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- Dussauze, M., et al.
(author)
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Lithium Ion Conducting Boron-Oxynitride Amorphous Thin Films: Synthesis and Molecular Structure by Infrared Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Modeling
- 2013
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 117:14, s. 7202-7213
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Li ion containing oxynitride amorphous thin films are promising materials for electrochemical applications due to their high ionic conductivity, mechanical stability and chemical durability. Here we report on the preparation of Li boron-oxynitride (LiBON) amorphous thin films by rf sputtering of Li-diborate and Li-pyroborate targets in nitrogen atmosphere. The materials produced were subsequently studied by infrared transmittance spectroscopy assisted by density functional theory calculations using representative Li boron-oxide and boron-oxynitride clusters. The combination of experiments and calculations allows us to propose accurate vibrational assignments and to clarify the complex infrared activity of the LiBON films. Both experimental and calculated spectra show that nitrogen incorporation induces significant structural rearrangements, manifested mainly by a change in boron coordination number from four to three, and by the formation of boron-nitrogen-boron bridges. The nature of boron-nitrogen bonding depends on the composition of the sputtering target, with an exponential relationship adequately describing the dependence of B-N stretching frequency on bond length. Besides bonding to two boron atoms by covalent bonds, the nitrogen atoms interact also with Li ions by participating in their coordination sphere together with oxygen atoms. Likely, boron-nitrogen bonding in LiBON films facilitates Li ion transport due to induced charge delocalization within the boron-nitrogen-boron bridges and reduced electrostatic interaction with the Li ions.
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| 2. |
- Grondin, J., et al.
(author)
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Revisited vibrational assignments of imidazolium-based ionic liquids
- 2011
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In: Journal of Raman Spectroscopy. - : Wiley. - 0377-0486 .- 1097-4555. ; 42:4, s. 733-743
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) involving anions of variable coordinating strength have been investigated using infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies, density functional theory (DFT) calculations and selective deuteration of the imidazolium CH groups. Particular emphasis has been placed on the vibrational assignments of the anion and cation internal vibrations, a prerequisite before any interpretation of spectral changes due to ion-ion interactions in these unconventional liquids. The vibrations of highly symmetric and weakly coordinating anions, such as PF(6)(-), have unperturbed wavenumbers, but unexpected IR or Raman activity for some modes, showing that the anion is subjected to an anisotropic electric field. The stretching as well as the in-plane and out-of-plane bending modes of the imidazolium CH groups are anharmonic. They give broad bands that reflect a large distribution of interactions with the surrounding anions. All the bending modes are mixed with ring vibrations and the stretching modes are complicated by Fermi resonance interactions with overtones and combination of in-plane ring modes. However, the stretching vibration of the quasi-diatomic C((2))-D bond appears to be a good spectroscopic probe of the increasing cation-anion interactions when the coordinating strength of the anion increases. The broad absorption observed in the far IR with weakly coordinating anions remains practically unchanged when the acidic C((2))-H imidazolium bond is methylated and even when the imidazolium cation is substituted by tetra-alkyl ammonium or pyrrolidinium cations. It is concluded that this absorption is a general feature of any IL, coming from the relative translational and librational motions of the ions without needing to invoke C((2))-H anion hydrogen bonds.
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