Leslie J. Murray

Selective Binding of O2 over N2 in a Redox–Active Metal–Organic Framework with Open Iron(II) Coordination Sites

The air-free reaction between FeCl(2) and H(4)dobdc (dobdc(4-) = 2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) in a mixture of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and methanol affords Fe(2)(dobdc)·4DMF, a metal-organic framework adopting the MOF-74 (or CPO-27) structure type. The desolvated form of this material displays a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 1360 m(2)/g and features a hexagonal array of one-dimensional channels lined with coordinatively unsaturated Fe(II) centers. Gas adsorption isotherms at 298 K indicate that Fe(2)(dobdc) binds O(2) preferentially over N(2), with an irreversible capacity of 9.3 wt %, corresponding to the adsorption of one O(2) molecule per two iron centers. Remarkably, at 211 K, O(2) uptake is fully reversible and the capacity increases to 18.2 wt %, corresponding to the adsorption of one O(2) molecule per iron center. Mössbauer and infrared spectra are consistent with partial charge transfer from iron(II) to O(2) at low temperature and complete charge transfer to form iron(III) and O(2)(2-) at room temperature. The results of Rietveld analyses of powder neutron diffraction data (4 K) confirm this interpretation, revealing O(2) bound to iron in a symmetric side-on mode with d(O-O) = 1.25(1) Å at low temperature and in a slipped side-on mode with d(O-O) = 1.6(1) Å when oxidized at room temperature. Application of ideal adsorbed solution theory in simulating breakthrough curves shows Fe(2)(dobdc) to be a promising material for the separation of O(2) from air at temperatures well above those currently employed in industrial settings.

Highly-Selective and Reversible O2 Binding in Cr3(1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate)2

Reaction of Cr(CO)(6) with trimesic acid in DMF affords the metal-organic framework Cr(3)(BTC)(2).nDMF (BTC(3-) = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate), which is isostructural to Cu(3)(BTC)(2).3H(2)O. Exchanging DMF for methanol and heating at 160 degrees C under dynamic vacuum for 48 h results in the desolvated framework Cr(3)(BTC)(2). Nitrogen gas adsorption measurements performed at 77 K revealed a type I isotherm, indicating BET and Langmuir surface areas of 1810 and 2040 m(2)/g, respectively. At 298 K, the O(2) adsorption isotherm for Cr(3)(BTC)(2) rises steeply to a capacity of 11 wt % at 2 mbar, while the corresponding N(2) adsorption isotherm displays very little uptake, gradually rising to a capacity of 0.58 wt % at 1 bar. Accordingly, the material displays an unprecedented O(2)/N(2) selectivity factor of 22. Deoxygenation of the sample could be accomplished by heating at 50 degrees C under vacuum for 48 h, leading to a gradually diminishing uptake capacity over the course of 15 consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles. Infrared and X-ray absorption spectra suggest formation of an O(2) adduct with partial charge transfer from the Cr(II) centers exposed on the surface of the framework. Neutron powder diffraction data confirm this mechanism of O(2) binding and indicate a lengthening of the Cr-Cr distance within the paddle-wheel units of the framework from 2.06(2) to 2.8(1) A.

Impact of Metal and Anion Substitutions on the Hydrogen Storage Properties of M‑BTT Metal! Organic Frameworks

Microporous metal-organic frameworks are a class of materials being vigorously investigated for mobile hydrogen storage applications. For high-pressure storage at ambient temperatures, the M(3)[(M(4)Cl)(3)(BTT)(8)](2) (M-BTT; BTT(3-) = 1,3,5-benzenetristetrazolate) series of frameworks are of particular interest due to the high density of exposed metal cation sites on the pore surface. These sites give enhanced zero-coverage isosteric heats of adsorption (Q(st)) approaching the optimal value for ambient storage applications. However, the Q(st) parameter provides only a limited insight into the thermodynamics of the individual adsorption sites, the tuning of which is paramount for optimizing the storage performance. Here, we begin by performing variable-temperature infrared spectroscopy studies of Mn-, Fe-, and Cu-BTT, allowing the thermodynamics of H(2) adsorption to be probed experimentally. This is complemented by a detailed DFT study, in which molecular fragments representing the metal clusters within the extended solid are simulated to obtain a more thorough description of the structural and thermodynamic aspects of H(2) adsorption at the strongest binding sites. Then, the effect of substitutions at the metal cluster (metal ion and anion within the tetranuclear cluster) is discussed, showing that the configuration of this unit indeed plays an important role in determining the affinity of the framework toward H(2). Interestingly, the theoretical study has identified that the Zn-based analogs would be expected to facilitate enhanced adsorption profiles over the compounds synthesized experimentally, highlighting the importance of a combined experimental and theoretical approach to the design and synthesis of new frameworks for H(2) storage applications.

Dinitrogen Activation Upon Reduction of a Triiron(II) Complex

Reaction of a trinuclear iron(II) complex, Fe3 Br3 L (1), with KC8 under N2 leads to dinitrogen activation products (2) from which Fe3 (NH)3 L (2-1; L is a cyclophane bridged by three β-diketiminate arms) was characterized by X-ray crystallography. (1) H NMR spectra of the protonolysis product of 2 synthesized under (14) N2 and (15) N2 confirm atmospheric N2 reduction, and ammonia is detected by the indophenol assay (yield ∼30 %). IR and Mössbauer spectroscopy, and elemental analysis on 2 and 2-1 as well as the tri(amido)triiron(II) 3 and tri(methoxo)triiron 4 congeners support our assignment of the reduction product as containing protonated N-atom bridges.

Modeling Biological Copper Clusters: Synthesis of a Tricopper Complex, and Its Chloride- and Sulfide-Bridged Congeners

The synthesis and characterization of a family of tricopper clusters housed within a tris(β-diketimine) cyclophane ligand (H3L) that bear structural similarities to biological copper clusters are reported. In all complexes, each Cu atom is held within the N2-chelate of a single β-diketiminate arm. Reaction of L(3-) with CuCl affords an anionic complex containing a μ3-chloride donor in the central cavity, whereas there is no evidence for bromide incorporation in the product of the reaction of L(3-) with CuBr (Cu3L). Cu3L reacts with elemental sulfur to generate the corresponding air-stable mixed-valent (μ3-sulfido)tricopper complex, Cu3(μ3-S)L, which represents the first example of a sulfide-bridged copper cluster in which each metal center is both coordinatively unsaturated and held within a N-rich environment. The calculated LUMO is predominantly Cu-S π* in character and delocalized over all three metal centers, which is consistent with the isotropic ten-line absorption (g ∼ 2.095, A ∼ 33 G) observed at room temperature in EPR spectra of the one-electron chemically reduced complex, [Cu3(μ3-S)L](-).

Hydrogen Storage and Selective, Reversible O2 Adsorption in a Metal–Organic Framework with Open Chromium(II) Sites

A chromium(II)-based metal-organic framework Cr3 [(Cr4 Cl)3 (BTT)8 ]2 (Cr-BTT; BTT(3-) =1,3,5-benzenetristetrazolate), featuring coordinatively unsaturated, redox-active Cr(2+) cation sites, was synthesized and investigated for potential applications in H2 storage and O2 production. Low-pressure H2 adsorption and neutron powder diffraction experiments reveal moderately strong Cr-H2 interactions, in line with results from previously reported M-BTT frameworks. Notably, gas adsorption measurements also reveal excellent O2 /N2 selectivity with substantial O2 reversibility at room temperature, based on selective electron transfer to form Cr(III) superoxide moieties. Infrared spectroscopy and powder neutron diffraction experiments were used to confirm this mechanism of selective O2 binding.

Isolation of a (dinitrogen)tricopper(I) complex.

Reaction of a tris(β-diketimine) cyclophane, H3L, with benzyl potassium followed by [Cu(OTf)]2(C6H6) affords a tricopper(I) complex containing a bridging dinitrogen ligand. rRaman (νN-N = 1952 cm(-1)) and (15)N NMR (δ = 303.8 ppm) spectroscopy confirm the presence of the dinitrogen ligand. DFT calculations and QTAIM analysis indicate minimal metal-dinitrogen back-bonding with only one molecular orbital of significant N2(2pπ*) and Cu(3dπ)/Cu(3dσ) character (13.6% N, 70.9% Cu). ∇(2)ρ values for the Cu-N2 bond critical points are analogous to those for polar closed-shell/closed-shell interactions.

An Air‐ and Water‐Tolerant Zinc Hydride Cluster That Reacts Selectively With CO2

The reaction of [Zn3Cl3L], in which L(3-) is a tris(β-diketiminate) cyclophane, with K(sBu)3BH afforded [Zn3(μ-H)3L] (2), as confirmed by NMR spectroscopy, NOESY, and X-ray crystallography. The complex 2 was air-stable and unreactive towards water, methanol, and other substrates (e.g., nitriles) at room temperature over 24 h but reacted with CO2 (ca. 1 atm) to generate [Zn3(μ-H)2(μ-1,1-O2CH)] (3). In contrast, [Zn3(OH)3L] (4) was found to be unreactive toward CO2 over the course of several days at 90 °C.

Reactivity of Hydride Bridges in High-Spin [3M–3(μ-H)] Clusters (M = FeII, CoII)

The designed [3M-3(μ-H)] clusters (M = Fe(II), Co(II)) Fe3H3L (1-H) and Co3H3L (2-H) [where L(3-) is a tris(β-diketiminate) cyclophane] were synthesized by treating the corresponding M3Br3L complexes with KBEt3H. From single-crystal X-ray analysis, the hydride ligands are sterically protected by the cyclophane ligand, and these complexes selectively react with CO2 over other unsaturated substrates (e.g., CS2, Me3SiCCH, C2H2, and CH3CN). The reaction of 1-H or 2-H with CO2 at room temperature yielded Fe3(OCHO)(H)2L (1-CO2) or Co3(OCHO)(H)2L (2-CO2), respectively, which evidence the differential reactivity of the hydride ligands within these complexes. The analogous reactions at elevated temperatures revealed a distinct difference in the reactivity pattern for 2-H as compared to 1-H; Fe3(OCHO)3L (1-3CO2) was generated from 1-H, while 2-H afforded only 2-CO2.

Nitride-Bridged Triiron Complex and Its Relevance to Dinitrogen Activation

Using a simple metathesis approach, the triiron(II) tribromide complex Fe3Br3L (1) reacts with tetrabutylammonium azide to afford the monoazide dibromide analogue Fe3(Br)2(N3)L (2) in high yield. The inclusion of azide was confirmed by IR spectroscopy with a ν(N3) = 2082 cm(-1) as well as combustion analysis and X-ray crystallography. Heating 2 in the solid state results in the complete loss of the azide vibration in the IR spectra and the isolation of the olive-green mononitride complex Fe3(Br)2(N)L (3). Solution magnetic susceptibility measurements support that the trimetallic core within 2 is oxidized upon generation of 3 (5.07 vs 3.09 μB). Absorption maxima in the UV-visible-near-IR (NIR) spectra of 2 and 3 support the azide-to-nitride conversion, and a broad NIR absorption centered at 1117 nm is similar to that previously reported for the intervalence charge-transfer band for a mixed-valent nitridodiiron cluster. The cyclic voltammograms recorded for 3 are comparable to those of 1 with no reductive waves observed between ∼0 and -2.5 V (vs Fc/Fc(+)), whereas a reversible one-electron redox process is observed for Fe3(NH2)3L (4). These results suggest that intercluster cooperativity is unlikely to predominate the dinitrogen reduction mechanism when 1 is treated with KC8 under N2.