Potential Induced Protonation of the Second Coordination Sphere in a Hangman-type Iron Porphyrin Complex Promotes HER: Insights via in Situ Raman Spectroelectrochemistry.

The iron-based porphyrin complex containing a bispyridine-based hanging unit termed Py2XPFe was previously used as an effective catalyst for the reduction of protons to molecular hydrogen in solution. Here, the molecular compound was immobilized on a modified gold electrode surface and investigated by spectroelectrochemical methods under catalytic conditions. Immobilization of the Py2XPFe was facilitated using a pyridine-based amine linker molecule grafted to the gold electrode by electrochemical amine oxidation. The linker molecule denoted in this report as Pyr-1 allows for effective coordination of the iron porphyrin compound to the modified gold surface through axial coordination of the pyridine component to the Fe center. Resonance Raman spectroelectrochemistry was performed on the immobilized catalyst in pH 7 buffer at increasing cathodic potentials. This facilitates the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) while concurrently allowing for the observation of the v4, v3, and v2 porphyrin marker bands, which are sensitive to oxidation and spin state changes at the metal center. The observed changes in these bands at decreasing potential indicate that the immobilized Py2XPFe exists in the formal high-spin FeIII state before being reduced to the low-spin FeII state resulting from axial interaction with the linker moiety. This FeII state likely acts as the precatalyst for the HER reaction. Surfaced enhanced Raman spectroelectrochemistry was also conducted on the system as the gold electrode provides a sufficient surface enhancement effect so as to observe the bonding nature of the pyridine substituents within the second coordination sphere. As the potential is lowered cathodically, the pyridine ring breathing modes at 999 cm-1 are shown to increase in intensity due to protonation, which reach an intensity saturated limit whereat HER is conducted. This suggests that in pH 7 buffer, the increase in cathodic potentials facilitates protonation of the pyridine-based second coordination sphere. The extent to which protonation occurs can be viewed as a function of decreasing potential due to an increase in proton flux at the immobilized catalyst which, at the required onset potential for catalysis, aids in the reduction of protons to molecular hydrogen.

Sensitized Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction With Earth Abundant 3d Metal Complexes Possessing Dipicolyl-Triazacyclononane Derivatives.

Complexes based on nitrogen and sulfur containing ligands involving 3d metal centers are known for the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2. However, photocatalytical activation has rarely been investigated. We herein present results on the light-driven CO2 reduction using either Ir(dFppy)3 [Ir, dFppy = 2-(4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridine] or [Cu(xant)(bcp)]+, (Cu, xant = xantphos, bcp = bathocuproine) as photosensitizer in combination with TEA (triethylamine) as sacrificial electron donor. The 3d metal catalysts have either dptacn (dipicolyl-triazacyclononane, L N3 ) or dpdatcn (dipicolyl-diazathiocyclononane, L N2S ) as ligand framework and Fe3+, Co3+ or Ni2+ as central metal ion. It turned out that the choice of ligand, metal center and solvent composition influences the selectivity for product formation, which means that the gaseous reduction products can be solely CO or H2 or a mixture of both. The ratio between these two products can be controlled by the right choice of reaction conditions. With using Cu as photosensitizer, we could introduce an intermolecular system that is based solely on 3d metal compounds being able to reduce CO2.

Structural Determination of an Unusual CuI -Porphyrin-π-Bond in a Hetero-Pacman Cu-Zn-Complex.

The synthesis and characterization of a hetero-dinuclear compound is presented, in which a copper(I) trishistidine type coordination unit is positioned directly above a zinc porphyrin unit. The close distance between the two coordination fragments is secured by a rigid xanthene backbone, and a unique (intramolecular) copper porphyrin-π-bond was determined for the first time in the molecular structure. This structural motif was further analyzed by temperature-dependent NMR studies: In solution at room temperature the coordinative bond fluctuates, while it can be frozen at low temperatures. Preliminary reactivity studies revealed a reduced reactivity of the copper(I) moiety towards dioxygen. The results adumbrate why nature is avoiding metal porphyrin-π-bonds by fixing reactive metal centers in a predetermined distance to each other within multimetallic enzymatic reaction centers.

Examination of the Magneto-Structural Effects of Hangman Groups on Ferric Porphyrins by EPR.

Ferric hangman porphyrins are bioinspired models for haem hydroperoxidase enzymes featuring an acid/base group in close vicinity to the metal center, which results in improved catalytic activity for reactions requiring O-O bond activation. These functional biomimics are examined herein with a combination of EPR techniques to determine the effects of the hanging group on the electronics of the ferric center. These results are compared to those for ferric octaethylporphyrin chloride [Fe(OEP)Cl], tetramesitylporphyrin chloride [Fe(TMP)Cl], and the pentafluorophenyl derivative [Fe(TPFPP)Cl], which were also examined herein to study the electronic effects of various substituents. Frequency-domain Fourier-transform THz-EPR combined with field domain EPR in a broad frequency range from 9.5 to 629 GHz allowed the determination of zero-field splitting parameters, revealing minor rhombicity E/D and D values in a narrow range of 6.24(8) to 6.85(5) cm-1. Thus, the hangman porphyrins display D values in the expected range for ferric porphyrin chlorides, though D appears to be correlated with the Fe-Cl bond length. Extrapolating this trend to the ferric hangman porphyrin chlorides, for which no crystal structure has been reported, indicates a slightly elongated Fe-Cl bond length compared to the non-hangman equivalent.

Influence of Mesityl and Thiophene Peripheral Substituents on Surface Attachment, Redox Chemistry, and ORR Activity of Molecular Iron Porphyrin Catalysts on Electrodes.

Two iron porphyrin complexes with either mesityl (FeTMP) or thiophene (FeT3ThP) peripheral substituents were attached to basal pyrolytic graphite and Ag electrodes via different immobilization methods. By combining cyclic voltammetry and in-operando surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy along with MD simulations and DFT calculations, their respective surface attachment, redox chemistry and activity toward electrocatalytic oxygen reduction was investigated. For both porphyrin complexes, it could be shown that catalytic activity is restricted to the first (few) molecular layer(s), although electrodes covered with thiophene-substituted complexes showed a better capability to consume the oxygen at a given overpotential even in thicker films. The spectroscopic data and simulations suggest that both porphyrin complexes attach to a Ag electrode surface in a way that maximum planarity and minimum distance between the catalytic iron site and the electrode is achieved. However, due to the distinctive design of the FeT3ThP complex, the thiophene rings are capable of occupying a conformation, via rotation around the bonding axis to the porphyrin, in which all four sulfur atoms can coordinate to the Ag surface. This effect creates a dense and planar surface coverage of the porphyrin on the electrode facilitating a fast (multi) electron transfer via several covalent Ag-S bonds. In contrast, bulky mesityl groups as peripheral substituents, which have been initially introduced to prevent aggregation and improve catalytic behavior in solution, exert a negative effect on the overall electrocatalytic performance in the immobilized state as a less dense coverage and less stable interactions with the surface are formed. Our results underline the importance of rationally designed heterogenized molecular catalysts to achieve optimal turnover, which not only strictly applies to the here discussed oxygen reduction reaction but eventually holds also true for other energy conversion reactions such as carbon dioxide reduction.

Sensitized Photochemical CO2 Reduction by Hetero-Pacman Compounds Linking a ReI Tricarbonyl with a Porphyrin Unit.

The hetero-Pacman architecture places two different metal coordination sites in close proximity, which can support efficient energy and/or electron transfer and allow for cooperative activation of small molecules. Here, the synthesis of dyads consisting of a porphyrin unit as photosensitizer and a rhenium unit as catalytically active site, which are held together by the rigid xanthene backbone, is presented. Mononuclear [(NN)Re(CO)3 (Cl)] complexes for CO2 reduction in which NN represents a bidentate diimine ligand (e.g., bipyridine or phenanthroline) lack light absorption in the visible region, resulting in poor photocatalysis upon illumination with visible light. To improve their visible-light absorption, we have focused on the incorporation of a strongly absorbing free base or zinc porphyrin unit. Resulting photocatalytic experiments showed a strong dependence of the catalytic performance on both the type of photosensitizer and the excitation wavelengths. Most notably, the intramolecular hetero-Pacman system containing a zinc porphyrin unit showed much better catalytic activity in the visible region (excitation wavelengths >450 nm) than the free base porphyrin version or the corresponding mononuclear rhenium compound or an intermolecular system comprised of a 1:1 mixture of the mononuclear analogues.

Unexpected wavelength dependency of the photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance of the well-known (bpy)Re(CO)3Cl complex.

The selective photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO has often been accomplished using complexes incorporating the Re(CO)3Cl fragment. We now discovered that the photocatalytic performance of the well-known parent compound (bpy)Re(CO)3Cl (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) surprisingly depends on the illumination wavelengths: the turnover numbers (TONs) measured using various cut-off filters showed an increased photocatalytic activity when irradiated with visible light with wavelengths longer than 450 nm - even if the compound hardly absorbs light in this wavelength region. Therefore, catalytic, spectroscopic and theoretical investigations were performed to explain this exceptional effect.

Photocatalytic Generation of Hydrogen Using Dinuclear π-Extended Porphyrin-Platinum Compounds.

A series of heterodinuclear complexes, M-1-PtX2 with M=H2 , Zn, Cu or Co, X=Cl or I, has been synthesized, and first results on their photocatalytic activity in visible light driven proton reduction are presented. The compounds are based on a phenanthroline extended meso-tetramesityl-porphyrin bridging ligand (H2 -1) incorporating different metal centers in the porphyrin moiety, which functions as a photosensitizer unit. The well-known catalytically active PtX2 fragment resides in the phenanthroline coordination pocket. The synthesis was optimized, compounds were fully characterized and a solid-state structure could be obtained for selected complexes. Photocatalytic studies in acetonitrile/water mixtures using triethylamine as sacrificial electron donor showed that the activity of the complexes depends strongly on the metal center in the porphyrin moiety as well as the halogen ions bound at the platinum(II) center.

Pacman Compounds: From Energy Transfer to Cooperative Catalysis.

In this Concept article we present the syntheses and application of homo and heterodinuclear "Pacman" compounds. This architecture implies that two metal coordination fragments are brought in close vicinity to each other via a covalent linkage to either support energy transfer between the two units or cooperative transformation of a substrate. Nature has shown that the combination of metal fragments, in particular two different metals, can dramatically improve the efficiency of small molecule activation. We exemplify this strategy for the activation of water, dioxygen and carbon dioxide. Furthermore, we present artificial systems in which a positive effect on the catalytic performance because of the combination of two (different) metal centers could be observed. Thus, Pacman-type compounds are very well suited as structural and functional models for their biological counterparts.

Effective intermediate-spin iron in O2-transporting heme proteins.

Proteins carrying an iron-porphyrin (heme) cofactor are essential for biological O2 management. The nature of Fe-O2 bonding in hemoproteins is debated for decades. We used energy-sampling and rapid-scan X-ray Kß emission and K-edge absorption spectroscopy as well as quantum chemistry to determine molecular and electronic structures of unligated (deoxy), CO-inhibited (carboxy), and O2-bound (oxy) hemes in myoglobin (MB) and hemoglobin (HB) solutions and in porphyrin compounds at 20-260 K. Similar metrical and spectral features revealed analogous heme sites in MB and HB and the absence of low-spin (LS) to high-spin (HS) conversion. Amplitudes of Kß main-line emission spectra were directly related to the formal unpaired Fe(d) spin count, indicating HS Fe(II) in deoxy and LS Fe(II) in carboxy. For oxy, two unpaired Fe(d) spins and, thus by definition, an intermediate-spin iron center, were revealed by our static and kinetic X-ray data, as supported by (time-dependent) density functional theory and complete-active-space self-consistent-field calculations. The emerging Fe-O2 bonding situation includes in essence a ferrous iron center, minor superoxide character of the noninnocent ligand, significant double-bond properties of the interaction, and three-center electron delocalization as in ozone. It resolves the apparently contradictory classical models of Pauling, Weiss, and McClure/Goddard into a unifying view of O2 bonding, tuned toward reversible oxygen transport.

Sensitised LnIII Emission and Excited-State Dynamics of Cofacial 'Pacman' Porphyrin Terpyridine Complexes.

An asymmetric 'Pacman' metalloligand, [Zn(PXT)], which features a cofacial ZnII -porphyrin unit (P) covalently attached to a terpyridine (T) chelating group via a rigid xanthene (X) moiety has been prepared, and its interactions with several different trivalent LnIII cations (NdIII , GdIII , YbIII and LuIII ) have been examined. The formation of 1:1 metal-ligand complexes was monitored by 1 H NMR spectroscopy and corroborated by HRMS data. Solution-stability constants were determined by UV/Vis titration, and the resulting complexes with NdIII or YbIII demonstrated sensitised emission in the NIR region due to energy transfer from the ZnII -porphyrin donor to LnIII acceptor. The energy transfer was investigated by transient absorption techniques, which provided insight into the kinetics and efficiency of the antenna effect.

Photochemical CO2 Reduction Catalyzed by Phenanthroline Extended Tetramesityl Porphyrin Complexes Linked with a Rhenium(I) Tricarbonyl Unit.

A series of heterodinuclear complexes (M-1-Re) based on a phenanthroline (phen) extended tetramesityl porphyrin ligand (H2-1) has been prepared. The phen moiety of this ligand selectively coordinates a Re(I) tricarbonyl chloride unit, whereas the metal in the porphyrin moiety has been varied: namely, Cu, Pd, Zn, Co, or Fe was used. These dinuclear complexes were fully characterized by standard analytical methods. Additionally, a crystal structure of Cu-1-Re·5.5(C7H8)·0.5(C6H6) could be obtained, and extended time-resolved emission lifetime measurements were conducted. Furthermore, their ability to catalyze the photochemical reduction of CO2 to CO was investigated. Light-driven CO2 reduction experiments were performed in dimethylformamide (DMF) using triethylamine (TEA) as the sacrificial electron donor. The TONs (turnover numbers) of CO were determined and revealed a surprising catalytic activity that is obviously independent from the redox activity of the porphyrin metal. We have recently shown that the parent M-1 compounds are active photocatalysts, but the catalytic activity was dependent on the redox activity of the porphyrin metal. In the case of the new heterodinuclear complexes M-1-Re reported in this study, the catalytic active center seems to be the Re(I) moiety and not the porphyrin. Surprisingly, Zn-1-Re proved to be the most active compound in this series showing a TONCO of 13 after 24 h of illumination using a >375 nm cutoff filter while all other compounds showed minimal activity under this condition.

Photochemical CO2-reduction catalyzed by mono- and dinuclear phenanthroline-extended tetramesityl porphyrin complexes.

We here present a comprehensive study on the light-induced catalytic CO2 reduction employing a number of mono- and dinuclear complexes with a phenanthroline-extended tetramesityl porphyrin ligand (). A stepwise synthesis of heterodinuclear complexes is possible because the phenanthroline moiety of the ligand can selectively coordinate a second metal center, e.g. Ru(tbbpy)2(2+) fragment, while any other metal can reside in the porphyrin cavity. We expanded our former studies to cobalt and iron compounds and synthesized the complexes , and , . Thorough catalytic investigation on the light-driven CO2 reduction of all compounds (M = 2H, Cu, Pd, Co, FeCl) was performed in a DMF solution in the presence of triethylamine (TEA) as a sacrificial electron donor. A very surprising wavelength dependence of the catalytic performance was observed. Turnover numbers (TONs) of CO were quantified and showed that redox active metals (i.e.M = Co and FeCl) in the porphyrin cavity caused the highest catalytic activity. After 24 hours of illumination with light λ > 305 nm reached a TONCO of 11.4 with our experimental setup without showing much decomposition. This value is twice as high as the TONCO determined for CoTPP (5.8) under the same conditions, which represented the most active porphyrinic system so far for photocatalytic CO2 reduction.

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction by using cationic pentamethylcyclopentadienyl-iridium complexes with unsymmetrically substituted bipyridine ligands.

Eight [Ir(bpy)Cp*Cl](+) -type complexes (bpy= bipyridine, Cp*=1,2,3,4,5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) containing differently substituted bipyridine ligands were synthesized and characterized. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the complexes in Ar-saturated acetonitrile solutions showed that the redox behavior of the complexes could be fine tuned by the electronic properties of the substituted bipyridine ligands. Further CV in CO2 -saturated MeCN/H2 O (9:1, v/v) solutions showed catalytic currents for CO2 reduction. In controlled potential electrolysis experiments (MeCN/MeOH (1:1, v/v), Eapp =-1.80 V vs Ag/AgCl), all of the complexes showed moderate activity in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 with good stability over at least 15 hours. This electrocatalytic process was selective toward formic acid, with only traces of dihydrogen or carbon monoxide and occasionally formaldehyde as byproducts. However, the turnover frequencies and current efficiencies were quite low. No direct correlation between the redox potentials of the complexes and their catalytic activity was observed.

High-valent metal-oxo intermediates in energy demanding processes: from dioxygen reduction to water splitting.

Four-electron reduction of dioxygen to water and splitting of water to dioxygen are extremely important processes in the context of attaining clean renewable energy sources. High-valent metal-oxo cores are proposed as reactive intermediates in these vital processes, although they have only been isolated in extremely rare cases in the biological systems thereby making the mechanism ambiguous. Recent biomimetic studies have, however, aided in our understanding of the fundamental reactivity of the high-valent metal-oxo species in various reactions relevant to energy conversion. All these studies are summarized in the present review.

Soft scorpionate anions as platforms for novel heterocycles.

Soft scorpionates have thus far been seen mainly as a family of ligands. Their chemistry is extended here to the production of novel cationic macrocycles using dihaloalkanes. By replacing the dihaloalkanes with mild oxidising agents (NO(+), I2) we obtain two unique polycyclic heterocycles. The mechanism which leads to the formation of these polycyclic heterocycles is investigated using ab initio DFT calculations.

Synthesis of sterically hindered xanthene-modified iron corroles with catalase-like activity.

An up to 18-fold increase of the turnover frequency (TOF) in the catalase-like hydrogen peroxide dismutation reaction is observed by incorporation of substituents in the ß-position of xanthene-modified iron corroles.

Synthesis and characterization of mono- and dinuclear phenanthroline-extended tetramesitylporphyrin complexes as well as UV-Vis and EPR studies on their one-electron reduced species.

The syntheses of mononuclear compounds based on the fused porphyrin phenanthroline ligand (H(2)-1) and their corresponding dinuclear porphyrin bis-bipyridine ruthenium complexes are reported. The extended π-system of the ligand is able to store electron equivalents as could be proven by the single electron reduction with KC(8) (and/or Na(Hg)) followed by subsequent UV-Vis and EPR analysis. Electron reduction could also be achieved under light illumination in a dichloromethane-triethylamine mixture. The two coordination spheres of the ligand are different so that mononuclear or (hetero)dinuclear complexes can be isolated depending on the reaction conditions. We could successfully introduce Zn, Cu and Pd into the porphyrinic unit leading to a series of mononuclear (M-1) compounds. Further, we could attach the bis-(4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine) ruthenium fragment (Ru(tbbpy)(2)(2+)) to obtain dinuclear (M-1-Ru) metal complexes. In the case of Zn-1 an X-ray crystal structure could be obtained confirming the selective metallation in the porphyrinic unit. All metal complexes were isolated and characterized with standard analytical tools (elemental analysis, mass spectrometry and NMR (or EPR) spectroscopy).

Terpyridine-porphyrin hetero-Pacman compounds.

The two different coordination spheres afforded by Pacman architectures offer cooperativity derived from two different metal centers. A modular strategy is developed to produce a hetero-Pacman scaffold featuring a porphyrin and terpyridine for metal-ion binding. A double Suzuki reaction was employed to first attach a terpyridine moiety to a xanthene backbone and then attach a porphyrin. The new hetero-Pacman scaffold has been characterized and all building blocks have been isolated and structurally characterized. The principle objective to incorporate different metal centers was confirmed by isolating a trinuclear complex comprising two porphyrinic units and a bis(terpyridine)-iron unit. The compounds described herein expand the Pacman scaffold concept by allowing for the incorporation of a terpyridine-metal complex proximate to a porphyrin-cofactor active site for small-molecule activation.

Hangman effect on hydrogen peroxide dismutation by Fe(III) corroles.

Hangman Fe(III) corroles catalyse H(2)O(2) disproportionation at a faster rate and display a more pronounced hangman effect than their one electron oxidized analogues owing to their ability to bypass high energy intermediates by redox-leveling derived from the use of the corrole as a non-innocent ligand.