Spin-State Variations of Iron(III) Complexes with Tetracarbene Macrocycles

Starting from their six-coordinate iron(II) precursor complexes [L^8RFe(MeCN)]²⁺, a series of iron(III) complexes of the known macrocyclic tetracarbene ligand L^8H and its new octamethylated derivative L^8Me, both providing four imidazol-2-yliden donors, were synthesized. Several five- and six-coordinate iron(III) complexes with different axial ligands (Cl⁻, OTf⁻, MeCN) were structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction and analyzed in detail with respect to their spin state variations, using a bouquet of spectroscopic methods (NMR, UV/Vis, EPR, and ⁵⁷Fe Mößbauer). Depending on the axial ligands, either low-spin (S=1/2) or intermediate-spin (S=3/2) states were observed, whereas high-spin (S=5/2) states were inaccessible because of the extremely strong in-plane σ-donor character of the macrocyclic tetracarbene ligands. These findings are reminiscent of the spin state patterns of topologically related ferric porphyrin complexes. The ring conformations and dynamics of the macrocyclic tetracarbene ligands in their iron(II), iron(III) and μ-oxo diiron(III) complexes were also studied.     

First‐Generation Subporphyrinatoboron(III) Sensitizers Surpass the 10 % Power Conversion Efficiency Threshold

Subporphyrinatoboron(III) (SubB) sensitizers were synthesized for use in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The prototype, which comprises a sterically demanding 3,5‐di‐tert‐butylphenyl scaffold, a meso‐ethynylphenyl spacer, and a cyanoacrylic acid anchoring group, achieved an open‐circuit voltage V_OC of 836 mV, short‐circuit current density J_SC of 15.3 mA cm^?2, fill factor of 0.786, and a photon‐to‐current conversion efficiency of 10.1 %. Such astonishing figures suggest that a bright future lies ahead for SubB in the realm of DSSCs.     

Functionalized Alkynylplatinum(II) Polypyridyl Complexes for Use as Sensitizers in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A series of platinum(II) alkynyl‐based sensitizers has been synthesized and found to show light‐to‐electricity conversion properties. These dyes were developed as sensitizers for the application in nanocrystalline TiO₂ dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Their photophysical and electrochemical properties were studied. The excited‐state property was probed using nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, which showed the formation of a charge‐separated state that arises from the intramolecular photoinduced charge transfer from the platinum(II) alkynylbithienylbenzothiadiazole moiety (donor) to the polypyridyl ligand (acceptor). A lifetime of 3.4 μs was observed for the charge‐separated state. A dye‐sensitized solar cell based on one of the complexes showed a short‐circuit photocurrent of 7.12 mA cm^?2, an open circuit voltage of 780 mV, and a fill factor of 0.65, thus giving an overall power conversion efficiency of 3.6 %.     

(Aminocarbene)(Divinyltetramethyldisiloxane)Iron(0) Compounds: A Class of Low‐Coordinate Iron(0) Reagents

The combined use of aminocarbene and divinyltetramethyldisiloxane (dvtms) as supporting ligands enables the access of unprecedented low‐coordinate iron(0) alkene compounds [L_nFe(η²:η²‐dvtms)] (L=N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) or cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC), n=1 or 2) from the reactions of FeCl₂ with alkali‐metal reducing agents, free aminocarbene ligands, and dvtms. The iron(0) species deliver their {L_nFe⁰} fragments to perform redox reactions with Ph₂SiH₂, S₈, Se, and DippN₃, furnishing novel aminocarbene‐supported iron(IV) silylene, all‐ferrous iron–sulfur/selenium cubanes, and bis(imido)iron(IV) compounds. These conversions demonstrate the potential synthetic utility of the carbene‐supported iron(0) complexes as a valuable class of low‐coordinate iron(0) reagents.     

Pivalate Bridged High Spin Manganese(II) and Iron(II) Polymers

Antiferromagnetic Mn(II) polymers of general formula {[L₂Mn(μ-OOCCMe₃)₂][Mn₂(μ-OOCCMe₃)₄]}_n (L = 1,2-phenylenediamine (3) and 4,5-dimethyl-1,2-phenylenediamine (4)) were synthesized from [Mn(μ-OOCCMe₃)₂(HOEt)] _n (1) polymer and arenediamines in MeCN solution. The tetranuclear cluster Fe₄(μ₃-OH)₂(μ-OOCCMe₃)₄(η²-OOCCMe₃)₂(EtOH)₆ (5) was prepared by reacting FeSO₄·7H₂O with KOOCCMe₃ in EtOH and was used as starting pivalate iron(II) agent in further reactions. The thermolysis of 5 in MeCN was shown to result in a ferromagnetic polymer [Fe(μ-OOCCMe₃)₂] _n (6) containing tetrahedral iron(II) atoms. Cluster 5 was found to react with o-phenylenediamine giving rise to ferrimagnetic polymer [Fe(μ-OOCCMe₃)₂(HOEt)]_n (7). The reaction 7 with 2,6-diaminopyridine in MeCN results in binuclear antiferromagnetic complex (2,6-(NH₂)₂C₅H₃N)₂Fe₂(μ-OOCCMe₃)₄· 4MeCN (8). However the reaction of 4,5-dimethyl-1,2-phenylenediamine with polymer 7 yields a polymer {[L₂Fe(μ-OOCCMe₃)₂][Fe₂ (μ-OOCCMe₃)₄]} _n (9), which is an analogue of the manganese polymer 4. All newly synthesized compounds were characterized by the by X-ray diffraction studies and magnetic measurement. Dedicated to Professor Ilya I. Moiseev in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cluster chemistry     

Photomagnetism of a Series of Dinuclear Iron(II) Complexes

Spin crossover : The photomagnetic properties of a series of [{Fe(NCS)(py‐X)}₂(bpypz)₂] (NCS=thiocyanate, py=pyridine, X=4‐Mepy, py, 3‐Mepy, 3‐Clpy and 3‐Brpy, and bpypz=3,5‐bis(pyridine‐2‐yl)pyazolate) binuclear complexes are close to the antiferromagnetic response of [{Fe(NCS)(3,5‐dmpy)}₃(bpypz)₂] (3,5‐dmpy=3,5‐dimethylpyrazine), which is characterised by two iron(II) metal ions in a high‐spin (HS) electronic configuration (see figure).

     

Ultrafast excited-state excitation dynamics in a quasi-two-dimensional light-harvesting antenna based on ruthenium(II) and palladium(II) chromophores

A detailed study on the excited-state-excitation migration taking place within the tetranuclear complex [{(tbbpy)(2)Ru(tmbi)}(2){Pd(allyl)}(2)](PF(6))(2) (tbbpy = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine and tmbi = 5,6,5',6'-tetramethyl-2,2'-bibenzimidazolate) is presented. The charge transfer is initiated by the photoexcitation into the lowest metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) band of one of the peripheral ruthenium(II) chromophores and terminates on the central structurally complex Pd(2) (II)(allyl)(2) subunit. Thus, the system under investigation can be thought of as a functional model for the photosynthesis reaction center in plants. The kinetic steps involved in the overall process are inferred from femtosecond time-resolved transient-grating kinetics recorded at spectral positions within the regions of ground-state bleach and transient absorption. The kinetics features a complex non-exponential time behavior and can be fitted to a bi-exponential rise (tau(1)> or =200 fs, tau(2) approximately 1.5 ps) and a mono- or bi-exponential decay, depending on the experimental situation. The data leads to the formulation of a model for the intramolecular excitation-hopping ascribing intersystem crossing and subsequent cooling as the two fastest observed processes. Following these initial steps, charge transfer from the ruthenium to the central complex Pd(2)(allyl)(2) moiety is observed with a characteristic time constant of 50 ps. A 220-ps component that is observed in the ground-state recovery only is attributed to excitation equilibration between the two identical Pd(allyl) chromophores.     

Effect of Substituents in Catechol Dye Sensitizers on Photovoltaic Performance of Type II Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

In order to provide a direction in molecular design of catechol (Cat) dyes for type II dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the dye‐to‐TiO₂ charge‐transfer (DTCT) characteristics of Cat dyes with various substituents and their photovoltaic performance in DSSCs are investigated. The Cat dyes with electron‐donating or moderately electron‐withdrawing substituents exhibit a broad absorption band corresponding to DTCT upon binding to TiO₂ films, whereas those with strongly electron‐withdrawing substituents exhibit weak DTCT. This study indicates that the introduction of a moderately electron‐withdrawing substituent on the Cat moiety leads to not only an increase in the DTCT efficiency, but also the retardation of back electron transfer. This results in favorable conditions for the type II electron‐injection pathway from the ground state of the Cat dye to the conduction band of the TiO₂ electrode by the photoexcitation of DTCT bands.     

Coordination polymers of silver(I) with bis(N-heterocyclic carbene): Structural characterization and carbene transfer

Reactions of the ethylene- and methylene-bridged bis(imidazolium) salts with an equivalent amount of silver oxide in dichloromethane at room temperature produced readily the silver NHC compounds [Ag₂LBr₂]. These compounds are partially soluble in DMF. The X-ray structure determination on 3d (L = 1,1′-dibenzyl-3,3′-ethylenediimidazolin-2,2′-diylidene) reveals the formation of bromide bibridged (Ag₂LBr₂)_n chains and a unique supramolecular motif with weak Ag?Ag interactions of 3.429 Å. Similar to monomeric silver(I) NHC complexes, the silver coordination polymers can also act as carbene transfer reagents for the formation of chelating palladium NHC complexes in excellent yields.     

Anomalous Light-Induced Spin-State Switching for Iron(II) Spin-Crossover Molecules in Direct Contact with Metal Surfaces

Light-induced spin-state switching is one of the most attractive properties of spin-crossover materials. In bulk, low-spin (LS) to high-spin (HS) conversion via the light-induced excited spin-state trapping (LIESST) effect may be achieved with a visible light, while the HS-to-LS one (reverse-LIESST) requires an excitation in the near-infrared range. Now, it is shown that those phenomena are strongly modified at the interface with a metal. Indeed, an anomalous spin conversion is presented from HS state to LS state under blue light illumination for Fe^II spin-crossover molecules that are in direct contact with metallic (111) single-crystal surfaces (copper, silver, and gold). To interpret this anomalous spin-state switching, a new mechanism is proposed for the spin conversion based on the light absorption by the substrate that can generate low energy valence photoelectrons promoting molecular vibrational excitations and subsequent spin-state switching at the molecule–metal interface.     

Iron(II) complex of 2-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)pyridine-4-carboxylic acid (ppCOOH) suitable for surface deposition

Abstract

The synthesis, structural and magnetic characterization of the tris iron(II) complex of 2-(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)pyridine-4-carboxylic acid (ppCOOH) ligand are reported in [Fe(ppCOOH)₃](ClO₄)₂·0.5H₂O·2EtOH. Single crystal structure and magnetic characterization of the bulk compound show that the low-spin state is dominant from 2 to 400 K. ESI-MS and UV–Vis spectroscopy experiments indicate that acetonitrile solutions of this complex are stable with time. ESI-MS confirms the presence of the tris complex in solution. This complex can be deposited onto SiO₂ surfaces due to the presence of carboxylic acid groups by immersing the substrates into acetonitrile solutions of the complex. XPS spectra of the deposited complex are similar to those of the bulk sample. AFM images show a slight increase in roughness with respect to the naked substrate and the absence of aggregates. These results are consistent with the formation of a monolayer of the complex on the surface.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of novel bridged platinum(II) biscarbene complexes

Novel bridged platinum(II) biscarbene complexes are reported: 1,1′-dimethyl-3,3′-methylene-4-diimidazolin-2,2′-diylidene platinum(II) (3) and 1,1′-dimethyl-3,3′-ethylene-4-diimidazolin-2,2′-diylidene platinum(II) complexes 4 are directly accessible in high yields starting from platinum halides. The one-pot synthesis obviates the need for multi-step reactions via metal precursors or free carbenes. An X-ray crystal structure of 1,1′-dimethyl-3,3′-methylene-4-diimidazolin-2,2′-diylidene platinum(II) dibromide (3b) confirmed the structural similarity to the known corresponding palladium complexes. Since free 1,1′-di-R-3,3′-methylene-4-diimidazolin-2,2′-diylidenes are only available in low yields this synthetic route provides an easy access to the corresponding carbene complexes.     

辛氧基苯基取代的吡啶并[3,4-b]吡嗪染料的合成与光伏性能研究

为了进一步提高电池的开路电压, 把吡啶并吡嗪核上的甲氧基苯换成辛氧基苯, 设计合成了一系列以三苯胺为给体、辛氧基苯取代的吡啶并[3,4-b]吡嗪为辅助受体、噻吩(呋喃、苯)为π-链、氰基乙酸为受体的新型染料敏化剂(OPP-I～Ⅲ). 对OPP-I～Ⅲ的光电化学性质、器件性能以及电荷转移动力学等进行了系统的测试及研究. 实验结果表明, 用辛氧基取代甲氧基, 能有效减少染料在TiO₂表面的聚集, 同时能阻止电解质和TiO₂导带的接触, 抑制电荷复合, 提高了开路电压. 最后, 在AM 1.5(100 mW·cm^-2)光强条件下, OPP-I敏化的电池最大光电转换效率为 6.57%(短路电流为 11.7 mA·cm^-2, 开路电压为 717 mV, 填充因子为 0.78).     

Color Tuning in New Metal‐Free Organic Sensitizers (Bodipys) for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Fun in the sun! A strategy has been devised for functionalizing and solubilizing boron dipyrromethene (Bodipy) dyes at the central boron atom and changing the color by increasing delocalization on the central core. This approach leads to the formation of stable B? C≡C and pyrrole? C?C linkages suitable for use in TiO₂‐sensitized devices (see figure).

     

Tris(thiocyanate) Ruthenium(II) Sensitizers with Functionalized Dicarboxyterpyridine for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Panchromatic sensitizers: A series of ruthenium(II) compounds was prepared that contain three thiocyanate ligands and a novel chelating terpyridine ligand. The latter (see picture: colors indicate orbital occupation) serves as an effective and versatile light-harvesting auxochrome. One compound has a solar conversion efficiency of up to 10.3?%.     

A Stable Homoleptic Organometallic Iron(IV) Complex

A homoleptic organometallic Fe^IV complex that is stable in both solution and in the solid state at ambient conditions has been synthesized and isolated as [Fe(phtmeimb)₂](PF₆)₂ (phtmeimb=[phenyl(tris(3-methylimidazolin-2-ylidene))borate]⁻). This Fe^IV N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex was characterized by ¹H NMR, HR-MS, elemental analysis, scXRD analysis, electrochemistry, Mößbauer spectroscopy, and magnetic susceptibility. The two latter techniques unequivocally demonstrate that [Fe(phtmeimb)₂](PF₆)₂ is a triplet Fe^IV low-spin S=1 complex in the ground state, in agreement with quantum chemical calculations. The electronic absorption spectrum of [Fe(phtmeimb)₂](PF₆)₂ in acetonitrile shows an intense absorption band in the red and near IR, due to LMCT (ligand-to-metal charge transfer) excitation. For the first time the excited state dynamics of a Fe^IV complex was studied and revealed a ≈0.8 ps lifetime of the ³LMCT excited state of [Fe(phtmeimb)₂](PF₆)₂ in acetonitrile.     

Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Fe(II) Complexes Designed for Solar-Energy Conversion: Current Status and Open Questions

One major challenge of future sustainable photochemistry is to replace precious and rare transition metals in applications such as energy conversion or electroluminescence by earth-abundant, cheap, and recyclable materials. This involves using coordination complexes of first row transition metals such as Cu, Cr, or Mn. In the case of iron, which is attractive due to its natural abundance, fundamental limitations imposed by the small ligand field splitting energy have recently been overcome. In this review article, we briefly summarize the present knowledge and understanding of the structure-property relationships of Fe(II) and Fe(III) complexes with excited state lifetimes in the nanosecond range. However, our main focus is to examine to which extent the ultrafast spectroscopy methods used so far provided insight into the excited state structure and the photo-induced dynamics of these complexes. Driven by the main question of how to spectroscopically, i. e. in energy and concentration, differentiate the population of ligand- vs. metal-centered states, the hitherto less exploited ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy is suggested to provide valuable complementary insights.