Flash photolysis of chromium hexacarbonyl in perfluorocarbon solvents. Observation of a highly reactive chromium pentacarbonyl

Photochemical Formation and Electronic Structure of an Alkane σ-Complex from Time-Resolved Optical and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

C-H bond activation reactions with transition metals typically proceed via the formation of alkane σ-complexes, where an alkane C-H σ-bond binds to the metal. Due to the weak nature of metal-alkane bonds, σ-complexes are challenging to characterize experimentally. Here, we establish the complete pathways of photochemical formation of the model σ-complex Cr(CO)5-alkane from Cr(CO)6 in octane solution and characterize the nature of its metal-ligand bonding interactions. Using femtosecond optical absorption spectroscopy, we find photoinduced CO dissociation from Cr(CO)6 to occur within the 100 fs time resolution of the experiment. Rapid geminate recombination by a fraction of molecules is found to occur with a time constant of 150 fs. The formation of bare Cr(CO)5 in its singlet ground state is followed by complexation of an octane molecule from solution with a time constant of 8.2 ps. Picosecond X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Cr L-edge and O K-edge provides unique information on the electronic structure of the Cr(CO)5-alkane σ-complex from both the metal and ligand perspectives. Based on clear experimental observables, we find substantial destabilization of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital upon coordination of the C-H bond to the undercoordinated Cr center in the Cr(CO)5-alkane σ-complex, and we define this as a general, orbital-based descriptor of the metal-alkane bond. Our study demonstrates the value of combining optical and X-ray spectroscopic methods as complementary tools to study the stability and reactivity of alkane σ-complexes in their role as the decisive intermediates in C-H bond activation reactions.

Photochemistry of transition metal carbonyls

The purpose of this Tutorial Review is to outline the fundamental photochemistry of metal carbonyls, and to show how the advances in technology have increased our understanding of the detailed mechanisms, particularly how relatively simple experiments can provide deep understanding of complex problems. We recall some important early experiments that demonstrate the key principles underlying current research, concentrating on the binary carbonyls and selected substituted metal carbonyls. At each stage, we illustrate with examples from recent applications. This review first considers the detection of photochemical intermediates in three environments: glasses and matrices; gas phase; solution. It is followed by an examination of the theory underpinning these observations. In the final two sections, we briefly address applications to the characterization and behaviour of complexes with very labile ligands such as N₂, H₂ and alkanes, concentrating on key mechanistic points, and also describe some principles and examples of photocatalysis.

The effect of coordination of alkanes, Xe and CO2 (η1-OCO) on changes in spin state and reactivity in organometallic chemistry: a combined experimental and theoretical study of the photochemistry of CpMn(CO)3

A combined experimental and theoretical study is presented of several ligand addition reactions of the triplet fragment 3CpMn(CO)2 formed upon photolysis of CpMn(CO)3. Experimental data are provided for reactions in n-heptane and perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PFMCH), as well as in PFMCH doped with C2H6, Xe and CO2. In PFMCH we find that the conversion of 3CpMn(CO)2 to 1CpMn(CO)2(PFMCH) is much slower (τ = 18 (±3) ns) than the corresponding reactions in conventional alkanes (τ = 111 (±10) ps). We measure the effect of the coordination ability by doping PFMCH with alkane, Xe and CO2; these doped ligands form the corresponding singlet adducts with significantly variable formation rates. The reactivity as measured by the addition timescale follows the order 1CpMn(CO)2(C5H10) (τ = 270 (±10) ps) > 1CpMn(CO)2Xe (τ = 3.9 (±0.4) ns) ∼ 1CpMn(CO)2(CO2) (τ = 4.7 (±0.5) ns) > 1CpMn(CO)2(C7F14) (τ = 18 (±3) ns). Electronic structure theory calculations of the singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces and of their intersections, together with non-adiabatic statistical rate theory, reproduce the observed rates semi-quantitatively. It is shown that triplet adducts of the ligand and 3CpMn(CO)2 play a role in the kinetics, and account for the variable timescales observed experimentally.

Mixed amidophenolate-catecholates of molybdenum(VI)

The dioxomolybdenum(vi) complex ((t)BuClipH2)MoO2 ((t)BuClipH4 = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,2'-diaminobiphenyl) reacts with 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol to form oxo-free ((t)BuClip)Mo(3,5-(t)Bu2Cat). The bis(amidophenoxide)-monocatecholate complex is monomeric and exhibits a cis-β geometry in the solid state. Variable-temperature NMR data are consistent with two fluxional processes, one that interconverts several geometric isomers at low temperature, and a second that interchanges the ends of the (t)BuClip ligand at ambient temperatures. The high-temperature fluxional process can be explained by a single Bailar trigonal twist coupled with atropisomerization of the chiral diaminobiaryl backbone. Addition of excess catechol to ((t)BuClipH2)MoO2 results in formation of a dimolybdenum mono-oxo complex ((t)BuClip)Mo(μ-3,5-(t)Bu2Cat)2Mo(O)(3,5-(t)Bu2Cat). This complex, which contains a seven-coordinate bis(amidophenoxide)molybdenum center and a six-coordinate oxomolybdenum center, represents a structural hybrid between dimeric oxomolybdenumbis(catecholate) and molybdenum tris(catecholate) complexes. Both mono- and dimolybdenum complexes are best formulated as containing Mo(vi), but there is structural evidence for significant π donation from the amidophenolates. ((t)BuClip)Mo(3,5-(t)Bu2Cat) binds pyridine to form a mixture of isomeric seven-coordinate adducts. The Lewis acidity of the mixed amidophenoxide-catecholate appears to be lower than its tris(catecholate) or oxobis(amidophenoxide) analogues, which manifests itself principally in relatively slow binding of pyridine to the six-coordinate complex (k = 8 × 10(4) L mol(-1) s(-1) at 0 °C) rather than in the rate of dissociation of pyridine from the seven-coordinate adduct.

Chromium-Polyimide Interface Chemistry

We have studied the reactions occurring for the deposition of chromium onto pyromellitic dianhydride -4,4′-oxydianiline (PMDA-ODA) polyimide for a wide range of metal coverages, using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as well as solution studies involving model compounds. A multi-step, coverage-dependent, mechanism is proposed which includes an initial electron transfer from Cr to PMDA-ODA. followed by formation of Cr-O and and Cr-N polymer-bound intermediates, At higher metal coverage, Cr-oxides and Cr-nitrides are formed which may activate the polymer for subsequent formation of Cr-carbide. No evidence was obtained in support of a model involving initial formation of a π-arene complex between chromium atoms and PMDA-ODA. In the course of this work we have shown that similarities exist between the chemistry of metal atoms in condensed phases and the reactions occurring between metal atoms and surfaces.

Recent advances in organometallic alkane and noble gas complexes

Fast time-resolved infrared (TRIR) spectroscopy has been useful for studying the reactions of a wide range of organometallic alkane and noble gas complexes at ambient temperature following irradiation of metal carbonyl precursor complexes. The reactivity of organometallic alkane and xenon complexes decreases both across and down groups V, VI, and VII, and for a given metal/ligand combination the alkane and xenon complexes have similar reactivities. Systematic studies of reactivity have produced long-lived Re complexes which have allowed such complexes to be characterized using NMR spectroscopy. A new approach using liquid propane at low temperature as a solvent to monitor the interaction of such weakly coordinating ligands with transition-metal centers is outlined. TRIR studies monitoring the coordination and activation of methane and ethane in supercritical methane and liquid ethane solvents at room temperature are also reviewed.

Substrate and Solvent Influence on the Photochemical C-H Bond Activation Reactivity of (HBPz'(3))Rh(CO)(2) (Pz' = 3,5-Dimethylpyrazolyl)

The photochemically-induced intermolecular C-H bond activation reaction of (HBPz'(3))Rh(CO)(2) (Pz' = 3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl) has been investigated in various hydrocarbon solutions at 293 K following excitation at 366 and 458 nm. UV-visible and FTIR spectra recorded throughout photolysis illustrate that the dicarbonyl complex can be converted readily to the corresponding (HBPz'(3))Rh(CO)(R)H derivatives at each of the excitation wavelengths. The photochemistry proceeds without interference from secondary photoprocesses or thermal reactions and the reactivity has been measured quantitatively with the determination of absolute quantum efficiencies for intermolecular C-H bond activation (phi(CH)). These measurements indicate that the C-H activation reaction proceeds very efficiently (phi(CH) = 0.13-0.32) on excitation at 366 nm but is much less effective (phi(CH) = 0.0059-0.011) on photolysis at 458 nm for each of the hydrocarbon substrates. The observed dependence of phi(CH) on irradiation wavelength is consistent with different reactivities from two rapidly dissociating low-energy ligand field (LF) excited states and the generation of monocarbonyl (HBPz'(3))Rh(CO) and ligand-dechelated (eta(2)-HBPz'(3))Rh(CO)(2) intermediates upon UV and visible excitation, respectively. The former species is attributed to be responsible for the unusually efficient C-H bond activation, whereas it is suggested that the latter complex effectively lowers the quantum efficiency by undergoing a facile eta(2)-->eta(3) ligand rechelation process. Significantly, the photoefficiencies are found to be unaffected on increasing the dissolved CO concentration, illustrating that the monocarbonyl reaction intermediate is extremely short-lived and is solvated before CO is able to coordinate. Additionally, the lack of a [CO] dependence on phi(CH) indicates that this solvated intermediate is not subject to a competitive back-reaction with CO prior to the C-H activation step, illustrating that the quantum efficiencies in (HBPz'(3))Rh(CO)(2) appear to be solely determined by the branching ratio between the dissociative and nondissociative routes. At any particular excitation wavelength the photoefficiencies are observed to be similar across the series of alkanes but are significantly reduced for the aromatic solvents, even though the aryl hydrido photoproducts are found to be more thermodynamically stable. These phi(CH) differences are also rationalized in terms of photophysical effects on the upper LF level and are related to variations in the nonradiative relaxation rates for the excited (HBPz'(3))Rh(CO)(2) complex in the hydrocarbon solutions.