Optical properties of the phosphorescent trinuclear copper(I) complexes of pyrazolates: insights from theory

Theoretical investigations have been performed to explore the optical properties of {[3,5-(CF3)(2)Pz]Cu}3 in monomeric and dimeric forms using TD-DFT approaches. The emission of all complexes originates from the lowest triplet excited-states (T1), and the corresponding emissive states are assigned as the mixture of the metal-centered charge transfer and ligand-to-metal charge transfer. The features of the emission spectrum are clarified in detail. The bulk emission spectrum of complex is mainly determined by the stacked dimers rather than the individual monomers. The predicted maximum emission wavelength (lambda(em)) are in good agreement with experimental values, indicating that the phosphorescence bands can be assigned to two different conformations for the neighboring stacked dimers sharing the same monomer in the complex. Energy transfer from T1 of one stacked dimer to the neighboring one is responsible for the disappearance of the shoulder, leaving only the main peak upon heating. With the aim to reveal the conformational dependence for the triplet excited-state emission spectrum, the optical properties of various stacked dimers with different conformations are investigated by varying the relative arrangements through changing inter-monomer distance or rotational angles for the dimer which is responsible for the main peak emission. Calculation results suggest that the shortest intermolecular Cu...Cu distance plays an important role in the emission spectra of the vertical- and tilting-movement dimers, which is ascribed to the variation of the energy gap for the frontier molecular orbitals involved in the main emitting transition. The blue shift of lambda(em) in parallel-movement and rotational dimers can be traced back to the variation of the mutual spatial orientation. Therefore, the modulation of the extent of movement or rotational angles for stacked dimers by external perturbations creates new possibilities for the design of molecular light-emitting devices.     

磷光三核Cu(I)吡唑配合物光学性质的理论研究

用TD-B3LYP方法研究了{[3-(CF3),5-(Me)Pz]Cu}3的单体以及二聚体的光学性质,同时揭示了Cu…Cu相互作用对光谱性质的影响.     

Metal effect on the supramolecular structure, photophysics, and acid-base character of trinuclear pyrazolato coinage metal complexes

Varying the coinage metal in cyclic trinuclear pyrazolate complexes is found to significantly affect the solid-state packing, photophysics, and acid-base properties. The three isoleptic compounds used in this study are [[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]M]3 with M = Cu, Ag, and Au (i.e., Cu3, Ag3, and Au3, respectively). They form isomorphous crystals and exist as trimers featuring nine-membered M3N6 rings with linear two-coordinate metal sites. On the basis of the M-N distances, the covalent radii of two-coordinate Cu(I), Ag(I), and Au(I) were estimated as 1.11, 1.34, and 1.25 angstroms, respectively. The cyclic [[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]M]3 complexes pack as infinite chains of trimers with a greater number of pairwise intertrimer M...M interactions upon proceeding to heavier coinage metals. However, the intertrimer distances are conspicuously short in Ag3 (3.204 angstroms) versus Au3 (3.885 angstroms) or Cu3 (3.813 angstroms) despite the significantly larger covalent radius of Ag(I). Remarkable luminescence properties are found for the three M3 complexes, as manifested by the appearance of multiple unstructured phosphorescence bands whose colors and lifetimes change qualitatively upon varying the coinage metal and temperature. The multiple emissions are assigned to different phosphorescent excimeric states that exhibit enhanced M...M bonding relative to the ground state. The startling luminescence thermochromic changes in crystals of each compound are related to relaxation between the different phosphorescent excimers. The trend in the lowest energy phosphorescence band follows the relative triplet energy of the three M(I) atomic ions. DFT calculations indicate that [[3,5-(R)2Pz]M]3 trimers with R = H or Me are bases with the relative basicity order Ag < Cu < Au while fluorination (R = CF3) renders even the Au trimer acidic. These predictions were substantiated experimentally by the isolation of the first acid-base adduct, [[Au3]2:toluene]infinity, in which a trinuclear Au(I) complex acts as an acid.     

Trinuclear silver(I) complexes of fluorinated pyrazolates

Silver pyrazolates [[3-(CF3)Pz]Ag]3, [[3-(CF3),5-(CH3)Pz]Ag]3, [[3-(CF3),5-(Ph)Pz]Ag]3, [[3-(CF3),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3, and [[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 have been synthesized by treatment of the corresponding pyrazole with a slight molar excess of silver(I) oxide. This economical and convenient route gives silver pyrazolates in high (>80%) yields. X-ray crystal structures of [[3-(CF3),5-(CH3)Pz]Ag]3, [[3-(CF3),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3, and [[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 show that these molecules have trinuclear structures with essentially planar to highly distorted Ag3N6 metallacycles. [[3-(CF3),5-(CH3)Pz]Ag]3 forms extended columns via intertrimer argentophilic contacts (the closest Ag...Ag separation between the neighboring trimers are 3.355 and 3.426 A). The trinuclear [[3-(CF3),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 units crystallize in pairs, basically forming "dimers of trimers", with the six silver atom core of the adjacent trimers adopting a chair conformation. However, in these dimers of trimers, even the shortest intertrimer Ag...Ag distance (3.480 A) is slightly longer than the van der Waals contact of silver (3.44 A). [[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3, which has two bulky groups on each pyrazolyl ring, shows no close intertrimer Ag...Ag contacts (closest intertrimer Ag...Ag distance = 5.376 A). The Ag-N bond distances and the intratrimer Ag...Ag separations of the silver pyrazolates do not show much variation. However, their N-Ag-N angles are sensitive to the nature (especially, the size) of substituents on the pyrazolyl rings. The pi-acidic [[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]Ag]3 and [[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 form adducts with the pi-base toluene. X-ray data show that they adopt extended columnar structures of the type [[Ag3]2.[toluene]]infinity and [[Ag3]'.[toluene]]infinity ([[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]Ag]3 = [Ag3],[[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 = [Ag3]'), in which toluene interleaves and makes face-to-face contacts with [[3-(C3F7),5-(But)Pz]Ag]3 or dimers of [[3,5-(CF3)2Pz]Ag]3.     

Brightly full-color emissions of oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s: substituent effects on photophysical properties

A simple and effective strategy for synthesis of bis-dipolar trimeric OPVs (a-g) with same push-pull electron groups at the two ends is presented. Their photophysical and electrochemical properties were investigated by UV-vis, fluorescence spectroscopies, and voltammetry techniques. A successful tuning in the emission color was achieved and the LUMO energy level was found to correlate with the Hammett constant of the respective substituents, providing a powerful strategy for prediction of the photoelectrical properties of the new chromophores.     

New trinuclear carbonato-bridged copper(II) complexes: Synthesis,crystal structure,and spectroscopic properties

New trinuclear carbonato-bridged copper(II) complexes, [Cu₃(Bipy)₆(μ₃-CO₃)](CF₃SO₃)₄(H₂O)_0.5 (I) and [Cu₃(Phen)₆(μ₃-CO₃)](CF₃SO₃)₄(H₂O)_0.5 (II) (Bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine and Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. In the trinuclear units, a carbonate anion triply bridges three Cu atoms in a μ₃-η¹:η¹:η¹-CO₃ mode. The environment around each copper(II) center is five-coordinate ranging between intermediate to distorted square-pyramidal geometry. In the crystal packing, the molecule of I is involved in a variety of intra/intermolecular non-covalent interactions such as intra/intermolecular stacking and CH···π interactions between the pyridine groups of the chelated ligand, leading to a one-dimensional arrangement of I. In complex II, the molecule is involved in both intra- and intermolecular Phen-Phen π-stacking, forming a three-dimensional network. The spectroscopic (IR, diffuse reflectance, and EPR spectra) properties and the preliminary results of magnetic measurements of both complexes are investigated and compared to other closely related trinuclear copper(II) complexes.     

Extended three-dimensional supramolecular architectures derived from trinuclear (bis-beta-diketonato)copper(II) metallocycles

Neutral trinuclear (triangular) copper(II) complexes of type [Cu3L3] incorporating the 1,4-aryl linked bis-beta-diketonato bridging ligands, 1,1-(1,4-phenylene)-bis(butane-1,3-dione) (H2L2), 1,1-(1,4-phenylene)-bis(pentane-1,3-dione) (H2L3) and 1,1-(1,4-phenylene)-bis(4,4-dimethylpentane-1,3-dione) (H2L4) have been demonstrated to react with selected heterocyclic nitrogen donor bases to generate extended supramolecular architectures whose structures have been confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Thus on reaction with 4,4'-bipyridine (bipy), [Cu3(L2)3] yields polymeric structures of type {[Cu3(L2)3(bipy)(THF)] x 2.75THF}n and {[Cu3(L2)3(bipy)(THF)] x bipy x 0.75THF}(n) while with pyrazine (pyz), {[Cu3(L2)3(pyz)] x 0.5THF}n was obtained. Each of these extended structures contain alternating triangle/linker units in a one-dimensional polymeric chain arrangement in which two of the three copper sites in each triangular 'platform' are formally five-coordinate through binding to a heterocyclic nitrogen atom. Interaction of the multifunctional linker unit hexamethylenetetramine (hmt) with [Cu3(L3)3] afforded an unusual, chiral, three-dimensional molecular framework of stoichiometry [Cu3(L3)3(hmt)]n. The latter incorporates the trinuclear units coordinated to three triply bridging hmt units. In marked contrast to the formation of the above structures incorporating bifunctional linker units and five-coordinate metal centres, the trinuclear platform [Cu3(L2)3] reacts with the stronger difunctional base 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]-octane (dabco) to yield a highly symmetric trigonal columnar species of type {[Cu3(L4)3(dabco)3] x 3H2O}n in which each copper centre is octahedrally coordinated.     

Formation and photoinduced electron ejection of amminedicyanocuprate(I) and cyano-bridged trinuclear copper(I) complexes in aqueous ammonia solution

UV absorption spectral evidence confirms that a mixed-ligand complex, Cu(CN)(2)(NH(3))(-), is formed in an aqueous solution of KCu(CN)(2) and ammonia. The stepwise stability constant for the reaction, Cu(CN)(2)(-) + NH(3) = Cu(CN)(2)(NH(3))(-), is 2.80 +/- 0.40 in 1 M ionic strength, NaClO(4) medium at 25 degrees C. This amminedicyanocuprate(I) ion readily combines in aqueous solution in a 1:2 and 2:1 molar ratios with Cu(NH(3))(2)(+) to form two trinuclear ionic species, presumably with cyano bridges, with the suggested formulas of Cu(3)(CN)(2)(NH(3))(5)(+) and Cu(3)(CN)(4)(NH(3))(3)(-). The resolved UV absorption spectra of the monomer and two trimers have been determined and exhibit strong bands, presumably metal-ligand charge transfer in nature, in the 200-250-nm region. When solutions of all three complexes absorb a pulse of 266-nm laser light, they photoeject hydrated electrons monophotonically, with quantum yields of 0.41 +/- 0.02, 0.53 +/- 0.02, and 0.50 +/- 0.01 for the monomer, cationic trimer, and anionic trimer, respectively, suggesting that absorption in the charge-transfer-to-solvent bands of these complexes results in an efficient electron ejection process that is enhanced by the existence of a polynuclear structure with cyano bridges. No room-temperature luminescence is observed for these complexes.     

Crystal structure and magnetic behaviour of a trinuclear copper(II) complexes with bridging nitronyl nitroxides

Summary [Cu(hfac)₂]₃(NITR)₂ (hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate, NITR = 2-R-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, R = 4-methoxyphenyl) has been prepared and its crystal structure determined. In the centrosymmetric complex, the central copper atom has an elongated octahedral geometry, the terminal ones square pyramidal. The magnetic measurements of the complex show that the metal-radical coupling is antiferromagnetic.Author to whom all correspondence should be directed.     

O-phenylenebis(oxamato) bridged trinuclear copper(II) complexes: synthesis and magnetic properties

Summary Four new trinuclear copper(II) complexes bridged by o-phenylenebis(oxamato) (opba) and end-capped with 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 5-nitro-1,10-phenanthroline (NO₂-phen), 2,2-bipyridyl (bipy) or 4,4-dimethyl-2,2-bipyridyl (Me₂bipy), {[Cu(opba)][Cu(L)]₂}(ClO₄)₂ (L = phen, NO₂-phen, bipy or Me₂bipy), have been synthesized and characterized. Based on i.r., elemental analyses, conductivity measurements and electronic spectra, oxamato-bridged structures consisting of three copper(II) ions in which each copper(II) ion has a square-planar environment are proposed. The temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility of {[Cu(opba)][Cu(phen)]₂} (ClO₄)₂ has been studied in the 4.2–300 K range, giving the exchange integral J = -134.4cm^–1. The result revealed the operation of an antiferromagnetic spin-exchange interaction between the adjacent copper ions.     

Two polyknotted topological isomers of copper(I) 3,5-bis(4-pyridyl)pyrazolates

Two unprecedented 3D polyknotted isomers, arisen from different linkage modes of SCN-, were obtained from 3,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-1H-pyrazole (Hbppz) and CuSCN under different conditions.     

Toluene-sandwiched trinuclear copper(I) and silver(I) triazolates and phosphine adducts of dinuclear copper(I) and silver(I) triazolates

Cu (I) and Ag (I) complexes of the fluorinated triazolate ligand [3,5-(C3F7)2Tz](-) have been synthesized using the corresponding metal(I) oxides and the triazole. They form pi-acid/base adducts with toluene, leading to [Tol][M3][Tol] ([Tol]=toluene; [M3]={[3,5-(C3F7)2Tz]Cu}3 or {[3,5-(C3F7)2Tz]Ag}3) type structures. Packing diagrams show the presence of extended chains of the type {[Tol][M3][Tol]}infinity, but the intertoluene ring distances are too long for significant pi-arene/pi-arene contacts. These copper and silver triazolates react with PPh3 (at a 1:1 metal ion/P molar ratio), leading to dinuclear {[3,5-(C3F7)2Tz]Cu(PPh3)}2 and {[3,5-(C3F7) 2Tz]Ag(PPh3)}2. They feature a six-membered Cu(mu-N-N) 2Cu or Ag(mu-N-N)2Ag core with a boat conformation.     

Synthesis,structure and characterization of binuclear copper(I) complexes

Binuclear copper(I) complexes [Cu(dppm)(NO3)]2 (1), dppm=Ph2PCH2PPh2, [Cu(dppm)(2,9-Me2Phen)]2(NO3)2 (2), [Cu(dppm)(I)]2 (3) and [Cu(dppm)(py)]2(NO3)2 (4), (py=pyridine) have been synthesized by ligand reduction of cupric nitrate with dppm in EtOH and characterized by elemental analyses, molecular weight determination, t.g.a., 31P-n.m.r spectra; their electronic conductivities and c.v. waves have also been measured. The results show that dppm coordinates as a bridging bidentate ligand to the CuI atoms, and that NO3 behaves as a monodentate ligand or free ion in the newly prepared complexes.     

Heteroleptic copper(I) complexes coupled with methano[60]fullerene: synthesis, electrochemistry, and photophysics

Heteroleptic copper(I) complexes CuPOP-F and CuFc-F have been prepared from a fullerene-substituted phenanthroline ligand and bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl] ether (POP) and 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppFc), respectively. Electrochemical studies indicate that some ground-state electronic interaction between the fullerene subunit and the metal-complexed moiety are present in both CuPOP-F and CuFc-F. Their photophysical properties have been investigated by steady state and time-resolved UV-vis-NIR luminescence spectroscopy and nanosecond laser flash photolysis in a CH2Cl2 solution and compared to those of the corresponding model copper(I) complexes CuPOP and CuFc and of the fullerene model compound F. Selective excitation of the methanofullerene moiety in CuPOP-F results in regular deactivation of the lowest singlet and triplet states, indicating no intercomponent interactions. Conversely, excitation of the copper(I)-complexed unit (405 nm, 40% selectivity) shows that the strongly luminescent triplet metal-to-ligand charge-transfer ((3)MLCT) excited state located at 2.40 eV is quenched by the carbon sphere with a rate constant of 1.6 x 10(8) s(-1). Details on the mechanism of photodynamic processes in CuPOP-F via transient absorption are hampered by the rather unfavorable partition of light excitation between the two chromophores. By determination of the yield of formation of the lowest fullerene triplet level through sensitized singlet oxygen luminescence in the NIR region, it is shown that the final sink of photoinduced processes is always the fullerene triplet. This can be populated via a two-step charge-separation charge-recombination process and a less favored (3)MLCT --> (3)C60 triplet-triplet energy-transfer pathway. In CuFc-F, both of the photoexcited copper(I)-complexed and fullerene moieties are quenched by the presence of the ferrocene unit, most likely via ultrafast energy transfer.     

Intertrimer and intratrimer metallophilic and excimeric bonding in the ground and phosphorescent States of trinuclear coinage metal pyrazolates: a computational study

The interactions present in cyclic trinuclear coinage metal pyrazolates were studied computationally. Cuprophilic interaction was found to bind the singlet ground state of the dimer of trimers [[Cu(Pz)](3)](2), overcoming electrostatic repulsion. The large variation in intertrimer separations found in the literature for coinage metal pyrazolates is consistent with the relatively weak metallophilic interaction. The emissive triplet excited-state geometry of [[M(Pz)](3)](2) is predicted by density functional calculations to show major geometric distortion caused by Jahn-Teller instability and excimeric M-M bonding. Large calculated Stokes' shifts, which are also observed for experimental models, are consistent with significant excited-state distortions for these materials. The major finding derived from the present study is that the intertrimer M...M contraction in the emissive T(1) state is much more than the intratrimer contraction in all [[M(Pz)](3)](2) models, giving rise to a lower T(1) --> S(0) phosphorescence energy in these models than in analogous monomer-of-trimer models. The observations made here point to a great potential for rationally tuning the emission properties of trinuclear coinage metal complexes through choice of the metal and ligands.     

Ab initio DFT investigations on structure of copper(I) bis-diazine complexes

Supramolecular self-assembling processes of nitrogen bidendated heterocycles are fundamental for the understanding of rules which predestine to their spontaneous formation. In our approach ab initio DFT method has been used to resolve six Cu(I) complexes. The collected data show that only four structures converged into a quasi-tetrahedral [L₂Cu][BF₄] geometry. A special feature in case of the [(bpy–bpz)₂Cu][BF₄] hetero-complex, not observed in case of the corresponding Cu(I) homo-complexes, is the increased participation of p orbitals of the Cu⁺ to the HOMO.     

Models for the trinuclear copper(II) cluster in the particulate methane monooxygenase from methanotrophic bacteria: Synthesis,spectroscopic and theoretical characterization of trinuclear copper(II) complexes

Three trinuclear Cu(II) complexes [Cu₃(tacp)(μ₃-Cl)₂](Cl)₄ (1), [Cu₃(tacp)(μ₃-Br)₂](Br)₄ (2) and [Cu₃(tacp)(μ₃-OH)₂](Cl)₄ (3) (tacp, 1,10,19-trioxa-4,7,13,16,22,25-hexaazacycloheptaeicosane) are synthesized to model the oxidized tricopper cluster implicated in the particulate methane monooxygenase from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath). In the enzyme, the three Cu(II) ions are coupled by weak ferromagnetic interactions. The Cu(II) ions in 1 and 2 are shown to be ferromagnetically coupled from magnetic susceptibility and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements. EPR suggests anti-ferromagnetic interactions among the Cu(II) ions in 3. Density functional theory calculations reproduce well the geometric, electronic and magnetic properties observed in these complexes and provide insights into the spin-coupling interactions mediated by the bridging ligands.