Photoreduction and light-induced triplet-state formation in a single-site fluoroalkylated zinc phthalocyanine.

Electron-withdrawing perfluoroalkyl peripheral substituents enhance the photosensitizing properties of metal phthalocyanines while increasing their solubility, thus providing opportunities for advanced characterization of their catalytically-relevant excited states. Optical absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy experiments reveal that red light induces the reduction of perfluoroisopropyl-substituted zinc(ii) phthalocyanine (F64PcZn) dissolved in ethanol. A similar photoreduction does not occur in toluene. Furthermore, intense UV irradiation causes the photodegradation of F64PcZn in ethanol, but low power UV illumination favours the formation of the triplet excited state, a prerequisite for new photocatalytic applications. The UV-induced triplet state of F64PcZn is characterized using a combination of transient EPR experiments and DFT computations.

The solid-state organization of 'self-doped' PPV oligomers.

Using a combination of multi-frequency EPR and NMR spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations at the level of Density Functional Theory (DFT), the organization of self-doped PPV oligomers in their solid state is investigated. The analysis of the different spectra shows that the electrochemical procedure used to self-dope these materials produces positive radicals (polarons) in an almost quantitative way, but still magnetically isolated polarons are observed. The difference between chemical and electrochemical oxidation of the oligomers is studied in detail. Furthermore, ageing of the electrochemically oxidized oligomers may be accompanied by a stacking of the oligomers.

W-band transient EPR and photoinduced absorption on spin-labeled fullerene derivatives.

We investigated by W-band (94 GHz) transient electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) and photoinduced absorption (PIA) spectroscopy two fullerene derivatives bearing a nitroxide radical unit. After pulsed laser photoexcitation of the molecules in liquid toluene solution, complex EPR spectra are recorded, with lines in absorption and emission. The intrinsic higher spectral and temporal resolution of the W-band frequency leads to the assignment of all the lines in the spectrum and the determination of the sign and the absolute value of the exchange coupling between the fullerene in its photoexcited triplet state (S(T) = 1) and the radical (S(R) = 1/2). The two compounds with different fullerene-nitroxide spacers show opposite-ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic-exchange couplings. The time evolution of the spectra and the polarization of the lines are interpreted in terms of several possible spin polarization mechanisms. The EPR measurements are complemented with PIA experiments.

Synthesis, X-ray structure, magnetic resonance, and DFT analysis of a soluble copper(II) phthalocyanine lacking C-H bonds.

The synthesis, crystal structure, and electronic properties of perfluoro-isopropyl-substituted perfluorophthalocyanine bearing a copper atom in the central cavity (F(64)PcCu) are reported. While most halogenated phthalocyanines do not exhibit long-term order sufficient to form large single crystals, this is not the case for F(64)PcCu. Its crystal structure was determined by X-ray analysis and linked to the electronic properties determined by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The findings are corroborated by density functional theory (DFT) computations, which agree well with the experiment. X-band continuous-wave EPR spectra of undiluted F(64)PcCu powder, indicate the existence of isolated metal centers. The electron-withdrawing effect of the perfluoroalkyl (R(f)) groups significantly enhances the complexes solubility in organic solvents like alcohols, including via their axial coordination. This coordination is confirmed by X-band (1)H HYSCORE experiments and is also seen in the solid state via the X-ray structure. Detailed X-band CW-EPR, X-band Davies and Mims ENDOR, and W-band electron spin-echo-detected EPR studies of F(64)PcCu in ethanol allow the determination of the principal g values and the hyperfine couplings of the metal, nitrogen, and fluorine nuclei. Comparison of the g and metal hyperfine values of F(64)PcCu and other PcCu complexes in different matrices reveals a dominant effect of the matrix on these EPR parameters, while variations in the ring substituents have only a secondary effect. The relatively strong axial coordination occurs despite the diminished covalency of the C-N bonds and potentially weakening Jahn-Teller effects. Surprisingly, natural abundance (13)C HYSCORE signals could be observed for a frozen ethanol solution of F(64)PcCu. The (13)C nuclei contributing to the HYSCORE spectra could be identified as the pyrrole carbons by means of DFT. Finally, (19)F ENDOR and easily observable paramagnetic NMR were found to relate well to the DFT computations, revealing negligible isotropic hyperfine (Fermi contact) contributions. The single-site isolation in solution and solid state and the relatively strong coordination of axial ligands, both attributed to the introduction of R(f) groups, are features important for materials and catalyst design.

Structural characterization of a highly active superoxide-dismutase mimic.

A lot of effort has been put into the synthesis of copper complexes with superoxide-dismutase (SOD) activity because of their potential pharmaceutical applications. In this work, we study a model for these so-called SOD mimics (SODm), namely a copper complex of 6-(2-hydroxy-benzaldehyde) hydrazono-as-triazine-3,5-dione, which shows an extremely high SOD-like activity in solution. X-Ray diffraction reveals that the complex adopts a di-copper structure in the solid state. However, in solution, the chloride bridges are broken, forming a mono-copper center as follows from UV/Vis absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments. Using pulsed EPR techniques in combination with DFT (density functional theory) computations, the electronic structure of the complex in solution is analyzed in detail and related to its high SOD activity. The structure-activity analysis serves to orient further synthetic efforts to obtain the optimum geometry around the metal essential for SOD-like activity.