Remarkable thermal stability of light-induced Ru-ON linkage isomers in mixed salts of a ruthenium amine complex with a trans-ON-Ru-F coordinate.

Two new complexes trans-(H3O)[RuNO(NH3)4F](NO3)1.5F1.5·0.5H2O (I) and trans-[RuNO(NH3)4F](ClO4)Cl (II) are synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The complexes crystallized in the centrosymmetric space groups I4/m and P21/n due to specific intermolecular interactions; the strongest ones are represented by N-HO contacts. The irradiation of the complexes in the blue-light range induces the formation of Ru-ON isomers (MS1), determined by IR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The subsequent excitation of MS1 by infrared light induces the formation of Ru-(η2-(NO)) (MS2) isomers, confirmed by the same techniques. Using combined IR and DSC analysis, the activation barriers (Ea) and frequency factors (lg k0) of the MS1 → GS and MS2 → GS reactions are determined. According to the kinetic parameters, the calculated lifetimes (k-1) of MS1 at 300 K are 33 and 178 min for I and II, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, the thermal stability of MS1 in II is the highest among known related complexes. The thermal stability of MS2 was found to be lower (the lifetimes are 0.12 and 0.02 s at 300 K for I and II, respectively), which is characteristic of these states. The high thermal stability of MS1 can be applied for the design of photochromic materials and to generally facilitate the investigation of the states.

Unexpected Polymorphism in Bromoantimonate(III) Complexes and Its Effect on Optical Properties.

Reactions of [SbBr6]3- containing HBr solutions with bromide salts of 1,1'-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(pyridine) (PyC22+) or 1,1'-(1,2-ethanediyl)bis(3,5-dimethylpyridine) (3,5-MePyC22+) initially result in the formation of the deep orange complexes Cat[SbBr5] (1 and 2), featuring unusual Sb···Br interactions in the solid state. In the mother liquor, 1 transforms into discrete binuclear (C2Py)2[Sb2Br10], which demonstrates polymorphism (triclinic 3 and monoclinic 4), while 2 transforms into polymeric (3,5-MePy){[SbBr4]} (5). DFT calculations reveal that the system of noncovalent Sb···Br contacts may be responsible for the appearance of the observed optical properties (unusual deep orange coloring).

Thermal effects in guest-host systems: [Zn2 (bdc)(S-lac)(dmf)]•PhEtOH: A DSC and NMR study.

Differential scanning calorimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance were used to investigate thermal effects in the guest-host systems where homochiral metal-organic sorbent [Zn2 (bdc)(S-lac)(dmf)] is considered as a host while 1-phenylethanol enantiomers and their racemic mixture serve as guest molecules. A maximum energy gain from the guest-host interaction was observed in the system with the racemic mixture. The effect of host-guest recognition was revealed for the case of the host and guest having a similar type of chirality in the presence of antipode guest molecules.

Synthesis, Structural, Thermal, and Electronic Properties of Palmierite-Related Double Molybdate α-Cs2Pb(MoO4)2.

Cs2Pb(MoO4)2 crystals were prepared by crystallization from their own melt, and the crystal structure has been studied in detail. At 296 K, the molybdate crystallizes in the low-temperature α-form and has a monoclinic palmierite-related superstructure (space group C2/m, a = 2.13755(13) nm, b = 1.23123(8) nm, c = 1.68024(10) nm, ß = 115.037(2)°, Z = 16) possessing the largest unit cell volume, 4.0066(4) nm3, among lead-containing palmierites. The compound undergoes a distortive phase transition at 635 K and incongruently melts at 943 K. The electronic structure of α-Cs2Pb(MoO4)2 was explored by using X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy methods. For α-Cs2Pb(MoO4)2, the photoelectron core-level and valence-band spectra and the XES band representing the energy distribution of Mo 4d and O 2p states were recorded. Our results allow one to conclude that the Mo 4d and O 2p states contribute mainly to the central part and at the top of the valence band, respectively, with also significant contributions throughout the whole valence-band region of the molybdate under consideration.

Prototypical iron(ii) complex with 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole reinvestigated: an unexpected impact of water on spin transition.

The magnetic and thermodynamic properties of the prototypical 1D polymeric complex Fe(ATrz)3(NO3)2·H2O (ATrz = 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole) were reinvestigated to gain an insight into the impact of water molecules on the spin transition. Variations in the outerspheric water molecule content in the complex induce drastic and unpredictable changes in its spin crossover regimes. Under vacuum the complex loses water molecules and shows a wide (ca. 30 K) and reproducible hysteresis loop, Tc↑ = 337-345 K and Tc↓ = 316-313 K. In sealed ampoules the complex Fe(ATrz)3(NO3)2·H2O shows a narrow hysteresis (ca. 1-4 K), Tc↑ = 326-329 K and Tc↓ = 326-324 K. After adsorption of water the complex Fe(ATrz)3(NO3)2·nH2O (n = 1.25-1.6) demonstrates a narrow two-step spin transition. In all these cases the kinetics of the LS → HS and HS → LS transitions has decelerating non-cooperative character. For the system Fe(ATrz)3(NO3)2·nH2O (n = 3.6-16.6) wide hysteresis (ca. 5-20 K) re-appears near room temperature (Tc↑ = 319-321 K and Tc↓ = 300-315 K). Surprisingly, the kinetics of the HS → LS spin transition for the systems with high water content switches from decelerating to sigmoidal (cooperative). The activation energy of the LS → HS transition was estimated for the first time for iron(ii) spin crossover complexes with 1,2,4-triazoles (ca. 1000-2000 kJ mol-1). The systems Fe(ATrz)3(NO3)2 and Fe(ATrz)3(NO3)2·nH2O show compensation effects (ΔH - ΔS, ln A - Ea). A correlation between the Tonset↑, the ΔH values and the water content in the complex is observed: the highest ΔH values (27-29 kJ mol-1) and the lowest Tonset↑ values (317-320 K) correspond to the samples with high water content, whereas the lowest ΔH values (19-23 kJ mol-1) and the highest Tonset↑ values (337-345 K) correspond to water-free samples, Fe(ATrz)3(NO3)2. Our results provide the first experimental evidence that the presence of water (and even air humidity) produces dramatic changes in the spin crossover behavior of the prototypical 1D polymeric complex Fe(ATrz)3(NO3)2·H2O (ATrz = 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole).

Compensation effects and relation between the activation energy of spin transition and the hysteresis loop width for an iron(ii) complex.

The enthalpy-entropy compensation was observed for the cooperative → spin transition (the phase is a mononuclear complex [FeL2](BF4)2, L is 4-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-6-methylpyrimidine). The physical origin of this effect is the fact that the → spin transition is the first order phase transition accompanied by noticeable variations in the Tonset↑, ΔH and ΔS values. Higher ΔH and ΔS values are correlated with higher Tonset↑ values. The higher the enthalpy and entropy of the spin transition, the wider the hysteresis loop. The kinetic compensation effect, i.e. a linear relationship between ln A and Ea, was observed for the → spin transition. Moreover, an isokinetic relationship was detected in this system: the Arrhenius lines (ln k vs. 1/T) obtained from magnetochemical data for different samples of the phase undergoing the → transition show a common point of intersection (Tiso = 490 ± 2 K, ln kiso = -6.0 ± 0.2). The validity of this conclusion was confirmed by the Exner-Linert statistical method. This means that the isokinetic relationship and the kinetic compensation effect (ln A vs. Ea) in this system are true ones. The existence of a true kinetic compensation effect is supported independently by the fact that the hysteresis loop width for the cooperative spin transition ↔ increases with increasing activation barrier height. Estimating the energy of excitations for the phase with Tiso ∼ 490 K yields wavenumbers of ca. 340 cm(-1) corresponding to the frequencies of the stretching vibrations of the Fe(LS)-N bonds, i.e. the bonds directly involved in the mechanism of the spin transition. This is the first observation of the kinetic compensation effect (ln A vs. Ea) and the isokinetic relationship for a cooperative spin crossover system showing thermal hysteresis. Our results provide the first experimental evidence that the higher the activation barrier for the spin transition, the wider the hysteresis loop for a series of related spin crossover systems.

A mononuclear iron(II) complex: cooperativity, kinetics and activation energy of the solvent-dependent spin transition.

The system [FeL2](BF4)2 (1)-EtOH-H2O (L is 4-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-6-methylpyrimidine) shows a complicated balance between the relative stabilities of solvatomorphs and polymorphs of the complex [FeL2](BF4)2. New solvatomorphs, 1(LS)·EtOH·H2O and ß-1(LS)·xH2O, were isolated in this system. They were converted into four daughter phases, 1(A/LS), 1(D/LS), 1(E/LS)·yEtOH·zH2O and 1(F/LS). On thermal cycling in sealed ampoules, the phases 1(LS)·EtOH·H2O and ß-1(LS)·xH2O transform into the anhydrous phase 1(A/LS). The hysteresis loop width for the (A/LS) ↔ (A/HS) spin transition depends on the water and ethanol contents in the ampoule and varies from ca. 30 K up to 145 K. The reproducible hysteresis loop of 145 K is the widest ever reported one for a spin crossover complex. The phase 1(A/LS) combines the outstanding spin crossover properties with thermal robustness allowing for multiple cycling in sealed ampoules without degradation. The kinetics of the 1(A/LS) → 1(A/HS) transition is sigmoidal which is indicative of strong cooperative interactions. The cooperativity of the 1(A/LS) → 1(A/HS) transition is related to the formation of a 2D supramolecular structure of the phase 1(A/LS). The activation energy for the spin transition is very high (hundreds of kJ mol(-1)). The kinetics of the 1(A/HS) → 1(A/LS) transition can either be sigmoidal or exponential depending on the water and ethanol contents in the ampoule. The phases 1(D/LS) and 1(F/LS) show gradual crossover, whereas the phase 1(E/LS)·yEtOH·yH2O shows a reversible hysteretic transition associated with the solvent molecule release and uptake.

Unprecedented bistability domain and interplay between spin crossover and polymorphism in a mononuclear iron(II) complex.

A mononuclear complex, [FeL2](BF4)2·xH2O (1LS∙xH2O), where L is 4-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-6-methylpyrimidine, can be converted into several phases showing different spin crossover regimes. In the first heating 1LS∙xH2O loses water molecules and converts into a mixture of two high spin phases, 1A/HS and 1C/HS. Further cycling produces the low spin phase 1A/LS. The transition 1A/LS↔1A/HS is accompanied by a 130 K wide hysteresis loop (Tc↑ = 490 K, Tc↓ = 360 K). Annealing the complex 1LS∙xH2O at 500 K yields a high spin phase 1C/HS. The phase 1C/HS undergoes spin conversion to the corresponding low spin phase 1C/LS on cooling, T1/2 ≈ 320 K. Dehydration of 1LS∙xH2O at 370 or 400 K yields a certain low spin phase, 1X/LS, which irreversibly transforms into a high spin phase 1B/HS, which, in turn, reversibly transforms to the low spin phase 1B/LS on cooling, T1/2 ≈ 320 K.