Nov 052011
 

Our application to secure funds to refurbish our existing DSC and TGA analysis equipment has been successful.  Sample analysis by TGA/DSC allow detection and characterisation of solvent-loss and phase changes and, as such are complementary to solid-state X-ray crystallography.  The equipment was abandoned by a researcher leaving in 2007 and has not been operational since. Reinstallation and refurbishment of the equipment within an existing departmental research facility will make it accessible to all research groups within Chemistry and the Science Area.

DSC and TGA

DSC and TGA

Nov 012011
 

Presented by: Matthew P.Blake
Research Leader: Prof. Philip Mountford
Published: Journal of the American Chemical Society

Metal-metal bonded molecular compounds have been an essential part of development in inorganic chemistry for decades; research has been reenergized by the discovery of the first Cr-Cr quintuple-, Zn-Zn single- and Mg-Mg single bonds. However, within this rich and topical area, there remains very little experimental or theoretical information regarding bonds between alkaline earth elements and transition metals. While bonds between calcium and main group metals (Ga, Sn) have been reported, the bonding of calcium with a transition metal had not been studied. Reaction of calcium amalgam with [CpFe(CO)2]2 (Fp2) gave the alkaline earth compound [CaFp2(THF)3]2containing two direct Ca–Fe (3.0185(6) Å) bonds.

Structure of the Month - November 2011

Structure of the Month - November 2011