Evolution of Oxygen–Metal Electron Transfer and Metal Electronic States During Manganese Oxide Catalyzed Water Oxidation Revealed with In Situ Soft X‐Ray Spectroscopy

Manganese oxide (MnO_x) electrocatalysts are examined herein by in situ soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant inelastic X‐ray scattering (RIXS) during the oxidation of water buffered by borate (pH 9.2) at potentials from 0.75 to 2.25 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode. Correlation of L‐edge XAS data with previous mechanistic studies indicates Mn^IV is the highest oxidation state involved in the catalytic mechanism. MnO_x is transformed into birnessite at 1.45 V and does not undergo further structural phase changes. At potentials beyond this transformation, RIXS spectra show progressive enhancement of charge transfer transitions from oxygen to manganese. Theoretical analysis of these data indicates increased hybridization of the Mn?O orbitals and withdrawal of electron density from the O ligand shell. In situ XAS experiments at the O K‐edge provide complementary evidence for such a transition. This step is crucial for the formation of O₂ from water.     

Topology of the spin-polarized charge density in bcc and fcc iron

We report the first investigation of the topology of spin-polarized charge density, specifically in bcc and fcc iron. While the total spin-density is found to possess the topology of the non-magnetic prototypical structures, the spin-polarized charge densities of bcc and high-spin fcc iron are atypical. In these cases, the two spin densities are correlated: the spin-minority electrons have directional bond paths and deep minima, while the spin-majority electrons fill these holes, reducing bond directionality. The presence of distinct spin topologies allows us to show that the two phase changes seen in fcc iron (paramagnetic to low-spin and low-spin to high-spin) are different. The former follows the Landau symmetry-breaking paradigm and proceeds without a topological transformation, while the latter involves a topological catastrophe.     

dM-Dim for carboxylic acid protection

The 1,3-dithian-2-yl-methyl (Dim) and its analogous groups including dimethyl-Dim (dM-Dim) can provide a new dimension of orthogonality for carboxylic acid protection. They can be deprotected under nearly neutral oxidative conditions. In this paper, the protection of carboxylic acid with dM-Dim, deprotection of dM-Dim ester with sodium periodate, stability of dM-Dim protected carboxylic acid under acidic and basic conditions, and selective deprotection of dM-Dim protected carboxylic acids in the presence of tertiary butyl and methyl esters are presented.     

Closed-surface hexameric metal-organic nanocapsules derived from cavitand ligands

Assembly of cavitand ligands, (4-), and Zn2+ ions yields a one-dimensional polymer comprised of hexameric, closed-surface, metal-organic nanocapsules.     

Sigma-borane complexes of iridium: synthesis and structural characterization

Reaction of NaBH4 with (tBuPOCOP)IrHCl affords the previously reported complex (tBuPOCOP)IrH2(BH3) (1) (tBuPOCOP = kappa(3)-C6H3-1,3-[OP(tBu)2]2). The structure of 1 determined from neutron diffraction data contains a B-H sigma-bond to iridium with an elongated B-H bond distance of 1.45(5) A. Compound 1 crystallizes in the space group P1 (Z = 2) with a = 8.262 (5) A, b = 12.264 (5) A, c = 13.394 (4) A, and V = 1256.2 (1) A(3) (30 K). Complex 1 can also be prepared by reaction of BH3 x THF with (tBuPOCOP)IrH2. Reaction of (tBuPOCOP)IrH2 with pinacol borane gave initially complex 2, which is assigned a structure analogous to that of 1 based on spectroscopic measurements. Complex 2 evolves H2 at room temperature leading to the borane complex 3, which is formed cleanly when 2 is subjected to dynamic vacuum. The structure of 3 has been determined by X-ray diffraction and consists of the (tBuPOCOP)Ir core with a sigma-bound pinacol borane ligand in an approximately square planar complex. Compound 3 crystallizes in the space group C2/c (Z = 4) with a = 41.2238 (2) A, b = 11.1233 (2) A, c = 14.6122 (3) A, and V = 6700.21 (19) A(3) (130 K). Reaction of (tBuPOCOP)IrH2 with 9-borobicyclononane (9-BBN) affords complex 4. Complex 4 displays (1)H NMR resonances analogous to 1 and exists in equilibrium with (tBuPOCOP)IrH2 in THF solutions.     

Protein environmental effects on iron‐sulfur clusters: A set of rules for constructing computational models for inner and outer coordination spheres

The structural properties and reactivity of iron‐sulfur proteins are greatly affected by interactions between the prosthetic groups and the surrounding amino acid residues. Thus, quantum chemical investigations of the structure and properties of protein‐bound iron‐sulfur clusters can be severely limited by truncation of computational models. The aim of this study was to identify, a priori, significant interactions that must be included in a quantum chemical model. Using the [2Fe‐2S] accessory cluster of the FeFe‐hydrogenase as a demonstrative example with rich electronic structural features, the electrostatic and covalent effects of the surrounding side chains, charged groups, and backbone moieties were systematically mapped through density functional theoretical calculations. Electron affinities, spin density differences, and delocalization indexes from the quantum theory of atoms in molecules were used to evaluate the importance of each interaction. Case studies for hydrogen bonding and charged side‐chain interactions were used to develop selection rules regarding the significance of a given protein environmental effect. A set of general rules is proposed for constructing quantum chemical models for iron‐sulfur active sites that capture all significant interactions from the protein environment. This methodology was applied to our previously used models in galactose oxidase and the 6Fe‐cluster of FeFe‐hydrogenase. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Synthesis of deuterium-labelled substrates for the study of oleuropein biosynthesis in Olea europaea callus cultures

We propose the cell culture approach to investigate oleuropein (1) biogenesis in Olea europaea L. We suggest employing olive callus cultures to identify the iridoidic precursor of oleuropein. In fact, we confirmed that callus cells from olive shoot explants are able to produce key secoiridoid as 1. To enable this approach, we synthesised and characterised deuterium-labelled iridoidic precursors belonging both to the loganin and the 8-epiloganin series. These iridoids are [7,8-²H₂]-7-deoxy-8-epi-loganin (2^D), [8,10-²H₂]-8-epi-loganin (4^D) and [7,8-²H₂]-7-deoxy-loganin (3^D).     

Synthesis,structural characterization and reactivity of copper(I)-nitrile complexes: Crystal and molecular structure of [Cu(BzCN)4][BF4]

Complexes of general formula [CuL₄][BF₄] (L = benzonitrile – PhCN 2 or phenylacetonitrile – BzCN 3) have been prepared and structurally characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. Their structure and reactivity have been compared to the well known [Cu(MeCN)₄][BF₄] (1). The ⁶³Cu line width and the ⁶³Cu chemical shift have been evaluated by varying the temperature and the concentration of the complex 2 in benzonitrile solutions. The phenylacetonitrile solutions of the complex 3 give extremely broad signals which are beyond detection. Accordingly, compound 3 has been studied by ⁶³Cu MAS NMR spectroscopy. The solution NMR data are consistent to the prevalence of dynamic equilibrium between tetra- and low-coordinated species in both complexes. The X-ray structure of 3 revealed that the copper(I) atom sits in a slightly distorted tetrahedral geometry, surrounded by four BzCN ligands.