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Femtosecond electron diffraction experiments were performed on solid state iron(II) tris(2,2'-bipyridine) bis(hexafluorophosphate). The cation is known to undergo a spin crossover process when solvated in water and irradiated with 400 nm coherent light which results in a transition from a low spin to high spin state within a picosecond which is accompanied by a uniform 0.2 Å Fe-N bond elongation. A femtosecond diffraction experiment was performed on the solid sample and was unable to find evidence of a fast spin crossover transition. Suspecting this may be due to limitations of the apparatus, an ultrafast transient absorption experiment was performed. Emulating the liquid study by Gawelda et al, the pump probe experiment found evidence of spin crossover in the solid state sample. This result awaits verification by an improved transient absorption apparatus and has inspired efforts to perform an improved femtosecond electron diffraction experiment.

Femtosecond electron diffraction experiments were performed on solid state iron(II) tris(2,2'-bipyridine) bis(hexafluorophosphate). The cation is known to undergo a spin crossover process when solvated in water and irradiated with 400 nm coherent light which results in a transition from a low spin to high spin state within a picosecond which is accompanied by a uniform 0.2 Å Fe-N bond elongation. A femtosecond diffraction experiment was performed on the solid sample and was unable to find evidence of a fast spin crossover transition. Suspecting this may be due to limitations of the apparatus, an ultrafast transient absorption experiment was performed. Emulating the liquid study by Gawelda et al, the pump probe experiment found evidence of spin crossover in the solid state sample. This result awaits verification by an improved transient absorption apparatus and has inspired efforts to perform an improved femtosecond electron diffraction experiment.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis, a femtosecond electron diffraction (FED) set-up that is capable of investigating the photo-induced switching of Cu(DCNQI)2 from being an insulator to being a conductor is presented. Movies of atomic structural changes with temporal resolution within the typical photo-switching transition timescales (sub-picoseconds) are obtainable with this set-up by employing a femtosecond laser. The experimental technique and the design of a crucial instrument of the machine, the electron gun, are extensively described and characterised both numerically and experimentally. The interest in observing atomic structural changes of Cu(DCNQI)2 in real time is because of the rich variety of the radical salts available that show alloy-specific Charge Density Wave (CDW) transitions. Valuable insights about the driving mechanisms behind these structural changes that are responsible for a change in conductivity are obtainable, as well as the relation between crystal alloys and their transition characteristics. Electron diffraction patterns of crystals in their metallic phase (room temperature) are shown in this thesis, but diffraction patterns of cryo-cooled Cu(DCNQI)2 in its insulating phase are still to be acquired. The temporal resolution of the atomic movie can be improved by recompression of electron pulses that are debunched due to Coulomb repulsion and electron energy spread within a pulse. Numerical and preliminary experimental results presented in this work expose the potential of a simple compression technique. In this way, more electrons in a single electron pulse can be afforded which allows to perform experiments at shorter integration time or lower repetition rate. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis word ’n femtosekonde elektron diffraksie opstelling aangebied wat daartoe in staat is om die foto-geïnduseerde omskakeling in Cu(DCNQI)2 van nie-geleier tot geleier te ondersoek. Deur gebruik te maak van ’n femtosekonde laser in hierdie opstelling, is ’rolprente’ van strukturele veranderinge op atoomskaal met ’n tyd resolusie beter as die tipiese foto-omskakelings tydskaal (sub-pikosekonde) verkrygbaar. Die eksperimentele tegniek en die ontwerp van ’n noodsaaklike instrument van die masjien, die elektron geweer, word breedvoerig beskryf en numeries en eksperimenteel gekenmerk. Die belangstelling om strukturele veranderinge in Cu(DCNQI)2 op atoom skaal in reële tyd waar te kan neem is as gevolg van die ryke verskeidenheid van radikale soute, wat allooispesifieke ladings digtheid golf (CDW) oorgange toon, wat beskikbaar is. Waardevolle insigte oor die meganismes wat hierdie strukturele veranderinge wat ’n verandering in geleiding veroorsaak dryf is verkrygbaar, sowel as die verwantskap tussen die kristal allooi en die oorgang kenmerke. Diffraksie patrone van kristalle in die metaalagtige fase (kamer temperatuur) word in hierdie tesis getoon, maar diffraksie patrone van cryo-verkoelde Cu(DCNQI)2 in die niegeleier fase moet nog verkry word. Die tyd resolusie van die atomiese rolprent kan verbeter word deur die elektron puls — wat deur Coulomb afstoting en elektron energie spreiding versprei is — weer saam te pers. Numeriese en voorlopige eksperimentele resultate toon die potensiaal van ’n eenvoudige kompressie tegniek. Hierdeur kan meer elektrone in ’n elektron puls gegun word en so die integrasie tyd of die herhalingstempo van die eksperimente verkort kan word.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Physics / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy

<p>In this work we have investigated the intercalation of electron-donors between NbS₂ slabs in Nb-based layer sulfides.</p><p>Two series of Sr substituted Nb-based misfit sulfides belonging to the 1.5Q/1H and 1Q/1H series of misfit layer compounds have been synthesised. For large lanthanides (Ln=La, Ce), only the 1Q/1H compounds formed whereas for smaller lanthanides and yttrium, both types of phases can be obtained. The crystal structure of misfit sulfide (Pr_0.55Sr_0.45S)_1.15NbS₂ has been refined using the composite approach. In the Q-slab, Pr-atoms are partly replaced by Sr with a random distribution over one cation position. The crystal structure of misfit sulfide [(Sm_1/3Sr_2/3S)_1.5]_1.15NbS₂ belonging to the 1.5Q/1H series have also been determined. The obtained results suggest a preferred occupancy of the cation positions in the slab where Sr atoms mainly occupy positions on the exterior of the slab while Sm atoms are in the center of the slab. The (La_1-xSr_xS)_1.15NbS₂ solid solution (0.1<x<0.9) has also been studied. It was found that the maximum value of Sr substitution is 40-50% and therefore, the minimal value of charge transfer to stabilize this structure type is about 0.6ē per Nb atom. </p><p>An attempt to synthesize Sr_xNbS₂ (0.1≤x≤0.5) intercalates was made but single phases were not obtained and increasing the temperature from 1000^оС to 1100^оС leads to the decomposition of these intercalates. Single crystals of Sr_0.22Nb_1.05S₂ and Sr_0.23NbS₂ were found and their structures were determined. The structures belong to two different types of packings with statistical distribution of Sr between layers.</p><p>A new superconducting sulfide, "EuNb₂S₅", was investigated by ED and HREM and its structure model consisting of Nb₇S₁₄ and (Eu₃S₄)₂ slabs alternating along the c-axis is suggested. An attempt to suggest a model for the structure of "SrNb₂S₅" by means of X-ray single crystal diffraction was made. The proposed structure consists of two types of slabs: a Nb₇S₁₄ and a [Sr₆(NbS₄)₂S] slab with niobium in tetrahedral coordination. It is shown that "SrNb₂S₅" and "EuNb₂S₅" are have similar structures.</p><p>For the first time, single crystals of the complex sulfide BaNb_0.9S₃ have also been studied by means of X-ray single crystal diffraction. The single crystal refinement and EDX analysis showed the existence of cation vacancies at the niobium position. BaNb_0.9S₃ has also been studied by ED and no superstructure was found which implies that and the vacancies are statistically distributed.</p><p>No improvement of the magnetic properties of the studied compounds was observed in comparison to NbS₂.</p>

Gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) is the only viable technique for the accurate structural study of gas-phase molecules that contain more than ~10 atoms. Recent advances in Edinburgh have made it possible to study larger, more complex, stable molecules using the SARACEN method. This thesis is concerned with obtaining the structures of unstable species, using both standard GED techniques and by developing a new method in which ash vacuum pyrolysis is used to generate short-lived species in situ. In the first part of this thesis nine primary phosphines (R-PH2) with different substituents (R = methyl, vinyl, ethynyl, allenyl, allyl, propargyl, phenyl, benzyl and chloromethyl) are studied by GED. Vinylarsine and vinyldichloroarsine are also studied. Primary phosphines and arsines appear infrequently in the literature owing to their toxicity and high reactivity, especially of the unsaturated systems. The conformational behaviour in these molecules and trends throughout the series are rationalised. As appropriate, comparisons are made to analogous amines and the differences found are discussed. Tertiary phosphines (R3P) are routinely protected by complexation with borane (BH3) and it has been proposed that this technique could be extended to primary phosphines. As an extension of the initial investigation, the GED study of methylphosphine-borane offers an insight into structural changes that occur upon complexation, although attempts to study larger phosphine-borane complexes by GED proved dificult. The structures and bonding trends in a series of phosphineborane adducts are discussed, mainly using the results of ab initio calculations. The second part of the thesis details the implementation of a new, very high temperature nozzle, which allows the generation of short-lived species by pyrolysis. The workings of this nozzle are discussed and the study of the structure of ketene, generated from three different precursors, is detailed. The benzyl radical has also been studied, and a preliminary GED structure is presented. As a result of this work the molecular structures of Meldrum's acid and dibenzylsulfone are also presented, having been determined in the gas phase for the first time.

No description available.