Metal cluster expansion by addition of low valent group 14 reagents: III. Reaction of bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]tin with M3(CO)12 or its derivatives (M = Fe, Ru, or Os): the crystal and molecular structures of M3(μ-SnR2)2(CO)10(R = CH(SiMe3)2; M = Ru or Os)

The stannylene [SnR2] (R = CH(SiMe3)2) reacts in different ways with the three dodecacarbonyls of the iron triad: [Fe3(CO)12] gives [Fe2(CO)8(μ-SnR2)], [Ru3(CO)12] gives the planar pentametallic cluster [Ru3(CO)10(μ-SnR2)2], for which a full structural analysis is reported, while [Os3(CO)12] fails to react. Different products are also obtained from three nitrile derivatives: [Fe3-(CO)11(MeCN)] gives [Fe2(CO)6(μ-SnR2)2], which has a structure significantly different from that of known Fe2Sn2 clusters, [Ru3(CO)10(MeCN)2] gives the pentametallic cluster described above, while [Os3(CO)10(MeCN)2] gives the isostructural osmium analogue, which shows the unusual feature of a CO group bridging two osmium atoms.

Isolation, structure, chemistry, and photochemistry of cis-bis(2,2'-bipyridyl)carbonylchlororuthenium(II) perchlorate

The molecular structure and chemical and photochemical reactions of [Ru(bpy)2(CO)Cl]+ClO4–, which has been isolated from the reaction of ruthenium trichloride and 2,2′-bipyridyl(bpy) in dimethylformamide, are described.

Tuning the solubilities of bis-triazinylphenanthroline ligands (BTPhens) and their complexes

A series of bis-triazinylphenanthroline ligands (BTPhens) was synthesized by modifying the triazine substituents. It was found that varying these substituents altered the solubilities of the ligands in a number of non-polar solvents. Thus C5-BTPhen showed significantly higher solubility in octanol than C1-BTPhen. The high solubility of C5-BTPhen and its complexes was exploited to facilitate the NMR titration experiments. These experiments shown that the dominant species in solution were the 1:2 complexes [Ln(III)(BTPhen)2], even at high Ln concentrations, and that the relative stability of the 2:1 to 1:1 BTPhen-Ln complexes varied with different lanthanides. C5-BTPhen therefore shows considerable promise for a once-through selective actinide separation process.

Influence of diluent alkyl substitution on the extraction of Am(III) and Eu(III) by a 6,6'-bis(1,2,4-triazinyl)-2,2'-bipyridine ligand dissolved in alkylated cyclohexanone diluents

Several alkylated cyclohexanones were investigated as potential diluents for the selective extraction of Am(III) and Eu(III) from nitric acid solutions by the CyMe4-BTBP ligand. No significant extraction of either of the metal ions was observed for these diluents themselves. In the extractions from 1 M HNO3, 3-methylcyclohexanone and 4-methylcyclohexanone gave comparable results to cyclohexanone whereas in the extractions from 4 M HNO3, 2-methylcyclohexanone, 3-methylcyclohexanone and 4-methylcyclohexanone all gave superior results. For the monomethylated diluents, DAm and SFAm/Eu decreased in the order of alkyl substitution 2 > 4 ~ 3. However, alkyl substitution of cyclohexanone significantly slows down the extraction kinetics compared to cyclohexanone, and the position of alkyl substitution was found to play an important role in the solvents properties. 3-Methylcyclohexanone was identified as the most promising of the diluents.

Mixed copper, silver, and gold cyanides, (MxM′1–x)CN: tailoring chain structures to influence physical properties

Binary mixed-metal variants of the one-dimensional MCN compounds (M = Cu, Ag, and Au) have been prepared and characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, vibrational spectroscopy, and total neutron diffraction. A solid solution with the AgCN structure exists in the (CuxAg1–x)CN system over the range (0 ≤ x ≤ 1). Line phases with compositions (Cu1/2Au1/2)CN, (Cu7/12Au5/12)CN, (Cu2/3Au1/3)CN, and (Ag1/2Au1/2)CN, all of which have the AuCN structure, are found in the gold-containing systems. Infrared and Raman spectroscopies show that complete ordering of the type [M–C≡N–M′–N≡C−]n occurs only in (Cu1/2Au1/2)CN and (Ag1/2Au1/2)CN. The sense of the cyanide bonding was determined by total neutron diffraction to be [Ag–NC–Au–CN−]n in (Ag1/2Au1/2)CN and [Cu–NC–Au–CN−]n in (Cu1/2Au1/2)CN. In contrast, in (Cu0.50Ag0.50)CN, metal ordering is incomplete, and strict alternation of metals does not occur. However, there is a distinct preference (85%) for the N end of the cyanide ligand to be bonded to copper and for Ag–CN–Cu links to predominate. Contrary to expectation, aurophilic bonding does not appear to be the controlling factor which leads to (Cu1/2Au1/2)CN and (Ag1/2Au1/2)CN adopting the AuCN structure. The diffuse reflectance, photoluminescence, and 1-D negative thermal expansion (NTE) behaviors of all three systems are reported and compared with those of the parent cyanide compounds. The photophysical properties are strongly influenced both by the composition of the individual chains and by how such chains pack together. The NTE behavior is also controlled by structure type: the gold-containing mixed-metal cyanides with the AuCN structure show the smallest contraction along the chain length on heating.

From BTBPs to BTPhens: the effect of ligand pre-organization on the extraction properties of quadridentate bis-triazine ligands

The synthesis, lanthanide complexation and solvent extraction of An(III) and Ln(III) radiotracers from nitric acid solutions by a pre-organized, phenanthroline-derived bis-triazine ligand CyMe4-BTPhen are described. It was found that the ligand separated Am(III) and Cm(III) from the lanthanides with remarkably high efficiency, high selectivity, and faster extraction kinetics compared to its 2,2’-bipyridine counterpart CyMe4-BTBP. The origins of the ligands extraction properties were established by a combination of solvent extraction experiments, X-ray crystallography, kinetics and surface tension measurements and lanthanide NMR spectroscopy.

Copper deposition on TiO2 from copper(II)hexafluoroacetylacetonate

The authors have studied the adsorption of CuII(hfac)2 on the surface of a model oxide system, TiO2(110), and probed the molecular stability with respect to thermal cycling, using atomic scale imaging by scanning tunneling microscopy supported by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. They find that at 473 K, the adsorbed metal-organic molecules begin to dissociate and release Cu atoms which aggregate and form Cu nanoparticles. These Cu nanoparticles ripen over time and the size (height) distribution develops into a bimodal distribution. Unlike other organometallic systems, which show a bimodal distribution due to enhanced nucleation or growth at surface step edges, the nanoparticles do not preferentially form at steps. The reduced mobility of the Cu islands may be related to the co-adsorbed ligands that remain in very small clusters on the surface.

The effect of copper(II), iron(II) sulphate and vitamin C combinations on the weak antimicrobial activity of (+)-catechin against Staphylococcus aureus and other microbes

Few attempts have been made to improve the activity of plant compounds with low antimicrobial efficacy. (+)-Catechin, a weak antimicrobial tea flavanol, was combined with putative adjuncts and tested against different species of bacteria. Copper(II) sulphate enhanced (+)-catechin activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa but not Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis or Escherichia coli. Attempts to raise the activity of (+)-catechin against two unresponsive species, S. aureus and E. coli, with iron(II) sulphate, iron(III) chloride, and vitamin C, showed that iron(II) enhanced (+)-catechin against S. aureus, but not E. coli; neither iron(III) nor combined iron(II) and copper(II), enhanced (+)-catechin activity against either species. Vitamin C enhanced copper(II) containing combinations against both species in the absence of iron(II). Catalase or EDTA added to active samples removed viability effects suggesting that active mixtures had produced H2O2via the action of added metal(II) ions. H2O2 generation by (+)-catechin plus copper(II) mixtures and copper(II) alone could account for the principal effect of bacterial growth inhibition following 30 minute exposures as well as the antimicrobial effect of (+)-catechin–iron(II) against S. aureus. These novel findings about a weak antimicrobial flavanol contrast with previous knowledge of more active flavanols with transition metal combinations. Weak antimicrobial compounds like (+)-catechin within enhancement mixtures may therefore be used as efficacious agents. (+)-Catechin may provide a means of lowering copper(II) or iron(II) contents in certain crop protection and other products.

Insertion of a hydroxido bridge into a diphenoxido dinuclear copper(II) complex: drastic change of the magnetic property from strong antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic and enhancement in the catecholase activity

A diphenoxido-bridged dinuclear copper(II) complex, [Cu2L2(ClO4)(2)] (1), has been synthesized using a tridentate reduced Schiff base ligand, 2-[[2-(diethylamino)-ethylamino]methyl]phenol (HL). The addition of triethylamine to the methanolic solution of this complex produced a novel triple bridged (double phenoxido and single hydroxido) dinuclear copper(II) complex, [Cu2L2(OH)]ClO4 (2). Both complexes 1 and 2 were characterized by X-ray structural analyses, variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements, and spectroscopic methods. In 1, the two phenoxido bridges are equatorial-equatorial and the species shows strong antiferromagnetic coupling with J = -615.6(6.1) cm(-1). The inclusion of the equatorial-equatorial hydroxido bridge in 2 changes the Cu center dot center dot center dot Cu distance from 3.018 angstrom (avg.) to 2.798 angstrom (avg.), the positions of the phenoxido bridges to axial-equatorial, and the magnetic coupling to ferromagnetic with J = 50.1(1.4) cm(-1). Using 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol as the substrate, the catecholase activity of the complexes has been studied in a methanol solution; compound 2 shows higher catecholase activity (k(cat) = 233.4 h(-1)) than compound 1 (k(cat) = 93.6 h(-1)). Both complexes generate identical species in solution, and they are interconvertible simply by changing the pH of their solutions. The higher catecholase activity of 2 seems to be due to the presence of the OH group, which increases the pH of its solution.

Cooperative metal-ligand-induced properties of heteroleptic copper(I) xanthate/dithiocarbamate PPh3 complexes

Four new heteroleptic mononuclear complexes, [Cu(PPh3)2L1](1) {L1 = (C9H11O2CS2), [2-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]xanthate}, [Cu(PPh3)2L2] (2) [L2 = (C6H7OCS2), benzylxanthate], [Cu(PPh3)2L3] (3) [L3 = (C5H9OCS2), (cyclobutylmethyl)xanthate] and [Cu(PPh3)2L4] (4) [L4 = (NC13H13NCS2), N-benzyl-N-(4-pyridylmethyl)dithiocarbamate], have been synthesized and characterized by using microanalysis, IR, UV/Vis, 1H, 13C and 31P NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography; their photoluminescent behaviour and molecular electrical conductivity have been investigated. CuI possesses four-coordinate distorted tetrahedral geometry in all the complexes. All are weakly conducting and exhibit semiconductor behaviour in the studied 303363 K temperature range. Complex 4 shows striking luminescent behaviour emitting bluish green light at 480 nm in CH2Cl2 solution at room temperature

1,1′-Bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene bridging two mono(cyclopentadienyl) cobalt moieties: synthesis, structure, electrochemistry and DFT studies

Reaction of [Co(eta(5)-C5H5)(CO)(2)], 1, with 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf) yields the new trinuclear complex [Co(eta(5)-C5H5)(CO)](2)(mu-dppf), 2, which was structurally characterised by single crystal X-ray diffraction and showed two Co(eta(5)-C5H5)(CO) moieties covalently linked by a dppf bridge. Electrochemical studies in dichloromethane revealed that both Co(I) and Fe(II) in the precursors were oxidized to Co(II)/Co(III) and Fe(III), respectively. On the other hand, in 2 the two first oxidation waves were assigned to Co, the Fe(II) centre requiring a higher potential than in free dppf. DFT calculations showed that the HOMOs of 2 were localised in the Co fragments, owing to the destabilisation of the Co(eta(5)-C5H5)(CO) orbitals after binding dppf.

Synthesis, characterization and molecular structure of 1,1′ bis (diphenyl phosphino ferrocene) dioxide complex of the cis-uranyl dichloride

A 1,1' bis(diphenyl phosphino ferrocene) dioxide complex of the uranyl dichloride was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, H-1, P-31{H-1} NMR and X-ray diffraction methods. The structure of the compound shows that the uranium(VI) ion is surrounded by four oxygen and two chlorine atoms in an octahedral geometry. Two oxygen atoms from the bis (diphenyl phosphino ferrocene) dioxide and two chlorine atoms form a square planar arrangement. Two uranyl oxygen atoms occupy the axial positions. The bis(diphenyl phosphino ferrocene) dioxide ligand acts as a bidentate chelating ligand with a bite angle of 82.90(16)degrees around the uranyl group. The two chlorine atoms are mutually cis with a CI-U-Cl angle of 97.75(7)degrees.

Facile in situ copper(ii) mediated C–S bond activation transforming dithiocarbimate to carbamate and thiocarbamate generating Cu(ii) and Cu(i) complexes

Facile in situ Cu(II) mediated transformation of p-tolylsulfonyldithiocarbimate in conjunction with polypyridyl or phosphine ligands into corresponding carbamate and thiocarbamate led to the formation of new copper complexes with varying nuclearities and geometries, via C-S bond activation of the ligand within identical reaction systems.