Spin crossover in dinuclear iron(II) complexes bridged by bis-bipyridine ligands: dimer effects on electronic structure, spectroscopic properties and spin-state switching.

Inspired by the well-studied mononuclear spin crossover compound [Fe(H2B(pz)2)2(bipy)], the bipyridine-based bisbidentate ligands 1,2-di(2,2'-bipyridin-5-yl)ethyne (ac(bipy)2) and 1,4-di(2,2'-bipyridine-5-yl)-3,5-dimethoxybenzene (Ph(OMe)2(bipy)2) are used to bridge two [Fe(H2B(pz)2)2] units, leading to the charge-neutral dinuclear iron(II) compounds [{Fe(H2B(pz)2)2}2 µ-(ac(bipy)2)] (1) and [{Fe(H2B(pz)2)2}2 µ-(Ph(OMe)2(bipy)2)] (2), respectively. The spin-crossover properties of these molecules are investigated by temperature-dependent PPMS measurements, Mössbauer, vibrational and UV/Vis spectroscopy as well as X-ray absorption spectroscopy. While compound 1 undergoes complete SCO with T1/2 = 125 K, an incomplete spin transition is observed for 2 with an inflection point at 152 K and a remaining high-spin fraction of 40% below 65 K. The spin transitions of the dinuclear compounds are also more gradual than for the parent compound [Fe(H2B(pz)2)2(bipy)]. This is attributed to steric hindrance between the molecules, limiting intermolecular interactions such as π-π-stacking.

Oxidative Decarbonylation of an Azacalixpyridine-Supported Mo(0)-Tricarbonyl to a Mo(VI)-Trioxo Complex with Dioxygen in Solution and on Au(111): Determination of Molecular Mechanism.

The conversion of an azacalixpyridine-supported Mo(0) tricarbonyl into a Mo(VI) trioxo complex with dioxygen (O2) is investigated in homogeneous solution and in a molecular film adsorbed on Au(111) using a variety of spectroscopic and analytical methods. These studies in particular show that the dome-shaped carbonyl complex adsorbed on the metal surface has the ability to bind and activate gaseous oxygen, overcoming the so-called surface trans-effect. Furthermore, the rate of the conversion dramatically increases by irradiation with light. This observation is explained with the help of complementary DFT calculations and attributed to two different pathways, a thermal and a photochemical one. Based on the experimental and theoretical findings, a molecular mechanism for the conversion of the carbonyl to the oxo complex is derived.

Molybdenum(0)-Tricarbonyl Complex Supported by an Azacalix-pyridine Ligand: Synthesis, Characterization, Surface Deposition and Conversion to a Molybdenum(VI)-Trioxo Complex with O2.

Adsorption of metal-organic complexes on metallic surfaces to produce well-defined single site catalysts is a novel approach combining the advantages of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. To avoid the "surface trans-effect" a dome-shaped molybdenum(0) tricarbonyl complex supported by an tolylazacalix[3](2,6)pyridine ligand is synthesized. This vacuum-evaporable complex both activates CO and reacts with molecular oxygen (O2) to form a Mo(VI) trioxo complex which in turn is capable of catalytically mediating oxygen transfer. The molybdenum tricarbonyl- and trioxo complexes are investigated in the solid state, in homogeneous solution and on noble metal surfaces (Cu, Au) employing a range of spectroscopic and analytical methods.

Defying the inverse energy gap law: a vacuum-evaporable Fe(ii) low-spin complex with a long-lived LIESST state.

The novel vacuum-evaporable complex [Fe(pypypyr)2] (pypypyr = bipyridyl pyrrolide) was synthesised and analysed as bulk material and as a thin film. In both cases, the compound is in its low-spin state up to temperatures of at least 510 K. Thus, it is conventionally considered a pure low-spin compound. According to the inverse energy gap law, the half time of the light-induced excited high-spin state of such compounds at temperatures approaching 0 K is expected to be in the regime of micro- or nanoseconds. In contrast to these expectations, the light-induced high-spin state of the title compound has a half time of several hours. We attribute this behaviour to a large structural difference between the two spin states along with four distinct distortion coordinates associated with the spin transition. This leads to a breakdown of single-mode behaviour and thus drastically decreases the relaxation rate of the metastable high-spin state. These unprecedented properties open up new strategies for the development of compounds showing light-induced excited spin state trapping (LIESST) at high temperatures, potentially around room temperature, which is relevant for applications in molecular spintronics, sensors, displays and the like.

N2 Reduction versus H2 Evolution in a Molybdenum- or Tungsten-Based Small-Molecule Model System of Nitrogenase.

Molybdenum dinitrogen complexes have played a major role as catalytic model systems of nitrogenase. In comparison, analogous tungsten complexes have in most cases found to be catalytically inactive. Herein, a tungsten complex was shown to be supported by a pentadentate tetrapodal (pentaPod) phosphine ligand, under conditions of N2 fixation, primarily catalyzes the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), in contrast to its Mo analogue, which catalytically mediates the nitrogen-reduction reaction (N2 RR). DFT calculations were employed to evaluate possible mechanisms and identify the most likely pathways of N2 RR and HER activities exhibited by Mo- and W-pentaPod complexes. Two mechanisms for N2 RR by PCET are considered, starting from neutral (M(0) cycle) and cationic (M(I) cycle) dinitrogen complexes (M=Mo, W). The latter was found to be energetically more favorable. For HER three scenarios are treated; that is, through bimolecular reactions of early M-Nx Hy intermediates, pure hydride intermediates or mixed M(H)(Nx Hy ) species.

Catalytic Ammonia Synthesis Mediated by Molybdenum Complexes with PN3P Pincer Ligands: Influence of P/N Substituents and Molecular Mechanism.

Three molybdenum trihalogenido complexes supported by different PN3P pincer ligands were synthesized and investigated regarding their activity towards catalytic N2-to-NH3 conversion. The highest yields were obtained with the H-PN3PtBu ligand. The corresponding Mo(V)-nitrido complex also shows good catalytic activity. Experiments regarding the formation of the analogous Mo(IV)-nitrido complex lead to the conclusion that the mechanism of catalytic ammonia formation mediated by the title systems does not involve N-N cleavage of a dinuclear Mo-dinitrogen complex, but follows the classic Chatt cycle.

Copper-Catalyzed Monooxygenation of Phenols: Evidence for a Mononuclear Reaction Mechanism.

The CuI salts [Cu(CH3 CN)4 ]PF and [Cu(oDFB)2 ]PF with the very weakly coordinating anion Al(OC(CF3 )3 )4- (PF) as well as [Cu(NEt3 )2 ]PF comprising the unique, linear bis-triethylamine complex [Cu(NEt3 )2 ]+ were synthesized and examined as catalysts for the conversion of monophenols to o-quinones. The activities of these CuI salts towards monooxygenation of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (DTBP-H) were compared to those of [Cu(CH3 CN)4 ]X salts with "classic" anions (BF4- , OTf- , PF6- ), revealing an anion effect on the activity of the catalyst and a ligand effect on the reaction rate. The reaction is drastically accelerated by employing CuII -semiquinone complexes as catalysts, indicating that formation of a CuII complex precedes the actual catalytic cycle. This result and other experimental observations show that with these systems the oxygenation of monophenols does not follow a dinuclear, but a mononuclear pathway analogous to that of topaquinone cofactor biosynthesis in amine oxidase.

Tungsten and molybdenum dinitrogen complexes supported by a pentadentate tetrapodal phosphine ligand: comparative spectroscopic, electrochemical and reactivity studies.

The tungsten dinitrogen complex [W(N2)(PMe2PPPh2)] (2) (PMe2PPPh2 = [2-({bis[3-(diphenylphosphino)propyl]-phosphino}methyl)-2-methylpropane-1,3-diyl]bis(dimethylphosphine)) is synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction as well as IR and NMR spectroscopies, showing strong analogies to its molybdenum analogue [Mo(N2)(PMe2PPPh2)] (1). Whereas cyclic voltammetry studies indicate very similar redox potentials, detailed electrochemical and IR-spectroelectrochemical investigations reveal characteristic differences between 1 and 2 upon electrochemical oxidation in THF. Protonation of 2 with HBArF (BArF = tetrakis(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl)borate) leads to the hydrazido(2-) derivative 3 which is spectroscopically characterized as well. In the presence of SmI2/H2O slightly overstoichiometric conversion of N2 to ammonia (2.75 equiv.) is observed. Although this is far below the activity of the Mo-complex 1, it renders 2 the first W complex to produce more than 2 equivalents of NH3 from N2 upon addition of protons and reductant.

Spin Crossover in a Cobalt Complex on Ag(111).

The Co-based complex [Co(H2 B(pz)(pypz))2 ] (py=pyridine, pz=pyrazole) deposited on Ag(111) was investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy at ≈5 K. Due to a bis(tridentate) coordination sphere the molecules aggregate mainly into tetramers. Individual complexes in these tetramers undergo reversible transitions between two states with characteristic image contrasts when current is passed through them or one of their neighbors. Two molecules exhibit this bistability while the other two molecules are stable. The transition rates vary linearly with the tunneling current and exhibit an intriguing dependence on the bias voltage and its polarity. We interpret the states as being due to S=1 /2 and 3 /2 spin states of the Co2+ complex. The image contrast and the orders-of-magnitude variations of the switching yields can be tentatively understood from the calculated orbital structures of the two spin states, thus providing first insights into the mechanism of electron-induced excited spin-state trapping (ELIESST).

Electron-Induced Spin-Crossover in Self-Assembled Tetramers.

The spin crossover compound Fe(H2B(pyrazole)(pyridylpyrazole))2 was investigated in detail on Ag(111) with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). A large fraction of the deposited molecules condenses into gridlike tetramers. Two molecules of each tetramer may be converted between two states by current injection. We attribute this effect to a spin transition. This interpretation is supported by control experiments on the analogous, magnetically passive Zn compound that forms virtually identical tetramers but exhibits no switching. The switching yields were studied for various electron energies, and the resulting values exceed those reported from other SCO systems by 2 orders of magnitude. The other two molecules of a tetramer were immutable. However, they may be used as contacts for current injection that leads to conversion of one of their neighbors. This "remote" switching is fairly efficient with yields reduced by only one to two orders of magnitude compared to direct excitation of a switchable molecule. We present a model of the tetramer structure that reproduces key observations from the experiments. In particular, sterical blocking prevents spin crossover of two molecules of a tetramer. Density functional theory calculations show that the model indeed represents a minimum energy structure. They also reproduce STM images and corroborate a remote-switching mechanism that is based on electron transfer between molecules.

Spin-Crossover Molecules on Surfaces: From Isolated Molecules to Ultrathin Films.

Molecular spintronics seeks to use single or few molecules as functional building blocks for spintronic applications, directly relying on molecular properties or properties of interfaces between molecules and inorganic electrodes. Spin-crossover molecules (SCMs) are one of the most promising classes of candidates for molecular spintronics due to their bistability deriving from the existence of two spin states that can be reversibly switched by temperature, light, electric fields, etc. Building devices based on single or few molecules would entail connecting the molecule(s) with solid surfaces and understanding the fundamental behavior of the resulting assemblies. Herein, the investigations of SCMs on solid surfaces, ranging from isolated single molecules (submonolayers) to ultrathin films (mainly in the sub-10 nm range) are summarized. The achievements, challenges and prospects in this field are highlighted.

Catalytic Oxygenation of Hydrocarbons by Mono-µ-oxo Dicopper(II) Species Resulting from O-O Cleavage of Tetranuclear CuI /CuII Peroxo Complexes.

One of the challenges of catalysis is the transformation of inert C-H bonds to useful products. Copper-containing monooxygenases play an important role in this regard. Here we show that low-temperature oxygenation of dinuclear copper(I) complexes leads to unusual tetranuclear, mixed-valent µ4 -peroxo [CuI /CuII ]2 complexes. These Cu4 O2 intermediates promote irreversible and thermally activated O-O bond homolysis, generating Cu2 O complexes that catalyze strongly exergonic H-atom abstraction from hydrocarbons, coupled to O-transfer. The Cu2 O species can also be produced with N2 O, demonstrating their capability for small-molecule activation. The binding and cleavage of O2 leading to the primary Cu4 O2 intermediate and the Cu2 O complexes, respectively, is elucidated with a range of solution spectroscopic methods and mass spectrometry. The unique reactivities of these species establish an unprecedented, 100 % atom-economic scenario for the catalytic, copper-mediated monooxygenation of organic substrates, employing both O-atoms of O2 .

Molybdenum tricarbonyl complex functionalised with a molecular triazatriangulene platform on Au(111): surface spectroscopic characterisation.

Transition metal complexes form the basis for small molecule activation and are relevant for electrocatalysis. To combine both approaches the attachment of homogeneous catalysts to metallic surfaces is of significant interest. Towards this goal a molybdenum tricarbonyl complex supported by a tripodal phosphine ligand was covalently bound to a triazatriangulene (TATA) platform via an acetylene unit and the resulting TATA-functionalised complex was deposited on a Au(111) surface. The corresponding self-assembled monolayer was characterised with scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS). The vibrational properties of the surface-adsorbed complexes were investigated with the help of infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), and the frequency/intensity changes with respect to the bulk spectrum were analysed. A full vibrational analysis was performed with the help of DFT.

A Chatt-Type Catalyst with One Coordination Site for Dinitrogen Reduction to Ammonia.

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Felix Tuczek at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel. The image depicts the coordination geometry of the catalyst reported in this work. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202003549.

Crystal structure of bis-{(3,5-di-methyl-pyrazol-1-yl)di-hydro-[3-(pyridin-2-yl)pyrazol-1-yl]-borato}iron(II).

The structure determination of [Fe(C13H15BN5)2] was undertaken as part of a project on the modification of the recently published spin-crossover (SCO) complex [Fe{H2B(pz)(pypz)}2] (pz = pyrazole, pypz = pyridyl-pyrazole). To this end, a new ligand was synthesized in which two additional methyl groups are present. Its reaction with iron tri-fluoro-methane-sulfonate led to a pure sample of the title compound, as proven by X-ray powder diffraction. The asymmetric unit consists of one complex mol-ecule in a general position. The FeII atom is coordinated by two tridentate N-binding {H2B(3,5-(CH3)2-pz)(pypz)}- ligands. The Fe-N bond lengths range between 2.1222 (13) and 2.3255 (15) Å, compatible with FeII in the high-spin state, which was also confirmed by magnetic measurements. Other than a very weak C-H⋯N non-classical hydrogen bond linking individual mol-ecules into rows extending parallel to [010], there are no remarkable inter-molecular inter-actions.

Crystal structure of bis(5-bromo-1,10-phenanthroline-κ2 N,N')bis-[di-hydro-bis-(pyrazol-1-yl)borato-κ2 N 2,N 2']iron(II) toluene disolvate.

The structure determination of the title compound was undertaken as part of a project on the modification and synthesis of new spin-crossover (SCO) compounds based on octa-hedral FeII bis-(pyrazol-yl)borate complexes. In the course of these investigations, the compound [Fe(C6H8BN4)2(C12H7BrN2)] was synthesized, for which magnetic measurements revealed an incomplete spin-crossover behaviour. Crystallization of this compound from toluene led to the formation of crystals of the toluene disolvate, [Fe(C6H8N4B)2(C12H7N2Br)]·2C7H8. Its asymmetric unit comprises two discrete metal complex mol-ecules and two toluene solvent mol-ecules. One of the latter is severely disordered and its contribution to the diffracted intensities was removed using the SQUEEZE routine [Spek (2015 ▸). Acta Cryst. C71, 9-18]. In each complex mol-ecule, the FeII cation is coordinated by the two N atoms of a 5-bromo-1,10-phenanthroline ligand and by two pairs of N atoms of chelating di-hydro-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)borate ligands in the form of a slightly distorted octa-hedron. The discrete complexes are arranged in columns along the a-axis direction with the toluene solvate mol-ecules located between the columns. The 5-bromo-1,10-phenanthroline ligands of neighbouring columns are approximately parallel and are slightly shifted relative to each other, indicating π-π inter-actions.

A Chatt-Type Catalyst with One Coordination Site for Dinitrogen Reduction to Ammonia.

With [Mo(N2 )(P2 Me PP2 Ph )] the first Chatt-type complex with one coordination site catalytically converting N2 to ammonia is presented. Employing SmI2 as reductant and H2 O as proton source 26 equivalents of ammonia are generated. Analogous Mo0 -N2 complexes supported by a combination of bi- and tridentate phosphine ligands are catalytically inactive under the same conditions. These findings are interpreted by analyzing structural and spectroscopic features of the employed systems, leading to the conclusion that the catalytic activity of the title complex is due to the strong activation of N2 and the unique topology of the pentadentate tetrapodal (pentaPod) ligand P2 Me PP2 Ph . The analogous hydrazido(2-) complex [Mo(NNH2 )(P2 Me PP2 Ph )](BArF )2 is generated by protonation with HBArF in ether and characterized by NMR and vibrational spectroscopy. Importantly, it is shown to be catalytically active as well. Along with the fact that the structure of the title complex precludes dimerization this demonstrates that the corresponding catalytic cycle follows a mononuclear pathway. The implications of a PCET mechanism on this reactive scheme are considered.

Observation of Collective Photoswitching in Free-Standing TATA-Based Azobenzenes on Au(111).

Light-induced transitions between the trans and cis isomer of triazatriangulenium-based azobenzene derivatives on Au(111) surfaces were observed directly by scanning tunneling microscopy, allowing atomic-scale studies of the photoisomerization kinetics. Although the azobenzene units in these adlayers are free-standing and spaced at uniform distances of 1.26 nm, their photoswitching depends on the isomeric state of the surrounding molecules and, specifically, is accelerated by neighboring cis isomers. These collective effects are supported by ab initio calculations indicating that the electronic excitation preferably localizes on the n-π* state of trans isomers with neighboring cis azobenzenes.

Detailed Pair Natural Orbital-Based Coupled Cluster Studies of Spin Crossover Energetics.

In this work, a detailed study of spin-state splittings in three spin crossover model compounds with DLPNO-CCSD(T) is presented. The performance in comparison to canonical CCSD(T) is assessed in detail. It was found that spin-state splittings with chemical accuracy, compared to the canonical results, are achieved when the full iterative triples (T1) scheme and TightPNO settings are applied and relativistic effects are taken into account. Having established the level of accuracy that can be reached relative to the canonical results, we have undertaken a detailed basis set study in the second part of the study. The slow convergence of the results of correlated calculations with respect to basis set extension is particularly acute for spin-state splittings for reasons discussed in detail in this Article. In fact, for some of the studied systems, 5Z basis sets are necessary in order to come close to the basis set limit that is estimated here by basis set extrapolation. Finally, the results of the present work are compared to available literature. In general, acceptable agreement with previous CCSD(T) results is found, although notable deviations stemming from differences in methodology and basis sets are noted. It is noted that the published CASPT2 numbers are far away from the extrapolated CCSD(T) numbers. In addition, dynamic quantum Monte Carlo results differ by several tens of kcal/mol from the CCSD(T) numbers. A comparison to DFT results produced with a range of popular density functionals shows the expected scattering of results and showcases the difficulty of applying DFT to spin-state energies.