Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Experimental Approaches for the Synthesis of Low-Valent Metal-Organic Frameworks from Multitopic Phosphine Linkers
Published on: May 12, 2023
Modular Principle for Complex Disordered Tetrahedral Frameworks in Quenched High-Pressure Phases of Phosphorus Oxide
Daniel Günther1, Dominik Baumann2, Wolfgang Schnick2
1Faculty for Chemistry and Mineralogy, Institute for Mineralogy, Crystallography and Materials Science, Leipzig University, Scharnhorststraße 20, 04275, Leipzig, Germany.
Abstract:
Invited for the cover of this issue are the groups of Oliver Oeckler at Leipzig University and Wolfgang Schnick at University of Munich (LMU). The image background depicts a diffraction pattern of an intergrown crystal containing P40 O31 N46 as a night sky. P40 O31 N46 and P74 O59 N84 form complex disordered frameworks, a cutout of which symbolizes the earth's surface (which mainly contains silicates with related building blocks). The structures are built up from chain-like building units, which fall like rain, symbolizing the modular building scheme. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202203892.
Related Concept Videos
Valence Bond Theory
Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...
Ionic Crystal Structures
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
Predicting Molecular Geometry
VSEPR Theory and the Basic Shapes

