Phenylene as an efficient mediator for intermetallic electronic coupling

Syntheses, crystal structures and MMCT properties of diruthenium-based cyanido-bridged RuV/VI2-NC-RuII complexes

The goal of this study was to investigate how the electron-donating capability around the lower valent metal ion and the electron-accepting capability of the higher valent metal ion influence metal to metal charge transfer (MMCT) properties in mixed-valence complexes. A series of trinuclear ruthenium complexes represented as [Ru2(ap-4-Me)3(CH3COO)NCRuCpMex(dppe)][PF6] (CpMex = polymethylcyclopentadienyl, x = 0, 1, and 5; and dppe = 1, 2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, ap-4-Me = 2-anilino-4-methylpyridine) and their one-electron oxidized products were synthesized and fully characterized. The UV-vis-NIR spectra confirmed that as the electron donor character of the CpMex(dppe)RuCN fragment enhanced or the electron-accepting capability of the higher valent diruthenium cluster increased, the RuII → RuV2 or RuVI2 Ru2 MMCT bands shifted to lower energies, which was supported by TDDFT calculations.

Enabling Valence Delocalization in Iron(III) Macrocyclic Complexes through Ring Unsaturation

The complexes [FeIII(HMC)(C2DMA)2]CF3SO3 ([2]OTf) and [FeIII(HMTI)(C2Y)2]CF3SO3 ([3a-c]OTf) have been prepared and thoroughly characterized (HMC = 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane; HMTI = 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-1,3,8,10-tetraene; Y = Fc (ferrocenyl, [3a]OTf), 4-(N,N-dimethyl)anilino (DMA, [3b]OTf), or 4-(N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)anilino (TPA, [3c]OTf); OTf- = CF3SO3-)). Vibrational and electronic absorption spectroelectrochemical analyses following one-electron oxidation of the ethynyl substituent Y revealed evidence of strong coupling in the resultant mixed valent species for all HMTI-based complexes. However, the analogous mixed valent ion based on [2]OTf appeared to be more localized. Thus, the tetra-imino macrocycle HMTI has enabled significant valence delocalization along the -C2-FeIII-C2- bridge. Electron paramagnetic resonance and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies of [3b]OTf reveal that the π-acidity of HMTI lowers the energy of the FeIII dπ orbitals compared to the purely σ-donating HMC. This observation provides a basis for the interpretation of the macrocycle-dependent valence (de)localization.

Bisaryl and Bisalkynyl Diruthenium (III,III) Compounds Based on an Electron-Deficient Building Block

Reported herein is a new series of diruthenium(III,III) bisalkynyl and bisaryl diruthenium(III,III) compounds supported with 2-amino-3-(trifluoromethyl)pyridinate (amtfmp). Using Ru₂(amtfmp)₄Cl₂ from a modified preparation, cis 2:2 Ru₂(amtfmp)₄(C≡CPh)₂ (1), cis 2:2 Ru₂(amtfmp)₄(Ph)₂ (2), and 3:1 Ru₂(amtfmp)₄(Ph)₂ (3) were synthesized via a lithium-halogen exchange reaction using LiC₂Ph and LiPh, respectively. Compounds 1-3 are all Ru₂(III,III) species with a ground-state configuration of π⁴δ²(π*)⁴ (S = 0) and were characterized via mass spectrometry, electron absorption and ¹H/¹⁹F NMR spectroscopies, and voltammetry. The molecular structures of 1-3 were established using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and preliminary density functional theory analysis was performed to elaborate the electronic structures of 1 and 2. Comparisons of the electrochemical properties of 1-3 against the Ru₂(amtfmp)₄Cl₂ starting material reveal cathodic shifts of the Ru₂^7+/6+ oxidation and the Ru₂^6+/5+ and Ru₂^5+/4+ reduction potentials. In comparison to related Ru₂(III,III) bisalkynyl and bisaryl compounds, the electrode potentials for 1-3 are anodically shifted up to ca. 0.95 V, highlighting the strong electron-withdrawing nature of the amtfmp ligand.