Brian D. McCarthy

Turn-On Fluorescence in Tetraphenylethylene-Based Metal–Organic Frameworks: An Alternative to Aggregation-Induced Emission

Coordinative immobilization of functionalized tetraphenylethylene within rigid porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) turns on fluorescence in the typically non-emissive tetraphenylethylene core. The matrix coordination-induced emission effect (MCIE) is complementary to aggregation-induced emission. Despite the large interchromophore distances imposed by coordination to metal ions, a carboxylate analogue of tetraphenylethylene anchored by Zn(2+) and Cd(2+) ions inside MOFs shows fluorescence lifetimes in line with those of close-packed molecular aggregates. Turn-on fluorescence by coordinative ligation in a porous matrix is a powerful approach that may lead to new materials made from chromophores with molecular rotors. The potential utility of MCIE toward building new sensing materials is demonstrated by tuning the fluorescence response of the porous MOFs as a function of adsorbed small analytes.

Evaluation of homogeneous electrocatalysts by cyclic voltammetry.

The pursuit of solar fuels has motivated extensive research on molecular electrocatalysts capable of evolving hydrogen from protic solutions, reducing CO2, and oxidizing water. Determining accurate figures of merit for these catalysts requires the careful and appropriate application of electroanalytical techniques. This Viewpoint first briefly presents the fundamentals of cyclic voltammetry and highlights practical experimental considerations before focusing on the application of cyclic voltammetry for the characterization of electrocatalysts. Key metrics for comparing catalysts, including the overpotential (η), potential for catalysis (E(cat)), observed rate constant (k(obs)), and potential-dependent turnover frequency, are discussed. The cyclic voltammetric responses for a general electrocatalytic one-electron reduction of a substrate are presented along with methods to extract figures of merit from these data. The extension of this analysis to more complex electrocatalytic schemes, such as those responsible for H2 evolution and CO2 reduction, is then discussed.

Electrochemical reduction of Brønsted acids by glassy carbon in acetonitrile-implications for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Molecular catalysts for electrochemically driven hydrogen evolution are often studied in acetonitrile with glassy carbon working electrodes and Brønsted acids. Surprisingly, little information is available regarding the potentials at which acids are directly reduced on glassy carbon. This work examines acid electroreduction in acetonitrile on glassy carbon electrodes by cyclic voltammetry. Reduction potentials, spanning a range exceeding 2 V, were found for 20 acids. The addition of 100 mM water was not found to shift the reduction potential of any acid studied, although current enhancement was observed for some acids. The data reported provides a guide for selecting acids to use in electrocatalysis experiments such that direct electrode reduction is avoided.

Charge Transfer or J‑Coupling? Assignment of an Unexpected Red- Shifted Absorption Band in a Naphthalenediimide-Based Metal− Organic Framework

We investigate and assign a previously reported unexpected transition in the metal-organic framework Zn2(NDC)2(DPNI) (1; NDC = 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate, DPNI = dipyridyl-naphthalenediimide) that displays linear arrangements of naphthalenediimide ligands. Given the longitudinal transition dipole moment of the DPNI ligands, J-coupling seemed possible. Photophysical measurements revealed a broad, new transition in 1 between 400 and 500 nm. Comparison of the MOF absorption spectra with that of a charge transfer (CT) complex formed by manual grinding of DPNI and H2NDC led to the assignment of the new band in 1 as arising from an interligand CT. Constrained density functional theory utilizing a custom long-range-corrected hybrid functional was employed to determine which ligands were involved in the CT transition. On the basis of relative oscillator strengths, the interligand CT was assigned as principally arising from π-stacked DPNI/NDC dimers rather than the alternative orthogonal pairs within the MOF.

Oxygen Reduction to Water Mediated by a Dirhodium Hydrido-Chloride Complex

The two-electron mixed-valence dirhodium complex Rh(2)(0,II)(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)(2)Cl(2) (tfepma = CH(3)N[P(OCH(2)CF(3))(2)](2)) reacts with HCl to furnish two isomeric dirhodium hydrido-chloride complexes, Rh(2)(II,II)(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)(2)Cl(3)H. In the presence of HCl, the hydride complex effects the reduction of 0.5 equiv of O(2) to 1 equiv of H(2)O, generating Rh(2)(II,II)(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)(2)Cl(4), which can be prepared independently by chlorine oxidation of the Rh(2)(0,II) precursor. The starting Rh(2)(0,II) complex is regenerated photochemically to close an oxygen-to-water reduction photocycle.

Immobilization, Trapping, and Anion Exchange of Perrhenate Ion Using Copper-Based Tripodal Complexes

We describe a multidentate tripodal ligand in which three pendant arms carrying di(2-picolyl)amine units are linked to the ortho positions of a tris(o-xylyl) scaffold, providing N(CH(2)-o-C(6)H(4)CH(2)N(CH(2)py)(2))(3) (L). Reaction of L with CuCl(2) in the presence of hexafluorophosphate anion afforded blue cubes of [(CuCl)(3)L](PF(6))(3)·5H(2)O (1). Crystallographic studies of 1 revealed that the three symmetry-related arms each coordinate a {Cu(II)Cl} unit, and two molecules of 1 are connected to one another through a Cu(μ-Cl)(2)Cu bridge, extending the molecular structure to form a two-dimensional (2-D) layer. These 2-D layers pack in an ABCABC... fashion with PF(6)(-) anions located in between. Reaction of 1 with a stoichiometric amount of perrhenate ion afforded blue plates of [(CuCl)(3)L](PF(6))(ReO(4))(2)·3H(2)O (2). Compound 2 has the same lattice structure as 1, but the tricopper unit backbone now traps one ReO(4)(-) anion through Coulombic interactions. In addition, three molecules of 2 are bridged by a perrhenate ion, forming a Cu(3)(μ(3)-ReO(4)) cluster, to give a different 2-D structure displaying a rare tridentate bridging ReO(4)(-) mode. Thus, in addition to classic perrhenate trapping through weak Coulombic interactions, 2 represents an exceptional example in which the ReO(4)(-) anion is immobilized in an extended framework through tight covalent interactions. The interlamellar PF(6)(-) anions in 1 can be exchanged with other anions including perrhenate, perchlorate, or periodate. The structural similarity between perrhenate and pertechnetate makes these materials of potential interest for pertechnetate trapping.

Redox chemistry, acid reactivity, and hydrogenation reactions of two-electron mixed valence diiridium and dirhodium complexes.

The syntheses and reaction chemistry of two electron mixed-valence diphosphazane-bridged dirhodium and diiridium complexes M(2)(0,II)(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)(2)Cl(2) [M = Rh (1), Ir (2); tfepma = MeN[P(OCH(2)CF(3))(2)](2), CN(t)Bu = tert-butyl isocyanide] are described. 1 and 2 undergo addition and two-electron oxidation and reduction chemistries. In the presence of CN(t)Bu, the addition product with the stoichiometry M(2)(0,II)(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)(3)Cl(2) [M = Rh (3), Ir (3)] is generated; in the presence of 1 equiv of CN(t)Bu and 2 equiv of bis(pentamethyl-cyclopentadienyl)cobalt(II), 1 and 2 are reduced to furnish M(2)(0,0)(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)(3) [M = Rh (5), Ir (6)], which feature both four- and five-coordinate M(0) centers. Complexes 1, 2, 5, and 6 all possess coordinatively unsaturated square planar M(0) centers that are reactive: (1) 2 reacts with PhICl(2) to produce Ir(2)(II,II)(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)(2)Cl(4) (7); (2) protonation of 2 with HX yields Ir(2)(II,II)(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)(2)Cl(2)HX [X = Cl(-) (8), OTs(-) (9)]; (3) protonation of 5 with HOTs produces [Rh(2)(I,I)(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)(3)(μ-H)](OTs); and (4) the reversible hydrogenation of 2 proceeds smoothly, furnishing the cis-dihydride complex Ir(2)(II,II)(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)(2)(H)(2)Cl(2) (11). Substitution of tfepma in 2 with bis(diphenylphsophino)methane (dppm) yields the orthometalated complex Ir(2)(II,II)(dppm)(PPh(o-C(6)H(4))CH(2)PPh(2))(CN(t)Bu)(2)Cl(2)H (12). The X-ray crystal structures of 11 compounds are presented and discussed, and spectroscopic characterization by multinuclear and variable temperature NMR provides details about solution structures and in some cases the formation of isomeric products. The electronic spectra of the new complexes are also described briefly, with absorption and emission features derived from the bimetallic core.

Halogen oxidation and halogen photoelimination chemistry of a platinum-rhodium heterobimetallic core.

The heterobimetallic complexes, PtRh(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)X(3) (X = Cl, Br), are assembled by the treatment of Pt(cod)X(2) (cod =1,5-cyclooctadiene) with {Rh(cod)X}(2), in the presence of tert-butylisonitrile (CN(t)Bu) and tfepma (tfepma = bis(trifluoroethoxyl)phosphinomethylamine). The neutral complexes contain Pt-Rh single bonds with metal-metal separations of 2.6360(3) and 2.6503(7) Å between the square planar Pt and octahedral Rh centers for the Cl and Br complexes, respectively. Oxidation of the XPt(I)Rh(II)X(2) cores with suitable halide sources (PhICl(2) or Br(2)) furnishes PtRh(tfepma)(2)(CN(t)Bu)X(5), which preserves a Pt-Rh bond. For the chloride system, the initial oxidation product orients the platinum-bound chlorides in a meridional geometry, which slowly transforms to a facial arrangement in pentane solution as verified by X-ray crystal analysis. Irradiation of the mer- or fac-Cl(3)Pt(III)Rh(II)Cl(2) isomers with visible light in the presence of olefin promotes the photoelimination of halogen and regeneration of the reduced ClPt(I)Rh(II)Cl(2) core. In addition to exhibiting photochemistry similar to that of the chloride system, the oxidized bromide cores undergo thermal reduction chemistry in the presence of olefin with zeroth-order olefin dependence. Owing to an extremely high photoreaction quantum yield for the fac-ClPt(I)Rh(II)Cl(2) isomer, details of the X(2) photoelimination have been captured by transient absorption spectroscopy. We now report the first direct observation of the photointermediate that precedes halogen reductive elimination. The intermediate is generated promptly upon excitation (<8 ns), and halogen is eliminated from it with a rate constant of 3.6 × 10(4) s(-1). As M-X photoactivation and elimination is the critical step in HX splitting, these results establish a new guidepost for the design of HX splitting cycles for solar energy storage.

Identification of an Electrode-Adsorbed Intermediate in the Catalytic Hydrogen Evolution Mechanism of a Cobalt Dithiolene Complex

Analysis of a cobalt bis(dithiolate) complex reported to mediate hydrogen evolution under electrocatalytic conditions in acetonitrile revealed that the cobalt complex transforms into an electrode-adsorbed film upon addition of acid prior to application of a potential. Subsequent application of a reducing potential to the film results in desorption of the film and regeneration of the molecular cobalt complex in solution, suggesting that the adsorbed species is an intermediate in catalytic H2 evolution. The electroanalytical techniques used to examine the pathway by which H2 is generated, as well as the methods used to probe the electrode-adsorbed species, are discussed. Tentative mechanisms for catalytic H2 evolution via an electrode-adsorbed intermediate are proposed.

Decoding Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer with Potential–pKa Diagrams

Aqueous potential-pH diagrams, commonly called Pourbaix diagrams, were originally developed to study metal corrosion in the 1930s and 1940s. Pourbaix diagrams have since been widely adopted for use across chemistry disciplines, particularly for the study of aqueous proton-coupled electron transfer reactions. Despite this enormous versatility, a clear extension of analogous diagrams to nonaqueous solvents is lacking. The problem hinges on the difficulty of defining the nonaqueous solution pH. Here, we address this issue by reporting the development of diagrams based on nonaqueous pKa scales. We experimentally construct diagrams for two transition-metal complexes that undergo proton-coupled electron transfer reactivity by recording their reduction potentials in the presence of acids with varying pKa values. These experimental diagrams validate the potential-pKa theory and provide valuable thermochemical information for proton-coupled electron transfer reactions, including for fleetingly stable species.