Dual Structure of a Vanadyl-Based Molecular Qubit Containing a Bis(ß-diketonato) Ligand.

We designed [VO(bdhb)] (1') as a new electronic qubit containing an oxovanadium(IV) ion (S = 1/2) embraced by a single bis(ß-diketonato) ligand [H2bdhb = 1,3-bis(3,5-dioxo-1-hexyl)benzene]. The synthesis afforded three different crystal phases, all of which unexpectedly contain dimers with formula [(VO)2(bdhb)2] (1). A trigonal form (1h) with a honeycomb structure and 46% of solvent-accessible voids quantitatively transforms over time into a monoclinic solvatomorph 1m and minor amounts of a triclinic solventless phase (1a). In a static magnetic field, 1h and 1m have detectably slow magnetic relaxation at low temperatures through quantum tunneling and Raman mechanisms. Angle-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra on single crystals revealed signatures of low-dimensional magnetic behavior, which is solvatomorph-dependent, being the closest interdimer V···V separations (6.7-7.5 Å) much shorter than intramolecular V···V distances (11.9-12.1 Å). According to 1H diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) and EPR experiments, the complex adopts the desired monomeric structure in organic solution and its geometry was inferred from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Spin relaxation measurements in a frozen toluene-d8/CD2Cl2 matrix yielded Tm values reaching 13 µs at 10 K, and coherent spin manipulations were demonstrated by Rabi nutation experiments at 70 K. The neutral quasi-macrocyclic structure, featuring nuclear spin-free donors and additional possibilities for chemical functionalization, makes 1' a new convenient spin-coherent building block in quantum technologies.

Experimental and theoretical elucidation of the luminescence quenching mechanism in highly efficient Hg2+ and sulfadiazine sensing by Ln-MOF.

Heavy metal ions and antibiotic contamination have become a major environmental concern worldwide. The development of efficient recognition strategies of these pollutants at ultra-low concentrations in aqueous solutions as well as the elucidation of the intrinsic sensing mechanism are challenging tasks. In this work, unique luminescent Ln-MOF materials (NIIC-3-Ln) were assembled by rational ligand design. Among them, NIIC-3-Tb demonstrated highly selective luminescence quenching response toward Hg2+ and sulfadiazine (SDI) at subnanomolar concentrations in less than 7 s. In addition, a Hg2+ sensing mechanism through chelation was proposed on the basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and Hg2+ adsorption study. The interaction mechanism of NIIC-3-Tb with SDI was revealed using a newly developed approach involving a (TD-)DFT based quantification of the charge transfer of a MOF-analyte supramolecular complex model in the ground and excited states. Effect of ultrasonic treatment on the surface morphology important for MOF sensing performance was revealed by gas adsorption experiments. The presented results indicate that NIIC-3-Ln is not only an advanced sensing material for the efficient detection of Hg2+ and SDI at ultra-low concentrations, but also opens up a new approach to study the sensing mechanism at the molecular level at ultra-low concentrations.

Photocaging of Carboxylic Function Bearing Biomolecules by New Thiazole Derived Fluorophore.

The design and synthesis of a new fluorophore containing an arylidene thiazole scaffold resulted in a compound with good photophysical characteristics. Furthermore, the thiazole C5-methyl group was easily modified into specific functional groups (CH2 Br and CH2 OH) for the formation of a series of photocourier molecules containing model compounds (benzoic acids), as well as prodrugs, including salicylic acid, caffeic acid, and chlorambucil via a "benzyl" linker. Spectral characteristics (1 H, 13 C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectra) corresponded to the proposed structures. The photocourier molecules demonstrated absorption with high values of coefficient of molar extinction, exhibited contrasting green emission, and showed good dark stability. The mechanism of the photorelease was investigated through spectral analysis, HPLC-HRMS, and supported by TD-DFT calculations. The photoheterolysis and elimination of carboxylic acids were proved to occur in the excited state, yielding a carbocation as an intermediate moiety. The fluorophore structure provided stability to the carbocation through the delocalization of the positive charge via resonance structures. Viability assessment of Vero cells using the MTT-test confirmed the weak cytotoxicity of prodrugs without irradiation and it increase upon UV-light.

Octahedral Tantalum Bromide Clusters as Catalysts for Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution.

The development of an efficient hydrogen generation strategy from aqueous protons using sunlight is a current challenge aimed at the production of low-cost, easily accessible, renewable molecular hydrogen. For achieving this goal, non-noble metal containing and highly active catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are desirable. Octahedral tantalum halide clusters {Ta6(µ-X)12}2+ (X = halogen) represent an emerging class of such HER photocatalysts. In this work, the photocatalytic properties of octahedral aqua tantalum bromide clusters toward HER and in acid and homogeneous aqueous conditions were investigated. The [{Ta6Bri12}Bra2(H2O)a4]·4H2O (i = inner ligand; a = apical ligand) compound is revealed to be an efficient precatalyst in acid (HBr) conditions and with methanol as the sacrificial agent. A response surface methodology (RSM) study was applied for the optimization of the HER conditions, considering the concentrations of both additives (methanol and HBr) as independent variables. An optimal H2 production of 11 mmol·g-1 (TON = 25) was achieved, which displays exceptional catalytic properties compared to regular Ta-based materials. The aqua tantalum bromide clusters assist in the photocatalytic hydrogen generation in agreement with energy-conversion schemes, and plausible active catalytic species and a reaction mechanism were proposed from computational and experimental perspectives.

Fluorescent nano-sized aggregates of halogen bonded complexes formed using perfluoropropyl iodides: a systematic comparison between two isomeric halogen bond acceptors, aniline and 4-methyl pyridine.

The halogen bonds (XB) formed by the two isomers 4-methyl pyridine (MePy) and aniline (ANL) with heptafluoro-1-propyl iodide (n-C3F7I) and heptafluoro-2-propyl iodide (iso-C3F7I) were investigated using vibrational (FT-IR and Raman) spectroscopy and quantum mechanical calculations. While these two isomers indicated a distinctive impact on the ring related vibrations, molecular electrostatic potential, frontier molecular orbitals, intermolecular electron density delocalisation and consequential charge transfer upon halogen bonding with n-C3F7I and iso-C3F7I, the dramatic intermolecular charge transfer (CT) occurring on the MePy involved XB systems demonstrated an ion-pair like aggregation. Such aggregation, after 72 h and longer after mixing, leads to an emission of fluorescence for both [MePy·C3F7I] systems. The resulting nano-sized aggregates were characterised using UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy along with scanning and transmittance electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), wherein, the XB complex with iso-C3F7I showed a faster and more severe aggregation due to a stronger CT than that with n-C3F7I. The present work is the first case of aggregation induced emission (AIE) due to aggregation of XB complexes formed by small neutral molecules.

NMR-Relaxometric Investigation of Mn(II)-Doped Polyoxometalates in Aqueous Solutions.

Solution behavior of K;5[(Mn(H2O))PW11O39]·7H2O (1), Na3.66(NH4)4.74H3.1[(MnII(H2O))2.75(WO(H2O))0.25(α-B-SbW9O33)2]·27H2O (2), and Na4.6H3.4[(MnII(H2O)3)2(WO2)2(ß-B-TeW9O33)2]·19H2O (3) was studied with NMR-relaxometry and HPLC-ICP-AES (High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy). According to the data, the [(Mn(H2O))PW11O39]5- Keggin-type anion is the most stable in water among the tested complexes, even in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). Aqueous solutions of 2 and 3 anions are less stable and contain other species resulting from dissociation of Mn2+. Quantum chemical calculations show the change in Mn2+ electronic state between [Mn(H2O)6]2+ and [(Mn(H2O))PW11O39]5-.

An inexpensive density functional theory-based protocol to predict accurate 19 F-NMR chemical shifts.

Thanks to its advantages, 19 F-NMR is an increasingly popular technique for the structural characterization of F-containing molecules, among which polymers, materials, fluorophores, pharmaceuticals, and so forth. However, the computational calculation of the 19 F-NMR chemical shifts, both for prediction and interpretation of experimental spectra, remains a challenge. In this work a density functional theory (DFT) based protocol for the calculation of the chemical shifts is established within the framework of the gauge-independent atomic orbital method, upon verifying the performance of Hartree-Fock and 60 DFT functionals coupled with seven different basis sets. The benchmark is conducted using two sets of molecules, namely one used for testing methods and another used for probing; the former set consists of 134 molecules, the latter 50, yet both of them with F in different chemical environments. Following Bally-Rablen-Tantillo strategy, the scaling parameters and other statistical quantities were computed for each method upon least squares linear regression between experimental and computed chemical shifts. The designed computational workflow is computationally inexpensive and represents a significant improvement with respect to the current state of the art.

Niobium and Tantalum Halocyanide Clusters: The Complete Family.

Synthetic procedures providing straightforward access to the whole family of Nb and Ta halide clusters with terminal cyanide ligands have been developed. Corresponding [M6X12(CN)12]4- (M = Nb, Ta; X = Cl, Br) can be accessed by ligand-exchange procedures from K4Nb6X18 (X = Cl, Br) and Bu4NCN, (Et4N)2[Ta6Cl18] and Bu4NCN and from [Ta6Br12(H2O)4Br2]·4H2O and KCN in moderate to high yields (50-80%). The products were isolated as Bu4N salts. The compounds were investigated both experimentally and by quantum chemistry, revealing correlations between structural, electrochemical, electrostatic, electronic, and topological features as a function of type of metal, halide, and charge.

How do electron donating substituents affect the electronic structure, molecular topology, vibrational properties and intra- and intermolecular interactions of polyhalogenated pyridines?

Seven polyhalogenated pyridine derivatives bearing an amino or a hydroxyl group, either at the ortho or para position, were studied using a combined experimental and computational approach. The presence of an electron donating substituent strongly impacted on the geometry, electronic structure, electrostatic properties, molecular topology and vibrational characteristics of these compounds compared to the corresponding polyhalogenated pyridines. In particular the attention was focused on changes in wavenumbers, force constants and intensity of the seven in-plane Ring Normal Modes (RNMs). Due to the nature and position of the substituents, intra- and intermolecular interactions also underwent dramatic modifications, as revealed using Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis, Non-Covalent Interaction (NCI) analysis and Atom-In-Molecule (AIM) theory. Raman and FT-IR spectra of these seven compounds were also collected in solid phase and rationalised by the simulated spectra for hydrogen bonding and/or π-π stacking based homodimers. The present study provides a strategy not only for the vibrational characterisation for the individual compounds, but also for shedding light on the ways of molecular packing in the molecular crystals or cocrystals involving these compounds.

Symmetric spirenes: promising building blocks for new generation opto-electronic materials.

Spiroconjugated hydrocarbons, and in particular spirenes, show unique properties among the numerous π-conjugated materials; they are quite rigid systems, with a subsequently small excitation reorganization energy, and hence are excellent hole transporting materials. Furthermore they show chiroptical properties and an efficient intramolecular through-space charge transport capability, leading to thermally-activated delayed fluorescence. In this work an efficient protocol for computing different properties of spirenes is described and validated. This protocol is then employed to investigate the structural properties, intra- and inter-ring interactions, vibrational and optical spectra of a series of symmetric spirenes, whose properties are compared with the corresponding non-spiroconjugated cyclic hydrocarbons. The effect of oxidation and reduction is analysed in detail.

Computational Investigation of Substituent Effects on the Fluorescence Wavelengths of Oxyluciferin Analogs.

Oxyluciferin, which is the light emitter for firefly bioluminescence, has been subjected to extensive chemical modifications to tune its emission wavelength and quantum yield. However, the exact mechanisms for various electron-donating and withdrawing groups to perturb the photophysical properties of oxyluciferin analogs are still not fully understood. To elucidate the substituent effects on the fluorescence wavelength of oxyluciferin analogs, we applied the absolutely localized molecular orbitals (ALMO)-based frontier orbital analysis to assess various types of interactions (i.e. permanent electrostatics/exchange repulsion, polarization, occupied-occupied orbital mixing, virtual-virtual orbital mixing, and charge-transfer) between the oxyluciferin and substituent orbitals. We suggested two distinct mechanisms that can lead to red-shifted oxyluciferin emission wavelength, a design objective that can help increase the tissue penetration of bioluminescence emission. Within the first mechanism, an electron-donating group (such as an amino or dimethylamino group) can contribute its highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to an out-of-phase combination with oxyluciferin's HOMO, thus raising the HOMO energy of the substituted analog and narrowing its HOMO-LUMO gap. Alternatively, an electron-withdrawing group (such as a nitro or cyano group) can participate in an in-phase virtual-virtual orbital mixing of fragment LUMOs, thus lowering the LUMO energy of the substituted analog. Such an ALMO-based frontier orbital analysis is expected to lead to intuitive principles for designing analogs of not only the oxyluciferin molecule, but also many other functional dyes.

Trapping of Ag+ into a Perfect Six-Coordinated Environment: Structural Analysis, Quantum Chemical Calculations and Electrochemistry.

Self-assembly of (Bu4N)4[ß-Mo8O26], AgNO3, and 2-bis[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imino]acenaphthene (dpp-bian) in DMF solution resulted in the (Bu4N)2[ß-{Ag(dpp-bian)}2Mo8O26] (1) complex. The complex was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), diffuse reflectance (DR), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and elemental analysis. Comprehensive SCXRD studies of the crystal structure show the presence of Ag+ in an uncommon coordination environment without a clear preference for Ag-N over Ag-O bonding. Quantum chemical calculations were performed to qualify the nature of the Ag-N/Ag-O interactions and to assign the electronic transitions observed in the UV-Vis absorption spectra. The electrochemical behavior of the complex combines POM and redox ligand signatures. Complex 1 demonstrates catalytic activity in the electrochemical reduction of CO2.

Photophysics, photochemistry and bioimaging application of 8-azapurine derivatives.

New 2-aryl-1,2,3-triazolopyrimidines were designed, synthesized, and characterized. Their optical properties were thoroughly studied in the solid phase, in solution and in a biological environment. Density Functional Theory (DFT) based calculations were performed, including the molecular geometry optimization for both the ground state and the first singlet excited state, the prediction of the UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectra, the determination of the molecular electrostatic properties and the solvent effect on the optical properties. The emission intensity was revealed to increase in time upon irradiation. Mass spectrometric research, quantum mechanical calculations, and analysis of literature data suggested a possible photo-transformation pathway through the homolytic cleavage of one of the C-Cl bonds upon irradiation with UV light. The structure of the active intermediate was identified by the series of mass spectrometry experiments and via synthesis of putative transformation products. The kinetic parameters measured in different solvents allowed estimating the rate of these photo-transformations. Biological experiments demonstrated that 2-aryl-1,2,3-triazolopyrimidines penetrate cells and selectively accumulate in the cell membrane and the Golgi complex and endoplasmic reticulum. Their unique properties pave the way for new possible applications of fluorescent 8-azapurines in biology and medicine.

Impact of fluorination and chlorination on the electronic structure, topology and in-plane ring normal modes of pyridines.

Seven partially and fully fluorinated/chlorinated pyridines were investigated by means of FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy combined with quantum chemical calculations, mainly aiming to detect how the nature and position of F and Cl substituents affect the in-plane ring normal modes (RNMs) of pyridines in terms of vibrational wavenumbers, force constants, IR intensities and Raman activities. Taking pyridine as the reference, the RNMs and some derived RNMs through coupling with related C-X (X = F, Cl) stretching vibrations were identified on the basis of their composition in terms of internal coordinates. The impact of fluorination and chlorination on these RNMs was also discussed from the perspective of frontier molecular orbitals (MOs), maps of the molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and the molecular topology. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis revealed the consequences of substitutions on the intramolecular charge delocalisation and consequently the ring bond strength. Moreover, the effects of anharmonicity of the potential on vibrational frequencies were presented and discussed.

From Specific γ-CD/[Nb6 Cl12 (H2 O)6 ]2+ Recognition to Biological Activity Tuning.

Specific molecular recognition of γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) by the cationic hexanuclear niobium [Nb6 Cl12 (H2 O)6 ]2+ cluster complex in aqueous solutions results in a 1:1 supramolecular assembly {[Nb6 Cl12 (H2 O)6 ]@γ-CD}2+ . NMR spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and ESI-MS were used to study the interaction between the inorganic cluster and the organic macrocycle. Such molecular association affects the biological activity of [Nb6 Cl12 (H2 O)6 ]2+ , decreasing its cytotoxicity despite enhanced cellular uptake. The 1:1 stoichiometry is maintained in solution over a large window of the reagents' ratio, but crystallization by slow evaporation produces a 1:2 host-guest complex [Nb6 Cl12 (H2 O)6 @(γ-CD)2 ]Cl2 ⋅20 H2 O featuring the cluster encapsulated between two molecules of γ-CD. The 1:2 complex was characterized by XRD, elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Quantum chemical calculations were performed to model host-guest interaction.

Two Approaches for the Synthesis of Fused Dihydropyridines via a 1,6-Electrocyclic Reaction: Fluorescent Properties and Prospects for Application.

Reactions of penta-2,4-dienethioamides with acetylenedicarboxylic acid, methyl and ethyl esters, and methyl propiolate were systematically studied, and a number of new 2,3-dihydro-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a]pyridines (DTPs) and 4H,6H-pyrido[2,1-b][1,3]thiazines (PTZs) were prepared. A possible mechanism for a multistep domino transformation is suggested, and the key step is the 1,6-electrocyclic reaction. An additional alternative method for the synthesis of new heterocyclic systems was achieved. Evidence of the electrocyclic mechanism of a key step was collected from the analysis of the spatial structure of the synthesized bicyclic nonaromatic pyridines by X-ray diffraction and quantum chemical calculations, as well as from the thermodynamic quantities. DTPs exhibited yellow fluorescence in solution and yellow to red emissions in the solid state. Biological investigations demonstrated the ability of DTPs to penetrate living and fixed cells and presumably accumulate in lysosomes.

Is It Possible To Prepare a Heterometal Anderson-Evans Type Anion?

Reaction of [SbW9O33]9- with [Pt(H2O)2(OH)4] results in the first example of the mixed addenda Anderson-Evans type PtIV{SbV(OH)2}WVI5O22]7- anion, isolated and characterized as K6Na2[Pt{Sb(OH)2}W5O22](NO3)0.1(OH)0.9̇11H2O (1).

Octahedral {Ta6I12} Clusters.

Ta powder reacts with I2 at 650 °C with the formation of Ta6I14, which belongs to the family of {M6(µ-X)12} clusters. It undergoes aquation with the formation of the intensely colored [Ta6I12(H2O)6]2+. The crystal structure was determined for [Ta6I12(H2O)6](BPh4)2·xH2O (Ta-Ta 2.9322(6) Å, Ta-I 2.8104(7) Å, Ta-O 2.3430(5) Å). With DMF, [Ta6I12(DMF)6]I2·xDMF was isolated (Ta-Ta 2.9500(2) Å, Ta-I 2.8310(4) Å, Ta-O 2.2880(7) Å). Cyclic voltammetry of [Ta6I12(H2O)6]2+ shows two consecutive quasi-reversible one-electron oxidations (E1/2 0.61 and 0.92 V vs Ag/AgCl). Reaction of Ta6I14 with Bu4NCN yields (Bu4N)4[Ta6I12(CN)6]·xCH3CN (Ta-Ta 2.9777(4) Å, Ta-I 2.8165(6) Å, Ta-C 2.2730(7) Å). Quantum chemical calculations reproduce well the experimental geometry of the aqua complex and show the essentially Ta-centered nature of both the HOMO and LUMO. The long-term stability of [Ta6I12(H2O)6]2+ solutions can be greatly enhanced in the presence of polystyrenesulfonate (PSS), which forms nanoparticle associates with the aqua complex in water (ca. 1 cluster per 3 PSS monomeric units).

The impact on the ring related vibrational frequencies of pyridine of hydrogen bonds with haloforms - a topology perspective.

Hydrogen bonds between pyridine (Py) and haloforms (CHX3, X = F, Cl, Br, I) and their impact on the ring related vibrational frequencies of pyridine were studied using a combination of solution phase FTIR and quantum mechanical DFT and ab initio calculations. With various possibilities for dimers that could potentially be formed between pyridine and haloforms, the calculations identified an intermolecular ring structure, which was established based on both the [Py-]N-involved hydrogen bond and the hydrogen bond between the alpha H on pyridine ([Py-]H) and the halogen atom on the haloform ([CHX2-]X), as the most energetically stable form. The formation of a ring between the two molecules makes the entire ring structure more rigid on one hand, and weakens the [Py-]N-involved hydrogen bond on the other hand. As a result, no significant shift was observed for ν12, and ν10 only experiences a moderate blue shift upon hydrogen bonding. The magnitude of the shift in ν10 is in the order: CHI3 > CHBr3 > CHCl3 > CHF3, according to calculations. FTIR experiments with pyridine and CHCl3/CHBr3/CHI3 in cyclohexane solution showed a consistent sequence. Strong correlation was observed between the values of ν10 and the various interatomic distances among [Py-]N, [Py-]H, [CHX2-]X and [CX3-]H, as well as other topological parameters involving the two bond critical points (BCP1 and BCP2) and the ring critical point (RCP). The percentage contributions from the internal coordinates were also estimated and were closely related to the magnitude of ν10. Moreover, the occupied frontier molecular orbitals of the hydrogen bonding complexes (from HOMO-4 to HOMO) were analyzed to explain their roles in the pyridine ring vibrations and their sensitivity to hydrogen bonding.

Determination of Hyperfine Coupling Constants of Fluorinated Diphenylacetylene Radical Anions by Magnetic Field-Affected Reaction Yield Spectroscopy.

Magnetic field-affected reaction yield (MARY) spectroscopy is a spin chemistry technique for detecting short-lived radical ions. Having sensitivity to transient species with lifetimes as short as nanoseconds, MARY spectroscopy usually does not provide detailed information on their magnetic resonance parameters, except for simple systems with equivalent magnetic nuclei. In this work, the radical anions of two fluorinated diphenylacetylene derivatives with nonequivalent magnetic nuclei and unknown hyperfine coupling constants ( AHF) were investigated by MARY spectroscopy. The MARY spectra were found to be resolved and have resonance lines in nonzero magnetic fields, which are determined by the AHF values. Simple relationships between the positions of resonance MARY lines and the AHF values were established from the analysis of the different Hamiltonian block contributions to the MARY spectrum. The obtained experimental AHF values are in agreement with the results of quantum chemical calculations at the density functional theory level.