Defective dicubane-like tetranuclear nickel(II) cyanate and azide nanoscale magnets

Two biologically inspired tetranuclear nickel(II) catalysts: effect of the geometry of Ni4 core on electrocatalytic water oxidation

Two biologically inspired tetranuclear nickel complexes [Ni4(L-H)4(CH3COO)3]·Cl (1) and [Ni4(L-H)4(CH3COO)4]·2CH3OH (2) (L = di(pyridin-2-yl)methanediol) have been synthesized and investigated by a combination of X-ray crystallography, PXRD, electrochemistry, in-situ UV-Vis spectroelectrochemistry and DLS. Both of the two complexes feature a core composed of four Ni(II) ions with the same peripheral ligation provided by the anionic di(pyridin-2-yl)methanediol and MeCOO- ligands. Whereas, complex 1 possesses one distorted cubane-like [Ni4(µ3-O)4] core, while 2 has one extended butterfly-like [Ni4(µ3-O)2] core. The homogeneous electrocatalytic reactivity of the two water-soluble complexes for water oxidation have been thoroughly studied, which demonstrates that both of them can efficiently electrocatalyze water oxidation with high stability under alkaline conditions, at relatively low over-potentials (η) of 420-790 mV for 1 and 390-780 mV for 2, both in the pH range of 7.67-12.32, with the high TOF of about 139 s-1 (1) and 69 s-1 (2) at pH = 12.32, respectively. By a series of comparative experiments for complexes 1 and 2, we proposed that their crystal geometries play an important role in their electrocatalytic reactivity for water oxidation. We verified that biomimetic cubane geometry could promote OER catalysis with two very similar compounds for the first time. Compared with 2, the biomimetic cubane topology of 1 could promote OER catalysis by facilitating efficient charge delocalization and electron-transfer.

Tuneable structures and magnetic properties of pseudohalo-bridged dinuclear Ni(ii) complexes derived from {N4} and {N3O} donor ligands

Six new dinickel(ii) complexes with different bridges and bridging motifs showing overall diverse magnetic interactions (AF to F interactions) have been discussed and rationalized.

Synthesis of Novel Tetra(µ3-Methoxo) Bridged with [Cu(II)-O-Cd(II)] Double-Open-Cubane Cluster: XRD/HSA-Interactions, Spectral and Oxidizing Properties

A new double-open-cubane core Cd(II)-O-Cu(II) bimetallic ligand mixed cluster of type [Cl2Cu4Cd2(NNO)6(NN)2(NO3)2].CH3CN was made available in EtOH/CH3CN solution. The 1-hydroxymethyl-3,5-dimethylpyrazole (NNOH) and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (NNH) act as N,O-polydentate anion ligands in coordinating the Cu(II) and Cd(II) centers. The structure of the cluster in the solid state was proved by XRD study and confirmed in the liquid state by UV-vis analysis. The XRD result supported the construction of two octahedral and one square pyramid geometries types around the four Cu(II) centers and only octahedral geometry around Cd(II) two centers. Interestingly, NNOH ligand acts as a tetra-µ3-oxo and tri-µ2-oxo ligand; meanwhile, the N-N in NNH acts as classical bidentate anion/neutral ligands. The interactions in the lattice were detected experimentally by the XRD-packing result and computed via Hirschfeld surface analysis (HSA). The UV-vis., FT-IR and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), supported the desired double-open cubane cluster composition. The oxidation potential of the desired cluster was evaluated using a 3,5-DTB-catechol 3,5-DTB-quinone as a catecholase model reaction.

Azido-Cyanide Mixed-Bridged FeIII-NiII Complexes

The successful introduction of azide ions as secondary bridges into the Fe^III-Ni^II cyanide system afforded two clusters and one unique 4(3),2-ribbon chain: [(bpzpy)₂Ni₂(μ₂-1,1-N₃)₂{(pzTp)Fe(CN)₃}₂]·3H₂O [1; bpzpy = 2,6-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridine, and pzTp = tetrakis(pyrazolyl)borate], [(L1)₂Ni₄(μ₃-1,1,1-OCH₃)₂(μ₂-1,1-N₃)₂(H₂O)₂{(Tp)Fe(CN)₃}₂]·2CH₃OH·H₂O [2; Tp = hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate, and HL1 = 2,6-bis{(2-hydroxypropylimino)methyl}-4-methylphenol], and [(L2)₂Ni₃(μ₂-1,1-N₃)₄{(pzTp)Fe(CN)₃}₂]_n (3; L2 = 2-{[phenyl(pyridin-2-yl)methylene]amino}ethan-1-amine). Both 1 and 2 feature the centrosymmetric {Fe^III-Ni^II₂-Fe^III} and {Fe^III-Ni^II₄-Fe^III} rodlike structures in which the two peripheral [(Tp^R)Fe(CN)₃]^- anions act as monodentate ligands via one cyanide group to link the central azide-bridged [Ni₂] and [Ni₄] subunit, respectively, while 3 displays an extended structure of the double-zigzag (4,2-ribbon) chain in which the double end-on azide-bridged trinuclear [Ni₃] subunits serve as the 4-connected nodes. Magnetic study revealed that intramolecular ferromagnetic coupling is dominated by the azide or cyanide bridges in all of the complexes. Remarkably, complex 1 behaves as a single-molecule magnet with an effective energy barrier of 16.5 cm^-1 at zero dc field, while complex 3 exhibits metamagnetism with a hidden spin canting property below 12 K.

μ1,1-R-phenylcyanamido bridges as a new safe synthetic strategy for ferromagnetic molecular clusters

The reaction of Ni(NO3)2·6H2O with di-2-pyridyl ketone, (py)2CO, and the R-phenylcyanamides 4Cl-3CF3-PhHNCN and 4F-3CF3-PhHNCN in CH3OH or CH3CH2OH allows the isolation of the tetranuclear compounds [(Ni4(μ-py2COOCH3)2(μ3-py2COOH)2(μ1,1-4Cl-3CF3-PhNCN)2(4Cl-3CF3-PhNCN)2]·CH3OH (1), [(Ni4(μ-py2COOCH2CH3)2(μ3-py2COOH)2(μ1,1-4Cl-3CF3-PhNCN)2(4Cl-3CF3-PhNCN)2]·2EtOH (2) and [(Ni4(μ-py2COOCH3)2(μ3-py2COOH)2(μ1,1-4F-3CF3-PhNCN)2(4F-3CF3-PhNCN)2]·4CH3OH (3). {(py)2C(OH)O}(-) and {(py)2C(OR)O}(-) are the monoanions of the gem-diol and hemiketal (R = CH3, CH2CH3) forms of (py)2CO. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals defective double-cubane tetrameric entities in which the Ni(II) atoms are linked by μ1,1-R-phenylcyanamido bridges and two kinds of O-bridges. The molar magnetic susceptibility measurements of 1-3 in the 2-300 K range indicate bulk ferromagnetic coupling.

Synthesis, magnetism and spectral studies of six defective dicubane tetranuclear {M4O6} (M = NiII, CoII, ZnII) and three trinuclear CdII complexes with polydentate Schiff base ligands

Six defective dicubane face-shared and three trinuclear complexes are synthesized. The magnetic behaviors of Ni^II/Co^II complexes and fluorescence properties of Zn^II and Cd^II are studied.

Novel tetranuclear Ni(II) Schiff base complex containing Ni4O4 cubane core: synthesis, X-ray structure, spectra and magnetic properties

Novel tetranuclear nickel(II) Schiff base complex having symmetric Ni4O4 cubane-core, [Ni4O2(OAc)2(L)2] (1) has been synthesized. Single crystal of the complex exhibits four nickel atoms in the alternate corner of the cubane and other four sites are occupied by phenolate-O and μ3-O(2-). Variable temperature magnetic moment data suggests the Ni centres are weakly antiferromagnetically coupled with J1=-4.82cm(-1) and J2=-4.83cm(-1). The electronic spectra, emission properties and life time measurement of ligand, HL and complex 1 have been studied.

Synthesis, structure and magnetic properties of phenylhydroxamate-based coordination clusters

The strategic recombination of preformed coordination clusters in the presence of polymodal bridging ligands has successfully led to the characterisation of five new compounds of structural and magnetic interest. Indeed using the dinuclear complex [M2(H2O)(piv)4(Hpiv)4] (M = Co, Ni; Hpiv = pivalic acid) as starting material and reacting it with phenylhydroxamic acid (H2pha) has yielded the four tetrametallic coordination clusters [Co4(Hpha)2(piv)6(Hpiv)4] (1), [Ni4(Hpha)2(piv)6(Hpiv)2(DMF)2] (2), [Co4(Hpha)2(piv)6(EtOH)2(H2O)2] (3), [Ni4(Hpha)2(piv)6(EtOH)2(H2O)2] (4) and the hexanuclear complex [Co6(Hpha)4(piv)8(EtOH)2]·EtOH (5). All the compounds have been structurally characterised revealing a particular binding mode for the hydroxamate ligand. The study of their magnetic properties has been performed and the modelling of these properties has been done using the appropriate hamiltonians for each compound. The experimental data and their modelling show non-zero spin ground states for compounds 4 and 5.

Two tetranuclear zinc clusters, [Zn4(μ3-OEt)2(μ2-MalO)4Et2] and [Zn4(μ3-GueO)2(μ2-GueO)2(μ2-MalO)2(MalO)2]·2C7H8, containing defective dicubane core geometries (MalOH is maltol and GueOH is guethol)

The zinc alkoxide molecules in di-μ(3)-ethanolato-diethyltetrakis(μ(2)-2-methyl-4-oxo-4H-pyran-3-olato-κ(3)O(3),O(4):O(3))tetrazinc(II), [Zn(4)(C(2)H(5))(2)(C(2)H(5)O)(2)(C(6)H(5)O(3))(4)], (I), and bis(μ(3)-2-ethoxyphenolato-κ(4)O(1),O(2):O(1):O(1))bis(μ(2)-2-ethoxyphenolato-κ(3)O(1),O(2):O(1))bis(μ(2)-2-methyl-4-oxo-4H-pyran-3-olato-κ(3)O(3),O(4):O(3))bis(2-methyl-4-oxo-4H-pyran-3-olato-κ(2)O(3),O(4))tetrazinc(II) toluene disolvate, [Zn(4)(C(6)H(5)O(3))(4)(C(8)H(9)O(2))(4)]·2C(7)H(8), (II), lie on crystallographic centres of inversion. The asymmetric units of (I) and (II) contain half of the tetrameric unit and additionally one molecule of toluene for (II). The Zn(II) atoms are four- and six-coordinated in distorted tetrahedral and octahedral geometries for (I), and six-coordinated in a distorted octahedral environment for (II). The Zn(II) atoms in both compounds are arranged in a defect dicubane Zn(4)O(6) core structure composed of two EtZnO(3) tetrahedra and ZnO(6) octahedra for (I), and of four ZnO(6) octahedra for (II), sharing common corners. The maltolate ligands exist mostly in a μ(2)-bridging mode, while the guetholate ligands prefer a higher coordination mode and act as μ(3)- and μ(2)-bridges.