Ion pair charge-transfer complexes between anionic and cationic metal-dithiolenes [M(II) = Pd,Pt

New [M(R(2)pipdt)(2)](BF(4))(2) salts [R(2)pipdt = N,N'-dialkyl-piperazine-2,3-dithione; M = Pd(II), R = Me and M = Pt(II), R = Me, Et, Pr(i)] bearing redox-active cationic dithiolene complexes have been prepared and characterized. These cations react with the redox-active [M(mnt)(2)](2-) [M = Pd(II), Pt(II); mnt = maleonitrile-2,3-dithiolate] anionic dithiolenes to form salts describable as ion pair charge-transfer complexes. X-ray crystallographic studies have shown that [M(Me(2)pipdt)(2)][M(mnt)(2)] complexes, with M = Pd(II) and Pt(II), are isomorphous. Crystal data of the Pt salt (3a): triclinic, Ponemacr; (No. 2); Z = 1; T = 293(2) K; a = 6.784(7) A, b = 8.460(6) A, c = 13.510(5) A, alpha = 100.63(2) degrees, beta = 104.04(2) degrees, gamma = 96.90(2) degrees; R1 = 0.0691 [wR2 = 0.2187 (all data)]. Structural data show that approximately square-planar [Pt(Me(2)pipdt)(2)] dications and regular square-planar [Pt(mnt)(2)] dianions form an infinite anion-cation one-dimensional stack along axis a with a Pt...Pt a/2 distance of 3.392 A and a Pt...Pt...Pt angle of 180 degrees. Anions and cations arrange themselves face-to-face so as to take on a staggered arrangement. These salts exhibit strong absorptions in the visible-near-infrared region assigned to ion pair charge-transfer transitions. A relation between the optical and thermal electron transfer in the solid state is obtained using a "Marcus-Hush model", and a solid-state electrical conductivity in agreement with expectations is observed. Vibrational spectroscopy is in agreement with the existence of charge-transfer interactions between the cationic and anionic components of the salts.     

Interactions modes and physical properties in transition metal chalcogenolene-based molecular materials

Molecule-based materials are extremely versatile materials as they can be built from specifically designed building blocks with the desired size, shape, charge and electronic properties which determine their intermolecular interactions and, thus, their organization in the solid. The intermolecular interactions, therefore, in particular van der Waals interactions, π–π and π–d interactions, H-bonding, etc., play a crucial role in self-assembling these pre-designed molecular units and may provide a powerful way to afford layered mono- and multifunctional molecular materials with new or unknown physical properties. In this review the relationship between interaction modes and physical properties of organic/inorganic hybrids based on transition metal complexes with chalcogenolene ligands will be examined and an outlook will be proposed. With this goal, magnetic materials, highly conducting and metallic single-component materials containing dithiolene complex building blocks, multifunctional materials where the dithiolene complex is the magnetic or conducting component in addition to more complex systems involving other types of building block such as the metal oxalate complexes, will be discussed.     

Pd-Dissolution through a mild and effective one-step reaction and its application for Pd-recovery from spent catalytic converters

We describe here an innovative method for Pd-dissolution using the reagent N,N'-dimethylperhydrodiazepine-2,3-dithione diiodine adduct which, being safe and powerful, is appealing for practical applications: remarkably almost quantitative Pd-recovery from model spent three-way catalysts has been obtained, showing that the effectiveness of the method is maintained when palladium is contained in a complex system such as a car catalyst, a ceramic material which has undergone severe thermal stress.     

Synthesis, crystal structure and properties of the semiconducting salts (TTF)2[Ni(dtcr)2] and (ET)2[Ni(dtcr)2] based on [Ni(dtcr)2] dianions (dtcr = dithiocroconate)

The first examples of CT salts based on [Ni(dtcr)2] dianions (1) (dtcr = dithiocroconate = 4,5-disulfanylcyclopent-4-ene-1,2,3-trionate), (TTF)2[Ni(dtcr)2] (TTF = tetrathiafulvalene) (2) and (ET)2[Ni(dtcr)2] [ET = bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene] (3) are reported. The redox-active dianion 1, containing oxo-groups in the periphery of the molecule, has been selected to investigate the role of the oxo-groups in promoting intermolecular interactions and hopefully their conducting properties. The salts 2 and 3 have been prepared by electrocrystallisation methods and 3 shows a semi-metallic behaviour: sigma = 1 x 10(-3) omega(-1) cm(-1) at room temperature, with a low activation energy 60 meV, while crystals of 2 were unsuitable for conductivity measurements. The X-ray structural characterisation shows an alternate dianion-(cation)2 stacking and the capability of the oxo-groups to promote interstack contacts. In 2, the TTF donors are present as face-to-face dimers of monocations (D2)2+. The stacking arrangement is different in 3, where ET monocations stack along two directions ([110] and [110]) in the same manner, with the repeating sequence (ET)-(ET)-[Ni(dtcr)2]-(ET)-(ET) and are almost parallel to each other, with interplanar distances of 3.575 angstroms. Both structures are built on a dianion and two donor molecules, each one with a charge of +1. Diffuse reflectance combined with vibrational spectra complement structural results well. Crystal data: both 2 and 3 crystallise in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with a = 8.6340(8) angstroms, b = 21.586(2) angstroms, c = 7.5960(8) angstroms, beta = 95.625(11) degrees and V = 1408.9(2) angstroms3 for 2 and with a = 9.3700(7), b = 7.4410(6), c = 28.278(2) angstroms, beta = 99.039(6) degrees, V = 1947.1(3) angstroms3 for 3.     

IR thermography characterization of residual stress in plastically deformed metallic components

A remote and non-destructive method for the characterization of residual stress in metallic components is here proposed. Such a method is based on the application of infrared thermography for the evaluation of thermal diffusivity, which is expected to be dependent on the local dislocation density in the material lattice induced by plastic deformations. Preliminary experimental results obtained on a yielded ASTM 516 grade 65 steel specimen are presented and discussed on the basis of microhardness and optical metallographic investigations carried out on the same sample.     

On Coron's problem for the p-Laplacian

We prove that the critical problem for the p-Laplacian operator admits a nontrivial solution in annular shaped domains with sufficiently small inner hole. This extends Coron's result [4] to a class of quasilinear problems.     

ESI‐MS/MS of expanded porphyrins: a look into their structure and aromaticity

Electrospray mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry was used to investigate the gas‐phase properties of protonated expanded porphyrins, in order to correlate those with their structure and conformation. We have selected five expanded meso‐pentafluorophenyl porphyrins, respectively, a pair of oxidized/reduced fused pentaphyrins (22 and 24 π electrons), a pair of oxidized/reduced regular hexaphyrins (26 and 28 π electrons) and a regular doubly N‐fused hexaphyrin (28 π electrons). The gas‐phase behavior of the protonated species of oxidized and reduced expanded porphyrins is different. The oxidized species (aromatic Hückel systems) fragment more extensively, mainly by the loss of two HF molecules. The reduced species (Möbius aromatic or Möbius‐like aromatic systems) fragment less than their oxidized counterparts because of their increased flexibility. The protonated regular doubly fused hexaphyrin (non‐aromatic Hückel system) shows the least fragmentation even at higher collision energies. In general, cyclization through losses of HF molecules decreases from the aromatic Hückel systems to Möbius aromatic or Möbius‐like aromatic systems to non‐aromatic Hückel systems and is related to an increase in conformational distortion. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Copper and iron interactions with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. A study by fast-atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry

Fast atom bombardment, combined with high-energy collision-induced tandem mass spectrometry, has been used to investigate gas-phase metal-ion interactions with captopril, enalaprilat and lisinopril, all angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.Suggestions for the location of metal-binding sites are presented. For captopril, metal binding occurs most likely at both the sulphur and the nitrogen atom. For enalaprilat and lisinopril, binding preferably occurs at the amine nitrogen. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of the coupling fluids and of the pyroelectric transducer on low-temperature photopyroelectric studies

Thermal diffusivity of various compounds used as coupling fluids in photopyroelectric experiments have been measured at room temperature and at 80 K. Measurements on high vacuum silicone grease have also been performed as a function of temperature and an increase in the thermal diffusivity values with decreasing temperature has been found. Two phase transitions in the LiTaO₃ pyroelectric transducer have been observed at 200 and 225 K.