Excited state dynamics of a PtII diimine complex bearing a naphthalene-diimide electron acceptor

A combination of picosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopy, picosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, and nanosecond flash photolysis was used to elucidate the nature and dynamics of a manifold of the lowest excited states in Pt(phen-NDI)Cl 2 ( 1), where NDI = strongly electron accepting 1,4,5,8-naphthalene-diimide group. 1 is the first example of a Pt (II)-diimine-diimide dyad. UV/vis/IR spectroelectrochemistry and EPR studies of electrochemically generated anions confirmed that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) in this system is localized on the NDI acceptor group. The lowest allowed electronic transition in Pt(phen-NDI)Cl 2 is charge-transfer-to-diimine of a largely Pt-->phen metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) character. Excitation of 1 in the 355-395 nm range initiates a series of processes which involve excited states with the lifetimes of 0.9 ps ( (1)NDI*), 3 ps ( (3)MLCT), 19 ps (vibrational cooling of "hot" (3)NDI and of "hot" NDI ground state), and 520 mus ( (3)NDI). Excitation of 1 with 395 nm femtosecond laser pulses populates independently the (1)MLCT and the (1)NDI* excited states. A thermodynamically possible decay of the initially populated (1)MLCT to the charge-transfer-to-NDI excited state, [Pt (III)(phen-NDI (-*))Cl 2], is not observed. This finding could be explained by an ultrafast ISC of the (1)MLCT to the (3)MLCT state which lies about 0.4 eV lower in energy than [Pt (III)(phen-NDI (-*))Cl 2]. The predominant decay pathway of the (3)MLCT is a back electron transfer process with approximately 3 ps lifetime, which also causes partial population of the vibrationally hot ground state of the NDI fragment. The decay of the (1)NDI* state in 1 populates vibrationally hot ground state of the NDI, as well as vibrationally hot (3)NDI. The latter relaxes to form (3)NDI state, that is, [Pt(phen- (3)NDI)Cl 2]*, which possesses a remarkably long lifetime for a Pt (II) complex in fluid solution of 520 mus. The IR signature of this excited state includes the nu(CO) bands at 1607 and 1647 cm (-1), which are shifted considerably to lower energies if compared to their ground-state counterparts. The assignment of the vibrational bands is supported by the density-functional theory calculations in CH 2Cl 2. Pt(phen-NDI)Cl 2 acts as a modest photosensitizer of singlet oxygen.     

Determination of Lead Employing Simple Flow Injection AAS with Monolithic Alginate-Polyurethane Composite Packed In-Valve Column

A simple flow injection FlameAAS for lead determination with an alginate-polyurethane composite (ALG-PUC) monolithic in-valve column has been developed. The ALG-PUC monolithic rod was prepared by mixing methylene diphenyl diisocyanate with polyol and sodium alginate with the ratio of 2:1:1 by weight for a 5 min polymerization reaction. It was then put into a column (0.8 cm i.d × 11 cm length) situated in a switching valve for the FI set up. A single standard calibration could be obtained by plotting the loaded µg Pb²⁺ vs. FI response (absorbances). The loaded µg Pb²⁺ is calculated: μg Pb²⁺ = FR_load × LT × C_Pb²⁺, where the FR load is the flow rate of the loading analyte solution (mL min⁻¹), LT is the loading time (min), and C_Pb²⁺ is the Pb²⁺ concentration (µg mL⁻¹). A linear calibration equation was obtained: FI response (absorbances) = 0.0018 [µg Pb²⁺] + 0.0032, R² = 0.9927 for 1–150 µg Pb²⁺, and RSD of less than 20% was also obtained. Application of the developed procedure has been demonstrated in real samples.     

Catalytic hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde in the liquid phase using Pt and Ru/SnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> catalysts

Effects of the precursor of active metal and of the reduction temperature upon activity and selectivity in selective hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde by Pt/SnO₂ and Ru/SnO₂ catalysts were studied. Experiments were performed in the liquid phase with a group of solvents tested: propan-2-ol, toluene, hexane and tetrahydrofuran. The best results were achieved with catalysts from ex-nitrate precursors/Pt(NH₃)₄(NO₃)₂ and Ru(NO)(NO₃)₂/reduced at 150° C. Propan-2-ol was evaluated as the most appropriate solvent to gain high yields of crotylalcohol in this study. A new hydrogenation product, 2-methylprop-2-en-1-ol (methallylalcohol), was observed.     

Evidence for cobalt-cobalt bond homolysis and wavelength-dependent CO loss in (μ2-alkyne)Co2(CO)6 complexes

Time-resolved infrared spectroscopy was used to probe the photochemistry of three (μ(2)-alkyne)Co(2)(CO)(6) complexes. The data indicate the formation of a triplet diradical species, with lifetimes in the range 38-71 ps. Theoretical calculations support these experimental findings. No evidence for the CO loss species, (μ(2)-alkyne)Co(2)(CO)(5), was observed, and this is rationalized by the low quantum yield for this process at the excitation wavelengths used.     

A bis(amine–carboxylate) copper(II) coordination compound forms a two‐dimensional metal–organic framework when crystallized from water and methanol

When {2,2′‐[(2‐methyl‐2‐nitropropane‐1,3‐diyl)diimino]diacetato}copper(II), [Cu(C₈H₁₃N₃O₆)], (I), was crystallized from a binary mixture of methanol and water, a monoclinic two‐dimensional water‐ and methanol‐solvated metal–organic framework (MOF) structure, distinctly different from the known orthorhombic one‐dimensional coordination polymer of (I), was isolated, namely catena‐poly[[copper(II)‐μ₃‐2,2′‐[(2‐methyl‐2‐nitropropane‐1,3‐diyl)diimino]diacetato] methanol 0.45‐solvate 0.55‐hydrate], {[Cu(C₈H₁₃N₃O₆)]·0.45CH₃OH·0.55H₂O}_n, (II). The monoclinic structure of (II) comprises centrosymmetric dimers stabilized by a dative covalent Cu₂O₂ core and intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds. Each dimer is linked to four neighbouring dimers via symmetry‐related (opposing) pairs of bridging carboxylate O atoms to generate a `diamondoid' net or two‐dimensional coordination network. Tight voids of 166 ų are located between these two‐dimensional MOF sheets and contain a mixture of water and methanol with fractional occupancies of 0.55 and 0.45, respectively. The two‐dimensional MOF sheets have nanometre‐scale spacings (11.2 Å) in the crystal structure. Hydrogen‐bonding between the methanol/water hydroxy groups and a Cu‐bound bridging carboxylate O atom apparently negates thermal desolvation of the structure below 358 K in an uncrushed crystal of (II).     

The effect of cationic disorder on the optical and electrochemical behavior of nanocrystalline ZnO preparedfrom peroxide precursors

The relation between particle size and the optical and electrochemical behavior of nanocrystalline ZnO was studied on materials prepared by the thermal decomposition of zinc peroxide. The formation of zinc oxide starts at 180°C and yields particles of characteristic size bigger than 10 nm. Smaller particles (r∼2–5 nm) may be prepared at reduced pressure and at a temperature of 150°C. The particle radius of synthesized nanocrystals increases proportionally to synthesis temperature. Regardless of actual particle size, synthesized ZnO samples show cationic disorder, with Zn distributed between 2b and 2a sites. The fraction of “octahedrally” coordinated Zn in 2a position decreases with increasing synthesis temperature. Zn disorder causes a narrowing of band gap, which results in the “red shift” of the absorption edge in the UV–Vis spectra of prepared samples with respect to bulk ZnO. The effect of the disorder on the band gap width is partially compensated by quantum size effects when the characteristic particle size drops below 5 nm. A decrease in particle size results in an asymmetric shift of valence and conduction band edges, which can be assigned to uneven effective masses of electrons and holes in nanocrystalline ZnO. Prepared nanocrystalline samples were (photo)electrochemically active; their activity, however, decreases with particle size.

Coated wire thorium ion selective electrode: Part I

Coated wire ion selective electrode for thorium ion selective potentiometry was developed. Thorium ion selective coated wire electrodes were prepared by depositing a membrane comprising of Aliquat-336 loaded with Th(NO₃)₆²⁻ ions and poly vinyl chloride in varying proportion. A linear near-Nernstian response with a slope of −29.5 ± 0.3 mV over thorium concentration range of 1 × 10⁻¹–3 × 10⁻⁵ M in constant total nitrate concentration of 6 M was obtained for the electrodes of almost all the composition studied. In spite of small drift in response potential from composition to composition, day to day as well as from electrode to electrode, the slope of potential response line was constant within experimental error. Moreover, the electrode once prepared could be conveniently used over a period of one and half month.