Analysis of aromatic compounds in the New Zealand manuka honey was carried out by solid phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 38 compounds were detected. Seven of them such as; 1,4-bis(x-methoxyphenyl)-but-2-en-1-one, 1,5-bis(x-methoxyphenyl)-pent-3-en-1-one, 1,4-bis(x-methoxyphenyl)-1-pentanone, 1,6-bis(x-methoxyphenyl)-3-heptene, 1,6-bis(x-methoxyphenyl)-hex-2(3 or 4)-en-1-one and 2(3, 4 or 5)-hydroxy-1,6-bis(x-methoxyphenyl)-1-hexanone, had never before been identified as natural products. Their structures were deduced from the mass spectral data. Seven other compounds; 2,3-dimethoxynaphthalene, 4-(x-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-1-butanone, desoxyanisoin, 2,6-dimethoxybenzoic acid benzyl ester, 4,4'-dimethoxystilbene, 3,3,4,5,5,8-hexamethyl-2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-s-indacene-1,7-dione and 1,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-pentane-1,5-dione, were found in honey for the first time. Methyl syringate, ortho-methoxyacetophenone and 3-phenyllactic acid were the most abundant components.

The ion pair of the stereolabile C₃-symmetric, i⁺o proton complex [1⋅H]⁺ of diaza-macropentacycle 1 and the configurationally stable Δ-TRISPHAT ([Δ-3]⁻) anion exists in the form of two diastereomers, namely, [Δ-(1⋅H)][Δ-3] and [Λ-(1⋅H)][Δ-3], the ratio of which, in terms of diastereomeric excess (de) decreases in the order [D₈]THF (28 %)>CD₂Cl₂ (22 %)>CDCl₃ (20 %)>[D₈]toluene (16 %)>C₆D₆ (7 %)>[D₆]acetone (0 %) at thermodynamic equilibrium. Except in the case of [D₆]acetone, the latter is reached after a period of time that increases from 1 h ([D₈]THF) to 24 h (CDCl₃). Moreover, the initial value of the de of [1⋅H][Δ-3] in CDCl₃, before the thermodynamic equilibrium is reached, depends on the solvent in which the sample has been previously equilibrated (sample “history”). This property has been used to show that the crystals of [1⋅H][Δ-3] formed by slow evaporation of CH₂Cl₂/CH₃OH mixtures had 100 % de, which indicates that [1⋅H][Δ-3] has enjoyed a crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation. Structural studies in solution (NMR spectroscopy) and in the gas phase by calculations at the semiempirical PM6 level of theory suggest that the optically active anion is docked on the i⁺ (endo) external side of the proton complex such that one of the aromatic rings of [Δ-3]⁻ is inserted into a groove of [1⋅H]⁺, a second aromatic ring being placed astride the outside i⁺ pocket. Solvent polarity controls the thermodynamics of inversion of the [1⋅H]⁺ propeller. However, both polarity and basicity control its kinetics. Therefore, the rate-limiting steps correspond to the ion-pair separation/recombination and [1⋅H]⁺/1deprotonation/protonation processes, rather than the inversion of [1⋅H]⁺, the latter being likely to take place in the deprotonated form (1).

The effective embedding potential introduced by Wesolowski and Warshel [J. Phys. Chem., 97 (1993) 8050] depends on two electron densities: that of the environment (n _B ) and that of the investigated embedded subsystem (n _A ). In this work, we analyze this potential for pairs n _A  and n _B , for which it can be obtained analytically. The obtained potentials are used to illustrate the challenges in taking into account the Pauli exclusion principle.

The photoreactivity of two iron(II)−styrylpyridine frameworks Fe(stpy)₄(NCSe)₂ (stpy = 4-styrylpyridine) has been investigated for the very first time in a crystalline solid. A quantitative cis-to-trans isomerization of stilbenoids is shown to occur in the confined environment of the inorganic solid. The photochromic reaction was driven by a visible excitation into the metal-to-ligand charge transfer absorption of the high-spin all-cis complex. The solid-state transformation is accompanied by a unit-cell volume increase and an amorphization. Interestingly, the photoproduct formed by irradiating the high-spin all-cis reactant undergoes a spin conversion when the temperature is decreased. This observation is related to the “ligand-driven light-induced spin change” effect in a constrained environment.

Two tridentate and one bidentate binding strands have been anchored on a carbon atom to provide a new unsymmetrical tripodal ligand L for Ln(III) coordination. The ligand itself adopts a single conformation in solution stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonds evidenced in the solid state. The reaction of L with trivalent lanthanides provides different coordination complexes depending on the metal/ligand ratio. The speciation studies with selected lanthanides were performed in solution by means of NMR, ESMS, and spectrophotometric titrations. Differences in coordination properties along the lanthanide series were evidenced and may be associated with the changes in the ionic size. However, thermodynamic stability constants for the species of the same stoichiometry do not significantly vary. In addition, the structure of the dinuclear complex [Eu₂L₂]⁶⁺ has been elucidated in the solid state, where the complex crystallizes predominantly as an M-isomer. The crystal structure shows the coordination of two different ligands to each europium cation through tridentate strands, and the europium nine-coordinate sphere is completed with three solvent molecules. Finally, the results of photophysical investigations of [Eu₂L₂]⁶⁺ are in close agreement with the structural parameters determined by crystallography.

The nature and time evolution of the primary excitations in the pristine conjugated polymer, PCDTBT, are investigated by femtosecond-resolved fluorescence up-conversion spectroscopy. The extensive study includes data from PCDTBT thin film and from PCDTBT in chlorobenzene solution, compares the fluorescence dynamics for several excitation and emission wavelengths, and is complemented by polarization-sensitive measurements. The results are consistent with the photogeneration of mobile electrons and holes by interband π-π* transitions, which then self-localize within about 100 fs and evolve to a bound singlet exciton state in less than 1 ps. The excitons subsequently undergo successive migrations to lower energy localized states, which exist as a result of disorder. In parallel, there is also slow conformational relaxation of the polymer backbone. While the initial self-localization occurs faster than the time resolution of our experiment, the exciton formation, exciton migration, and conformational changes lead to a progressive relaxation of the inhomogeneously broadened emission spectrum with time constants ranging from about 500 fs to tens of picoseconds. The time scales found here for the relaxation processes in pristine PCDTBT are compared to the time scale (<0.2 ps) previously reported for photoinduced charge transfer in phase- separated PCDTBT:fullerene blends (Phys. Rev. B 2010, 81, 125210). We point out that exciton formation and migration in PCDTBT occur at times much longer than the ultrafast photoinduced electron transfer time in PCDTBT:fullerene blends. This disparity in time scales is not consistent with the commonly proposed idea that photoinduced charge separation occurs after diffusion of the polymer exciton to a fullerene interface. We therefore discuss alternative mechanisms that are consistent with ultrafast charge separation before localization of the primary excitation to form a bound exciton.

The photoinduced processes occurring after pulsed laser excitation of a series of donor–bridge–acceptor molecules comprising a phenothiazine electron donor, variable-length fluorene bridges, and a rhenium(I) electron acceptor were investigated. A dyad with a single fluorene bridge unit exhibits electron transfer from phenothiazine to the rhenium(I) complex upon photoexcitation, whereas in dyads with fluorene oligomers bridge-localized triplet excited states are formed rather than electron transfer products. In the monofluorene-bridged system with a donor–acceptor distance of ca. 15 Å, electron transfer occurs with a time constant of 1.9 ns. The equidistant electron transfer between the same donor and acceptor is considerably slower across a biphenyl bridge (3.9 ns) or a bi-p-xylene spacer (20 ns). This finding is interpreted in terms of different tunneling barrier heights associated with the charge transfer across the three different types of molecular bridges.

A new potassium scandium borohydride, KSc(BH₄)₄, is presented and characterized by a combination of in situ synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and vibrational and NMR spectroscopy. The title compound, KSc(BH₄)₄, forms at ambient conditions in ball milled mixtures of potassium borohydride and ScCl₃ together with a new ternary chloride K₃ScCl₆, which is also structurally characterized. This indicates that the formation of KSc(BH₄)₄ differs from a simple metathesis reaction, and the highest scandium borohydride yield (~31 mol %) can be obtained with a reactant ratio KBH₄:ScCl₃ of 2:1. KSc(BH₄)₄ crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system, a = 11.856(5), b = 7.800(3), c = 10.126(6) Å, V = 936.4(8) ų at RT, with the space group symmetry Pnma. KSc(BH₄)₄ has a BaSO₄ type structure where the BH₄ tetrahedra take the oxygen positions. Regarding the packing of cations, K⁺, and complex anions, [Sc(BH₄)₄]⁻, the structure of KSc(BH₄)₄ can be seen as a distorted variant of orthorhombic neptunium, Np, metal. Thermal expansion of KSc(BH₄)₄ in the temperature range RT to 405 K is anisotropic, and the lattice parameter b shows strong nonlinearity upon approaching the melting temperature. The vibrational and NMR spectra are consistent with the structural model, and previous investigations of the related compounds ASc(BH₄)₄ with A = Li, Na. KSc(BH₄)₄ is stable from RT up to ~405 K, where the compound melts and then releases hydrogen in two rapid steps approximately at 460−500 K and 510−590 K. The hydrogen release involves the formation of KBH₄, which reacts with K₃ScCl₆ and forms a solid solution, K(BH₄)_1−xCl_x. The ternary potassium scandium chloride K₃ScCl₆ observed in all samples has a monoclinic structure at room temperature, P2₁/a, a = 12.729(3), b = 7.367(2), c = 12.825(3) Å, β = 109.22(2)°, V = 1135.6(4) ų, which is isostructural to K₃MoCl₆. The monoclinic polymorph transforms to cubic at 635 K, a = 10.694 Å (based on diffraction data measured at 769 K), which is isostructural to the high temperature phase of K₃YCl₆.

The thiolate-for-thiolate ligand exchange reaction between the stable Au₃₈(2-PET)₂₄ and Au₄₀(2-PET)₂₄ (2-PET: 2-phenylethanethiol) clusters and enantiopure BINAS (BINAS: 1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-dithiol) was investigated by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy in the UV/vis and MALDI mass spectrometry (MS). The ligand exchange reaction is incomplete, although a strong optical activity is induced to the resulting clusters. The clusters are found to be relatively stable, in contrast to similar reactions on [Au₂₅(2-PET)₁₈]⁻ clusters. Maximum anisotropy factors of 6.6 × 10⁻⁴ are found after 150 h of reaction time. During the reaction, a varying ratio between Au₃₈ and Au₄₀ clusters is found, which significantly differs from the starting material. As compared to Au₃₈, Au₄₀ is more favorable to incorporate BINAS into its ligand shell. After 150 h of reaction time, an average of 1.5 and 4.5 BINAS ligands is found for Au₃₈ and Au₄₀ clusters, respectively. This corresponds to exchange of 3 and 9 monodentate 2-PET ligands. To show that the limited exchange with BINAS is due to the bidentate nature of the ligand, exchange with thiophenol was performed. The monodentate thiophenol exchange was found to be faster, and more ligands were exchanged when compared to BINAS.

The emission spectra of the solids [n-Bu₄N]₂Tc₂X₈ (X = Cl, Br) have been investigated at room temperature and 77 K. In each case, the emission originates in the ¹δ–δ* excited state, as with the rhenium homologues, but has a shorter lifetime.

We present the results of a quantum chemical and classical molecular dynamics simulation study of some solutions containing chloride salts of La³⁺, Gd³⁺, and Er³⁺ at various concentrations (from 0.05 to 5 M), with the purpose of understanding their structure and dynamics and analyzing how the coordination varies along the lanthanide series. In the La−Cl case, nine water molecules surround the central La³⁺ cation in the first solvation shell, and chloride is present only in the second shell for all solutions but the most concentrated one (5 M). In the Gd³⁺ case, the coordination number is ~8.6 for the two lowest concentrations (0.05 and 0.1 M), and then it decreases rapidly. In the Er³⁺ case, the coordination number is 7.4 for the two lowest concentrations (0.05 and 0.1 M), and then it decreases. The counterion Cl⁻ is not present in the first solvation shell in the La³⁺ case for most of the solutions, but it becomes progressively closer to the central cation in the Gd³⁺ and Er³⁺ cases, even at low concentrations.

A combination of in situ synchrotron powder diffraction, energy minimization (DFT), and Raman and infrared spectroscopy confirmed porous interpenetrated 3D-framework structures of recently discovered alkali-metal−zinc borohydrides, AZn₂(BH₄)₅ (A = Li, Na). In the less zinc rich NaZn(BH₄)₃ the 3D-framework structural model has been confirmed but with a slightly modified description giving an isolated triangular anion, [Zn(BH₄)₃]⁻, rather than a 1D anionic chain, {[Zn(BH₄)₃]_n}ⁿ⁻. Another polymorph of NaZn(BH₄)₃, isostructural to a new compound, LiZn(BH₄)₃, is proposed by energy minimization. Both compounds, the new NaZn(BH₄)₃ polymorph and LiZn(BH₄)₃, are, however, not observed experimentally at ambient pressure and in the temperature range of 100−400 K. The alkali-metal−zinc borohydride NaZn(BH₄)₃ containing the triangular anion [Zn(BH₄)₃]⁻ is an equivalent of recently characterized alkali-metal−scandium borohydrides NaSc(BH₄)₄ and LiSc(BH₄)₄ based on the tetrahedral [Sc(BH₄)₄]⁻ complex anion.

The crystal structure of recently reported Ba,F,Cl nanorods is shown to correspond to the structure of Ba₇F₁₂Cl₂ (see picture), which can be prepared by several growth techniques.

In the dilute mixed-crystal system [Zn_1−xFe_x(bbtr)₃](ClO₄)₂, x=2 % (bbtr=1,4-di(1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)butane), the iron(II) centers are predominantly in the high-spin state. The low-spin state can be populated as a metastable state by irradiation with near-IR light; the rate constant of the low-spin→high-spin relaxation spans 14 orders of magnitude between 40 and 220 K

The ligand 2,4,6-tris(dimethoxyphosphonate)-1,3,5-triazine L has been synthesized and its single crystal X-ray structure determined. The occurrence of P=O···π intermolecular interactions, suggested by the short P=O··· triazine distances of 3.16–3.35 Å, is observed. The electrochemical reduction of the ligand shows its electron acceptor character by the formation of a stable radical anion. The hyperfine structure observed in the EPR spectra, combined with a theoretical DFT study, evidences the full delocalization of the unpaired electron mainly on the triazine core, with some participation of the phosphonate groups. Theoretical calculations are in agreement with the experimental values of the hyperfine coupling constants of 11.81 G for A_iso–³¹P and 1.85 G for A_iso–¹⁴N. Homopolymetallic complexes, formulated as {L[Cu(hfac)₂]₃} (1), ¹_∞{L₂[Co(hfac)₂]₃} (2) and ¹_∞{L₂[Mn(hfac)₂]₃} (3) (hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate), have been synthesized and structurally characterized.

The only operating mechanism in the oxidation of water to dioxygen catalyzed by the mononuclear cis-[Ru^II(bpy)₂(H₂O)₂]²⁺ complex when treated with excess Ce^IV was unambiguously established. Theoretical calculations together with ¹⁸O-labeling experiments (see plot) revealed that it is the nucleophilic attack of water on a Ru=O group.

In this paper we use a recently proposed elastic model in order to study the competition between linear photoexcitation and cooperative relaxation in spin-crossover molecular magnets. The difference in molecular size between the two possible spin states, that is, the high-spin and the low-spin states, respectively, induces distortions of the crystal lattice. These determine the elastic interactions between molecules, treated here as connecting springs that are either compressed or extended from their equilibrium length, thus modulating the local probability for the high-spin→low-spin relaxation. The crossover of individual molecules within the lattice is checked by a standard Monte Carlo procedure. Using very simple assumptions and a minimum number of parameters, photoexcitation curves and hysteresis loops under continuous irradiation below the thermal transition temperature can thus be simulated. The formation of clusters is analyzed and the presence of inhomogeneities in the system is investigated.

In this paper we study the cluster formation and evolution in spin crossover systems during the thermal transition in the frame of a mechano-elastic model applied to open boundary hexagonal lattices. The switching processes between the high-spin (HS) and low-spin (LS) state are studied by a method combining a Monte Carlo standard procedure on the spin state and the lattice relaxation. In the present study, we adopt the transition probabilities of the spin state taking into account the energy gap between the two states, the degeneracy ratio and the local pressure determined by the elongations of the closest springs. It is found that clusters of molecules in the same state tend to grow starting from corners, as in available experimental data. Some qualitative differences between the processes of cluster formation for the two hysteresis branches, i.e., HS to LS and LS to HS are pointed out. Moreover, we have studied the dependence of cluster formation on the strength of the elastic interactions, and also on the system size. The size dependence of the ratio between the system size and the maximum cluster length is very weak, which indicates the appearance of macroscopic domains.

Resonant excitation energy transfer from [Cr(ox)3]^3- to [Cr(bpy)3]³⁺ in the doped 3D oxalate networks [Rh_1-xCr_x(bpy)₃][NaM^III_1-yCr_y(ox)₃]ClO₄ (ox=C₂O₄^-, bpy=2,2’-bipyridine, M=Al,Rh) is due to two types of interaction, namely super exchange coupling and electric dipole–dipole interaction. The energy transfer probability for both mechanisms is proportional to the spectral overlap of the ²E→⁴A₂ emission of the [Cr(ox)₃]^3- donor and the ⁴A₂→²T₁ absorption of the [Cr(bpy)₃]³⁺ acceptor.The spin-flip transitions of (pseudo-)octahedral Cr³⁺ are known to shift to lower energy with increasing pressure. Because the shift rates of the two transitions in question differ, the spectral overlap between the donor emission and the acceptor absorption is a function of applied pressure. For [Rh_1-xCr_x(bpy)₃][Na-M_1-yCr_y(ox)₃]ClO₄ the spectral overlap is thus substantially reduced on increasing pressure from 0 to 2.5 GPa. As a result, the energy transfer probability decreases with increasing pressure as evidenced by a decrease in the relative emission intensity from the [Cr(bpy)₃]³⁺ acceptor.

This article describes the morphological and chemical characterization of stimuli-responsive functionalized silicon surfaces provided in parallel by atomic force spectroscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) enhanced by the single-beam sample reference attenuated total reflection method (SBSR-ATR). The stimuli-responsive behavior of the surfaces was obtained by grafting-to in melt carboxyl-terminated poly-N-isopropylacryl amides (PNIPAAM) with different degree of polymerization (DP) on epoxide-functionalized silicon substrates. The unprecedented real time and in situ physicochemical insight into the temperature-triggered response of the densely packed superficial brushes allowed for the selection of a PNIPAAM with a specific DP as a suitable polymer for the fabrication of silicon membranes exhibiting switchable nanopores. The fabrication process combines the manufacture of nanoporous silicon surfaces and their subsequent chemical functionalization by the grafting-to in melt of the selected polymer. Then, relevant information was obtained in what concerns the chemical modifications behind the topographical changes that drive the functioning of PNIPAAM-based hybrid nanovalves as well as the timescale on which the opening and closing of the nanopores occur.

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of small size-selected gold nanoparticles covered by both enantiomers of 1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-dithiol (BINAS) were measured. VCD spectra of particles covered by the opposite enantiomers of BINAS show a mirror image relationship. The VCD spectrum of adsorbed BINAS is different from the one of free BINAS and its disulfide form, but it resembles more the dithiol form. Detailed analysis reveals that the angle between the two binaphthyl rings of BINAS is close to 90° for the adsorbed BINAS, similar to what is found for the free molecule. VCD spectra are quite insensitive to the particles size, in contrast to the electronic CD spectra, which change drastically as the particle size increases. This indicates that the vibrational characteristic is a local property. A model of BINAS adsorbed on a Au₁₀ cluster was used to calculate VCD spectra. As for free BINAS and the disulfide the calculated spectrum of the adsorbed BINAS is in very good agreement with the measured one. This shows the potential of VCD spectroscopy to gain insight into the conformation of chiral molecules adsorbed on small metal particles.

The intense plasmon absorption bands of gold nanorods (GNRs) with peak extinction coefficients up to 6.4 x 109 M-1 cm-1 as well as their expected high stability make GNRs promising candidates for the colouration of bulk materials. The comparison of the integrated absorption in the visible region of GNRs with those of commercial organic pigments shows that the colouring strength of GNRs is 4 to 8 times higher. In order to improve their stability, GNRs were encapsulated in a silica shell of around 15 nm thickness using an optimized Stöber method. The silica surface was modified with octadecylsilane to enable their dispersion in non-polar media. Different plastics were successfully coloured with a tiny quantity of bare and functionalised GNRs@SiO2. These rods were homogeneously dispersed using extrusion. The shape of the rods was effectively stabilised by the silica shell at high temperature during the extrusion process. Surprisingly, a slight modification of the rods colour was observed due to a decrease of the refractive index in the mesoporous silica shell. However, this effect is greatly limited after the functionalisation.

The thermal conductivity of concentrated colloids in fluid, glass, and gel states was analyzed. SiO₂ colloids at 10−31 vol % and Al₂O₃ colloids at 4.8 vol % in the fluid, the gel, and the glassy states were studied by dynamic light scattering, rheology, and transmission electron microscopy. Thermal conductivity of the three states was measured as a function of volume fraction. For the fluid and gel states the thermal conductivity increases almost linearly with concentration, reaching roughly 18% enhancement for silica at a volume fraction of 31 vol %. In contrast, in the glass state thermal conductivity strongly decreases with increasing volume fraction.

The photophysics and photochemistry of kynurenine (KN) covalently bound to the amino acids lysine, cysteine, and histidine, the antioxidant glutathione, and the protein lysozyme have been studied by optical spectroscopy with femto- and nanosecond time resolution. The fluorescence quantum yield of the adducts of KN to amino acids is approximately 2 times higher than that of the free KN in solution; KN attached to protein exhibits a 7-fold increase in the fluorescence quantum yield. The S1 state dynamics of KN-modified lysozyme reveals a multiphasic decay with a broad dispersion of time constants from 1 ps to 2 ns. An increase of the triplet yield of KN bound to lysozyme is also observed; the triplet state undergoes fast intramolecular decay. The obtained results reveal an increase of the photochemical activity of KN after its covalent attachment to amino acids and proteins, which may contribute to the development of oxidative stress in the human lensessthe main causative factor for the cataract onset.

Recent studies of organouranium chemistry have provided unusual pairs of similar polymetallic molecules containing (N)³⁻ and (O)²⁻ ligands, namely [(C₅Me₅)U(μ-I)₂]₃(μ₃-N), 1, and [(C₅Me₅)U(μ-I)₂]₃(μ₃-O), 2, and chair and boat conformations of [(C₅Me₅)₂U(μ-N)U(μ-N₃)(C₅Me₅)₂]₄, 3. These compounds were analyzed by density functional theory and multiconfigurational quantum chemical studies to differentiate nitride versus oxide in molecules for which the crystallographic data were not definitive and to provide insight into the electronic structure and unique chemical bonding of these polymetallic compounds. Calculations were also performed on [(C₅Me₅)₂UN₃(μ-N₃)]₃, 4, and [(C₆F₅)₃BNU(N[Me]Ph)₃], 5, for comparison with 1 and 3. On the basis of these results, the complex, [(C₅Me₅)U(μ₃-E)]₈, 6, for which only low-quality X-ray crystallographic data are available, was analyzed to predict if E is nitride or oxide.

The mechanochemical reaction of LiBH₄ with MnCl₂ produces the neutral complex Mn(BH₄)₂. Thermal desorption studies show that the mechanochemical reaction of NaBH₄ with MnCl₂produces a different species, apparently Na₂Mn(BH₄)₄, that undergoes dehydrogenation of a much lower weight percent H at a ~20 °C higher temperature than the neutral Mn(BH₄)₂. Vibrational spectroscopy also reveals that a complex manganese borohydride(s) in addition to Mn(BH₄)₂ are formed from the mechanochemical reactions. Analysis of the vibrational spectra in conjunction with DFT calculations on a model Mn(BH₄)₄²⁻ complex suggest bidentate binding of the [BH₄]⁻ ligands to the Mn center in the anionic complex. The calculated highest frequencies of the B−H stretching modes (corresponding to the “free” B−H bonds) agree well with the experimental frequencies and support the presence of this structural feature.

A series of bis(TTF) donors containing aromatic linkers between the two TTF units has been synthesized in order to investigate on the electronic structure of the oxidized species from an experimental and theoretical point of view. A mono(TTF)-pyridine compound has been also prepared and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Oxidation of a solution of 2,6-bis(TTF)-pyridine (TTF-Pyr-TTF) or of 1,3-bis(TTF)-benzene (TTF-Bz-TTF) in CH₂Cl₂ with less than 0.1 equivalent of [Cp₂Fe][PF₆] gives rise to a seven-line EPR spectrum consistent with the hyperfine structure calculated by DFT for the corresponding radical monocation. Increasing the proportion of oxidant leads to a four-line hyperfine structure, similar to the quartet pattern observed after oxidation of mono(TTF)-pyridine (Pyr-TTF) or mono(TTF)-benzene (Bz-TTF). In good accordance with the very weak value of J calculated by DFT for the dicationic biradicals these four-line spectra are attributed to [2,6-bis(TTF)-pyridine]²⁺ and [1,3-bis(TTF)-benzene]²⁺. Similar experimental results are obtained for 1,4-bis(TTF)-benzene. In this case, however, electrochemical oxidation leads to the monoradical at low potential and to the diradical at higher potential, while only the diradical could be observed by electrochemical oxidation of 2,6-bis(TTF)-pyridine or of 1,3-bis(TTF)-benzene. 

The decomposition pathway in LiBH₄−MgH₂ reactive hydride composites was investigated systematically as a function of pressure and temperature. Individual decomposition of MgH2 and LiBH4 is observed at higher temperatures and low pressures (T ≥ 450 °C and p(H₂) ≤ 3 bar), whereas simultaneous desorption of H₂ from LiBH₄ and formation of MgB₂ was observed at 400 °C and a hydrogen backpressure of p(H₂) = 5 bar. The simultaneous desorption of H₂ from LiBH₄ and MgH₂ without intermediate formation of metallic Mg could not be observed. In situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy reveal the present crystalline and amorphous phases.

The objective of this study was to synthesize multichromophoric donor-acceptor systems with non-halogenated red (RO) naphthalenediimides (NDIs) attached along p-oligophenyl (POP) and oligophenylethynyl (OPE) scaffolds, and to evaluate their usefulness for zipper assembly of artificial photosystems. Compared to halogenated red NDIs (RCl, RBr), the HOMO of RO is 0.2 eV higher and the HOMO/LUMO gap 0.1 eV smaller, the latter introducing a shade of pink. Consistent with higher HOMO levels, RO zippers generate less photocurrent than RBr zippers in their respective action spectra. RO zippers are less sensitive to topological mismatch than RBr zippers and thus more robust and broadly applicable. Transient absorption measurements reveal efficient electron transfer from excited OPE donors to RO acceptors and less efficient hole injection from excited RO donors into OPE acceptors. Both processes demonstrate compatibility with OMARG-SHJ photosystems (supramolecular n/p-heterojunctions with oriented multicolored antiparallel redox gradients). Decreasing hole transfer with decreasing HOMO energy differences further demonstrates that SHJ-type hole injection disappears gradually (rather than abruptly). Losses in photonic energy during this process can thus be minimized by optoelectronic finetuning, but eventual gains in open circuit voltages risk coming with complementary losses in short circuit current.

The present study reports on the effect caused by sodium salts added to a solution of malachite green in a liquid/liquid interfacial system probed by the time-resolved surface second harmonic generation (TRSSHG) technique. This effect is known as “salting-out effect” and is shown to reveal two main issues: salts added to the bulk, first, cause a reduction of the dye solubility and, second, stimulate the adsorption of malachite green cations at the interface, changing the equilibrium constant between the dye molecules adsorbed at the interface and those being dissolved in the bulk. The increased adsorption at the interface is observed in the TRSSHG experiment as a relative increase of the aggregates’ contribution to the measured time profile. However, depending on the nature and properties of salt anions, the mechanisms responsible for enhancing the population of interfacial aggregates can differ. This study explains such mechanisms for NaCl and NaSCN: addition of NaCl leads to an increase of the malachite green adsorption at the interface followed by the formation of aggregates, whereas the addition of NaSCN leads rather to the formation of aggregates already in the bulk with their further migration toward the interface. A simple quantitative description of the salting-out effect based on a modified Frumkin-Fowler-Guggenheim model also has been proposed. It has been shown to give a good agreement with the experiment with NaCl, i.e., when the formation of dye aggregates in the bulk solution can be neglected.

The properties of xanthurenic acid (XAN) in ground and photoexcited states have been studied using steady-state and time-resolved optical methods as well as quantum chemistry calculations. In neutral aqueous solution and in alcohols, XAN is present in a single tautomeric form (keto form), whereas in aprotic solvents and probably in basic aqueous solutions, more than one tautomeric form is present. UV irradiation of aqueous and alcoholic solutions of XAN results in a very rapid solvent-assisted tautomerization to the enol form, the later undergoes solvent-assisted transformation back to the keto form. The photolysis of XAN in aprotic solvents gives rise to the formation of numerous intermediate forms of XAN in both triplet and ground states. Under intense laser irradiation, XAN undergoes biphotonic ionization, the precursor for ionization being the excited singlet state.

The effect on crystal structure and vibrational frequencies of physical pressure in BaFCl and chemical pressure in Ba_1−xSr_xFCl solid solutions is studied using periodic density-functional theory (DFT) calculations performed within the local-density approximation (LDA) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). These results are compared with previously published experimental data for BaFCl in conjunction with new experimental data for Ba_1−xSr_xFCl and show overall a good agreement with experiment. The GGA method outperforms the LDA method for the description of BaFCl under pressure. However, the two DFT methods perform equally well for the description of the solid solutions, which have been studied within the virtual-crystal approximation. They also give consistent values of the energy of formation of Ba_1−xSr_xFCl, which can be correlated with the experimentally observed melting points. The comparison of the calculated mode Grüneisen parameters shows that, for the investigated systems, the effect of the chemical pressure and that of the physical pressure are not identical.

The correspondence between the exact embedding potential and the pair of the electron densities—that of the embedded molecule and that of its environment [Wesolowski and Warshel, J. Phys. Chem. 1993, 97, 8050]—is used to generate the average embedding potential and to subsequently calculate the solvatochromic shifts in a number of organic chromophores in solvents of various polarities. The averaged embedding potential is evaluated at a fictitious electron density of the solvent, which is obtained by means of “dressing up” with electrons the classical site distributions derived from the statistical-mechanical, 3D molecular theory of solvation (aka 3D-RISM method) [Kovalenko In Molecular Theory of Solvation; Hirata, Ed.; Understanding Chemical Reactivity; 2003, Vol 24], self-consistently coupled with the electronic structure of the solute. The proposed approach to modeling solvatochromic shifts can be situated between the implicit and explicit type of models for the solvent. Numerical examples are given for the lowest-lying n → π* and π → π* excitations.

A series of pyridinium phenoxides that differ by the dihedral angle between the pyridinium and the phenoxide rings because of substituents with increasing steric encumbrance has been investigated by ultrafast spectroscopy. Like the related betaine-30, these molecules are characterised by a zwitterionic electronic ground state and a weakly polar S₁ state. Their fluorescence lifetime was found to lie between 200 to 750 fs, decreasing with increasing dihedral angle, and increasing with solvent viscosity. This was assigned to a non-radiative deactivation of the emissive state coupled to a large amplitude motion involving the dihedral angle. The transient absorption spectra suggested that emission occurs from the Franck–Condon S₁ state, which decays to a dark excited state, that itself most probably corresponds to the relaxed S₁ state. Finally, this relaxed state decays to the vibrationally hot ground state through an intramolecular charge separation process with a time constant ranging between 0.4 and 3 ps, increasing with the dihedral angle and with the solvent relaxation time. These variations were discussed in terms of the Jortner–Bixon model of electron transfer, where the charge separation dynamics depends on both electronic coupling and solvent relaxation. The results suggested that charge separation slows down with increasing dihedral angle.

This feature article reviews research of core-substituted naphthalenediimides (cNDIs) in a comprehensive yet easily readable manner. Their synthesis, electrochemistry and spectroscopy are covered first with emphasis on the ability of cNDIs with electron donating substituents to absorb and fluoresce in all colors without global structural changes and cNDIs with electron withdrawing substituents to reach unprecedented extents of π-acidity. The section on supramolecular chemistry covers face-to-face π-stacks and peripheral hydrogen bonds, that on molecular recognition moves from pH and fluoride sensors to the binding to telomeric DNA in vivo and intercalation into π-stacks and sticky tweezers. cNDIs can recognize and transport anions by functional anion–π interactions. The section on electron transport describes cNDIs as air-stable n-semiconductors with high charge mobility and use as OFETs. Photoinduced electron transport by rainbow cNDIs has been used for the creation of artificial photosystems in solution, in bilayer membranes and on solid substrates. Examples include multicolor light harvesting architectures, organic solar cells, photosystems that can open up into ion channels, and supramolecular n/p-heterojunctions with antiparallel redox gradients. The review is highly interdisciplinary but should appeal most to organic, biosupramolecular and physical chemists.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of photoinduced stack/rod electron transfer in surface “zipper” architectures composed of stacks of blue (B) naphthalenediimides (NDIs) along strings of oligophenylethynyl (OPE) rods. The synthesis and characterization of anionic and cationic multichromophoric OPE-B systems are reported. Absorption spectra suggest that in OPE-B systems, planarity and thus absorption and conductivity of the OPE can possibly be modulated by intramolecular stacking of the surrounding NDIs, although interfering contributions from aggregation remain to be differentiated. Among surface architectures constructed with OPE-B and POP-B systems by zipper and layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly, photocurrents generated by OPE-B zippers exhibit the best critical thickness and fill factors. These findings confirm the existence and functional relevance of topologically matching zipper architectures. In OPE-B zippers, OPEs generate much more photocurrent than the blue NDIs. Ultrafast electron transfer from OPEs to NDIs accounts for these photocurrents, providing wavelength-controlled access to rod–stack charge separation, and thus to formal supramolecular n/p-heterojunctions (SHJs). NDI excitation is not followed by the complementary hole transfer to the OPE rod. Scaffolds with higher HOMOs will be needed to integrate blue NDIs into SHJ photosystems.

The compounds Tc₂Cl₄(PMe₃)₄ and Tc₂Br₄(PMe₃)₄ were formed from the reaction between (n-Bu₄N)₂Tc₂X₈ (X = Cl, Br) and trimethylphosphine. The Tc(II) dinuclear species were characterized by single-crystal XRD, UV−visible spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry techniques, and the results are compared to those obtained from density functional theory and multiconfigurational (CASSCF/CASPT2) quantum chemical studies. The compound Tc₂Cl₄(PMe₃)₄ crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c [a = 17.9995(9) Å, b = 9.1821(5) Å, c = 17.0090(9) Å, β = 115.4530(10)°] and is isostructural to M₂Cl₄(PMe₃)₄ (M = Re, Mo, W) and to Tc₂Br₄(PMe₃)₄. The metal−metal distance (2.1318(2) Å) is similar to the one found in Tc₂Br₄(PMe₃)₄ (2.1316(5) Å). The calculated molecular structures of the ground states are in excellent agreement with the structures determined experimentally. Calculations of effective bond orders for Tc₂X₈²⁻ and Tc₂X₄(PMe₃)₄ (X = Cl, Br) indicate stronger π bonds in the Tc₂⁴⁺ core than in Tc₂⁶⁺ core. The electronic spectra were recorded in benzene and show a series of low intensity bands in the range 10000−26000 cm−1. Assignment of the bands as well as computing their excitation energies and intensities were performed at both TD-DFT and CASSCF/CASPT2 levels of theory. Calculations predict that the lowest energy band corresponds to the δ* → σ* transition, the difference between calculated and experimental values being 228 cm⁻¹ for X = Cl and 866 cm⁻¹ for X = Br. The next bands are attributed to δ* → π*, δ → σ*, and δ → π* transitions. The cyclic voltammograms exhibit two reversible waves and indicate that Tc₂Br₄(PMe₃)₄ exhibits more positive oxidation potentials than Tc₂Cl₄(PMe₃)₄. This phenomenon is discussed and ascribed to stronger metal (d) to halide (d) back bonding in the bromo complex. Further analysis indicates that Tc(II) dinuclear species containing π-acidic phosphines are more difficult to oxidize, and a correlation between oxidation potential and phosphine acidity was established.

The new double-cation Al-Li-borohydride is an attractive candidate material for hydrogen storage due to a very low hydrogen desorption temperature (~70 °C) combined with a high hydrogen density (17.2 wt %). It was synthesised by high-energy ball milling of AlCl₃ and LiBH₄. The structure of the compound was determined from image-plate synchrotron powder diffraction supported by DFT calculations. The material shows a unique 3D framework structure within the borohydrides (space group=P-43n, a=11.3640(3) Å). The unexpected composition Al₃Li₄(BH₄)₁₃ can be rationalized on the basis of a complex cation [(BH₄)Li₄]³⁺ and a complex anion [Al(BH₄)₄]^-. The refinements from synchrotron powder diffraction of different samples revealed the presence of limited amounts of chloride ions replacing the borohydride on one site. In situ Raman spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG) and thermal desorption measurements were used to study the decomposition pathway of the compound. Al-Li-borohydride decomposes at ~70 °C, forming LiBH₄. The high mass loss of about 20 % during the decomposition indicates the release of not only hydrogen but also diborane.

To study the reorientational motion of BH₄ groups in the low-temperature (α) phase of Mg(BH₄)₂, we have performed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements of the ¹H and ¹¹B spin−lattice relaxation rates in this compound over wide ranges of temperature (82−443 K) and resonance frequency (14−90 MHz for ¹H and 14−28 MHz for ¹¹B). It is found that the thermally activated reorientational motion in α-Mg(BH₄)₂ is characterized by a coexistence of at least three jump processes with strongly differing activation energies. Taking into account the anisotropy of the local environment of BH₄ groups in α-Mg(BH₄)₂, these jump processes can be attributed to different types of reorientation. The nearly linear coordination of BH₄ groups by two Mg atoms suggests that the fastest jump process corresponds to the rotation around the 2-fold axis connecting B and two Mg atoms, whereas the slowest process is associated with the rotation around two other 2-fold axes perpendicular to the Mg−B−Mg line.

The pressure/temperature phase diagram of LiAlH₄ has been constructed by using Raman spectroscopy data. In situ high pressure−temperature experiments were carried out using resistively heated diamond anvil cells up to 150 °C and 7 GPa. Room temperature phase transitions of monoclinic α-LiAlH₄ → δ-LiAlH₄ were observed at ~3.2 GPa. As the temperature is increased to ~100 °C, both the α and δ phases transform to β-LiAlH₄ and remain stable up to 5.5 GPa. At temperatures greater than 300 °C, a new γ-LiAlH₄ phase forms. Data of Konovalov (1995) has been used to define the phase boundary between β- and γ-LiAlH₄ phases. We present a pressure−temperature phase diagram of LiAlH₄ based using diamond anvil cells coupled with Raman spectroscopy.

The mechanism of the photoinduced low-spin → high-spin spin crossover is actively being investigated in Fe(II) complexes in solution using ultrafast spectroscopies. These studies accurately inform on the reaction coordinate of the Fe(II) chromophore upon photoexcitation. However, they leave open questions regarding the role of the solvent. Here, we report the description from a fully ab initio molecular dynamics study of the structure of [Fe(bpy)₃]²⁺ in water and of the organization of its solvation shell in the low-spin and the high-spin states. In particular, the low-spin → high-spin change of states is shown to be accompanied (i) by a 0.191 Å lengthening of the Fe−N bond, in agreement with experiment, and (ii) by an increased thermal fluctuation of the molecular edifice, which both result from the weakening of the Fe−N bond. Furthermore, our results suggest that about two water molecules are expelled from the first solvation shell of [Fe(bpy)₃]²⁺, which consists of water molecules intercalated between the bpy ligands.

The pressure evolution of RbBH₄ has been characterized by synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy up to 23 GPa. Diffraction experiments at ambient temperature reveal three phase transitions, at 3.0, 10.4, and 18 GPa (at 2.6, 7.8, and ~20 GPa from Raman data), at which the space group symmetry changes in the order Fm-3m(Z=4) → P4/nmm(2) → C222(2) → I-42m(4). Crystal structures and equations of state are reported for all four phases. The three high-pressure structure types are new in the crystal chemistry of borohydrides. RbBH₄ polymorphs reveal high coordination numbers (CNs) for cation and anion sites, increasing with pressure from 6 to 8, via an intermediate 4 + 4 coordination. Different arrangements of the tetrahedral BH₄ group in the Rb environment define the crystal symmetries of the RbBH₄ polymorphs. The structural evolution in the MBH₄ series is determined by the cation’s size, as it differs drastically for M = Li (CNs = 4, 6), Na (CN = 6), and Rb. The only structure common to the whole MBH₄ family is the cubic one. Its bulk modulus linearly decreases as the ionic radius of M increases, indicating that the compressibility of the material is mainly determined by the repulsive BH₄···BH₄ interactions.

Deuterium−hydrogen exchange in solid α-Mg(BH₄)₂ is demonstrated. Compared to the previously reported exchange reactions in the alkali borohydrides, the temperature at which isotope exchange starts to take place is significantly lower (132 °C vs 200 °C for LiBH₄). The activation energy for the deuterium−hydrogen exchange reaction is estimated to be 51 ± 15 kJ/mol. Almost complete isotope exchange was observed by treating solid Mg(BH₄)₂ for 72 h at 172 °C with 42 bar of D₂. Preliminary experiments indicate that under these conditions Ca(BH₄)₂ also undergoes isotope exchange.

Inorganic borohydrides are actively studied in view of potential hydrogen storage applications. These compounds can be obtained by a variety of reactions ranging from high temperature reactions of the elements to exchange reactions in solution or in solid state. Different approaches will be discussed and compared.

Since the discovery of a formal quintuple bond in Ar′CrCrAr′ (CrCr = 1.835 Å) by Power and co-workers in 2005, many efforts have been dedicated to isolating dichromium species featuring quintuple-bond character. In the present study we investigate the electronic configuration of several, recently synthesized dichromium species with ligands using nitrogen to coordinate the metal centers. The bimetallic bond distances of Power’s compound and Cr₂-diazadiene (1) (CrCr = 1.803 Å) are compared to those found for Cr₂(μ-η²-ArNC(R)NAr)₂ (2) (CrCr = 1.746 Å; R = H, Ar = 2,6-Et₂C₆H₃), Cr₂(μ-η²-Ar^XylNC(H)NAr^Xyl)₃ (3) (CrCr = 1.740^reduced/1.817^neutral Å; Ar^Xyl= 2,6-C₆H₃-(CH₃)₂), Cr₂(μ-η²-TippPyNMes)₂ (4) (CrCr = 1.749 Å; TippPyNMes = 6-(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)pyridin-2-yl (2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amide), and Cr₂(μ-η²-DippNC(NMe₂)N-Dipp)₂ (5) (CrCr = 1.729 Å, Dipp = 2,6-i-Pr₂C₆H₃). We show that the correlation between the CrCr bond length and the effective bond order (EBO) is strongly affected by the nature of the ligand, as well as by the steric hindrance due to the ligand structure (e.g., the nature of the coordinating nitrogen). A linear correlation between the EBO and CrCr bond distance is established within the same group of ligands. As a result, the CrCr species based on the amidinate, aminopyridinate, and guanidinate ligands have bond patterns similar to the Ar′CrCrAr′ compound. Unlike these latter species, the dichromium diazadiene complex is characterized by a different bonding pattern involving Cr−Nπ interactions, resulting in a lower bond order associated with the short metal−metal bond distance. In this case the short CrCr distance is most probably the result of the constraints imposed by the diazadiene ligand, implying a Cr₂N₄ core with a closer CrCr interaction.

We report a thorough investigation of the absorption spectra of the cis and trans isomers of the 4-styrylpyridine photoswitch based on TDDFT calculations. The spectra of both isomers were analysed first from the results of excitation calculations performed on their optimised geometries. The main absorption band of the cis isomer is thus predicted to be due to the S₀ ^→ S₁ and S₀ ^→ S₂ transitions, while the main absorption band of the trans isomer is predicted to originate exclusively from the S₀ ^→ S₁ transition. The convolution of the calculated oscillator strengths with Gaussians helped mimic the broadening of the electronic transitions. However, it proved necessary to use Gaussians with a large full width at half maximum of 5000 cm^-1; and, compared to experiment, the calculated main absorption bands of the two isomers are significantly red-shifted and far too symmetric. Consequently, as required for the detailed analysis of the finite-temperature absorption spectrum of a molecule as flexible as 4-styrylpyridine, the influence of the thermal fluctuations has been taken into account by calculating the spectra as time averages over Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics trajectories. For both isomers, this led to a noticeable improvement in the relative positions of the calculated and experimental main absorption bands, and the asymmetry of the calculated bands brings them in better agreement with the experimental ones. Furthermore, these last results show that, actually, the S₀ ^→ S₁ and S₀ ^→ S₂ transitions both contribute significantly to the finite-temperature main absorption bands of the two isomers. Finally, in order to also take the vibrational broadening into account, the Franck–Condon factors of the relevant vibrations were calculated within the displaced harmonic oscillator approximation. By thus taking both the thermal and the vibrational broadening into account for the calculation of the absorption bands, the agreement between experiment and theory could be further improved.

Quantum chemical calculations were performed to investigate the cooperative effect of the nitrogen and silicon atoms on the singlet-triplet energy spacing and the reactivity of the singlet state in 1,2-diazacyclopentane-3,5-diyls and 1,2-diaza-4-silacyclopentane-3,5-diyls. The largest singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔE^c_ST = -36.1 kcal/mol) found so far in localized 1,3-diradicals was in the C_2v symmetry of 4,4-difluoro-1,2-diaza-4-silacyclopentane-3,5-diyl at the UB3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. The cooperative effect was also found in the energy differences of singlet diradicals with the corresponding ring-closing compounds, bicyclo[2.1.0]pentane derivatives. The singlet state of the 1,2-diaza-4-silacyclopentane-3,5-diyls was calculated to be energetically more stable than the ring-closing compound. The notable finding on the stability of the singlet diradicals may be attributed to the resonance structures that specifically stabilize the singlet state of diradicals. The computational studies predict that the singlet 1,2-diaza-4-silacyclopentane-3,5-diyl is a persistent molecule under conditions without intermolecular-trapping reagents.

The results of a computational study with multiconfigurational quantum chemical methods on actinide monoxides (AnO) and dioxides (AnO₂) for An = Th, Pa, U, Np, Pu, Am, and Cm, are presented. First and second ionization energies were determined and compared with experimental values, when available. The trend along the series is analyzed in terms of the electronic configurations of the various species. The agreement with experiment is excellent in most cases. Of particular interest is the first ionization of PuO₂. We applied cutting-edge theoretical methods to refine the ionization energy, but our computed data fall in the range of ~6 eV and not in the ~7 eV region as the experiment dictates. Such a system requires further computational and experimental attention.

Playing with a full deck: Single-crystal X-ray and neutron diffraction data show that the Th center in the title complex 1 (see structure; Th orange, B beige, N purple, C black, H blue) forms bonds with 15 H atoms, thus making 1 the first crystallographically characterized example of a complex with a Werner coordination number of fifteen. DFT calculations suggest that 1 adopts the fully symmetric 16-coordinate structure in the gas phase.

In the 3D network [Rh(bpy)₃][NaCr(ox)₃]ClO₄ (ox = oxalate, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) phonon-assisted as well as resonant energy migration within the R₁ line of the ⁴A₂ → ²E transition of Cr³⁺ has been identified. The latter is dominant below 4.2 K, and in a fluorescence line narrowing spectrum, it manifests itself in a multiline pattern across the inhomogeneous line width with spacings corresponding to the zero-field splitting of the ⁴A₂ ground state (Milos, M.; Kairouani, S.; Rabaste, S.; Hauser, A. Coord. Chem. Rev. 2008, 252, 2540). H. Riesen demonstrated efficient spectral hole burning within the R₁ line of Cr³⁺ doped at low concentrations into partially deuterated NaMg[Al(ox)₃]·9H₂O (Riesen, H. Coord. Chem. Rev. 2006 250, 1737). Here we show that at higher Cr³⁺ concentrations in the same host, both phenomena can be observed simultaneously, the resonant energy migration thus creating an additional series of persistent side holes.

The photophysics of aminoperylene (APe) in various solvents, including a room-temperature ionic liquid, has been investigated by steady-state and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopies. The ultrafast excited-state dynamics originates from the solvation of the polar S₁ state and not from a transition from a locally-excited to a charge-transfer state, as found with perylene-dimethylaniline. Addition of acid yields the protonated form APeH⁺, which exhibits similar photophysical properties than perylene, due to the suppression of the charge-transfer character of the S₀–S₁ transition. However, excited-state proton transfer, resulting to the formation of APe in the S₁ state, is observed in methanol.

In the mixed crystal series of the cubic three-dimensional networks of composition [Zn_1−xRu_x(bpy)₃][NaCr(ox)₃] (0 ≤ x ≤1, ox = C₂O₄²⁻, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine), high-resolution absorption spectroscopy in the region of the ⁴A₂→²E transition (R-lines) reveals the creation of five specific spectroscopic sites for the [Cr(ox)₃]³⁻ complex. The concentration of these spectroscopic sites follows a binomial distribution of [Zn(bpy)₃]²⁺ and [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ among the four nearest neighbors of a given [Cr(ox)₃]³⁻ complex within the network. The tris-bipyridine complexes occupying those positions have an optimal π−π interaction with the oxalate ligands of the tris-oxalate chromophore. The energy of each spectroscopic [Cr(ox)₃]³⁻ site depends on the total concentration of [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ in the mixed crystal and on its specific distribution among the four nearest neighbors. Single crystal X-ray diffraction indicates a reduction of the unit cell volume when [Zn(bpy)₃]²⁺ (a = 15.6365(18) Å) is substituted by [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ (a = 15.5098(6) Å). This alone would lead to a red-shift of the R lines in analogy to the red-shift of 25.2 cm⁻¹/GPa due to the decrease of the metal ligand Cr−O bond length as observed in high-pressure luminescence experiments. However, specific π−π interactions with the nearest neighbors have the opposite effect and shift the transition in discrete jumps to higher energies with increasing [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ mole fraction.

The electronic structure and the photophysical properties of the vanadium(III)ion in pseudo-octahedral oxygen coordination is reviewed. V³⁺ has received much interest from spectroscopists in recent years due to the advancement of state-of-the-art experimental techniques such as inelastic neutron scattering and high-field electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy that directly interrogate its large ground state zero-field splittings (ZFSs) and to rational parameterization of the ligand fieldp arameters using the angular overlap model. However, for V³⁺ these ZFSs can be large enough to also be probed directly by high-resolution electronic absorption spectroscopy of intra-configurational (t²_2g → t²_2g) spin-forbidden transitions in the near-IR and visible regions. The luminescent properties of V³⁺ with hexa-oxo and tris-bidentate di-oxo-coordination are quite disappointing compared to its neighbor in the periodic table, Cr³⁺, in similar environments. The efficient non-radiative pathways in these compounds are reviewed and compared to recent work on V³⁺ doped into NaMgAl(ox)₃⋅9H₂O. The poor luminescence quantum efficiencies of V³⁺ oxo complexes is explained by strong coupling of multi-phonon processes with a dynamic Jahn-Teller distortion originating from the ³E trigonal component of the ³T_1g ground state.

In a previous article we showed how to perform and analyze steady-state and nanosecond time-resolved experiments on fluorescence quenching by electron transfer in a coherent manner. Now, by making use of a superior time resolution, we explore the first stages of this kind of reaction. The novel information gained enables us to merge the results on the viscosity and the driving-force dependencies of the reaction rate. A unique set of parameters for a single reaction channel suffices to describe all the results in the frame of differential encounter theory for diffusion-influenced, bimolecular, remote electron-transfer reactions. The inclusion of the solvent structure is crucial for the understanding of the reaction kinetics. To the authors best knowledge, this is the first time that such a comprehensive set of data has been successfully and jointly explained in the field, with physically sound parameters for electron-transfer reactions.

The experimental ultrafast photophysics of thioxanthone in several aprotic organic solvents at room temperature is presented, measured using femtosecond transient absorption together with high-level ab initio CASPT2 calculations of the singlet- and triplet-state manifolds in the gas phase, including computed state minima and conical intersections, transition energies, oscillator strengths, and spin-orbit coupling terms. The initially populated singlet ππ* state is shown to decay through internal conversion and intersystem crossing processes via intermediate nπ* singlet and triplet states, respectively. Two easily accessible conical intersections explain the favorable internal conversion rates and low fluorescence quantum yields in nonpolar media. The presence of a singlet-triplet crossing near the singlet ππ* minimum and the large spin-orbit coupling terms also rationalize the high intersystem crossing rates. A phenomenological kinetic scheme is proposed that accounts for the decrease in internal conversion and intersystem crossing (i.e. the very large experimental crescendo of the fluorescence quantum yield) with the increase of solvent polarity.

Metal borohydrides are potential materials for solid state hydrogen due to their high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen densities. Among them, Ca(BH₄)₂ is particularly interesting because of the predicted suitable thermodynamic properties. In this work, we investigate a new synthesis route using high pressure reactive ball milling. Starting from CaH₂ and CaB₆ with a TiCl₃ or TiF₃ as additive, a reaction yield of 19% is obtained after 24 h milling at room temperature and 140 bar H₂. The presence of Ca(BH₄)₂ is confirmed by the presence of the stretching mode of the [BH₄]^- group in the infrared spectra of the as-milled samples. Using in-situ XRD, we observe the recrystallisation of a poorly crystallised Ca(BH₄)₂ phase present after milling. The reversible decomposition/formation of Ca(BH₄)₂ is obtained with higher yield (57%) using higher temperature and TiF₃ as additive but not with TiCl₃ despite its similar electronic structure. The differences observed using different additives and the influence of the anion are discussed.

A new alkaline transition-metal borohydride, NaSc(BH₄)₄, is presented. The compound has been studied using a combination of in situ synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and vibrational and NMR spectroscopy. NaSc(BH₄)₄ forms at ambient conditions in ball-milled mixtures of sodium borohydride and ScCl₃. A new ternary chloride Na₃ScCl₆ (P2₁/n, a = 6.7375(3) Å, b = 7.1567(3) Å, c = 9.9316(5) Å, β = 90.491(3)°, V = 478.87(4) ų), isostructural to Na₃TiCl₆, was identified as an additional phase in all samples. This indicates that the formation of NaSc(BH₄)₄ differs from a simple metathesis reaction, and the highest scandium borohydride yield (22 wt %) was obtained with a reactant ratio of ScCl₃/NaBH₄ of 1:2. NaSc(BH₄)₄ crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system with the space group symmetry Cmcm (a = 8.170(2) Å, b = 11.875(3) Å, c = 9.018(2) Å, V = 874.9(3) ų). The structure of NaSc(BH₄)₄ consists of isolated homoleptic scandium tetraborohydride anions, [Sc(BH₄)₄]^–, located inside slightly distorted trigonal Na₆ prisms (each second prism is empty, triangular angles of 55.5 and 69.1°). The experimental results show that each Sc³⁺ is tetrahedrally surrounded by four BH₄ tetrahedra with a 12-fold coordination of H to Sc, while Na⁺ is surrounded by six BH₄ tetrahedra in a quite regular octahedral coordination with a (6 + 12)-fold coordination of H to Na. The packing of Na⁺ cations and [Sc(BH₄)₄]^– anions in NaSc(BH₄)₄ is a deformation variant of the hexagonal NiAs structure type. NaSc(BH₄)₄ is stable from RT up to ∼410 K, where the compound melts and then releases hydrogen in two rapidly occurring steps between 440 and 490 K and 495 and 540 K. Thermal expansion of NaSc(BH₄)₄ between RT and 408 K is anisotropic, and lattice parameter b shows strong anomaly close to the melting temperature.

The excited-state dynamics of five derivatives of the GFP-chromophore, which differ by the position and nature of their substituents, has been investigated in solvents of various viscosity and polarity and in rigid media using femtosecond-resolved spectroscopy. In polar solvents of low viscosity, like acetonitrile or methanol, the fluorescence decays of all compounds are multiexponential, with average lifetimes of the order of a few picoseconds, whereas in rigid matrices (polymer films and low temperature glasses), they are single exponential with lifetimes of the order of a few nanoseconds and fluorescence quantum yields close to unity. Global analysis of the fluorescence decays recorded at several wavelengths and of the transient absorption spectra reveals the presence of several excited-state populations with slightly different fluorescence and absorption spectra and with distinct lifetimes. These populations are attributed to the existence of multiple ground-state conformers. From the analysis of the dependence of the excited-state dynamics on the solvent and on the nature of the substituents, it follows that the nonradiative deactivation of all these excited chromophores involves an intramolecular coordinate with large amplitude motion. However, depending on the solvent and substituent, additional channels, namely, inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bond assisted nonradiative deactivation, are operative. This allows tuning of the excited-state lifetime of the chromophore. Finally, an ultrafast photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer is observed in polar solvents with one derivative bearing a dimethylaminophenyl substituent.

A molecular donor-acceptor dyad comprising a hexarhenium cluster core, [Re₆(μ₃-Se)₈]²⁺, and a fullerene moiety which are covalently linked through a pyridine ligand was synthesized and fully characterized. The electrochemical and photophysical properties are reported. The detailed study includes cyclic voltammetry, steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, radiation chemistry and transient absorption spectroscopy. A light-induced electron transfer between the inorganic cluster moiety and the fullerene can be excluded. However, a light-induced energy transfer from the rhenium cluster to the fullerene is proposed.