Stefano Zacchini

Methylated Re(I) tetrazolato complexes: photophysical properties and Light Emitting Devices

The irreversible reaction of methyl triflate with neutral Re(I) tetrazolato complexes of the type fac-[Re(diim)(CO)3(L)], where diim is either 1,10-phenanthroline or 2,2-bipyridine and L is a para substituted 5-aryltetrazolate, yielded the corresponding cationic methylated complexes. While methylation occurred regioselectively at the N4 position of the tetrazole ring, the cationic complexes were found to exist in solution as equilibrating mixtures of linkage isomers, where the Re(i) centre was bound to either the N1 or N2 atom of the tetrazole ring. The existence of these isomers was highlighted both by NMR and X-ray crystallography studies. On the other hand, the two isomers appeared indistinguishable by IR, UV-Vis and luminescence spectroscopy. The prepared cationic complexes are all brightly phosphorescent in fluid and rigid solutions, with emission originating from triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited states. Compared to their neutral precursors, which emit from admixtures of triplet metal-to-ligand and ligand-to-ligand charge transfer states, the methylated complexes exhibit blue-shifted emission characterised by elongated excited state lifetimes and increased quantum yields. The nature of the excited states for both the neutral and the methylated complexes was probed by resonance Raman spectroscopy and with the aid of time-dependent density functional theory calculations. Lastly, both the neutral and the methylated species were used as emitting phosphors in the fabrication of Organic Light Emitting Diodes and Light Emitting Electrochemical Cells.

A structurally-characterized NbCl5–NHC adduct

The selective reactions of niobium pentachloride with two bulky NHC carbenes afforded NbCl5(NHC) complexes, bearing the highest oxidation state ever found for a metal centre in a transition metal halide-NHC adduct. The X-ray structure of 2a is the first one reported for a monodentate NHC-niobium species, and exhibits an abnormally long Nb-C bond.

Oxidative Dimerization of Triarylamines Promoted by WCl6, Including the Solid State Isolation and the Crystallographic Characterization of a Triphenylammonium Salt

The triphenylammonium salt [NHPh3][WCl6], 1, and the product of the C-C dimerization of triphenylamine, Ph2N(C6H4)2NPh2, 2, were afforded from the reaction between WCl6 and NPh3 in CH2Cl2. Compound 2 was isolated in 43% yield upon hydrolysis of the reaction mixture. The X-ray structure of 1 provides the first crystallographic characterization of the triphenylammonium ion. Combined EPR and DFT studies gave insight into the reaction mechanism, and allowed the identification of WCl5···[Cl(C6H4)NPh2] as a presumable key intermediate. The reactions of WCl6 with 4-bromotriphenylamine, 4,4-dimethyltriphenylamine, 9-phenylcarbazole, followed by hydrolytic treatment, led to the dimerization products 3-6, in admixture with variable amounts of the parent amines. N,N,N,N-tetrakis(4-bromophenyl)-[1,1-biphenyl]-4,4-diamine, 3, was isolated in 60% yield from the reaction of WCl6 with 4,4-dibromotriphenylamine.

Syntheses, Structures, and Electrochemistry of the Defective ccp [Pt33(CO)38]2– and the bcc [Pt40(CO)40]6– Molecular Nanoclusters

The molecular [Pt33(CO)38](2-) nanocluster was obtained from the thermal decomposition of Na2[Pt15(CO)30] in methanol. The reaction of [Pt19(CO)22](4-) with acids (1-2 equiv) affords the unstable [Pt19(CO)22](3-) trianion, which evolves with time leading eventually to the [Pt40(CO)40](6-) hexa-anion. The total structures of both nanoclusters were determined via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. [Pt33(CO)38](2-) displays a defective ccp Pt33 core and shows that localized deformations occur in correspondence of atomic defects to repair them. In contrast, [Pt40(CO)40](6-) shows a bcc Pt40 core and represents the largest Pt cluster with a body-centered structure. The rich electrochemistry of the two high-nuclearity platinum carbonyl clusters was studied by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The redox changes of [Pt33(CO)38](2-) show features of chemical reversibility and electrochemical quasi-reversibility, and the vibrational spectra in the CO stretching region of the nine redox forms of the cluster [Pt33(CO)38](n) (n = 0 to -4, -6 to -9) are reported. Almost all the redox processes exhibited by [Pt40(CO)40](6-) are chemically and electrochemically reversible, and the eight oxidation states of [Pt40(CO)40] from -4 to -11 were spectroscopically characterized. The effect of the more regular bcc Pt-carbonyl cluster structure of [Pt40(CO)40](6-) with respect to that of the defective ccp Pt33 core on the redox behavior is discussed.

The chlorinating behaviour of WCl6 towards α-aminoacids

Cl/O interchange took place when WCl6 was allowed to interact with a series of α-aminoacids. The α-ammonium-acylchloride salts [NH2(CH2)3CHC(O)Cl][WOCl5], 1a, and [MeNH2CH2C(O)Cl][WOCl5], 1b, were afforded in ca. 55% yields from the reactions of WCl6 with, respectively, L-proline and sarcosine in CH2Cl2. By using other reaction media (hexane or CHCl3), the α-amino-acylchloride complexes WOCl4[O=C(Cl)CH(CH2)3NH2], 5a, and WOCl4[O=C(Cl)CH(R)NHR] (R = H, R = Me, 5b; R = R = H, 5c; R = Me, R = H, 5d) were isolated in moderate to good yields from WCl6 and, respectively, L-proline, sarcosine, glycine and L-alanine. The formation of 5a,b is basically the result of HCl release from the parent compounds 1a,b. 5a represents a key intermediate in the course of the reaction leading to (WOCl4)2[μ:κ(2)(O)-dkp], 2, dkp = (S,S)-octahydrodipyrrolo[1,2-a:1,2-d]pyrazine-5,10-dione. 2 was optimally prepared from WCl6/L-proline under high temperature conditions. Hydrolytic treatment of 2 afforded the L-proline-derived 2,5-diketopiperazine (dkp), which was finally isolated with an overall yield of 70%. 1a,b were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, thus providing very rare examples of crystallographically characterized acylchloride derivatives of α-aminoacids. DFT calculations were extensively carried out in order to shed light on structural and mechanistic features.

A simple route to thermally-stable salts of pyrrolidinium-2-carbonylchloride

The chlorination of the carboxylic acid unit of α-aminoacids is an important reaction in organic synthesis, and the resulting compounds are usually seen as reactive intermediate species. Herein we report a straightforward procedure to obtain [MCl6]− salts (M = Nb, 2a; Ta, 2b) of the L-proline-derivative (pyrrolidinium-2-carbonylchloride). These are stable up to 80 °C, in the solid state as well as in organic solvents. The X-ray structures determined for 2a,b include the first example of a crystallographically-characterized α-ammonium-acylchloride.

A total scattering Debye function analysis study of faulted Pt nanocrystals embedded in a porous matrix.

Faulted face-centred cubic platinum nanocrystals, grown within a nanoporous silica matrix, have been extensively characterized by the Debye function analysis method applied to wide-angle synchrotron X-ray total scattering data. A method for building databases of sampled interatomic distances of weakly faulted materials is proposed, maintaining statistical significance and allowing complete populations of differently sized and shaped nanocrystals to be used within the DEBUSSY approach. This study suggests that anisotropic Pt nanoclusters are formed in the presence of a shape-directing (templating) agent, and tentatively describes the effects of post-synthetic temperature treatments on fault probability, size, shape and dispersion of the nanocrystal populations. Surface relaxation effects are also observed in the smallest particles.

Homoleptic and heteroleptic Au(I) complexes containing the new [Co5C(CO)12](-) cluster as ligand.

The new [{Co5C(CO)12}Au{Co(CO)4}](-), , cluster has been obtained from the reaction of [Co6C(CO)15](2-) with two equivalents of [AuCl4](-). reacts with an excess of HBF4 resulting in the formation of [{Co5C(CO)12}2Au](-), . The new derivatives [Co5C(CO)12(AuPPh3)], , and [Co5C(CO)11(AuPPh3)3], , have been obtained by reacting with two and four equivalents of [Au(PPh3)Cl], respectively. All the new species have been structurally characterised by means of X-ray crystallography as their [NEt4][], [NEt4][], [NMe3(CH2Ph)][], and thf·0.5C6H14 salts and solvates. may be viewed as a homoleptic Au(i) complex containing two [Co5C(CO)12](-) clusters as ligands. Similarly, and are heteroleptic Au(i) complexes containing one [Co5C(CO)12](-) cluster ligand as well as [Co(CO)4](-) or PPh3. Conversely, contains the [Co5C(CO)11](3-) cluster stabilized by three [AuPPh3](+) fragments. and have been investigated in solution by means of electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical methods, revealing a very rich redox propensity to form the closely related (n = 1-3) and (n = 0-3) species.

Bimetallic Fe–Au Carbonyl Clusters Derived from Collman’s Reagent: Synthesis, Structure and DFT Analysis of Fe(CO)4(AuNHC)2 and [Au3Fe2(CO)8(NHC)2]−

The reaction of the Collman’s reagent Na2Fe(CO)4 with two equivalents of Au(NHC)Cl (NHCxa0=xa0IMes, IPr, IBu) in thf results in the bimetallic Fe(CO)4(AuNHC)2 (NHCxa0=xa0IMes, 2; IPr, 3; IBu, 4; IMesxa0=xa0C3N2H2(C6H2Me3)2; IPrxa0=xa0C3N2H2(C6H3iPr2)2; IBuxa0=xa0C3N2H2(CMe3)2) clusters in good yields. Heating 2 in dmf at 100xa0°C results in the higher nuclearity cluster [Au3Fe2(CO)8(IMes)2]− (5). 2–5 have been fully characterized via IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies and their structures determined by means of single crystal X-ray crystallography. Gas-phase DFT calculations were carried out on 2–5 and the model compound cis-Fe(CO)4(AuIDM)2 (6) (IDMxa0=xa0C3N2H2Me2), in order to better understand the metal–metal and metal–ligand interactions in these compounds without the influence of packing forces.

Heteroleptic Chini-Type Platinum Clusters: Synthesis and Characterization of Bis-Phospine Derivatives of [Pt3n(CO)6n]2– (n = 2–4)

The reactions of [Pt3n(CO)6n]2- (n = 2-4) homoleptic Chini-type clusters with stoichiometric amounts of Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2 (dppe) result in the heteroleptic Chini-type clusters [Pt6(CO)10(dppe)]2-, [Pt9(CO)16(dppe)]2-, and [Pt12(CO)20(dppe)2]2-. Their formation is accompanied by slight amounts of neutral species such as Pt4(CO)4(dppe)2, Pt6(CO)6(dppe)3, and Pt(dppe)2. A similar behavior was observed with the chiral ligand R-Ph2PCH(Me)CH2PPh2 (R-dppp), and two isomers of [Pt9(CO)16(R-dppp)]2- were identified. All the new species were spectroscopically characterized by means of IR and 31P NMR, and their structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results obtained are compared to those previously reported for monodentate phosphines, that is, PPh3, as well as more rigid bidentate ligands, that is, CH2═C(PPh2)2 (P^P), CH2(PPh2)2 (dppm), and o-C6H4(PPh2)2 (dppb). From a structural point of view, functionalization of anionic platinum Chini clusters preserves their triangular Pt3 units, whereas the overall trigonal prismatic structures present in the homoleptic clusters are readily deformed and transformed upon functionalization. Such transformations may be just local deformations, as found in [Pt9(CO)16(dppe)]2-, [Pt9(CO)16(R-dppp)]2-, [Pt12(CO)22(PPh3)2]2-, and [Pt9(CO)16(PPh3)2]2-; an inversion of the cage from trigonal prismatic to octahedral, as observed in [Pt6(CO)10(dppe)]2- and [Pt6(CO)10(PPh3)2]2-; the reciprocal rotation of two trigonal prismatic units with the loss of a Pt-Pt contact as found in [Pt12(CO)20(dppe)2]2-.