Visible-light NO photolysis of ruthenium nitrosyl complexes with N2O2 ligands bearing π-extended rings and their photorelease dynamics

NO photorelease and its dynamics for two {RuNO}⁶ complexes, Ru(salophen)(NO)Cl (1) and Ru(naphophen)(NO)Cl (2), with salen-type ligands bearing π-extended systems (salophenH₂ = N,N'-(1,2-phenylene)-bis(salicylideneimine) and naphophenH₂ = N,N'-1,2-phenylene-bis(2-hydroxy-1-naphthylmethyleneimine)) were investigated. NO photolysis was performed under white room light and monitored by UV/Vis, EPR, and NMR spectroscopies. NO photolysis was also performed under 459 and 489 nm irradiation for 1 and 2, respectively. The photochemical quantum yields of the NO photolysis (Φ_NO) of both 1 and 2 were determined to be 9% at the irradiation wavelengths. The structural and spectroscopic characteristics of the complexes before and after the photolysis confirmed the conversion of diamagnetic Ru(II)(L)(Cl)-NO⁺ to paramagnetic S = ½ Ru(III)(L)(Cl)-solvent by photons (L = salophen^2- and naphophen^2-). The photoreleased NO radicals were detected by spin-trapping EPR. DFT and TDDFT calculations found that the photoactive bands are configured as mostly the ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT) of π(L) → π*(Ru-NO), suggesting that the NO photorelease was initiated by the LLCT. Dynamics of NO photorelease from the complexes in DMSO under 320 nm excitation were investigated by femtosecond (fs) time-resolved mid-IR spectroscopy. The primary photorelease of NO occurred for less than 0.32 ps after the excitation. The rate constants (k_-1) of the geminate rebinding of NO to the photolyzed 1 and 2 were determined to be (15 ps)^-1 and (13 ps)^-1, respectively. The photochemical quantum yields of NO photolysis (Φ_NO, λ = 320 nm) were estimated to be no higher than 14% for 1 and 11% for 2, based on the analysis of the fs time-resolved IR data. The results of fs time-resolved IR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations provided some insight into the overall kinetic reaction pathway, localized electron pathway or resonance pathway, of the NO photolysis of 1 and 2. Overall, our study found that the investigated {RuNO}⁶ complexes, 1 and 2, with planar N₂O₂ ligands bearing π-extended rings effectively released NO under visible light.

Understanding of [RuL(ONO)]n+ acting as nitric oxide precursor, a theoretical study of ruthenium complexes of 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclo- tetradecane having different substituents: How spin multiplicity influences bond angle and bond lengths (Ru-O-NO) in releasing of NO

Generation of nitric oxide has been a great interest in cell biology as it involves a wide range of physiological functions including the blood pressure control; thus the exploitation of ruthenium chemistry has been motivated in biochemical and clinical points of view. Herein, the structural and electronic properties of ruthenium(II) complexes of 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane containing pyridyl, imidazole and benzimidazole (L¹, L², L³) were analyzed theoretically in the context of how spin multiplicity plays a crucial role influencing the NO release from the LRu-ONO moiety. The results show that β-cleavage of nitrito in the complex motivates the release of NO as it depends highly on total spin multiplicity of metal ion altering significantly the geometrical parameters; particularly, a decrease of bond length of Ru-ONO is highly associated with an increase of RuO-NO bond distance that correlates with the decrease of the Ru-O-NO bond angle ultimately leading to the release of NO; apparently, the bending nature of Ru-O-NO defines its release from the complex. This is consistent with orbital energy (d_x²-_y²) where the stabilization of axial Ru-O bond in the complex was observed, and proved by molecular orbital studies. In the excitation of the complex (singlet to triplet or singlet to quintet), the NO release has been facilitated, agreeing with the Gibbs free energy data where a lower energy for NO release was obtained compared to other types of excitations. In the calculated electronic spectra, a visible broad band with relatively high intensity for [RuL¹ONO]⁺ was observed, agreeing approximately with reported experimental results.

Structural and Optical Properties of Metal-Nitrosyl Complexes

The electronic, structural and optical properties (including Spin–Orbit Coupling) of metal nitrosyl complexes [M(CN)₅(NO)]²⁻ (M = Fe, Ru or Os) are investigated by means of Density Functional Theory, TD-DFT and MS-CASPT2 based on an RASSCF wavefunction. The energy profiles connecting the N-bound (η¹-N), O-bound (η¹-O) and side-on (η²-NO) conformations have been computed at DFT level for the closed shell singlet electronic state. For each structure, the lowest singlet and triplet states have been optimized in order to gain insight into the energy profiles describing the conformational isomerism in excited states. The energetics of the three complexes are similar—with the N-bound structure being the most stable—with one exception, namely the triplet ground state of the O-bound isomer for the iron complex. The conformation isomerism is highly unfavorable in the S₀ electronic state with the occurrence of two energy barriers higher than 2 eV. The lowest bands of the spectra are assigned to MLCT_NO/LLCT_NO transitions, with an increasing MLCT character going from iron to osmium. Two low-lying triplet states, T1 (MLCT_NO/LLCT_NO) and T2 (MLCT_NO/IL_NO), seem to control the lowest energy profile of the excited-state conformational isomerism.

Orbital entanglement and CASSCF analysis of the Ru-NO bond in a Ruthenium nitrosyl complex

Multiconfigurational wavefunction analysis and entanglement measures based on von Neumann entropy shed light on the electronic structure of a Ru nitrosyl complex, in particular on the Ru–NO bond.

Complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) wavefunctions and an orbital entanglement analysis obtained from a density-matrix renormalisation group (DMRG) calculation are used to understand the electronic structure, and, in particular, the Ru–NO bond of a Ru nitrosyl complex. Based on the configurations and orbital occupation numbers obtained for the CASSCF wavefunction and on the orbital entropy measurements evaluated for the DMRG wavefunction, we unravel electron correlation effects in the Ru coordination sphere of the complex. It is shown that Ru–NO π bonds show static and dynamic correlation, while other Ru–ligand bonds feature predominantly dynamic correlation. The presence of static correlation requires the use of multiconfigurational methods to describe the Ru–NO bond. Subsequently, the CASSCF wavefunction is analysed in terms of configuration state functions based on localised orbitals. The analysis of the wavefunctions in the electronic singlet ground state and the first triplet state provides a picture of the Ru–NO moiety beyond the standard representation based on formal oxidation states. A distinct description of the Ru and NO fragments is advocated. The electron configuration of Ru is an equally weighted superposition of Ru^II and Ru^III configurations, with the Ru^III configuration originating from charge donation mostly from Cl ligands. However, and contrary to what is typically assumed, the electronic configuration of the NO ligand is best described as electroneutral.

The influence of L ligands on the {RuNO}6/7 bonding situation in cis-[Ru(NO)(NO2)L1–4]q complexes: a theoretical insight

The nature of the Ru–NO interaction before and after reduction of cis-[Ru(NO)(NO₂)L_1–4]^q complexes is modulated by the coordination environment of the metallic center, resulting in more labile on complexes with weak π-acceptor ligands.