A tetra Co(II/III) complex with an open cubane Co4O4 core and square-pyramidal Co(II) and octahedral Co(III) centres: bifunctional electrocatalytic activity towards water splitting at neutral pH.

The reaction of 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenol, 4-methoxybenzoylhydrazine and Co(OAc)2·4H2O in 1 : 2 : 2 mole ratio in methanol under aerobic conditions produced in 61% yield a tetranuclear complex having the molecular formula [CoIICoIII(µ-OAc)(µ3-OH)(µ-L)]2 where OAc- and L3- represent acetate and N',N''-(5-methyl-2-oxido-1,3-phenylene)bis(methan-1-yl-1-ylidene)bis(4-methoxybenzoylhydrazonate), respectively. The elemental analysis and the mass spectrometric data confirmed the molecular formula of the complex. It is electrically non-conducting and paramagnetic. The complex crystallized as acetonitrile solvate. The X-ray structure shows that each Co(II) centre has a distorted square-pyramidal NO4 coordination sphere, while each Co(III) centre is in a distorted octahedral NO5 environment. The four metal atoms and the four bridging O-atoms form an open cubane type Co4O4 motif. In the crystal lattice, self-assembly of the solvated complex via intermolecular O-H⋯O interaction leads to a two-dimensional network structure. The infrared and electronic spectroscopic features of the complex are consistent with its molecular structure. Cryomagnetic measurements together with theoretical calculations suggest the presence of easy-axis anisotropy for the square-pyramidal Co(II) centres. The complex is redox-active and displays metal centred oxidation and reduction responses on the anodic and cathodic sides, respectively, of the Ag/AgCl electrode. Bifunctional heterogeneous electrocatalytic activity of the complex towards O2 and H2 evolution reactions (OER and HER) in neutral aqueous medium has been explored in detail.

A Diuranyl(VI) Complex and Its Application in Electrocatalytic and Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution from Neutral Aqueous Medium.

The reaction of equimolar amounts of UO2(OAc)2·2H2O, 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenol, and N-(hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine in methanol affords a dinuclear trans-uranyl(VI) complex of the molecular formula [(UO2)2(µ-L)2] (L2- = 2-formyl-4-methyl-6-((2-(2-oxidoethylamino)ethylimino)methyl)phenolate) in 65% yield. Detailed structural elucidation of the complex was performed by using single-crystal X-ray crystallographic and spectroscopic studies. In [(UO2)2(µ-L)2], the metal centers are in edge-shared pentagonal-bipyramidal N2O5 coordination spheres assembled by the two meridional ONNO-donor bridging L2- and two pairs of mutually trans oriented oxo groups. The complex is redox active and displays two successive metal-centered one-electron reductions at Epc = -0.71 and -1.03 V in N,N-dimethylformamide solution. The redox-active complex was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for electrochemical hydrogen evolution from aqueous medium at pH 7 with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 384 h-1 and a Tafel slope of 274 mV dec-1. The Faradaic efficiency of [(UO2)2(µ-L)2] was found to be 84%. Beyond the electrocatalytic response, the [(UO2)2(µ-L)2]-TiO2-N719 composite also exhibited significant heterogeneous photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity in neutral aqueous medium under visible light and provided a yield of 3439 µmol gcat-1 of H2 in 4 h with a TOF of 172 h-1 and apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 7.6%.

cis-{MoO2}(2+) assisted Mannich-type addition of acetylacetonate methine to the azomethine of tridentate Schiff bases: racemic complexes with chiral transformed ligands.

Reactions of [MoO2(acac)2] (acac(-) = acetylacetonate) with the potential N2O-donor 5,5-membered fused chelate rings forming Schiff bases 2-(2-pyridylaldimine)ethanol (HL(1)) and 4/5-R-2-(2-pyridylaldimine)phenols (HL(n); n = 2-5 for R = H, 4-Cl, 4-Me and 5-Me, respectively) lead to the facile formation of racemic complexes of the general formula cis-[MoO2(acacL(1-5))] () in 80-85% yield. Here, (acacL(n))(2-) represents a chiral N2O2-donor ligand system formed by a novel Mannich-type reaction that involves acetylacetonate and the azomethine fragment of HL(n) both coordinated to the cis-{MoO2}(2+) unit. The characterization of has been performed with the help of microanalytical (CHN), spectroscopic (ESI-MS, IR, UV-Vis and (1)H- and (13)C-NMR) and electrochemical measurements. The molecular structures of all the complexes except for are authenticated by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The Mo(vi) center in each of these analogous complexes is in a distorted octahedral N2O4 coordination sphere assembled by the chiral N2O2-donor transformed ligand (acacL(n))(2-) and the two mutually cis-oriented oxo ligands. In the crystal lattice, each of exists as a centrosymmetric discrete dimer via a pair of reciprocal N-HO hydrogen bonds between its enantiomeric pairs.

Dinuclear triple helicates with diazine ligands: X-ray structural, electrochemical, and magnetic studies.

A series of dinuclear complexes of Mn(III), Fe(III), and Co(III) with two diazine Schiff bases, H2salhn and H2mesalhn, is reported. The Schiff bases are prepared by condensation reactions of hydrazine with salicylaldehyde (H2salhn) and with 2-hydroxyacetophenone (H2mesalhn) in 1:2 mol ratio. X-ray crystallographic characterization reveals triple helical structures of [Co2(salhn)3], [Co2(mesalhn)3], and [Fe2(mesalhn)3]. In each complex, three dinucleating O,N,N,O donor ligands provide three diazine (=N-N=) bridges between the metal ions and facial O3N3 coordination spheres around them. The ligands are twisted about the N-N single bond and coordinate to the two metal ions in a helical fashion to generate the triple helical structure. The dicobalt(III) complex of mesalhn2- is D3-symmetric, while the diiron(III) analogue is very close to being of this symmetry. On the other hand, the dicobalt(III) complex of salhn2- significantly deviates from the ideal D3-symmetry due to the large range covered by the twist angles of the three ligands. In the crystal lattice of these complexes, intermolecular C-H...O, C-H...N, O-H...O, C-H...Cl, and pi-pi interactions involving the complex and the solvent molecules lead to one- and two-dimensional supramolecular structures. The complexes [Fe2(mesalhn)3] and [Co2(mesalhn)3] are redox active and display two successive metal-centered reductions on the cathodic side of Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Weak antiferromagnetic spin-coupling is operative between the two metal ions in [Mn2(salhn)3] (J = -0.57(1) cm(-1)) and in [Fe2(mesalhn)3] (J = -2.82(4) cm(-1)).

Enantiospecific inclusion of chiral 1,2-dichloroethane rotamers in the crystal lattice of chiral square-pyramidal Cu(II) complexes with perfectly polar alignment of guest and host molecules.

The inclusion compounds, [CuL(1)2(H2O)].(P)-C2H4Cl2 and [CuL(2)2(H2O)].(M)-C2H4Cl2(HL1 = N-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)-(R)-alpha-methylbenzylamine and HL2 = N-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)-(S)-alpha-methylbenzylamine), crystallise in the non-centrosymmetric space group C2; intermolecular hydrogen bonding leads to a perfectly polar alignment of both host and guest molecules with enantioselectivity.

Chloride ligation in inorganic manganese model compounds relevant to photosystem II studied using X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

Chloride ions are essential for proper function of the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) of Photosystem II (PS II). Although proposed to be directly ligated to the Mn cluster of the OEC, the specific structural and mechanistic roles of chloride remain unresolved. This study utilizes X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to characterize the Mn-Cl interaction in inorganic compounds that contain structural motifs similar to those proposed for the OEC. Three sets of model compounds are examined; they possess core structures Mn(IV)(3)O(4)X (X=Cl, F, or OH) that contain a di-micro-oxo and two mono-micro-oxo bridges or Mn(IV)(2)O(2)X (X=Cl, F, OH, OAc) that contain a di-micro-oxo bridge. Each set of compounds is examined for changes in the XAS spectra that are attributable to the replacement of a terminal OH or F ligand, or bridging OAc ligand, by a terminal Cl ligand. The X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) shows changes in the spectra on replacement of OH, OAc, or F by Cl ligands that are indicative of the overall charge of the metal atom and are consistent with the electronegativity of the ligand atom. Fourier transforms (FTs) of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra reveal a feature that is present only in compounds where chloride is directly ligated to Mn. These FT features were simulated using various calculated Mn-X interactions (X=O, N, Cl, F), and the best fits were found when a Mn-Cl interaction at a 2.2-2.3 A bond distance was included. There are very few high-valent Mn halide complexes that have been synthesized, and it is important to make such a comparative study of the XANES and EXAFS spectra because they have the potential for providing information about the possible presence or absence of halide ligation to the Mn cluster in PS II.

A novel carboxylate-free ferromagnetic trinuclear mu(3)-oxo-manganese(III) complex with distorted pentagonal-bipyramidal metal centers.

In methanol, the reaction of Mn(ClO(4))(2).6H(2)O and 1,2-bis(biacetylmonoximeimino)ethane (H(2)bamen) in the presence of triethylamine affords a trinuclear complex having the formula [Mn(3)(mu(3)-O)(mu(3)-bamen)(3)]ClO(4).2H(2)O. The structure of this complex shows a symmetric planar central [Mn(III)(3)(mu(3)-O)] unit coordinated to three hexadentate bridging (via oximate groups) ligands. The N(4)O(3) coordination sphere around each metal center is very close to pentagonal-bipyramidal. A cyclic voltammogram of the complex displays two reversible and an irreversible response due to Mn(III)(3) --> Mn(III)(2)Mn(IV), Mn(III)(2)Mn(IV) --> Mn(III)Mn(IV)(2), and Mn(III)Mn(IV)(2) --> Mn(IV)(3) oxidation processes, respectively. Cryomagnetic data reveal that the complex is ferromagnetic.

trans-(2-Acetylpyridine-kappa2N,O)dichlorobis(dimethyl sulfoxide-kappaS)ruthenium(II).

In the title complex, [RuCl(2)(C(7)H(7)NO)(C(2)H(6)OS)(2)], the metal ion is at the centre of a distorted octahedral NOCl(2)S(2) coordination sphere. The neutral 2-acetylpyridine ligand binds to the metal ion through the pyridine N and carbonyl O atoms, forming a five-membered chelate ring. The monodentate S-coordinating dimethyl sulfoxide molecules are mutually cis, and the two remaining positions in the coordination sphere are occupied by two mutually trans Cl(-) ions.