ab initio X-ray structure determination of NaAl(SO4)2

The sodium aluminium disulphate NaAl(SO4)2 has been obtained after calcinations at 300 °C of NaAl(SO4)2.12H2O alum. The structure of this compound has been refined from powder       X-ray diffraction data using the Rietveld method. This compound crystallises in trigonal system       P 3 2 1 with the following parameters: a = 4.749(12) Ã…, c = 8.314 (4) Ã… (Z = 1).  The final refinement led to RF = 6.3 %, RB = 4.12 %. In the proposed model the sulfate ions is in disorder between two nonequivalent crystallographic sites with probabilities p1/p2= 0.30/70. The atomic arrangement of NaAl(SO4)2 is characterised by two different alternating layers parallel to (001): the first layer is composed of corner-linked AlO6 octhahedra and SO4 tetrahedra, the second layer is built from monovalent Na+ .Â

X-ray Structure Refinement and Vibrational Spectroscopy of Ca8Gd2 (PO4)6 O2

The present paper is interested in the study of compounds from the apatite family with the general formula Ca10 (PO4)6A2. It particularly brings to light the exploitation of the distinctive stereochemistries of two Ca positions in apatite. In fact, Gd-Bearing oxyapatiteCa8 Gd2 (PO4)6O2 has been synthesized by solid state reaction and characterized by X-ray powder diffraction. The site occupancies of substituents is0.3333 in Gd and 0.3333 for Ca in the Ca(1) position and 0. 5 for Gd in the Ca (2) position.  Besides, the observed frequencies in the Raman and infrared spectra were explained and discussed on the basis of unit-cell group analyses

Impedance spectroscopy, electrical relaxation and Ac conductivity studies of organic-inorganic hybrid compound: NH3(C6H4)2NH3HgCl4

Organic–inorganic hybrid sample NH3(C6H4)2NH3HgCl4 was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), TGA analysis and electrical impedance spectroscopy. DSC studies indicated the presence of a one-phase transition at 391 K. As for the ac conductivity of the compound NH3(C6H4)2NH3HgCl4, it has been measured in the temperature range of 358 - 413K and the frequency range of 209 Hz–5 MHz. Concerning the Z’ and Z’’ versus frequency plots, they were well-fitted to an equivalent circuit model. The equivalent circuit is composed of a series of combination of two parallel (R//CPE) circuits. Besides, the frequency dependence of the conductivity was interpreted in terms of Jonscher's law σ(ω) = σdc +A ωn.  As regards the conductivity, it follows the Arrhenius relation. The variation of the value of the conductivity with temperatures confirmed the availability of the phase transition at 391K detected by DSC and electrical measurements

Impedance Spectroscopy, Electrical Relaxation and Ac Conductivity Studies of an Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Compound: C12H14N2CuCl4

The AC conductivity of the compound, C12H14N2CuCl4, in the temperature and frequency range from 373 to 423 K and 209 Hz – 5 MHz, respectively, is reported. The differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis indicate the presence of a phase transition at 400 K. The Z’ and Z’’ vs. frequency plots are found to be well fit by using the equivalent circuit model. The circuits consist of a parallel combination of bulk resistance Rp and constant phase element. Besides, the analysis of the experimental data based on the jump relaxation model shows that the translation motion of the charge carrier and reorientation hopping between the equivalent sites of the metal chloride anion and the cation groups are responsible for the observed AC conductivity in the temperature regions I (373–400 K) and II (400–423 K). The frequency dependence of the conductivity which follows the Arrhenius equation is interpreted in terms of Jonscher's law: σ (ω) = σdc +A ω S.Â

Phase Transition and Electrical Properties in Cs2SeO4.Te(OH)6

Dielectric investigations in the temperature and frequency 300- 600 K and 0,1KHz–13MHz, respectively, show that cesium selenate tellurate Cs2SeO4.Te(OH)6 (CsSeTe) exhibits two phase transitions at 490 and 525 K. The a.c. complex impedance measurements performed on CsSeTe material show an important level of conductivity at high temperature, attributed to the motion of H+ proton. This behavior is in agreement with the presence of the super- protonic phase transition in CsSeTe compound at 525K. This assignment was confirmed by the analysis of the M"/M"max spectra. The temperature dependences of ε΄r and tanδ indicate that the anomaly at 490K is attributed to a ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition. Thermal analysis at high temperature, DSC, DTA, TG,  Ms/z= 18 and Ms/z= 32 confirm the presence of the two transitions already cited, the temperature and the nature of the decomposition. Â

The effect of polyploidy and hybridization on the evolution of floral colour in Nicotiana (Solanaceae)

Background and Aims: We investigate whether changes in floral colour accompany polyploid and homoploid hybridisation, important processes in angiosperm evolution. Potentially, changes in floral colour can facilitate speciation through pollinator shifts. Methods: We examined spectral reflectance of corolla tissue from 60 Nicotiana (Solanaceae) accessions (41 taxa) based on spectral shape (corresponding to pigmentation) as well as bee and hummingbird colour perception to assess patterns of floral colour evolution. We compared polyploid and homoploid hybrid spectra to those of their progenitors to evaluate whether hybridisation has resulted in floral colour shifts. Key Results: Floral colour categories in Nicotiana seem to have arisen multiple times independently during the evolution of the genus. Polyploid and homoploid hybrids can display a floral colour: 1) intermediate between progenitors, 2) like one or other progenitor, or 3) a transgressive or divergent colour not present in either progenitor. Conclusions: Floral colour evolution in Nicotiana is weakly constrained by phylogeny, but colour shifts occur and are sometimes associated with allopolyploid or homoploid speciation. Transgressive floral colour in N. tabacum has arisen by inheritance of anthocyanin pigmentation from its paternal progenitor while having a plastid phenotype like its maternal progenitor. Potentially, floral colour evolution has been driven by, or resulted in, pollinator shifts

Differential Dynamics of Transposable Elements during Long-Term Diploidization of Nicotiana Section Repandae (Solanaceae) Allopolyploid Genomes

PubMed ID: 23185607This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited