Fe3 C/Fe Decorated N-doped Carbon Derived from Tetrabutylammonium tetrachloroferrate Complex as Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for ORR, OER and Zn-Air Batteries in Alkaline Medium.

The emergence of non-precious metal-based robust and economic bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial for the rational design of commercial rechargeable Zn-air batteries (RZAB) with safe energy conversion and storage systems. Herein, a facile strategy to fabricate a cost-efficient, bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst Fe3 C/Fe decorated N doped carbon (FeC-700, the catalyst prepared at carbinization temperature of 700 °C) with a unique structure has been developed by carbonization of a single source precursor, tetrabutylammonium tetrachloroferrate(III) complex. The ORR and OER activity revealed excellent performance (ΔE=0.77 V) of the FeC-700 electrocatalyst, comparable to commercial Pt/C and RuO2, respectively. The designed temperature-tuneable structure provided sufficiently accessible active sites for the continuous passage of electrons by shortening the mass transfer pathway, leading to extremely durable electrocatalysts with high ECSA and amazing charge transfer performance. Remarkably, the assembled Zn-air batteries with the FeC-700 catalyst as the bifunctional air electrode delivers gratifying charging-discharging ability with an impressive power density of 134 mW cm-2 with a long lifespan, demonstrating prodigious possibilities for practical application.

Fe(III)-incorporated porphyrin-based conjugated organic polymer as a peroxidase mimic for the sensitive determination of glucose and H2O2.

Nanozymes, i.e., nanomaterials that possess intrinsic enzyme-like behaviour, have thrived over the past few decades owing to their advantages of superior stability and effortless storage. Such artificial enzymes can be a perfect alternative to naturally occurring enzymes, which have disadvantages of high cost and limited functionality. In this work, we present the fabrication of an Fe(III)-incorporated porphyrin-based conjugated organic polymer as a nanozyme for the efficient detection of glucose through its intrinsic peroxidase activity and the amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide. The iron-incorporated porphyrin-based conjugated organic polymer (Fe-DMP-POR) possesses a spherical morphology with high chemical and thermal stability. Exploiting the peroxidase-mimicking activity of the material for the determination of glucose, a detection limit of 4.84 µM is achieved with a linear range of 0-0.15 mM. The Fe-DMP-POR also exhibits a reasonable recovery range for the detection of human blood glucose. The as-synthesized material can also act as an H2O2 sensor, with a sensitivity of 947.67 µA cm-2 mM-1 and a limit of detection of 3.16 µM.

Ni(II)-Incorporated Ethylene Glycol-Linked Tetraphenyl Porphyrin-Based Covalent Organic Polymer as a Catalyst for Methanol Electrooxidation.

Methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is a perfect alternative to the conventional oxygen evolution reaction (OER), generally utilized as the anode reaction for hydrogen generation via the electrochemical water splitting method. Moreover, MOR is also relevant to direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). These facts motivate the researchers to develop economical and efficient electrocatalysts for MOR. Herein, we have introduced an ethylene glycol-linked tetraphenyl porphyrin-based (EG-POR) covalent organic polymer (COP). The Ni(II)-incorporated EG-POR material Ni-EG-POR displayed excellent OER and MOR activities in an alkaline medium. The materials were thoroughly characterized using 13C solid-state NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analyzer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) techniques. These organic-inorganic hybrid materials showed high chemical and thermal stability. Ni-EG-POR requires an overpotential of 400 mV (vs RHE) in OER and 190 mV (vs RHE) in MOR to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2. In addition, the catalyst also showed excellent chronoamperometric and chronopotentiometric stability, indicating that the catalyst can provide stable current over a longer period and its potential as a non-noble metal MOR catalyst.

Copper Immobilized over 2D Hexagonal SBA-15 for Electrochemical and Colorimetric Sulfite Sensing.

Sulfite (SO32-) is considered a highly toxic anion for living organisms. Herein, we report the synthesis of copper immobilized over a 2D hexagonally ordered mesoporous silica material CuMS as an electrochemical and colorimetric dual-technique-based sensing platform for sulfite detection. The immobilization of copper on silica was achieved through the bis[3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]tetrasulfide (TEPTS) ligand. Morphological and physical properties of the material were confirmed by several characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, N2 sorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The CuMS material retained mesoporosity with a narrow pore size distribution (D ≈ 5.4 nm) and a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 682 m2 g-1 after the immobilization of copper. The prepared catalyst shows promising electrocatalytic activity toward sulfite oxidation. A linear variation in the peak current was obtained for SO32- oxidation in the 0.2-15 mM range with a high sensitivity of 62.08 µA cm-2, under optimum experimental conditions. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 1.14 nM. CuMS also shows excellent activity toward colorimetric detection of sulfite anions with an LOD of 0.4 nM. The proposed sensor shows high selectivity toward the sulfite anion, even in the presence of common interferents. The detection of sulfite in white wine with excellent recovery demonstrates the practical applicability of this sensor.

Copper(II)-Incorporated Porphyrin-Based Porous Organic Polymer for a Nonenzymatic Electrochemical Glucose Sensor.

To date, the fabrication of multifunctional nanoplatforms based on a porous organic polymer for electrochemical sensing of biorelevant molecules has received considerable attention in the search for a more active, robust, and sensitive electrocatalyst. Here, in this report, we have developed a new porous organic polymer based on porphyrin (TEG-POR) from a polycondensation reaction between a triethylene glycol-linked dialdehyde and pyrrole. The Cu(II) complex of the polymer Cu-TEG-POR shows high sensitivity and a low detection limit for glucose electro-oxidation in an alkaline medium. The characterization of the as-synthesized polymer was done by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and 13C CP-MAS solid-state NMR. The N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm was carried out at 77 K to analyze the porous property. TEG-POR and Cu-TEG-POR both show excellent thermal stability. The Cu-TEG-POR-modified GC electrode shows a low detection limit (LOD) value of 0.9 µM and a wide linear range (0.001-1.3 mM) with a sensitivity of 415.8 µA mM-1 cm-2 toward electrochemical glucose sensing. The interference of the modified electrode from ascorbic acid, dopamine, NaCl, uric acid, fructose, sucrose, and cysteine was insignificant. Cu-TEG-POR exhibits acceptable recovery for blood glucose detection (97.25-104%), suggesting its scope in the future for selective and sensitive nonenzymatic glucose detection in human blood.

Ni(II)-Incorporated Porphyrin-Based Conjugated Porous Polymer Derived from 2,6-Diformyl-4-methylphenol as a Catalyst for the Urea Oxidation Reaction.

The urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is an excellent alternative to the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) as an anode reaction for hydrogen generation via electrochemical water splitting. Here, a porphyrin-based conjugated porous polymer (CPP) has been developed through the polycondensation reaction of 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenol and pyrrole (DMP-POR). The nickel(II) complex of this conjugated polymer Ni-DMP-POR shows efficient UOR in an alkaline medium. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by solid-state 13C CP-MAS, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The porous property of the materials was characterized by N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms at 77 K. Both DMP-POR and Ni-DMP-POR showed excellent thermal stability. The Ni-DMP-POR exhibits very good UOR in 1 M KOH and 0.33 M urea with an overpotential of 260 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 48 mV dec-1. The catalyst also shows excellent chronoamperometric and chronopotentiometric stability, suggesting its future scope in sustainable hydrogen production from wastewater resources.

A gold nanoparticle-intercalated mesoporous silica-based nanozyme for the selective colorimetric detection of dopamine.

Highly dispersed aggregation-free gold nanoparticles intercalated into the walls of mesoporous silica (AuMS) were synthesized using thioether-functionalized silica as a nanozyme, which exhibited an excellent peroxidase mimic activity. The AuMS material was characterized via XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, FESEM, SEM-EDS particle mapping, TEM, and XPS. The peroxidase-like activity of the AuMS material was studied thoroughly, and the effect of pH and temperature was evaluated. The reproducibility of the peroxidase mimic activity and long-term stability of the AuMS catalyst were also studied. Furthermore, the AuMS catalyst was successfully utilized for the detection and quantification of dopamine, an important neurotransmitter, colorimetrically with a linear range of 10-80 µM and a limit of detection (LOD) value of 1.28 nM. The determination of dopamine concentration in commercially available dopamine hydrochloride injection showed high accuracy, good reproducibility, and high selectivity in the presence of uric acid, ascorbic acid, glucose, tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine.

One Step Synthesis of a Gold/Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Composite Using a Hard Template Method for Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol and Colorimetric Determination of Glutathione.

Ordered mesoporous carbon-supported gold nanoparticles (Au/OMC) have been fabricated in one step through a hard template method using gold nanoparticle-intercalated mesoporous silica (GMS) to explore two different catalytic properties, for example, electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol and colorimetric determination of glutathione (GSH). The catalytically inert but conducting nature of mesoporous carbon (OMC) and promising catalytic activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has inspired us to synthesize Au/OMC. The as-prepared Au/OMC catalyst was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis-elemental mapping, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The characterization results indicate that AuNPs are uniformly distributed on the surface of OMC. The conducting-OMC framework with a high surface area of Au/OMC provides superior transport of electrons through the porous surface of carbon matrix and resulted in its high efficiency and stability as an electrocatalyst for the oxidation of methanol in comparison to CMK-3, SBA-15, and GMS in alkaline medium. The efficiency of Au/OMC toward methanol oxidation in alkaline medium is much higher in comparison to that in acidic medium. The lower value of I f/I b in the acidic medium in comparison to that in the alkaline medium clearly indicates that the oxidation process with Au/OMC as a catalyst is much more superior in alkaline medium with better tolerance toward the accumulation of intermediate CO species on the active surface area. Furthermore, the Au/OMC catalyst is successfully utilized for the detection and quantification of GSH spectrophotometrically with a limit of detection value of 0.604 nM.

Palladium Catalyzed Regioselective Synthesis of Substituted Biaryl Amides through Decarbonylative Arylation of Phthalimides.

The Pd(OAc)2 catalyzed cross-coupling of N-substituted phthalimides with aryl halide provides a single step direct access of a wide range of synthetically appealing ortho-substituted biarylamides in high yields through unique carbonyl (CO) replacement. The reaction proceeds through a ligand-free condition and is well tolerant to the diverse functionality of both imide and halide units. The reaction negates any requirement of organometallic reagent and needs a shorter reaction time and comparatively lower temperature as required for previously reported decarbonylative processes.

3,6-Di(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (pytz)-capped silver nanoparticles (TzAgNPs) inhibit biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a potential approach toward breaking the wall of biofilm through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation.

Microbial biofilms are factions of surface-colonized cells encompassed in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances. Profound application of antibiotics in order to treat infections due to microbial biofilm has led to the emergence of several drug-resistant microbial strains. In this context, a novel type of 3,6-di(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (pytz)-capped silver nanoparticles (TzAgNPs) was synthesized, and efforts were given to test its antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a widely used biofilm-forming pathogenic organism. The synthesized TzAgNPs showed considerable antimicrobial activity wherein the MIC value of TzAgNPs was found at 40 µg/mL against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibiofilm activity of TzAgNPs was also tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa by carrying out an array of experiments like microscopic observation, crystal violet assay, and protein count using the sub-MIC doses of TzAgNPs. Since TzAgNPs showed efficient antibiofilm activity, thus, in the present study, efforts were put together to investigate the underlying cause of biofilm attenuation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by using TzAgNPs. To this end, we discerned that the sub-MIC doses of TzAgNPs increased ROS level considerably in the bacterial cell. The result showed that the ROS level and microbial biofilm formation are inversely proportional. Thus, the attenuation in microbial biofilm could be attributed to the accumulation of ROS level. Furthermore, it was also duly noted that microorganisms upon treatment with TzAgNPs exhibited considerable diminution in virulence factors (protease and pyocyanin) in contrast to the control where the organisms were not treated with TzAgNPs. Thus, the results indicated that TzAgNPs exhibit considerable reduction in the development of biofilms and spreading of virulence factors. Taken together, all the results indicated that TzAgNPs could be deemed to be a promising agent for the prevention of microbial biofilm development that might assist to fight against infections linked to biofilm.

An abiotic receptor and its Cu(II) complex as selective 'turn-off' chemosensor for bisulfate ion.

The ligand 2,6-bis[(N-phenyl)amido]-4-methylphenol (receptor 1) and its copper(II) complex (receptor 2) having amide moiety have been designed and synthesized for selective sensing of anions. The anion recognition behavior of the receptor 1 and its copper complex (receptor 2) has been studied in acetonitrile. Quenching of fluorescence was observed for both receptors in presence of HSO4(-) anion whereas other physiologically and environmentally important anions such as F(-), Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), CN(-), OAc(-), HCO3(-), H2PO4(-), NO3(-), NO2(-) and SO4(2-) show fluorescence enhancement behavior. The sensing protocol has been studied both spectrophotometrically as well as spectrofluorometrically. Fluorescence quenching is suggested to proceed via both dynamic and static processes.

Photocatalysis by 3,6-disubstituted-s-tetrazine: visible-light driven metal-free green synthesis of 2-substituted benzimidazole and benzothiazole.

s-Tetrazine based molecules were prepared for visible-light-driven organic transformations. The 3,6-di(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazine (pytz) derivative shows visible light absorption and reversible one-electron reduction behavior. In the presence of pytz and aerial oxygen, aldehyde reacts with o-phenylenediamine or o-aminothiophenol under visible light irradiation at ambient temperature to produce corresponding 2-substituted benzimidazoles and benzothiazoles, respectively. Pytz catalyst demonstrates excellent catalytic activity for alkyl, aryl, organo-metallic substituted aldehydes and reducing sugar. The reaction yield is high for both the electron-donating and electron withdrawing substituents in aromatic aldehydes. The use of a metal-free catalyst and visible light energy, along with the mild reaction conditions, makes this reaction an environmentally benign and energy-saving chemical process.

CuS nanoparticles as a mimic peroxidase for colorimetric estimation of human blood glucose level.

CuS nanoparticles (NPs) was synthesized through a simple and green method using water soluble precursor complex [CuL2(H2O)2]Cl2 (L=pyridine 2-carboxamide) and was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques. The as-prepared CuS NPs (covellite) was demonstrated to possess intrinsic peroxidase-like activity using 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), as a peroxidase substrate, in presence of H2O2 which show good affinity towards both TMB and H2O2. Using this TMB-H2O2 catalyzed color reaction; the CuS NPs was exploited as a new type of biosensor for detection and estimation of glucose through a simple, cheap and selective colorimetric method in a linear range from 2 to 1800 µM with a detection limit of 0.12 µM. On the basis of the developed reaction process, we can easily monitor human blood glucose level.

Synthesis of FeS and FeSe nanoparticles from a single source precursor: a study of their photocatalytic activity, peroxidase-like behavior, and electrochemical sensing of H2O2.

Nanocrystalline FeS and FeSe compounds were prepared by solvothermal decomposition of a precursor complex [Fe(3)(µ(3)-O)(µ(2)-O(2)CCH(2)Cl)(6)(H(2)O)(3)]NO(3)·H(2)O in the presence of thiourea and sodium selenite, respectively. The as-obtained products were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV-vis spectroscopic techniques. Structural analyses revealed that the FeS and FeSe nanoparticles (NPs) are composed of needle-like and spherical particles, respectively. The FeS and FeSe NPs showed photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of rose bengal (RB) and methylene blue (MB) dyes under white light illumination. They also showed good catalytic activity toward oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H(2)O(2) and followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics. In addition, both FeS and FeSe NPs exhibited electrocatalytic activity toward reduction of hydrogen peroxide, which on immobilization on glassy carbon (GC) electrodes perform as amperometric sensors for detection of H(2)O(2). At pH 7.0, the FeS/GC showed a linear range for detection of H(2)O(2) from 5 to 140 µM, while for FeSe/GC the range was 5 to 100 µM.

Fixation of carbon dioxide by macrocyclic lanthanide(III) complexes under neutral conditions producing self-assembled trimeric carbonato-bridged compounds with µ3-η2:η2:η2 bonding.

A series of mononuclear lanthanide(III) complexes [Ln(LH(2))(H(2)O)(3)Cl](ClO(4))(2) (Ln = La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Lu) of the tetraiminodiphenolate macrocyclic ligand (LH(2)) in 95 : 5 (v/v) methanol-water solution fix atmospheric carbon dioxide to produce the carbonato-bridged trinuclear complexes [{Ln(LH(2))(H(2)O)Cl}(3)(µ(3)-CO(3))](ClO(4))(4)·nH(2)O. Under similar conditions, the mononuclear Y(III) complex forms the dimeric compound [{Y(LH(2))(H(2)O)Cl}(µ(2)-CO(3)){Y(LH(2))(H(2)O)(2)}](ClO(4))(3)·4H(2)O. These complexes have been characterized by their IR and NMR ((1)H, (13)C) spectra. The X-ray crystal structures have been determined for the trinuclear carbonato-bridged compounds of Nd(III), Gd(III) and Tb(III) and the dinuclear compound of Y(III). In all cases, each of the metal centers are 8-coordinate involving two imine nitrogens and two phenolate oxygens of the macrocyclic ligand (LH(2)) whose two other imines are protonated and intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded with the phenolate oxygens. The oxygen atoms of the carbonate anion in the trinuclear complexes are bonded to the metal ions in tris-bidentate µ(3)-η(2):η(2):η(2) fashion, while they are in bis-bidentate µ(2)-η(2):η(2) mode in the Y(III) complex. The magnetic properties of the Gd(III) complex have been studied over the temperature range 2 to 300 K and the magnetic susceptibility data indicate a very weak antiferromagnetic exchange interaction (J = -0.042 cm(-1)) between the Gd(III) centers (S = 7/2) in the metal triangle through the carbonate bridge. The luminescence spectral behaviors of the complexes of Sm(III), Eu(III), and Tb(III) have been studied. The ligand LH(2) acts as a sensitizer for the metal ions in an acetonitrile-toluene glassy matrix (at 77 K) and luminescence intensities of the complexes decrease in the order Eu(3+) > Sm(3+) > Tb(3+).

Structure, stereochemistry, and physico-chemical properties of trinuclear and dinuclear metal(II) complexes of a phenol-based tetrapodal Schiff base ligand.

The tetrapodal ligand 1,1,1,1-tetrakis[(salicylaldimino)methyl]methane (H(4)L) has been used to synthesize a number of divalent metal complexes, which include (i) the trinuclear compounds [Mg(3)(HL)(2)].nH(2)O (1), [Ni(3)(HL)(2)].2C(7)H(8) (3), [Ni(3)L'(2)].0.5C(7)H(8) (4), [Co(3)(HL)(2)] (5), and [Co(3)L'(2)].C(6)H(6) (6); (ii) the dinuclear compounds [Ni(2)L] (2), [Cu(2)L].CH(3)CN (8), and [Pd(2)L] (9); (iii) an unusual dimeric compound [{Ni(H(2.5)L)}(2)](ClO(4)).2H(2)O (7); and (iv) the inclusion compounds [Ni(2)L subset NaClO(4)].CH(3)CN (10) and [Cu(2)L subset NaClO(4)] (11). The molecular structures of compounds 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10 have been determined. In [M(3)(HL)(2)] complexes, one of the salicylaldimine chelating units remains uncoordinated, which on being hydrolyzed is transformed to the amine-ending complex [M(3)L'(2)]. All of the trinuclear complexes have the same core coordination sphere [N(3)M(mu-O(phenolate))(3)M(mu-O(phenolate))(3)MN(3)] where the terminal metals are connected to the central metal via face-shared phenolate oxygens. In the trinuclear compounds, the terminal metals are distorted from octahedral to trigonal prismatic to different extents in 1 and 6, while in 3 and 4 they are trigonal antiprismatically distorted. The stereochemical configurations obtained by the terminal metals in 3 and 6 are homochiral (Delta...Delta), but heterochiral (Lambda...Delta) in 1 and 4. In compound 7, the two mononuclear complex units are held together by three equivalent O...H...O bridges, indicating 50% deprotonation of all the metal-coordinated phenols. The temperature-dependent magnetic behavior of 7 has indicated the presence of very weak antiferromagnetic exchange coupling (J = -0.2 cm(-1)) between the two nickel(II) centers. Very similar magnetic behavior observed for the trinuclear nickel(II) compounds 3 and 4 is attributed to a ferromagnetic exchange interaction between the adjacent metals (J = 7.6 cm(-1)), although an interaction between the terminal metals is absent; in contrast, the adjacent cobalt(II) centers in 6, however, are involved in an antiferromagnetic exchange interaction (J = -5.7 cm(-1)). The dinuclear complexes [M(2)L], in which each of the metal centers are chelated with a pair of salicylaldimines, act as hosts (when M = Ni and Cu) for alkali metals (Li(+), Na(+), and K(+)). The host-guest binding constants (K) have been determined in (CH(3))(2)SO solution, and the results show that [Ni(2)L] is a better host compared to [Cu(2)L]. The decreasing order of K values for both hosts is Na(+) > Li(+) > K(+). [Ni(2)L subsetNaClO(4)].CH(3)CN (10) has been shown to have a polymeric structure in which sodium is octahedrally surrounded by four nickel-coordinated phenolate and two perchlorate oxygens. The magnesium(II) complex 1 exhibits strong fluorescence in CH(2)Cl(2) at room temperature with lambda(em) = 425 nm, and the lifetime for fluorescent decay is 18.5 ns. The thermal behaviors of 3 and 6 with regard to their loss of aromatic solvent molecules have been studied. The evolution of the toluene molecules from 3 takes place between 140 degrees and 230 degrees C, while the benzene is evolved between 100 degrees and 180 degrees C in 6. The enthalpy of desolvation of 3 is 43.4 kJ mol(-1).

Halogen exchange and scrambling between C-X and M-X' bonds in copper, nickel, and cobalt complexes of 6,6'-bis(bromo/chloromethyl)-2,2'-bipyridine. structural, electrochemical, and photochemical studies.

The synthesis, reactivities, spectroscopic, electrochemical, and structural studies of copper(I), copper(II), nickel(II), and cobalt(II) complexes of 6,6'-bis(bromomethyl)-2,2'-bipyridine (bpy-Br2) and 6,6'-bis(chloromethyl)-2,2'-bipyridine (bpy-Cl2) have been reported. The copper(I) complex [CuI(bpy-Br2)2](ClO4) (1) has been obtained in two crystallographic modifications, in which the coordination geometry of the metal center has the D2d symmetry. The reaction between CuCl2.2H2O and bpy-Br2 has been followed spectrophotometrically at 45 degrees C over a period of 7 h, and a mechanism for the intramolecular halogen exchange and scrambling in the initially formed compound [CuII(bpy-Br2)Cl2] (5) has been proposed. Depending upon the reaction conditions, several halogen-exchanged products, namely [CuII(bpy-Br1.86Cl0.14)(Cl1.89Br0.11)] (2), [CuII(bpy-Br1.81Cl0.19)(Cl1.70Br0.30)(H2O)] (3), and [CuII(bpy-Br0.63Cl1.37)(Cl0.54Br1.46)] (4), have been isolated in crystalline form. The reaction between bpy-Cl2 and CuCl2.2H2O provides [CuII(bpy-Cl2)Cl2] (7) and [CuII(bpy-Cl2)Cl2(H2O)] (8), whereas CoCl2.6H2O and NiCl2.6H20 on reaction with bpy-Br2 under boiling condition produce [CoII(bpy-Br0.5Cl1.5)(ClBr)] (11) and [NiII(bpy-Br0.46Cl1.54)(Cl0.73Br1.27)(H2O)] (12), respectively. The X-ray structures determined for the 4-coordinate compounds 2, 4, and 7 show flattened tetrahedral geometry for the metal center with the D2 symmetry. Both 5-coordinate compounds 3 and 12 have square pyramidal geometry, and whereas the nickel(II) complex 12 has near-perfect geometry (tau = 0.015), considerable distortion is observed for the copper(II) complex 3 (tau = 0.25). Complexes [CuII(bpy-Cl2)Br2] (6) and [CuII(bpy-Br2)Br2] under boiling condition undergo photoreduction to produce the dimeric copper(I) complexes [{CuI(bpy-Cl1.30Br0.70)(mu-Br)}2](9) and [{CuI(bpy-Br2)(mu-Br)}2] (10), respectively. The fact that the photoreduction of [CuII(bpy-Cl2)Br2] (6) and [CuII(bpy-Br2)Br2] do not take place in absence of light has been established by spectrophotometric measurements. The crystal structures of 9 and 10 have been determined. The electrochemical behavior of all the copper complexes 1-10 has been studied in acetonitrile and dichloromethane. The E1/2 values for the CuI/CuII redox couples show strong solvent dependence and for a given system the E1/2 value is more positive in dichloromethane relative to that in acetonitrile. For the compounds [CuII(bpy-Br2-xClx)(Cl2-yBry)] (x = 0-2, y = 0-2), the E1/2 values become more positive with the increase of y value.

Synthesis, reactivities, and magnetostructural properties of FeIII, FeIII-O-FeIII, and ZnIIFeIII-O-FeIIIZnII complexes of a tetraiminodiphenolate macrocycle.

The mononuclear iron(III) complexes [Fe(LH2)(H2O)Cl](ClO4)2.2H2O (1) and [Fe(LH2)(H2O)2](ClO4)3.H2O (2) have been prepared by reacting [Pb(LH(2))](ClO4)2 with FeCl3.6H2O and Fe(ClO(4))(3).6H(2)O, respectively. Complex 2 upon treatment with 1 equiv of alkali produces the oxo-bridged dimer [{Fe(LH2)(H2O)}2(mu-O)](ClO4)4.2H2O (3). In these compounds, LH2 refers to the tetraiminodiphenol macrocycle in the zwitterionic form whose two uncoordinated imine nitrogens are protonated and hydrogen-bonded to the metal-bound phenolate oxygens. The aqua ligands of complexes 1-3 get exchanged in acetonitrile. Reaction equilibria involving binding and exchange of the terminal ligands (Cl-/H2O/CH3CN) in these complexes have been studied spectrophotometrically. The equilibrium constant for the aquation reaction (K(aq)) [1]2+ + H2O <==> [2]3+ + Cl- in acetonitrile is 8.65(5) M, and the binding constant (K(Cl)-) for the reaction [1]2+ + Cl- [1Cl]+ + CH3CN is 4.75(5) M. The pK(D) value for the dimerization reaction 2[2]3+ + 2OH- <==> [3]4+ + 3H(2)O in 1:1 acetonitrile-water is 9.38(10). Complexes 1-3 upon reaction with Zn(ClO4)(2).6H(2)O and sodium acetate (OAc), pivalate (OPiv), or bis(4-nitrophenyl)phosphate (BNPP) produce the heterobimetallic complexes [{FeLZn(mu-X)}2(mu-O)](ClO4)2, where X = OAc (4), OPiv (5), and BNPP (6). The pseudo-first-order rate constant (k(obs)) for the formation of 4 at 25 degrees C from either 1 or 3 with an excess of Zn(OAc)2.2H2O in 1:1 acetonitrile-water at pH 6.6 is found to be the same with k(obs) = 1.6(2) x 10(-4) s(-1). The X-ray crystal structures of 3, 4, and 6 have been determined, although the structure determination of 3 was severely affected because of heavy disordering. In 3, the Fe-O-Fe angle is 168.6(6) degrees, while it is exactly 180.0 degrees in 4 and 6. Cyclic and square-wave voltammetric (CV and SWV) measurements have been carried out for complexes 1-4 in acetonitrile. The variation of the solvent composition (acetonitrile-water) has a profound effect on the E(1/2) and DeltaE(p) values. The binding of an additional chloride ion to an iron(III) center in 1-3 is accompanied by a remarkable shift of E(1/2) to more negative values. The observation of quasi-reversible CV for complexes containing a Fe(III)-O-Fe(III) unit (3 and 4) indicates that in the electrochemical time scale unusual Fe(III)-O-Fe(II) is produced. The 1H NMR spectra of complexes 3-6 exhibit hyperfine-shifted signals in the range 0-90 ppm with similar features. The metal-hydrogen distances obtained from T(1) measurements are in good agreement with the crystallographic data. Variable-temperature (2-300 K) magnetic susceptibility measurements carried out for 3 and 4 indicate strong antiferromagnetic exchange interaction (H = -2JS1.S2) between the high-spin iron(III) centers in the Fe-O-Fe unit with J = -114 cm(-1) (3) and -107 cm(-1) (4).