Control of photochemical, photophysical, electrochemical, and photocatalytic properties of rhenium(I) complexes using intramolecular weak interactions between ligands.

Intramolecular interactions between ligands have been successfully applied as a novel tool for controlling various properties of a series of cis,trans-[Re(dmb)(CO)(2)(PR(3))(PR'(3))](+)-type complexes (dmb = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine), in the ground state and in the excited state and in the one-electron reduced form. For rhenium complexes with two triarylphosphine ligands, P(p-XPh)(3), the dmb ligand was sandwiched by four aryl rings having CH(aryl)-pi(pyridine)-pi(aryl) interactions. On the other hand, complexes with one triarylphosphine ligand and one trialkylphosphite ligand, P(OR)(3), had pi-pi and CH-pi interactions between each pyridine ring in the dmb ligand and the aryl group in the P(p-XPh)(3). Various properties of these two series of rhenium complexes were compared with those of complexes having two trialkylphosphite ligands, which do not interact through space with the dmb ligand. Properties of the complexes associated mainly with the dmb ligand are strongly affected by the intramolecular interactions: (1) UV/vis absorptions to the pi-pi and (1)MLCT excited states were both red-shifted, but (2) emission from the (3)MLCT excited state was blue-shifted; (3) the lifetime of the (3)MLCT excited state was prolonged up to 3-fold; (4) the reduction potential in the ground state was positively shifted by 110 mV with pi-pi and CH-pi interactions and by 180-200 mV with the CH-pi-pi interactions. (5) In the excited states, the oxidation power of the complex was also enhanced by the intramolecular interactions. (6) In the corresponding one-electron-reduced species cis,trans-[Re(dmb(-.)(CO)(2)(PR(3))(PR'(3))], the intramolecular interactions are maintained and strongly affected their UV/vis spectra. (7) Photocatalysis for CO(2) reduction was significantly enhanced only by the CH-pi-pi interaction.

Effect of intramolecular pi-pi and CH-pi interactions between ligands on structure, electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of fac-[Re(bpy)(CO)3(PR3)]+(bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; PR3= trialkyl or triarylphosphines).

Intramolecular pi-pi and CH-pi interactions between the bpy and PR3 ligands of fac-[Re(bpy)(CO)3(PR3)]+ affect their structure, and electrochemical and spectroscopic properties. Intramolecular CH-pi interaction was observed between the alkyl groups on the phosphine ligand (R =nBu, Et) and the bpy ligand, and intramolecular pi-pi and CH-pi interactions were both observed between the aryl group(s) on the phosphorus ligand (R =p-MeOPh, p-MePh, Ph, p-FPh, OPh) and the bpy ligand, while no such interactions were found in the trialkylphosphite complexes (R = OiPr, OEt, OMe). The intramolecular interactions distort the pyridine rings of the bpy ligand as long as 3.7 x 10(-2)A in crystals. Molecular orbital calculations of the bpy ligand suggest that this distortion decreases the energy gap between its pi and pi* orbitals. An absorption band attributed to the pi-pi*(bpy) transition of the distorted rhenium complexes, measured in a KBr pellet, was red-shifted by 1-5 nm compared to the complexes without the distorted bpy ligand. Even in solution, similar red shifts of the pi-pi*(bpy) absorption were observed. The redox potential E1/2(bpy/bpy*-) of the complexes with the trialkylphosphine and triarylphosphine ligand are shifted positively by 110-120 mV and 60-80 mV respectively, compared with those derived from the electron-attracting property of the phosphorus ligand. In contrast with these properties, three nu(CO) IR bands, which are sensitive to the electron density on the central rhenium because of pi-back bonding, were shifted to higher energy, and a Re(I/II)-based oxidation wave was observed at a more positive potential according to the electron-attracting property of the phosphorus ligand.

Mechanism of the photochemical ligand substitution reactions of fac-[Re(bpy)(CO)(3)(PR(3))](+) complexes and the properties of their triplet ligand-field excited states.

We report herein the mechanism of the photochemical ligand substitution reactions of a series of fac-[Re(X(2)bpy)(CO)(3)(PR(3))](+) complexes (1) and the properties of their triplet ligand-field ((3)LF) excited states. The reason for the photostability of the rhenium complexes [Re(X(2)bpy)(CO)(3)(py)](+) (3) and [Re(X(2)bpy)(CO)(3)Cl] (4) was also investigated. Irradiation of an acetonitrile solution of 1 selectively gave the biscarbonyl complexes cis,trans-[Re(X(2)bpy)(CO)(2)(PR(3))(CH(3)CN)](+) (2). Isotope experiments clearly showed that the CO ligand trans to the PR(3) ligand was selectively substituted. The photochemical reactions proceeded via a dissociative mechanism from the (3)LF excited state. The thermodynamical data for the (3)LF excited states of complexes 1 and the corrective nonradiative decay rate constants for the triplet metal-to-ligand charge-transfer ((3)MLCT) states were obtained from temperature-dependence data for the emission lifetimes and for the quantum yields of the photochemical reactions and the emission. Comparison of 1 with [Re(X(2)bpy)(CO)(3)(py)](+) (3) and [Re(X(2)bpy)(CO)(3)Cl] (4) indicated that the (3)LF states of some 3- and 4-type complexes are probably accessible from the (3)MLCT state even at ambient temperature, but these complexes were stable to irradiation at 365 nm. The photostability of 3 and 4, in contrast to 1, can be explained by differences in the trans effects of the PR(3), py, and Cl(-) ligands.