The infrared spectra (600-150 cm−1 of pyridine N-oxide complexes of metal(II) halides and mixed-ligand (pyridine N-oxide—dimethylsulphoxide) complexes of copper(II) halides

The infrared spectra of the complexes [M(pyO)(H₂O)Cl₂] (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu; pyO = pyridine N-oxide) have been determined. Assignments of ν M-Opy, νM-OH₂ and ν M-Cl are made by observing the effects of deuterating the coordinated pyO and H₂O and replacing chloride by bromide in the Mn(II) complex. Assignments of metal—ligand modes in the mixed ligand complexes [M(pyO)(dmso)X₂] (dmso = dimethylsulphoxide) are made by comparison with the spectra of (ML₂X₂] (L = pyO, dmso) and by observing the effects of deuteration of pyO and dmso. Structural aspects of the spectra are discussed.     

Aging of poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene)/toluene solutions and subsequent effects on luminescence behavior of cast films

Morphological effects in luminescence properties of a representative semiconducting polymer, poly(2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV), has recently attracted much attention. Previous studies indicated that short-term heat treatment of solution-cast MEH-PPV films may result in the formation of mesomorphic order that is responsible for the "red" emission around 640 nm, in contrast to the single-chromophore "yellow" emission near 590 nm from the disordered matrix. On the basis of microscopic and spectroscopic evidence for films cast from freshly prepared and aged solutions, here we show that prolonged storage of MEHyellowPPV solutions at room temperature or lower may result in retardation of the thermally induced mesophase formation in the subsequently cast films. According to small-angle neutron scattering and differential scanning calorimetric observations over aged MEH-PPV/toluene solutions, we propose that the suppressed transformation into mesomorphic order is due to further development of nanocrystalline aggregates that serve as physical cross-links among MEH-PPV chains in the solution state upon long-term storage. These solvent-induced nanocrystalline aggregates, however, do not exhibit new spectroscopic features beyond the suppression of "red" emission at 640 nm from the mesomorphic phase.     

New pyridine carboxamide ligands and their complexation to copper(II). X-Ray crystal structures of mono-, di, tri- and tetranuclear copper complexes

Seven new pyridine dicarboxamide ligands H2L(1-7) have been synthesised from condensation reactions involving pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (H2dipic), pyridine-2,6-dicarbonyl dichloride or 2,6-diaminopyridine with heterocyclic amine or carboxylic acid precursors. Crystallographic analyses of N,N'-bis(2-pyridyl)pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide monohydrate (H2L8 x H2O), N,N'-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)methyl]pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide and N,N'-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide monohydrate revealed extensive intramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. 2,6-Bis(pyrazine-2-carboxamido)pyridine (H2L6) and 2,6-bis(pyridine-2-carboxamido)pyridine (H2L7) reacted with copper(II) acetate monohydrate to give tricopper(II) complexes [Cu3(L)2(mu2-OAc)2]. X-Ray crystallography confirmed deprotonation of the amidic nitrogen atoms and that the (L6,7)2- ligands and acetate anions hold three copper(II) ions in approximately linear fashion. H2L8. Reacted with copper(II) tetrakis(pyridine) perchlorate to give [Cu(L8)(OH2)]2 x 2H2O, in which (L8)2- was tridentate through the nitrogen atoms of the central pyridine ring and the deprotonated carboxamide groups at one copper centre, with one of the terminal pyridyl rings coordinating to the other copper atom in the dimer. The corresponding reaction using H2L7 gave [Cu3(L7)2(py)2][ClO4]2, which transformed during an attempted recrystallisation from ethanol under aerobic conditions to a tetracopper(II) complex [Cu4(L7)2(L7-O)2].     

3-Substituted Sydnone Derivatives. Structures of 3-Cyclohexylsydnone and of Two Forms of 3-(3-Pyridyl)sydnone

The crystal and molecular structures of three sydnone derivatives are reported. The compound 3-cyclohexylsydnone crystallizes in space group C2/c of the monoclinic system with sixteen molecules in a cell of dimensions a = 19.326 (3), b = 9.471 (2), c = 20.005 (4)Å, β = 106.85(1)°. The structure has been refined to a final value of 0.0581 for the conventional R-factor based on 2222 independent observed intensities. Form I of 3-(3-pyridyl)sydnone crystallizes in space group P2/n of the monoclinic system with eight molecules in a cell of dimensions a = 7.317(2), b = 9.283 (2), c = 20.891 (6) Å, β = 99.61(2)°. The structure has been refined to a final value of 0.0514 for the conventional R-factor based on 1208 independent observed intensities. Form II of 3-(3-pyridyl)sydnone crystallizes in space group P2₁/c of the monoclinic system with eight molecules in a cell of dimensions a=9.073 (2), b = 22.267 (5). c = 7.494(2)Å, β = 112.15 (2)°. The structure has been refined to a final value of 0.0462 for the conventional R-factor based on 1330 independent observed intensities. Each of the three structures contains two crystallographically independent molecules in the cell. In the case of 3-cyclohexylsydnone, one of the independent molecules exhibits disorder around the exocyclic bond at N(3). A comparison of bond lengths indicates that the (electron donating) cyclohexyl group brings about enhanced electron density in the N(3)-C(4) bond, and possibly in the N(3)-N(2) bond. All three structures studied here exhibit intermolecular hydrogen bonding involving C(4)-H(4)…O(6) interactions. Although there are no stacking interactions in the cyclohexyl derivative, there is evidence for such interactions in the 3-pyridyl derivatives.     

Synthesis and conformational studies of palladium(II) complexes containing [PhP(O)NP(E)Ph]− (E=S or Se)

The ligands [Ph₂P(O)NP(E)Ph₂]⁻ (E=S I; E=Se II) can readily be complexed to a range of palladium(II) starting materials affording new six-membered Pd–O–P–N–P–E palladacycles. Hence ligand substitution reaction of the chloride complexes [PdCl₂(bipy)] (bipy=2,2′-bipyridine), [{Pd(μ-Cl)(L–L)}₂] (HL–L=C₉H₁₃N or C₁₂H₁₃N), [{Pd(μ-Cl)Cl(PMe₂Ph)}₂] or [PdCl₂(PR₃)₂] [PR₃=PPh₃; 2PR₃=Ph₂PCH₂CH₂PPh₂or cis-Ph₂PCH=CHPPh₂] with either I (or II) in thf or CH₃OH gave [Pd{Ph₂P(O)NP(E)Ph₂-O,E}(bipy)]PF₆, [Pd{Ph₂P(O)NP(E)Ph₂-O,E}(L–L)], [Pd{Ph₂P(O)NP(E)Ph₂-O,E}Cl(PMe₂Ph)] or [Pd{Ph₂P(O)NP(E)Ph₂-O,E} (PR₃)₂]PF₆ in good yields. All compounds described have been characterised by a combination of multinuclear NMR [31 P{1 H} and 1 H] and IR spectroscopy and microanalysis. The molecular structures of five complexes containing the selenium ligand II have been determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Three different ring conformations were observed, a pseudo-butterfly, hinge and in the case of all three PR₃ complexes, pseudo-boat conformations. Within the Pd–O–P–N–P–Se rings there is evidence for π-electron delocalisation.     

M(R-dmet)2] bis(1,2-dithiolenes): a promising new class intermediate between [M(dmit)2] and [M(R,R'-timdt)2] (M = Ni, Pd, Pt)

We report the first examples of metal dithiolenes belonging to the class [M(R-dmet)(2)] [R-dmet = formally monoreduced N-substituted thiazolidine-2,4,5-trithione; R = Et, M = Ni (1), Pd (2), Pt (3)]. A comparative spectroscopic, electrochemical, and density functional theory theoretical investigation indicates that [M(R-dmet)(2)] complexes show features intermediate between those of the dithiolenes belonging to the previously reported classes [M(R,R'-timdt)(2)] and [M(dmit)(2)] (R,R'-timdt = formally monoreduced N,N'-disubstituted imidazolidine-2,4,5-trithione; dmit = 2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolato). UV-vis-near-IR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry/differential pulsed voltammetry measurements performed on 1 and 3 proved that the new dithiolenes are stable as neutral, monoanionic, and bianionic species and feature a near-IR electrochromic absorption falling at about 1000 and 1250 nm for neutral and monoanionic species, respectively.     

Non-linearity of calibration in the determination of anions by ion-chromatography with suppressed conductivity detection

Traces of simple inorganic anions may be determined by chromatographic separation with an alkaline eluent and conductimetric detection, which involves “suppressing” the background conductivity of the eluent by neutralization to form a sparingly dissociated species. Over a wide range of determinand concentration, e.g., two decades, non-linearity of the calibration may become evident, leading to errors of up to 100% at lower concentrations if linearity is assumed (a linear fit of the data usually gives a correlation coefficient>0.99, which may lead to false confidence). The curvature arises from displacement of eluent ions by the determinand and the consequent re-equilibration of the conjugate acid in the suppressed eluate. Even if the distribution of determinand in the peak is ideally Gaussian, the observed conductivity peak may be distorted and calibration will then be non-linear. The best linearity is obtained with the most strongly basic eluent, but other characteristics must also be considered, e.g., run time, peak separation. With a carbonate eluent, the curvature is demonstrated empirically for chloride, nitrate and sulphate calibrations. A second-order fit gives errors of < 10%. With a more strongly basic borate eluent, the deviation from linearity is negligible, but elution times are longer and may be inconvenient in some circumstances.     

The electrodeposition of indium onto vitreous carbon from acidic chloride media

Cyclic voltammetry and potential step techniques have been used to study the electrodeposition of indium metal from 1 mol dm^?3 potassium chloride, pH 2–4.5, onto a vitreous carbon electrode. It is confirmed that the In/In³⁺ couple is fast in chloride media and the nucleation and growth of the indium phase is discussed. It is shown that instantaneous nucleation occurs at an overpotential of only a few mV and that the growth of the nuclei is three dimensional.     

Synthetic models of the reduced active site of superoxide reductase

We report the synthesis, structural and spectroscopic characterization, and magnetic and electrochemical studies of a series of iron(II) complexes of the pyridyl-appended diazacyclooctane ligand L(8)py(2), including several that model the square-pyramidal [Fe(II)(N(his))(4)(S(cys))] structure of the reduced active site of the non-heme iron enzyme superoxide reductase. Combination of L(8)py(2) with FeCl(2) provides [L(8)py(2)FeCl(2)] (1), which contains a trigonal-prismatic hexacoordinate iron(II) center, whereas a parallel reaction using [Fe(H(2)O)(6)](BF(4))(2) provides [L(8)py(2)Fe(FBF(3))]BF(4) (2), a novel BF(4)(-)-ligated square-pyramidal iron(II) complex. Substitution of the BF(4)(-) ligand in 2 with formate or acetate ions affords distorted pentacoordinate [L(8)py(2)Fe(O(2)CH)]BF(4) (3) and [L(8)py(2)Fe(O(2)CCH(3))]BF(4) (4), respectively. Models of the superoxide reductase active site are prepared upon reaction of 2 with sodium salts of aromatic and aliphatic thiolates. These model complexes include [L(8)py(2)Fe(SC(6)H(4)-p-CH(3))]BF(4) (5), [L(8)py(2)Fe(SC(6)H(4)-m-CH(3))]BF(4) (6), and [L(8)py(2)Fe(SC(6)H(11))]BF(4) (7). X-ray crystallographic studies confirm that the iron(II)-thiolate complexes model the square-pyramidal geometry and N(4)S donor set of the reduced active site of superoxide reductase. The iron(II)-thiolate complexes are high spin (S = 2), and their solutions are yellow in color because of multiple charge-transfer transitions that occur between 300 and 425 nm. The ambient temperature cyclic voltammograms of the iron(II)-thiolate complexes contain irreversible oxidation waves with anodic peak potentials that correlate with the relative electron donating abilities of the thiolate ligands. This electrochemical irreversibility is attributed to the bimolecular generation of disulfides from the electrochemically generated iron(III)-thiolate species.