Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Structures of Solids02:22

Structures of Solids

Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
Ionic Crystal Structures02:42

Ionic Crystal Structures

Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
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...
Metallic Solids02:37

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
Network Covalent Solids02:18

Network Covalent Solids

Network covalent solids contain a three-dimensional network of covalently bonded atoms as found in the crystal structures of nonmetals like diamond, graphite, silicon, and some covalent compounds, such as silicon dioxide (sand) and silicon carbide (carborundum, the abrasive on sandpaper). Many minerals have networks of covalent bonds.
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
Lattice Centering and Coordination Number02:33

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...
Unit Cells01:18

Unit Cells

A crystal's internal structure is an orderly array of atoms, ions, or molecules, and the details of this array significantly influence the solid's properties. In a crystal, periodically repeating 'structural motifs' - which could be atoms, molecules, or groups thereof - create a 'space lattice.' This is essentially a three-dimensional, infinite array of points, each surrounded by its neighbors in an identical way, forming the basic structure of the crystal.A 'unit cell' is a theoretical...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Molecular and Rheological Insights into Apple Pectin─Poly(ethylene glycol) Gelation in Aqueous Media.

Biomacromolecules·2026
Same author

On the Photocyclization of Tetraphenyl-Substituted Anthraquinodimethanes: Mechanistic Insights, Substitution Effects, and Fluorescence Switching.

The Journal of organic chemistry·2026
Same author

Formulation and 3D Printing of PVDF-Containing Photocurable Resins for Digital Light Processing.

ACS polymers Au·2026
Same author

Steric Pruning Unlocks Hierarchical Structuring, Thermochromism, C-H/O Activation, and 6-electron Redox Transmetalation in Planar Bismuth Triamides.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2025
Same author

Trapping carbon suboxide with a carbene and isolation of the carbene-stabilized carbon suboxide dimer.

Chemical science·2025
Same author

Phosphaza-norbornanes.

Dalton transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles
12:33

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Published on: February 4, 2013

21.7K

Rigid PN cages as 3-dimensional building blocks for crystalline or amorphous networked materials.

Mohsen Shayan1, Maryam F Abdollahi1, Mason Chester Lawrence2

  • 1Chemistry Department, Dalhousie University, 6274 Coburg Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada. saurabh.chitnis@dal.ca.

Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|February 12, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Researchers introduce novel phosphorus-nitrogen (PN) cages as versatile 3-dimensional inorganic connectors for creating crystalline and amorphous networks. These new synthons offer tunable properties and facilitate advancements in reticular chemistry.

More Related Videos

Design, Surface Treatment, Cellular Plating, and Culturing of Modular Neuronal Networks Composed of Functionally Inter-connected Circuits
10:32

Design, Surface Treatment, Cellular Plating, and Culturing of Modular Neuronal Networks Composed of Functionally Inter-connected Circuits

Published on: April 15, 2015

8.5K
Interlinked Macroporous 3D Scaffolds from Microgel Rods
07:32

Interlinked Macroporous 3D Scaffolds from Microgel Rods

Published on: June 16, 2022

2.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles
12:33

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Published on: February 4, 2013

21.7K
Design, Surface Treatment, Cellular Plating, and Culturing of Modular Neuronal Networks Composed of Functionally Inter-connected Circuits
10:32

Design, Surface Treatment, Cellular Plating, and Culturing of Modular Neuronal Networks Composed of Functionally Inter-connected Circuits

Published on: April 15, 2015

8.5K
Interlinked Macroporous 3D Scaffolds from Microgel Rods
07:32

Interlinked Macroporous 3D Scaffolds from Microgel Rods

Published on: June 16, 2022

2.1K

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

  • Three-dimensional covalent connectors are essential building blocks for constructing advanced crystalline and amorphous networks.
  • Current methods often rely on fused polycyclic alkanes as connectors, limiting structural diversity and synthetic accessibility.
  • There is a need for new, versatile connectors to expand the scope of reticular chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce phosphorus-nitrogen (PN) cages as novel 3-dimensional inorganic connectors.
  • To demonstrate the utility of PN cages in forming crystalline and amorphous networks with potential gas porosity.
  • To highlight the tunability and spectroscopic insights offered by PN cages for reticular chemistry.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis and characterization of novel phosphorus-nitrogen (PN) cages.
  • Utilizing PN cages as building blocks for constructing extended crystalline and amorphous networks.
  • Employing 31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for structural analysis and insight.

Main Results:

  • Successful synthesis of PN cages, establishing them as viable 3-dimensional inorganic connectors.
  • Formation of diverse crystalline and amorphous networks using PN cages, including examples exhibiting gas porosity.
  • Demonstration of the high tunability of PN cages, enabling rapid network diversification.
  • Utilization of 31P NMR spectroscopy as a responsive handle for structural elucidation.

Conclusions:

  • Phosphorus-nitrogen (PN) cages represent a new class of 3-dimensional inorganic synthons for reticular chemistry.
  • PN cages offer significant advantages in terms of tunability and synthetic accessibility compared to existing connectors.
  • This work opens new avenues for designing and constructing functional porous materials with tailored properties.