Six-coordinate high-spin iron(ii) complexes with bidentate PN ligands based on 2-aminopyridine - new Fe(ii) spin crossover systems

Several new octahedral iron(ii) complexes of the type [Fe(PN(R)-Ph)2X2] (X = Cl, Br; R = H, Me) containing bidentate PN(R)-Ph (R = H, Me) (1a,b) ligands based on 2-aminopyridine were prepared. (57)Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetization studies confirmed in all cases their high spin nature at room temperature with magnetic moments very close to 4.9μB reflecting the expected four unpaired d-electrons in all these compounds. While in the case of the PN(H)-Ph ligand an S = 2 to S = 0 spin crossover was observed at low temperatures, complexes with the N-methylated analog PN(Me)-Ph retain an S = 2 spin state also at low temperatures. Thus, [Fe(PN(H)-Ph)2X2] (2a,3a) and [Fe(PN(Me)-Ph)2X2] (2b,3b) adopt different geometries. In the first case a cis-Cl,P,N-arrangement seems to be most likely, as supported by various experimental data derived from (57)Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, SQUID magnetometry, UV/Vis, Raman, and ESI-MS as well as DFT and TDDFT calculations, while in the case of the PN(Me)-Ph ligand a trans-Cl,P,N-configuration is adopted. The latter is also confirmed by X-ray crystallography. In contrast to [Fe(PN(Me)-Ph)2X2] (2b,3b), [Fe(PN(H)-Ph)2X2] (2a,3a) is labile and undergoes rearrangement reactions. In CH3OH, the diamagnetic dicationic complex [Fe(PN(H)-Ph)3](2+) (5) is formed via the intermediacy of cis-P,N-[Fe(κ(2)-P,N-PN(H)-Ph)2(κ(1)-P-PN(H)-Ph)(X)](+) (4a,b) where one PN ligand is coordinated in a κ(1)-P-fashion. In CH3CN the diamagnetic dicationic complex cis-N,P,N-[Fe(PN(H)-Ph)2(CH3CN)2](2+) (6) is formed as a major isomer where the two halide ligands are replaced by CH3CN.

Copper(II) complexes with 3-hydroxyquinoxaline-2-carboxylic acid

Hydrothermal and mechanochemical syntheses are extensively used to obtain metal coordination polymers of different dimensionalities. Transition metal complexes with carboxylate based ligands e. g. 3-hydroxyquinoxaline-2-carboxylic acid (3-OHquinoxH) are interesting due to the possible formation of porous structures suitable for gas storage and separation. 1D coordination polymer {[Cu2(3-OHquinox)2(SO4)(H2O)2]·4DMSO}n (1) was obtained by reaction of CuSO4and 3-OHquinoxH in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution at room temperature, while mononuclear complex [Cu(3-OHquinox)2(H2O)2]·2DMSO (2) was formed under hydrothermal conditions. The X-ray crystal structure analysis revealed two differently coordinated Cu(II) ions in 1 (see figure). The first Cu(II) ion in 1 is octahedrally coordinated by two bridging O,O'-bidentate 3-OHquinox ligands and two water molecules in trans position, and the second Cu(II) ion by two bridging N,O'-bidentate 3-OHquinox ligands and one O,O'-bidentate sulfate ion. The Cu(II) ion in 2 is octahedrally coordinated by two N,O'-bidentate 3-OHquinox ligands and two water molecules in trans position. The reaction mixture was also grinded in a ball mill in the presence of H2O, DMSO or their mixture and the products were identified by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The grinding under these conditions could not be used to prepare pure 1 nor 2, but rather a mixture of both 1, 2, reactants and new, still unidentified, phase. The complex 2 was also studied by DFT methods. The hypothetical complex with two O-bound DMSO molecules is more stable than 2 by 2.9 kcal/mol. The preference for the formation of 2, with two coordinated water molecules, must be assigned to the hydrogen bonds between coordinated water and crystallization DMSO molecules in the crystal structure of 2.

Tunable fluorophores based on 2-(N-arylimino)pyrrolyl chelates of diphenylboron: synthesis, structure, photophysical characterization, and application in OLEDs

Reactions of 2-(N-arylimino)pyrroles (HNC4H3C(H)=N-Ar) with triphenylboron (BPh3) in boiling toluene afford the respective highly emissive N,N'-boron chelate complexes, [BPh2 {κ(2)N,N'-NC4H3C(H)=N-Ar}] (Ar=C6H5 (12), 2,6-Me2-C6H3 (13), 2,6-iPr2-C6H3 (14), 4-OMe-C6H4 (15), 3,4-Me2-C6 H3 (16), 4-F-C6H4 (17), 4-NO2-C6H4 (18), 4-CN-C6H4 (19), 3,4,5-F3-C6H2 (20), and C6F5 (21)) in moderate to high yields. The photophysical properties of these new boron complexes largely depend on the substituents present on the aryl rings of their N-arylimino moieties. The complexes bearing electron-withdrawing aniline substituents 17-20 show more intense (e.g., ϕf =0.71 for Ar=4-CN-C6H4 (19) in THF), higher-energy (blue) fluorescent emission compared to those bearing electron-donating substituents, for which the emission is redshifted at the expense of lower quantum yields (ϕf=0.13 and 0.14 for Ar=4-OMe-C6H4 (15) and 3,4-Me2-C6H3 (16), respectively, in THF). The presence of substituents bulkier than a hydrogen atom at the 2,6-positions of the aryl groups strongly restricts rotation of this moiety towards coplanarity with the iminopyrrolyl ligand framework, inducing a shift in the emission to the violet region (λmax =410-465 nm) and a significant decrease in quantum yield (ϕf=0.005, 0.023, and 0.20 for Ar=2,6-Me2-C6H3 (13), 2,6-iPr2-C6H3 (14), and C6F5 (21), respectively, in THF), even when electron-withdrawing groups are also present. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations have indicated that the excited singlet state has a planar aryliminopyrrolyl ligand, except when prevented by steric hindrance (ortho substituents). Calculated absorption maxima reproduce the experimental values, but the error is higher for the emission wavelengths. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been fabricated with the new boron complexes, with luminances of the order of 3000 cd m(-2) being achieved for a green-emitting device.

Solvent-dependent formation of Os(0) complexes by electrochemical reduction of [Os(CO)(2,2'-bipyridine)(L)Cl2]; L = Cl(-), PrCN

Cyclic voltammetry and ultraviolet-visible/infrared (UV-vis/IR) spectroelectrochemistry were used to study the cathodic electrochemical behavior of the osmium complexes mer-[Os(III)(CO) (bpy)Cl3] (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) and trans(Cl)-[Os(II)(CO) (PrCN)(bpy)Cl2] at variable temperature in different solvents (tetrahydrofuran (THF), butyronitrile (PrCN), acetonitrile (MeCN)) and electrolytes (Bu4NPF6, Bu4NCl). The precursors can be reduced to mer-[Os(II)(CO) (bpy(•-))Cl3](2-) and trans(Cl)-[Os(II)(CO)(PrCN) (bpy(•-))Cl2](-), respectively, which react rapidly at room temperature, losing the chloride ligands and forming Os(0) species. mer-[Os(III)(CO) (bpy)Cl3] is reduced in THF to give ultimately an Os-Os-bonded polymer, probably [Os(0)(CO) (THF)(bpy)]n, whereas in PrCN the well-soluble, probably mononuclear [Os(0)(CO) (PrCN)(bpy)], species is formed. The same products were observed for the 2 electron reduction of trans(Cl)-[Os(II)(CO)(PrCN) (bpy)Cl2] in both solvents. In MeCN, similar to THF, the [Os(0)(CO) (MeCN)(bpy)]n polymer is produced. It is noteworthy that the bpy ligand in mononuclear [Os(0)(CO) (PrCN)(bpy)] is reduced to the corresponding radical anion at a significantly less negative potential than it is in polymeric [Os(0)(CO) (THF)(bpy)]n: ΔE1/2 = 0.67 V. Major differences also exist in the IR spectra of the Os(0) species: the polymer shows a broad ν(CO) band at much smaller wavenumbers compared to the soluble Os(0) monomer that exhibits a characteristic ν(Pr-CN) band below 2200 cm(-1) in addition to the intense and narrow ν(CO) absorption band. For the first time, in this work the M(0)-bpy (M = Ru, Os) mono- and dicarbonyl species soluble in PrCN have been formulated as a mononuclear complex. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent-DFT calculations confirm the Os(0) oxidation state and suggest that [Os(0)(CO) (PrCN)(bpy)] is a square planar moiety. The reversible bpy-based reduction of [Os(0)(CO) (PrCN)(bpy)] triggers catalytic reduction of CO2 to CO and HCOO(-).

Toward the understanding of radical reactions: experimental and computational studies of titanium(III) diamine bis(phenolate) complexes

Radical reactions of titanium(III) [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')Cl(S)] (S = THF, 1; S = py, 2; (tBu2)O2NN' = Me2N(CH2)2N(CH2-2-O-3,5-(t)Bu2C6H2)2) are described. Reactions with neutral electron acceptors led to metal oxidation to Ti(IV), [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')Cl(TEMPO)] (4) being formed with the TEMPO radical and [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')Cl2] (9) with PhN═NPh. [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')Cl2] was also formed when [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')Cl(S)] was oxidized by [Cp2Fe][BPh4], but the [Cp2Fe][PF6] analogue yielded [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')ClF] (8). The reactions of [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')Cl(S)] with O2 gave [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')Cl]2(μ-O) (3). The DFT calculated Gibbs energy for the above reaction showed it to be exergonic (ΔG298 = -123.6 kcal·mol(-1)). [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')(CH2Ph)(S)] (S = THF, 5; py, 6) are not stable in solution for long periods and in diethyl ether gave 1:1 cocrystals of [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')(CH2Ph)2] (7) and [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')Cl]2(μ-O) (3), most probably resulting from a disproportionation process of titanium(III) followed by oxygen abstraction by the resulting Ti(II) species. The oxidation of [Ti((tBu2)O2NN')(κ(2)-{CH2-2-(NMe2)-C6H4})] (10), which is a Ti(III) benzyl stabilized by the intramolecular coordination of the NMe2 moiety, led to a complex mixture. Recrystallization of this mixture under air led to a 1:1 cocrystal of two coordination isomers of the titanium oxo dimer (3). In one of these isomers, one metal is pentacoordinate and the dimethylamine moiety of the diamine bis(phenolate) ligand is not bonded to the metal, displaying a coordination mode of the ligand never observed before. The other titanium center is distorted octahedral with two cis-phenolate moieties. In the second unit, the coordination of the two ancillary ligands to the titanium centers reveals mutually cis-phenolate groups in one-half of the molecule and trans-coordinated in the other titanium center, keeping a distorted octahedral environment around each titanium.

Charge parametrization of the DvH-c3 heme group: validation using constant-(pH,E) molecular dynamics simulations

We studied the effect of using different heme group charge parametrization methods and schemes (Merz-Kollman, CHELPG, and single- and multiconformational RESP) on the quality of the results produced by the constant-(pH,E) MD method, applied to the redox titration of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough cytochrome c(3). These new and more accurate charge sets enabled us to overcome the previously reported dependence of the method's performance on the dielectric constant, ε, assigned to the protein region. In particular, we found a systematic, clear shift of the E(mod) toward more negative values than those previously reported, in agreement with an electrostatics based reasoning. The simulations showed strong coupling between protonating/redox sites. We were also able to capture significant direct and, especially, indirect interactions between hemes, such as those mediated by histidine 67. Our results highlight the importance of having a good quantum description of the system before deriving atomic partial charges for classic force fields.