Structural and Spectroscopic Study of the Dihydrogen Bond in an Imine Triosmium Complex

Hydrogen and Dihydrogen Bonds in the Reactions of Metal Hydrides

The dihydrogen bond-an interaction between a transition-metal or main-group hydride (M-H) and a protic hydrogen moiety (H-X)-is arguably the most intriguing type of hydrogen bond. It was discovered in the mid-1990s and has been intensively explored since then. Herein, we collate up-to-date experimental and computational studies of the structural, energetic, and spectroscopic parameters and natures of dihydrogen-bonded complexes of the form M-H···H-X, as such species are now known for a wide variety of hydrido compounds. Being a weak interaction, dihydrogen bonding entails the lengthening of the participating bonds as well as their polarization (repolarization) as a result of electron density redistribution. Thus, the formation of a dihydrogen bond allows for the activation of both the MH and XH bonds in one step, facilitating proton transfer and preparing these bonds for further transformations. The implications of dihydrogen bonding in different stoichiometric and catalytic reactions, such as hydrogen exchange, alcoholysis and aminolysis, hydrogen evolution, hydrogenation, and dehydrogenation, are discussed.

Cryo-crystallography: diffraction at low temperature and more

This chapter comments on the motivations and the methods of crystallographic studies at low temperature. Cry-crystallography is a brunch of Crystallography, a science that is too often confused with a technique. On the other hand, the scientific background to study crystal phases at low temperature is here provided, together with a survey of many possible techniques that provide complementary or supplementary information. Several applications are discussed, in particular in relation with highly accurate studies like electron density determination or phase transition mechanisms.

Synthesis, characterization, and X-ray structures of three iridium(III)-hydrido-cyclometallated-imine complexes, including the first reported hydrido-(η1-imine)-Ir complex

Reactions of cis,trans,cis-[Ir(H)2(PPh3)2(solv)2]PF6 (solv = MeOH or Me2CO) with the imines HN=CPh2, (o-HOC6H4)C(Me)=NCH2Ph, and PhC(H)=N(p-F-C6H4) in MeOH or acetone under Ar give the complexes [IrH{NH=C(Ph)(o-C6H4)}(NH=CPh2)(PPh3)2]PF6 (3), [IrH{PhCH2N=C(Me)(o-C6H3OH)}(solv)(PPh3)2]PF6, where solv = MeOH (4) or Me2CO (4a), and [IrH{N(p-F-C6H4)=CH(o-C6H4)}(Me2CO)(PPh3)2]PF6 (5a), which have been isolated and characterized. The imine (C6F5)C(H)=NPh is unreactive toward the Ir precursors. The X-ray structures of 3, 4·2MeOH, and 5a·1/2Me2CO show an η2-N,C-imine moiety coordinated via the N atom and an orthometallated-C atom. Complex 3, which contains both an orthometallated imine and an η1-imine, is the first structurally characterized hydrido-(η1-imine)-Ir complex. Comparisons are made with data for the corresponding Rh systems.Key words: iridium, hydride complexes, imines, fluoroimines, phosphine complexes, orthometallation, crystallography, NMR spectroscopy.

Spectroscopic and computational studies of a Ru(II) terpyridine complex: the importance of weak intermolecular forces to photophysical properties

The complex [Ru(tpy)(CO)(2)TFA]+[PF(6)]- (where tpy = 2,2':6',2' '-terpyridine and TFA = CF(3)CO(2)-) (1) has been synthesized and fully characterized spectroscopically. The X-ray structure of the complex has been determined. The photopysical properties of the ruthenium complex and the free ligand tpy have been investigated at room temperature and at 77 K in acetonitrile solution and in the solid state. Their electronic spectra are highly influenced by intermolecular stacking interactions, both in solution and in the solid state. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations have been performed to characterize the electronic structure and the excited states of [Ru(tpy)(CO)(2)TFA]+[PF(6)]- and tpy. TDDFT calculations on three different conformations of free ligand have been performed as well. Absorption and emission spectra of tpy have been studied at different temperatures and concentrations in order to have a better understanding of this ruthenium derivative's properties. The absorption spectrum of 1 is characterized by metal-perturbed ligand-centered (LC) bands in the UV region. No metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) bands are observed in the visible for the complex. Only at high concentrations (10(-4) M) does a very weak band appear at 470 nm. At 77 K and low concentrations, solutions of 1 exhibit a major 3LC emission band centered at 468 nm (21.4 x 10(-3) cm(-1)). When the concentration of the complex is increased, an unstructured narrow emission at 603 nm (16.6 x 10(-3) cm(-1)), with a lifetime of 10 micros, dominates the emission spectrum in glassy acetonitrile. This emission originates from a pi-pi stacked dimeric (or oligomeric) species. TDDFT calculations performed on a tail-to-tail dimer structure, similar to that seen in the solid state, ascribe the transition to a triplet excited state, where intermolecular metal (d) --> ligand (pi*, polypyridine) charge transfer occurs. A good estimate of the transition energy is also obtained (623 nm, 1.94 eV).

First Example of the Solid-State Thermal Cyclometalation of Ligated Benzophenone Imine Giving Novel Luminescent Platinum(II) Species

The (benzophenone imine)platinum(II) compounds trans-[PtCl2(Ph2C=NH)(RR'SO)] [R, R'=Me, Me (2); n-Pr, n-Pr (3); (CH2)4 (4); Me, Ph (5); Me, p-MeC6H4 (6)] were prepared by the reaction of Ph2C=NH with K[PtCl3(RR'SO)], obtained in situ from K2[PtCl4] and the corresponding sulfoxide, giving 2-6 as well as cis-[PtCl2(Ph2C=NH)2] (1) as a minor product. The complexes were characterized by 1H, 13C, and 195Pt NMR and IR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and C, H, and N elemental analysis. The X-ray crystallography of 1 enables confirmation of the cis configuration of the complex, while in 2 and 4.1/2CHCl3, the imine and sulfoxide ligands are mutually trans. The solid-state structure of 4.1/2CHCl3 consists of two dimeric Pt moieties representing a rather weak Pt...Pt interaction. The dimeric architecture of 4.1/2CHCl3 is enhanced by the hydrogen bonding between imine H atoms and O atoms. The orthometalation of 1 and 2-6 proceeds both in the solid phase and in a toluene suspension, leading to the formation of [PtCl{Ph(C6H4)C=NH}(Ph2C=NH)] (7) and [PtCl{Ph(C6H4)C=NH}(RR'SO)] (8-12), respectively, isolated in nearly quantitative yields. Complexes 8-12 are emissive at room temperature both in solution (lambdaemmax approximately 535 nm) and in the solid state (lambdaemmax 560-610 nm), with excited-state lifetimes of ca. 300-600 ns, representing a new family of PtII-based luminescent complexes. Compounds 8 and 10 have been characterized by X-ray analysis, confirming the square-planar coordination geometry of the metal center with the almost planar platinacycles. In 8, the asymmetric unit contains two independent Pt molecules, while in 10, it includes four Pt molecules linked by the intermolecular hydrogen-bonding network between the NH group and Cl atoms.

DNA-binding behavior of ruthenium(II) complexes containing both group 15 donors and 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine

Tetrafluoroborate salts of cationic ruthenium complexes [Ru(kappa(3)-tpy)(EPh(3))(2)Cl](+) (tpy=2,2':6',2''-terpyridine; E=P, 1 or As, 2) containing both the group 15 donor ligands and tpy and their representative substitution products are reported. Weak interaction {C-H...X (X=Cl, F and pi) and pi-pi interaction} studies revealed the presence of a double helical motif in complex 1, while the complex 2 assumes a single helical motif. Intercalative mode of interaction of the complexes 1 and 2 with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) has been supported by absorption titration studies.