Iron(II), Cobalt(II), and Nickel(II) Complexes of Bis(sulfonamido)benzenes: Redox Properties, Large Zero-Field Splittings, and Single-Ion Magnets.

Metal complexes of 1,2-diamidobenzenes have been long studied because of their intriguing redox properties and electronic structures. We present here a series of such complexes with 1,2-bis(sulfonamido)benzene ligands to probe the utility of these ligands for generating a large zero-field splitting (ZFS, D) in metal complexes that possibly act as single-ion magnets. To this end, we have synthesized a series of homoleptic ate complexes of the form (X)n[M{bis(sulfonamido)benzene}2] (n equals 4 minus the oxidation state of the metal), where M (Fe/Co/Ni), X [K+/(K-18-c-6)+/(HNEt3)+, with 18-c-6 = 18-crown ether 6], and the substituents (methyl and tolyl) on the ligand [bmsab = 1,2-bis(methanesulfonamido)benzene; btsab = 1,2-bis(toluenesulfonamido)benzene] were varied to analyze their effect on the ZFS, possible single-ion-magnet properties, and redox behavior of these metal complexes. A combination of X-ray crystallography, (spectro)electrochemistry, superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, high-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to investigate the electronic/geometric structures of these complexes and the aforementioned properties. These investigations show that the cobalt(II) complexes display very high negative D values in the range of -100 to -130 cm-1, and the nickel(II) complexes display very high positive D values of 76 and 58 cm-1. In addition, the cobalt(II) complexes shows barriers of 200-260 cm-1 and slow relaxation of the magnetization in the absence of an external magnetic field, underscoring the robustness of this class of complexes. The iron(II) complex exhibits a D value of -3.29 cm-1 and can be chemically oxidized to an iron(III) complex that has D = -1.96 cm-1. These findings clearly show that bis(sulfonamido)benzenes are ideally suited to stabilize ate complexes, to generate very high ZFSs at the metal centers with single-ion-magnet properties, and to induce exclusive oxidation at the metal center (for iron) despite the presence of ligands that are potentially noninnocent. Our results therefore substantially enhance the scope for this class of redox-active ligands.

Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of the Existence of Cu(II), Cu(III), and Cu(IV) in Copper Corrolato Complexes.

The most common oxidation states of copper in stable complexes are +I and +II. Cu(III) complexes are often considered as intermediates in biological and homogeneous catalysis. More recently, Cu(IV) species have been postulated as possible intermediates in oxidation catalysis. Despite the importance of these higher oxidation states of copper, spectroscopic data for these oxidation states remain scarce, with such information on Cu(IV) complexes being non-existent. We herein present the synthesis and characterization of three copper corrolato complexes. A combination of electrochemistry, UV/Vis/NIR/EPR spectroelectrochemistry, XANES measurements, and DFT calculations points to existence of three distinct redox states in these molecules for which the oxidation states +II, +III, and +IV can be invoked for the copper centers. The present results thus represent the first spectroscopic and theoretical investigation of a Cu(IV) species, and describe a redox series where Cu(II), Cu(III), and Cu(IV) are discussed within the same molecular platform.

Reactivity of TCNE and TCNQ derivatives of quinonoid zwitterions with Cu(I).

The reactions of TCNE- and TCNQ-functionalized (TCNE: tetracyanoethylene and TCNQ: 7,7',8,8'-tetracyanoquinodimethane) zwitterionic benzoquinonemonoimines with a Cu(I)-BIAN complex (BIAN = bis(o,o'-bisisopropylphenyl)acenaphthenequinonediimine) have been investigated and found to follow a diversity of interesting patterns. The complexes [Cu(BIAN)(NCMe)(L2)]BF4 (2) and [Cu(BIAN)(L2)2]BF4 (4) were obtained by reacting [Cu(BIAN)(NCMe)2]BF4 (1) with one and two equivalents of L2, respectively. Following similar procedures, the complexes [Cu(BIAN)(NCMe)(L3)]BF4 (6) and [Cu(BIAN)(L3)2]BF4 (7) were obtained by reaction of 1 with L3. The reaction of 2 with 0.5 equiv. of 4,4'-bipyridine afforded [{Cu(BIAN)(L2)}2(µ-4,4'-bipyridine)](BF4)2 (3). The complexes were characterized by multinuclear NMR, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques, mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry and elemental analysis. The molecular structures of complexes 3 ·4CH2Cl2 and 4 ·CH2Cl2 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. An unexpected coordination polymer [Cu((L2-))2]∞ (5) was also structurally characterized, which contains Cu(II) centres chelated by two N,O-bound ligands resulting from the monodeprotonation of L2.

Silver corrole complexes: unusual oxidation states and near-IR-absorbing dyes.

Macrocycles such as porphyrins and corroles have important functions in chemistry and biology, including light absorption for photosynthesis. Generation of near-IR (NIR)-absorbing dyes based on metal complexes of these macrocycles for mimicking natural photosynthesis still remains a challenging task. Herein, the syntheses of four new Ag(III) corrolato complexes with differently substituted corrolato ligands are presented. A combination of structural, electrochemical, UV/Vis/NIR-EPR spectroelectrochemical, and DFT studies was used to decipher the geometric and electronic properties of these complexes in their various redox states. This combined approach established the neutral compounds as stable Ag(III) complexes, and the one-electron reduced species of all the compounds as unusual, stable Ag(II) complexes. The one-electron oxidized forms of two of the complexes display absorptions in the NIR region, and thus they are rare examples of mononuclear complexes of corroles that absorb in the NIR region. The appearance of this NIR band, which has mixed intraligand charge transfer/intraligand character, is strongly dependent on the substituents of the corrole rings. Hence, the present work revolves round the design principles for the generation of corrole-based NIR-absorbing dyes and shows the potential of corroles for stabilizing unusual metal oxidation states. These findings thus further contribute to the generation of functional metal complexes based on such macrocyclic ligands.

Three-way cooperativity in d8 metal complexes with ligands displaying chemical and redox non-innocence.

Reversible proton- and electron-transfer steps are crucial for various chemical transformations. The electron-reservoir behavior of redox non-innocent ligands and the proton-reservoir behavior of chemically non-innocent ligands can be cooperatively utilized for substrate bond activation. Although site-decoupled proton- and electron-transfer steps are often found in enzymatic systems, generating model metal complexes with these properties remains challenging. To tackle this issue, we present herein complexes [(cod-H)M(µ-L(2-)) M(cod-H)] (M = Pt(II), [1] or Pd(II), [2], cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, H2L = 2,5-di-[2,6-(diisopropyl)anilino]-1,4-benzoquinone), in which cod acts as a proton reservoir, and L(2-) as an electron reservoir. Protonation of [2] leads to an unusual tetranuclear complex. However, [1] can be stepwise reversibly protonated with up to two protons on the cod-H ligands, and the protonated forms can be stepwise reversibly reduced with up to two electrons on the L(2-) ligand. The doubly protonated form of [1] is also shown to react with OMe(-) leading to an activation of the cod ligands. The site-decoupled proton and electron reservoir sources work in tandem in a three-way cooperative process that results in the transfer of two electrons and two protons to a substrate leading to its double reduction and protonation. These results will possibly provide new insights into developing catalysts for multiple proton- and electron-transfer reactions by using metal complexes of non-innocent ligands.

Redox-induced spin-state switching and mixed valency in quinonoid-bridged dicobalt complexes.

The complexes [{(tmpa)Co(II) }2 (µ-L(1) )(2-) ](2+) (1(2+) ) and [{(tmpa)Co(II) }2 (µ-L(2) )(2-) ](2+) (2(2+) ), with tmpa=tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, H2 L(1) =2,5-di-[2-(methoxy)-anilino]-1,4-benzoquinone, and H2 L(2) =2,5-di-[2-(trifluoromethyl)-anilino]-1,4-benzoquinone, were synthesized and characterized. Structural analysis of 2(2+) revealed a distorted octahedral coordination around the cobalt centers, and cobalt-ligand bond lengths that match with high-spin Co(II) centers. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometric studies on 1(2+) and 2(2+) are consistent with the presence of two weakly exchange-coupled high-spin cobalt(II) ions, for which the nature of the coupling appears to depend on the substituents on the bridging ligand, being antiferromagnetic for 1(2+) and ferromagnetic for 2(2+) . Both complexes exhibit several one-electron redox steps, and these were investigated with cyclic voltammetry and UV/Vis/near-IR spectroelectrochemistry. For 1(2+) , it was possible to chemically isolate the pure forms of both the one-electron oxidized mixed-valent 1(3+) and the two-electron oxidized isovalent 1(4+) forms, and characterize them structurally as well as magnetically. This series thus provided an opportunity to investigate the effect of reversible electron transfers on the total spin-state of the molecule. In contrast to 2(2+) , for 1(4+) the metal-ligand distances and the distances within the quinonoid ligand point to the existence of two low-spin Co(III) centers, thus showing the innocence of the quintessential non-innocent ligands L. Magnetic data corroborate these observations by showing the decrease of the magnetic moment by roughly half (neglecting spin exchange effects) on oxidizing the molecules with one electron, and the disappearance of a paramagnetic response upon two-electron oxidation, which confirms the change in spin state associated with the electron-transfer steps.

Electrochemistry, chemical reactivity, and time-resolved infrared spectroscopy of donor-acceptor systems [(Q(x))Pt(pap(y))] (Q = substituted o-quinone or o-iminoquinone; pap = phenylazopyridine).

The donor-acceptor complex [((O,N)Q(2-))Pt(pap(0))] (1; pap = phenylazopyridine, (O,N)Q(0) = 4,6-di-tert-butyl-N-phenyl-o-iminobenzoquinone), which displays strong π-bonding interactions and shows strong absorption in the near-IR region, has been investigated with respect to its redox-induced reactivity and electrochemical and excited-state properties. The one-electron-oxidized product [((O,N)Q(•-))Pt(pap(0))](BF4) ([1]BF4) was chemically isolated. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies establish the iminosemiquinone form of (O,N)Q in [1](+). Simulation of the cyclic voltammograms of 1 recorded in the presence of PPh3 elucidates the mechanism and delivers relevant thermodynamic and kinetic parameters for the redox-induced reaction with PPh3. The thermodynamically stable product of this reaction, complex [((O,N)Q(•-)) Pt(PPh3)2](PF6) ([2]PF6), was isolated and characterized by X-ray crystallography, electrochemistry, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Picosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopic studies on complex 1b (one of the positional isomers of 1) and its analogue [((O,O)Q(2-))Pt(pap(0))] (3; (O,O)Q = 3,5-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone) provided insight into the excited-state dynamics and revealed that the nature of the lowest excited state in the amidophenolate complex 1b is primarily diimine-ligand-based, while it is predominantly an interligand charge-transfer state in the case of 3. Density functional theory calculations on [1](n+) provided further insight into the nature of the frontier orbitals of various redox forms and vibrational mode assignments. We discuss the mechanistic details of the newly established redox-induced reactivity of 1 with electron donors and propose a mechanism for this process.

Luminescent dirhenium(I)-double-heterostranded helicate and mesocate.

The semirigid ligands 1,4-bis(2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (H2-pBC) and 1,3-bis(2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene (H2-mBC), containing two hydroxyphenylbenzimidazolyl units as bis-chelating (or bis(bidentate)) N∩OH donor, were synthesized and were used to assemble neutral, luminescent heteroleptic, unsaturated double-hetero-stranded, rhenium(I)-based helicate (1) and mesocate (2) with the flexible bis(monodentate) nitrogen donor (1,4-bis(benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene/1,3-bis(benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene), and Re2(CO)10. The photophysical properties of the complexes were studied. Both complexes 1 and 2 exhibit dual emissions in both solution and solid state. In solution, these complexes show both fluorescence and phosphorescence. Complex 1 undergoes a predominantly ligand-centered oxidation, resulting in the generation of phenoxyl radicals.

Synthesis, spectral characterization, structures, and oxidation state distributions in [(corrolato)Fe(III)(NO)](n) (n = 0, +1, -1) complexes.

Two novel trans-A2B-corroles and three [(corrolato){FeNO}(6)] complexes have been prepared and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. In the native state, all these [(corrolato){FeNO}(6)] species are diamagnetic and display "normal" chemical shifts in the (1)H NMR spectra. For two of the structurally characterized [(corrolato){FeNO}(6)] derivatives, the Fe-N-O bond angles are 175.0(4)° and 171.70(3)° (DFT: 179.94°), respectively, and are designated as linear nitrosyls. The Fe-N (NO) bond distances are 1.656(4) Å and 1.650(3) Å (DFT: 1.597 Å), which point toward a significant Fe(III) → NO back bonding. The NO bond lengths are 1.159(5) Å and 1.162(3) Å (DFT: 1.162 Å) and depict their elongated character. These structural data are typical for low-spin Fe(III). Electrochemical measurements show the presence of a one-electron oxidation and a one-electron reduction process for all the complexes. The one-electron oxidized species of a representative [(corrolato){FeNO}(6)] complex exhibits ligand to ligand charge transfer (LLCT) transitions (cor(π) → cor(π*)) at 399 and 637 nm, and the one-electron reduced species shows metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transition (Fe(dπ) → cor(π*)) in the UV region at 330 nm. The shift of the νNO stretching frequency of a representative [(corrolato){FeNO}(6)] complex on one-electron oxidation occurs from 1782 cm(-1) to 1820 cm(-1), which corresponds to 38 cm(-1), and on one-electron reduction occurs from 1782 cm(-1) to 1605 cm(-1), which corresponds to 177 cm(-1). The X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum of one-electron oxidation at 295 K in CH2Cl2/0.1 M Bu4NPF6 displays an isotropic signal centered at g = 2.005 with a peak-to-peak separation of about 15 G. The in situ generated one-electron reduced species in CH2Cl2/0.1 M Bu4NPF6 at 295 K shows an isotropic signal centered at g = 2.029. The 99% contribution of corrole to the HOMO of native species indicates that oxidation occurs from the corrole moiety. The results of the electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical measurements and density functional theory calculations clearly display a preference of the {FeNO}(6) unit to get reduced during the reduction step and the corrolato unit to get oxidized during the anodic process. Comparisons are presented with the structural, electrochemical, and spectroelectrochemical data of related compounds reported in the literature, with a particular focus on the interpretation of the EPR spectrum of the one-electron oxidized form.

The redox series [Ru(bpy)2(L)]n, n = +3, +2, +1, 0, with L = bipyridine, "click" derived pyridyl-triazole or bis-triazole: a combined structural, electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical and DFT investigation.

The compounds [Ru(bpy)2(L(1))](ClO4)2 (1(ClO4)2), [Ru(bpy)2(L(2))](ClO4)2 (2(ClO4)2), [Ru(bpy)2(L(3))](ClO4)2 (3(ClO4)2), [Ru(bpy)2(L(4))](ClO4)2 (4(ClO4)2), [Ru(bpy)2(L(5))](ClO4)2 (5(ClO4)2), and [Ru(bpy)2(L(6))](ClO4)2 6(ClO4)2 (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, L(1) = 1-(4-isopropyl-phenyl)-4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole, L(2) = 1-(4-butoxy-phenyl)-4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole, L(3) = 1-(2-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole, L(4) = 4,4'-bis-{1-(2,6-diisopropyl-phenyl)}-1,2,3-triazole, L(5) = 4,4'-bis-{(1-phenyl)}-1,2,3-triazole, L(6) = 4,4'-bis-{1-(2-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)}-1,2,3-triazole) were synthesized from [Ru(bpy)2(EtOH)2](ClO4)2 and the corresponding "click"-derived pyridyl-triazole or bis-triazole ligands, and characterized by (1)H-NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography. Structural analysis showed a distorted octahedral coordination environment about the Ru(II) centers, and shorter Ru-N(triazole) bond distances compared to Ru-N(pyridine) distances in complexes of mixed-donor ligands. All the complexes were subjected to cyclic voltammetric studies, and the results were compared to the well-known [Ru(bpy)3](2+) compound. The oxidation and reduction potentials were found to be largely uninfluenced by ligand changes, with all the investigated complexes showing their oxidation and reduction steps at rather similar potentials. A combined UV-vis-NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemical investigation, together with DFT calculations, was used to determine the site of electron transfer in these complexes. These results provided insights into their electronic structures in the various investigated redox states, showed subtle differences in the spectroscopic signatures of these complexes despite their similar electrochemical properties, and provided clues to the unperturbed redox potentials in these complexes with respect to ligand substitutions. The reduced forms of the complexes display structured absorption bands in the NIR region. Additionally, we also present new synthetic routes for the ligands presented here using Cu-abnormal carbene catalysts.

Straightforward approach to efficient oxidative DNA cleaving agents based on Cu(II) complexes of heterosubstituted cyclens.

The Cu(II) complexes of cyclen and two of its heterosubstituted analogues were shown to be efficient oxidative DNA cleavers. The reactivity strongly depends on the heteroatom inserted into the macrocycle (O > S > N).

Paramagnetic palladacycles with Pd(III) centers are highly active catalysts for asymmetric aza-Claisen rearrangements.

A combination of spectroscopic and electrochemical methods--XANES, EXAFS, X-ray, (1)H NMR, EPR, Mössbauer, and cyclic voltammetry--demonstrate that the most efficient Pd catalysts for the asymmetric rearrangement of allylic trifluoroacetimidates unexpectedly possess in the activated oxidized form a Pd(III) center bound to a ferrocene core which remains unchanged (Fe(II)) during the oxidative activation. These are the first recognized Pd(III) complexes acting as enantioselective catalysts.

Donor-acceptor systems of Pt(II) and redox-induced reactivity towards small molecules.

Oxidation at a redox-active ligand is shown to enhance reactivity at the metal center and makes it susceptible to chemical reactions which also include H(2) activation.

Isomeric separation in donor-acceptor systems of Pd(II) and Pt(II) and a combined structural, electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical study.

Compounds of the form [(pap)M(Q(2-))] (pap = phenylazopyridine; Q = 3,5-di-tert-butyl-benzoquinone, M = Pd, 1a and 1b, M = Pt, 2a and 2b; Q = 4-tert-butyl-benzoquinone, M = Pd, 3a and 3b; M = Pt, 4a and 4b) were synthesized in a one-pot reaction. The geometrical isomers, which are possible because of the built in asymmetry of these ligands, have been separated by using different temperatures and variable solubility. Structural characterization of 1b shows that the metal centers are in a square planar environment, the pap ligand is in the unreduced neutral state and the quinones are in the doubly reduced, Q(2-) catecholate form. Cyclic voltammetric measurements on the complexes display two one-electron oxidations and two one-electron reductions. EPR and vis-NIR spectra of the one-electron oxidized forms of the complexes indicate that the first oxidation takes place on the Q(2-) ligands to produce a metal bound semiquinone (Q˙(-)) radical. Reduction takes place on the pap ligand, generating metal bound pap˙(-) as seen from the (14)N (I = 1) coupling in their EPR spectrum. All the complexes in their [(pap)M(Q(2-))] neutral forms show strong absorptions in the NIR region which are largely LLCT (ligand to ligand charge transfer) in origin. These NIR bands can be tuned over a wide energy range by varying the metal center as well as the Q ligand. In addition, the intensity of NIR bands can be switched on and off by a simple electron transfer at relatively low potentials. DFT studies were used to corroborate these findings.

'Double redox-activity' in azobenzene-quinonoid palladium(II) complexes: a combined structural, electrochemical and spectroscopic study.

Reactions of [(az(-H))Pd(µ-Cl)(2)Pd(az(-H))] (az = azobenzene) with the zwitterionic, p-benzoquinonemonoimine-type ligands 4-(n-butylamino)-6(n-butylimino)-3-oxocyclohexa-1,4-dien-1-olate (Q(1)) or 4-(isopropylamino)-6(isopropylimino)-3-oxocyclohexa-1,4-dien-1-olate) (Q(2)) in the presence of a base leads to the formation of the mononuclear complexes [(az(-H))Pd(Q(1)(-H))] (1) and [(az(-H))Pd(Q(2)(-H))] (2) respectively. Structural characterization of 2 shows an almost square planar coordination geometry around the Pd(II) centre, a short Pd-C bond, a slight elongation of the N=N double bond of the az(-H) ligand and localization of the double bonds within the Q(2)(-H) ligand. Additionally, intermolecular N-H-O interactions exist between the uncoordinated N-H and O groups of two different molecules. Cyclic voltammetry of the complexes reveals an irreversible oxidation and two reversible reduction processes. A combination of electrochemical and UV-vis-NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemical studies are used to show that both coordinated ligands participate successively in the redox processes, thus revealing their non-innocent character.