Susanne Mossin

A Mononuclear Fe(III) Single Molecule Magnet with a 3/2↔5/2 Spin Crossover

The air stable complex [(PNP)FeCl(2)] (1) (PNP = N[2-P(CHMe(2))(2)-4-methylphenyl](2)(-)), prepared from one-electron oxidation of [(PNP)FeCl] with ClCPh(3), displays an unexpected S = 3/2 to S = 5/2 transition above 80 K as inferred by the dc SQUID magnetic susceptibility measurement. The ac SQUID magnetization data, at zero field and between frequencies 10 and 1042 Hz, clearly reveal complex 1 to have frequency dependence on the out-of-phase signal and thus being a single molecular magnet with a thermally activated barrier of U(eff) = 32-36 cm(-1) (47-52 K). Variable-temperature Mössbauer data also corroborate a significant temperature dependence in δ and ΔE(Q) values for 1, which is in agreement with the system undergoing a change in spin state. Likewise, variable-temperature X-band EPR spectra of 1 reveals the S = 3/2 to be likely the ground state with the S = 5/2 being close in energy. Multiedge XAS absorption spectra suggest the electronic structure of 1 to be highly covalent with an effective iron oxidation state that is more reduced than the typical ferric complexes due to the significant interaction of the phosphine groups in PNP and Cl ligands with iron. A variable-temperature single crystal X-ray diffraction study of 1 collected between 30 and 300 K also reveals elongation of the Fe-P bond lengths and increment in the Cl-Fe-Cl angle as the S = 5/2 state is populated. Theoretical studies show overall similar orbital pictures except for the d(z(2)) orbital, which has the most sensitivity to change in the geometry and bonding, where the quartet ((4)B) and the sextet ((6)A) states are close in energy.

Characterization of Cu-exchanged SSZ-13: a comparative FTIR, UV-Vis, and EPR study with Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-β with similar Si/Al and Cu/Al ratios.

Cu-SSZ-13 has been characterized by different spectroscopic techniques and compared with Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-β with similar Si/Al and Cu/Al ratios and prepared by the same ion exchange procedure. On vacuum activated samples, low temperature FTIR spectroscopy allowed us to appreciate a high concentration of reduced copper centres, i.e. isolated Cu(+) ions located in different environments, able to form Cu(+)(N2), Cu(+)(CO)n (n = 1, 2, 3), and Cu(+)(NO)n (n = 1, 2) upon interaction with N2, CO and NO probe molecules, respectively. Low temperature FTIR, DRUV-Vis and EPR analysis on O2 activated samples revealed the presence of different Cu(2+) species. New data and discussion are devoted to (i) [Cu-OH](+) species likely balanced by one framework Al atom; (ii) mono(μ-oxo)dicopper [Cu2(μ-O)](2+) dimers observed in Cu-ZSM-5 and Cu-β, but not in Cu-SSZ-13. UV-Vis-NIR spectra of O2 activated samples reveal an intense and finely structured d-d quadruplet, unique to Cu-SSZ-13, which is persistent under SCR conditions. This differs from the 22,700 cm(-1) band of the mono(μ-oxo)dicopper species of the O2 activated Cu-ZSM-5, which disappears under SCR conditions. The EPR signal intensity sets Cu-β apart from the others.

Structural, Spectroscopic, and Theoretical Elucidation of a Redox-Active Pincer-Type Ancillary Applied in Catalysis

Pincer-type ligands are believed to be very robust scaffolds that can support multifarious functionalities as well as highly reactive metal motifs applied in organometallic chemistry, especially in the realm of catalysis. In this paper, we describe the redox and, therefore, noninnocent behavior of a PNP (PNP- = N[2-P(CHMe2)2-4-methylphenyl]2) pincer ancillary bound to nickel. A combination of structural, spectroscopic, and theoretical techniques suggests that this type of framework can house an electron hole when coordinated to Ni(II).

Control of protein oligomerization symmetry by metal coordination: C2 and C3 symmetrical assemblies through Cu(II) and Ni(II) coordination.

We describe the metal-dependent self-assembly of symmetrical protein homooligomers from protein building blocks that feature appropriately engineered metal-chelating motifs on their surfaces. Crystallographic studies indicate that the same four-helix-bundle protein construct, MBPC-1, can self-assemble into C(2) and C(3) symmetrical assemblies dictated by Cu(II) and Ni(II) coordination, respectively. The symmetry inherent in metal coordination can thus be directly applied to biological self-assembly.

Synthesis and Characterization of Divalent Manganese, Iron, and Cobalt Complexes in Tripodal Phenolate/N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand Environments

Two novel tripodal ligands, (BIMPN(Mes,Ad,Me))(-) and (MIMPN(Mes,Ad,Me))(2-), combining two types of donor atoms, namely, NHC and phenolate donors, were synthesized to complete the series of N-anchored ligands, ranging from chelating species with tris(carbene) to tris(phenolate) chelating arms. The complete ligand series offers a convenient way of tuning the electronic and steric environment around the metal center, thus, allowing for control of the complexs reactivity. This series of divalent complexes of Mn, Fe, and Co was synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR, IR, and UV/vis spectroscopy as well as by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Variable-temperature SQUID magnetization measurements in the range from 2 to 300 K confirmed high-spin ground states for all divalent complexes and revealed a trend of increasing zero-field splitting |D| from Mn(II), to Fe(II), to Co(II) complexes. Zero-field (57)Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy of the Fe(II) complexes 3, 4, 8, and 11 shows isomer shifts δ that increase gradually as carbenes are substituted for phenolates in the series of ligands. From the single-crystal structure determinations of the complexes, the different steric demand of the ligands is evident. Particularly, the molecular structure of 1-in which a pyridine molecule is situated next to the Mn-Cl bond-and those of azide complexes 2, 4, and 6 demonstrate the flexibility of these mixed-ligand derivatives, which, in contrast to the corresponding symmetrical TIMEN(R) ligands, allow for side access of, e.g., organic substrates, to the reactive metal center.

A copper(II) thiolate from reductive cleavage of an S-nitrosothiol.

S-Nitrosothiols RSNO represent circulating reservoirs of nitric oxide activity in the plasma and play intricate roles in protein function control in health and disease. While nitric oxide has been shown to reductively nitrosylate copper(II) centers to form copper(I) complexes and ENO species (E = R(2)N, RO), well-characterized examples of the reverse reaction are rare. Employing the copper(I) β-diketiminate [Me(2)NN]Cu, we illustrate a clear example in which an RS-NO bond is cleaved to release NO(gas) with formation of a discrete copper(II) thiolate. The addition of Ph(3)CSNO to [Me(2)NN]Cu generates the three-coordinate copper(II) thiolate [Me(2)NN]CuSCPh(3), which is unstable toward free NO.

Variable temperature inelastic neutron scattering study of chromium(II) Tutton salt: manifestation of the 5E⊗e Jahn–Teller effect

Abstract Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) data are presented for the salt (ND 4 ) 2 Cr(OD 2 ) 6 (SO 4 ) 2 , which enable the zero-field-splitting of the 5 A g ( C i ) ground term of the [Cr(OD 2 ) 6 ] 2+ cation to be defined in the temperature range 1.5–297 K. Above ∼100 K, the energies of the INS transitions are strongly temperature-dependent, as are the documented Cr–O bond lengths. The experimental data are interpreted using a 5 E⊗e Jahn–Teller Hamiltonian perturbed by low symmetry strain. Good agreement is obtained using a parameter set analogous to that employed to describe the electronic and molecular structure of the [Cu(OD 2 ) 6 ] 2+ cation in the isostructural copper(II) salt.

Critical V2O5/TeO2 Ratio Inducing Abrupt Property Changes in Vanadium Tellurite Glasses

Transition metal containing glasses have unique electrical properties and are therefore often used for electrochemical applications, such as in batteries. Among oxide glasses, vanadium tellurite glasses exhibit the highest electronic conductivity and thus the high potential for applications. In this work, we investigate how the dynamic and physical properties vary with composition in the vanadium tellurite system. The results show that there exists a critical V(2)O(5) concentration of 45 mol %, above which the local structure is subjected to a drastic change with increasing V(2)O(5), leading to abrupt changes in both hardness and liquid fragility. Electronic conductivity does not follow the expected correlation to the valence state of the vanadium as predicted by the Mott-Austin equation but shows a linear correlation to the mean distance between vanadium ions. These findings could contribute to designing optimum vanadium tellurite compositions for electrochemical devices. The work gives insight into the mechanism of electron conduction in the vanadium tellurite systems.

Towards accurate structural characterization of metal centres in protein crystals: the structures of Ni and Cu T6 bovine insulin derivatives.

The level of structural detail around the metal sites in Ni2+ and Cu2+ T6 insulin derivatives was significantly improved by using a combination of single-crystal X-ray crystallography and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Photoreduction and subsequent radiation damage of the Cu2+ sites in Cu insulin was followed by XANES spectroscopy.

Site-Specific Reactivity of Copper Chabazite Zeolites with Nitric Oxide, Ammonia, and Oxygen

In situ electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was applied to dilute copper chabazite (CHA) zeolites under gas flows relevant for the selective catalytic reduction of NO with ammonia (NH3‐SCR). Under both reducing and oxidizing conditions, we observed differences in reactivity between the different monomeric copper sites present: Upon reduction of Cu2+ with NO+NH3, the rate is seen to depend on the NH3 coverage. Subsequent oxidation with O2 resulted in a clean EPR spectrum of only one type of copper site, whereas oxidation with NO+O2 gave two types of copper sites. The rate of oxidation differed significantly between the reaction with O2 alone and with NO+O2 together. Thus, it was revealed that [Cu(NH3)2]+ complexes, which are regarded to be only weakly associated with the framework, nevertheless have different reactivity depending on the Al distribution in the proximity. The observed differences in reactivity of the copper sites have implications for the mechanistic understanding of NH3‐SCR with Cu zeolites.