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.     

Quantitative evaluation of stress distribution in bulk polymer samples through the comparison of mechanical behaviors between giant single‐crystal and semicrystalline samples of poly(trans‐1,4‐diethyl muconate)

The Raman shift and crystallite modulus were measured under the application of tensile force for a giant single crystal and a series of uniaxially oriented semicrystalline samples of poly(trans‐1,4‐diethyl muconate) (polyEMU). The apparent Raman shift factor α^app or a vibrational frequency shift per 1 GPa tensile stress was higher for the semicrystalline samples with lower crystallinity or lower bulk modulus. The apparent crystallite modulus E or Young's modulus along the chain axis in the crystalline region was not constant but varied remarkably between the giant single crystal and semicrystalline samples. A systematic change in α^app and E among the polyEMU samples with different preparation history could be interpreted quantitatively on the basis of a mechanical series parallel model consisting of crystalline and amorphous phases. The origin of different E and α^app was speculated to be a stress concentration on the taut‐tie chain contained as a parallel crystalline component in the mechanical model. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 444–453, 2003     

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.     

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.     

Manipulating the Through‐Space Spin–Spin Interaction of Organic Radicals in the Confined Cavity of a Self‐Assembled Cage

We show a new approach to manipulating the through‐space spin–spin interaction by utilizing the confined cavity of a self‐assembled M₆L₄ coordination cage. The coordination cage readily encapsulates stable organic radicals in solution, which brings the spin centers of the radicals closer to each other. In sharp contrast to the fact that the radical in solution in the absence of the cage is in a doublet state, in the presence of the cage through‐space spin–spin interaction is induced through cage‐encapsulation effects in solution as well as in the solid state, resulting in the triplet state of the complex. These results were confirmed by ESR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. The quantity of triplet species generated by encapsulation in the cage increases with increasing affinity of the radicals to the cage. We estimated the affinity between several types of guests and the cage in solution by cyclic voltammetry. We also demonstrate that the through‐space interaction of organic radicals within the self‐assembled coordination cage can be controlled by external stimuli such as heat or pH.