A little spin on the side: solvent and temperature dependent paramagnetism in [Ru(II)(bpy)2(phendione)](2+).

Solvent and temperature dependent paramagnetism is reported for the complex [Ru(II)(bpy)2(phendione)](PF6)2 (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, phendione = 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione), . Magnetometry, (1)H-NMR, EPR and substituent effects confirm that the paramagnetic character is localized on the phendione ligand, and arises due to mixing of the MLCT excited state with an open shell triplet state on the phendione moiety, a process that is most likely driven by aromatization. The stabilized open shell phendione structure, in which the triplet lies lower in energy than the singlet, can then be thermally populated from the ground state of the complex. This process is facilitated by admixture of singlet character from the MLCT state. Paramagnetic behavior is absent in the free phendione ligand, and disappears in the presence of Lewis acids and in the presence of water due to hydrogen bonding (or hydrate formation at sufficient water concentrations). Control experiments rule out the presence of monoradicals such as semiquinone anions. Implications for spin filtering, sensing, and other electronic applications using such structures are discussed.

Water oxidation and oxygen monitoring by cobalt-modified fluorine-doped tin oxide electrodes.

Electrocatalytic water oxidation occurs at fluoride-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes that have been surface-modified by addition of Co(II). On the basis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements, the active surface site appears to be a single site or small-molecule assembly bound as Co(II), with no evidence for cobalt oxide film or cluster formation. On the basis of cyclic voltammetry measurements, surface-bound Co(II) undergoes a pH-dependent 1e(-)/1H(+) oxidation to Co(III), which is followed by pH-dependent catalytic water oxidation. O2 reduction at FTO occurs at -0.33 V vs NHE, allowing for in situ detection of oxygen as it is formed by water oxidation on the surface. Controlled-potential electrolysis at 1.61 V vs NHE at pH 7.2 resulted in sustained water oxidation catalysis at a current density of 0.16 mA/cm(2) with 29,000 turnovers per site over an electrolysis period of 2 h. The turnover frequency for oxygen production per Co site was 4 s(-1) at an overpotential of 800 mV at pH 7.2. Initial experiments with Co(II) on a mesoporous, high-surface-area nanoFTO electrode increased the current density by a factor of ~5.

Amplified luminescence quenching of phosphorescent metal-organic frameworks.

Amplified luminescence quenching has been demonstrated in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) composed of Ru(II)-bpy building blocks with long-lived, largely triplet metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited states. Strong non-covalent interactions between the MOF surface and cationic quencher molecules coupled with rapid energy transfer through the MOF microcrystal facilitates amplified quenching with a 7000-fold enhancement of the Stern-Völmer quenching constant for methylene blue compared to a model complex.

Light harvesting in microscale metal-organic frameworks by energy migration and interfacial electron transfer quenching.

Microscale metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized from photoactive Ru(II)-bpy building blocks with strong visible light absorption and long-lived triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer ((3)MLCT) excited states. These MOFs underwent efficient luminescence quenching in the presence of either oxidative or reductive quenchers. Up to 98% emission quenching was achieved with either an oxidative quencher (1,4-benzoquinone) or a reductive quencher (N,N,N',N'-tetramethylbenzidine), as a result of rapid energy migration over several hundred nanometers followed by efficient electron transfer quenching at the MOF/solution interface. The photoactive MOFs act as an excellent light-harvesting system by combining intraframework energy migration and interfacial electron transfer quenching.

UV photodissociation of η5-C5H5NiNO: an excited-state Jahn-Teller distortion produces a cartwheeling NO.

The 225 nm photodissociation of cyclopentadienylnickel nitrosyl was studied using velocity-mapped ion imaging with 1 + 1' REMPI detection of the NO (X (2)Π(1/2,3/2), v'' = 0) photofragment. The product recoil energy and angular distributions were measured for selected rotational states of NO. The NO product displays two speeds, a slow product peaked at the center of the ion image and a fast anisotropic product that has an inverted rotational population. In rotational states above J'' = 40.5, an even faster anisotropic NO photofragment appears, most likely because the metal-containing dissociation partner emerges in a lower electronic state, increasing the available energy. The µ-v-j vector correlations were measured and are consistent with the orientation µâˆ¥v⊥ j. The observed vector correlations arise from an excited-state Jahn-Teller distortion of the parent, a distortion that bends the Ni-NO coordinate prior to dissociation.

Energy transfer dynamics in metal-organic frameworks.

Isomorphous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on {M[4,4'-(HO(2)C)(2)-bpy](2)bpy}(2+) building blocks (where M = Ru or Os) were designed and synthesized to study the classic Ru to Os energy transfer process that has potential applications in light-harvesting with supramolecular assemblies. The crystalline nature of the MOFs allows precise determination of the distances between metal centers by X-ray diffraction, thereby facilitating the study of the Ru→Os energy transfer process. The mixed-metal MOFs with 0.3, 0.6, 1.4, and 2.6 mol % Os doping were also synthesized in order to study the energy transfer dynamics with a two-photon excitation at 850 nm. The Ru lifetime at 620 nm decreases from 171 ns in the pure Ru MOF to 29 ns in the sample with 2.6 mol % Os doping. In the mixed-metal samples, energy transfer was observed with an initial growth in Os emission corresponding with the rate of decay of the Ru excited state. These results demonstrate rapid, efficient energy migration and long distance transfer in isomorphous MOFs.

Application of high surface area tin-doped indium oxide nanoparticle films as transparent conducting electrodes.

Metal complex derivatized, optically transparent nanoparticle films of Sn(IV)-doped In(2)O(3) (nanoITO) undergo facile interfacial electron transfer allowing for rapid, potential controlled color changes, direct spectral (rather than current) monitoring of voltammograms, and multilayer catalysis of water oxidation.