The ferrocene effect: enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen production using meso-tetraferrocenyl porphyrin palladium(II) and copper(II) complexes.

Copper(ii) and palladium(ii) meso-tetraferrocenylporphyrins ( and ) were employed as catalysts for electrochemical proton reduction in DMF using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) or triethylamine hydrochloride (TEAHCl) as acids. Gas analysis under electrocatalytic conditions at a glassy carbon working electrode confirmed the product as H2. showed catalytic behavior for both TFA and TEAHCl, whereas only TFA worked for . The performance of the two compounds for electrocatalytic hydrogen generation was compared to the analogous copper(ii) and palladium(ii) meso-tetraphenylporphyrins ( and ) under identical conditions. The presence of the ferrocence groups on the porphyrin favourably shift the overpotential to a less negative value by around 200 mV and increases the catalytic rate of hydrogen production in DMF/TFA by an order of magnitude to 6 × 10(3) s(-1). Moreover, while is fully inactive in a DMF/TEAHCl mixture, the ferrocene subunits activate the catalyst. Spectroelectrochemistry experiments and DFT calculations were consistent with a catalytic process proceeding via the phlorin anion.

Correction: magnetic relaxation versus 3D long-range ordering in {Dy2Ba(α-fur)8}n furoate polymers.

Correction for 'Magnetic relaxation versus 3D long-range ordering in {Dy2Ba(α-fur)8}n furoate polymers' by E. Bartolomé et al., Dalton Trans., 2014, 43, 10999-11013.

Preparation and properties of a calcium(II)-based molecular chain decorated with manganese(II) butterfly-like complexes.

The room temperature reaction of [Mn2O2(bipy)4](ClO4)3 (bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine) with Ca(CHCl2COO)2 in methanol produced a yellow crystalline material. The X-ray determined structure comprises of a multiple calcium(II) carboxylate bridged chain-like structure which is decorated with [Mn(bipy)2(OH2)](2+) subunits. The redox behaviour for the complex in H2O and MeCN is reported. In the latter solvent the oxidation of the manganese ions appears to be facilitated by the presence of the calcium ions. Magnetic susceptibility and low temperature magnetization measurements show that the Mn moment is isotropic, with g = 1.99(1) and S = 5/2, confirming it is in the 2+ oxidation state. A very weak antiferromagnetic interaction is also detected. Frequency-dependent ac measurements evidence slow magnetic relaxation of the Mn(bipy)2 units. Two relaxation mechanisms are identified: a very slow direct process and a faster one caused by the Resonant Phonon Trapping mechanism. This is the first example of field-induced single ion magnet (SIM) behavior in a mononuclear Mn(II) complex.

Structural and magnetic properties of some lanthanide (Ln = Eu(iii), Gd(iii) and Nd(iii)) cyanoacetate polymers: field-induced slow magnetic relaxation in the Gd and Nd substitutions.

The lanthanide(iii) cyanoacetate complexes of the formula {[Ln2(CNCH2COO)6(H2O)4]·2H2O}n, where Ln = Eu (), Gd (), Nd (), have been prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. Complexes and are isostructural and differ from the binding scheme of the neodymium compound , structurally described earlier. In all cases, the cyano group of the cyanoacetate ligand is not coordinated to the lanthanide cation. The carboxylic groups exhibit different binding modes: 2-bidentate-chelating, 2-bidentate and 2-tridentate-chelating bridging for and , and 4-bidentate and 2-tridentate-chelating bridging for the complex . The Eu compound shows field induced paramagnetism, as expected for a non-magnetic ground state with mixing from higher states. Combining the dc magnetization and luminescence measurements the spin-orbit coupling constant λ = 343 ± 4 cm(-1) was found, averaged over the two different sites for Eu in the lattice. In the Gd complex , a crystal field splitting of D/kB = -0.11 ± 0.01 K has been found for the S = 7/2 multiplet of the Gd(iii) ion. No slow relaxation at H = 0 is observed because the low anisotropy barrier allows fast spin reversal through classical processes. The application of an external magnetic field induces two slow relaxation processes. It is argued that the first relaxation rate is caused by the resonant phonon trapping (RPT) mechanism, while the second, slower relaxation rate is due to the lifting of the Kramers degeneracy on the ground state. For compound heat capacity and dc susceptibility measurements indicate that at very low temperatures the ground state Kramers doublet has strong single ion anisotropy. The energy to the next excited doublet ΔZFS/kB = 104 K has been calculated by ab initio calculation methods. The g* tensor has also been calculated, showing that it has predominant anisotropy along the z-axis, and there is an important transversal component. At H = 0 quantum tunnelling is an effective mechanism in producing a fast relaxation to equilibrium at temperatures above 1.8 K. The dipolar or exchange interactions and a sizable transverse anisotropy component in the ground state enhance the quantum tunneling probability. Under an external applied field, two slow relaxation processes appear: above 3 K the first relaxation mechanism is of the Orbach type, with an activation energy U/kB = 27 K; the slower relaxation is caused by the direct relaxation process from the ground state to the Kramers split levels by the applied field.

Magnetic relaxation versus 3D long-range ordering in {Dy2Ba(α-fur)8}n furoate polymers.

A novel Dy-complex formulated as {[Dy2Ba(α-C4H3OCOO)8·(H2O)4]·2H2O}n, {Dy2Ba(α-fur)8}n, has been synthesized, structurally characterized, and magnetically and thermally investigated as a function of field and temperature, down to 85 mK. The α-furoate ligands consolidate 1D zig-zag chains formed by Dy2 dimers separated by Ba ions. Ab initio calculations were used to determine the easy anisotropy axis direction, the gyromagnetic tensor components and the energy levels of each Dy. The heat capacity and susceptibility measurements allowed us to conclude that intradimer and interdimer interactions are ferromagnetic and of the same order, J'/k(B) ≈ J''/k(B) = +0.55 K. In the absence of an applied magnetic field, the dynamic relaxation of the magnetization occurs through the fast (τ(T) ~ 10(-5) s) spin-reversal of each of the individual Dys through a quantum tunneling (QT) process. A long-range 3D ordered state is achieved at T(N) = 0.25 K, in which the ferromagnetically coupled zig-zag chains (J'/k(B) ≈ J''/k(B) = +0.528(1) K) running along the c-axis are antiferromagnetically coupled to the adjacent chains (J'''/k(B) = -0.021(1) K). Critical slowing down of the QT time constant is observed when the temperature approaches T(N). Under the application of a magnetic field, the QT relaxation is replaced by an Orbach process (with energy barrier U/k(B) = 68 K and τ0 ~ 10(-9) s at H = 2 kOe) and a very slow (τ(s) ∼ 0.2 s) relaxation process. We propose and demonstrate the proof of concept of a spintronic device, in which two different relaxation rates can be selected, and on/off switched by magnetic field biasing. The dynamical behavior of this compound is compared with another furoate to discuss the effect of competitive interactions.