Cobalt Complexes with Pyrazole Ligands as Catalyst Precursors for the Peroxidative Oxidation of Cyclohexane: X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy Studies and Biological Applications

[CoCl(μ‐Cl)(Hpz^Ph)₃]₂ ( 1 ) and [CoCl₂(Hpz^Ph)₄] ( 2 ) were obtained by reaction of CoCl₂ with HC(pz^Ph)₃ and Hpz^Ph, respectively (Hpz^Ph=3‐phenylpyrazole). The compounds were isolated as air‐stable solids and fully characterized by IR and far‐IR spectroscopy, MS(ESI+/?), elemental analysis, cyclic voltammetry (CV), controlled potential electrolysis, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Electrochemical studies showed that 1 and 2 undergo single‐electron irreversible Co^II→Co^III oxidations and Co^II→Co^I reductions at potentials measured by CV, which also allowed, in the case of dinuclear complex 1 , the detection of electronic communication between the Co centers through the chloride bridging ligands. The electrochemical behavior of models of 1 and 2 were also investigated by density functional theory (DFT) methods, which indicated that the vertical oxidation of 1 and 2 (that before structural relaxation) affects mostly the chloride and pyrazolyl ligands, whereas adiabatic oxidation (that after the geometry relaxation) and reduction are mostly metal centered. Compounds 1 and 2 and, for comparative purposes, other related scorpionate and pyrazole cobalt complexes, exhibit catalytic activity for the peroxidative oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone under mild conditions (room temperature, aqueous H₂O₂). In situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy studies indicated that the species derived from complexes 1 and 2 during the oxidation of cyclohexane (i.e., Ox‐ 1 and Ox‐ 2 , respectively) are analogous and contain a Co^III site. Complex 2 showed low in vitro cytotoxicity toward the HCT116 colorectal carcinoma and MCF7 breast adenocarcinoma cell lines.     

以X光吸收光谱分析能源材料行为特性(英文)

本文介绍利用X光吸收光谱技术分析能源材料,并以此分析技术,了解材料中目标吸收元素之价数、d轨域电子密度与局部环境变化,深究能源材料之材料物化特性,以藉此解释其电化学特性,甚至做进一步之性能提升.文中,分别以燃料电池电极之电化学纳米触媒与锂电池电极材料为例,说明X光吸收光谱技术之分析能力,并与材料之电化学特性建立关联.     

In Situ Solid‐State Reactions Monitored by X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy: Temperature‐Induced Proton Transfer Leads to Chemical Shifts

The dramatic colour and phase alteration with the solid‐state, temperature‐dependent reaction between squaric acid and 4,4′‐bipyridine has been probed in situ with X‐ray absorption spectroscopy. The electronic and chemical sensitivity to the local atomic environment through chemical shifts in the near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) revealed proton transfer from the acid to the bipyridine base through the change in nitrogen protonation state in the high‐temperature form. Direct detection of proton transfer coupled with structural analysis elucidates the nature of the solid‐state process, with intermolecular proton transfer occurring along an acid‐base chain followed by a domino effect to the subsequent acid‐base chains, leading to the rapid migration along the length of the crystal. NEXAFS thereby conveys the ability to monitor the nature of solid‐state chemical reactions in situ, without the need for a priori information or long‐range order.     

Advances in Synchrotron Radiation‐based X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy to Characterize the Fine Atomic Structure of Single‐atom Nanozymes

Single‐atom nanozymes (SAzymes) with high atomic utilization, excellent catalytic activities, and selectivity have recently attracted significant interest. Usually, they contain only isolated metal atoms embedded in host matrices. However, traditional measuring instruments are extremely difficult to obtain their useful structural information due to ultra‐low metal loading, amorphous structure, coordination with light‐weight surface atoms and/or co‐existing of other metal elements. Synchrotron radiation‐based X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) has demonstrated its usefulness for this type of catalyst. In this mini‐review, we have summarized the recent progress using XAFS to characterize the fine atomic structure of these nanozymes. The synthetic strategies of SAzymes, the principle of XAFS, delicate structural information by XAFS, and the applications of SAzymes have been presented. Furthermore, the outlook and challenges in this active research field have also been discussed. We expect that the help of XAFS can offer a wealth of opportunities to design and develop more efficient SAzymes and apply them to various fields.     

Hot Branching Dynamics in a Light‐Harvesting Iron Carbene Complex Revealed by Ultrafast X‐ray Emission Spectroscopy

Iron N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes have received a great deal of attention recently because of their growing potential as light sensitizers or photocatalysts. We present a sub‐ps X‐ray spectroscopy study of an Fe^IINHC complex that identifies and quantifies the states involved in the deactivation cascade after light absorption. Excited molecules relax back to the ground state along two pathways: After population of a hot ³MLCT state, from the initially excited ¹MLCT state, 30 % of the molecules undergo ultrafast (150 fs) relaxation to the ³MC state, in competition with vibrational relaxation and cooling to the relaxed ³MLCT state. The relaxed ³MLCT state then decays much more slowly (7.6 ps) to the ³MC state. The ³MC state is rapidly (2.2 ps) deactivated to the ground state. The ⁵MC state is not involved in the deactivation pathway. The ultrafast partial deactivation of the ³MLCT state constitutes a loss channel from the point of view of photochemical efficiency and highlights the necessity to screen transition‐metal complexes for similar ultrafast decays to optimize photochemical performance.     

β‐Carotene Revisited by Transient Absorption and Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy

β‐Carotene in n‐hexane was examined by femtosecond transient absorption and stimulated Raman spectroscopy. Electronic change is separated from vibrational relaxation with the help of band integrals. Overlaid on the decay of S₁ excited‐state absorption, a picosecond process is found that is absent when the C₉‐methyl group is replaced by ethyl or isopropyl. It is attributed to reorganization on the S₁ potential energy surface, involving dihedral angles between C₆ and C₉. In Raman studies, electronic states S₂ or S₁ were selected through resonance conditions. We observe a broad vibrational band at 1770 cm^?1 in S₂ already. With 200 fs it decays and transforms into the well‐known S₁ Raman line for an asymmetric C=C stretching mode. Low‐frequency activity (<800 cm^?1) in S₂ and S₁ is also seen. A dependence of solvent lines on solute dynamics implies intermolecular coupling between β‐carotene and nearby n‐hexane molecules.     

Microsecond X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy Identification of CoI Intermediates in Cobaloxime‐Catalyzed Hydrogen Evolution

Rational development of efficient photocatalytic systems for hydrogen production requires understanding the catalytic mechanism and detailed information about the structure of intermediates in the catalytic cycle. We demonstrate how time‐resolved X‐ray absorption spectroscopy in the microsecond time range can be used to identify such intermediates and to determine their local geometric structure. This method was used to obtain the solution structure of the Co^I intermediate of cobaloxime, which is a non‐noble metal catalyst for solar hydrogen production from water. Distances between cobalt and the nearest ligands including two solvent molecules and displacement of the cobalt atom out of plane formed by the planar ligands have been determined. Combining in situ X‐ray absorption and UV/Vis data, we demonstrate how slight modification of the catalyst structure can lead to the formation of a catalytically inactive Co^I state under similar conditions. Possible deactivation mechanisms are discussed.     

Molecular Porous Photosystems Tailored for Long‐Term Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction

The molecular‐level structuration of two full photosystems into conjugated porous organic polymers is reported. The strategy of heterogenization gives rise to photosystems which are still fully active after 4 days of continuous illumination. Those materials catalyze the carbon dioxide photoreduction driven by visible light to produce up to three grams of formate per gram of catalyst. The covalent tethering of the two active sites into a single framework is shown to play a key role in the visible light activation of the catalyst. The unprecedented long‐term efficiency arises from an optimal photoinduced electron transfer from the light harvesting moiety to the catalytic site as anticipated by quantum mechanical calculations and evidenced by in situ ultrafast time‐resolved spectroscopy.     

Fast Gas–Solid Reaction Kinetics of Nanoparticles Unveiled by Millisecond In Situ Electron Diffraction at Ambient Pressure

Acquiring the kinetics of gas–nanoparticle fast reactions under ambient pressure is a challenge owing to the lack of appropriate in situ techniques. Now an approach has been developed that integrates time‐resolved in situ electron diffraction and an atmospheric gas cell system in transmission electron microscopy, allowing quantitative structural information to be obtained under ambient pressure with millisecond time resolution. The ultrafast oxidation kinetics of Ni nanoparticles in oxygen was vividly obtained. In contrast to the well‐accepted Wagner and Mott–Cabrera models (diffusion‐dominated), the oxidation of Ni nanoparticles is linear at the initial stage (<0.5 s), and follows the Avrami–Erofeev model (n=1.12) at the following stage, which indicates the oxidation of Ni nanoparticles is a nucleation and growth dominated process. This study gives new insights into Ni oxidation and paves the way to study the fast reaction kinetics of nanoparticles using ultrafast in situ techniques.     

Mapping of the Photoinduced Electron Traps in TiO2 by Picosecond X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is the most popular material for applications in solar‐energy conversion and photocatalysis, both of which rely on the creation, transport, and trapping of charges (holes and electrons). The nature and lifetime of electron traps at room temperature have so far not been elucidated. Herein, we use picosecond X‐ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ti K‐edge and the Ru L₃‐edge to address this issue for photoexcited bare and N719‐dye‐sensitized anatase and amorphous TiO₂ nanoparticles. Our results show that 100 ps after photoexcitation, the electrons are trapped deep in the defect‐rich surface shell in the case of anatase TiO₂, whereas they are inside the bulk in the case of amorphous TiO₂. In the case of dye‐sensitized anatase or amorphous TiO₂, the electrons are trapped at the outer surface. Only two traps were identified in all cases, with lifetimes in the range of nanoseconds to tens of nanoseconds.     

The Molecular Pathway to ZIF‐7 Microrods Revealed by In Situ Time‐Resolved Small‐ and Wide‐Angle X‐Ray Scattering,Quick‐Scanning Extended X‐Ray Absorption Spectroscopy,and DFT Calculations

We present an in situ small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) and quick‐scanning extended X‐ray absorption fine‐structure (QEXAFS) spectroscopy study on the crystallization of the metal–organic framework ZIF‐7. In combination with DFT calculations, the self‐assembly and growth of ZIF‐7 microrods together with the chemical function of the crystal growth modulator (diethylamine) are revealed at all relevant length scales, from the atomic to the full crystal size.     

Adsorbate‐Induced Surface Segregation for Core–Shell Nanocatalysts

Coming to the surface : The surface composition of carbon‐supported Pt₃Co catalyst particles changes upon a CO‐annealing treatment. Platinum atoms segregate to the particle surface so that nanoparticles with a platinum shell surrounding an alloy core are formed. This modified catalyst has a superior activity in the oxygen reduction reaction compared to both a plain platinum catalyst and the untreated alloy particles.

     

Revealing the Nano‐Level Molecular Packing in Chitosan–NiO Nanocomposite by Using Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy and Small‐Angle X‐ray Scattering

Chitosan–NiO nanocomposite (CNC) is shown to be a potential dielectric material with promising properties. CNCs containing NiO nanoparticles (0.2, 0.6, 1, 2, 5 wt %) are prepared through chemical methods. The inclusion of NiO nanoparticles in the chitosan matrix is confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray diffraction. The morphology of the NiO nanoparticles and the nanocomposites is investigated by transmission electron microscopy and SEM, respectively. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and the coincidence Doppler broadening (CDB) technique are used to quantify the free volume and molecular packing in the nanocomposites. The triplet‐state positronium lifetime and the corresponding intensity show the changes in nanohole size, density, and size distribution as a function of NiO loading. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering indicates that the NiO aggregates are identical in all the CNCs. The momentum density distribution obtained from CDB measurements excludes the possibility of a contribution of vacant spaces (pores) available in NiO aggregates to the free volume of nanocomposites upon determination by using PALS. The results show systematic variation in free‐volume properties and nano‐level molecular packing as a function of NiO loading, which is presumed to play a vital role in determining the various properties of the nanocomposites.     

Ultrafast Time‐Resolved Transient Structures of Solids and Liquids by Means of Extended X‐ray Absorption Fine Structure

Detection of ultrafast transient structures and the evolution of ultrafast structural intermediates during the course of reactions has been a long standing goal of chemists and biologists. This article will be restricted to nanosecond, picosecond and shorter time‐resolved extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) studies, its aim being to present the progress and problems encounter in measurements and understanding the structure of transients. The recent advances in source technology has stimulated a wide variety of novel experiments using both synchrotrons and smaller laboratory size systems. With more efficient X‐ray lenses and detectors many of the previously difficult experiments to perform, because of the exposure time required and weak signals, will now be easily performed. The experimental system for the detection of ultrafast time‐resolved EXAFS spectra of molecules in liquids is described and the method for the analysis of EXAFS spectra to yield transient structures is given. We believe that utilizing our table‐top ultrafast X‐ray source and the polycapillary optics in conjunction with dispersive spectrometer and charge coupled devices (CCD) we will be able to determine the structure of many reaction intermediates and excited states of chemical and biological molecules in solid and liquid state.