitial Zintl phase hydrides. In the former the hydrogen covalently bonds to the polyanion and in the latter the hydrogen behaves hydridic, coordinates exclusively with the active metal, leading to an oxidation of the polyanion. Synthesis of hydrogenous Zintl phases may be through either a direct hydrogenation of a Zintl phase precursor or by combining active metal hydrides and p-block elements. The latter strategy typically leads to thermodynamically stable hydrides, whereas the former supports the formation of kinetically controlled products.  Polyanionic hydrides are exemplified by SrAlGeH and BaAlGeH. The underlying Zintl phases SrAlGe and BaAlGe have a structure that relates to the AlB2 structure type. These Zintl phases possess 9 valence electrons for bonding and, thus, are charge imbalanced species. Connected to the charge imbalance are superconductive properties (the Tc of SrAlGe and BaAlGe is 6.7 and 6.3 °C, respectively). In the polyanionic hydrides the hydrogen is covalently bonded as a terminating ligand to the Al atoms. The Al and Ge atoms in the anionic substructure [AlGeH]2- form corrugated hexagon layers. Thus, with respect to the underlying Zintl phases there is only a minimal change to the arrangement of metal atoms. However, the electronic properties are drastically changed since the Zintl phase hydrides are semiconductors.  Interstitial hydrides are exemplified by Ba3Si4Hx (1 < x < 2) which was obtained from the hydrogenation of the Zintl phase Ba3Si4. Ba3Si4 contains a Si46- “butterfly” polyanion. Hydrogenation resulted in a disordered hydride in which blocks of two competing tetragonal structures are intergrown. In the first structure the hydrogen is located inside Ba6 octahedra (I-Ba3Si4H), and in the second structure the hydrogen is located inside Ba5 square pyramids (P-Ba3Si4H2). In both scenarios the “butterfly anions appear oxidized and form Si44- tetrahedra. Hydrogenation may also be used as a synthesis technique to produce p-block element rich Zintl phases, such as silicide clathrates. During hydrogenation active metal is removed from the Zintl phase precursor as metal hydride. This process, called oxidative decomposition, was demonstrated with RbSi, KSi and NaSi. Hydrogenation yielded clathrate I at 300 °C and 500 °C for RbSi and KSi, respectively. Whereas a mixture of both clathrate I and II resulted at 500 °C for NaSi.  Low temperature hydrogenations of KSi and RbSi resulted in the formation of the silanides KSiH3 and RbSiH3. These silanides do not represent Zintl phase hydrides but are complex hydrides with discrete SiH3- complex species. KSiH3 and RbSiH3 occur dimorphic, with a disordered α-phase (room temperature; SG Fm-3m) and an ordered β-phase (below -70 °C; SG = Pnma (KSiH3); SG = P21/m ( RbSiH3)). During this thesis the vibrational properties of the silyl anion was characterized. The Si–H stretching force constants for the disordered α-phases are around 2.035 Ncm-1 whereas in the ordered b-forms this value is reduced to ~1.956 Ncm-1. The fact that SiH3- possesses stronger Si-H bonds in the α-phases was attributed to dynamic disorder where SiH3- moieties quasi freely rotate in a very weakly coordinating alkali metal ion environment.

No description available.

This PhD thesis presents investigations of hydrogen incorporation in Zintl phases and transition metal oxides. Hydrogenous Zintl phases can serve as important model systems for fundamental studies of hydrogen-metal interactions, while at the same time hydrogen-induced chemical structure and physical property changes provide exciting prospects for materials science. Hydrogen incorporation in transition metal oxides leads to oxyhydride systems in which O and H together form an anionic substructure. The H species in transition metal oxides may be highly mobile, making these materials interesting precursors toward other mixed anion systems.  Zintl phases consist of an active metal, M (alkali, alkaline earth or rare earth) and a more electronegative p-block metal or semimetal component, E (Al, Ga, Si, Ge, etc.). When Zintl phases react with hydrogen, they can either form polyanionic hydrides or interstitial hydrides, undergo full hydrogenations to complex hydrides, or oxidative decomposition to more E-rich Zintl phases. The Zintl phases investigated here comprised the CaSi2, Eu3Si4, ASi (A= K, Rb) and GdGa systems which were hydrogenated at various temperature, H2 pressure, and dwelling time conditions. For CaSi2, a regular phase transition from the conventional 6R to the rare 3R took place and no hydride formation was observed. In contrast, GdGa and Eu3Si4 were very susceptible to hydrogen uptake. Already at temperatures below 100 ºC the formation of hydrides GdGaH2-x and Eu3Si4H2+x was observed. The magnetic properties of the hydrides (antiferromagnetic) differ radically from that of the Zintl phase precursor (ferromagnetic). Upon hydrogenating ASi at temperatures around 100 oC, silanides ASiH3 formed which contain discrete complex ion units SiH3-. The much complicated β – α order-disorder phase transition in ASiH3 was evaluated with neutron powder diffraction (NPD), 2H NMR and heat capacity measurements.  A systematic study of the hydride reduction of BaTiO3 leading to perovskite oxyhydrides BaTiO3-xHx was done. A broad range of reducing agents including NaH, MgH2, CaH2, LiAlH4 and NaBH4 was employed and temperature and dwelling conditions for hydride reduction examined. Samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), thermal gravimetric analysis and 1H NMR. The concentration of H that can be incorporated in BaTiO3-xHx was found to be very low, which is in contrast with earlier reports. Instead hydride reduction leads to a high concentration of O vacancies in the reduced BaTiO3. The highly O-deficient, disordered, phases - BaTiO3-xHy□(x-y) with x up to 0.6 and y in a range 0.05 – 0.2 and (x-y) &gt; y – are cubic and may represent interesting materials with respect to electron and ion transport as well as catalysis. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p>

Hydrogenation products of the Zintl phases AeTt (Ae = alkaline earth; Tt = tetrel) exhibit hydride anions on interstitial sites as well as hydrogen covalently bound to Tt which leads to a reversible hydrogenation at mild conditions. In situ thermal analysis, synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction under hydrogen (deuterium for neutrons) pressure was applied to BaTt (Tt=Ge, Sn). BaTtHy (1<y<1.67, γ-phases) were formed at 5 MPa hydrogen pressure and elevated temperatures (400–450 K). Further heating (500–550 K) leads to a hydrogen release forming the new phases β-BaGeH0.5 (Pnma, a=1319.5(2) pm, b=421.46(2) pm, c=991.54(7) pm) and α-BaSnH0.19 (Cmcm, a=522.72(6) pm, b=1293.6(2) pm, c=463.97(6) pm). Upon cooling the hydrogen rich phases are reformed. Thermal decomposition of γ-BaGeHy under vacuum leads to β-BaGeH0.5 and α-BaGeH0.13 [Cmcm, a=503.09(3) pm, b=1221.5(2) pm, c=427.38(4) pm]. At 500 K the reversible reaction α-BaGeH0.23 (vacuum)⇄β-BaGeH0.5 (0.2 MPa deuterium pressure) is fast and was observed with 10 s time resolution by in situ neutron diffraction. The phases α-BaTtHy show a pronounced phase width (at least 0.09<y<0.36). β-BaGeH0.5 and the γ-phases appear to be line phases. The hydrogen poor (α- and β-) phases show a partial occupation of Ba4 tetrahedra by hydride anions leading to a partial oxidation of polyanions and shortening of Tt–Tt bonds.

NR 20140805

<p> The synthesis and X-ray crystallographic determination of solid derivatives of homo- and heteropolyatomic anions derived from Zintl phases has generally yielded the least soluble of the ions present in solution. Many other species present in these solutions have remained unidentified until recently when considerable effort directed towards the investigation of the solution chemistries of Zintl anions has been put forth.</p> <p> The present work is mainly concerned with the characterization of new Zintl anions in solution using multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as the primary investigative tool. These studies include (1) the tetrahedral SnCh4^4- (Ch = selenium and/or tellurium), (2) the dimer of SnSe3^2-, Sn2Se6^4-, (3) several interesting but, as-of-yet, unidentified species present in solutions derived from ternary Na/Sn/Te alloys and present in the reaction of Sn(II) Cl2 with Te2^2-, and (4) a set of possible multi-thallium-tellurium species. Relevant chemical shifts and nuclear spin-spin coupling constants are reported and trends discussed.</p> <p>119Sn Mössbauer investigations of all tin-containing species is also presented as is a brief discussion of the X-ray crystallographically determined polytelluride, Te4^2-.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Die Hydrierung von Zintl-Phasen führt zur Bildung von Einlagerungshydriden, die ausschließlich von Kationen koordiniert sind, zu polyanionischen Hydriden, bei denen Wasserstoff kovalent an das stärker elektronegative Element bindet, oder zu einer Kombination von beiden Motiven. Es wurde eine Reihe neuer Verbindungen dargestellt und mittels Laborröntgen-, Synchrotron- und Neutronenpulverbeugung strukturell charakterisiert. Die meisten Beispiele werden durch die Hydrierung von Zintl-Phasen im CrB- oder FeB-Strukturtyp erhalten. Die beiden Typen sind strukturell eng verwandt. Sie sind durch das Auftreten von polyanionischen Zickzackketten gekennzeichnet. Die Einlagerungshydride LnTtH (Ln = La, Nd, Tt = Si, Ge, Sn) sind Oxidationsprodukte der formal metallischen Zintl-Phasen LnTt = Ln3+ Tt2- e- . Wasserstoff besetzt dabei Ln-Tetraederlücken. Die Produkte treten als gefüllter FeB- (P -Phase, LaGeH-Strukturtyp) oder als gefüllter CrB-Strukturtyp (C -Phase, NiZrH-Strukturtyp) auf. Die Hydrierung der elektronenpräzisen Zintl-Phasen AeTt (Ae = Sr, Ba, Tt = Ge, Sn, CrB-Strukturtyp) führt zu wasserstoffarmen (AeTtHy , y < 1) und wasserstoffreichen (AeTtHy , 1 < y ≤ 2) Phasen. Erstere weisen partiell gefüllte Ae4-Lücken auf. In Phasen mit kleinem y (< 0.4) wird der Wasserstoff statistisch über die Lücken verteilt (α-Phasen). Etwas höhere Gehalte führen zu partieller (β-SrGeHy , 0.47 < y < 0.75) oder vollständiger (β-BaGeH0.5 ) Ordnung. Die wasserstoffreichen Phasen AeTtHy , 1 < y ≤ 2 (γ-Phasen), zeigen sowohl die Strukturmotive von Einlagerungs- als auch von polyanionischen Hydriden. SrSiH1.6 und BaSiH1.9 als literaturbekannte Verbindungen wurden das erste mal strukturell charakterisiert. Die homologe Reihe konnte um SrGeH1.2 , BaGeH1.6 und BaSnH1.3 erweitert werden. Die Ae4 -Tetraeder sind in diesen Phasen vollständig mit Hydridionen besetzt. Zusätzlicher Wasserstoff bindet kovalent an die Polyanionen. Außerdem verknüpfen sich die Zickzackketten z. T. senkrecht zur Kettenrichtung. Es wurden insgesamt drei Strukturtypen differenziert, die alle strukturell eng verwandt sind. Das führt zu Problemen bei der Strukturbestimmung aus Pulverdaten. Der kovalente Charakter der Bindung wurde durch Festkörperkernresonanzspektroskopie und Dichtefunktionaltheorierechnungen charakterisiert. Typische Tetrel-Wasserstoff-Bindungslängen sind 155(2) pm (Si-H), 163(2) pm (Ge-H) und 186(1) pm (Sn-H). In situ -Neutron, Röntgen- und Synchrotronpulverbeugung wurden angewandt um Reaktionsabläufe aufzuklären. Beim Heizen unter Wasserstoffdruck treten im AeTt-H2 -System (Ae = Sr, Ba, Tt = Ge, Sn) verschiedene reversible Reaktionen zwischen den γ-, β- und α-Phasen auf, bevor ein irreversibler Zersetzungsschritt in die binären Hydride AeH2 und die Tt-reichen Zintl-Phasen AeTt2 beobachtet wird. Ein In situ Beugungsexperiment der Reaktion von NdGa mit Wasserstoff zeigt direkt die Bildung von NdGaH1+x (isostrukturell zu γ-AeTtHy ), das eine Zusammensetzung von mindestens x = 0.17 bis 0.80 aufweist. Die Ga-H Abstände sind lang (ca. 200 pm) und darum keine klassischen 2-Elektronen-2-Zentrenbindungen. In situ Beugung an den Reaktionen von KSi und CsSi mit Wasserstoff konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Hydride KSiH3 und CsSiH3 in einem Schritt gebildet werden. Diese Phasen weisen SiH3--Anionien auf, die isoelektronisch zu PH3 sind. Weiteres Heizen unter Wasserstoffdruck führt zur Zersetzung in KH und K8Si46 oder zur Rückbildung von CsSi. Außerdem wurde eine Reihe weiterer Verbindungen auf die Reaktivität gegenüber Wasserstoff untersucht. Die Phasen AeTt2 , AGe und ASixGe1-x (A = K, Rb, Cs) bilden keine Hydride unter den untersuchten Bedingungen (mindestens 5 MPa H2, 700 K). Die Gallide CaGa, Sr8Ga7 und Ba8Ga7 weisen Reaktivität gegenüber Wasserstoff auf. Diese Beispiele zersetzen sich in binäres Hydrid und die galliumreichen Phasen Ca3Ga8, SrGa4 und BaGa4 . In situ Laborröntgenbeugung der Reaktion von CaGa mit Wasserstoff führt zur Bildung einer neuen, kristallinen Phase. Bildung und Zersetzung laufen in einem sehr schmalen Temperaturfenster ab. Die neue Phase konnte noch nicht charakterisiert werden. / The hydrogenation of Zintl phases leads to interstitial hydrides that are coordinated exclusively by cations, polyanionic hydrides that exhibit a covalent bond to the more electronegative element, or a combination of both motifs. A series of new compounds is prepared and structurally characterised by laboratory X-ray, synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction. Most examples can be derived via hydrogenation of CrB- or FeB-type Zintl phases. These structure types are closely related and characterised by polyanionic zigzag chains. The interstitial hydrides LnTtH (Ln = La, Nd, Tt = Si, Ge, Sn) are oxidation products of the formally metallic Zintl phases LnTt = Ln3+ Tt2- e- . Hydrogen occupies tetrahedral Ln4-voids. The products occur as a filled FeB-type phase (P-phase, LaGeH-structure type) or a filled CrB-type phase (C-phase, ZrNiH-structure type). The hydrogenation of electron-precise Zintl phases AeTt (Ae = Sr, Ba, Tt = Ge, Sn, CrB-structure type) leads to hydrogen-poor (AeTtHy , y < 1) and hydrogen-rich phases (AeTtHy , 1 < y ≤ 2). The first show partially hydrogen-filled Ae4-voids. For low contents y < 0.4, hydrogen is statistically distributed over the voids (α-phases). Slightly increased hydrogen contents lead to partial (β-SrGeHy , 0.47 ≤ y ≤ 0.75) or full ordering (β-BaGeH0.5 ). The hydrogen-rich phases AeTtHy, 1 < y ≤ 2 (γ-phases), combine interstitial and polyanionic hydride motifs. The literature-known phases SrSiH1.6 and BaSiH1.9 could be structurally characterised for the first time. The homologue series was extended to SrGeH1.2, BaGeH1.6 and BaSnH1.3 . Tetrahedral Ae4-voids are totally filled with hydride anions. The additional hydrogen binds to the polyanions. Furthermore, some of the zigzag chains are interconnected perpendicular to the chain direction. Three different structure types exhibiting a close structural relationship were identified. This leads to difficulties in structure determination from powder diffraction. The covalent character of the bond is characterised by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and density functional theory calculations. Typical tetrel-hydrogen bond lengths are 155(2) pm (Si-H), 163(2) pm (Ge-H) and 186(1) pm (Sn-H). In situ neutron, X-ray and synchrotron powder diffraction were used to elucidate reaction schemes. The AeTt-H2 systems (Ae = Sr, Ba, Tt = Ge, Sn) show several reversible reaction steps between γ-, β- and α-phases upon heating under hydrogen pressure. Finally, an irreversible decomposition into the binary hydrides AeH2 and Tt-rich Zintl phases AeTt2 occurs. In situ diffraction of the reaction of NdGa with hydrogen leads directly to NdGaH1+x (isostructural to γ-AeTtHy ) which shows a large compositional range from at least x = 0.17 to 0.80. Ga-H distances are long (about 200 pm) and, thus, not classical 2-electron-2-center bonds. In situ diffraction of the reactions of KSi and CsSi with hydrogen show a one step formation of the corresponding hydrides KSiH3 and CsSiH3 . They exhibit SiH3--anions which are isoelectronic to PH3 . Further heating under hydrogen pressure leads to decomposition into KH and K8Si46 or reformation of CsSi, respectively. Finally, further compounds were tested for reactivity towards hydrogen. The phases AeTt2 (Ae = Ca, Sr, Ba, Tt = Si, Ge), AGe and ASixGe1-x (A = K, Rb, Cs) do not form corresponding hydrides under the investigated conditions (at least 5 MPa H2, 700 K). The gallides CaGa, Sr8Ga7 and Ba8Ga7 show reactivity towards hydrogen. They decompose into binary hydride and the gallium-rich phases Ca3 Ga8 , SrGa4 or BaGa4. Furthermore, laboratory in situ diffraction of the reaction of CaGa with hydrogen indicates the formation of a new, crystalline phase. Formation and decomposition occur in a relative small temperature window. The new phase could not be characterised, yet.

Many Zintl phases exhibiting a CrB type structure form hydrides. Systematic studies of AeTtHx (Ae = Ca, Sr, Ba; Tt = Si, Ge, Sn), LnTtHx (Ln = La, Nd; Tt = Si, Ge, Sn), and LnGaHx (Ln = Nd, Gd) showed the vast structural diversity of these systems. Hydrogenation reactions on REGa (RE = Y, La, Tm) and RESi (RE = Y, Er, Tm) were performed in steel autoclaves under hydrogen pressure up to 5 MPa and temperatures up to 773 K. The products were analyzed by X-ray and neutron powder diffraction. RESi (RE = Y, Er, Tm) form hydrides in the C-LaGeD type. LaGaD1.66 is isostructural to NdGaD1.66 and shows similar electronic features. Ga-D distances (1.987(13) Å and 2.396(9) Å) are considerably longer than in polyanionic hydrides and not indicative of covalent bonding. In TmGaD0.93(2) with a distorted CrB type structure deuterium atoms exclusively occupy tetrahedral voids. Theoretical calculations on density functional theory (DFT) level confirm experimental results and suggest metallic properties for the hydrides.