Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic H2-Evolving Activity of a Family of [Co(N4Py)(X)](n+) Complexes in Aqueous Solution.

A series of [Co(III)(N4Py)(X)](ClO4)n (X = Cl(-), Br(-), OH(-), N3(-), NCS(-)-κN, n = 2: X = OH2, NCMe, DMSO-κO, n = 3) complexes containing the tetrapyridyl N5 ligand N4Py (N4Py = 1,1-di(pyridin-2-yl)-N,N-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)methanamine) has been prepared and fully characterized by infrared (IR), UV-visible, and NMR spectroscopies, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESI-MS), elemental analysis, X-ray crystallography, and electrochemistry. The reduced Co(II) and Co(I) species of these complexes have been also generated by bulk electrolyses in MeCN and characterized by UV-visible and EPR spectroscopies. All tested complexes are catalysts for the photocatalytic production of H2 from water at pH 4.0 in the presence of ascorbic acid/ascorbate, using [Ru(bpy)3](2+) as a photosensitizer, and all display similar H2-evolving activities. Detailed mechanistic studies show that while the complexes retain the monodentate X ligand upon electrochemical reduction to Co(II) species in MeCN solution, in aqueous solution, upon reduction by ascorbate (photocatalytic conditions), [Co(II)(N4Py)(HA)](+) is formed in all cases and is the precursor to the Co(I) species which presumably reacts with a proton. These results are in accordance with the fact that the H2-evolving activity does not depend on the chemical nature of the monodentate ligand and differ from those previously reported for similar complexes. The catalytic activity of this series of complexes in terms of turnover number versus catalyst (TONCat) was also found to be dependent on the catalyst concentration, with the highest value of 230 TONCat at 5 × 10(-6) M. As revealed by nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy measurements, the first electron-transfer steps of the photocatalytic mechanism involve a reductive quenching of the excited state of [Ru(bpy)3](2+) by ascorbate followed by an electron transfer from [Ru(II)(bpy)2(bpy(•-))](+) to the [Co(II)(N4Py)(HA)](+) catalyst. The reduced catalyst then enters into the H2-evolution cycle.

Excited States of Triphenylamine-Substituted 2-Pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole Complexes.

A new 2-pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole (pytri) ligand, TPA-pytri, substituted with a triphenylamine (TPA) donor group on the 5 position of the pyridyl unit was synthesized and characterized. Dichloroplatinum(II), bis(phenylacetylide)platinum(II), bromotricarbonylrhenium(I), and bis(bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) complexes of this ligand were synthesized and compared to complexes of pytri ligands without the TPA substituent. The complexes of unsubstituted pytri ligands show metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) absorption bands involving the pytri ligand in the near-UV region. These transitions are complemented by intraligand charge-transfer (ILCT) bands in the TPA-pytri complexes, resulting in greatly improved visible absorption (λmax = 421 nm and ϵ = 19800 M-1 cm-1 for [Pt(TPA-pytri)Cl2]). The resonance Raman enhancement patterns allow for assignment of these absorption bands. The [Re(TPA-pytri)(CO)3Br] and [Pt(TPA-pytri)(CCPh)2] complexes were examined with time-resolved infrared spectroscopy. Shifts in the C≡C and C≡O stretching bands revealed that the complexes form states with increased electron density about their metal centers. [Pt(TPA-pytri)Cl2] is unusual in that it is emissive despite the presence of deactivating d-d states, which prevents emission from the unsubstituted pytri complex.

Comparison of inverse and regular 2-pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole "click" complexes: structures, stability, electrochemical, and photophysical properties.

Two inverse 2-pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole "click" ligands, 2-(4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)pyridine and 2-(4-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)pyridine, and their palladium(II), platinum(II), rhenium(I), and ruthenium(II) complexes have been synthesized in good to excellent yields. The properties of these inverse "click" complexes have been compared to the isomeric regular compounds using a variety of techniques. X-ray crystallographic analysis shows that the regular and inverse complexes are structurally very similar. However, the chemical and physical properties of the isomers are quite different. Ligand exchange studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that metal complexes of the regular 2-(1-R-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine (R = phenyl, benzyl) ligands are more stable than those formed with the inverse 2-(4-R-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)pyridine (R = phenyl, benzyl) "click" chelators. Additionally, the bis-2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) ruthenium(II) complexes of the "click" chelators have been shown to have short excited state lifetimes, which in the inverse triazole case, resulted in ejection of the 2-pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole ligand from the complex. Under identical conditions, the isomeric regular 2-pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole ruthenium(II) bpy complexes are photochemically inert. The absorption spectra of the inverse rhenium(I) and platinum(II) complexes are red-shifted compared to the regular compounds. It is shown that conjugation between the substituent group R and triazolyl unit has a negligible effect on the photophysical properties of the complexes. The inverse rhenium(I) complexes have large Stokes shifts, long metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited state lifetimes, and respectable quantum yields which are relatively solvent insensitive.

A Dinuclear Platinum(II) N4Py Complex: An Unexpected Coordination Mode For N4Py.

The polypyridyl compound N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine (N4Py) acts as a bridging ligand and coordinates to two Pt(II) ions giving an unexpected diplatinum(II) complex, whose photophysical and anticancer properties were investigated.

Five-coordinate [Pt(II)(bipyridine)2(phosphine)](n+) complexes: long-lived intermediates in ligand substitution reactions of [Pt(bipyridine)2](2+) with phosphine ligands.

The reaction of [Pt(N-N)2](2+) [N-N = 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) or 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine (4,4'-Me2bpy)] with phosphine ligands [PPh3 or PPh(PhSO3)2(2-)] in aqueous or methanolic solutions was studied by multinuclear ((1)H, (13)C, (31)P, and (195)Pt) NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, UV-visible spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. NMR spectra of solutions containing equimolar amounts of [Pt(N-N)2](2+) and phosphine ligand give evidence for rapid formation of long-lived, 5-coordinate [Pt(II)(N-N)2(phosphine)](n+) complexes. In the presence of excess phosphine ligand, these intermediates undergo much slower entry of a second phosphine ligand and loss of a bpy ligand to give [Pt(II)(N-N)(phosphine)2](n+) as the final product. The coordination of a phosphine ligand to the Pt(II) ion in the intermediate [Pt(N-N)2(phosphine)](n+) complexes is supported by the observation of (31)P-(195)Pt coupling in the (31)P NMR spectra. The 5-coordinate nature of [Pt(bpy)2{PPh(PhSO3)2}] is confirmed by X-ray crystallography. X-ray crystal structural analysis shows that the Pt(II) ion in [Pt(bpy)2{PPh(PhSO3)2}]·5.5H2O displays a distorted square pyramidal geometry, with one bpy ligand bound asymmetrically. These results provide strong support for the widely accepted associative ligand substitution mechanism for square planar Pt(II) complexes. X-ray structural characterization of the distorted square planar complex [Pt(bpy)(PPh3)2](ClO4)2 confirms this as the final product of the reaction of [Pt(bpy)2](2+) with PPh3 in CD3OD. The results of density functional calculations on [Pt(bpy)2](2+), [Pt(bpy)2(phosphine)](n+), and [Pt(bpy)(phosphine)2](n+) indicate that the bonding energy follows the trend of [Pt(bpy)(phosphine)2](n+) > [Pt(bpy)2(phosphine)](n+) > [Pt(bpy)2](2+) for stability and that the formation reactions of [Pt(bpy)2(phosphine)](n+) from [Pt(bpy)2](2+) and [Pt(bpy)(phosphine)2](n+) from [Pt(bpy)2(phosphine)](n+) are energetically favorable. These calculations suggest that the driving force for the formation of [Pt(bpy)(phosphine)2](n+) from [Pt(bpy)2](2+) is the formation of a more energetically favorable product.

Chloride triggered reversible switching from a metallosupramolecular [Pd2L4](4+) cage to a [Pd2L2Cl4] metallo-macrocycle with release of endo- and exo-hedrally bound guests.

A metallosupramolecular [Pd2L4](4+) cage can be cleanly converted into a [Pd2L2Cl4] metallo-macrocycle upon addition of chloride ions. The process is reversible, treatment of the [Pd2L2Cl4] macrocycle with silver(I) ions regenerates the [Pd2L4](4+) cage. Additionally, it is shown that guest molecules could be released on chloride triggered cage dis-assembly and taken up anew on re-assembly.

CuAAC "click" active-template synthesis of functionalised [2]rotaxanes using small exo-substituted macrocycles: how small is too small?

Two "small" 22- and 24-membered exo-alcohol functionalised pyridyl macrocycles are exploited in the CuAAC active-template synthesis of [2]rotaxanes. The 24-membered macrocycle forms [2]rotaxanes in good yields while the smaller 22-membered macrocycle does not lead to interlocked products.