Solid-state chemistry of cluster compounds with metals in the left part of the periodic table is described. As a function of the metal valence electron concentration (VEC), characteristic changes occur with stepwise changing features. Strongly metal-metal-bonded and ligand-encapsulated clusters exist for large values of VEC. At decreased values, endohedral atoms stabilize the clusters, and with...

The present study investigates the binding properties of four dansyl substituted aza-crown ethers with alkali, alkaline earth metal ions and ammonium. The influence of the solvent polarity and protonation on the photophysical properties of the compounds was studied by UV/Vis and fluorescence methods. The host species caused only slight changes on the absorption spectra of the ligands. The fluor...

Mixed-valence perovskite manganites (Re 1−x A x MnO 3 where Re=rare earth, A=alkaline earth) provide a unique opportunity to study the relationships between the structure and the magnetotransport properties due to an interplay among charge carriers, magnetic coupling, orbital ordering and structural distortion. This makes these compounds very exciting from both the basic research and from the t...

New multinary selenides Ae3SnPn2Se8 (Ae = Sr, Ba; Pn = Sb, Bi), Sr8.01Ge2.04Bi7.95Se24, and Sr8YGe2Bi7Se24 were synthesized by solid-state reaction, and their structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These compounds crystallize in orthorhombic space group Pnma (no. 62) for Ae3SnPn2Se8 (Ae = Sr, Ba; Pn = Sb, Bi) and in Pna21 (no. 33) for Sr8.01Ge2.04Bi7.95Se24 and Sr8YGe2B...

A proton NMR method for the determination of the solvation numbers of alkaline earth cations with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in nitromethane as diluent is described. The method is based on the monitoring of the resonance frequency of DMSO protons as a function of DMSO to metal ion mole ratio while keeping the metal ion concentration constant. The average solvation number of cations at any...

A comprehensive computational mechanistic study regarding intramolecular hydroamination (HA) of aminoalkenes mediated by a recently reported class of highly active cyclopentadienyl-bis(oxazolinyl)borate {Cpo}Y(III) alkyl compounds is presented. Two distinct mechanistic pathways of catalytic HA mediated by rare earth and alkaline earth compounds have emerged over the years, describing amidoalken...

The theory of relativity cannot be neglected if structures and properties of compounds containing heavy elements are discussed. The assumption of a constant speed of light implicates an increase of the mass and thus of the momentum of the electrons, especially close to the nucleus, amounting to more than 20% for the heavy elements belonging to the groups 13 – 18. One of the consequences is a re...