Noncovalent Axial I⋅⋅⋅Pt⋅⋅⋅I Interactions in Platinum(II) Complexes Strengthen in the Excited State

Coordination compounds of platinum(II) participate in various noncovalent axial interactions involving metal center. Weakly bound axial ligands can be electrophilic or nucleophilic; however, interactions with nucleophiles are compromised by electron density clashing. Consequently, simultaneous axial interaction of platinum(II) with two nucleophilic ligands is almost unprecedented. Herein, we report structural and computational study of a platinum(II) complex possessing such intramolecular noncovalent I⋅⋅⋅Pt⋅⋅⋅I interactions. Structural analysis indicates that the two iodine atoms approach the platinum(II) center in a “side-on” fashion and act as nucleophilic ligands. According to computational studies, the interactions are dispersive, weak and anti-cooperative in the ground electronic state, but strengthen substantially and become partially covalent and cooperative in the lowest excited state. Strengthening of I⋅⋅⋅Pt⋅⋅⋅I contacts in the excited state is also predicted for the sole previously reported complex with analogous axial interactions.     

Liposome electrokinetic capillary chromatography in the study of analyte-phospholipid membrane interactions. Application to pesticides and related compounds

Interactions between low-molar mass analytes and phospholipid membranes were studied by liposome electrokinetic capillary chromatography (LEKC). The analytes were pesticides, some degradation products, and compounds associated with the manufacture of pesticides. Negatively charged liposome dispersions with different zwitterionic lipids (PC) were applied to the determination of retention factors (k) of 15 charged and uncharged compounds. The liposome dispersions consisted of 80:20 mol% of 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC)/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine (POPS), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC)/POPS, and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC)/POPS. Retention factors were calculated from the effective electrophoretic mobilities of the analytes under LEKC and CZE conditions and from the effective electrophoretic mobilities of the liposomes, determined by CZE with a polyacrylamide-coated capillary. Determining the liposome mobilities in this way proved to be a good alternative to the conventional method employing a liposome marker compound. The log k values of the analytes for the different liposome dispersed phases were correlated with one another. In addition, correlation curves were determined between log k and calculated octanol-water partition coefficients. The results showed that the zwitterionic phospholipid in the liposome has a major impact on the interactions between the tested compounds and the lipid membranes.     

Structural and electronic trends in ortho-metalated dirhodium(II) complexes

Properties of chiral dirhodium catalysts with ortho-metalated aryl phosphine ligands have been studied by a computational quantum chemical density functional theory method. The main aim in the current work was to systematically modify the ligand core of the Rh₂(O₂C R)₂(PC)₂ catalysts (PC is ortho-metalated aryl phosphine) in order to find structural and electronic trends involved with the modifications. The strongest impact on the properties of the active rhodium site was found when electron-withdrawing groups were introduced in the ligand core. The computational approach offers a possibility for a stepwise study of the properties of the catalysts and therefore a tool for further design of the most effective structures.     

An alternative synthesis method for [Os(NN)(CO)(2)X(2)] complexes (NN = 2,2'-bipyridine, 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine; X = Cl, Br, I). Electrochemical and photochemical properties and behavior

A novel synthesis method is introduced for the preparation of [Os(NN)(CO)(2)X(2)] complexes (X = Cl, Br, I, and NN = 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) or 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine (dmbpy)). In the first step of this two-step synthesis, OsCl(3) is reduced in the presence of a sacrificial metal surface in an alcohol solution. The reduction reaction produces a mixture of trinuclear mixed metal complexes, which after the addition of bpy or dmbpy produce a trans(Cl)-[Os(NN)(CO)(2)Cl(2)] complex with a good 60-70% yield. The halide exchange of [Os(bpy)(CO)(2)Cl(2)] has been performed in a concentrated halidic acid (HI or HBr) solution in an autoclave, producing 30-50% of the corresponding complex. All of the synthesized trans(X)-[Os(bpy)(CO)(2)X(2)] (X = Cl, Br, I) complexes displayed a similar basic electrochemical behavior to that found in the ruthenium analog trans(Cl)-[Ru(bpy)(CO)(2)Cl(2)] studied previously, including the formation of an electroactive polymer [Os(bpy)(CO)(2)](n) during the two-electron electrochemical reduction. The absorption and emission properties of the osmium complexes were also studied. Compared to the ruthenium analogues, these osmium complexes display pronounced photoluminescence properties. The DFT calculations were made in order to determine the HOMO-LUMO gaps and to analyze the contribution of the individual osmium d-orbitals and halogen p-orbitals to the frontier orbitals of the molecules. The electrochemical and photochemical induced substitution reactions of carbonyl with the solvent molecule are also discussed.     

Isomerization processes on mixed ortho-metalated phosphine/succinimidato [Rh2(P(C5CH4)Ph2)2(OC4NH4O)2] complexes. A sliding movement of the succinimidato ligand

An improved preparation of mixed ortho-metalated phosphine/succinimidato dirhodium(II) complexes, [Rh2(P(C5CH4)Ph2)2(OC4NH4O)2], allowed the isolation and characterization of a new isomeric form having both imidato N donors trans to P, 1', that adds up to the two already known having both, 1, or only one, 2, of the imidato N donors trans to the metalated C (Chart 3). The new complex, 1', isomerizes to the thermodynamically stable complex 2 similarly to what had already been observed for isomer 1. Stoichiometric and kineticomechanistic studies of both isomerization processes have been carried out. The reactions have been shown to occur via an intramolecular dissociatively activated process, despite the involvement of the labile axial Rh2 coordination sites in the formation of intermolecular adducts in solution that do not affect the processes. Density functional theory calculations show two transition states with similar energies for the isomerizations, in very good agreement with the kineticomechanistic measurements. The calculation of the charge generation in the two distinct transition states, TS1 and TS1', indicates an important increase in the N negative charge from the reactants, more pronounced for TS1'. This fact agrees very well with the acceleration observed for the processes in polar solvents, especially for the 1' to 2 reaction, when compared that for the reactions carried out in toluene.     

Dirhodium(II) Compounds with Bridging Thienylphosphines: Studies on Reversible P,C/P,S Coordination

Monocyclometalated compound [Rh₂{(C₈H₄S)P(C₈H₅S)₂}(CH₃CO₂H)₂(O₂CCH₃)₃] ( 1 a ) and bis‐cyclometalated compound [Rh₂{(C₈H₄S)P(C₈H₅S)₂}₂(CH₃CO₂H)₂(O₂CCH₃)₂] ( 2 a ) have been isolated from the reaction of dirhodium tetraacetate and tris(2‐benzo[b]thienyl)phosphine ( 2 BTP ) using low acidic solutions. By contrast, in pure acetic acid the reaction of Rh₂(O₂CCH₃)₄ with 2 BTP and tris(2‐thienyl)phosphine ( 2 TP ), followed by replacement of the axial acetate ligands by chlorides, led to [Rh₂{(2‐C₈H₅ S )P(2‐C₈H₅S)₂}₂Cl₂(O₂CCH₃)₂] ( 3 b ) and [Rh₂{(2‐C₄H₃ S )P(C₄H₃S)₂}₂Cl₂(O₂CCH₃)₂] ( 5 b ), respectively. These new dirhodium(II) compounds possess equatorial bridging ligands in a phosphorous–sulfur (P,S) coordination mode. The reversible switching between the P,C and P,S bonding mode of the phosphine has been studied in the monocyclometalated [Rh₂{(C₄H₂S)P(C₄H₃S)₂}(CH₃CO₂H)₂(O₂CCH₃)₃] ( 6 a ), which was selectively transformed into compound [Rh₂{(2‐C₄H₃ S )P(C₄H₃S)₂}(CF₃SO₃)(CH₃CO₂H)(O₂CCH₃)₃] ( 7 c ) in triflic acid media. Remarkably, compound 7 c reverts to the starting compound 6 a upon treatment with sodium acetate. Theoretical DFT calculations for both the P,C/P,S rearrangement and the base‐promoted reversion have been performed to explain the experimental findings. Data suggest the P,C/P,S rearrangement occurs by means of a “concerted protonation–demetalation mechanism” followed by η² coordination of the thienyl ring and subsequent isomerization to the S‐η¹‐coordination mode. In the reversion reaction, the base coordinated at the axial position would promote a concerted metalation–deprotonation mechanism.     

Geometry prediction of bridged zirconocene dichlorides by quantum chemical methods

The ab initio Hartree–Fock theory has been demonstrated to give accurate geometry predictions for bridged zirconocene dichlorides. Equilibrium geometries of crystallographically characterized bridged zirconocene dichlorides were optimized by Hartree–Fock, MP2, BLYP, and B3LYP methods, with basis sets ranging from 3‐21G* to 6‐311G**. Selected geometrical parameters were compared with experimental crystal structures. The least expensive HF/3‐21G* method proved to be notably accurate. The accuracy of HF/3‐21G* was verified by a comprehensive data set of 62 bridged zirconocene dichlorides. Furthermore, experimental corrections were applied to the optimized geometry parameters to eliminate systematic deviations. Corrections resulted in considerably improved accuracy for systematically overestimated metal–ligand distances, with maximum deviation falling from 0.081 to 0.039 Å, and absolute average deviations from 0.048 to 0.012 Å. Ligand–metal–ligand angles were predicted accurately with absolute average deviations of 0.7–1.3°. Zirconium–chlorine distances and chlorine–zirconium–chlorine angles are relatively constant in the studied molecules. Zirconium–cyclopentadienyl distances can be influenced mainly by modifying the ligand structure, whereas cyclopentadienyl–zirconium– cyclopentadienyl angles and cyclopentadienyl–cyclopentadienyl plane angles can be controlled by bridge modifications. The HF/3‐21G* method can be applied for the estimation of steric effects in zirconocene catalyzed polymerization reactions, therefore being suitable for the construction of structure–polymerization property correlations. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 22: 51–64, 2001     

Effect of different anchoring groups on the adsorption of photoactive compounds on the anatase (101) surface

The effect of replacing the anchoring carboxylate groups in the Ru(H(2)dcbpy)(2)(NCS)(2) (H(2)dcbpy = 4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'- bipyridine) photoactive dye was studied by computational density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) methods. The main emphasis in the study was to compare a series of attaching groups, including COOH, B(OH)(2), PO(OH)(2), SO(2)(OH), OH, NO(2), and SiCl(3), by the relative adsorption strength and geometry of the sensitizer molecules on the anatase (101) surface. Additionally, the substituent effect on the absorption signals in simulated UV-vis spectra was calculated with isolated dye molecules. Most of the selected substituents produced only small changes in the absorption characteristics of the dyes. However, OH groups were found to show a quite large blue-shift compared to traditional COOH anchor groups in the simulated UV-vis spectra, while NO(2) groups had an opposite effect of red-shifting the signals. On the other hand, although the NO(2) substituents on the bipyridine ligands led to favorable absorption characteristics, the calculated adsorption strength of the NO(2)-substituted bipyridine models on the surface of anatase (101) was much smaller than that of the COOH-substituted one, indicating that larger modifications are necessary for both attaching the dye molecules on the surface and for tuning the absorption properties of photoactive compounds in the DSSC applications. The computational methods utilized here proved to be an efficient tool to study the effect of subtle structural changes on the properties of the dye molecules.     

Photoinduced synthesis and electrochemical properties of new ruthenium(mono)bipyridine dialkylcyanamide and propiononitrile complexes

Photochemical exchange of carbonyls was used to produce new ruthenium dialkylcyanamide and nitrile compounds [RuCl₂(bpy)(CO)(NCNMe₂)] (2), [RuCl₂(bpy)(CO)(NCNEt₂)] (3), and [RuCl₂(bpy)(CO)(NCEt)] (4) from trans(Cl)-[RuCl₂(bpy)(CO)₂] (1). The reaction energetics, steric effects and electronic effects induced by the dialkylcyanamide and nitrile ligands were studied using computational DFT methods and cyclic voltammetry. In all cases the photochemical exchange reaction favors rearrangement of the ligands and formation of the trans(Cl,L)-[RuCl₂(bpy)(CO)L] (L = NCNMe₂, NCNEt₂ or NCEt) isomer as the main products. The oxidation potential of the complexes decreases with the increase of the HOMO energy and of net electron-donor character of the ligands, the dialkylcyanamides (whose electrochemical Lever E_L ligand parameter has been estimated) behaving as stronger net electron donors than propiononitrile or CO. The electronic effect of the dialkylcyanamide and nitrile ligands is also reflected into the HOMO-LUMO energy difference, which is slightly reduced compared to the original dicarbonyl compound 1. The computational results show that the geometry of the isomer plays also an important role in the determination of orbital energies.     

Halogen bonding--a key step in charge recombination of the dye-sensitized solar cell

The halogen bonding between [Ru(dcbpy)(2)(SCN)(2)] dye and I(2) molecule has been studied. The ruthenium complex forms a stable [Ru(dcbpy)(2)(SCN)(2)]···I(2)·4(CH(3)OH) adduct via S···I interaction between the thiocyanate ligand and the I(2) molecule. The adduct can be seen as a model for one of the key intermediates in the regeneration cycle of the oxidized dye by the I(-)/I(3)(-) electrolyte in dye sensitized solar cells.