Carbide complexes as π-acceptor ligands.

The π-accepting character of a terminal carbide complex acting as a ligand is demonstrated experimentally and corroborates earlier theoretical predictions. As a result, coordination of a terminal ruthenium carbide complex to electron-rich metal centres is shown to provide a facile and versatile route to carbide-bridged heterometallic complexes. Synthesis, reactivity, spectroscopic and structural characterization are reported for heterobimetallic systems with auxiliary metals from groups 9-11: Rh(i), Ir(i), Pd(ii), Pt(ii), Ag(i), and Au(i) coordinated by [Ru(C)Cl2(PCy3)2] (RuC). This encompasses the first example of a homoleptic carbide-ligated transition metal complex: [{(Cy3P)2Cl2RuC}2Au]+. Kinetics of substitution on Pt(ii) by RuC ranks the carbide complex as having intermediate nucleophilicity. The 13C-NMR signals from the carbide ligands are significantly more shielded in the bridged heterobimetallic complexes than in the parent terminal carbide complex. Structurally, RuC forms very shorts bonds to the heterometals, which supports the notion of the multiple bonded complex acting as a π-backbonding ligand. Reactions are reported where RuC displaces CO coordinated to Rh(i) and Ir(i). A strong trans influence exerted by RuC indicates it to be a stronger σ-donor than CO. The geometries around the carbide bridges resemble those in complexes of electron-rich metals with carbonyl or bridging nitride-complex-derived ligands, which establishes a link to other strong π-acceptor ligands.

Fluoride-bridged {Ln2Cr2} polynuclear complexes from semi-labile mer-[CrF3(py)3] and [Ln(hfac)3(H2O)2].

The trifluorido complex mer-[CrF(3)(py)(3)] (py = pyridine) reacts with 1 equiv. of [Ln(hfac)(3)(H(2)O)(2)] and depending on the solvent forms the tetranuclear clusters [Cr(2)Ln(2)(µ-F)(4)(µ-OH)(2)(py)(4)(hfac)(6)], 1Ln, and [Cr(2)Ln(2)(µ-F)(4)F(2)(py)(6)(hfac)(6)], 2Ln, in acetonitrile and 1,2-dichloroethane, respectively (Ln = Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er; hfacH = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetone). Reaction with [Dy(hfac)(3)(H(2)O)(2)] in dichloromethane produces the dinuclear cluster [CrDy(µ-F)F(OH(2))(py)(3)(hfac)(4)], 3Dy. All the clusters feature fluoride bridges between the chromium(III) and lanthanide(III) centres. Fits of susceptibility data for 1Gd and 2Gd reveal the fluoride-mediated chromium(III)-lanthanide(III) exchange interactions to be 0.43(5) cm(-1) and 0.57(7) cm(-1), respectively (in the H = JS1· S2 convention). Heat capacity measurements on 2Gd reveal a moderate magneto-caloric effect (MCE) reaching -ΔS(m)(T) = 11.4 J kg(-1) K(-1) for ΔB(0) = 9 T → 0 T at T = 4.1 K. Out-of-phase alternating-current susceptibility (χ'') signals are observed for 1Dy, 2Dy and 2Tb, demonstrating slow relaxation of the magnetization.

Application of 204mPb perturbed angular correlation of γ-rays spectroscopy in coordination chemistry.

(204m)Pb perturbed angular correlation of γ-rays (PAC) spectroscopy has been applied successfully for the first time to detect the nuclear quadrupole interaction in a lead(II) coordination compound in a molecular crystal [tetraphenylarsonium lead(II) isomaleonitriledithiolate ([AsPh(4)](4)[Pb(2)(i-mnt)(4)])]. The recorded parameters from a powder crystalline sample are ν(Q) = 0.178(1) GHz and η = 0.970(7). The electric field gradient (EFG) was determined at the PW91/QZ4P level including relativistic effects using the two-component zeroth-order regular approximation method for both the [Pb(i-mnt)(2)](2-) monomer and the [Pb(2)(i-mnt)(4)](4-) dimer. Only the EFG for the latter compares favorably with the experimental data, indicating that the picture of this complex as a prototypical hemidirected coordination geometry with a stereochemically active lone pair on lead(II) is inadequate. Advantages and limitations of (204m)Pb PAC spectroscopy as a novel technique to elucidate the electronic and molecular structures of lead-containing complexes and biomolecules are presented.

A bis(heptafulvenyl)-dicyanoethylene thermoswitch with two sites for ring closure.

Suitably functionalized vinylheptafulvenes (VHFs) act as thermoswitches undergoing ring closure to the corresponding dihydroazulenes (DHAs). Here we present the synthesis of a new such thermoswitch incorporating two heptafulvene rings on a dicyanoethylene unit. The synthetic protocol explores both the tropylium species as an electrophile and as a leaving group in the generation of the heptafulvene units. The thermally induced ring closure was enhanced as a result of two accessible sites for the reaction to occur.

Bond shortening (1.4 Å) in the singlet and triplet excited states of [Ir2(dimen)4]2+ in solution determined by time-resolved X-ray scattering.

Ground- and excited-state structures of the bimetallic, ligand-bridged compound Ir2(dimen)4(2+) are investigated in acetonitrile by means of time-resolved X-ray scattering. Following excitation by 2 ps laser pulses at 390 nm, analysis of difference scattering patterns obtained at eight different time delays from 250 ps to 300 ns yields a triplet excited-state distance between the two Ir atoms of 2.90(2) Å and a triplet excited-state lifetime of 410(70) ns. A model incorporating the presence of two ground-state structures differing in Ir­Ir separation is demonstrated to fit the obtained data very well, in agreement with previous spectroscopic investigations. Two ground-state isomers with Ir­Ir separations of 3.60(9) and 4.3(1) Å are found to contribute equally to the difference scattering signal at short time delays. Further studies demonstrate the feasibility of increasing the effective time resolution from the 100 ps probe width down to the 10 ps regime by positioning the laser pump pulse at selected points in the X-ray probe pulse. This approach is used to investigate the structures of both the singlet and the triplet excited states of Ir2(dimen)4(2+).

Synthesis and molecular structure of Cr(salen)(mu-N)RhCl(COD): the first example of a heterobimetallic nitride-bridged complex containing chromium.

Five-coordinate Cr(N)(salen) {salen is 2,2'-[ethane-1,2-diylbis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenolate} reacts with [RhCl(COD)](2) (COD is 1,5-cyclooctadiene) to yield the heterobimetallic nitride-bridged title compound, namely chlorido-2kappaCl-[2(eta(4))-1,5-cyclooctadiene]{2,2'-[ethane-1,2-diylbis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenolato-1kappa(4)O,N,N',O'}-mu-nitrido-1:2kappa(2)N:N-chromium(V)rhodium(I), [CrRh(C(16)H(14)N(2)O(2))ClN(C(8)H(12))]. The Cr-N bond of 1.5936 (14) A is elongated by only 0.035 A compared to the terminal Cr-N bond in the precursor. The nitride bridge is close to being linear [173.03 (9) degrees] and the Rh-N bond of 1.9594 (14) A is very short for a monodentate nitrogen-donor ligand, indicating significant pi-acceptor character of the Cr[triple bond]N group.