Context & Scale This review aims to bridge the fields of inorganic molecular chemistry, electrocatalysis, lithium-ion batteries, and chemical physics of oxides by introducing a unifying concept linking the electronic structures and electrochemical properties of transition metal oxides and complexes. In this work, by reviewing broad literature on the redox behavior of a number of Ni, Co, Fe, and...

In correlated systems, intermediate states usually appear transiently across phase transitions even at the femtosecond scale. It therefore remains an open question how to determine these intermediate states-a critical issue for understanding the origin of their correlated behaviour. Here we report a surface coordination route to successfully stabilize and directly image an intermediate state in...

Although metal-metal bonding is important in the chemistry of both solid-state intermetallic compounds and molecular species, the study of this bonding is limited by the compounds available and it is rarely possible to identify connections between these two areas. In this study, molecular intermetalloids [Ln(ReCp(2))(3)] (Ln = Sm, Lu and La) have been synthesized that contain lanthanoid metals ...

Background: Combination of glycation and oxidation is associated with diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of glycated proteins in presence of transition metal ions on production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in rat hepatocyte suspension.  Methods: Glycated albumin was prepared by incubation of bovine serum albumin with 100 mM glucose in 0.3 M phosphate buffer a...

In femtosecond pump-probe measurements, the appearance of coherent phonon oscillations at 4.5 and 6.0 THz indicating the rutile metal phase of VO2 does not occur simultaneously with the first-order metal-insulator transition (MIT) near 68 degrees C. The monoclinic and correlated metal (MCM) phase between the MIT and the structural phase transition (SPT) is generated by a photoassisted hole exci...

Materials synthesis often provides opportunities for innovation. We demonstrate a general low-temperature (260°C) molten salt electrodeposition approach to directly electroplate the important lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cathode materials LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, and Al-doped LiCoO2. The crystallinities and electrochemical capacities of the electroplated oxides are comparable to those of the powders sy...

Upconversion (UC) luminescence of lanthanide ions (Ln3+) has been extensively investigated for several decades and is a constant research hotspot owing to its fundamental significance and widespread applications. In contrast to the multiple and fixed UC emissions of Ln3+, transition metal (TM) ions, e.g., Mn2+, usually possess a single broadband emission due to its 3d5 electronic configuration....

This dissertation describes the synthesis of several transition-metal polyphosphides including orthorhombic FeP2, cubic CoP3, cubic NiP2, monoclinic PdP2 and monoclinic CuP2. The investigation of these materials was initiated by the discovery of MPx formation upon reacting a metal halide with molecular yellow P4 in superheated toluene. When these MPx products were annealed at moderate temperatu...

Highly efficient energy storage is in high demand for next-generation clean energy applications. As a promising energy storage material, the application of Mn2O3 is limited due to its poor electrical conductivity. Here, high-pressure techniques enhanced the electrical conductivity of Mn2O3 significantly. In situ synchrotron micro X-Ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and resistivity measurement...

Proteins obtained from agricultural sources were blended with divalent metal ions to see if binding reactions occurred between protein chains. Feather keratin, egg albumin, and wheat gluten showed elastic modulus increases of 2–3 times with addition of divalent transition metal ions Cu2þ and Zn2þ. Increasing concentrations of ions resulted in increased stiffness. Birefringence experiments perfo...