Abstract:
The nucleation and growth properties of domains of molecules of the same state in open boundary
three-dimensional (3D) spin-crossover systems of various shapes are discussed within the framework of the
mechanoelastic model. The molecules are situated on face-centered-cubic lattices and are linked by springs
through which they interact. Monte Carlo simulations imply that clusters nucleate from corners in the case of
systems having well-developed faces and from kinks in the case of spherical samples, in accordance with available
experimental data. In addition, a method to characterize the cooperativity in these systems is proposed, which by
scanning the fluctuations in the 3D samples can be related directly to powder x-ray-diffraction experiments
Abstract:
The kinetic lability of hexadentate gallium-based tripods is sufficient to ensure thermodynamic self-assembly of luminescent heterodimetallic [GaLn(L3)3]6+ helicates on the hour time scale, where Ln is a trivalent 4f-block cation. The inertness is however large enough for preserving the triple-helical structure when [GaLn(L3)3]6+ is exposed to lanthanide exchange. The connection of a second gallium-based tripod further slows down the exchange processes to such an extent that spectroscopically active [CrErCr(L4)3]9+ can be diluted into closed-shell [GaYGa(L4)3]9+ matrices without metal scrambling. This feature is exploited for pushing molecular-based energy transfer upconversion (ETU) at room temperature.
Abstract:
Chiral metal dithiolene complexes represent a family of chiral precursors, which can give rise to molecular materials with properties resulting from the interplay of chirality with conductivity, magnetism, and photophysics. We describe herein the first examples of chiral metal diimine dithiolene complexes, by the use of a platinum(II) centre coordinated by 2,2’-bipyridine and helicene-dithiolene ligands. Straightforward synthesis of racemic and enantiopure complexes allows the preparation of luminescent Pt(bipy) [4] and [6]helicene compounds for which the solid-state structure was determined as well. TD-DFT calculations support the assignment of the low energy bands observed in the UV-vis absorption spectra as mixed metal-ligand-to-ligand charge transfer transitions and confirm that the emission band results from the T1 excited state. Interestingly the enantiopure [6]helicene complexes show CPL activity at room temperature in acetonitrile solutions with anisotropy factors of 3×10-4.
Abstract:
Compared with divalent ruthenium coordination complexes, which are widely exploited as parts of multi-component photonic devices, optically active trivalent chromium complexes are under-represented in multi-metallic supramolecular architectures performing energy conversion because of the tricky preparation of stable heteroleptic CrIII building blocks. We herein propose a kind of remedy with the synthesis of a novel family of kinetically inert hetereloptic bis-terdentate mononuclear complexes, which can be incorporated into dinuclear rod-like diads as a proof-of-concept. The mechanism and magnitude of intermetallic Cr···Cr communications have been unraveled by a combination of magnetic, photophysical and thermodynamic investigations. Alternated aromatic/alkyne connectors provided by Sonogashira coupling reactions emerge as the most efficient wires for long-distance communication between two chromium centres bridged by Janus-type back-to-back bis-terdentate receptors.
Abstract:
K3Fe(CN)6 reacts with the viologen 1,1′-bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-4,4′-bipyridinium dication, (DNP)2+, to form a supramolecular complex, (DNP)3[Fe(CN)6]2·10H2O (1). The crystal structure of 1 reveals that there are two [Fe(CN)6]3– anions within an organic framework of three (DNP)2+ cations with the shortest Fe(III)···Fe(III) distances of ca. 9.8 Å, distances that minimize extensive long-range magnetic exchange coupling interactions between the [Fe(CN)6]3– anions, and, thus, 1 is paramagnetic above ca. 17 K and exhibits weak ferromagnetic coupling between 17 and 3 K and antiferromagnetic coupling between 3 and 1.8 K. The long Fe(III)···Fe(III) distances permit slow spin–spin and slow spin–lattice paramagnetic relaxation, relative to the iron-57 Larmor precession frequency, as is evidenced by the Mössbauer spectra measured between 3 and 60 K; between 85 and 295 K, rapid paramagnetic relaxation is observed. Both the slow spin–spin and slow spin–lattice relaxation are mediated by the organic, π-conjugated viologen cations. The Fe–C distances, the Mössbauer isomer shifts, the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility, and the 3 K magnetization results all indicate the presence of low-spin Fe(III) ions in the [Fe(CN)6]3– anions in 1. There is no unequivocal indication of the presence of any formal electron delocalization or transfer from the [Fe(CN)6]3– anion to the (DNP)2+ cations in the results obtained from X-ray crystallography, magnetic measurements, and Mössbauer spectra. Because of enhancement of the spin–orbit coupling by the heavy-atom or -ion effect, the Fe(III) ions in the [Fe(CN)6]3– anions interact with the (DNP)2+ cations, causing them to fluoresce with increasing intensity upon cooling from 90 to 25 K when excited at 300 nm. The resulting luminescence of the viologen (DNP)2+ cation induced by the [Fe(CN)6]3– anions indicates the presence of significant mixing of the molecular orbitals derived from the [Fe(CN)6]3– anions and the molecular orbitals associated with the (DNP)2+ cations to yield bonding supramolecular orbitals in 1, a mixing that is also observed between 50 and 3 K in the temperature dependence of the isomer shift of 1.
Abstract:
We propose a simple method for predicting the spin state of homoleptic complexes of the Fe(II) d6 ion with chelating diimine ligands. The approach is based on the analysis of a single metric parameter within a free (noncoordinated) ligand: the interatomic separation between the N-donor metal-binding sites. An extensive analysis of existing complexes allows the determination of critical N···N distances that dictate the regions of stability for the high-spin and low-spin complexes, as well as the intermediate range in which the magnetic bistability (spin crossover) can be observed. The prediction has been tested on several complexes that demonstrate the validity of our method.
Abstract:
Introduction of heterocycles in the helical skeleton of helicenes allows modulation of their redox, chiroptical and photophysical properties. Herein, we describe the straightforward preparation and structural characterization by single crystal X-ray diffraction of thiadiazole-[7]helicene, which has been resolved into (M) and (P) enantiomers by chiral HPLC, together with its S-shaped double [4]helicene isomer, as well as the smaller congeners thiadiazole-[5]helicene and benzothiadiazole-anthracene. A copper(II) complex with two thiadiazole-[5]helicene ligands has been structurally characterized and it shows the presence of both (M) and (P) isomers coordinated to the metal centre. The emission properties of the unprecedented heterohelicenes are highly dependent on the helical turn, as the [7]- and [5]helicene are poorly emissive, whereas their isomers, that is, the S-shaped double [4]helicene and thiadiazole-benzanthracene, are luminescent, with quantum efficiencies of 5.4% and 6.5%, respectively. DFT calculations suggest a quenching of the luminescence of enantiopure [7]helicenes through an intersystem crossing mechanism arising from the relaxed excited S1 state.
Abstract:
Ultrafast time-resolved infrared spectroscopy of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ (bpy = 2,2’-bipyridine), [Ru(mbpy)3]2+ (mbpy = 6-methyl-2,2’-bipyridine), and [Ru(mphen)3]2+ (mphen = 2-methyl-1,10’-phenanthroline) in deuterated acetonitrile serves to elucidate the evolution of the system following pulsed excitation into the 1MLCT band at 400 nm. Whereas for [Ru(bpy)3]2+ no intermediate state can be evidenced for the relaxation of the corresponding 3MLCT state back to the ground state, for [Ru(mbpy)3]2+ and [Ru(mphen)3]2+ an intermediate state with a lifetime of about 400 ps is observed. The species associated IR difference spectra of this state are in good agreement with the calculated difference spectra of the lowest energy 3dd state using DFT. The calculated potential energy curves for all the complexes in the triplet manifold along the metal-ligand distance show that for [Ru(bpy)3]2+ the 3dd state is at higher energy than the 3MLCT state and that there is a substantial barrier between the two minima. For [Ru(mbpy)3]2+ and [Ru(mphen)3]2+, the 3dd state is at lower energy than the 3MLCT state.
Abstract:
The manganese-nitronyl-nitroxide two dimensional coordination polymer {[Mn2(NITIm)3]ClO4}n (1) (NITImH = 2-(2-imidazolyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-3-oxide-1-oxyl) undergoes an unusual hysteretic thermoinduced valence tautomeric transition near room temperature, during which the manganese(II) ions are oxidized to manganese(III) and two of the three deprotonated radicals (NITIm-) are reduced to their diamagnetic aminoxyl form (denoted NITImRed2-). Upon cooling, the high-temperature species {[MnII2(NITIm)3]ClO4}n (1HT) turns into the low-temperature species {[MnIII2(NITImRed)2(NITIm)]ClO4}n (1LT) around 274 K, while on heating the process is reversed at about 287 K. This valence tautomeric phenomenon is supported by temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), crystal structure determination, UV-vis absorption, X-ray absorption (XAS) an emission (XES) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopies in the solid-state.
Abstract:
Optical spectroscopy of transition metal complexes plays an important role in establishing excited state electronic and nuclear structures and thus in the elucidation of the multitude of photophysical and photochemical relaxation processes. The most important advances in this area of research over the past decade are due to the development of new experimental techniques such as ultrafast spectroscopy as well as structure determination in conjunction with other methods such as high pressure and variable temperature techniques. In this contribution, several paradigmatic systems, namely of complexes if chromium(III), iron(II), ruthenium(II), nickel(II), platinum(II) and palladium(II), are discussed with regard to their excited electronic and nuclear structures and photophysical relaxation processes.
Abstract:
Considered at the beginning of the 21th century as being incompatible with the presence of closely bound high-energy oscillators, lanthanide-centered superexcitation, which is the raising of an already excited electron to an even higher level by excited-state energy absorption, is therefore a very active topic strictly limited to the statistical doping of low-phonon bulk solids and nanoparticles. We show here that molecular lanthanide-containing coordination complexes may be judiciously tuned to overcome these limitations and to induce near-infrared (NIR)-to-visible (VIS)-light upconversion via the successive absorption of two low-energy photons using linear-optical responses. Whereas single-ion-centered excited-state absorption mechanisms remain difficult to implement in lanthanide complexes, the skillful design of intramolecular intermetallic energy-transfer processes operating in multimetallic architectures is at the origin of the recent programming of erbium-centered molecular upconversion.
Abstract:
Here we reproduce the static and dynamical properties of spin-crossover complexes in the framework of the mechanoelastic model applied to triangular lattices. The switching processes between the high-spin and low-spin states are studied by combining the Monte Carlo method with the elastic lattice relaxation. The transition probabilities between the two states take into account intrinsic parameters, the values of which are approximated from experimental quantities (e.g., the energy gap, and the degeneracy ratio from the thermodynamic enthalpy and the entropy difference between the states), and the elastic force or elastic energy stored in the springs connecting the spin-changing centres. The value of the corresponding spring constant is estimated from the experimentally determined variation of the ligand-field strengths in the two spin states due to the cooperativity and the bulk modulus. Both simulated hysteresis loops and relaxation curves are in agreement with experimental data. Cooperativity related phenomena such as like-spin domain formation and the evolution of the interaction distribution with the HS fraction are also analysed.
Abstract:
Size-controlled nanocrystals (140 nm and 670 nm) and microcrystals (2.5 mm) of the three-dimensional oxalate network [Ru(bpy)3][NaCr(ox)3], ox = oxalate, bpy = 2,2’-bipyridine, were prepared by the reverse micelle technique. The photo-physical properties of the [Cr(ox)3]3- chromophores in the nanocrystals at low temperatures are significantly different from those of the same chromophore in 4 mm crystallites prepared by fast precipitation. For the latter, the absorption in the region of the R lines of the 4A2 → 2E transition is characterized by a sharp doublet. For the nanocrystals the inhomogeneous broadening of the two lines is considerably larger with tails on the low-energy side. Whereas the 4 mm crystallites at low temperatures just show equally sharp emission from the R1 line, the emission intensity from the nanocrystallites is shifted into the low-energy tail. Time resolved fluorescence line narrowing spectra and luminescence decay curves demonstrate that this is due to efficient directional energy migration from the center of the nanocrystals towards the surface
Abstract:
Among the different potential hydrogen storage materials, borohydrides have been largely investigated because of their high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen content. In the analysis of borohydrides, vibrational spectroscopy plays an important role since it gives information on the local structure of the BH4– ion inside the solid. Here the GF method, developed by Wilson, is used in order to determine the local symmetry of BH4– in solid borohydrides starting from their vibrational spectra. Two different cases of deformations of BH4– are considered. In the first case, the effects of small angular variations on the vibrational spectra of borohydrides will be taken into account; starting from the splitting of the bands corresponding to the deformation modes, the angular deformations will be estimated. In the second one, the BH4– under chemical pressure (in different cubic alkali halides) is considered; in this case, the symmetry of the BH4– remains Td, while the bond lengths change according to the pressure experienced. Different practical examples will be illustrated.
Abstract:
The location of the Pd atoms in Pd2Au36(SC2H4Ph)24, is studied both experimentally and theoretically. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicates oxidized Pd atoms. Palladium K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) data clearly show Pd-S bonds, which is supported by far infrared spectroscopy. By comparing theoretical EXAFS spectra in R space and circular dichroism spectra of the staple, surface and core doped structures with experimental spectra.
Abstract:
This work shows that the operation of near-infrared to visible light-upconversion in a discrete molecule is not limited to non-linear optical processes, but may result from superexcitation processes using linear optics. The design of nine-coordinate metallic sites made up of neutral N-heterocyclic donor atoms in kinetically inert dinuclear [GaEr(L1)3]6+ and trinuclear [GaErGa(L2)3]9+ helicates leads to [ErN9] chromophores displaying unprecedented dual visible nanosecond Er(4S3/2→4I15/2) and near-infrared microsecond Er(4I13/2→4I15/2) emissive components. Attempts to induce one ion excited-state absorption (ESA) upconversion upon near-infrared excitation of these complexes failed because of the too-faint Er-centred absorption cross sections. The replacement of the trivalent gallium cation with a photophysically-tailored pseudo-octahedral [CrN6] chromophore working as a sensitizer for trivalent erbium in [CrEr(L1)3]6+ improves the near-infrared excitation efficiency, leading to the observation of a weak energy transfer upconversion (ETU). The connection of a second sensitizer in [CrErCr(L2)3]9+ generates a novel mechanism for upconversion, in which the superexcitation process is based on the CrIII-sensitizers. Two successive Cr→Er energy transfer processes (concerted-ETU) compete with a standard Er-centred ETU, and a gain in upconverted luminescence by a factor larger than statistical values is predicted and observed.
Abstract:
The Hoffman-type coordination compound [Fe(pz)Pt(CN)4]⋅2.6 H2O (pz=pyrazine) shows a cooperative thermal spin transition at around 270 K. Synchrotron powder X-Ray diffraction studies reveal that a quantitative photoinduced conversion from the low-spin (LS) state into the high-spin (HS) state, based on the light-induced excited spin-state trapping effect, can be achieved at 10 K in a microcrystalline powder. Time-resolved measurements evidence that the HS→LS relaxation proceeds by a two-step mechanism: a random HS→LS conversion at the beginning of the relaxation is followed by a nucleation and growth process, which proceeds until a quantitative HS→LS transformation has been reached.
Abstract:
Bis(thiomethyl)- and bis(thiohexyl)-tetrathiafulvalene-bromo-benzothiadiazoles, containing electron donor tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and electron acceptor benzothiadiazole (BTD) units, have been prepared by Stille coupling reactions between the TTF-SnMe3 precursors and BTD-Br2. In another series of experiments, TTF-acetylene-BTD compounds have been synthesized by Sonogashira coupling between either TTF-acetylenes and BTD-Br2 in low yields, or TTF-iodine and BTD-acetylene in moderate yields. In the compound TTF-C≡C-BTD the TTF and BTD units are coplanar in the solid state, as shown by the single crystal X-ray structure, and there is segregation in the packing between the donor and acceptor units. All the derivatives have good electron donor properties, as determined by cyclic voltammetry measurements, and they can also be reversibly reduced thanks to the presence of the BTD moiety. UV-visible spectroscopy and photophysical investigations show the presence of an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) band and an emission band originating from the charge transfer. Both the absorption and the emission are modulated by the substitution scheme and the insertion of the acetylenic bridge.
Abstract:
Characterizing structural distortions in the metastable spin states of d4–d7 transition metal ion complexes is crucial to understand the nature of their bistability and eventually control their switching dynamics. In particular, the impact of the Jahn–Teller effect needs to be assessed for any electronic configuration that could be effectively degenerate, as in e.g. the high-spin (HS) manifold of highly symmetric homoleptic FeII complexes. However, capturing its manifestations remains challenging since crystallization generally alters the molecular conformations and their interconversion. With the rapid progress of ultrafast X-ray absorption spectroscopy, it is now possible to collect data with unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio, opening up for detailed structural characterization of transient species in the homogeneous solution phase. By combining the analysis of picosecond X-ray absorption spectra with DFT simulations, the structure of the photoinduced HS state is elucidated for solvated [Fe(terpy)2]2+ (terpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine). This species can be viewed as the average 5B structure in D2 symmetry that originates from a dynamic Jahn–Teller effect in the HS manifold. These results evidence the active role played by this particular instance of vibronic coupling in the formation of the HS state for this benchmark molecule. Ultimately, correlating the interplay between intramolecular and intermolecular degrees of freedom to conformational strain and distortions in real time should contribute to the development of advanced functionalities in transition metal ion complexes.
Abstract:
Size-controlled micro- and nanocrystals of a [Ru(bpy)3][NaCr(ox)3] coordination network are prepared using reverse micelles. Compared with the bulk reference, the 2E emission of the Cr(III) ions indicates an efficient directional energy migration toward the surface of the nanocrystals.