Capturing photochemical and photophysical transformations in iron complexes with ultrafast X-ray spectroscopy and scattering

Light-driven chemical transformations provide a compelling approach to understanding chemical reactivity with the potential to use this understanding to advance solar energy and catalysis applications. Capturing the non-equilibrium trajectories of electronic excited states with precision, particularly for transition metal complexes, would provide a foundation for advancing both of these objectives. Of particular importance for 3d metal compounds is characterizing the population dynamics of charge-transfer (CT) and metal-centered (MC) electronic excited states and understanding how the inner coordination sphere structural dynamics mediate the interaction between these states. Recent advances in ultrafast X-ray laser science has enabled the electronic excited state dynamics in 3d metal complexes to be followed with unprecedented detail. This review will focus on simultaneous X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and X-ray solution scattering (XSS) studies of iron coordination and organometallic complexes. These simultaneous XES-XSS studies have provided detailed insight into the mechanism of light-induced spin crossover in iron coordination compounds, the interaction of CT and MC excited states in iron carbene photosensitizers, and the mechanism of Fe–S bond dissociation in cytochrome c.

Ultrafast X-ray scattering and spectroscopy captures photophysical and photochemical transformations of 3d transition metal complexes with atomistic detail.     

基于四齿配体的蓝光d8金属配合物及其OLED应用的研究进展

用于有机发光二极管(OLED)的红光和绿光磷光金属配合物材料在稳定性和发光效率方面均已达到了目前产业化应用的要求,而蓝光磷光配合物则在稳定性方面无法达到应用条件。高能量的激发态以及d-d态引起的配合物分解是造成蓝光磷光OLED器件稳定性差的原因之一。采用四齿配体开发d~8金属配合物是同时提升配合物发光效率和稳定性的途径之一,有望在蓝光磷光材料和器件应用方面取得突破。本文总结了基于四齿配体的蓝光铂(Ⅱ)和钯(Ⅱ)配合物的研究进展,通过探讨配体结构对配合物光物理性质和稳定性的影响,为继续开发具有应用前景的蓝光金属配合物材料提供了指导性方向。     

Nickel(II) Analogues of Phosphorescent Platinum(II) Complexes with Picosecond Excited-State Decay

Square-planar Ni^II complexes are interesting as cheaper and more sustainable alternatives to Pt^II luminophores widely used in lighting and photocatalysis. We investigated the excited-state behavior of two Ni^II complexes, which are isostructural with two luminescent Pt^II complexes. The initially excited singlet metal-to-ligand charge transfer (¹MLCT) excited states in the Ni^II complexes decay to metal-centered (³MC) excited states within less than 1 picosecond, followed by non-radiative relaxation of the ³MC states to the electronic ground state within 9–21 ps. This contrasts with the population of an emissive triplet ligand-centered (³LC) excited state upon excitation of the Pt^II analogues. Structural distortions of the Ni^II complexes are responsible for this discrepant behavior and lead to dark ³MC states far lower in energy than the luminescent ³LC states of Pt^II compounds. Our findings suggest that if these structural distortions could be restricted by more rigid coordination environments and stronger ligand fields, the excited-state relaxation in four-coordinate Ni^II complexes could be decelerated such that luminescent ³LC or ³MLCT excited states become accessible. These insights are relevant to make Ni^II fit for photophysical and photochemical applications that relied on Pt^II until now.     

Computational Assessment of MLCT versus MC Stabilities in First-to-Third-Row d6 Pseudo-Octahedral Transition Metal Complexes

An accurate modeling of metal-to-ligand-charge-transfer (MLCT) and metal-centered (MC) excited state energies is key to predict the photoinduced response in transition metal complexes (TMCs). Herein, the importance of the ground state and excited state reference geometries is addressed for three-prototype d⁶ pseudo-octahedral TMCs, each displaying a different potential energy landscape of MLCT versus MC relative stabilities. Several functionals are used within the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT), as well as multireference wave-function theory (MS-CASPT2), applied to [Mn(im)(CO)₃(phen)]⁺, [Ru(im)₂(bpy)₂]²⁺, and [Re(im)(CO)₃(phen)]⁺, (im: imidazole, bpy: bypiridine, phen: phenantroline). The results revel that TDDFT is robust except when using B3LYP functional for first-row d⁶ TMCs. In contrast, MS-CASPT2 calculations are strongly biased in those cases with competitive MLCT/MC states. The results reinforce the reliability of B3LYP to describe the excited states in d⁶ TMCs, but question the validity of assessing the density functional theory (DFT)/TDDFT performance via direct comparison with MS-CASPT2 performed at the same DFT reference geometry as a standard strategy. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Molecular orbital calculations on transition metal complexes. Part IX

Potential energy curves for the ground and some low energy excited states of a number of complexes with a 3d ⁵ electronic configuration have been computed from INDO type SCF MO calculations. The results agree extremely well with the known ground states of the complex ions MnF ₆ ^4? , FeF ₆ ^3? , CoF ₆ ^2? , and Fe(CN) ₆ ^3? , in particular the crossover from high to low spin being obtained for changes in both central metal ion oxidation state and ligand. The calculated contraction in metal ligand distance on passing from the high spin to the low spin state is ～ 0.05 Å for each complex in very good agreement with the value indicated by pressure dependent magnetic measurements. Computed electronic transition energies involving bothd-d type and charge-transfer excitations compare favourably with observed spectroscopic values.     

Thermal relaxation in excited electronic states of d and d metal complexes

Photophysical kinetic results have played an important role in assessing excited state relaxation pathways in transition metal complexes. The applicability of a kinetic analysis is critically dependent on the quality of the individual decay rates, the temperature range examined, and the model used to extract the activation parameters. The extensive literature describing the temperature dependence of excited state depopulation in d³ and d⁶ complexes permits an evaluation of both the power and limitations of kinetic arguments in assessing the mechanism of excited state relaxation.     

Electronic states of π complexes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis><Superscript>0</Superscript> early transition metals and energy transfer to unsaturated hydrocarbons

The orbital nature of excited states of organometallic π-complexes of early transition metals of the third-fifth periods with the d ⁰ electronic configuration was surveyed, and their photophysical characteristics were discussed. Examples of long-lived luminescence generated by ligand-to-metal charge transfer in liquid solutions at room temperature were thoroughly considered. Regularities of nonradiative triplet-triplet energy transfer from aromatic molecules and d ⁰ metallocene complexes of Group 4B transition metals to unsaturated hydrocarbons were examined.     

Unveiling Photodeactivation Pathways for a New Iridium(III) Cyclometalated Complex

We report the synthesis and characterization of a neutral heteroleptic Ir^III complex bearing 6‐fluoro‐2‐phenylbenzo[d]thiazole as cyclometalating ligand and (Z)‐6‐(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)‐5‐hydroxy‐2,2‐dimethylhex‐4‐en‐3‐one as ancillary ligand. The photodeactivation mechanisms have been elucidated through extensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The active role of metal‐centered (³MC) triplet excited states in the nonradiative deactivation pathways is, for first time, confirmed in such complexes.     

Splitting of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis></Superscript> atomic states in icosahedral 3<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis> metal endofullerenes M@C<Subscript>60</Subscript>

Group-theoretical and quantum-chemical investigations of the spectrum of low-lying excited states have been performed by the ROHF and FCI-RAS (Full CI in Restricted Active Space) methods for 3d metal endofullerenes (MEFs) M@C₆₀ (M =Mn, Cr, and Fe) in different charged states. The major purpose of this study is quantum-chemical verification of the anomalous (“non-Bethe’s”) character of splitting of the d ^N atomic states in an electrostatic field with icosahedral symmetry, predicted previously within the theory of integral invariants theory. The interrelation between the integral invariants theory and the quantumchemical methods applied in this work is considered in detail. Our calculations suggest that the d ^N atomic states in the icosahedral field generated by fullerene C60 (I _h ) on a metal atom (ion) remain non-split for different charged states of the metal and C₆₀. Reasons for this phenomenon and other possible approaches to verification of the prediction are discussed. It is demonstrated that the d ^N states of the encapsulated metal are split in icosahedral 3d MEFs only under very strong compression of these structures.     

The Nephelauxetic Effect Becomes an Important Design Factor for Photoactive First-Row Transition Metal Complexes

The expansion of d-orbitals as a result of metal-ligand bond covalence, the so-called nephelauxetic effect, is a well-established concept of coordination chemistry, yet its importance for the design of new photoactive complexes based on first-row transition metals is only beginning to be recognized. Until recently, much focus has been on optimizing the ligand field strength, coordination geometries, and molecular rigidity, but now it becomes evident that the nephelauxetic effect can be a game changer regarding the photophysical properties of 3d metal complexes in solution at room temperature. In Cr^III and Mn^IV complexes with the d³ valence electron configuration, the nephelauxetic effect was exploited to shift the well-known ruby-like red luminescence to the near-infrared spectral region. In Fe^II and Co^III complexes with the low-spin d⁶ electron configuration, charge-transfer excited states were stabilized with respect to detrimental metal-centered excited states, to improve their properties and to enhance their application potential. In isoelectronic (3d⁶) isocyanide complexes of Cr⁰ and Mn^I, the nephelauxetic effect is likely at play as well, enabling luminescence and other favorable photoreactivity. This minireview illustrates the broad applicability of the nephelauxetic effect in tailoring the photophysical and photochemical properties of new coordination compounds made from abundant first-row transition metals.     

Ultrafast and long-time excited state kinetics of an NIR-emissive vanadium(iii) complex I: synthesis,spectroscopy and static quantum chemistry

In spite of intense, recent research efforts, luminescent transition metal complexes with Earth-abundant metals are still very rare owing to the small ligand field splitting of 3d transition metal complexes and the resulting non-emissive low-energy metal-centered states. Low-energy excited states decay efficiently non-radiatively, so that near-infrared emissive transition metal complexes with 3d transition metals are even more challenging. We report that the heteroleptic pseudo-octahedral d²-vanadium(iii) complex VCl₃(ddpd) (ddpd = N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-dipyridine-2-yl-pyridine-2,6-diamine) shows near-infrared singlet → triplet spin–flip phosphorescence maxima at 1102, 1219 and 1256 nm with a lifetime of 0.5 μs at room temperature. Band splitting, ligand deuteration, excitation energy and temperature effects on the excited state dynamics will be discussed on slow and fast timescales using Raman, static and time-resolved photoluminescence, step-scan FTIR and fs-UV pump-vis probe spectroscopy as well as photolysis experiments in combination with static quantum chemical calculations. These results inform future design strategies for molecular materials of Earth-abundant metal ions exhibiting spin–flip luminescence and photoinduced metal–ligand bond homolysis.

Vanadium is an abundant and cheap metal but near-infrared luminescent vanadium complexes are extremely rare with largely unexplored photophysics and photochemistry. We delineate the photodynamics of VCl₃(ddpd) to infer novel design strategies.     

Chromium(0), Molybdenum(0), and Tungsten(0) Isocyanide Complexes as Luminophores and Photosensitizers with Long-Lived Excited States

Arylisocyanide complexes based on earth-abundant Group 6 d⁶ metals are interesting alternatives to photoactive complexes made from precious metals such as Ru^II, Re^I, Os^II, or Ir^III. Some of these complexes have long-lived ³MLCT excited states that exhibit luminescence with good quantum yields as well as nano- to microsecond lifetimes, and they are very strongly reducing. Recent studies have demonstrated that Cr⁰, Mo⁰, and W⁰ arylisocyanide complexes have great potential for applications in luminescent devices, photoredox catalysis, and dye-sensitized solar cells.     

Emission band shape probes of the mixed-valence excited state properties of polypyridyl-bridged bis-ruthenium(II) complexes

The absorption spectra and emission spectral band shapes of several polypyridine-ligand (PP) bridged bis-ruthenium(II) complexes imply that the Ru(II)/Ru(III) electronic coupling is weak in their lowest energy metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited states. Many of these PP-bridging ligands contain pyrazine moieties and the weak electronic coupling of the excited states contrasts to the strong electronic coupling inferred for the correlated mixed-valence ground states. Although the bimetallic complexes emit at significantly lower energy than their monometallic analogs, the vibronic contributions to their 77 K emission spectra are much stronger than expected based on comparison to the monometallic analogs (around twofold in some complexes) and this feature is characteristic of bimetallic complexes in which the mixed-valence excited states are electronically localized. The weaker excited state than ground state donor/acceptor electronic coupling in this class of complexes is attributed to PP-mediated super-exchange coupling in which the mediating orbital of the bridging ligand (PP-LUMO) is partly occupied in the MLCT excited states, but is unoccupied in the ground states; therefore, the vertical Ru(III)-PP⁻ (MLCT) energy is larger and the mixing coefficient smaller in these excited states than is found for Ru(II)-PP in the corresponding ground states.     

Light Harvesting and Directional Energy Transfer in Long‐Lived Homo‐ and Heterotrimetallic Complexes of FeII,RuII, and OsII

A new family of trimetallic complexes of the form [(bpy)₂M(phen‐Hbzim‐tpy)M′(tpy‐Hbzim‐phen)M(bpy)₂]⁶⁺ (M=Ru^II, Os; M′=Fe^II, Ru^II, Os; bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine) derived from heteroditopic phenanthroline–terpyridine bridge 2‐{4‐[2,6‐di(pyridin‐2‐yl) pyridine‐4‐yl]phenyl}‐1H‐imidazole[4,5‐f][1,10]phenanthroline (phen‐Hbzim‐tpy) were prepared and fully characterized. Zn²⁺ was used to prepare mixed‐metal trimetallic complexes in situ by coordinating with the free tpy site of the monometallic precursors. The complexes show intense absorptions throughout the UV/Vis region and also exhibit luminescence at room temperature. The redox behavior of the compounds is characterized by several metal‐centered reversible oxidation and ligand‐centered reduction processes. Steady‐state and time‐resolved luminescence data show that the potentially luminescent Ru^II‐ and Os^II‐based triplet metal‐to‐ligand charge‐transfer (³MLCT) excited states in the triads are quantitatively quenched, most likely by intercomponent energy transfer to the lower lying ³MLCT (for Ru and Os) or triplet metal‐centered (³MC) excited states of the Fe^II subunit (nonluminescent). Interestingly, iron did not adversely affect the photophysics of the respective systems. This suggests that the multicomponent molecular‐wire‐like complexes investigated here can behave as efficient light‐harvesting antennas, because all the light absorbed by the various subunits is efficiently channeled to the subunit(s) in which the lowest‐energy excited states are located.     

Crystalline field effect on ESR parameters

The ground state wavefunction of the V⁴⁺ ion in different single crystals has been estimated using different spinhamiltonian constants obtained from ESR studies. The ground state wavefunction is the d_xy type with a slight admixture of the excited states d_x²–_y², d_xz and d_yz. The hyperfine interaction parameter has also been determined and the nature of the chemical binding in complexes has been explained on the basis of this parameter.     

Photoisomerization Mechanism of Ruthenium Sulfoxide Complexes: Role of the Metal‐Centered Excited State in the Bond Rupture and Bond Construction Processes

Phototriggered intramolecular isomerization in a series of ruthenium sulfoxide complexes, [Ru(L)(tpy)(DMSO)]ⁿ⁺ (where tpy=2,2’:6’,2’’‐terpyridine; DMSO=dimethyl sulfoxide; L=2,2’‐bipyridine (bpy), n=2; N,N,N’,N’‐tetramethylethylenediamine (tmen) n=2; picolinate (pic), n=1; acetylacetonate (acac), n=1; oxalate (ox), n=0; malonate (mal), n=0), was investigated theoretically. It is observed that the metal‐centered ligand field (³MC) state plays an important role in the excited state S→O isomerization of the coordinated DMSO ligand. If the population of ³MC_S state is thermally accessible and no ³MC_O can be populated from this state, photoisomerization will be turned off because the ³MC_S excited state is expected to lead to fast radiationless decay back to the original ¹GS_S ground state or photodecomposition along the Ru²⁺?S stretching coordinate. On the contrary, if the population of ³MC_S (or ³MC_O) state is inaccessible, photoinduced S→O isomerization can proceed adiabatically on the potential energy surface of the metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer excited states (³MLCT_S→³MLCT_O). It is hoped that these results can provide valuable information for the excited state isomerization in photochromic d⁶ transition‐metal complexes, which is both experimentally and intellectually challenging as a field of study.     

Relativistic all electron configuration interaction calculation of ground and excited states of the gold hydride molecule

We present relativistic configuration interaction calculations with the spin-free no-pair hamiltonian on the gold hydride molecule, treating the ground state as well as the eleven lowest excited states. The calculations provide a picture of the bonding in theX ¹Σ⁺ ground state consistent with previous work on this species using four-component spinors: compared to non-relativistic calculations, the dipole moment is reduced by a factor of two, hybridization (and thus participation ofd orbitals at the bonding) is greatly enhanced, the bond length is shortened by 20 pm, and the dissociation energy is increased by 50%. Comparison of the spin-averaged potential curves of the excited states with experiment suggests a reinterpretation of theC ¹Σ⁺ as the 0⁺ fine structure component of 2³Π and the prediction of a weakly bound³Σ⁺ state with weak transitions to the ground state in the range of 2.9–3.1 eV.     

Charge-Transfer and Spin-Flip States: Thriving as Complements

Transition metal complexes with photoactive charge-transfer excited states are pervasive throughout the literature. In particular, [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ (bpy=2,2′-bipyridine), with its metal-to-ligand charge-transfer emission, has been established as a key complex. Meanwhile, interest in so-called spin-flip metal-centered states has risen dramatically after the molecular ruby [Cr(ddpd)₂]³⁺ (ddpd=N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-dipyridin-2-yl-pyridine-2,6-diamine) led to design principles to access strong, long-lived emission from photostable chromium(III) complexes. This Review contrasts the properties of emissive charge-transfer and spin-flip states by using [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ and [Cr(ddpd)₂]³⁺ as prototypical examples. We discuss the relevant excited states, the tunability of their energy and lifetimes, and their response to external stimuli. Finally, we identify strengths and weaknesses of charge-transfer and spin-flip states in applications such as photocatalysis and circularly polarized luminescence.     

Comparative study on the photophysical properties between carbene-based Fe (II) and Ru (II) complexes

The comparative study on the photophysical properties between cheap metal Fe (II) complexes and noble metal Ru (II) complexes with identical ligand coordination is performed by the combination of density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) to evaluate the potential alternative applications of Fe (II) complexes. RuBIP (BIP = 2,6-bis (imidazol-2- ylidene)pyridine) is theoretically established that the radiative lifetime of the second lowest triplet state is more consistence with experimental value. However, FeBIP retains nonluminous because of low-lying ³MC originated from weak d orbital splitting. FeBIPC (FeBIP with carboxylic acid groups) has twice longer lifetime than its parent complex FeBIP due to the great decrease of the energy gap between ³MLCT and ³MC. What's more, the lifetimes of Fe (II) complexes detected in the experiments are more accessible to nonradiative decay lifetimes of ³MC. The carboxylic acid groups are beneficial for the improvement of luminescent possibility and controllability of Fe (II) complexes, while there is still a huge challenge for effective material replacement comparing with Ru (II) complexes.