Joseph M. Zadrozny

Hydrocarbon Separations in a Metal-Organic Framework with Open Iron(II) Coordination Sites

An Iron Separator Petroleum processing initially yields a mixture of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons—the feedstocks for fuels, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and a wide range of other commercial products. At present, distillation is the primary means of separating the components of this mixture. A sorbent or membrane-based approach to separation could reap substantial energy savings. Bloch et al. (p. 1606) found that an iron-based metal organic framework material shows promise for very efficient sorption-based separation of ethane and ethylene, propane and propylene, and several other light hydrocarbon mixtures. Neutron diffraction directly revealed the binding motifs at the iron centers that selectively pinned down the olefins while the saturated hydrocarbons passed by. Tighter binding of olefins to iron centers in a sorbent facilitates their efficient separation from saturated hydrocarbons. The energy costs associated with large-scale industrial separation of light hydrocarbons by cryogenic distillation could potentially be lowered through development of selective solid adsorbents that operate at higher temperatures. Here, the metal-organic framework Fe2(dobdc) (dobdc4– : 2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) is demonstrated to exhibit excellent performance characteristics for separation of ethylene/ethane and propylene/propane mixtures at 318 kelvin. Breakthrough data obtained for these mixtures provide experimental validation of simulations, which in turn predict high selectivities and capacities of this material for the fractionation of methane/ethane/ethylene/acetylene mixtures, removal of acetylene impurities from ethylene, and membrane-based olefin/paraffin separations. Neutron powder diffraction data confirm a side-on coordination of acetylene, ethylene, and propylene at the iron(II) centers, while also providing solid-state structural characterization of the much weaker interactions of ethane and propane with the metal.

Slow magnetization dynamics in a series of two-coordinate iron(II) complexes

A series of two-coordinate complexes of iron(II) were prepared and studied for single-molecule magnet behavior. Five of the compounds, Fe[N(SiMe3)(Dipp)]2 (1), Fe[C(SiMe3)3]2 (2), Fe[N(H)Ar′]2 (3), Fe[N(H)Ar*]2 (4), and Fe(OAr′)2 (5) feature a linear geometry at the FeII center, while the sixth compound, Fe[N(H)Ar#]2 (6), is bent with an N–Fe–N angle of 140.9(2)° (Dipp = C6H3-2,6-Pri2; Ar′ = C6H3-2,6-(C6H3-2,6-Pri2)2; Ar* = C6H3-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-Pri2)2; Ar# = C6H3-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-Me3)2). Ac magnetic susceptibility data for all compounds revealed slow magnetic relaxation under an applied dc field, with the magnetic relaxation times following a general trend of 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 ≫ 6. Arrhenius plots created for the linear complexes were fit by employing a sum of tunneling, direct, Raman, and Orbach relaxation processes, resulting in spin reversal barriers of Ueff = 181, 146, 109, 104, and 43 cm−1 for 1–5, respectively. CASSCF/NEVPT2 calculations on the crystal structures were performed to explore the influence of deviations from rigorous D∞h geometry on the d-orbital splittings and the electronic state energies. Asymmetry in the ligand fields quenches the orbital angular momentum of 1–6, but ultimately spin–orbit coupling is strong enough to compensate and regenerate the orbital moment. The lack of simple Arrhenius behavior in 1–5 can be attributed to a combination of the asymmetric ligand field and the influence of vibronic coupling, with the latter possibility being suggested by thermal ellipsoid models to the diffraction data.

Slow Magnetic Relaxation at Zero Field in the Tetrahedral Complex [Co(SPh)4]2–

The Ph(4)P(+) salt of the tetrahedral complex [Co(SPh)(4)](2-), possessing an S = (3)/(2) ground state with an axial zero-field splitting of D = -70 cm(-1), displays single-molecule magnet behavior in the absence of an applied magnetic field. At very low temperatures, ac magnetic susceptibility data show the magnetic relaxation time, τ, to be temperature-independent, while above 2.5 K thermally activated Arrhenius behavior is apparent with U(eff) = 21(1) cm(-1) and τ(0) = 1.0(3) × 10(-7) s. Under an applied field of 1 kOe, τ more closely approximates Arrhenius behavior over the entire temperature range. Upon dilution of the complex within a matrix of the isomorphous compound (Ph(4)P)(2)[Zn(SPh)(4)], ac susceptibility data reveal the molecular nature of the slow magnetic relaxation and indicate that the quantum tunneling pathway observed at low temperatures is likely mediated by intermolecular dipolar interactions.

Exchange coupling and magnetic blocking in bipyrimidyl radical-bridged dilanthanide complexes.

The synthesis and magnetic properties of three new bipyrimidyl radical-bridged dilanthanide complexes, [(Cp*(2)Ln)(2)(μ-bpym(•))](+) (Ln = Gd, Tb, Dy), are reported. Strong Ln(III)-bpym(•-) exchange coupling is observed for all species, as indicated by the increases in χ(M)T at low temperatures. For the Gd(III)-containing complex, a fit to the data reveals antiferromagnetic coupling with J = -10 cm(-1) to give an S = (13)/(2) ground state. The Tb(III) and Dy(III) congeners show single-molecule magnet behavior with relaxation barriers of U(eff) = 44(2) and 87.8(3) cm(-1), respectively, a consequence of the large magnetic anisotropies imparted by these ions. Significantly, the latter complex exhibits a divergence of the field-cooled and zero-field-cooled dc susceptibility data at 6.5 K and magnetic hysteresis below this temperature.

A theoretical analysis of chemical bonding, vibronic coupling, and magnetic anisotropy in linear iron(II) complexes with single-molecule magnet behavior

The electronic structure and magnetic anisotropy of six complexes of high-spin FeII with linear FeX2 (X = C, N, O) cores, Fe[N(SiMe3)(Dipp)]2 (1), Fe[C(SiMe3)3]2 (2), Fe[N(H)Ar′]2 (3), Fe[N(H)Ar*]2 (4), Fe[O(Ar′)]2 (5), and Fe[N(t-Bu)2]2 (7) [Dipp = C6H3-2,6-Pri2; Ar′ = C6H3-2,6-(C6H3-2,6-Pri2)2; Ar* = C6H3-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-Pri2)2; Ar# = C6H3-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-Me3)2], and one bent (FeN2) complex, Fe[N(H)Ar#]2 (6), have been studied theoretically using complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) wavefunctions in conjunction with N-Electron Valence Perturbation Theory (NEVPT2) and quasidegenerate perturbation theory (QDPT) for the treatment of magnetic field and spin-dependent relativistic effects. Mossbauer studies on compound 2 indicate an internal magnetic field of unprecedented magnitude (151.7 T) at the FeII nucleus. This has been interpreted as arising from first order angular momentum of the 5Δ ground state of FeII center (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 10206). Using geometries from X-ray structural data, ligand field parameters for the Fe-ligand bonds were extracted using a 1 : 1 mapping of the angular overlap model onto multireference wavefunctions. The results demonstrate that the metal–ligand bonding in these complexes is characterized by: (i) strong 3dz2–4s mixing (in all complexes), (ii) π-bonding anisotropy involving the strong π-donor amide ligands (in 1, 3–4, 6, and 7) and (iii) orbital mixings of the σ–π type for Fe–O bonds (misdirected valence in 5). The interplay of all three effects leads to an appreciable symmetry lowering and splitting of the 5Δ (3dxy, 3dx2−y2) ground state. The strengths of the effects increase in the order 1 < 5 < 7 ∼ 6. However, the differential bonding effects are largely overruled by first-order spin–orbit coupling, which leads to a nearly non-reduced orbital contribution of L = 1 to yield a net magnetic moment of about 6 μB. This unique spin–orbital driven magnetism is significantly modulated by geometric distortion effects: static distortions for the bent complex 6 and dynamic vibronic coupling effects of the Renner–Teller type of increasing strength for the series 1–5.Ab initio calculations based on geometries from X-ray data for 1 and 2 reproduce the magnetic data exceptionally well. Magnetic sublevels and wavefunctions were calculated employing a dynamic Renner–Teller vibronic coupling model with vibronic coupling parameters adjusted from the ab initio results on a small Fe(CH3)2 truncated model complex. The model reproduces the observed reduction of the orbital moments and quantitatively reproduces the magnetic susceptibility data of 3–5 after introduction of the vibronic coupling strength (f) as a single adjustable parameter. Its value varies in a narrow range (f = 0.142 ± 0.015) across the series. The results indicate that the systems are near the borderline of the transition from a static to a dynamic Renner–Teller effect. Renner–Teller vibronic activity is used to explain the large reduction of the spin-reversal barrier Ueff along the series from 1 to 5. Based upon the theoretical analysis, guidelines for generating new single-molecule magnets with enhanced magnetic anisotropies and longer relaxation times are formulated.

Reversible CO Binding Enables Tunable CO/H2 and CO/N2 Separations in Metal-Organic Frameworks with Exposed Divalent Metal Cations

Six metal-organic frameworks of the M2(dobdc) (M = Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn; dobdc(4-) = 2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) structure type are demonstrated to bind carbon monoxide reversibly and at high capacity. Infrared spectra indicate that, upon coordination of CO to the divalent metal cations lining the pores within these frameworks, the C-O stretching frequency is blue-shifted, consistent with nonclassical metal-CO interactions. Structure determinations reveal M-CO distances ranging from 2.09(2) Å for M = Ni to 2.49(1) Å for M = Zn and M-C-O angles ranging from 161.2(7)° for M = Mg to 176.9(6)° for M = Fe. Electronic structure calculations employing density functional theory (DFT) resulted in good agreement with the trends apparent in the infrared spectra and crystal structures. These results represent the first crystallographically characterized magnesium and zinc carbonyl compounds and the first high-spin manganese(II), iron(II), cobalt(II), and nickel(II) carbonyl species. Adsorption isotherms indicate reversible adsorption, with capacities for the Fe, Co, and Ni frameworks approaching one CO per metal cation site at 1 bar, corresponding to loadings as high as 6.0 mmol/g and 157 cm(3)/cm(3). The six frameworks display (negative) isosteric heats of CO adsorption ranging from 52.7 to 27.2 kJ/mol along the series Ni > Co > Fe > Mg > Mn > Zn, following the Irving-Williams stability order. The reversible CO binding suggests that these frameworks may be of utility for the separation of CO from various industrial gas mixtures, including CO/H2 and CO/N2. Selectivities determined from gas adsorption isotherm data using ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) over a range of gas compositions at 1 bar and 298 K indicate that all six M2(dobdc) frameworks could potentially be used as solid adsorbents to replace current cryogenic distillation technologies, with the choice of M dictating adsorbent regeneration energy and the level of purity of the resulting gases.

Large Spin‐Relaxation Barriers for the Low‐Symmetry Organolanthanide Complexes [Cp*2Ln(BPh4)] (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; Ln=Tb, Dy)

Single-molecule magnets comprising one spin center represent a fundamental size limit for spin-based information storage. Such an application hinges upon the realization of molecules possessing substantial barriers to spin inversion. Axially symmetric complexes of lanthanides hold the most promise for this due to their inherently high magnetic anisotropies and low tunneling probabilities. Herein, we demonstrate that strikingly large spin reversal barriers of 216 and 331 cm(-1) can also be realized in low-symmetry lanthanide tetraphenylborate complexes of the type [Cp*2 Ln(BPh4 )] (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; Ln=Tb (1) and Dy (2)). The dysprosium congener showed hysteretic magnetization data up to 5.3 K. Further studies of the magnetic relaxation processes of 1 and 2 under applied dc fields and upon dilution within a matrix of [Cp*2 Y(BPh4 )] revealed considerable suppression of the tunneling pathway, emphasizing the strong influence of dipolar interactions on the low-temperature magnetization dynamics in these systems.

A mononuclear transition metal single-molecule magnet in a nuclear spin-free ligand environment

The high-spin pseudotetrahedral complex [Co(C3S5)2](2-) exhibits slow magnetic relaxation in the absence of an applied dc magnetic field, one of a small number of mononuclear complexes to display this property. Fits to low-temperature magnetization data indicate that this single-molecule magnet possesses a very large and negative axial zero-field splitting and small rhombicity. The presence of single-molecule magnet behavior in a zero-nuclear spin ligand field offers the opportunity to investigate the potential for this molecule to be a qubit, the smallest unit of a quantum information processing (QIP) system. However, simulations of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra and the absence of EPR spectra demonstrate that this molecule is unsuitable as a qubit due to the same factors that promote single molecule magnet behavior. We discuss the influence of rhombic and axial zero-field splitting on QIP applications and the implications for future molecular qubit syntheses.

Millisecond coherence time in a tunable molecular electronic spin qubit

Quantum information processing (QIP) could revolutionize areas ranging from chemical modeling to cryptography. One key figure of merit for the smallest unit for QIP, the qubit, is the coherence time (T2), which establishes the lifetime for the qubit. Transition metal complexes offer tremendous potential as tunable qubits, yet their development is hampered by the absence of synthetic design principles to achieve a long T2. We harnessed molecular design to create a series of qubits, (Ph4P)2[V(C8S8)3] (1), (Ph4P)2[V(β-C3S5)3] (2), (Ph4P)2[V(α-C3S5)3] (3), and (Ph4P)2[V(C3S4O)3] (4), with T2s of 1–4 μs at 80 K in protiated and deuterated environments. Crucially, through chemical tuning of nuclear spin content in the vanadium(IV) environment we realized a T2 of ∼1 ms for the species (d20-Ph4P)2[V(C8S8)3] (1′) in CS2, a value that surpasses the coordination complex record by an order of magnitude. This value even eclipses some prominent solid-state qubits. Electrochemical and continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data reveal variation in the electronic influence of the ligands on the metal ion across 1–4. However, pulsed measurements indicate that the most important influence on decoherence is nuclear spins in the protiated and deuterated solvents utilized herein. Our results illuminate a path forward in synthetic design principles, which should unite CS2 solubility with nuclear spin free ligand fields to develop a new generation of molecular qubits.

Influence of Electronic Spin and Spin–Orbit Coupling on Decoherence in Mononuclear Transition Metal Complexes

Enabling the rational synthesis of molecular candidates for quantum information processing requires design principles that minimize electron spin decoherence. Here we report a systematic investigation of decoherence via the synthesis of two series of paramagnetic coordination complexes. These complexes, [M(C2O4)3](3-) (M = Ru, Cr, Fe) and [M(CN)6](3-) (M = Fe, Ru, Os), were prepared and interrogated by pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to assess quantitatively the influence of the magnitude of spin (S = (1)/2, (3)/2, (5)/2) and spin-orbit coupling (ζ = 464, 880, 3100 cm(-1)) on quantum decoherence. Coherence times (T2) were collected via Hahn echo experiments and revealed a small dependence on the two variables studied, demonstrating that the magnitudes of spin and spin-orbit coupling are not the primary drivers of electron spin decoherence. On the basis of these conclusions, a proof-of-concept molecule, [Ru(C2O4)3](3-), was selected for further study. The two parameters establishing the viability of a qubit are a long coherence time, T2, and the presence of Rabi oscillations. The complex [Ru(C2O4)3](3-) exhibits both a coherence time of T2 = 3.4 μs and the rarely observed Rabi oscillations. These two features establish [Ru(C2O4)3](3-) as a molecular qubit candidate and mark the viability of coordination complexes as qubit platforms. Our results illustrate that the design of qubit candidates can be achieved with a wide range of paramagnetic ions and spin states while preserving a long-lived coherence.