title: Structure and spectroscopy of CuH prepared via borohydride reduction.
abstract: Copper(I) hydride (cuprous hydride, CuH) was the first binary metal hydride to be discovered (in 1844) and is singular in that it is synthesized in solution, at ambient temperature. There are several synthetic paths to CuH, one of which involves reduction of an aqueous solution of CuSO4·5H2O by borohydride ions. The product from this procedure has not been extensively characterized. Using a combination of diffraction methods (X-ray and neutron) and inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy, we show that the CuH from the borohydride route has the same bulk structure as CuH produced by other routes. Our work shows that the product consists of a core of CuH with a shell of water and that this may be largely replaced by ethanol. This offers the possibility of modifying the properties of CuH produced by aqueous routes.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, Wales.
authors.forename: Elliot L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, Wales.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, Wales.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, England.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Refson
authors.affiliation: ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, England.
authors.forename: Alex C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hannon
authors.affiliation: ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, England.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imberti
authors.affiliation: ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, England.
authors.forename: Samantha K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Callear
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, England.
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Chass
authors.affiliation: ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, England.
authors.forename: Stewart F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Parker
keywords: X-ray powder diffraction; copper(I) hydride; inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy; total scattering neutron diffraction