Mixed-valence coinage metal clusters with 1,1-thioperthio ligands. Syntheses and molecular structures of the copper and gold [Cu4L3]2-, [Cu5L4]-, and [AuCu4L4]- anions (L = 1,1-dicarbo-tert-butoxyethylene-2,2-thioperthiolate). A geometrically-locked, charge-separated valence state in the [Cu5L4]- anion

Adamantane-type clusters: compounds with a ubiquitous architecture but a wide variety of compositions and unexpected materials properties

The research into adamantane-type compounds has gained momentum in recent years, yielding remarkable new applications for this class of materials. In particular, organic adamantane derivatives (AdR4) or inorganic adamantane-type compounds of the general formula [(RT)4E6] (R: organic substituent; T: group 14 atom C, Si, Ge, Sn; E: chalcogenide atom S, Se, Te, or CH2) were shown to exhibit strong nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, either second-harmonic generation (SHG) or an unprecedented type of highly-directed white-light generation (WLG) - depending on their respective crystalline or amorphous nature. The (missing) crystallinity, as well as the maximum wavelengths of the optical transitions, are controlled by the clusters' elemental composition and by the nature of the organic groups R. Very recently, it has been additionally shown that cluster cores with increased inhomogeneity, like the one in compounds [RSi{CH2Sn(E)R'}3], not only affect the chemical properties, such as increased robustness and reversible melting behaviour, but that such 'cluster glasses' form a conceptually new basis for their use in light conversion devices. These findings are likely only the tip of the iceberg, as beside elemental combinations including group 14 and group 16 elements, many more adamantane-type clusters (on the one hand) and related architectures representing extensions of adamantane-type clusters (on the other hand) are known, but have not yet been addressed in terms of their opto-electronic properties. In this review, we therefore present a survey of all known classes of adanmantane-type compounds and their respective synthetic access as well as their optical properties, if reported.

Transformations of empty CuI4 core to CuI2CuII2O and CuI6S cores via oxide and sulfide insertions

A tetrahedral {CuI4}⁴⁺ core is reversibly transformed to a mixed-valent {CuI2CuII2O}⁴⁺ core via the oxidative insertion and the reductive elimination of an oxide ion.

Copper dithiolene [Cu(SC6H2Cl2S)2]− units connected to alkaline/copper complexes: from ionic assemblies to discrete molecular entities and coordination polymers

New coordination polymers or ion-pair complexes containing the [Cu(SC₆H₂Cl₂S)₂]⁻ entity and M⁺ (alkaline or Cu metals) has been obtained.

Heterovalent AuIII−MI (M = Cu, Ag, Au) Complexes Derived from Incorporation of [Au(tdt)2]- (tdt = Toluene-3,4-dithiolate) with [M2(dppm)2]2+ (dppm = Bis(diphenylphosphino)methane)

Polynuclear heterovalent Au(III)-M(I) (M = Cu, Ag, Au) cluster complexes [Au(III)Cu(I)8(mu-dppm)3(tdt)5]+ (1), [Au(III)3Ag(I)8(mu-dppm)4(tdt)8]+ (2), and [Au(III)Au(I)4(mu-dppm)4(tdt)2]3+ (3) were prepared by reaction of [Au(III)(tdt)2]- (tdt = toluene-3,4-dithiolate) with 2 equiv of [M(I)2(dppm)2]2+ (dppm = bis(diphenylphosphino)methane). Complex 3 originates from incorporation of one [Au(III)(tdt)2]- with two [Au(I)2(dppm)2]2+ components through Au(III)-S-Au(I) linkages. Formation of complexes 1 and 2, however, involves rupture of metal-ligand bonds in the metal components and recombination between the ligands and the metal atoms. The Au(tdt)2 component connects to four M(I) atoms through Au(III)-S-M(I) linkages in syn and anti conformations in complexes 1 (M = Cu) and 3 (M = Au), respectively, but in both syn and anti conformations in complex 2 (M = Ag). The tdt ligand exhibits five types of bonding modes in complexes 1-3, chelating Au(III) or M(I) atoms as well as bridging Au(III)-M(I) or M(I)-M(I) atoms in different orientations. Although complexes 1 and 2 are nonemissive, Au(III)Au(I)(4) complex 3 shows room-temperature luminescence with emission maximum at 555 nm (tau(em) = 3.1 micros) in the solid state and at 570 nm (tau(em) = 1.5 micros) in acetonitrile solution.

Ligand Substitution in Cubic Clusters: Surprising Isolation of the Cocrystallization Products of Cu8(μ8-Se)[S2P(OEt)2]6 and Cu6[S2P(OEt)2]6

The cluster (Cu8(mu8-Se)[S2P(OEt)2]6)0.54(Cu6[S2P(OEt)2]6)0.46 (2) was prepared in 78% yield from the reaction of Cu8(Se)[Se2P(OPr)2]6 (1) and NH4S2P(OEt)2 in toluene. The central selenide ion in 2 was characterized by 77Se NMR at delta -976 ppm. The simulated solid-state 31P NMR spectrum shows two components with an intensity ratio close to 55:45. The peak centered at 100.7 ppm is assigned to the 31P nuclei in the hexanuclear copper cluster, and that at 101.1 ppm is due to the octanuclear copper cluster. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis confirms the cocrystallization structures of Cu8(Se)[S2P(OEt)2]6 (54%) and Cu6[S2P(OEt)2]6 (46%) (2: trigonal, space group R3, a=21.0139(13) A, c=11.404(3) A, gamma=120 degrees, Z=3). While the octanuclear copper cluster possesses a 3-fold crystallographic axis which pass through the Cu2, Se, and Cu(2A) atoms, the six copper atoms having the S6 point group symmetry in Cu6[S2P(OEt)2]6 form a compressed octahedron. The Cu8(mu8-Se) cubic core in Cu8(mu8-Se)[S2P(OEt)2]6 is larger in size than the metal core in Cu8(mu8-Se)[Se2P(OPr)2]6 (1) although the bite distance of the Se-containing bridging ligand is larger than that of the S ligand. To understand the nature of the structure contraction of the metal core and metal-mu8-Se interaction, molecular orbital calculations have been carried out at the B3LYP level of density functional theory. MO calculations suggest that Cu-mu8-Se interactions are not very strong and a half bond can be formally assigned to each Cu-mu8-Se bond. Moderate Cu...Cu repulsion exists, and it is the bridging ligands that are responsible for the observed Cu...Cu contacts. Hence, the S-ligating copper clusters have greater Cu...Cu separations because each Cu carries more positive charge in the presence of the more electronegative S-containing ligands.

Assessment of relative stabilities of positional isomers of polyhedral heteronuclear clusters via a simplified method of bond energy calculations based on tight-binding approach and adjacent matrix method: applications to binary icosahedral clusters

A new and simple method for assessing the relative stabilities of various positional isomers of a given heteronuclear cluster is described. The method is based on a tight-binding approach in conjunction with an adjacent matrix methodology (TBAM). The usefulness of the method is illustrated by bond energy calculations of a number of binary icosahedral clusters, including noncentered icosahedral A(n)B(12)(-)n clusters comprising main-group elements B, C, N, and S as well as B- and A-centered icosahedral A(n)B(13)(-)n clusters that consist of transition metals, Au, Ag, Ni, and Pt atoms. The latter results are compared with the previously reported molecular mechanics calculations based on Lennard-Jones potential and with experimental results, whenever possible. The trends of the total bond energies obtained by the two methods are nearly parallel in all cases, indicating that the relative stabilities predicted by the two methods follow the same order. The TBAM approach provides a simple and efficient way of predicting the relative stabilities of various positional isomers of a given cluster, particularly for clusters where the number of positional isomers is so large that it cannot be handled manually. The total bond energies exhibit a stepwise progression. Each step is characterized by a set of A-A, B-B, and A-B bonds which uniquely determines the total bond energy and, hence, the stability. The step formation implies that positional isomers of a given cluster geometry can be categorized by sets of numbers of A-A, B-B, and A-B bonds, or simply the numbers of the minority (either A-A or B-B) bonds. Three site preference rules, the strong-bond rule, the heterobond rule, and the big-hole rule, were formulated based on these model calculations. These rules are useful in rationalizing and/or predicting the relative stabilities of various positional isomers of a given cluster geometry.

Perturbation of the Electronic Structure of a Copper(II) ion by a Cu(I)Cl Moiety in a Class I Mixed Valence Copper Complex, Cu(II)(Me(5)dien)Cl(2)(Cu(I)Cl)

A new mixed valence copper complex Cu(II)(Me(5)dien)Cl(2)(Cu(I)Cl) (2) was obtained from the reaction of CuCl with Cu(II)(Me(5)dien)Cl(2) (1) in acetonitrile. The structures of 1 and 2 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with a = 8.374(5) Å, b = 17.155(3) Å, c = 23.806(5) Å, beta = 94.40(4) degrees, Z = 8, and V = 3398(1) Å(3) while compound 2 crystallizes in orthorhombic space group Pbcn with a = 14.71(1) Å, b = 16.06(2) Å, c = 13.38(1) Å, Z = 8, and V = 3159(5) Å. The Cu(II)(Me(5)dien)Cl(2) unit in both compounds has a similar distorted square-pyramidal geometry. The Cu(I)Cl moiety in 2 is attached to the Cu(II) unit via two bridging chlorine atoms and has a distorted trigonal planar geometry. UV-vis and EPR spectroscopic studies and molecular orbital calculations established the presence of significant perturbation of the Cu(I)Cl unit to the electronic structure of the Cu(II) ion in compound 2.