Cristiano Zuccaccia

Cobalt Electrolyte/Dye Interactions in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: A Combined Computational and Experimental Study

We report a combined experimental and computational investigation to understand the nature of the interactions between cobalt redox mediators and TiO(2) surfaces sensitized by ruthenium and organic dyes, and their impact on the performance of the corresponding dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). We focus on different ruthenium dyes and fully organic dyes, to understand the dramatic loss of efficiency observed for the prototype Ru(II) N719 dye in conjunction with cobalt electrolytes. Both N719- and Z907-based DSSCs showed an increased lifetime in iodine-based electrolyte compared to the cobalt-based redox shuttle, while the organic D21L6 and D25L6 dyes, endowed with long alkoxy chains, show no significant change in the electron lifetime regardless of employed electrolyte and deliver a high photovoltaic efficiency of 6.5% with a cobalt electrolyte. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations show the formation of a complex between the cobalt electrolyte and the surface-adsorbed ruthenium dye, which brings the [Co(bpy)(3)](3+) species into contact with the TiO(2) surface. This translates into a high probability of intercepting TiO(2)-injected electrons by the oxidized [Co(bpy)(3)](3+) species, lying close to the N719-sensitized TiO(2) surface. Investigation of the dye regeneration mechanism by the cobalt electrolyte in the Marcus theory framework led to substantially different reorganization energies for the high-spin (HS) and low-spin (LS) reaction pathways. Our calculated reorganization energies for the LS pathways are in excellent agreement with recent data for a series of cobalt complexes, lending support to the proposed regeneration pathway. Finally, we systematically investigate a series of Co(II)/Co(III) complexes to gauge the impact of ligand substitution and of metal coordination (tris-bidentate vs bis-tridentate) on the HS/LS energy difference and reorganization energies. Our results allow us to trace structure/property relations required for further development of cobalt electrolytes for DSSCs.

Iridium(III) molecular catalysts for water oxidation: the simpler the faster

We report on three Ir(iii) molecular catalysts for water oxidation: 1, [Cp*Ir(ppy)Cl]; 2, [Cp*Ir(bzpy)NO(3)]; 3, [Cp*Ir(H(2)O)(3)](NO(3))(2). 2 and 3 are water-soluble and show a long-term activity ca. 2 and 3 times higher than 1. It is remarkable that 3, having the simplest structure, is the catalyst with the highest activity.

Activity and degradation pathways of pentamethyl-cyclopentadienyl-iridium catalysts for water oxidation

The activity of three [Cp*IrLn] (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) archetypal catalysts ([Cp*Ir (bpy)Cl]Cl (1, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine), [Cp*Ir(bzpy)(NO3)] (2, bzpy = 2-benzoylpyridine) and [Cp*Ir(H2O)3](NO3)2 (3)) for water oxidation to molecular oxygen was compared using cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate as a sacrificial oxidant. Kinetic studies were carried out by: i) measuring the depletion of Ce4+ through UV-Vis spectroscopy, ii) directly detecting the evolved oxygen through the Clark electrode and iii) measuring the volume of the evolved oxygen. The kinetics of Ce4+ consumption were zero-order in Ce4+ for catalysts 2 and 3, while they were first-order for 1. The order with respect to catalyst was 1 for 1 and 2 while it was 1.5 for 3. As a consequence, 2 (TOFmax = 14.4 min−1) and 3 (TOFmax = 50.4 min−1) were found to be the most active catalysts at low and high catalyst concentration, respectively, while the performance of 1 (TOFmax = 8.6 min−1) increased with increasing the concentration of Ce4+. 1 and 3 were found to be the most robust catalysts at low (3.1 μM, TON = 1240) and high (7.0 μM, TON = 4042) catalyst concentration, respectively. In situNMR studies were performed under exactly the same conditions of the catalytic experiments. It was observed that Cp* underwent an oxidative degradation, ultimately leading to acetic, formic and glycolic acids. Several Ir-containing intermediates of the degradation process were intercepted and fully characterized in solution through 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments. DFT and NMR studies indicated that the degradation proceeds via an initial double oxidative functionalization of both the quanternary carbon and proton of a Cp* C–CH3 moiety.

Intra- and intermolecular NMR studies on the activation of arylcyclometallated hafnium pyridyl-amido olefin polymerization precatalysts.

Pyridyl-amido catalysts have emerged recently with great promise for olefin polymerization. Insights into the activation chemistry are presented in an initial attempt to understand the polymerization mechanisms of these important catalysts. The activation of C1-symmetric arylcyclometallated hafnium pyridyl-amido precatalysts, denoted Me2Hf{N(-),N,C(-)} (1, aryl = naphthyl; 2, aryl = phenyl), with both Lewis (B(C6F5)3 and [CPh3][B(C6F5)4]) and Brønsted ([HNR3][B(C6F5)4]) acids is investigated. Reactions of 1 with B(C6F5)3 lead to abstraction of a methyl group and formation of a single inner-sphere diastereoisomeric ion pair [MeHf{N(-),N,C(-)}][MeB(C6F5)3] (3). A 1:1 mixture of the two possible outer-sphere diastereoisomeric ion pairs [MeHf{N(-),N,C(-)}][B(C6F5)4] (4) is obtained when [CPh3][B(C6F5)4] is used. [HNR3][B(C6F5)4] selectively protonates the aryl arm of the tridentate ligand in both precatalysts 1 and 2. A remarkably stable [Me2Hf{N(-),N,C2}][B(C6F5)4] (5) outer-sphere ion pair is formed when the naphthyl substituent is present. The stability is attributed to a hafnium/eta(2)-naphthyl interaction and the release of an eclipsing H-H interaction between naphthyl and pyridine moieties, as evidenced through extensive NMR studies, X-ray single crystal investigation and DFT calculations. When the aryl substituent is phenyl, [Me2Hf{N(-),N,C2}][B(C6F5)4] (10) is originally obtained from protonation of 2, but this species rapidly undergoes remetalation, methane evolution, and amine coordination, giving a diastereomeric mixture of [MeHf{N(-),N,C(-)}NR3][B(C6F5)4] (11). This species transforms over time into the trianionic-ligated [Hf{N(-),C(-),N,C(-)}NR3][B(C6F5)4] (12) through activation of a C-H bond of an amido-isopropyl group. In contrast, ion pair 5 does not spontaneously undergo remetalation of the naphthyl moiety; it reacts with NMe2Ph leading to [MeHf{N(-),N}NMe2C6H4][B(C6F5)4] (7) through ortho-metalation of the aniline. Ion pair 7 successively undergoes a complex transformation ultimately leading to [Hf{N(-),C(-),N,C(-)}NMe2Ph][B(C6F5)4] (8), strictly analogous to 12. The reaction of 5 with aliphatic amines leads to the formation of a single diastereomeric ion pair [MeHf{N(-),N,C(-)}NR3][B(C6F5)4] (9). These differences in activation chemistry are manifested in the polymerization characteristics of these different precatalyst/cocatalyst combinations. Relatively long induction times are observed for propene polymerizations with the naphthyl precatalyst 1 activated with [HNMe3Ph][B(C6F5)4]. However, no induction time is present when 1 is activated with Lewis acids. Similarly, precatalyst 2 shows no induction period with either Lewis or Brønsted acids. Correlation of the solution behavior of these ion pairs and the polymerization characteristics of these various species provides a basis for an initial picture of the polymerization mechanism of these important catalyst systems.

Probing the Association of Frustrated Phosphine–Borane Lewis Pairs in Solution by NMR Spectroscopy

(19)F,(1)H HOESY, diffusion, and temperature-dependent (19)F and (1)H NMR studies allowed us to unequivocally probe the association between the frustrated PR3/B(C6F5)3 (1, R = CMe3; 2, R = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2) Lewis pairs in aromatic solvents. No preferential orientation is favored, as deduced by combining (19)F,(1)H HOESY and DFT results, suggesting association via weak dispersion rather than residual acid/base interactions. The association process is slightly endoergonic [K = 0.5 M(-1), ΔG(0)(298 K) = +0.4 kcal/mol for 2], as derived from diffusion NMR measurements.

Application of NOE and PGSE NMR Methodologies to Investigate Non-Covalent Intimate Inorganic Adducts in Solution

NOE and PGSE NMR experiments provide crucial information for the structural characterization of non-covalent intimate adducts in solution. The possible presence and the favorite relative orientation of the interacting units can be deduced from NOE results, while the size of the non-covalent adducts can be estimated through PGSE measurements. The complementarity of the two methodologies has been successfully used to investigate transition metal complex ion pairs and, to a lesser extent, intermolecular adducts. The main results concerning the solution structures of non-covalent inorganic adducts are reported and compared with those in the solid state and those from theoretical calculations.

Iridium‐EDTA as an Efficient and Readily Available Catalyst for Water Oxidation

It′s so easy: The readily available and highly water‐soluble [IrCl(Hedta)]Na complex is an efficient and robust catalyst for water oxidation to molecular oxygen. The reaction is driven by the reduction of Ce4+ to Ce3+. Its performances (TOF=6.8 min−1 and TON>12 000) are derived by UV/Vis spectroscopic, volumetric and electrochemical measurements, and compare favorably with those of the best catalysts reported so far.

Self‐Aggregation Tendency of Zirconocenium Ion Pairs Which Model Polymer‐Chain‐Carrying Species in Aromatic and Aliphatic Solvents with Low Polarity

From pairs to double pairs: Zirconocene ion pairs bearing an aliphatic chain of variable length were synthesized and investigated by means of NOE and diffusion NMR spectroscopy experiments. The presence of long aliphatic chains allowed an unprecedented investigation of their self‐aggregation tendency in cyclohexane (see figure), which has a dielectric constant similar to that of isoparaffins used in industrial plants.

Solution structure investigations of olefin Pd(II) and Pt(II) complex ion pairs bearing α-diimine ligands by 19F, 1H-HOESY NMR

Complexes [M(η1,η2-C8H12OMe)((2,6-(R)2C6H3)NC(R′)C(R′)N((2,6-(R)2C6H3))]PF6 (where M=Pd, R=H and R′2=Me2 (1), M=Pd, R=Me and R′2=Me2 (2), M=Pd, R=Et and R′2=Me2 (3), M=Pd, R=iPr and R′2=Me2 (4), M=Pd, R=iPr and R′2=An (5), M=Pt, R=iPr and R′2=An (6)) were synthesized by the reaction of [M(η1,η2-C8H12OMe)Cl]2 with the appropriate α-diimine ligand in the presence of NH4PF6. Their ion pair structure in solution was investigated by detecting dipolar interactions between protons belonging to the cation and fluorine nuclei of the anion (interionic contacts) in the 19F, 1H-HOESY NMR spectra. In complexes 1–4, the anion in solution is located close to the peripheral protons of the α-diimine ligand and it interacts with the R′ protons and with the R protons that point toward the R′ groups. The steric protection of apical position exerted by the R substituents is clearly illustrated by the absence of interionic contacts between any protons of the cycloctenylmethoxy-moiety and the anion for R≥Me in 1–4. In complexes 5 and 6 the interactions between the anion and the peripheral N,N protons also predominate but other anion–cation orientations are significantly present and, consequently, the interionic structure is less specific.

Anion‐Dependent Tendency of Di‐Long‐Chain Quaternary Ammonium Salts to Form Ion Quadruples and Higher Aggregates in Benzene

The self-aggregation tendency of [N(CH(3))(2)(C(18)H(37))(2)]X [1X; X(-)=BF(4) (-), PF(6) (-), OTf(-), NTf(2) (-), BPh(4) (-), BTol(4) (-), BAr(F-), and B(C(6)F(5))(4) (-)] salts to form ion quadruples (IQs) and higher aggregates (HAggs) in [D(6)]benzene is investigated by means of diffusion NMR spectroscopy. The experimental results indicate that salts containing small anions (1BF(4), 1PF(6), and 1OTf) are present in solution as IQs even at the lowest investigated concentration of C=5×10(-5) M and show a limited tendency to further self-aggregate, reaching a maximum average aggregation number (N=V(H)/V(H)(0IP), where V(H)=measured hydrodynamic volume and V{H}{0IP}=hydrodynamic volume of the ion pair) of about 6-8 (C=0.050-0.100 M). Salts with larger counterions [1BPh(4), 1BTol(4), 1BAr(F), and 1B(C(6)F(5))(4)] form instead ion pairs at low concentration but steadily self-aggregate (especially the non-fluorinated ones) on increasing their concentration up to N values exceeding 50 (C=0.030-0.050 M). 1NTf(2) behaves in an intermediate fashion. The self-aggregation tendency of salts is quantified by formulating the dependence of V(H) on C by means of the equations of indefinitive aggregation models. The following rankings for the formation of IQs and HAggs are obtained: IQs: 1BF(4)≈1PF(6)≈1OTf> 1NTf(2)>1B(C(6)F(5))(4)≥1BPh(4)≥1BTol(4)≥1BAr(F); HAggs: 1BTol(4)>1BPh(4)> 1NTf(2)>1B(C(6)F(5))(4)> 1BAr(F)>1BF(4)≈1PF(6)≈1OTf. Interionic NOE NMR studies and DFT calculations were conducted in order to determine the relative anion-cation orientation in the self-aggregating units.