Hydrogen Generation by Visible Light Irradiation of Aqueous Solutions of Metal Complexes. An approach to the photochemical conversion and storage of solar energy

We describe a photochemical system for the generation of hydrogen by water reduction under visible light or sunlight irradiation of aqueous solutions containing the following components: a photosensitizer, the Ru (bipy) complex, for visible light absorption; a relay species, the Rh (bipy) complex, which mediates water reduction by intermediate storage of electrons via a reduced state; an electron donor, triethanolamine (TEOA) which provides the electrons for the reduction process and a redox catalyst, colloïdal platinum, which facilitates hydrogen formation. The conditions for efficient hydrogen production and the influence of the concentration of the components have been investigated; the metal complexes act as catalysts with high turnover numbers; excess bipyridine facilitates the reaction. The process contains two catalytic cycles: a ruthenium cycle and a rhodium cycle. The Ru cycle involves oxidative quenching of the *Ru(bipy) excited state by Rh(bipy) forming Ru(bipy) which is converted back to Ru(bipy) by oxidation of the electron donor TEOA, which is thus consumed. The Rh cycle comprises a complicated set of transformations of the initial Rh(bipy) complex. The reduced rhodium complex formed in the quenching process undergoes a series of transformations involving the Rh(bipy) complex and hydridorhodium-bipyridine species, from which hydrogen is generated by reaction with the protons of water. In view of the storage of two electrons in the reduced rhodium species, the process is formally a dielectronic water reduction. The properties and eventual participation of [Rh(III)(bipy)₂LL′]ⁿ⁺(L,L′ = H₂O, OH^?) species are investigated. It is concluded that at neutral pH in presence of excess bipyridine, the cycle involving regeneration of the Rh(bipy) complex is predominant. A number of experiments have been performed with modified systems. Hydrogen evolution is observed with other photosensitizers (like proflavin), other relay species (like Rh(dimethylbipy) or Co(II)-bipyridine complexes), other donor species, or in absence of the platinum catalyst. It also occurs in absence of photosensitizer by sunlight of UV. irradiation of Rh(bipy) or by visible light irradiation of iridium (III)-bibyridine complexes. These systems deserve further investigations. The present photochemical hydrogen generating system represents the reductive component of a complete water splitting process. Its role in solar energy conversion and in photochemical fuel production is discussed.     

Photophysical Properties and Photochemical Behaviour of Ruthenium(II) complexes containing the 2,2′-bipyridine and 4,4′-diphenyl-2,2′-bipyridine ligands

The temperature dependence of the emission lifetime of the series of complexes Ru(bpy)_n(4,4′-dpb) (bpy = 2,2′bipyridine, 4,4′-dpb = 4,4′-diphenyl-2,2′-bipyridine) has been studied in propionitrile/butyronitrile (4:5 v/v) solutions in the range 90–293 K. The obtained photophysical parameters show that the energy separation between the metal-to-ligand charge tranfer (³MLCT) emitting level and the photoreactive metal-centered (³MC) level changes across the series (ΔE = 3960, 4100, 4300, and 4700 cm^?1 for Ru(bpy)), Ru(bpy)2(4,4′-dpb)²⁺, Ru(bpy)(4,4′-dpb), and Ru(4,4′-dpb), respectively, where ΔE is the energy separation between the minimum of the ³MLCT potential curve and ³MLCT – ³MC crossing point. Comparison between spectral and electrochemical data indicated that the changes in ΔE are due to stabilization of the MLCT levels in complexes containing 4,4′-dpb with respect to Ru(bpy)²⁺₃. The photochemical data for the same complexes (as I^? salts) have been obtained in CH₂Cl₂ in the presence of 0.01M Cl^? upon irradiation at 462 nm. The complexes containing 4,4′-dpb are more photostable than Ru(bpy). Comparison between the data for thermal population of the ³MC photoreactive state and those for photochemistry indicated that the overall photochemical process is governed by (i) a thermal redistribution between the emitting and photoreactive excited states, and (ii) mechanistic factors, likely related to the size of the detaching ligand.     

Ternäre Komplexe in Lösung IV. Einfluss von 2,2′-Bipyridyl auf Stabilität und Acidität des Cu2+-Adenosin-5′-monophosphat-N(1)-oxid-1:1-Komplexes

The ternary Cu²⁺?2,2′-bipyridyl-adenosine-5′-monophosphate-N(1)-oxide complex was investigated and compared with the binary Cu²⁺-adenosine-5′-monophosphate-N(1)-oxide complex (I) (cf. [2]). In both complexes Cu²⁺ is bound to the o-amino-N-oxide group of adenosine-5′-monophosphate-N(1)-oxide (HL). The stabilities of the complexes monoprotonated at the phosphate group are of the same order: log K = 11,20, and log K = 11,19. The acidity constants for the deprolonation of the phosphate group in these complexes are slightly different (pK = 5,55, and pK = 5,88), but as expected both values are lower than the corresponding value pK = 6,12 of the ligand.     

Structures and Electrical Properties of Some New Organic Conductors Derived from the Donor Molecule TMET (S,S,S,S,-Bis(dimethylethylenedithio) tetrathiafulvalene)

Crystal structures and electrical properties of radical-cation salts of the chiral organic donor TMET (S,S,S,S,-bis-(dimethylethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene) are described. Two structural types, 2:1 with octahedral anions Pf, AsF, SbF, I (incommensurate), and 3:2 with tetrahedral anions BF^?₄, CIO^?₄, ReO^?₄ are observed. Resistivity measurements between 2 and 298 K indicate that the 3:2 types are organic metals, while the other compounds are semiconductors. (TMET)₃(CIO₄)₂ is metallic down to about 120 K at ambient pressure and remains metallic down to 2 K at 8 kbar.     

63Cu-NMR.-Untersuchungen von Kupfer (I)-Tetrapyridin-und Kupfer (I)-Tetraacetonitrilsolvaten

⁶³Cu-NMR.-Spectra of Cu(CH₃CN)₄X (X = ClO, BF, PF) and Cu(C₅H₅N)₄X (X = ClO, BF) in solution are reported at different temperatures and concentrations. The influence of temperature on the linewidth and chemical shift indicates an equilibrium of Cu(CH₃CN) and Cu(C₅H₅N) with another complex of lower symmetry. The preferential solvation of Cu (I) by pyridin in a mixture acetonitrile/pyridine is clearly shown.     

Endohedral fullerene-noble gas clusters formed with high-energy bimolecular reactions of C (x = 60, 70; n = 1, 2, 3)

Results are reported for high-energy beam experiments which establish the formation of endohedral carbon cluster-noble gas compounds by bimolecular reactions of C (x = 60, 70; n = 1, 2, 3) with He and C with Ne. The ions were accelerated up to 8 ke V in a four-sector mass spectrometer and allowed to collide with the noble gas in a collision chamber at room temperatur. Product ions were monitored with a B/E = constant linked scan. Within the sensivity of the experiments, no carbon cluster-gas compounds were observed in the reactions of C with H₂, D₂, O₂, Ar, and SF₆, or of C with O₂. The observed fall in the cross-section for carbon cluster-noble gas compounds with increasing size of the noble gas, the observation of unimolecular loss of C₂ from mass-selected C_xHe⁺ ions, and the elimination of carbon fragments instead of He observed in the formation of the collision-induced C_xHeⁿ⁺ product ions are taken as evidence for endohedral compound formation. Results of ab initio molecular-orbital calculations for the perpendicular penetration of the plane of ionized benzene with He, Ne, and Ar indicate that sufficient kinetic energy should be available in the collisions with C to penetrate the C cage at the collision energies of the experiments.     

A Unified Interpretation of Kinetic Data on the Acid-Induced Cleavage and of Product-Analysis Data on Spontaneous Cleavage of the Mono-ol Cation μ-Hydroxo-bis[pentaamminecobalt(III)] ([(NH3)5CoOHCo(NH3)5]5+)

Recent work on the spontaneous (= acid-independent) cleavage of the mono-ol cation, i.e. in Cl^?/ClO and NO/ClO mixed-electrolyte media has established (by analysis of anion-competition experiments) the existence of reactive ion pairs of the mono-ol cation with Cl^? and NO. Their existence must be allowed for in the analysis of the rate data for the acid-induced cleavage (pH 0–1) of the mono-ol cation in these mixed-electrolyte media. Thus, previous data for acidic Cl^?/ClO media have been re-interpreted in this work, and new data for NO/ClO media have been analyzed in the same sense. This analysis removes an apparent discrepancy in the orders of magnitude of ion aggregate stability constants between the mono-ol and similar binuclear cations.     

Photoelectrochemistry with Colloidal Semiconductors; Laser Studies of Halide Oxidation in Colloidal Dispersions of TiO2 and α-Fe2O3

Aqueous sols of TiO₂ (anatase, particle radius 25 Å) were excited with (347.1 nm)-laser light and the reaction of valence-band holes with halide ions (X = I^?, Br^?, Cl^?) was investigated. Hole transfer takes place within the duration of the (10 ns)-laser pulse and results in the formation of anion radicals according to the sequence: The quantum yield of X increases in the order Cl < Br < I, attaining 0.8 for I at pH 1. It is affected by pH, halide concentration and the presence of a protective agent for the sol. RuO₂ deposited onto TiO₂ enhances markedly Cl and Br -formation, but has no effect on the yield of I. Laser-photolysis investigation of halide oxidation were also carried out with colloidal Fe₂O₃ (particle radius 600 Å). For I_2?formation, the quantum yield exceeds 0.9 indicating almost quantitative hole scavenging by iodide.     

Zur Stabilität der Metallkomplexe von Methantriessigsäure und cis,cis-1,3,5-Cyclohexantricarbonsäure

The stabilities of the Mn²⁺-, Co²⁺-, Ni²⁺-, Cu²⁺- and Zn²⁺-complexes with 2-(carboxymethyl)glutaric acid ( 2 ) and cis,cis-1,3,5-cyclohexanetricarboxylic acid ( 3 ) were measured potentiometrically at 25° and I = 0.5 (KNO₃). Beside the complexes ML^? protonated species MLH and MLH are also formed. Their stability constants are given in Table 1. A comparison between the stabilities of 2 or 3 and those of acetate, as a model for a monocarboxylate, or succinate and glutarate, as examples for dicarboxylates, indicates that in all species only one carboxylate is strongly bound whereas the second and third ones are probably not. The observation that Δlog K₁ = log K ? log K as well as Δlog K₂ = log K ? log K are practically constants with values of 0.34 ± 0.05 and 0.49 ± 0.07, respectively, for both ligands and the five metal ions studied is also in line with the proposed monodentate structures of the complexes ML^?, MLH and MLH.     

Chemistry of Superoxide Ion as Revealed by the Differential Oxidation of Arylpyruvates

Superoxide ion apparently reacts with acidic substrates via species such as O₂, HO₂, O, HO and H₂O₂. Arylpyruvates give arylacetates and arylaldehydes indicating competing nucleophilic and free radical oxidation. Benzaldehyde is further oxidized by free radical and nucleophilic dioxygen species giving benzoic acid. p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde gives the corresponding benzoic acid which is best accounted for by HO₂, since O and O₂ are without effect. Hydroquinone is also produced presumably by nucleophilic attack of HO. Replacement of the acidic hydrogen atoms by sodium changes the product distribution in accord with these findings.     

L'action de l'ammoniac sur l'hydroxyde de cadmium et la stabilité des complexes en milieu aqueux

The solubility of precipitated Cd(OH)₂ was determined at 25°C in 1 M NaClO₄, as a function of pH and of the ammonia content of the solutions. Formation constants were obtained for the following hydroxo, ammine and hydroxo-ammine complexes: CdOH⁺, Cd(OH)₂, Cd(OH), CdNH, Cd(NH₃), Cd(NH₃), Cd(NH₃) and Cd(OH)₂NH₃. The solubility product of the hydroxide was also calculated. The presence of polynuclear species was investigated by titrimetric determinations of the hydrogen ion concentration at constant metal concentration.     

Molecular Recognition in Anion Coordination Chemistry. Structure,Binding Constants and Receptor-Substrate Complementarity of a Series of Anion Cryptates of a Macrobicyclic Receptor Molecule

The crystal structures of four anion cryptates [X^? ? BT -6H⁺] formed by the protonated macrobicyclic receptor BT -6H⁺ with F^?, Cl^?, Br^? and N have been determined. They provide a homogeneous series of anion coordination patterns with the same ligand. The small F^?-ion is tetracoordinated, while Cl^? and Br^? are bound in an octahedron of H-bonds. The non-complementarity between these spherical anions and the ellipsoïdal cavity of BT -6H⁺ is reflected in ligand distortions. Structural complementarity is achieved for the linear triatomic substrate N, which is bound by two pyramidal arrays of three H-bonds, each interacting with a terminal N-atom of N. The formation constants of the complexes formed by BT -6H⁺ with a variety of anions (halides, N, NO, carboxylates, SO, HPO, AMP^2?, ADP^3?, ATP^4?, P₂O) have been determined. Very strong complexations are found, as well as marked electrostatic and structural effects on stability and selectivity; in particular the binding of F^?, Cl^?, Br^?, and N may be analyzed in terms of the crystal structure data. The cryptand BT -6H⁺ is a molecular receptor containing an ellipsoïdal recognition site for linear triatomic substrates of size compatible with the size of the molecular cacity. Further developments of various aspects of anion coordination chemistry are considered.     

Charge Dispersal in the Quinuclidine Radical Cation and in the Quinuclidinium Ion,as Revealed by PE and ICR Spectroscopy

The n ionization energies I and the gas-phase basicities GB of CH₃-, Cl-, or CN-substituted quinuclidines have been measured by PE and ICR spectroscopy. The dependence of the shifts ΔI and ΔGB (relative to the values of the parent molecule) allow conclusions about the charge dispersal accompanying the n ionization or the protonation of quinuclidine in the gas phase. The agreement with the results of a minimal basis set ab initio calculation is excellent. Comparison of the solution pK_a values with either I or GB reveals that 2-substituted quinuclidines exhibit sizeable solvent-induced proximity effects, i.e. that the corresponding quinuclidinium ions are more acidic in solution than expected on the basis of the gas-phase basicities. This agrees with earlier results concerning 2-substituted pyridines.     

Conformational Analysis and Chromic Acid Oxidation. Oxidation Rates and Equilibrium Constants of Epimeric Alcohols

The linear free energy relationship of Sicher for relative reactivity towards chromic acid oxidation (ΔΔG) as a function of thermodynamic stability (ΔG) has been reexamined with 23 pairs of epimeric alcohols. The plot of ΔG vs. ΔG has a slope of 0.8, a correlation coefficient of 0.97 and a standard deviation of 0.23 kcal/mol on ΔΔG_Ox. The limitations of the relationship and the exceptions are discussed.     

The Gas-Phase Ion/Molecule Reactions of C3H5X (X = C1, Br,I)

The ion/molecule reactions of the molecular ion, the C₃H ion, and the C₃H ion obtained from 3-chloropropene. 1-bromopropene, 2-bromopropene, 3-bromopropene, bromocyclopropane. and 3-iodopropene have been studied with their neutral precursor in a Fourier-transform mass spectrometer (FT/ICR). The molecular ions react to yield primarily C₆H except for the ion derived from 1-bromopropene that is unreactive. The kinetics of the 3-bromopropene molecular ion reveals that 18% of these ions must possess a different structure which is unreactive. The fact that C₃H ions obtained from 2-bromopropene are the only ones to undergo proton transfer is taken as evidence that only this parent compound gives rise to 2-propenyl cations by low-energy electron impact. The C₃H ions generated in these systems are shown to be roughly an equal mixture of propargylium ions that react to yield C₆H and unreactive cyclopropenium ions.     

L'action de l'ammoniac sur l'oxyde cuivrique. et les hydroxo-complexes de cuivre (II)

Using a new mathematical treatment, the nature and stability constants of the simple and mixed complex-species of copper(II) with hydroxyde and ammonia as ligands have been determined. The solubility curves of CuO in heterogeneous equilibrium have been identified in function of pH only and in function of pH and pNH_3tot at 25° and unit ionic strength (NaClO₄). The predominent species in the relatively dilute system limited by the ionic strength are [Cu²⁺], [Cu(OH)₂], [Cu(OH)], [Cu(OH)], [Cu(NH₃)], [Cu(NH₃)], [Cu(NH₃)], [Cu(NH₃) (OH)⁺], [Cu(NH₃)₃(OH)⁺] and [Cu(NH₃)₂(OH)₂].     

Towards the Construction of a Complete Cyclic Water Decomposition System,Design and Operation of an Oxygen Producing Half Cell

Oxygen is generated when aqueous solution of iron (III) tris(2,2′-bipyridyl), Fe(bipy), are brought in contact with catalytic amounts of powdered or colloidal RuO₂. The oxygen yield depends strongly on the pH, reaching a maximum between pH 7 and 8 where it corresponds to the stoichiometry of the reaction: The rate of the reaction is so fast that it occurs practically upon dissolution of Fe(bipy) in the aqueous phase. In acidic media (pH 4), no O₂ evolution is observed. Instead, Fe(bipy) is converted to an intermediate which in the presence of RuO₂ yields O₂ upon neutralization. The pH profile of the O₂ evolution occuring upon illumination of Ru(bipy) in the presence of the cobalt complex [Co(NH₃)₅Cl]²⁺ was also investigated. The surprisingly low energy losses (160 mV) in reaction (1) makes the construction of four quanta water splitting systems feasible.     

Metal complexes with macrocyclic ligands. Part XX. Influence of coordinated ligands onto the complexation rate of Ni2+ with 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane

The kinetics of the reaction between 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (Cy) and Ni²⁺ in the presence of series of ligands L = fluoride, acetate, glycolate, oxalate, malonate, succinate, methanetriacetate, 1,3,5-cyclohexanetriacetate, tricarballylate, picolinate, glycinate, iminodiacetate, nitrilotriacetate. N,N′ -ethylenediiminodiacetate, ammonia, pyridine, ethylenediamine, 1,3-propanediamine and diethylenetriamine were studied by pH-static and spectrophotometric methods at 25° and I = 0.5. By analysis of the log k/log [L] and/or log k/pH profiles the resolved bimolecular rate constants K (Table 3) were determined using a non-linear least-square fitting procedure. Practically for all systems the rate constant K, describing the reaction between the 1:1 Ni²⁺ complex and the monoprotonated form of the macrocycle, was obtained. In some cases, however, also K and K were found. Since the experimental conditions were choosen so that NiL was mainly formed, the reactivity of NiL₂ was generally not measurable. The effect of the number of coordinated donor groups in NiL and of the charge of NiL on K is discussed. Both effects seem to indicate that for the reaction between NiL and CyH⁺ first bond formation is not the rate-determining step.     

Réactions de substitution dans l'anion tétrachloropalladate(II) avec des diamines. I. Ethylènediamine

The replacement of Cl^? by ethylenediamine (en) in PdCl has been followed spectrophotometrically at 25°C and μ = 1 (NaClO₄); it proceeds in two steps leading to Pd(en)Cl₂ and Pd(en), respectively. The observed rate constants are discussed in terms of the mechanism proposed by Reinhardt [1] for the successive ammination reactions of PdCl.     

Die Kristallstrukturen von Mn5O8 und Cd2Mn3O8

The crystal structures of Mn₅O₈ and Cd₂Mn₃O₈ are determined from single crystal and high resolution X-ray powder data. Both structures have very similar monoclinic unit cells, space group C–C2/m, and are isotypic: Hence, the true formula of Mn₅O₈ is MnMnO₈. The crystal structure consists of pseudohexagonal Mn^IV sheets (bc) with similar oxygen sheets on either side, giving a distorted octahedral coordination to the Mn^IV. As every fourth Mn^IV is missing in these “main layers”, their composition becomes Mn₃O₈, and chains of coordination octahedra linked by common edges become distinct. Above and below the empty Mn^IV sites are either Mn^II or Cd^II completing the composition MnMnO₈ or Cd₂Mn₃O₈ respectively. Examples of similar “double layer” structures are given.