It is shown by XRD that mixed oxide phases Cu 0.92 Co 2.08 O 4 and Cu 4 MgO 5 are formed along with the oxides CuO, Co 3 O 4 , MgO, and CaO under certain conditions. The positive catalytic effect of individual oxides (CuO and Co 3 O 4 ) and mixed oxide systems (CuO-Cu 0.92 Co 2.08 O 4 , CuO-CaO, and Cu-MgO-Cu 4 MgO 5 ) on the oxidation of diesel soot at 280–580°C is established, and a series of catalytic activities CuO-Cu 0.92 Co 2.08 O 4 > CuO-MgO-Cu 4 MgO 5 > CuO-CaO = CuO > Co 3 O 4 is revealed. Using TEM, the surface micromorphology of crystallites that form oxide systems is characterized. It is found that a catalytic system’s activity increases as the size and surface smoothness of crystallites diminishes. According to data from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, a considerable increase in the concentration of O 2 in soot with CuO and Co 3 O 4 additives after its oxidation by oxygen is observed without changing the oxidation state of Cu and Co oxidation. The promoting effect of potassium additives in the form of K 2 CO 3 on the investigated catalytic systems during soot oxidation is revealed.

The properties of magnesium diborides with the composition Mg 1 − x M x B 2 , where M = Al, Ga, In, and Tl, and Mg (B 1 − x E x ), where E = N, P, and Si (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.3), made by sintering of calculated amounts of boron, magnesium, and a substituent element or by a solid-phase exchange reaction of a corresponding halogenide of a metal with MgB 2 at 1070–1170 K are studied. Using RFA technique, it is shown that, from all employed heterosubstituents, only the atoms of aluminum, gallium, and silicon in the amount x ≤ 0.2 are incorporated into magnesium and boron sublatticies. Here, the temperature of the superconducting transition T c = 39 ± 1K determined for pure magnesium diboride hardly changes.

We have studied the phase relations in the Mg-Pn and Mg-B-Pn (Pn = Sb, Bi) systems, synthesized the magnesium pnictides Mg3Sb2 and Mg3Bi2 and the new magnesium boropnictides Mg3Pn2(B2), and determined their structure and unit-cell parameters. The synthesized compounds have been investigated at high pressures (4.0–6.5 GPa) and temperatures (700–1400°C). All of them have been found to promote the hexagonal-to-cubic phase transformation of boron nitride.

Oxides of several transition metals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu) were found to have a positive catalytic action and Zn, a negative action on the oxidation of fullerene C-60 by molecular oxygen to CO2 at 400-500 degrees C. Zinc oxide in 1 : 1 mixtures with transition metal oxides had a passivating action on their activity in the oxidation of C-60 (a strong passivating action in mixtures with Mn, Fe, and Cr oxides, a weak passivating action with Ni oxide, and no passivating action over the entire temperature range with Co and Cu oxides). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements showed that the admixtures deposited on C-60 by impregnating it with solutions of metal trifluoroacetates in acetone with subsequent calcining were metal oxides and that C-O bonds were formed at the initial oxidation stages. The Raman spectra were indicative of the formation of C-60 dimers in the oxidation of C-60 with Cr2O3 and Fe2O3 admixtures, which was substantiated by chromato-mass spectrometric analysis of the products of oxidative hydratodisproportionation of C-60, which, along with the usual fragmentation products (2-phenoxyethanol, naphthalene, etc.) contained several saturated hydrocarbons with the normal structure of hydrocarbon chains and the number of carbon atoms from 20 to 28.

High-pressure studies of Li3P, Na3Sb, and Na3Bi at room temperature show that these compounds undergo a reversible transition from a hexagonal phase to a denser, cubic phase. The lattice parameters of the cubic phases are determined at pressures of up to 9.0 GPa.

It was found that, when treated at 7 GPa and 900degreesC for 15 min, crystalline fullerene C-60 modified with oxygen or hydrogen at 100degreesC and atmospheric pressure undergoes hydration-disproportionation with the formation Of C-6-C-16 carboxylic acids and hydrocarbons C-21-C-28 and hydrogenation-disproportionation with the formation of C-21-C-28 hydrocarbons. The alkyl groups of the carboxylic acids and hydrocarbons have normal structure. These processes are accompanied by the disappearance of the crystalline phase and by the formation of a graphite phase; the formation of a diamond phase was observed only for C-60 modified with hydrogen. A process of diamond formation via a hydrogenation-disproportionation of C60Hx, into diamond-hydrocarbons CdiamHy and saturated hydrocarbons CnH2n+2 was revealed.

New compounds with the general formula A x A"3-xB y B"1-y(A, A" = Li, Na; B, B" = Sb, Bi) were prepared in the system Li–Na–Sb–Bi. Na3Sb0.5Bi0.5has a hexagonal structure (Na3As type, a= 5.415 Å, c= 9.595 Å), and Li3Sb0.5Bi0.5and Li2NaSb0.5Bi0.5have a cubic structure (BiF3type, a= 6.645 and 6.772 Å, respectively). The phase transitions of alkali-metal pnictides were studied by in situ x-ray diffraction at room temperature and pressures from 105Pa to 9.0 GPa. Li3Sb and Na3Sb were each shown to exist in two polymorphs with hexagonal (Na3As type) and cubic (BiF3type) structures. At atmospheric pressure, Li3Sb undergoes an irreversible α–β phase transition at 650°C, while Na3Sb undergoes a reversible transformation into a cubic phase at ≃2.3 GPa and room temperature.

Sodium hydroxide catalytically accelerated and P2O5, PCl5, and AlCl3 strongly inhibited oxidation of fullerene C-60 by molecular oxygen. Acid admixtures deposited by vaporization at 573 K on crystalline fullerene increased the temperature of the onset of oxidation by 60-80 K. Hydroxylation of fullerene by dilute H2SO4 With the formation of C-60(OH)(x) had virtually no effect on the rate of its oxidation, whereas hydrogenation with hydrogen at 393 K to C-60(H)(y) sharply decelerated the reaction at temperatures up to 753 K and accelerated it at higher temperatures the apparent activation energy (578 kJ/mol, i.e., close to the dissociation energy of aromatic C-C bonds), however, remained constant.

High-pressure synthesis of sodium bismuthide from metallic sodium and bismuth was studied. The pressure required for compression of a mixture of antimony or bismuth with an alkali metal to the volume of the corresponding alkali metal antimonide or bismuthide at room temperature was calculated. For sodium bismuthide these calculations were confirmed experimentally.