Direct observation of collective modes coupled to molecular orbital-driven charge transfer.

Correlated electron systems can undergo ultrafast photoinduced phase transitions involving concerted transformations of electronic and lattice structure. Understanding these phenomena requires identifying the key structural modes that couple to the electronic states. We report the ultrafast photoresponse of the molecular crystal Me4P[Pt(dmit)2]2, which exhibits a photoinduced charge transfer similar to transitions between thermally accessible states, and demonstrate how femtosecond electron diffraction can be applied to directly observe the associated molecular motions. Even for such a complex system, the key large-amplitude modes can be identified by eye and involve a dimer expansion and a librational mode. The dynamics are consistent with the time-resolved optical study, revealing how the electronic, molecular, and lattice structures together facilitate ultrafast switching of the state.

An organometallic dithiolene complex exhibiting electrochemically initiated hydrogen generation.

We clarify the electrochemical behavior of an organometallic cobalt dithiolene complex (1-NH) with a secondary sulfonyl amide (­NHSO(2)­) substituted Cp ligand involving proton dynamics. The reductions of 1-NH and its deprotonated derivative (1-N(−)) are centered on the CpCoS(2) moiety. The 2e(−) reduction of 1-NH quantitatively gives 1-N(−) with hydrogen generation.

Synthesis and electrochemistry of organometallic cobaltadithiaazulenes.

Reaction of tropolone or hinokitiol with phosphorus pentasulfide (P(2)S(5)) directly gives the sulfurized precursor [PS(2)(SST)](2) or [PS(2)(SSH)](2) (SST = dithiotropolonato or SSH = dithiohinokitiolato). The resulting [PS(2)(SST)](2) or [PS(2)(SSH)](2) is further reacted with [CpCoI(2)(CO)] (Cp = η(5)-cyclopentadienyl) to form the organometallic [CpCo(I)(SST)] (1) or [CpCo(I)(SSH)] (2), respectively. 1 and 2 have a cobaltadithiaazulene ring containing one cobalt and two sulfur atoms in the five-membered ring of azulene. Although X-ray structure analysis of 1 reveals the iodide-coordinated structure, 1 becomes the iodide-free complex [CpCo(SST)](+) (4(+)) in solution. Electrochemical studies of 4(+) by CV and spectroelectrochemical measurements (ESR, UV-vis-NIR) in solution are carried out. 4(+) is stepwise reduced by 2e(-) to form the stable neutral radical (4(•)) and unstable anion (4(-)). It is proposed that the anion 4(-) undergoes dimerization to afford the dimer (6(2-)) by anion radical coupling at the 5 or 7 position in the seven-membered ring of the cobaltadithiaazulene, since the similar anion radical coupling of a reduced azulene has been reported. Electrochemical reoxidation of 6(2-) slowly undergoes monomerization, giving the original monomer 4(•). DFT calculation of 4(+) explains that there is a delocalized lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) in the whole molecule, and that of radical 4(•) has a delocalized singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO). In these CpCo-SST (or SSH) complexes, there could be metal/ligand electron transfer since the SST (or SSH) ligand is potentially redox active. The spin density distribution of 4(-) obtained by the DFT method supports the mechanism of the anion radical coupling at the 5 or 7 position in the seven-membered ring.

Organometallic dithiolene complexes of the group 8-10 metals: reactivities, structures and electrochemical behavior.

Research progress in the organometallic dithiolene complexes such as [Cp(or Cp*)M(dithiolene)] (M = Co, Rh, Ir, Ni), [(C(6)R(6))Ru(dithiolene)] and [(C(4)R(4))Pt(dithiolene)] complexes during the past decade is described and the reactivities, structures and electrochemical behavior are summarized in this paper. The five-membered metalladithiolene ring (MS(2)C(2)) undergoes addition reactions to the M[double bond, length as m-dash]S bond to form 18-electron adducts by an imido, alkylidene, alkene or norbornene group and also undergoes dimerizations on the basis of the unsaturation in the ring. The aromaticity of the ring causes substitution reactions on the dithiolene carbon by a C-centered radical, S-centered radical or succinimide group when the ring has a C-H bond. Furthermore a dithiolene-dithiolene homo-coupling reaction by an acid or dithiolene-aryl cross-coupling occurs based on the aromaticity in the ring. Dissociations of the 18-electron adducts are observed by those thermolyses, photolyses, electrochemical redox reactions and other chemical reactions with tertiary phosphorus compounds. One representative example of them is the imido adduct dissociation with PR(3) under heating toward the intramolecular imido migration to a Cp ligand. Since all products are rearomatized by those adduct dissociations, it is concluded that the 'coexistence of aromaticity and unsaturation' in the metallacycle mediates the diverse chemical reactions.

[CpNi(diselenolene)] neutral radical complexes: electron paramagnetic resonance and density functional theory investigations.

77Se-enriched CpNi(bds) (bds = 1,2-benzenediselenolate), has been synthesized and its g tensor and 77Se hyperfine tensors have been obtained from its frozen solution electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum. These parameters are consistent with those calculated by density functional theory (DFT); it is shown that 10% of the spin is localized on each selenium and that the direction associated to the maximum 77Se couplings is aligned along the gmin direction, perpendicular to the Ni(bds) plane. EPR measurements and DFT calculations are also carried out on the 77Se enriched complex CpNi(dsit) as well on the two dithiolene analogues CpNi(bdt) and CpNi(dmit). The optimized structures of the isolated CpNi(bds) and CpNi(bdt) complexes have been used to generate the idealized dimers (bds)NiCp...CpNi(bds) and (bdt)NiCp...CpNi(bdt) characterized by Cp...Cp overlap. The exchange parameters J calculated at the DFT level for these systems are in reasonable accord with the experimental values. The influence of the geometry of the dimer on its magnetic properties is assessed by calculating the variation of J as a function of the relative orientation of the two Ni(diselenolene) or Ni(dithiolene) planes.

Dinuclear Cp* cobalt complexes of the 1,2,4,5-benzenetetrathiolate bischelating ligand.

The dinuclear Cp*Co dithiolene complex [Cp*Co(btt)CoCp*] ( 1) is prepared in high yield from the reaction of the bis(dibutyltin) complex of 1,2,4,5-benzenetetrathiolate (btt) with 2 equiv of [Cp*Co(CO)I 2]. Mononuclear complexes are also obtained from 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(isopropylthio)benzene ( 2) and sodium in pyridine, from benzo[1,2- d;4,5- d ']bis(1,3-dithiolane-2,6-dione) ( 3) and ( t )BuOK in tetrahydrofuran, or from benzo[ d]-1,3-dithiolane-2-one ( 7) and ( t )BuOK to afford respectively 4a, 4b, and [Cp*Co(bdt)] ( 6), while [Cp*Co(dmit)] ( 8) is obtained by literature methods. The X-ray structures of the dinuclear complex 1 and the mononuclear complexes 4a and 6 were determined. They are all characterized by Cp* . . . btt face-to-face intermolecular interactions, leading to a recurrent 4-fold symmetry motif. The cyclic voltammograms of the [Cp*Co(dithiolene)] complexes performed in CH 2Cl 2 show reversible Co (III) to Co (II) reduction but irreversible oxidation waves. The large potential difference between the two reduction waves of the bimetallic complex 1 (269 mV) indicates a stable mixed-valence Co (III)-Co (II) state for the reduced [Cp*Co(btt)CoCp*] (-) anion. Upon trimethyl phosphite addition, the mono-P(OMe) 3 adduct [ 1.P(OMe) 3] exhibits a red shift of the low-energy absorption band to the IR region (856 nm, = 13 000 M (-1).cm (-1)), while [ 8.P(OMe) 3] exhibits a 150 nm blue shift. The stability constants of these P(OMe) 3 adducts were determined from UV-vis spectroscopic titration experiments, with, for example, log( K/mol (-1).dm (3)) values of 3.1 and 0.52 for the mono- and bis-adduct of 1, respectively. The electrochemical investigation of 1 and 8 in excess phosphite shows a strong current enhancement upon oxidation, attributable to the catalytic generation of the radical cation P(OMe) 3 (*+).

Strong magnetic interactions through weak bonding interactions in organometallic radicals: combined experimental and theoretical study.

The magnetic properties of a series of three neutral radical organometallic complexes of general formula [CpNi(dithiolene)]. have been investigated by a combination of X-ray crystal structure analysis and magnetic susceptibility measurements, while the assignment of the exchange coupling constants to the possible exchange pathways has been accomplished with the help of calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). The syntheses and X-ray structures of [CpNi(adt)] (adt=acrylonitrile-2,3-dithiolate) and [CpNi(tfd)] (tfd=1,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)ethene-1,2-dithiolate) complexes are described, while [CpNi(mnt)] (mnt=maleonitriledithiolate) was reported earlier. In the three complexes, we observed strong antiferromagnetic coupling that could not be explained solely by short SS intermolecular contacts. Our calculations indicated that spin density in these complexes is strongly delocalized on the NiS2 moiety, with up to 20% on the Cp ring. As a consequence, CpCp and Cpdithiolene overlap interactions have been identified as responsible for antiferromagnetic couplings. The [CpNi(adt)] complex thus has a value J=-369.5 cm(-1) for an exchange interaction through a pi stacking due to the CpCp overlap.

[CpNi(dithiolene)] (and diselenolene) neutral radical complexes.

Various preparations of the neutral radical [CpNi(dddt)] complex (dddt = 5,6-dihydro-1,4-dithiin-2,3-dithiolate) were investigated with CpNi sources, [Cp2Ni], [Cp2Ni](BF4), [CpNi(CO)]2, and [CpNi(cod)](BF4), and dithiolene transfer sources, O=C(dddt), the naked dithiolate (dddt(2-)), the monoanion of square-planar Ni dithiolene complex (NBu4)[Ni(dddt)2], and the neutral complex [Ni(dddt)2]. The reaction of [CpNi(cod)](BF4) with (NBu4)[Ni(dddt)2] gave the highest yield for the preparation of [CpNi(dddt)] (86%). [CpNi(ddds)] (ddds = 5,6-dihydro-1,4-dithiin-2,3-diselenolate), [CpNi(dsdt)] (dsdt = 5,6-dihydro-1,4-diselenin-2,3-dithiolate), [CpNi(bdt)] (bdt = 1,2-benzenedithiolate), and [CpNi(bds)] (bds = 1,2-benzenediselenolate) were synthesized by the reactions of [Cp2Ni] with the corresponding neutral Ni dithiolene complexes [Ni(ddds)2]2, [Ni(dsdt)2], [Ni(bdt)2], and [Ni(bds)2], respectively. The five, formally Ni(III), radical complexes oxidize and reduce reversibly. They exhibit, in the neutral state, a strong absorption in the NIR region, from 1000 nm in the dddt/ddds/dsdt series to 720 nm in the bdt/bds series with epsilon values between 2500 and 5000 M(-1) cm(-1). The molecular and solid state structures of the five complexes were determined by X-ray structure analyses. [CpNi(dddt)] and [CpNi(ddds)] are isostructural, while [CpNi(dsdt)] exhibits a closely related structure. Similarly, [CpNi(bdt)] and [CpNi(bds)] are also isostructural. Correlations between structural data and magnetic measurements show the presence of alternated spin chains in [CpNi(dddt)], [CpNi(ddds)], and [CpNi(dsdt)], while a remarkably strong antiferromagnetic interaction in [CpNi(bdt)] and [CpNi(bds)] is attributed to a Cp...Cp face-to-face sigma overlap, an original feature in organometallic radical complexes.

Electrochemical behavior of nickeladithiolene S,S'-dialkyl adducts: evidence for the formation of a metalladithiolene radical by electrochemical redox reactions.

The electrochemical behavior of nickeladithiolene S,S'-dialkyl adducts (alkyl = benzyl, methyl, tert-butyl) was investigated by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), visible, near-IR, and ESR spectroscopies and bulk electrolyses. The redox potentials of the S,S'-dialkyl adducts were influenced by the electron-donating effect of the functional group on the sulfur atoms. The nickeladithiolene S,S'-dibenzyl adduct [Ni[S(SCH(2)Ph)C(2)Ph(2)](2)] (2) eliminated one benzyl radical by one-electron reduction, and then the monobenzyl adduct anion [Ni(S(2)C(2)Ph(2))[S(2)(CH(2)Ph)C(2)Ph(2)]](-) (3(-)) was formed. Anion 3(-) was also formed by the reaction of nickeladithiolene dianion [Ni(S(2)C(2)Ph(2))(2)](2)(-) (1(2-)) with 1 equiv of benzyl cation. When anion 3(-) was oxidized, the long-lived nickeladithiolene radical [Ni(S(2)C(2)Ph(2))[S(2)(CH(2)Ph)C(2)Ph(2)]] (3) was formed. The visible, near-IR, and ESR spectra of radical 3 could be measured and assigned. When radical 3 was further oxidized, the oxidant 3(+) eliminated one benzyl cation, and then free nickeladithiolene (1) was generated.