Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl-substituted hypersilylsilylene: reversible and irreversible activation of C[double bond, length as m-dash]C double bonds and dihydrogen.

Recent studies of low-valent main group species underscore their resemblance to transition metal complexes with regards to the ability to activate small molecules. Here, we report synthesis and full characterisation of the persistent (hypersilyl)(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)silylene Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]Si: as well as its unique reactivity. Silylene Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]Si: activates dihydrogen to give the corresponding dihydrosilane Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]SiH2 at particularly mild conditions as well as ethylene to afford the three-membered cyclic silirane c-Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]Si(H2CCH2). The addition of N-heterocyclic carbene NHC (NHC = 1,3,4,5-tetramethyl-imidazol-2-ylidene) to dihydrosilane Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]SiH2 induces the reductive elimination of Cp*H, which according to DFT calculations is thermodynamically preferred over H2 elimination. With NHC, Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]Si: forms a typical donor-acceptor complex with concomitant change in hapticity of the Cp* ligand from η2 to η1 (σ). In contrast, the reaction with the N-heterocyclic silylene c-[(CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH(tBuN)2]Si: leads to an unusual "masked" disilene with the former Cp* ligand bridging the two silicon centres. The heterodimer is stable in the solid state, but dissociates reversibly to the constituting silylene fragments in solution.

Dinuclear RuII complexes with quinonoid bridges: tuning the electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of redox-switchable NIR dyes through judicious bridge design.

Bridging quinonoid ligands are important platforms for generating metal-based switchable optoelectronic and magnetic materials. A possible sound way of influencing the properties of the aforementioned materials is to modify the direct metal-ligand interface. We present herein a series of dinuclear RuII complexes where the set of donor atoms at the bridging quinonoid ligands range from [O,O,O,O], [O,O,O,N], [O,N,O,N] and [O,N,O,N']. Additionally, the substituents on the N-donors were varied as well (a total of eight different quinonoid bridges are compared). We also present a mononuclear RuII complex for comparison purposes. The dinuclear complexes act as switchable NIR dyes, absorbing in the NIR region in their mixed-valent RuII/RuIII form but not in the neighboring RuII/RuII and RuIII/RuIII states. The switching potentials (the potentials at which NIR absorptions appear) and the λmax of the NIR band can be fine-tuned by varying the donor atoms as well as the electron-donating ability of the substituents on the nitrogen atoms (tuning E by ca. 0.4 V and λmax by ca. 450 nm). Introducing more electron-rich substituents at the nitrogen atoms of the bridge results in higher band energies and more cathodic redox potentials. Unsymmetrical bridging ligands increase the thermodynamic stability of the mixed-valent state. Whereas almost all of the mixed-valent species presented here belong to the delocalised type III of the Robin-Day classification, the most unsymmetrical complex 2O,N(Mes) shows characteristic signs of a borderline Class-II-III compounds. This comprehensive study thus establishes the lesser used unsymmetrically substituted quinones as excellent bridges for generating and tuning a series of properties in their corresponding metal complexes.

Versatile Coordination of Azocarboxamides: Redox-Triggered Change of the Chelating Binding Pocket in Ruthenium Complexes.

Azocarboxamides occupy a special place among azo ligands owing to their versatility for metal coordination. Herein ruthenium complexes with two different azocarboxamide ligands that differ in the presence (or not) of a coordinating pyridyl heterocycle are presented. By making full use of the O,N(amide), N(azo), and N(pyridyl) coordinating sites, the first diruthenium complex that is bridged by an azo ligand containing two different binding pockets was obtained. Moreover, it was conclusively proven that, in the mononuclear complexes, oxidation at the ruthenium center leads to a complete change of coordination at the chelating binding pocket. The complexes were characterized by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Additionally, the mechanism of the aforementioned redox-triggered change in the chelating binding pocket and the electronic structures of all the complexes were investigated by a combination of electrochemistry, UV/Vis/NIR/EPR spectroelectrochemistry, and DFT calculations. This is first instance in which a redox-driven change in the complete chelating binding pocket has been observed in a ruthenium complex as well as with azo-based ligands. These results thus show the potential of these versatile azocarboxamide ligands to act as redox-driven switches with possible relevance to electrocatalysis.

Tuning Magnetic Anisotropy Through Ligand Substitution in Five-Coordinate Co(II) Complexes.

Understanding the origin of magnetic anisotropy and having the ability to tune it are essential needs of the rapidly developing field of molecular magnetism. Such attempts at determining the origin of magnetic anisotropy and its tuning are still relatively infrequent. One candidate for such attempts are mononuclear Co(II) complexes, some of which have recently been shown to possess slow relaxation of their magnetization. In this contribution we present four different five-coordinated Co(II) complexes, 1-4, that contain two different "click" derived tetradentate tripodal ligands and either Cl- or NCS- as an additional, axial ligand. The geometric structures of all four complexes are very similar. Despite this, major differences are observed in their electronic structures and hence in their magnetic properties as well. A combination of temperature dependent susceptibility measurements and high-frequency and -field EPR (HFEPR) spectroscopy was used to accurately determine the magnetic properties of these complexes, expressed through the spin Hamiltonian parameters: g-values and zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters D and E. A combination of optical d-d absorption spectra together with ligand field theory was used to determine the B and Dq values of the complexes. Additionally, state of the art quantum chemical calculations were applied to obtain bonding parameters and to determine the origin of magnetic anisotropy in 1-4. This combined approach showed that the D values in these complexes are in the range from -9 to +9 cm-1. Correlations have been drawn between the bonding nature of the ligands and the magnitude and sign of D. These results will thus have consequences for generating novel Co(II) complexes with tunable magnetic anisotropy and hence contribute to the field of molecular magnetism.

Control of Complex Formation through Peripheral Substituents in Click-Tripodal Ligands: Structural Diversity in Homo- and Heterodinuclear Cobalt-Azido Complexes.

The azide anion is widely used as a ligand in coordination chemistry. Despite its ubiquitous presence, controlled synthesis of azido complexes remains a challenging task. Making use of click-derived tripodal ligands, we present here various coordination motifs of the azido ligands, the formation of which appears to be controlled by the peripheral substituents on the tripodal ligands with otherwise identical structure of the coordination moieties. Thus, the flexible benzyl substituents on the tripodal ligand TBTA led to the formation of the first example of an unsupported and solely µ1,1-azido-bridged dicobalt(II) complex. The more rigid phenyl substituents on the TPTA ligand deliver an unsupported and solely µ1,3-azido-bridged dicobalt(II) complex. Bulky diisopropylphenyl substituents on the TDTA ligand deliver a doubly µ1,1-azido-bridged dicobalt(II) complex. Intriguingly, the mononuclear copper(II) complex [Cu(TBTA)N3]+ is an excellent synthon for generating mixed dinuclear complexes of the form [(TBTA)Co(µ1,1-N3)Cu(TBTA)]3+ or [(TBTA)Cu(µ1,1-N3)Cu(TPTA)]3+, both of which contain a single unsupported µ1,1-N3 as a bridge. To the best of our knowledge, these are also the first examples of mixed dinuclear complexes with a µ1,1-N3 monoazido bridge. All complexes were crystallographically characterized, and selected examples were probed via magnetometry and high-field EPR spectroscopy to elucidate the electronic structures of these complexes and the nature of magnetic coupling in the various azido-bridged complexes. These results thus prove the power of click-tripodal ligands in generating hitherto unknown chemical structures and properties.

Electronic Structures and Chiroptical Properties of Post-functionalized Helicene Quinones.

The synthesis of redox-active p- and o-quinones 2-phenylamino-4-phenylimino[6]helicene-1-one 1, 2-phenylamino[6]-helicene-1,4-dione 2, and 4-phenyl[6]helicene-1,2-dione 3 in their enantiopure forms by post-functionalization of (P)- and (M)-1,2-dimethoxy[6]helicene is presented. Structural characterization in solution and in the solid state was accomplished by 2D NMR spectroscopy methods and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively. Interpretation of electrochemical redox data was accompanied by a detailed orbital picture, derived from DFT calculations. The electronic structures of compounds 1-3 were investigated by UV/Vis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy, complemented by TD-DFT calculations. Quinones 1-3 were chemically reduced to study the EPR signatures of their respective radical anions. DFT methods were used for the atom assignment of the hyperfine coupling constants. The results are discussed within the context of electrochromic chiral switches and molecular recognition.

The ligand field of the azido ligand: insights into bonding parameters and magnetic anisotropy in a Co(II)-azido complex.

The azido ligand is one of the most investigated ligands in magnetochemistry. Despite its importance, not much is known about the ligand field of the azido ligand and its influence on magnetic anisotropy. Here we present the electronic structure of a novel five-coordinate Co(II)-azido complex (1), which has been characterized experimentally (magnetically and by electronic d-d absorption spectroscopy) and theoretically (by means of multireference electronic structure methods). Static and dynamic magnetic data on 1 have been collected, and the latter demonstrate slow relaxation of the magnetization in an applied external magnetic field of H = 3000 Oe. The zero-field splitting parameters deduced from static susceptibility and magnetizations (D = -10.7 cm(-1), E/D = 0.22) are in excellent agreement with the value of D inferred from an Arrhenius plot of the magnetic relaxation time versus the temperature. Application of the so-called N-electron valence second-order perturbation theory (NEVPT2) resulted in excellent agreement between experimental and computed energies of low-lying d-d transitions. Calculations were performed on 1 and a related four-coordinate Co(II)-azido complex lacking a fifth axial ligand (2). On the basis of these results and contrary to previous suggestions, the N3(-) ligand is shown to behave as a strong σ and π donor. Magnetostructural correlations show a strong increase in the negative D with increasing Lewis basicity (shortening of the Co-N bond distances) of the axial ligand on the N3(-) site. The effect on the change in sign of D in going from four-coordinate Co(II) (positive D) to five-coordinate Co(II) (negative D) is discussed in the light of the bonding scheme derived from ligand field analysis of the ab initio results.

Combining [arene-Ru] with azocarboxamide to generate a complex with cytotoxic properties.

Azocarboxamide (azcH) has been combined for the first time with [Ru-Cym] to generate metal complexes with N,N- and N,O-coordination mode, [(Cym)Ru(azc)Cl] and [(Cym)Ru(azcH)Cl](+) [PF6 ](-). Geometric and electronic structures of the complexes are reported along with their in vitro activities against different tumour cell lines and preliminary results on solution chemistry. Compound [(Cym)Ru(azc)Cl] exhibited remarkable cytotoxic properties. It was cell-type specific and had comparable IC50 values towards both cancer cells and their drug-resistant subline. A tenfold increase in the sensitivity towards [(Cym)Ru(azc)Cl] was noted for the tumour cells with depleted intracellular glutathione (GSH) level, suggesting the essential role of GSH in cell response to this compound.

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.

Spin crossover in Fe(II) and Co(II) complexes with the same click-derived tripodal ligand.

The complexes [Fe(tbta)2](BF4)2·2EtOH (1), [Fe(tbta)2](BF4)2·2CH3CN (2), [Fe(tbta)2](BF4)2·2CHCl3 (3), and [Fe(tbta)2](BF4)2 (4) were synthesized from the respective metal salts and the click-derived tripodal ligand tris[(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl]amine (tbta). Structural characterization of these complexes (at 100 or 133 K) revealed Fe-N bond lengths for the solvent containing compounds 1-3 that are typical of a high spin (HS) Fe(II) complex. In contrast, the solvent-free compound 4 show Fe-N bond lengths that are characteristic of a low spin (LS) Fe(II) state. The Fe center in all complexes is bound to two triazole and one amine N atom from each tbta ligand, with the third triazole arm remaining uncoordinated. The benzyl substituents of the uncoordinated triazole arms and the triazole rings engage in strong intermolecular and intramolecular noncovalent interactions. These interactions are missing in the solvent containing molecules 1, 2, and 3, where the solvent molecules occupy positions that hinder these noncovalent interactions. The solvent-free complex (4) displays spin crossover (SCO) with a spin transition temperature T1/2 near room temperature, as revealed by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometric and Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements. The complexes 1, 2, and 3 remain HS throughout the investigated temperature range. Different torsion angles at the metal centers, which are influenced by the noncovalent interactions, are likely responsible for the differences in the magnetic behavior of these complexes. The corresponding solvent-free Co(II) complex (6) is also LS at lower temperatures and displays SCO with a temperature T1/2 near room temperature. Theoretical calculations at molecular and periodic DFT-D3 levels for 1-4 qualitatively reproduce the experimental findings, and corroborate the importance of intermolecular and intramolecular noncovalent interactions for the magnetic properties of these complexes. The present work thus represents rare examples of SCO complexes where the use of identical ligand sets produces SCO in Fe(II) as well as Co(II) complexes.

Helicene quinones: redox-triggered chiroptical switching and chiral recognition of the semiquinone radical anion lithium salt by electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy.

We present the synthesis and characterization of enantiomerically pure [6]helicene o-quinones (P)-(+)-1 and (M)-(-)-1 and their application to chiroptical switching and chiral recognition. (P)-(+)-1 and (M)-(-)-1 each show a reversible one-electron reduction process in their cyclic voltammogram, which leads to the formation of the semiquinone radical anions (P)-(+)-1(•-) and (M)-(-)-1(•-), respectively. Spectroelectrochemical ECD measurements give evidence of the reversible switching between the two redox states, which is associated with large differences of the Cotton effects [Δ(Δε)] in the UV and visible regions. The reduction of (±)-1 by lithium metal provides [Li(+){(±)-1(•-)}], which was studied by EPR and ENDOR spectroscopy to reveal substantial delocalization of the spin density over the helicene backbone. DFT calculations demonstrate that the lithium hyperfine coupling A((7)Li) in [Li(+){(±)-1(•-)}] is very sensitive to the position of the lithium cation. On the basis of this observation, chiral recognition by ENDOR spectroscopy was achieved by complexation of [Li(+){(P)-(+)-1(•-)}] and [Li(+){(M)-(-)-1(•-)}] with an enantiomerically pure phosphine oxide ligand.

Exploring the noninnocent character of electron rich π-extended 8-oxyquinolate ligands in ruthenium(II) bipyridyl complexes.

A series of ruthenium polypyridyl complexes are presented incorporating π-extended electron rich derivatives of the 8-oxyquinolate (OQN) ligand. The π-donating property of the OQN ligand introduces covalent character to the Ru(dπ)-OQN(π) bonding scheme enhancing its light harvesting properties and diversifying its redox properties, relative to the classic ruthenium(II) trisbipyridyl complex [Ru(bpy)3](2+). Synthesis and characterization is presented for the complexes [Ru(bpy)2(R-OQN)](PF6), where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine and R = 5-phenyl, 5,7-diphenyl, 2,4-diphenyl, 5,7-bis(4-methoxyphenyl), 5,7-bis(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl). A comprehensive bonding analysis is presented for the [Ru(bpy)2(OQN)](+) system illustrating the origin of its unique spectroscopic and redox properties relative to [Ru(bpy)3](2+). This model is then extended to enable a consistent interpretation of spectra and redox properties for the π-extended [Ru(bpy)2(R-OQN)](PF6) series. Electronic structures have been probed experimentally by a combination of electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques (UV-vis-NIR absorption, emission, EPR spectroscopy) where (metal-ligand)-to-ligand (MLLCT) charge-transfer properties are described by time dependent-density functional theory (TD-DFT) analysis, at the B3LYP/6-31g(d,p) level of approximation. Substantial mixing, due to bonding and antibonding combinations of Ru(dπ) and OQN(π) orbitals, is observed at the HOMO and HOMO-3 levels for the ruthenium-oxyanion bond in [Ru(bpy)2(OQN)](+), which is responsible for the low-energy MLLCT based electronic transition and destabilization of the HOMO level viz. cyclic voltammetry. This noninnocent π-bonding phenomenon is consistent throughout the series which allows for controlled tuning of complex redox potentials while maintaining panchromatic absorption properties across the visible spectrum. Extensive charge delocalization is observed for the one-electron oxidized species using a combination of UV-vis-NIR, EPR spectroelectrochemistry, and Mulliken spin-density analysis, giving strong evidence for hole-delocalization across the delocalized Ru(dπ)-OQN(π) system, in particular for the electron rich 5,7-bis(4-methoxyphenyl) and 5,7-bis(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl) systems.

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.

Tuning the electronic properties in ruthenium-quinone complexes through metal coordination and substitution at the bridge.

A rare example of a mononuclear complex [(bpy)2 Ru(L(1) -H )](ClO4 ), 1(ClO4 ) and dinuclear complexes [(bpy)2 Ru(µ-L(1) -2H )Ru(bpy)2 ](ClO4 )2 , 2(ClO4 )2 , [(bpy)2 Ru(µ-L(2) -2H )Ru(bpy)2 ](ClO4 )2 , 3(ClO4 )2 , and [(bpy)2 Ru(µ-L(3) -2H )Ru(bpy)2 ](ClO4 )2 , 4(ClO4 )2 (bpy=2,2'-bipyridine, L(1) =2,5-di-(isopropyl-amino)-1,4-benzoquinone, L(2) =2,5-di-(benzyl-amino)-1,4-benzoquinone, and L(3) =2,5-di-[2,4,6-(trimethyl)-anilino]-1,4-benzoquinone) with the symmetrically substituted p-quinone ligands, L, are reported. Bond-length analysis within the potentially bridging ligands in both the mono- and dinuclear complexes shows a localization of bonds, and binding to the metal centers through a phenolate-type "O(-) " and an immine/imminium-type neutral "N" donor. For the mononuclear complex 1(ClO4 ), this facilitates strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding and leads to the imminium-type character of the noncoordinated nitrogen atom. The dinuclear complexes display two oxidation and several reduction steps in acetonitrile solutions. In contrast, the mononuclear complex 1(+) exhibits just one oxidation and several reduction steps. The redox processes of 1(1+) are strongly dependent on the solvent. The one-electron oxidized forms 2(3+) , 3(3+) , and 4(3+) of the dinuclear complexes exhibit strong absorptions in the NIR region. Weak NIR absorption bands are observed for the one-electron reduced forms of all complexes. A combination of structural data, electrochemistry, UV/Vis/NIR/EPR spectroelectrochemistry, and DFT calculations is used to elucidate the electronic structures of the complexes. Our DFT results indicate that the electronic natures of the various redox states of the complexes in vacuum differ greatly from those in a solvent continuum. We show here the tuning possibilities that arise upon substituting [O] for the isoelectronic [NR] groups in such quinone ligands.

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.

Ruthenium complexes of tripodal ligands with pyridine and triazole arms: subtle tuning of thermal, electrochemical, and photochemical reactivity.

Electrochemical and photochemical bond-activation steps are important for a variety of chemical transformations. We present here four new complexes, [Ru(L(n) )(dmso)(Cl)]PF6 (1-4), where L(n) is a tripodal amine ligand with 4-n pyridylmethyl arms and n-1 triazolylmethyl arms. Structural comparisons show that the triazoles bind closer to the Ru center than the pyridines. For L(2) , two isomers (with respect to the position of the triazole arm, equatorial or axial), trans-2sym and trans-2un , could be separated and compared. The increase in the number of the triazole arms in the ligand has almost no effect on the Ru(II) /Ru(III) oxidation potentials, but it increases the stability of the RuSdmso bond. Hence, the oxidation waves become more reversible from trans-1 to trans-4, and whereas the dmso ligand readily dissociates from trans-1 upon heating or irradiation with UV light, the RuS bond of trans-4 remains perfectly stable under the same conditions. The strength of the RuS bond is not only influenced by the number of triazole arms but also by their position, as evidenced by the difference in redox behavior and reactivity of the two isomers, trans-2sym and trans-2un . A mechanistic picture for the electrochemical, thermal, and photochemical bond activation is discussed with data from NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and spectroelectrochemistry.

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.

Tuning spin-spin coupling in quinonoid-bridged dicopper(II) complexes through rational bridge variation.

Bridged metal complexes [{Cu(tmpa)}2(µ-L(1)-2H)](ClO4)2 (1), [{Cu(tmpa)}2(µ-L(2)-2H)](ClO4)2 (2), [{Cu(tmpa)}2(µ-L(3)-2H)](BPh4)2 (3), and [{Cu(tmpa)}2(µ-L(4)-2H)](ClO4)2 (4) (tmpa = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, L(1) = chloranilic acid, L(2) = 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone, L(3) = (2,5-di-[2-(methoxy)-anilino]-1,4-benzoquinone, L(4) = azophenine) were synthesized from copper(II) salts, tmpa, and the bridging quinonoid ligands in the presence of a base. X-ray structural characterization of the complexes showed a distorted octahedral environment around the copper(II) centers for the complexes 1-3, the donors being the nitrogen atoms of tmpa, and the nitrogen or oxygen donors of the bridging quinones. In contrast, the copper(II) centers in 4 display a distorted square-pyramidal coordination, where one of the pyridine arms of each tmpa remains uncoordinated. Bond-length analyses within the bridging ligand exhibit localization of the double bonds inside the bridge for 1-3. In contrast, complete delocalization of double bonds within the bridging ligand is observed for 4. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements on the complexes reveal an antiferromagnetic coupling between the copper(II) ions. The strength of antiferromagnetic coupling was observed to depend on the energy of the HOMO of the bridging quinone ligands, with exchange coupling constants J in the range between -23.2 and -0.6 cm(-1) and the strength of antiferromagnetic coupling of 4 > 3 > 2 > 1. Broken-symmetry density functional theory calculations (DFT) revealed that the orientation of magnetic orbitals in 1 and 2 is different than that in 3 and 4, and this results in two different exchange pathways. These results demonstrate how bridge-mediated spin-spin coupling in quinone-bridged metal complexes can be strongly tuned by a rational design of the bridging ligand employing the [O] for [NR] isoelectronic analogy.