Generation and characterisation of the phenoxyl-radical containing Cu(ii) complex [Cu(triaz)(2)](+) (triaz(-) = O,N chelating triazole-phenolate)

The new copper complex [Cu(triaz)(2)] (Htriaz = 2,4-di-(tert-butyl)-6-(5-chloro-2H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazol-2-yl)phenol) was investigated in detail by single crystal XRD, EPR-, UV/Vis-absorption-, CV-, and spectroelectrochemistry. The oxidised species [Cu(triaz)(2)](+) was characterised by UV/Vis spectroelectrochemistry and contains a phenoxyl-radical bound to Cu(ii). This quite stable species was chemically generated by two different methods: aerial oxidation of a Cu(i) precursor in the presence of Htriaz (and base) or from [Cu(triaz)(2)] by adding a Cu(ii) salt (disproportionation). The efficiency for the latter reaction has been studied by UV/Vis spectroscopy, XAS and catalytic test reactions (oxidation of benzyl alcohol).     

Oxido-pincer complexes of copper(II) - An EXAFS and EPR study of mono- and binuclear [(pydotH2)CuCl2]n (n = 1 or 2)

The oxido-pincer ligand pydotH₂ (2,6-bis(1-hydroxy-1-o-tolyl-ethyl-η²O,O′)pyridine) forms two different Cu^II containing complexes when prepared from anhydrous CuCl₂. A combination of EPR spectroscopy and EXAFS allowed to structurally characterise the light-green dimer of the formula [(pydotH₂)CuCl(μ-Cl)₂ClCu(pydotH₂)] and the penta-coordinate olive-green monomer [(pydotH₂)CuCl₂]. The molecular entities imply that the ligand remains protonated upon coordination. When dissolved in DMF both compounds form monomeric species [(pydotH₂)CuCl₂(DMF)] which could be characterised in detail by EPR, UV-Vis/NIR spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements. The assignments were supported by comparison with Cu^II complexes of the related ligands 2,6-bis(hydroxymethyl)pyridine (pydimH₂) and 2,6-bis(1-hydroxy-1-methyl)pyridine (pydipH₂).     

Optomechanical self-channeling of light in a suspended planar dual-nanoweb waveguide

It is shown that optomechanical forces can cause nonlinear self-channeling of light in a planar dual-slab waveguide. A system of two parallel silica nanowebs, spaced ~100 nm and supported inside a fiber capillary, is studied theoretically and an iterative scheme developed to analyze its nonlinear optomechanical properties. Steady-state field distributions and mechanical deformation profiles are obtained, demonstrating that self-channeling is possible in realistic structures at launched powers as low as a few mW. The differential optical nonlinearity of the self-channeled mode can be as much as 10×10(6) times higher than the corresponding electronic Kerr nonlinearity. It is also intrinsically broadband, does not utilize resonant effects, can be viewed as a consequence of the extreme nonlocality of the mechanical response, and in fact is a notable example of a so-called accessible soliton.