Analytical theory for ion transfer–electron transfer coupled reactions at redox layer–modified/thick film–modified electrodes

Electrodes modified by liquid films or plasticized polymeric membranes containing a redox species offer valuable alternatives for the study of ion transfers and bimolecular electron transfers at liquid–liquid interfaces with conventional electrode arrangements and stable interfaces. The ion-to-electron (or electron-to-electron) transducer affects the electrochemical signal, complicating the accurate analysis of experimental data. This can be reduced through the use of an electrode surface-attached redox species of well-defined electrochemical behaviour. As will be demonstrated, the voltammetry of these systems show significant deviations with respect to individual charge transfers, which must be considered for appropriate diagnosis and quantitative analysis. For this, a simple analytical theory is presented here, deducing mathematical expressions for the current–potential response, as well as for the potential difference at the two polarized interfaces, the surface excess of the redox species and the ion interfacial concentrations.     

Adiabatic and non-adiabatic electrochemical electron transfer in terms of Green’s function theory

We present a model Hamiltonian for electrochemical electron transfer, and use Green’s functions as the starting point for three different approaches to the calculation of rate constants: first order perturbation theory, which is equivalent to the Levich and Dogonadze theory, the calculation of adiabatic free energy surfaces, and propagation in time. We discuss the similarities and differences between these methods.     

Redox potentials of oxoiron(IV) porphyrin π-cation radical complexes: participation of electron transfer process in oxygenation reactions

The oxoiron(IV) porphyrin π-cation radical complex (compound I) has been identified as the key reactive intermediate of several heme enzymes and synthetic heme complexes. The redox properties of this reactive species are not yet well understood. Here, we report the results of a systematic study of the electrochemistry of oxoiron(IV) porphyrin π-cation radical complexes with various porphyrin structures and axial ligands in organic solvents at low temperatures. The cyclic voltammogram of (TMP)Fe(IV)O, (TMP = 5,10,15,20-tetramesitylporphyrinate), exhibits two quasi-reversible redox waves at E(1/2) = 0.88 and 1.18 V vs SCE in dichloromethane at -60 °C. Absorption spectral measurements for electrochemical oxidation at controlled potential clearly indicated that the first redox wave results from the (TMP)Fe(IV)O/[(TMP(+?))Fe(IV)O](+) couple. The redox potential for the (TMP)Fe(IV)O/[(TMP(+?))Fe(IV)O](+) couple undergoes a positive shift upon coordination of an anionic axial ligand but a negative shift upon coordination of a neutral axial ligand (imidazole). The negative shifts of the redox potential for the imidazole complexes are contrary to their high oxygenation activity. On the other hand, the electron-withdrawing effect of the meso-substituent shifts the redox potential in a positive direction. Comparison of the measured redox potentials and reaction rate constants for epoxidation of cyclooctene and demethylation of N,N-dimethylanilines enable us to discuss the details of the electron transfer process from substrates to the oxoiron(IV) porphyrin π-cation radical complex in the oxygenation mechanisms.     

Effect of beta-alkylthioethyl substitution in 1,3-dithianes: quasianchimeric assistance in photoinduced electron transfer?

Nanosecond laser flash photolysis (LFP) experiments show that the rates of ET quenching of triplet benzophenone by 2-alkyldithianes significantly decrease with bulkier substitution. Introduction of sulfur at the beta-position of the flexible alkyl chain reverses this trend, whereas such substitution at the alpha-position has negligible effect. This is rationalized in terms of the three electron two center bonds, favorable due to the formation of five-membered cyclic radical cations in the case of beta-substitution, which is supported by DFT computations.     

Paradigms and paradoxes: what are the 54 electron affinities of O2?

Only one electron affinity of oxygen, 43(1) kJ mol⁻¹ is generally cited since the molecular orbital theory anion bond order [3/4] gives an electron affinity, 14 kJ mol⁻¹. However, electron correlation rules predict 27 bonding and 27 antibonding spin orbital coupling states. The relative bond orders (RBOs), 12/13 to [1/4] and the 13 valence electrons of superoxide are used to calculate electron affinities 103 to −243 kJ mol⁻¹ consistent with experimental and theoretical values. These are used to construct 54 ionic Morse potentials.     

Operando ATR-FTIR analysis of liquid-phase catalytic reactions: can heterogeneous catalysts be observed?

The applicability of a React-IR™ system, containing a diamond attenuated total reflection (ATR) crystal, in heterogeneous liquid-phase catalytic reactions was evaluated by analysis of the catalytic esterification of 1-octanol and hexanoic acid over a Nafion/silica catalyst in an open reflux configuration at atmospheric pressure. The reaction was performed in either cumene (at 427 K) or n-decane (at 447 K). The concentration profiles of the esterification reaction, as determined by this real-time in situ IR spectroscopic technique, are in qualitative and quantitative agreement with those determined by conventional off-line GC analysis.Interestingly, besides the bands assigned to the ester, alcohol, and acid, an additional strong and broad absorption band was observed at around 1100 cm⁻¹ in the spectra during the esterification reaction in cumene (at 427 K). It was assessed by variation of the reaction mixture that this band is a result of the reaction of silica with octanol, yielding Si–O–R functionalities. The relevance of this reaction for the kinetics of the studied catalytic esterification, is discussed. More importantly, the contribution of solid particles and leached species to the 1100 cm⁻¹ band is evaluated. Strong indications exist that solid catalyst particles are contributing to the spectra, implying that on-line analysis of intermediate species adsorbed on heterogeneous catalysts is in specific cases possible using the React-IR™ technique.     

The two faces of chemistry: can they be reconciled?

Shortly before his death, Richard Bader commented in this Journal on the dichotomy that exists within chemistry and between chemists. We believe that the dichotomy results from different goals and objectives inherent in the chemical disciplines. At one extreme are designers who synthesize new molecules with interesting properties. For these chemists, the rationale underpinning molecular synthesis is far less important than the end product—the molecules themselves. At the other extreme are the chemists who seek a fundamental understanding of molecular properties. We suggest that the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules, by virtue of the rich hierarchical structure inherent in the theory, offers a bridge through which to unite these two groups. However, if there is to be reconciliation, it falls to the theorists to develop “quantum mechanically” correct tools and concepts useful to the synthetic and applied chemist.     

Coupling matrix element of electron self-exchange reactions in solution

On the basis of the common feature among the electron transfer process and the ion hydration process as well as the relevant experimental kinetic data of electron transfer reaction,a new accurate hydration potential function scheme for the determination of electron transfer coupling matrix element is presented.The coupling matrix element between two hydrated ions of the reacting system in solution is calculated.The results and the applicability of this scheme are discussed.     

X-ray quality geometries of geodesic polyarenes from theoretical calculations: what levels of theory are reliable?

[structure: see text] Computational methods for calculating molecular geometries have not been well calibrated heretofore against X-ray data for bowl-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The analysis presented here capitalizes on a rare opportunity provided by corannulene to account explicitly for molecular distortions from crystal packing forces. Within the error limits of an extensive X-ray data set, B3LYP/6-31G* calculations were found to correctly reproduce all of the experimental bond distances and bond angles. The reliability and shortcomings of geometry calculations at other levels of theory are enumerated.     

The role of vibronic interactions on intramolecular and intermolecular electron transfer in π-conjugated oligomers

The importance of electron-vibrational coupling for intermolecular and intramolecular electron-transfer processes is discussed on the basis of first-principles correlated quantum-mechanical calculations and of a dynamic vibronic approach. The methodology is illustrated for examples selected from some of our recent work. In all instances, the theoretical results are thoroughly compared to experimental data.     

Photoinduced electron transfer reactions in the 10-methylacridinium cation–benzyltrimethylsilane system: steady-state and flash photolysis studies

The mechanism of the photoinduced reaction of the lowest excited singlet state of the 10-methylacridinium (AcrMe⁺) cation with benzyltrimethylsilane (BTMSi) in acetonitrile has been investigated by means of steady-state and time-resolved methods. A variety of stable products was found after irradiation (365 nm) of the reaction mixture under aerobic and oxygen-free conditions. The stable products were identified and analyzed using UV–Vis spectrophotometry, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and mass spectrometry (MS). Based on Stern–Volmer plots of the AcrMe⁺ fluorescence quenching by BTMSi (using fluorescence intensity and lifetime measurements), the rate constants were determined to be k _q = 1.24 (± 0.02) × 10¹⁰ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ and k _q = 1.23 (± 0.02) × 10¹⁰ M⁻¹ s⁻¹, i.e., close to the diffusion-controlled limit in acetonitrile, indicating the dynamic quenching mechanism. The quenching process was shown to occur via an electron-transfer reaction leading to the formation of acridinyl radicals (AcrMe^•) and C₆H₅CH₂Si(CH₃)₃ ^•+ radical cations. Based on stationary and flash photolysis experiments, a detailed mechanism of the secondary reactions is proposed and discussed. The AcrMe^• radical was shown to decay by two processes. The fast decay, observed on the nanosecond timescale, was attributed to the back-electron transfer occurring within the initial radical ion pair. The slow decay on the microsecond timescale was explained by recombination reactions of radicals which escaped from the radical pair, including benzyl radicals formed via C–Si bond cleavage in the C₆H₅CH₂Si(CH₃)₃ ^•+ radical cation.     

Photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer of fluorescein and violgen, carbazole

A series of polyads consisting of covalently-(CH2)4-linked fluorescein with carbazole and violger.Live been synthesized and characterized The studies of absorption,emission spectra and fluorescence lifetime quenching indicated that the intramolecular fluorescence quenching of fluorescein by violgen is mainly a static process through the formation of non emission complex (fluorescence quenching efficiency φQ=0.97,lifetime quenching efficiency φH 0,quenching efficiency of formation of non-emission complex φC=0.97); while the quenching by carbazole is mainly a dynamic electron transfer process (φQ=0.63,φET=0.63,φC=0).In the violgen-fluorescein-carbazole triads,φQ=0.97,Q ET=0.65,φC=0.32,which suggests that the photoinduced interaction of fluorescein-carbazole pair and that of violgen-fluorescein pair are in a competitive process,the dynamic electron transfer from carbazole to fluorecein is dominant in the process The free energy change of the photoinduced electron transfer and the back reac-tiorns i     

The Jahn-Teller effect: a case of incomplete theory for d4 complexes?

We present relativistic calculations at the four-component Dirac-DFT level for the geometries of the series of group 9 monoanionic hexafluorides MF(6)(-), M = Co, Rh, Ir. Highly correlated four-component relativistic CCSD(T) energies were also calculated for the optimized geometries. Spin-orbit coupling effects influence the geometrical preferences for molecular structures: relativistic calculations predict ground states with octahedral symmetries O(h)* for all hexafluorides in this study, while at the nonrelativistic limit, a structural deviation toward D(4h) ground state symmetries is predicted. Our findings suggest that relativistic effects have an important role in molecular structure preferences for the title hexafluorides.     

Solvation in pure liquids: what can be learned from the use of pairs of indicators?

The solvation of six solvatochromic probes in a large number of solvents (33-68) was examined at 25 degrees C. The probes employed were the following: 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenylpyridinium-1-yl) phenolate (RB); 4-[(E)2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePM; 1-methylquinolinium-8-olate, QB; 2-bromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr, 2,6-dichloro-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl pyridinium-1-yl) phenolate (WB); and 2,6-dibromo-4-[(E)-2-(1-methylpyridinium-4-yl)ethenyl] phenolate, MePMBr(2), respectively. Of these, MePMBr is a novel compound. They can be grouped in three pairs, each with similar pK(a) in water but with different molecular properties, for example, lipophilicity and dipole moment. These pairs are formed by RB and MePM; QB and MePMBr; WB and MePMBr(2), respectively. Theoretical calculations were carried out in order to calculate their physicochemical properties including bond lengths, dihedral angles, dipole moments, and wavelength of absorption of the intramolecular charge-transfer band in four solvents, water, methanol, acetone, and DMSO, respectively. The data calculated were in excellent agreement with available experimental data, for example, bond length and dihedral angles. This gives credence to the use of the calculated properties in explaining the solvatochromic behaviors observed. The dependence of an empirical solvent polarity scale E(T)(probe) in kcal/mol on the physicochemical properties of the solvent (acidity, basicity, and dipolarity/polarizability) and those of the probes (pK(a), and dipole moment) was analyzed by using known multiparameter solvation equations. For each pair of probes, values of E(T)(probe) (for example, E(T)(MePM) versus E(T)(RB)) were found to be linearly correlated with correlation coefficients, r, between 0.9548 and 0.9860. For the mercyanine series, the values of E(T)(probe) also correlated linearly, with (r) of 0.9772 (MePMBr versus MePM) and 0.9919 (MePMBr(2) versus MePM). The response of each pair of probes (of similar pK(a)) to solvent acidity is the same, provided that solute-solvent hydrogen-bonding is not seriously affected by steric crowding (as in case of RB). We show, for the first time, that the response to solvent dipolarity/polarizability is linearly correlated to the dipole moment of the probes. The successive introduction of bromine atoms in MePM (to give MePMBr, then MePMBr(2)) leads to the following linear decrease: pK(a) in water, length of the phenolate oxygen-carbon bond, length of the central ethylenic bond, susceptibility to solvent acidity, and susceptibility to solvent dipolarity/polarizability. Thus studying the solvation of probes whose molecular structures are varied systematically produces a wealth of information on the effect of solute structure on its solvation. The results of solvation of the present probes were employed in order to test the goodness of fit of two independent sets of solvent solvatochromic parameters.     

Density functional theory studies of electron interaction with DNA: can zero eV electrons induce strand breaks?

The discovery of DNA strand breaks induced by low energy secondary electrons sparks a necessity to elucidate the mechanism. Through theoretical studies based on a sugar-phosphate-sugar model that mimics a backbone section of the DNA strand, it is found that bond cleavages at 3' or 5'C-O sites after addition of an electron are possible with a ca. 10 kcal/mol activation barrier. Moreover, the potential energy surfaces show that dissociation at both sites is highly favorable thermodynamically. Although the phosphate group in DNA is not a favored site for electron attachment because of competitive electron transfer to the bases, any electrons which attach to phosphates on first encounter may induce strand breaks even when the electron energy is near zero eV. These findings have profound implication as low energy secondary electrons are abundantly generated in all types of ionization radiation.     

Carbon transfer reactions of Δ2-oxazolinium and thiazolinium cations

Δ²-Oxazolinium and thiazolinium cations with or without an appendage at any of the heteroatoms transfer their C(2) units at the carboxylic acid oxidation level to binucleophiles and provide the corresponding heterocycles, thus mimicking carbon transfer reactions exhibited by THF models, N-methyl N'-tosyl/acetyl imidazolinium cations. However, these azolinium cations react with phen ethyl amine and tryptamine to furnish their N-acyl derivatives.     

The electron transfer reaction of [RuIII(edta)(pyz)]− with sulfite in aqueous solution

The reduction of [Ru^III(edta)(pyz)]^– (edta=ethylenediaminetetraacetate, pyz=pyrazine) with sulfite has been investigated spectrophotometrically in aqueous solution and found to be first order in both the complex and sulfite. The values of the observed rate constant depend on the pH, since it controls the spaciation of oxoanions of sulfur(IV). The effect of alkali cations (K⁺, Na⁺ and Li⁺) is attributed to triple-ion formation through an alkali cation bridging between two negatively charged reactants and facilitating the electron-transfer process. Kinetic data and activation parameters are interpreted in terms of an outer-sphere electron transfer mechanism. The reaction has also been analysed using the Marcus cross-section relationship for outer-sphere electron transfer reactions.