Vertical scanning interferometry and XPS show the reaction of CaCO3 with the hydration retarder nitrilo-tris-(methylene)phosphonic acid follows a pathway of dissolution of the calcium followed by precipitation of a calcium phosphonate; subsequent surface reorganization/restructuring of the calcium phosphonate exposes the underlying CaCO3 for further hydration.

ABSTRACT The phosphonate-substituted zirconium oxo clusters Zr6O2(OBu)12(O3PPh)4 and Zr7O2(OiPr)12(O3PCH2CH2CH2Br)6, with octahedrally coordinated Zr atoms, were synthesized by reaction of zirconium alkoxides with phosphonic acid bis(trimethylsilyl) esters. The basic structural motif are Zr3O(µ2-OR)3(OR)3 units which are connected in different ways. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

A facile approach has been developed for non-covalently stabilising pristine C60 and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in water in the presence of p-phosphonic acid calix[8]arene, along with the formation of a 'pea-pod' encapsulation of the fullerene inside the MWCNTs. Aqueous dispersions of the different carbon nano-materials are readily decorated with palladium nanoparticles.

Semiconducting organic-inorganic nanocomposites comprising the conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in intimate contact with CdSe nanocrystals were crafted by exploiting rationally designed P3HT-grafted cadmium precursors (i.e., Cd-P3HT complexes). The bifunctional ligand 4-bromobenzyl phosphonic acid (BPA-Br) that possesses two terminal functional groups at each end was employed, e...

Rhodium(iii)-catalyzed C-H olefination of aryl phosphonic esters is reported for the first time. In this mild and efficient process, the phosphonic ester group is utilized successfully as a new directing group. In addition, mono-olefination for aryl phosphonates is observed using a phosphonic diamide directing group.

In this contribution, Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been functionalized with a tetraphosphonate cavitand receptor (Tiiii), capable of complexing N-monomethylated species with high selectivity, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) via click-chemistry. The grafting process is based on MNP pre-functionalization with a bifunctional phosphonic linker, 10-undecynylphosphonic acid, anchored on an ...