Pt-Ag clusters and their neutral mononuclear Pt(II) starting complexes: structural and luminescence studies

The mononuclear complexes [Pt(bzq)(S^S)] [S^S = pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (pdtc 1), dimethyldithiocarbamate (dmdtc 2)] were prepared by reaction of [Pt(bzq)(NCMe)(2)]ClO(4) with an equimolecular amount of [NH(4)(pdtc)] and [Na(dmdtc)·2H(2)O] respectively in MeOH. Reactions of 1 and 2 with AgClO(4) in 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 molar ratios rendered the heteropolinuclear compounds [{Pt(bzq)(S^S)Ag}(2)](ClO(4))(2) (S^S = pdtc 3, dmdtc 4) and [{Pt(bzq)(S^S)}(2)Ag](ClO(4)) (S^S = pdtc 5, dmdtc 6) respectively. The X-ray studies on single crystals of 3 and 4 showed that both consist of tetranuclear [Pt(2)Ag(2)] clusters with the Pt-Ag and the Ag-Ag distances in the range of those corresponding to Pt-Ag dative bonds and argentophilic interactions. In 3 the tetranuclear [Pt(2)Ag(2)] clusters are connected into infinite polymeric chains by Pt···Pt metallophilic interactions (Pt···Pt = 3.1890(7) ?). The X-ray study on a single crystal of 5 showed that it is a polymer based on trinuclear [Pt(2)Ag] clusters containing two unsupported Pt-Ag dative bonds and connected by Ag-S bonds in such a way that the "Pt-Ag-S-Pt-Ag-S" atoms draw a zigzag polymeric chain. TD-DFT calculations carried out for 1 indicate that the lowest energy absorption band in CH(2)Cl(2) can be described as a mixture of (1)MLCT, (1)IL and (1)L'LCT transitions. Powdered samples of 1 at 298 K and 77 K show a green-yellow emission band coming mainly from a (3)LC excited state. However complex 2 shows "luminescence thermochromism": the colour of its luminescence changes from green-yellow at 77 K to orange-red at 298 K. The emission of the Pt-Ag clusters, 3-6, in the solid state, are due to excimeric (3)ππ and/or (3)MMLCT (dσ* →π*) low-lying excited states, indicating that the presence of silver in the clusters makes the "Pt(bzq)(S^S)" fragments interact to a large extent through Pt···Pt and/or π-π interactions. Solid 3 is a highly selective vapochromic compound towards acetonitrile although this behaviour is not fully reversible.     

Functionalized thiosemicarbazone clusters of copper(I) and silver(I)

Reaction of [Cu(MeCN)(4)](+) with thiosemicarbazones bearing groups such as phenol, pyridine, or ferrocene gives tetranuclear or hexanuclear clusters with functional substituents; analogous air stable fluorescent clusters can also be prepared with Ag(I).     

Formation of binary silver sulfide clusters and sulfur sensitization of photographic process

Formation of silver sulfide binary cluster ions,as well as the effects of silver and sulfur content proportion,the cluster size range,the influence of laser fluence,the UV laser photolysis,etc.,was studied with the laser ablation method and a tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometer.The results show that there exist two different forms of positively charge-bearing cluster ions;[(Ag2S)n Ag] + and [ (Ag2S)n-1 Ag3]+.The most possible forms of the sulfur sensitization centers acting as traps of photoelectrons are [Ag2S] +,[ Ag2S Ag] +,[ Ag2S Ag3]+ and the analogs.     

One-dimensional coordination polymers incorporating silver(I) perfluorocarboxylate cuboctahedral clusters and the bis(methylthio)methane ligand

Two topologically comparable complexes, [Ag6(CF3CO2)3(L1-Me)3(SCH3)3]infinity (1) and [Ag6(CF3CF2CO2)3(L1-Me)2(SCH3)3(H2O)]infinity (2), were prepared and characterized by single-crystal diffractometry. The structures consist of Ag12S6 clusters linked by bis(methylthio)methane ligands, L1-Me, thus forming 1D coordination polymers. The 12 Ag atoms of the cluster are situated at the corners of a distorted cuboctahedron. The sulfur atoms of the six mu4-SCH3 entities occupy a position approximately 0.8 A above the center of each of the square faces of the polyhedron. The cleavage of the C-S bond of some of the ligands occurs during the syntheses, producing the -SCH3 anions. The coordination of the silver atoms varies from 5 to 7. The Ag...Ag contacts range from 2.9250(5) to 3.3615(6) A and from 2.961(1) to 3.380(1) A for 1 and 2, respectively. A polymeric ribbon is obtained when four ligands link a given cluster to two others. The chains of 1, held only by van der Waals forces, pack in a hexagonal manner. The two water molecules in 2 (Ag-OH2 = 2.385(7) A) are coordinated to silver atoms of the cluster. They are also strongly hydrogen bonded to the oxygen atoms of two pentafluoropropionate groups, one within the cluster (O...O = 2.741(1) A), the other in an adjacent chain (O...O = 2.818(1) A). The chains, thus H bonded to one another, generate a 2D coordination network.     

Aurophilicity in gold(I) thiosemicarbazone clusters

The reaction of the phosphine thiosemicarbazone ligands HLPH and HLPMe with Au(I) ions yields the gold complexes [Au(3)(HLPH)(2)Cl(2)]Cl·2MeOH (1·2MeOH) and [Au(2)(HLPMe)Cl(2)] (2). The structures determined by X Ray diffraction, [Au(3)(HLPH)(2)Cl(2)]Cl·4MeOH (1·4MeOH) and [Au(2)(HLPMe)Cl(2)](2) (2), are the first examples of gold(I) thiosemicarbazone clusters showing aurophilicity. The structure of the trinuclear cation 1 contains the Au(1) atom located in an inversion centre, being connected to another gold(I) atom, Au(2), through a phosphino thiosemicarbazone molecule which acts as a S,P-bridging ligand. Additionally, every gold(I) atom in the trinuclear cation 1 assembles into trinuclear linear cluster units by means of close gold-gold interactions, being connected through the crystal cell in a 2D zigzag mode. The crystal structure of [Au(2)(HLPMe)Cl(2)](2) (2) contains one discrete molecule [(AuCl)(2)(HLPMe)] in the asymmetric unit, which is further assembled into tetranuclear [(AuCl)(2)(HLPMe)](2) units by means of close gold-gold interactions. Both clusters are highly luminescent in solution.     

Silver iodobismuthates: syntheses, structures, properties, and theoretical studies of [Bi2Ag2I10 2-]n and [Bi4Ag2I16 2-]n

Two novel silver iodobismuthates have been obtained: (Et4N)2n-[Bi2Ag2I10]n (1) with one-dimensional infinite chains built from bimetallic tetranuclear units and (Et4N)2n[Bi4Ag2I16]n (2) with a two-dimensional 44 grid assembly of the tetranuclear Bi4I16 subunits as nodes and Ag atoms as linkages. Their optical band gaps, 2.05 and 1.93 eV, fit nicely in a size correlation of the Bi/I subunit, which is further supported by the density functional theory studies.     

Highly luminescent gold(I)-silver(I) and gold(I)-copper(I) chalcogenide clusters

The reactions of [AuClL] with Ag(2)O, where L represents the heterofunctional ligands PPh(2)py and PPh(2)CH(2)CH(2)py, give the trigoldoxonium complexes [O(AuL)(3)]BF(4). Treatment of these compounds with thio- or selenourea affords the triply bridging sulfide or selenide derivatives [E(AuL)(3)]BF(4) (E=S, Se). These trinuclear species react with Ag(OTf) or [Cu(NCMe)(4)]PF(6) to give different results, depending on the phosphine and the metal. The reactions of [E(AuPPh(2)py)(3)]BF(4) with silver or copper salts give [E(AuPPh(2)py)(3)M](2+) (E=O, S, Se; M=Ag, Cu) clusters that are highly luminescent. The silver complexes consist of tetrahedral Au(3)Ag clusters further bonded to another unit through aurophilic interactions, whereas in the copper species two coordination isomers with different metallophilic interactions were found. The first is analogous to the silver complexes and in the second, two [S(AuPPh(2)py)(3)](+) units bridge two copper atoms through one pyridine group in each unit. The reactions of [E(AuPPh(2)CH(2)CH(2)py)(3)]BF(4) with silver and copper salts give complexes with [E(AuPPh(2)CH(2)CH(2)py)(3)M](2+) stoichiometry (E=O, S, Se; M=Ag, Cu) with the metal bonded to the three nitrogen atoms in the absence of AuM interactions. The luminescence of these clusters has been studied by varying the chalcogenide, the heterofunctional ligand, and the metal.     

Synthesis and X-ray structures of silver and gold guanidinate-like complexes. A Au(II) complex with a 2.47 A Au-Au distance

The structures of the tetranuclear silver(I), [Ag4(hpp)4], and the dinuclear gold(II), [Au2(hpp)2Cl2], (hpp = 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-pyrimido[1,2-a]pyrimidinate) guanidinate-like bases are reported and show a silver-silver distance of 2.8614(6) A and a gold-gold distance of 2.4752(9) A, the shortest Au-Au bond heretofore reported.     

Growth and reactivity of silver clusters in amino polycarboxylic acid solutions

Reduction and subsequent aggregation of silver ions in the presence of various chelating agents such as trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexanetetraacetic acid (DCTA) 1,2-propylenediaminetetraacetic acid (PDTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), and triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid (TTHA) have been studied by pulse radiolysis. Rate constants of formation and transient absorption spectra for the ligand-complexed Ag(0) and Ag(2)(+) have been determined. The redox potential of Ag(+)(L)/Ag(0)(L) becomes more negative than that of Ag(+)/Ag(0). Growth and reactivity of silver clusters were also studied in the presence of methyl viologen (MV(2+)). The kinetics of formation of the MV(+*) radical, produced by the same pulse as in the case of silver atoms, confirms the catalytic electron transfer toward super critical silver clusters in the presence of ligands. The results suggest that catalytic electron transfer activity of silver clusters depends on the ligand.     

Interaction of amino acids with gold and silver clusters

Binding of gold and silver clusters with amino acids (glycine and cysteine) was studied using density functional theory (DFT). Geometries of neutral, anionic, and cationic amino acids with Au3 and Ag3 clusters were optimized using the DFT-B3LYP approach. The mixed basis set used here was denoted by 6-31+G** (union or logical sum)LANL2DZ. This work demonstrated that the interaction of amino acids with gold and silver clusters is governed by two major bonding factors: (a) the anchoring N-Au(Ag), O-Au(Ag), and S-Au(Ag) bonds and (b) the nonconventional N-H...Au(Ag) and O-H...Au(Ag) hydrogen bonds. Among the three forms of amino acids, anionic ones exhibited the most tendency to interact with the Au and Ag clusters. Natural bond orbital analysis was performed to calculate charge transfer, natural population analysis, and Wiberg bond indices of the complexes. Atoms-in-molecules theory was also applied to determine the nature of interactions. It was shown that these bonds are partially electrostatic and partially covalent.     

Spiral, herringbone, and triple-decker silver(I) complexes of benzopyrene derivatives assembled through eta(2)-coordination

Three novel silver(I) complexes with benzopyrene derivatives were synthesized and characterized in this paper. Treatment of AgClO(4)*H(2)O with 7-methylbenzo[a]pyrene (L(1)) afforded [Ag(2)(L(1))(toluene)(0.5)(ClO(4))(2)](n)() (1) which exhibits a 2-D sheet structure with double-stranded helical motifs. Reaction of AgCF(3)SO(3) with dibenzo[b,def ]chrysene (L(2)) gave rise to an unprecedented cocrystallization structure, ([Ag(2)(L(2))(CF(3)SO(3))(2)][Ag(2)(toluene)(2)(CF(3)SO(3))(2)])(n)() (2), formed by a 2-D neutral lamellar polymer and a 1-D neutral rodlike one. The ligand benzo[e]pyrene (L(3)) coordinated to silver(I) ions generating a closed triple-decker tetranuclear complex [Ag(4)(L(3))(4)(p-xylene)(ClO(4))(4)] (3) which can be regarded as a stacking polymer owing to existing intermolecular pi-pi stack interactions. The structural diversity of the silver(I) coordination polymers with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is not only related to the stacking patterns of free polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the crystalline state, but also the geometric shapes of the molecules for these free ligands. In addition, the coordination of solvents to metal ions plays a crucial role in the formation of the unprecedented coordination polymeric architectures. The ESR spectroscopic results, conductivity, and synthesis properties are also discussed.     

Argon solvent effects on optical properties of silver metal clusters

Argon gas at a high pressure (～80 bar) has been expanded using a miniaturized pulsed valve at room temperature, producing a supersonic beam of cold, large argon droplets. Atoms of silver are subsequently embedded into the droplet using the pick-up technique. The resulting Ag(n)Ar(droplet) distribution was analyzed using multiphoton laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Besides bare metal clusters, snowballs of silver monomers and dimers encapsulated in up to 50 argon atoms have been observed. The influence of the solvent on the optical absorption of the solute was studied for embedded Ag(8) using resonant two-photon ionization in the ultraviolet. A redshift and broadening of the Ag(8)Ar(droplet) optical spectrum compared to that measured in pure [Federmann et al., Eur. Phys. J. D 1999, 9, 11] and Ar-doped helium droplets [Diederich et al., J. Chem. Phys.2002, 116, 3263] was observed, which is attributed to the interaction with the larger Ar matrix environment.     

Adsorption of small molecules on silver clusters

We report investigations of adsorption of N(2) and O(2) molecules on silver cluster cations. We have first revisited structures of small silver clusters based on first-principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory with hybrid functional. The 2D to 3D transition for the neutral clusters occurs from n = 6 to 7 and for cations, in agreement with experiments, from n = 4 to 5. With the refined structures, adsorption energies of N(2) and O(2) molecules have been calculated. We have identified characteristic drops in the adsorption energies of N(2) that further link our calculations and experiments, and confirm the reported 2D-3D transition for cations. We have found that perturbations caused by physisorbed molecules are small enough that the structures of most Ag clusters remain unchanged, even though physisorption stabilizes the 3D Ag(7)(+) structure slightly more than the 2D counterpart. Results for pure O(2) adsorption indicate that charge transfer from Ag(n)(+) to O(2) occurs when n > 3. Below that size oxygen essentially physisorbes such as nitrogen to the cluster. We interpret the experimentally observed mutually cooperative co-adsorption of oxygen and nitrogen using results from density functional theory with generalized gradient approximations. The key to the enhancement is N(2)-induced increase in charge transfer from Ag(n)(+) cations to O(2).     

High-nuclearity silver ethynide clusters assembled with phosphonate and metavanadate precursors

Giant mixed-metal clusters have been assembled with the multinuclear silver(I) tert-butylethynide supramolecular synthon and phosphonate-functionalized oxovanadate building blocks as surface components. Various anionic species can be used as their encapsulated templates. (Picture: Ag(36) cluster anion encapsulating a chloride (sphere) and two [(O(2) )(V(2) O(6) )](4-) template anions (dark green); Ag?blue, O?red, P?yellow, V?green).     

New mixed-valence MnII2MnIII2 clusters exhibiting an unprecedented MnII/III oxidation state distribution in their magnetically coupled cores

The synthesis and magnetic properties of the high-spin tetranuclear cluster [Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)(O(2)CC(CH(3))(3))(2)(teaH(2))(2)(teaH)(2)](O(2)CC(CH(3))(3))(2) (1) (where teaH(3) = triethanolamine) is described. Complex 1 is the pivalate analogue of our previously reported family of tetranuclear mixed-valence carboxylate clusters. The teaH(2)(-) and teaH(2-) anions in complex 1 act as oxygen donors in the {Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)O(2)} "butterfly" core. Detailed dc and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements and magnetisation isotherms have been made and show that intra-cluster ferromagnetic coupling is occurring between the S = 2 Mn(III) and S = 5/2 Mn(II) ions to yield a S = 9 ground state and the g, J(bb) and J(wb) parameters have been deduced (b = body, w = wingtip). Incorporation of the acetylacetonate (acac(-)) ligand has led to three new clusters: [Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)(O(2)CPh)(4)(teaH)(2)(acac)(2)].MeCN (2), [Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)(teaH)(2)(acac)(4)(MeOH)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (3) and [Mn(III)(2)Mn(II)(2)(bheapH)(2)(acac)(4)(MeOH)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (4) (where bheapH(3) = 1-[N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-2-propanol). Unlike any previously reported tetranuclear clusters containing the Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2) core, 2, 3, and 4 exhibit a reversal in their Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2) oxidation state distribution. In these clusters, the "wing-tip" Mn atoms exhibit Mn(III) (S = 2) oxidation states while the Mn(II) ions occupy the central "body" positions. Furthermore, the cores in 2, 3, and 4 contain at least one mu(2)-oxygen based bridging ion as opposed to the standard two mu(3)-oxygen bridges previously reported. More precisely, cluster 2 exhibits one mu(3)-O bridge and two mu(2)-bridges in a {Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2)O(3)} core while clusters 3 and 4 exhibit two mu(2)-O linkers within the {Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2)O(2)} core. All display trigonal prismatic coordination around the Mn(II) centres. These structural and oxidation state differences lead to very different magnetic coupling interactions between the four Mn(II/III) centres compared to 1. Direct current magnetic susceptibility measurements and magnetisation isotherms show that clusters 3 and 4 have ground states of S = 1. The g, J(bb) and J(wb) parameters have been deduced.     

Different nuclearity silver(I) complexes with novel tetracyano pendant-armed hexaazamacrocyclic ligands

A new series of different nuclearity silver(I) complexes with a variety of tetracyano pendant-armed hexaazamacrocyclic ligands containing pyridine rings (Ln) has been prepared starting from the nitrate and perchlorate Ag(I) salts in acetonitrile solutions. The ligands and complexes were characterized by microanalysis, conductivity measurements, IR, Raman, electronic absorption and emission spectroscopy, and L-SIMS spectrometry. (1)H NMR titrations were employed to investigate silver complexation by ligands L3 and L.(4) The compounds [Ag2L2(NO3)2] (2), ([Ag2L2](ClO4)2.2CH3CN)(infinity) (4), [AgL3](ClO(4)).CH3CN (5), and [Ag4(L4)2(NO3)2](NO3)2.4CH3CN.2H2O (7) were also characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The complexes have different nuclearities. Complex 2 is dinuclear with an {AgN3O2} core and a significant intermetallic interaction, whereas complex 4 has a polymeric structure formed by dinuclear distorted {AgN4} units joined by nitrile pendant arms. Compound 5 is mononuclear with a distorted {AgN2} linear geometry, and complex 7 consists of discrete units of a tetranuclear array of silver atoms with {AgN3O} and {AgN4} cores in distorted square planar environments. Complexes 2 and 4 were found to be fluorescent in the solid state at room temperature because of the Ag-Ag interactions.     

Self-assembly, structures, and solution dynamics of emissive silver metallacycles and helices

Reactions of 9,10-bis(diphenylphosphino)anthracene (PAnP) and AgX (X = OTf-, ClO4-, PF6-, and BF4-) led to luminescent Ag-PAnP complexes with rich structural diversity. Helical polymers [Ag(mu-PAnP)(CH3CN)X]n (X = OTf-, ClO4-, and PF6-) and discrete binuclear [Ag2(mu-PAnP)2(CH3CN)4](PF6)2, trinuclear [Ag3(mu-PAnP)3 supersetBF4](BF4)2, and tetranuclear [Ag4(mu-PAnP)4 superset(ClO4)2](ClO4)2 metallacycles were isolated from different solvents. The tri- and tetranuclear metallacycles exhibited novel puckered-ring and saddlelike structures. Variable-temperature (VT) 31P{1H}-NMR spectroscopy of the complexes was solvent dependent. The dynamics in CD3CN involve two species, but the exchange processes in CD2Cl2 are more complicated. A ring-opening polymerization was proposed for the exchange mechanism in CD3CN.     

Cooperative effects in the activation of molecular oxygen by anionic silver clusters

A novel size dependence in the adsorption reaction of multiple O2 molecules onto anionic silver clusters Agn- (n = 1-5) is revealed by gas-phase reaction studies in an rf-ion trap. Ab initio theoretical modeling based on DFT method provides insight into the reaction mechanism and finds cooperative electronic and structural effects to be responsible for the size selective reactivity of Agn- clusters toward one or more O2. In particular, Agn- clusters with odd n have paired electrons and therefore bind one O2 only weakly, but they are simultaneously activated to adsorb a strongly bound second oxygen molecule. For the clusters Ag3O4- and Ag5O4-, this cooperative effect results in a superoxo-like, doubly bound O2 subunit with potentially high activity in catalytic silver cluster oxidation processes.     

A new supramolecular assembly obtained from the combination of silver(I) cations with a thiophosphorylated cavitand

The new tetra-thiophosphonatocavitand 1 in its iiii configuration extracts quantitatively Ag+ ions from aqueous solutions; the tetranuclear complex [1(2).Ag4Pic4] was selectively formed and characterized in the solid state by X-ray diffraction which revealed the formation of a new dimeric assembly through Ag+ coordination.     

Factors influencing tetranuclear [2 x 2] grid vs dinuclear side-by-side structures for silver(I) complexes of pyridazine-based bis-bidentate ligands

Silver(I) complexes of five bis-bidentate Schiff-base ligands, derived from 3,6-diformylpyridazine and substituted anilines (2,4-dimethylaniline L ( o,p - Me ); 3,5-dichloroaniline L ( m,m - Cl ); 2-aminobiphenyl L ( o - Ph ); p-toluidine L ( p - Me ); 4-aminophenol L ( p - OH ); p-anisidine L ( p - OMe )), have been prepared. The ligands have a wide range of steric and electronic properties due to variation in the extent and nature of the substitution of the aniline rings. Four of the resulting complexes were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography: three of the four, [Ag 2( L ( o,p - Me )) 2](BF 4) 2, [Ag 2( L ( m,m - Cl )) 2](BF 4) 2 and [Ag 2( L ( o - Ph )) 2](BF 4) 2 formed dinuclear side-by-side complexes, while [Ag 4( L ( p - Me )) 4](BF 4) 4 gave a tetranuclear [2 x 2] grid. The previously reported tetranuclear [2 x 2] grid [Ag 4( L ( p - OMe )) 4](BF 4) 4 was recrystallized in the presence of benzene to see if this would alter the architecture of this complex. It did not: the [2 x 2] grid architecture was retained despite the benzene molecules of solvation. Given the flexibility of silver(I) with regard to coordination geometry, the molecular structure of these complexes is influenced mostly by the ligand rather than the metal ion. In each case, the factors which influence the molecular architecture are presented and discussed. Substituent effects on the electrostatics of the intramolecular ligand-ligand pi-pi interactions (XED2.8) account for some of the differences observed in the structures.