Ligand Field-Actuated Non-Innocence of Acetylacetonate

<p>The quest for simple ligands to participate in concerted base metal-ligand multiple-electron redox events is driven by perspectives of replacing noble metals in catalysis and for discovering novel chemical reactivity. Yet the vast majority of simple ligand systems displays electrochemical potentials impractical for catalytic cycles substantiating the importance of new strategies towards aligned metal–ligand orbital energy levels. We herein demonstrate the possibility to establish and tame the elusive <i>non-innocence</i> of the ubiquitous acetylacetonate (acac), that is the most commonly employed anionic, chelating ligand towards elements across the entire Periodic Table. By employing the ligand field in the high-spin Cr(II) as a thermodynamic switch, we were able to chemically tailor the occurrence of metal–ligand redox events. The very mechanism can be understood as a destabilization of the d<i>_z</i>2 orbital relative to the <i>pi</i>* LUMO of acac, which proffers a generalizable strategy to synthetically engineer non-innocence with seemingly redox-inactive ligands. </p>

Ligand Field-Actuated Non-Innocence of Acetylacetonate

<p>The quest for simple ligands to participate in concerted base metal-ligand multiple-electron redox events is driven by perspectives of replacing noble metals in catalysis and for discovering novel chemical reactivity. Yet the vast majority of simple ligand systems displays electrochemical potentials impractical for catalytic cycles substantiating the importance of new strategies towards aligned metal–ligand orbital energy levels. We herein demonstrate the possibility to establish and tame the elusive <i>non-innocence</i> of the ubiquitous acetylacetonate (acac), that is the most commonly employed anionic, chelating ligand towards elements across the entire Periodic Table. By employing the ligand field in the high-spin Cr(II) as a thermodynamic switch, we were able to chemically tailor the occurrence of metal–ligand redox events. The very mechanism can be understood as a destabilization of the d<i>_z</i>2 orbital relative to the <i>pi</i>* LUMO of acac, which proffers a generalizable strategy to synthetically engineer non-innocence with seemingly redox-inactive ligands. </p>

Syntheses, spectroscopic, redox, and structural properties of homoleptic Iron(III/II) dithione complexes

Two sets of FeIII/II complexes, synthesized from N,N′-diisopropyl piperazine-2,3-dithione (iPr2Dt0) and N,N′-dimethyl piperazine-2,3-dithione (Me2Dt0) ligands, exhibit electronically asymmetrical ligands with metal–ligand orbital mixing.

CASSCF-based explicit ligand field models clarify the ground state electronic structures of transition metal phthalocyanines (MPc; M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn)

Multireference electronic structure methods are used to assign ground state electronic configurations for a series of metallophthalocyanines. Ligand orbital occupancies remain constant across the period and are consistent with a formal 2– charge on the ligand. The d electron configurations of some metallophthalocyanines are straightforward and can be unambiguously assigned, (dxy)2(dxz,dyz)2,2( [Formula: see text])2([Formula: see text])n, with n = 2, 1, 0, respectively, for ZnPc, CuPc, and NiPc. Controversies over ground state electronic structure assignments for other metallophthalocyanines arise due to multiple complicating factors: accidental near-degeneracies, environmental effects, and different ligand field models used in interpreting experimental spectra. We demonstrate that explicit ligand field models provide more reliable and consistent interpretations of experimental data than implicit, parameterized alternatives. On this basis, we assign gas-phase electronic ground states for MnPc, (dxy)2(dxz,dyz)1,1([Formula: see text])1 and CoPc, (dxy)2(dxz,dyz)2,2([Formula: see text])1, and show that the ground state of FePc cannot be resolved to a single state, with two near-degenerate states that are likely spin-orbit coupled: (dxy)2(dxz,dyz)1,1( [Formula: see text])2 and (dxy)2(dxz,dyz)2,1([Formula: see text])1. Remaining differences between computational predictions and experimental observations are small and may be ascribed primarily to environmental effects but are also partly due to incomplete modelling of electron correlation.

Investigations on the local structure and the EPR parameters for the tetragonal Cu2+center in ZnSeF6·6H2O crystal

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters (g factors g∥, g⊥and hyperfine structure constants A∥, A⊥) and the local structure of the tetragonal Cu2+center in trigonal ZnSeF6·6H2O crystal are theoretically investigated from the perturbation formulas of these parameters for a 3d9ion in tetragonally elongated octahedra. In the calculated formulas, the contributions to the EPR parameters from ligand orbital and spin–orbit coupling are included on the basis of the cluster approach in view of moderate covalency of the studied systems, the required crystal-field parameters are estimated from the superposition model, which enables correlation of the crystal-field parameters and hence the EPR parameters with the tetragonal distortion of the studied [Cu(H2O)6]2+cluster. According to the calculations, the ligand octahedra around Cu2+are suggested to suffer relative elongation τ (≈ 0.085 Å) along the [001] (or C4) axis for the tetragonal Cu2+centers in ZnSeF6·6H2O crystal, due to the Jahn–Teller effect. The results are discussed.

Investigations of the EPR Parameters and Local Lattice Structure for the Rhombic Cu2+ Centre in TZSH Crystal

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters [i.e. g factors gi (i=x, y, z) and hyperfine structure constants Ai] and the local lattice structure for the Cu2+ centre in Tl2Zn(SO4)2·6H2O (TZSH) crystal were theoretically investigated by utilising the perturbation formulae of these parameters for a 3d9 ion under rhombically elongated octahedra. In the calculations, the admixture of d orbitals in the ground state and the ligand orbital and spin-orbit coupling interactions are taken into account based on the cluster approach. The theoretical EPR parameters show good agreement with the observed values, and the Cu2+–H2O bond lengths are obtained as follows: Rx≈1.98 Å, Ry≈2.09 Å, Rz≈2.32 Å. The results are discussed.