Bifunctional Carbenium Dications as Metal-Free Catalysts for the Reduction of Oxygen.

The development of catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction is a coveted objective of relevance to energy research. This study describes a metal-free approach to catalyzing the reduction of O2 into H2O2, based on the use of redox-active carbenium species. The most active catalysts uncovered by these studies are the bifunctional dications 1,8-bis(xanthylium)-biphenylene ([3]2+) and 4,5-bis(xanthylium)-9,9-dimethylxanthene ([4]2+) which promote the reaction when in the presence of decamethylferrocene and methanesulfonic acid. Electrochemical studies carried out with [4]2+ suggest the intermediacy of an organic peroxide that, upon protonation, converts back into the starting dication while also releasing H2O2. Kinetic studies point to the second protonation event as being rate-determining.

An Efficient Method for the Synthesis of Boratrane Complexes of Late Transition Metals.

In a quest for efficient precursors for the synthesis of boratrane complexes of late transition metals, we have developed a useful synthetic method using [L'M(µ-Cl)Clx ]2 as precursors (L'=η6 -p-cymene, M=Ru, x=1; L'=COD, M=Rh, x=0 and L'=Cp*, M=Ir or Rh, x=1; COD=1,5-cyclooctadiene, Cp*=η5 -C5 Me5 ). For example, treatment of Na[(H3 B)bbza] or Na[(H2 B)mp2 ] (bbza=bis(benzothiazol-2-yl)amine; mp=2-mercaptopyridyl) with [L'M(µ-Cl)Clx ]2 yielded [(η6 -p-cymene)RuBH{(NCSC6 H4 )(NR)}2 ] (2; R=NCSC6 H4 ), [{N(NCSC6 H4 )2 }RhBH{(NCSC6 H4 )(NR)}2 ] (3; R=NCS-C6 H4 ), [(η6 -p-cymene)RuBH(L)2 ] (5; L=C5 H4 NS), and [Cp*MBH(L)2 ] (6 and 7; L=C5 H4 NS, M=Ir or Rh). In order to delineate the significance of the ligands, we studied the reactivity of [(COD)Rh(µ-Cl)]2 with Na[(H3 B)bbza], which led to the formation of the isomeric agostic complexes [(η4 -COD)Rh(µ-H)BHRh(C14 H8 N3 S2 )3 ], 4 a and 4 b, in parallel to the formation of 16-electron square-pyramidal rhodaboratrane complex 3. Compounds 4 a and 4 b show two different geometries, in which the Rh-B bonds are shorter than in the reported Rh agostic complexes. The new compounds have been characterized in solution by various spectroscopic analyses, and their structural arrangements have been unequivocally established by crystallographic analyses. DFT calculations provide useful insights regarding the stability of these metallaboratrane complexes as well as their M→B bonding interactions.

Synthesis, Chemistry, and Electronic Structures of Group 9 Metallaboranes.

Dimetallaoctaborane(12) of Ru, Co, and Rh have been well-characterized by a range of spectroscopic techniques and X-ray diffraction studies. Thus, reinvestigation of the Ir-system became of interest. As a result, a slight modification in the reaction conditions enabled us to isolate the missing Ir analogue of octaborane(12), [(Cp*Ir)2B6H10], 1. Compound 1 adapts a geometry similar to that of its parent octaborane(12) and Ru, Co, and Rh analogues. In [M2B6H10+x](M = Ru, x = 2; M = Co and Rh, x = 0), there exist two M-H-B protons. However, a significant difference observed in [(Cp*Ir)2B6H10] is the presence of two Ir-H instead of Ir-H-B protons that eventually controls the reactivity of this molecule. For example, unlike [M2B6H10](M = Co or Rh), the Ir-analogue does not react with metal carbonyl compounds or [Au(PPh3)Cl]. Along with 1, a closo trimetallic 8-vertex iridaborane [(Cp*Ir)3B5H4Cl], 2 was also isolated. Additionally, from another reaction, 12-vertex closo iridaboranes [(Cp*Ir)2B10Hy(OH)z], 3a and 3b (3a: y = 12, z = 0; 3b: y = 8, z = 2), have also been isolated. Further, density functional theory calculations were performed to gain useful insight into the structure and stability of these compounds.

Hypoelectronic 8-11-Vertex Irida- and Rhodaboranes.

A series of novel isocloso-diiridaboranes [(Cp*Ir)2B6H6], 1, 2; [1,7-(Cp*Ir)2B8H8], 4; [1,4-(Cp*Ir)2B8H8], 5; [(Cp*Ir)2B9H9], 8; isonido-[(Cp*Ir)2B7H7], 3; and 10-vertex cluster [5,7-(Cp*Ir)2B8H12], 6 (Cp* = η(5)-C5Me5) have been isolated and structurally characterized from the pyrolysis of [Cp*IrCl2]2 and BH3·thf. On the other hand, the corresponding rhodium system afforded 10- and 11-vertices clusters [5-(Cp*Rh)B9H13)], 7, and [(Cp*Rh)2B9H9], 9, respectively. Clusters 1 and 2 are topological isomers. The geometry of 1 is dodecahedral, similar to that of its parent borane [B8H8](2-), in which two of the [BH] vertices are replaced by two [Cp*Ir] fragments. The geometry of 2 can be derived from a nine-vertex tricapped trigonal prism by removing one of the capped vertices. Compounds 4 and 5 are 10-vertex isocloso clusters based on a 10-vertex bicapped square antiprism structure. The only difference between them is the presence of a metal-metal bond in 5. The solid-state structures of 8 and 9 attain an 11-vertex geometry in which a unique six-membered B6H6 moiety is bonded to the metal center. In addition, quantum-chemical calculations have been used to provide further insight into the electronic structure and stability of the clusters. All the compounds have been characterized by IR and (1)H, (11)B, and (13)C NMR spectroscopy in solution, and the solid-state structures were established by X-ray crystallographic analysis.

Benzoindolium-triarylborane conjugates: a ratiometric fluorescent chemodosimeter for the detection of cyanide ions in aqueous medium.

Based on benzo[e]indolium and dimesitylborylbenzaldehyde a new ratiometric fluorescent chemodosimeter, C41H43BIN (3) has been synthesized and characterized by (1)H, (13)C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and single crystal X-ray crystallography. Probe 3 was found to be highly selective and sensitive toward cyanide (CN(-)) ions in aqueous medium even in the presence of other competing anions like F(-), Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), H2PO4(-), HCO3(-) and AcO(-). The detection limit was calculated to be 7.1 × 10(-9) M, which is much lower than the maximum permissable concentration in drinking water (1.9 µM) set by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, the response time of the probe for CN(-) is less than 5 seconds. The mechanism is based on a nucleophilic addition reaction of cyanide ions at the polarized [>C[double bond, length as m-dash]N<](+) bond of the benzoindolium group thereby blocking the pi-conjugation between the benzoindolium and triarylborane moiety. This was further confirmed by (1)H NMR titration, ESI-MS studies and DFT calculations.

Hypoelectronic isomeric diiridaboranes [(Cp*Ir)2B6H6]: the "Rule-Breakers"(Cp* = η(5)-C5Me5).

In an effort to synthesize supraicosahedral iridaboranes, pyrolysis of [Cp*IrCl2]2 with excess [BH3·] was carried out, and this synthesis afforded the isomeric iridaborane [(Cp*Ir)2B6H6] clusters 1 and 2. The geometry of 1 was determined to be dodecahedral, i.e., similar to that of [B8H8](2-), whereas 2 was found to exhibit a cluster shape that can be derived from a nine-vertex tricapped trigonal prism by removing one of the capped vertices. The calculation of a large HOMO-LUMO gap further rationalized the isocloso structures for these isomers.

Synthesis and characterization of perchlorato bridged Cu2(II)Zn(II) heterotrinuclear complexes derived from succinoyldihydrazones.

In the present paper three new heterotrimetallic Cu(II)-Zn(II)-Cu(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized by analytical and spectroscopic studies. The molar conductance values for the complexes fall in the region 1.2-1.7Ω(-1)cm(2)mol(-1) in DMSO solution indicating that all of the complexes are non-electrolyte. The dihydrazone ligand is present in enol form in all of the complexes. Both the copper centres have distorted square pyramidal stereochemistry in all of the complexes while the zinc centre in all hetero metal complexes has octahedral stereochemistry. The EPR parameters of the complexes indicate that the copper centre has [Formula: see text] orbital as the ground state. The electron transfer reactions of the complexes have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry.

Synthesis and characterization of heterotrinuclear bis(µ2-chlorido)dicopper (II) mono zinc(II) complexes derived from succinoyldihydrazones.

Three new zinc (II)-copper (II) heterometallic trinuclear complexes of the composition [ZnCu2(L(n))(µ2-Cl)2(H2O)6]⋅2H2O (H4L(n)=H4L(1), H4L(2), H4L(3)) have been synthesized from substituted succinoyldihydrazones (H4L(n)) in methanol medium. The composition of the complexes has been established on the basis of data obtained from analytical, mass spectral studies and molecular weight determinations in DMSO. The structure of the ligand H4L(2) has been established by X-ray crystallography. The structure of the complexes has been discussed in the light of molar conductance, magnetic moment, electronic, EPR, IR and FT-IR spectral studies. The molar conductance values for the complexes fall in the region 1.2-1.7 ohm(-1) cm(2) mol(-1) in DMSO solution indicating that all of these are non-electrolyte. The magnetic moment values suggest weak M-M interaction in the structural unit of the complexes. The dihydrazone ligand is present in enol form in all of the complexes. Copper centre has tetragonally distorted octahedral stereochemistry. The EPR parameters of the complexes indicate that the copper centre has doublet state as the ground state. The electron transfer reactions of the complexes have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry.

Synthesis of homobimetallic molybdenum(VI) complex of bis(2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde)malonoyldihydrazone and its reaction with electron and proton bases.

The diamagnetic dioxomolybdenum(VI) complex [(MoO(2))(2)(CH(2)L)(H(2)O)(2)]H(2)O (1) has been isolated in solid state from reaction of MoO(2)(acac)(2) with bis(2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde)malonoyldihydrazone (CH(2)LH(4)) in 3:1 molar ratio in ethanol at higher temperature. The reaction of the complex (1) with electron donor bases gives diamagnetic molybdenum(VI) complexes having composition [Mo(2)O(5)(CH(2)LH(2))].2A.2H(2)O (where A=pyridine (py, 2), 2-picoline (2-pic, 3), 3-picoline (3-pic, 4), 4-picoline (4-pic, 5)). Further, when the complex (1) is allowed to react with protonic bases such as isonicotinoylhydrazine (inhH(3)) and salicyloylhydrazine (slhH(3)), reduction of molybdenum(VI) centre occurs leading to isolation of homobimetallic molybdenum(V) complexes [Mo(2)(CH(2)L)(inh)(2)(H(2)O)(2)] (6) and [Mo(2)(CH(2)L)(slh)(2)] (7), respectively. The composition of the complexes has been established by analytical, thermo-analytical and molecular weight data. The structure of the molybdenum(VI) complexes (1)-(5) has been established by electronic, IR, (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR spectral studies while those of the complexes (6) and (7) by magnetic moment, electronic, IR and EPR spectral studies. The dihydrazone is coordinated to the metal centres in staggered configuration in complex (1) while in anti-cis configuration in complexes (2)-(7). The complexes (6) and (7) possess magnetic moment of 2.95 and 3.06 BM, respectively, indicating presence of two magnetic centre in the complexes per molecule each with one unpaired electron on each metal centre without any metal-metal interaction. The electronic spectra of the complexes are dominated by strong charge transfer bands. All of the complexes involve six coordinated molybdenum centre with octahedral arrangement of donor atoms except in the complex (6), in which the molybdenum centre has rhombic arrangement of ligand donor atoms. The probable mechanism for generation of oxo-group in the complexes (2)-(5) involving coordinated water molecule has been proposed.