Understanding the two-step spin-transition phenomenon in Iron(II) 1D chain materials

Three analogous one dimensional (1D) polymeric iron(II) spin crossover (SCO) materials containing the new ligand 4,6-bis(2',2'-pyridyl)pyrazine (bdpp) have been comprehensively characterised magnetically (thermal and light-induced) and structurally. Within this series are two polymorphs of the formula [Fe(NCS)(2)(bdpp)], 1 and 2 a, which differ magnetically in that phase 1 undergoes a full two-step SCO (T(1/2(1))=135 K and T(1/2(2))=90 K) whereas phase 2 a remains high spin (HS) over all temperatures. The central distinction between these two materials lies in the presence of intermolecular pi-pi interactions generated by the crystal packing in 1, which are absent in 2 a. The isostructural selenocyanate analogue of 2 a, [Fe(NCSe)(2)(bdpp)], 2 b, undergoes a full two-step SCO (T(1/2(1))=200 K and T(1/2(2))=125 K). Structural analyses of 1 and 2 b at a range of temperatures provide deep insight into their two-step SCO nature. Structural analysis of 1 at 25 K (1(LS-LS)), 123 K (1(LS-HS)) and 250 K (1(HS-HS)) reveals two distinct iron(II) centres at each temperature, with ordered, alternating HS and LS (low spin) sites at the intermediate plateau (IP) temperatures. In contrast, structural analysis of 2 b at 90 K (2 b(LS)), 150 K (2 b(LS/HS)) and 250 K (2 b(HS)) reveals one unique iron(II) centre at each temperature with an "averaged" LS/HS character at the IP temperature. Weak planes of diffuse scattering in the single-crystal X-ray diffraction patterns were observed for this phase at 90 and 150 K, indicating that 1D long range ordering of alternating HS/LS iron(II) centres occurs along the 1D coordination chains, but that there is no correlation between chains. The lack of observable diffuse scattering at 250 K suggests that the onset of the 1D structural ordering in the chain direction corresponds to the first step of the SCO and that this structural transition is electronically driven. The photomagnetic properties of both 1 and 2 b have been investigated and show approximately 62 and 53 % photo-excitation of a HS metastable state at low temperatures and T(LIESST) values of 55 and 49 K, respectively. Relaxation studies on the HS fraction in 2 b fitted well to a stretched exponential model with kinetic parameters indicative of weak cooperativity.     

Inner-sphere oxidation of a ternary dipicolinatochromium(III) complex involving a malonic acid co-ligand

The oxidation of a ternary complex of chromium(III), [Cr^III(DPA)(Mal)(H₂O)₂]^?, involving dipicolinic acid (DPA) as primary ligand and malonic acid (Mal) as co-ligand, was investigated in aqueous acidic medium. The periodate oxidation kinetics of [Cr^III(DPA)(Mal)(H₂O)₂]^? to give Cr(VI) under pseudo-first-order conditions were studied at various pH, ionic strength and temperature values. The kinetic equation was found to be as follows: \( {\text{Rate}} = {{\left[ {{\text{IO}}_{4}^{ - } } \right]\left[ {{\text{Cr}}^{\text{III}} } \right]_{\text{T}} \left( {{{k_{5} K_{5} + k_{6} K_{4} K_{6} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{k_{5} K_{5} + k_{6} K_{4} K_{6} } {\left[ {{\text{H}}^{ + } } \right]}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\left[ {{\text{H}}^{ + } } \right]}}} \right)} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\left[ {{\text{IO}}_{4}^{ - } } \right]\left[ {{\text{Cr}}^{\text{III}} } \right]_{\text{T}} \left( {{{k_{5} K_{5} + k_{6} K_{4} K_{6} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{k_{5} K_{5} + k_{6} K_{4} K_{6} } {\left[ {{\text{H}}^{ + } } \right]}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\left[ {{\text{H}}^{ + } } \right]}}} \right)} {\left\{ {\left( {\left[ {{\text{H}}^{ + } } \right] + K_{4} } \right) + \left( {K_{5} \left[ {{\text{H}}^{ + } } \right] + K_{6} K_{4} } \right)\left[ {{\text{IO}}_{4}^{ - } } \right]} \right\}}}} \right. \kern-0pt} {\left\{ {\left( {\left[ {{\text{H}}^{ + } } \right] + K_{4} } \right) + \left( {K_{5} \left[ {{\text{H}}^{ + } } \right] + K_{6} K_{4} } \right)\left[ {{\text{IO}}_{4}^{ - } } \right]} \right\}}} \) where k ₆ (3.65 × 10^?3 s^?1) represents the electron transfer reaction rate constant and K ₄ (4.60 × 10^?4 mol dm^?3) represents the dissociation constant for the reaction \( \left[ {{\text{Cr}}^{\text{III}} \left( {\text{DPA}} \right)\left( {\text{Mal}} \right)\left( {{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}} \right)_{2} } \right]^{ - } \rightleftharpoons \left[ {{\text{Cr}}^{\text{III}} \left( {\text{DPA}} \right)\left( {\text{Mal}} \right)\left( {{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}} \right)\left( {\text{OH}} \right)} \right]^{2 - } + {\text{H}}^{ + } \) and K ₅ (1.87 mol^?1 dm³) and K ₆ (22.83 mol^?1 dm³) represent the pre-equilibrium formation constants at 30 °C and I = 0.2 mol dm^?3. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was found to enhance the reaction rate, whereas sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) had no effect. The thermodynamic activation parameters were estimated, and the oxidation is proposed to proceed via an inner-sphere mechanism involving the coordination of IO₄ ^? to Cr(III).     

Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of Arylazoaminopyrazoles as Disperse Dyes for Textile Printing

The synthesis of heterocyclic azo‐dyes via conventional heating and microwave (MW) heating was investigated. From a sequence of reactions starting from cyanoacetic acid, 4‐arylazo‐2H‐pyrazol‐3‐ylamines and 4‐arylazo‐2‐phenyl‐2H‐pyrazol‐3‐ylamines were obtained. The structures these compounds were obtained by inspection of spectroscopic and analytical techniques including ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The fastness properties and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopic data of these disperse dyes in printing polyester fabrics were investigated.     

A sensitive nitrite sensor using an electrode consisting of reduced graphene oxide functionalized with ferrocene

A composite consisting of chitosan containing azidomethylferrocene covalently immobilized on sheets of reduced graphene oxide was drop-casted on a polyester support to form a screen-printed working electrode that is shown to enable the determination of nitrite by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Both reduction and oxidation of nitrite can be accomplished due to the high electron-transfer rate of this electrode. Under optimal experimental conditions (i.e. an applied potential of 0.7 V vs. Ag/AgCl in pH 7.0 solution), the calibration plot is linear in the 2.5 to 1450 μM concentration range, with an ~0.35 μM limit of detection (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The sensor was successfully applied to the determination of nitrite in spiked mineral water samples, with recoveries ranging between 95 and 101 %.

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Graphical abstract We describe the design of ferrocene-functionalized reduced graphene oxide electrode and its electrocatalytic properties towards the determination of nitrite. Compared to a reduced graphene oxide electrode, the sensor exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards both oxidation and reduction of nitrite.

     

Superb hydroxyl radical-mediated biocidal effect induced antibacterial activity of tuned ZnO/chitosan type II heterostructure under dark

Journal of Nanoparticle Research - With the widespread use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) human exposure is inevitable, but the exposure data on TiO2 are still limited. This study adopted off-line...     

Ultrathin Fe‐N‐C Nanosheets Coordinated Fe‐Doped CoNi Alloy Nanoparticles for Electrochemical Water Splitting

The development of highly active and cost‐effective catalyst materials toward electrochemical water splitting is of great importance for converting and storing the intermittent solar energy in the form of hydrogen. Herein, for the first time, an ultrathin Fe and N‐co‐doped carbon nanosheet encapsulated Fe‐doped CoNi alloy nanoparticle (FeCoNi@FeNC) composite is obtained and applied as a bifunctional catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This catalyst exhibits prominent catalytic performances for both HER and OER, which only requires overpotentials of 102 and 330 mV, respectively, to reach a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 in alkaline media. The high catalytic activity is intrinsically associated with the presence of Fe in both nanosheets and nanoparticles, which has triggered the occurrence of coordinative effects between Fe‐N‐C and FeCoNi that are beneficial for HER and OER, as revealed by electrochemical techniques. In an overall water splitting electrolyzer, FeCoNi@FeNC is employed as both the cathode and anode catalysts, achieving 12 mA cm^?2 at 1.63 V for a duration of more than 12 h.     

Identification and quantification of diethylene glycol contamination in glycerine raw material

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was successfully used for quantitative determination of diethylene glycol in glycerin raw material. In addition to the pure samples of both diethylene glycol and glycerin, nine binary mixtures of the two components with mixing ratios ranging from (70 to 98)%wt were created and studied as a training set. Glycerine showed, thereby, characteristic infrared bands at 1110, 992, 974, and 922?cm^?1 while those of diethylene glycol appear at 1085, 887, and 881?cm^?1. The quantitative determination of diethylene glycol in binary mixtures with glycerin was achieved upon using the absorbance difference between the 992?cm^?1 and the 881?cm^?1 as well as between 1110 and 1085?cm^?1 bands. With an average %error of 0.60 and 1.74, respectively and a limit of detection down to 0.85%, the created calibration curves from the training set were applied successfully to determine the composition of another eight binary mixtures of the two materials representing a validation set. The method was also applied to aqueous solutions of diethylene glycol and glycerin that contains (25 and 50)%wt water. Once more, training and validation sets of mixtures with different diethylene glycol and glycerin ratios at the two water percentages were prepared and measured. Again, successful determination of diethylene glycol in these aqueous solutions was achieved with an average %error of 0.92 and 0.47, respectively.