Interplay and Competition Between Two Different Types of Redox-Active Ligands in Cobalt Complexes: How to Allocate the Electrons?

The field of molecular transition metal complexes with redox-active ligands is dominated by compounds with one or two units of the same redox-active ligand; complexes in which different redox-active ligands are bound to the same metal are uncommon. This work reports the first molecular coordination compounds in which redox-active bisguanidine or urea azine (biguanidine) ligands as well as oxolene ligands are bound to the same cobalt atom. The combination of two different redox-active ligands leads to mono- as well as unprecedented dinuclear cobalt complexes, being multiple (four or six) center redox systems with intriguing electronic structures, all exhibiting radical ligands. By changing the redox potential of the ligands through derivatisation, the electronic structure of the complexes could be altered in a rational way.     

Lanthanoid Complexes as Molecular Materials: The Redox Approach

The development of molecular materials with novel functionality offers promise for technological innovation. Switchable molecules that incorporate redox-active components are enticing candidate compounds due to their potential for electronic manipulation. Lanthanoid metals are most prevalent in their trivalent state and usually redox-activity in lanthanoid complexes is restricted to the ligand. The unique electronic and physical properties of lanthanoid ions have been exploited for various applications, including in magnetic and luminescent materials as well as in catalysis. Lanthanoid complexes are also promising for applications reliant on switchability, where the physical properties can be modulated by varying the oxidation state of a coordinated ligand. Lanthanoid-based redox activity is also possible, encompassing both divalent and tetravalent metal oxidation states. Thus, utilization of redox-active lanthanoid metals offers an attractive opportunity to further expand the capabilities of molecular materials. This review surveys both ligand and lanthanoid centered redox-activity in pre-existing molecular systems, including tuning of lanthanoid magnetic and photophysical properties by modulating the redox states of coordinated ligands. Ultimately the combination of redox-activity at both ligands and metal centers in the same molecule can afford novel electronic structures and physical properties, including multiconfigurational electronic states and valence tautomerism. Further targeted exploration of these features is clearly warranted, both to enhance understanding of the underlying fundamental chemistry, and for the generation of a potentially important new class of molecular material.     

Quantum chemical interpretation of redox properties of ruthenium complexes with vinyl and TCNX type non-innocent ligands

This review provides an overview of density functional theory (DFT) calculations in a consequence with spectroelectrochemical measurements on mononuclear and symmetrically or unsymmetrically bridged di- and tetranuclear ruthenium complexes of vinyl and TCNX ligands. The DFT approach is used for the calculations of molecular structures, vibrational frequencies, electronic and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectral data. DFT calculations enable us to identity the primary redox site and the electron and spin-density distribution between the individual components for the individual redox congeners. The DFT technique reproduces the spectral properties of the presented complexes and their radical ions. The generally close correspondence between experimental and quantum chemical results demonstrate that modern DFT is a powerful tool to address issues like ligand non-innocence and electron and spin delocalization in systems containing both redox-active metal ions and redox-active ligands.     

Ligand-ligand redox interaction through some metal-cluster units

The ligand-ligand redox interaction separated by di-, tri-, and hexanuclear cluster units is discussed in terms of the splitting of the redox waves (DeltaE(L)) and the comproportionation constants (Kcom(L)) of the ligand-based mixed valence state. Although two redox-active monodentate ligands in the mononuclear ruthenium(II) complexes (either cis or trans configurations) do not show appreciable splitting in their reduction waves, interestingly those separated by giant triruthenium and hexarhenium cluster units clearly show splitting. The molecular orbital considerations in the literature suggest that these units possess some pi-type molecular orbitals composed of metal dpi and possibly ligand ppi orbitals. Absence of the redox interactions in oxo-bridged diruthenium(II) and oxo-centered trirhodium(III) complexes where such pi molecular orbitals (including an antibonding one) are fully occupied, indicates the importance of empty pi* orbitals for the ligand redox communication.     

Redox-responsive carbometalated ruthenium and osmium complexes

Organometallic conjugated complexes have become an important type of stimuli-responsive materials because of their appealing electrochemical properties and rich photonic, electronic, and magnetic properties. They are potentially useful in a wide range of applications such as molecular wires, molecular switches, molecular machines, molecular memory, and optoelectronic detections. This review outlines the recent progress on the molecular design of carbometalated ruthenium and osmium complexes and their applications as redox-responsive materials with visible and near-infrared (NIR) absorptions and electron paramagnetic resonance as readout signals. Three molecule systems are introduced, including the symmetric diruthenium complexes, metal-amine conjugated bi-center system, and multi-center redox-active organometallic compounds. Because of the presence of a metal-carbon bond on each metal component and strong electronic coupling between redox sites, these compounds display multiple reversible redox processes at low potentials and each redox state possesses significantly different physical and chemical properties. Using electrochemical potentials as input signals, these materials show reversible NIR absorption spectral changes, making them potentially useful in NIR electrochromism and information storage.     

1,2,5,6-Tetrakis(guanidino)-Naphthalenes: Electron Donors,Fluorescent Probes and Redox-Active Ligands

New redox-active 1,2,5,6-tetrakis(guanidino)-naphthalene compounds, isolable and storable in the neutral and deep-green dicationic redox states and oxidisable further in two one-electron steps to the tetracations, are reported. Protonation switches on blue fluorescence, with the fluorescence intensity (quantum yield) increasing with the degree of protonation. Reactions with N-halogenosuccinimides or N-halogenophthalimides led to a series of new redox-active halogeno- and succinimido-/phthalimido-substituted derivatives. These highly selective reactions are proposed to proceed via the tri- or tetracationic state as the intermediate. The derivatives are oxidised reversibly at slightly higher potentials than that of the unsubstituted compounds to dications and further to tri- and tetracations. The integration of redox-active ligands in the transition-metal complexes shifts the redox potentials to higher values and also allows reversible oxidation in two potentially separated one-electron steps.     

A Mesoionic Diselenolene Anion and the Corresponding Radical Dianion

Dichalcogenolenes are archetypal redox non-innocent ligands with numerous applications. Herein, a diselenolene ligand with fundamentally different electronic properties is described. A mesoionic diselenolene was prepared by selenation of a C2-protected imidazolium salt. This ligand is diamagnetic, which is in contrast to the paramagnetic nature of standard dichalcogenolene monoanions. The new ligand is also redox-active, as demonstrated by isolation of a stable diselenolene radical dianion. The unique electronic properties of the new ligand give rise to unusual coordination chemistry. Thus, preparation of a hexacoordinate aluminum tris(diselenolene) complex and a Lewis acidic aluminate complex with two ligand-centered unpaired electrons was achieved.     

Redox-active cobalt complexes as promising antitumor agents

Cobalt(iii) complexes with tetradentate aliphatic Schiff"s bases containing also compounds of the vitamin PP series or their analogs as axial ligands were synthesized as potential antitumor agents. The behavior of these redox-active complexes in chemical processes that presumably govern their biological action was studied. These processes include aquation and subsequent decomposition, electrode and homogeneous redox reactions, and catalytic activity in autooxidation of biosubstrates, especially at the stages of generation and consumption of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The antitumor action of these complexes in vivo was studied. Changes in the organisms of laboratory animals characteristic of processes involving ROS were followed at the cellular and molecular levels. The tumor-selective action of the complexes is due to specific features of microenvironment of tumor cells. Some of them exhibit a strong antimetastatic effect, which exceeds that for a number of drugs used in clinical practice. A complex with nicotinamide was recommended for preclinical studies. The scope of application of the redox-active transition metal complexes in oncology is discussed.     

Template Assembling of the Pentadentate Redox-Active Ligand in the Coordination Sphere of Tin(IV)

Heptacoordinated tin complexes with pentadentate redox-active ligands containing the diiminopyridine fragment combined with two sterically hindered phenolate coordination centers, LSn-Cl₂ and L'SnCl₂ (L and L' are dianions of deprotonated 2,6-bis[2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-(methylidenylamino) phenol]pyridine and 2,6-bis[2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-(ethylidenylamino)phenol]pyridine, respectively), are synthesized. The molecular and electronic structures of the synthesized compounds were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis (for complex I, CIF file CCDC no. 1557838), a set of spectral methods, and quantum-chemical calculations. The redox properties of the obtained complexes are characterized by cyclic voltammetry.     

Extended charge decomposition analysis and its application for the investigation of electronic relaxation

A general and comprehensive molecular orbital method for the investigation of the electronic relaxation contribution to redox processes is presented. This method is based on the population analysis of the molecular orbitals of the final electronic state in terms of the occupied and unoccupied molecular orbitals of the Koopmans’ state. The DFT calculations for oxidation and reduction of transition-metal species indicate a dramatic magnitude of electronic relaxation in these systems. The passive molecular orbitals play a more significant role in electronic relaxation than the redox-active molecular orbital that directly participates in the redox process. The mechanism of electronic relaxation in the oxidation of Fe^II and Cu^I species varies from the ligand to metal 3d charge transfer (LMCT) interactions to the ligand to metal 4s,4p LMCT. For systems with significant electronic delocalization, electronic relaxation becomes smaller leading to much smaller contributions to the redox processes. Dedication: This contribution is to celebrate Philip Stephen’s seminal contributions to theory and experiment. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Bioinspired design of redox-active ligands for multielectron catalysis: effects of positioning pyrazine reservoirs on cobalt for electro- and photocatalytic generation of hydrogen from water

Mononuclear metalloenzymes in nature can function in cooperation with precisely positioned redox-active organic cofactors in order to carry out multielectron catalysis. Inspired by the finely tuned redox management of these bioinorganic systems, we present the design, synthesis, and experimental and theoretical characterization of a homologous series of cobalt complexes bearing redox-active pyrazines. These donor moieties are locked into key positions within a pentadentate ligand scaffold in order to evaluate the effects of positioning redox non-innocent ligands on hydrogen evolution catalysis. Both metal- and ligand-centered redox features are observed in organic as well as aqueous solutions over a range of pH values, and comparison with analogs bearing redox-inactive zinc(ii) allows for assignments of ligand-based redox events. Varying the geometric placement of redox non-innocent pyrazine donors on isostructural pentadentate ligand platforms results in marked effects on observed cobalt-catalyzed proton reduction activity. Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution from weak acids in acetonitrile solution, under diffusion-limited conditions, reveals that the pyrazine donor of axial isomer 1-Co behaves as an unproductive electron sink, resulting in high overpotentials for proton reduction, whereas the equatorial pyrazine isomer complex 2-Co is significantly more active for hydrogen generation at lower voltages. Addition of a second equatorial pyrazine in complex 3-Co further minimizes overpotentials required for catalysis. The equatorial derivative 2-Co is also superior to its axial 1-Co congener for electrocatalytic and visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen generation in biologically relevant, neutral pH aqueous media. Density functional theory calculations (B3LYP-D2) indicate that the first reduction of catalyst isomers 1-Co, 2-Co, and 3-Co is largely metal-centered while the second reduction occurs at pyrazine. Taken together, the data establish that proper positioning of non-innocent pyrazine ligands on a single cobalt center is indeed critical for promoting efficient hydrogen catalysis in aqueous media, akin to optimally positioned redox-active cofactors in metalloenzymes. In a broader sense, these findings highlight the significance of electronic structure considerations in the design of effective electron–hole reservoirs for multielectron transformations.     

Ligand redox activity and mixed valency in first-row transition-metal complexes containing tetrachlorocatecholate and radical tetrachlorosemiquinonate ligands

Ligand noninnocence occurs for complexes composed of redox-active ligands and metals, with frontier orbitals of similar energy. Usually methods of analysis can be used to define the charge distribution, and cases where the metal oxidation state and ligand charge are unclear are unusual. Ligands derived from o-benzoquinones can bond with metals as radical semiquinonates (SQ(?-)) or as catecholates (Cat(2-)). Spectroscopic, magnetic, and structural properties can be used to assess the metal and ligand charges. With the redox activity at both the metal and ligands, reversible multicomponent redox series can be observed using electrochemical methods. Steps in the series may occur at either the ligand or metal, and ligand substituent effects can be used to tune the range of ligand-based redox steps. Complexes that appear as intermediates in a ligand-based redox series may contain both SQ and Cat ligands "bridged" by the metal as mixed-valence complexes. Properties reflect the strength of metal-mediated interligand electronic coupling in the same way that ligand-bridged bimetallics conform to the Robin and Day classification scheme. In this review, we will focus specifically on complexes of first-row transition-metal ions coordinated with three ligands derived from tetrachloro-1,2-benzoquinone (Cl(4)BQ). The redox activity of this ligand overlaps with the potentials of common metal oxidation states, providing examples of metal- and ligand-based redox activity, in some cases, within a single redox series. The strength of the interligand electronic coupling is important in defining the separation between ligand-based couples of a redox series. The complex of ferric iron will be described as an example where coupling is weak, and the steps associated with the Fe(III)(Cl(4)SQ)(3)/[Fe(III)(Cl(4)Cat)(3)](3-) redox series are observed over a narrow range in electrochemical potential.     

Revealing the thermodynamic driving force for ligand-based reductions in quinoids; conceptual rules for designing redox active and non-innocent ligands

Metal and ligand-based reductions have been modeled in octahedral ruthenium complexes revealing metal–ligand interactions as the profound driving force for the redox-active behaviour of orthoquinoid-type ligands. Through an extensive investigation of redox-active ligands we revealed the most critical factors that facilitate or suppress redox-activity of ligands in metal complexes, from which basic rules for designing non-innocent/redox-active ligands can be put forward. These rules also allow rational redox-leveling, i.e. the moderation of redox potentials of ligand-centred electron transfer processes, potentially leading to catalysts with low overpotential in multielectron activation processes.     

A novel redox system consisting of π-conjugated polymers and transition metals

Coordination of π-conjugated polymers to transition metals constructs a novel redox system due to interchangeable various oxidation states of the polymers, which permits transition metals to interact with each other through a π-conjugate chain. The redox characteristics were found to depend on the electronic interaction with metals and the doping. A combination of copper(II) or iron(III) chloride and polyanilines afforded the complex catalysts with the higher oxidation capability for dehydrogenative oxidation. A catalytic system was also realized in the transition-metal-induced oxidation reaction, in which π-conjugated polymers serve as redox-active ligands participating in the reversible redox cycle. The Wacker oxidation of terminal olefins proceeded catalytically in the presence of a catalytic amount of polyaniline or polypyrrole derivative under oxygen.     

Redox-active ligands as a challenge for electronic structure methods

To improve the catalytic activity of 3d transition metal catalysts, redox-active ligands are a promising tool. These ligands influence the oxidation state of the metal center as well as the ground spin-state and make the experimental determination of both properties challenging. Therefore, first-principles calculations, in particular employing density functional theory with a proper choice of exchange-correlation (xc) functional, are crucial. Common xc functionals were tested on a simple class of metal complexes: homoleptic, octahedral tris(diimine) iron(II) complexes. The spin-state energy splittings for most of these complexes showed the expected linear dependence on the amount of exact exchange included in the xc functionals. Even though varying redox-activity affects the electronic structure of the complexes considerably, the sensitivity of the spin-state energetics to the exact exchange admixture is surprisingly small. For iron(II) complexes with highly redox-active ligands and for a broad range of ligands in the reduced tris(diimine) iron(I) complexes, self-consistent field convergence to local minima was observed, which differ from the global minimum in the redox state of the ligand. This may also result in convergence to a molecular structure that corresponds to an energetically higher-lying local minimum. One criterion to detect such behavior is a change in the sign of the slope for the dependence of the spin-state energy splittings on the amount of exact exchange. We discuss possible protocols for dealing with such artifacts in cases in which a large number of calculations makes checking by hand unfeasible.     

Computational modeling of cobalt diketonate adducts with o-benzoquinones incorporating organosilicon radicals

A density functional UB3LYP*/6–311++G(d,p) quantum chemical study of the electronic structure, energy characteristics, and magnetic properties of heteroligand cobalt complexes with o-benzoquinones functionalized with triangulene polycyclic organosilicon radicals was carried out. It was shown that the stabilities of isomers of the compounds under consideration can be controlled by varying the substituents in the terminal diketone ligands, while the character and strength of exchange coupling are determined by the nature of the paramagnetic center in the redox-active moiety and by the number of six-membered rings in the radical. Molecules prone to reversible intramolecular electron transfer between the metal ion and the redox-active ligand were revealed. They are thought to be promising for the design of molecular electronics devices.

     

Redox Potential and Crystal Chemistry of Hexanuclear Cluster Compounds

Most of TM₆-cluster compounds (TM = transition metal) are soluble in polar solvents, in which the cluster units commonly remain intact, preserving the same atomic arrangement as in solids. Consequently, the redox potential is often used to characterize structural and electronic features of respective solids. Although a high lability and variety of ligands allow for tuning of redox potential and of the related spectroscopic properties in wide ranges, the mechanism of this tuning is still unclear. Crystal chemistry approach was applied for the first time to clarify this mechanism. It was shown that there are two factors affecting redox potential of a given metal couple: Lever’s electrochemical parameters of the ligands and the effective ionic charge of TM, which in cluster compounds differs effectively from the formal value due to the bond strains around TM atoms. Calculations of the effective ionic charge of TMs were performed in the framework of bond valence model, which relates the valence of a bond to its length by simple Pauling relationship. It was also shown that due to the bond strains the charge depends mainly on the atomic size of the inner ligands.     

o-Dithiolene and o-aminothiolate chemistry of iron: Synthesis,structure and reactivity

Homoleptic complexes with an iron center bound by two o-dithiolene or o-aminothiolate ligands, or one tetradentate aminothiolate ligand will be discussed in the context of their molecular and electronic structures. These compounds are predominantly dimeric and exhibit rich redox chemistry due to the multiple redox active iron and ligand components. Their reaction with small molecules, namely, pyridines, amines, phosphines, phosphites, arsines, stibines, cyanide, halogens, and nitric oxide, has produced extensive libraries of compounds that are also reviewed. These five- and six-coordinate mononuclear and dinuclear adduct complexes access an incredibly broad range of iron and ligand spin and oxidation states that generates a multitude of electronic structures.     

Tin(iv) and lead(iv) complexes with a tetradentate redox-active ligand

The coordination chemistry of a tetradentate redox-active ligand, glyoxal-bis(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butylanil) (H(2)L), was investigated with the diorganotin(iv) and diphenyllead(iv) moieties. Complexes R(2)SnL (R = Me (), Et (), (t)Bu (), Ph ()) and Ph(2)PbL () have been prepared and characterized. The molecular structures of compounds , and have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The diamagnetic octahedral complexes bear a tetradentate O,N,N,O redox-active ligand with a nearly planar core. Complexes demonstrate solvatochromism in solution. The CV of complexes reveals four one-electron redox processes. The spin density distribution in the chemically generated cations and anions of was studied by X-band EPR spectroscopy. The experimental data agree well with the results of DFT calculations of electronic structures for , its pyridine adduct ·Py, cation and anion .     

Designing catalysts for nitrene transfer using early transition metals and redox-active ligands

In this Forum Article, we discuss the use of redox-active pincer-type ligands to enable multielectron reactivity, specifically nitrene group transfer, at the electron-poor metals tantalum and zirconium. Two analogous ligand platforms, [ONO] and [NNN], are discussed with a detailed examination of their similarities and differences and the structural and electronic constraints they impose upon coordination to early transition metals. The two-electron redox capabilities of these ligands enable the transfer of organic nitrenes to tantalum(V) and zirconium(IV) metal centers despite formal d(0) electron counts. Under the correct conditions, the resulting metal imido complexes can participate in further multielectron reactions such as imide reduction, nitrene coupling, or formal nitrene transfer to an isocyanide.