Relativistic effects in spectroscopy and photophysics of heavy-metal complexes illustrated by spin–orbit calculations of [Re(imidazole)(CO)3(phen)]+

Spin–orbit coupling (SOC) is an essential factor in photophysics of heavy transition metal complexes. By enabling efficient population of the lowest triplet state and its strong emission, it gives rise to a very interesting photophysical behavior and underlies photonic applications such as organic light emitting diodes (OLED) or luminescent imaging agents. SOC affects excited-state characters, relaxation dynamics, radiative and nonradiative decay pathways, as well as lifetimes and reactivity. We present a new photophysical model based on mixed-spin states, illustrated by relativistic spin–orbit TDDFT and MS-CASPT2 calculations of [Re(imidazole)(CO)₃(1,10-phenanthroline)]⁺. An excited-state scheme is constructed from spin–orbit (SO) states characterized by their energies, double-group symmetries, parentages in terms of contributing spin-free singlets and triplets, and oscillator strengths of corresponding transitions from the ground state. Some of the predictions of the relativistic SO model on the number and nature of the optically populated and intermediate excited states are qualitatively different from the spin-free model. The relativistic excited-state model accounts well for electronic absorption and emission spectra of Re^I carbonyl diimines, as well as their complex photophysical behavior. Then, we discuss the SO aspects of photophysics of heavy metal complexes from a broader perspective. Qualitative SO models as well as previous relativistic excited-state calculations are briefly reviewed together with experimental manifestations of SOC in polypyridine and cyclometallated complexes of second- and third row d⁶ metals. It is shown that the relativistic SO model can provide a comprehensive and unifying photophysical picture.     

Use of disposable open tubular ion exchange pre-columns for in-line clean-up of serum and plasma samples prior to capillary electrophoretic analysis of inorganic cations

A simple analytical system using disposable, open-tubular ion exchange clean-up precolumns coupled in-line to capillary electrophoresis for direct injection of biological samples is presented. The clean-up precolumns were prepared from fused silica capillaries by thermally initiated layer-by-layer polymerization of poly(butadiene-maleic acid) (PBMA) directly on the capillary wall. Typically, 6 cm long precolumns with 4-layers of PBMA were used for sample pretreatment. A robust and reproducible coupling between the precolumn (75 μm ID) and the analytical capillary (50 μm ID) was achieved using an inexpensive, commercially available low dead volume union. No extra dispersion of the analyte zones was observed. Proteins and other high molecular weight compounds from biological sample matrices were retained on the cation-exchanger sites of the precolumn, which eliminated their adsorption on analytical capillary walls and ensured stable electroosmotic flow and migration times of target analytes. Unretained small inorganic cations migrated freely into the analytical capillary for separation and detection. Applicability of the sample clean-up procedure was proved by determination of major inorganic cations in blood serum and plasma samples using capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection. Separations were performed in background electrolyte solution consisting of 15 mM L-arginine, 12.5 mM maleic acid, 3 mM 18-crown-6 at pH 5.5 and repeatabilities of migration times and peak areas were below 1.5% and 7.3%, respectively. Less than 1 μL of biological sample was required for injection.     

Retention behaviour of imidazolium ionic liquid cations on 1.7 μm ethylene bridged hybrid silica column using acetonitrile-rich and water-rich mobile phases

The potential of 1.7 μm ethylene bridged hybrid silica phase was investigated for the separation of twelve imidazolium-based ionic liquid cations. U-shaped retention profile was observed for all solutes with an increase in retention at both low and high acetonitrile content. Chromatographic behaviour of imidazolium cations in both hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and per aqueous liquid chromatography (PALC) modes was studied by varying key parameters such as buffer concentration and pH, acid additive, organic modifier and column temperature. Experimental data provided some evidences that under PALC conditions cationic solutes are retained predominantly by mixed hydrophobic/ion-exchange interactions. In the HILIC mode, both partitioning and ion-exchange interactions are responsible for the retention of solutes. Compared to PALC, HILIC provided significantly higher efficiencies with less or even no peak tailing, better separation selectivity and greater resistance to overload. In PALC mode gradient elution was required to achieve adequate retentivity of all solutes but selectivity was not sufficient to distinguish between solutes with very similar hydrophobicity. In contrast, under HILIC conditions twelve solutes were almost completely resolved in less than 4 min by using isocratic elution. Summarizing, it could be concluded that ethylene bridged hybrid silica column providing a dual retention mechanism offers the possibility of selecting between the two retention modes with opposite separation selectivity, just by changing the composition of the mobile phase.     

Enhanced comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatographic resolution of polychlorinated biphenyls on a non-polar polysiloxane and an ionic liquid column series

A total of 196 out of 209 polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) congeners were resolved using GC×GC-TOFMS with a non-polar/ionic liquid column series consisting of poly(50%-n-octyl-50%-methyl)siloxane and (1,12-di(tripropylphosphonium)dodecane bis(trifluoromethansulfonyl)amide) in the first and second dimension, respectively. It has been found that 13 PCB congeners overlap in five doublets (CB12+CB13, CB62+CB75, CB70+CB76, CB97+CB125 and CB153+CB168) and one triplet (CB90+CB101+CB113). All toxic, "dioxin like" congeners were separated with no interferences from any PCB congener. The 109 PCBs present in Aroclor 1242 and the 82 PCBs present in Aroclor 1260 were resolved GC×GC-TOFMS analysis on this column set.     

On-line two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric determination of estrogens in sediments

The development of an on-line system for the simultaneous determination of α-estradiol, β-estradiol, estrone and 17α-ethynylestradiol in river sediments is described. The analytes were extracted from sediments by microwave-assisted extraction. A crude extract was directly analysed by a heart-cutting two dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography-ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry with an atmospheric pressure photoionization source operating in the positive mode. The method shows excellent performance in terms of accuracy, precision, and sensitivity. The accuracy of each estrogen was in the range of 98.8-107.1%. Intra-batch and inter-batch precisions were in the range of 6.2-7.0% and 8.3-9.5%, respectively. The limits of detection ranged from 90 to 250 pg g(-1). A significant reduction in the total analysis time and a reduction in sample manipulation are the main advantages of the proposed method. Finally, the method was applied on real sediment samples.     

Charging of silver bromide aqueous interface: Evaluation of enthalpy and entropy of interfacial reactions from surface potential data

Dependence of surface potential (electrostatic potential at the inner Helmholtz plane, Ψ(0)) at the silver bromide aqueous electrolyte interface was measured as a function of the activities of Br(-) and Ag(+) by using a single crystal silver bromide electrode (SCr-AgBr). Absolute values of surface potentials were obtained from electrode potentials of SCr-AgBr and isoelectric points. Measurements were performed at different temperatures in the range from 10 to 50°C. Corresponding equilibrium constants of interfacial reactions were obtained using the surface complexation model and interpreted via the van't Hoff equation. As a result of the interpretation for the binding of bromide ions leading to a negative surface charge, the thermodynamic parameters obtained were Δ(n)H(°)=-33kJmol(-1) and Δ(n)S(°)=-31Jmol(-1)K(-1); and for the binding of silver ions leading to a positive surface charge, Δ(p)H(°)=-72kJmol(-1) and Δ(p)S(°)=-196Jmol(-1)K(-1). Association of counterions (CI) with oppositely charged surface sites partially compensates the surface charge. Assuming approximately the same affinities for anions (NO(3)(-)) and cations (K(+)) thermodynamic parameters for their binding were obtained as Δ(CI)H(°)≈7kJmol(-1) and Δ(CI)S(°)≈105Jmol(-1)K(-1).     

Theoretical modeling of ionization energies of argon clusters: nuclear delocalization effects

Temperature dependence of vertical ionization energies is modeled for small argon clusters (N ≤ 13) using classical parallel-tempering Monte Carlo methods and extended interaction models based on the diatomics-in-molecules approach. Quantum effects at the zero temperature are also discussed in terms of zero-point nuclear vibrations, either at the harmonic approximation level or at the fully anharmonic level using the diffusion Monte Carlo calculations. Both approaches lead to a considerable improvement of the theoretical predictions of argon clusters ionization energies and represent a realistic way of modeling of ionization energies for weakly bound and floppy complexes in general. A thorough comparison with a recent electron-impact experiment [O. Echt et al., J. Chem. Phys. 123, 084313 (2005)] is presented and a novel interpretation of the experimental data is proposed.     

Photoinduced intramolecular tryptophan oxidation and excited-state behavior of [Re(L-AA)(CO)3(α-diimine)](+) (L = pyridine or imidazole, AA = tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine)

Re(I) carbonyl-diimine complexes [Re(L-AA)(CO)(3)(N,N)](+) (N,N = bpy, phen) containing an aromatic amino acid (AA), phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), or tryptophan (Trp), linked to Re by a pyridine-amido or imidazole-amido ligand L have been synthesized and their excited-state properties investigated by nanosecond time-resolved IR (TRIR) and emission spectroscopy. Near-UV optical excitation populates a Re(I)(CO)(3)→N,N (3)MLCT excited state *[Re(II)(L-AA)(CO)(3)(N,N(?-))](+). Decay to the ground state (50-300 ns lifetime) is the only excited-state deactivation process observed in the case of Phe and Tyr complexes, whereas the Trp-containing species undergo a Trp(indole)→*Re(II) electron transfer (ET) producing a charge-separated (CS) state, [Re(I)(L-Trp(?+))(CO)(3)(N,N(?-))](+). The ET occurs with a 8-40 ns lifetime depending on L, N,N, and the solvent. The CS state is characterized by ν(CO) IR bands shifted to lower wavenumbers from their respective ground-state positions and two bands at 1278 and 1497 cm(-1) tentatively attributed to Trp(?+). The amido bridge is affected by both the MLCT excitation and the subsequent ET, manifested by the shifts and intensity changes of the amide-I IR band at about 1680 cm(-1). The CS state decays to the ground state by a N,N(?-)→Trp(?+) back-ET the rates of which are comparable to those of the forward ET, 30-60 ns. This study independently demonstrates that Trp can act as an electron-hopping intermediate in photodriven ET systems based on Re-labeled proteins and supramolecules. Photoinduced ET in Trp-containing Re complexes also can be used to generate Trp(?+) and investigate its spectral properties and reactivity.     

Heterometallic Cu/Co and Cu/Co/Zn complexes bearing rare asymmetric tetranuclear cores: synthesis, structures, and magnetic and catalytic properties toward the peroxidative oxidation of cycloalkanes

The three novel heterometallic complexes [CuCo(III)Co(II)(2)(MeDea)(3)Cl(3)(CH(3)OH)(0.55)(H(2)O)(0.45)](H(2)O)(0.45) (1), [CuCo(III)Zn(2)(MeDea)(3)Cl(3)(CH(3)OH)(0.74)(H(2)O)(0.26)](H(2)O)(0.26) (2), and [CuCo(III)Zn(2)(MeDea)(3)Cl(3)(DMF)] (3) have been prepared using a one-pot reaction of copper powder with cobalt chloride (1) and zinc nitrate (2, 3) in a methanol (1, 2) or dimethylformamide (3) solution of N-methyldiethanolamine. A search of the Cambridge Structural Database shows that the tetranuclear asymmetric cores M(4)(μ(3)-X)(μ-X)(5) of 1-3 represent an extremely rare case of M(4)X(6) arrays. The magnetic investigations of 1 disclose antiferromagnetic coupling in a Co(II)-Cu(II)-Co(II) exchange fragment with J(Co-Cu)/hc = -4.76 cm(-1), J(Co-Co)/hc = -2.76 cm(-1), and D(Co)/hc = +34.3 cm(-1). Compounds 1-3 act as precursors for the mild peroxidative oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone with overall yields up to 23%. The synthetic and structural features as well as the thermogravimetric behavior and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry data are discussed.     

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at the limit of subfemtosecond natural lifetime

We present measurements of the resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra of the CH(3)I molecule in the hard-x-ray region near the iodine L(2) and L(3) absorption edges. We show that dispersive RIXS spectral features that were recognized as a fingerprint of dissociative molecular states can be interpreted in terms of ultrashort natural lifetime of ～200 attoseconds in the case of the iodine L-shell core-hole. Our results demonstrate the capacity of the RIXS technique to reveal subtle dynamical effects in molecules with sensitivity to nuclear rearrangement on a subfemtosecond time scale.