Jeanet Conradie

The Structural Chemistry of Metallocorroles: Combined X-ray Crystallography and Quantum Chemistry Studies Afford Unique Insights

Although they share some superficial structural similarities with porphyrins, corroles, trianionic ligands with contracted cores, give rise to fundamentally different transition metal complexes in comparison with the dianionic porphyrins. Many metallocorroles are formally high-valent, although a good fraction of them are also noninnocent, with significant corrole radical character. These electronic-structural characteristics result in a variety of fascinating spectroscopic behavior, including highly characteristic, paramagnetically shifted NMR spectra and textbook cases of charge-transfer spectra. Although our early research on corroles focused on spectroscopy, we soon learned that the geometric structures of metallocorroles provide a fascinating window into their electronic-structural characteristics. Thus, we used X-ray structure determinations and quantum chemical studies, chiefly using DFT, to obtain a comprehensive understanding of metallocorrole geometric and electronic structures. This Account describes our studies of the structural chemistry of metallocorroles. At first blush, the planar or mildly domed structure of metallocorroles might appear somewhat uninteresting particularly when compared to metalloporphyrins. Metalloporphyrins, especially sterically hindered ones, are routinely ruffled or saddled, but the missing meso carbon apparently makes the corrole skeleton much more resistant to nonplanar distortions. Ruffling, where the pyrrole rings are alternately twisted about the M-N bonds, is energetically impossible for metallocorroles. Saddling is also uncommon; thus, a number of sterically hindered, fully substituted metallocorroles exhibit almost perfectly planar macrocycle cores. Against this backdrop, copper corroles stand out as an important exception. As a result of an energetically favorable Cu(d(x2-y2))-corrole(π) orbital interaction, copper corroles, even sterically unhindered ones, are inherently saddled. Sterically hindered substituents accentuate this effect, sometimes dramatically. Thus, a crystal structure of a copper β-octakis(trifluoromethyl)-meso-triarylcorrole complex exhibits nearly orthogonal, adjacent pyrrole rings. Intriguingly, the formally isoelectronic silver and gold corroles are much less saddled than their copper congeners because the high orbital energy of the valence d(x2-y2) orbital discourages overlap with the corrole π orbital. A crystal structure of a gold β-octakis(trifluoromethyl)-meso-triarylcorrole complex exhibits a perfectly planar corrole core, which translates to a difference of 85° in the saddling dihedral angles between analogous copper and gold complexes. Gratifyingly, electrochemical, spectroscopic, and quantum chemical studies provide a coherent, theoretical underpinning for these fascinating structural phenomena. With the development of facile one-pot syntheses of corrole macrocycles in the last 10-15 years, corroles are now almost as readily accessible as porphyrins. Like porphyrins, corroles are promising building blocks for supramolecular constructs such as liquid crystals and metal-organic frameworks. However, because of their symmetry properties, corrole-based supramolecular constructs will probably differ substantially from porphyrin-based ones. We are particularly interested in exploiting the inherently saddled, chiral architectures of copper corroles to create novel oriented materials such as chiral liquid crystals. We trust that the fundamental structural principles uncovered in this Account will prove useful as we explore these fascinating avenues.

Not innocent: verdict from ab initio multiconfigurational second-order perturbation theory on the electronic structure of chloroiron corrole.

From a suitably broad perspective, transition metal corroles may be viewed as stable, synthetic analogues of high-valent heme protein intermediates such as compounds I and II. Against this backdrop, the electronic structure of chloroiron corrole has provoked a lively debate in recent years. Thus, whereas NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations suggest an S = 3/2 Fe(III) corrole (*2-) radical description, certain researchers have favored an Fe(IV) formulation. These two descriptions are indistinguishable as far as DFT calculations are concerned. Ab initio CASSCF/CASPT2 calculations provide unambiguous support for the former description. In addition, they rule out any Fe(IV) state, whether high- or low-spin, within 1.5 eV of the ground state.

Synthesis and characterisation of ferrocene-containing β-diketonato complexes of rhodium(I) and rhodium(III)

Abstract The synthesis of new β-diketonato rhodium(I) complexes of the type [Rh(FcCOCHCOR)(CO) 2 ] and [Rh(FcCOCHCOR)(CO)(PPh 3 )] with Fc=ferrocenyl and R=Fc, C 6 H 5 , CH 3 and CF 3 are described. 1 H, 13 C and 31 P NMR data showed that for each of the non-symmetric β-diketonato mono-carbonyl rhodium(I) complexes, two isomers exist in solution. The equilibrium constant, K c , which relates these two isomers in an equilibrium reaction, are concentration independent but temperature and solvent dependent. Δ r G , Δ r H and Δ r S values for this equilibrium have been determined and a linear relationship between solvent polarity on the Dimroth scale and K c exists. The relationship between RhP bond lengths, d(RhP), and 31 P NMR peak positions as well as coupling constants 1 J ( 31 P 103 Rh) has been quantified to allow calculation of approximate d(RhP) values. Variations in d(RhP) for [Rh(RCOCHCOR′)(CO)(PPh 3 )] complexes have also been related to the group electronegativities (Gordy scale) of the terminal β-diketonato R groups trans to PPh 3 . A measure of the electron density on the rhodium centre of [Rh(RCOCHCOR′)(CO)(PPh 3 )] may be expressed in terms of the IR carbonyl stretching wave number, ν (CO), the sum of the group electronegativities of the R and R′ groups, ( χ R + χ R′ ), or the observed p K a ′ values of the free β-diketones RCOCH 2 COR ′ . An empirical relationship between ν (CO) and either p K a ′ or ( χ R + χ R′ ) has also been quantified.

A thermally stable {FeNO}8 complex: properties and biological reactivity of reduced MNO systems

Reduced nitrogen oxide ligands such as NO−/HNO or nitroxyl participate in chemistry distinct from nitric oxide (NO). Nitroxyl has been proposed to form at heme centers to generate the Enemark–Feltham designated {FeNO}8 system. The synthesis of a thermally stable {FeNO}8 species namely, [Co(Cp*)2][Fe(LN4)(NO)] (3), housed in a heme-like ligand platform has been achieved by reduction of the corresponding {FeNO}7 complex, [Fe(LN4)(NO)] (1), with decamethylcobaltocene [Co(Cp*)2] in toluene. This complex readily reacts with metMb, resulting in formation of MbNO via reductive nitrosylation by the coordinated HNO/NO−, which can be inhibited with GSH. These results suggest that 3 could serve as a potential HNO therapeutic. Spectroscopic, theoretical, and structural comparisons are made to 1 and the {CoNO}8 complex, [Co(LN4)(NO)] (2), an isoelectronic analogue of 3.

Broken-Symmetry DFT Spin Densities of Iron Nitrosyls, Including Roussin’s Red and Black Salts: Striking Differences between Pure and Hybrid Functionals

Pure and hybrid exchange-correlation functionals, as typified by OLYP and B3LYP, respectively, yield dramatically different spin density profiles for a variety of paramagnetic iron nitrosyls. Not unexpectedly, based on the strongly noninnocent nature of the NO ligand, the strength of metal-NO spin coupling appears to vary widely as a function of the functional chosen. For the diamagnetic Roussins red salt, red salt esters, and black salt, OLYP and B3LYP yield very different Fe-Fe spin coupling strengths, with OLYP exhibiting a greater preference for a more spin-coupled description.

Corrole as a Binucleating Ligand : Preparation, Molecular Structure and Density Functional Theory Study of Diboron Corroles

The reactions of BF3·OEt2 with four triaryl corroles (H3Cor) give the complexes [(B2OF2)(Cor)]- in which the corrole acts as a binucleating ligand. The new complexes were fully characterized, including an X-ray crystal structure of the triphenylcorrole complex. Density functional theory calculations support the observation that the boron atoms coordinate in two dipyrromethene sites in a cisoid geometry on one face of the macrocycle rather than in the alternative dipyrromethene/bipyrrole sites. The UV−visible spectra are insensitive to the corrole substituents, consistent with the lack of low-lying orbitals associated with the coordinated boron atoms.

Capturing the spin state diversity of iron(III)-aryl porphyrins: OLYP is better than TPSSh

DFT calculations with a variety of exchange-correlation functionals, including PW91, OLYP, TPSSh, B3LYP and B3LYP*, have been carried out on the low-energy spin states of chloroiron(III) porphyrin and four aryliron(III) porphyrins, viz. Fe(III)(P)Ph (S=1/2), Fe(III)(P)C(6)F(5) (S=5/2), Fe(III)(P)(3,4,5-C(6)F(3)H(2)) (S=1/2), Fe(III)(P)(2,4,6-C(6)F(3)H(2)) (S=5/2), where the expected spin states have been indicated within parentheses. Qualitatively, OLYP reproduces all the expected ground spin states. B3LYP appears to have some difficulty yielding the observed sextet ground states. B3LYP*, TPSSh and PW91 all fail to reproduce the sextet ground states, the latter two by rather large margins of energy. As far as this study is concerned, the overall performance of the functionals appears to be OLYP/OPBE>B3LYP>B3LYP*>>TPSSh>PW91/BLYP/BP86/TPSS.

Stable eight-coordinate iron(III/II) complexes.

The chemistry of unusual coordination numbers of transition-metal complexes has been of interest because of their presence in biology and catalytic systems. Herein we describe a systematic and predictable approach toward isolation of stable eight-coordinate (8C) iron(III/II) systems. The 8C (S = 2; high-spin, HS) complex [Fe(L(N4))(2)](BF(4))(2) (1) has been synthesized and characterized, displaying a distorted square-antiprism structure. Complex 1 is a unique 8C iron complex that exhibits remarkable stability in solution under various unfavorable conditions. The E(1/2) value of 1 (0.430 V vs Ag/AgCl, MeCN) supports the Fe(II) oxidation state; however, the corresponding HS (S = 5/2) 8C Fe(III) analogue [Fe(L(N4))(2)](NO(3))(3) (3) has also been synthesized via the chemical oxidation of 1. The structural, spectroscopic, and theoretical descriptions of these 8C iron complexes are reported in this work.

Substituent effects on metallocorrole spectra: insights from chromium-oxo and molybdenum-oxo triarylcorroles

The Soret maxima of a number of metallotriarylcorroles shift sensitively in response to varying substituents on the meso-aryl groups. The effect is most pronounced for copper corroles but is not seen for silver and gold corroles. In the copper case, the effect has been attributed to a small HOMO–LUMO gap. Chromium-oxo corroles share a small HOMO–LUMO gap with copper corroles, as well as a substantially metal-based LUMO, yet the Soret maxima of chromium-oxo triarylcorroles do not shift in response to substitution on the meso-aryl groups. Molybdenum-oxo corroles are substituent-insensitive in the same sense. TDDFT calculations, focusing on chromium-oxo and molybednum-oxo triarylcorroles, are reported here in an attempt to explain the divergent spectroscopic behavior of different metallocorrole families.

Mono- and Diboron Corroles: Factors Controlling Stoichiometry and Hydrolytic Reactivity

The first example of a diboryl corrole complex, [(BF2)2(Br8T(4-F-P)C)](-) (Br8T(4-F-P)C = trianion of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octabromo-5,10,15-tris(4-fluorophenyl)corrole), has been isolated using the strongly electron-withdrawing and sterically crowded triaryl octabromocorrole ligand. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the hydrolysis reaction producing the partially hydrolyzed complexes [B2OF2(Cor)](-) is more favored for the less sterically crowded triaryl corrole complexes. Monoboryl complexes BF2(H2Cor) (Cor = trianions of 5,10,15-triphenylcorrole (TPC), 5,10,15-tris(4-methylphenyl)corrole (T(4-CH3-P)C), 5,10,15-tris(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)corrole (T(4-CF3-P)C), and 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole (TPFPC)) were prepared and characterized. The experimental data are consistent with an out-of-plane dipyrrin coordination mode for these complexes, and DFT optimizations suggest that internal BF···HN hydrogen bonding may be significant in stabilizing these complexes. Further examples of the anionic diboron corrole [B2OF2(Cor)](-) containing the electron-withdrawing 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole (TPFPC) and the sterically hindered 10-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5,15-dimesitylcorrole (Mes2(4-MeOP)C) trianions are reported.