Electronic structural changes between nickel(II)-semiquinonato and nickel(III)-catecholato states driven by chemical and physical perturbation

The selective synthesis of tetracoordinate square-planar low-spin nickel(II)-semiquinonato (Ni(II)-SQ) and nickel(III)-catecholato (Ni(III)-Cat) complexes, 1 and 2, respectively, was achieved by using bidentate ligands with modulated nitrogen-donor ability to the nickel ion. The electronic structures of 1 and 2 were revealed by XPS and EPR measurements. The absorption spectra of 1 and 2 in a noncoordinating solvent, dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), are completely different from those in tetrahydrofuran (THF), being a coordinating solvent. As expected from this result, the gradual addition of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), which is also a coordinating solvent like THF, into a solution of 1 or 2 in CH2Cl2 leads to color changes from blue (for 1) and brown (for 2) to light green, which is the same color observed for solutions of 1 or 2 in THF. Furthermore, the same color changes are induced by varying the temperature. Such spectral changes are attributable to the transformation from square-planar low-spin Ni(II)-SQ and Ni(III)-Cat complexes to octahedral high-spin Ni(II)-SQ ones, caused by the coordination of two solvent molecules to the nickel ion.     

Structural modulation of Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes of sterically hindered tripyridine ligands by the bridgehead alkyl groups

Structures of Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes of sterically hindered tripyridine ligands RL = tris(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)methane (HL), 1,1,1-tris(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)ethane (MeL), and 1,1,1-tris(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)propane (EtL), [Cu(RL)(MeCN)]PF(6) (1-3), [Cu(RL)(SO(4))] (4-6), and [Cu(RL)(NO(3))(2)] (7-9), have been explored in the solid state and in solution to gain some insights into modulation of the copper coordination structures by bridgehead alkyl groups (CH, CMe, and CEt). The crystal structures of 1-9 show that RL binds a copper ion in a tridentate facial-capping mode, except for 3, where EtL chelates in a bidentate mode with two pyridyl nitrogen atoms. To avoid the steric repulsion between the bridgehead alkyl group and the 3-H(py) atoms, the pyridine rings in Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes of MeL and EtL shift toward the Cu side as compared to those in Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes of HL, leading to the significant differences in the nonbonding interatomic distances, H.H (between the 3-H(py) atoms), N.N (between the N(py) atoms), and C.C (between the 6-Me carbon atoms), the Cu-N(py), Cu-N(MeCN), and Cu-O bond distances, and the tilt of the pyridine rings. The copper coordination geometries in 4-6, where a SO(4) ligand chelates in a bidentate mode, are varied from a square pyramid of 4 to distorted trigonal bipyramids of 5 and 6. Such structural differences are not observed for 7-9, where two NO(3) ligands coordinate in a monodentate mode. The structures of 1-9 in solution are investigated by means of the electronic, (1)H NMR, and ESR spectroscopy. The (1)H NMR spectra show that the structures of 1-3 in the solid state are kept in solution with rapid coordination exchange of the pyridine rings. The electronic and the ESR spectra reveal the structural changes of 5 and 6 in solution. The bridgehead alkyl groups and 6-Me groups in the sterically hindered tripyridine ligand play important roles in modulating the copper coordination structures.     

Redox-responsive molecular switches based on azoterpyridine-bridged Ru/Os complexes

Three new terpyridine-based dinuclear complexes, [(tpy)Ru(azotpy)Ru(tpy)]4+ (tpy = 2,2':6',2'-terpyridine, azotpy = bis[2,6-bis(2-pyridyl)-4-pyridyl]diazene), [(tpy)Os(azotpy)Os(tpy)]4+, and [(tpy)Ru(azotpy)Os(tpy)]4+ were prepared and their electrochemical and photophysical properties investigated. The bridging ligand, azotpy, in these complexes is reduced at less negative potentials than the unsubstituted tpy ligand. These complexes exhibit absorption bands due to the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transitions both to the unsubstituted tpy ligand and the bridging azotpy ligand, the latter absorption being observed at the lower energy side of the former. These observations are consistent with the lower lying pi* level of the azotpy ligand than that of the tpy ligand. These complexes are nonluminescent, since the excited electron is trapped in this lower lying pi* level of the azotpy ligand in the excited state. Reduction of this bridging ligand by constant potential electrolysis renders the shape of absorption spectra for these complexes nearly identical to those of the parent complexes, [M(tpy)2]2+ (M = Ru, Os). In this reduced state, the homodinuclear Os complex becomes luminescent at room temperature, whereas the homodinuclear Ru complex becomes luminescent at 77 K, thus establishing their photoswitching behavior. The reduced heterodinuclear complex exhibits luminescence from the Os center, which is sensitized by the Ru center in the same molecule as evidenced by the excitation spectra. Thus, the intramolecular energy transfer can be switched on and off by the redox reaction of the bridging component.     

Synthesis and structural,electrochemical, and optical properties of Ru(II) complexes with azobis(2,2'-bipyridine)s

Two new ditopic ligands, 5,5"-azobis(2,2'-bipyridine) (5,5"-azo) and 5,5"-azoxybis(2,2'-bipyridine) (5,5"-azoxy), were prepared by the reduction of nitro precursors. Mononuclear and dinuclear Ru(II) complexes having one of these bridging ligands and 2,2'-bipyridine terminal ligands were also prepared, and their properties were compared with previously reported Ru(II) complexes having 4,4"-azobis(2,2'-bipyridine) (4,4"-azo). The X-ray crystal structure showed that 5,5"-azo adopts the trans conformation and a planar rodlike shape. The X-ray crystal structure of [(bpy)(2)Ru(5,5"-azo)Ru(bpy)(2)](PF(6))(4) (Ru(5,5"-azo)Ru) showed that the bridging ligand is in the trans conformation and nearly planar also in the complex and the metal-to-metal distance is 10.0 A. The azo or azoxy ligand in these complexes exhibits reduction processes at less negative potentials than the terminal bpy's due to the low-lying pi level. The electronic absorption spectra for the complexes having 5,5"-azo or 5,5"-azoxy exhibit an extended low-energy metal-to-ligand charge-transfer absorption. The ligands, 5,5"-azo and 5,5"-azoxy, and the mononuclear complex, [(bpy)(2)Ru(5,5"-azo)](2+), isomerize reversibly upon light irradiation. The low-energy MLCT state sensitizes the isomerization of the azo moiety in this complex. While [(bpy)(2)Ru(4,4"-azo)Ru(bpy)(2)](PF(6))(4) exhibits light switch properties, namely, significant electrochromism and a large luminescence enhancement, upon reduction, Ru(5,5"-azo)Ru does not show these properties. The radical anion formation upon reduction of these complexes has been confirmed by ESR spectroscopy.     

Synthesis and photochemistry of beta,beta'-di(2-furyl)-substituted o-divinylbenzenes: intra- and/or intermolecular cycloaddition as an effect of annelation

New heteroaryl-substituted o-divinylbenzenes, 2,2'-(1,2-phenylenedivinylene)difuran (9), 2,2'-(1,2-phenylenedivinylene)bisbenzo[b]furan (10), and 2,2'-(1,2-phenylenedivinylene)bisnaphtho[2,1-b]furan (11), were prepared and irradiated at various concentrations; intramolecular photocycloaddition and intermolecular [2+2] twofold photoaddition reactions took place to give bicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene derivatives 12-14 and cyclophane derivatives 15-17, respectively. Compound 11 was the most selective of these o-divinylbenzenes, which, owing to pi-pi intra- or intermolecular complexation, gave only the exo-bicyclo[3.2.1]octadiene derivative 14 at low concentrations, and only the cyclophane derivative 17 at high concentrations.     

Fragmentation study of peptides using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance with infrared multiphoton dissociation: experiment and simulation

In this study, the fragmentation of gas-phase protonated Angiotensin II is investigated using electrospray ionization (ESI), Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR), and mass spectrometry (MS) with a laser cleavage infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) technique. The experimental results show that the spectra peaks for the photoproducts are y2/b6- and y7-type ions, corresponding to the cleavage of His-Pro and Asp-Arg in the parent amino acid sequence. The fragmentation of the peptide under collision-free vacuum conditions is modeled using molecular dynamics simulations (MD). The binding energy for the peptide bonds (C'-N bond) of Angiotensin II is estimated from ab initio calculations. The calculations are directed at predicting experimental measurements of the product ions from the photodissociation of the peptide. The product distributions simulated by the MD dissociation trajectories include predominantly y7/b1 and y2/b6 pair ions.     

Vanadium-binding protein in a vanadium-rich ascidian Ascidia sydneiensissamea: CW and pulsed EPR studies

Some of the ascidians belonging to the suborder Phlebobranchia accumulate vanadium ion efficiently from seawater. Clarification of the mechanism of this surprisingly efficient metal-accumulation system is desirable. Two mutually similar vanadium-binding proteins (vanabin1 and vanabin2) have recently been isolated from a vanadium-rich ascidian Ascidia sydneiensis samea. In this study, the vanadium-binding properties of vanabin2 have been investigated by X-band CW EPR and pulsed EPR spectroscopy. CW EPR spectra of samples containing various ratios of VO2+ and vanabin2 invariably exhibited a usual mononuclear-type VO2+ EPR signal with the intensity dependent on the ratio [vanabin]/[V]. EPR titration has shown that vanabin2 can bind up to approximately 23.9 vanadium ions per one molecule, almost all of which ( approximately 84%) are in a mononuclear VO2+ state as estimated by EPR quantitation. Electron spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectra of VO-vanabin2 exhibited reasonably intense peaks attributable to amine nitrogen. This is consistent with the fact that vanabin2 is a lysine-rich protein (14 lysines out of 91 amino acids). The present study reveals the uniqueness of vanabin2, which can bind a large number of metal ions in a mononuclear fashion in contrast to the situation for ferritin and metallothionein.     

Collective dynamics of sub- and supercritical methanol by inelastic X-ray scattering

Inelastic X-ray scattering experiments have been performed on methanol as a function of density from ambient to the supercritical state. Positive dispersion of the sound velocity, as compared to the hydrodynamic values, is 50% in the ambient condition and decreases to zero at 0.50 g cm⁻³ over the momentum transfer Q = 1–10 nm⁻¹ with lowering density; however, it increases again with a further decrease in density down to 0.20 g cm⁻³in the supercritical state only in the Q-range above 5 nm⁻¹. These results have been interpreted as the formation of small oligomers in the low-density supercritical methanol.