Synthesis, structure and characterizations in solid state and solution of dinuclear pentacoordinated FeII and MnII complexes and of a linear tetranuclear FeIII complex obtained with the ligand N,N,N',N'-tetrakis[(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)methyl]propane-1,3-diamine

International audienceTwo neutral complexes [(L634M)Fe2Cl4]*2H2O*2CHCl3 (1) and [(L634M)Mn2Cl4]*CH3CN (2) have been synthesized {L634M = N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis[(6-methyl-2-pyridyl)methyl]propane-1,3-diamine} and their molecular structures established by X-ray crystallography. Both structures are similar, with each metal center in a trigonal-bipyramidal environment. No magnetic coupling is observed between the metal centers. UV/Vis spectra and cyclic voltammograms were recorded in CH2Cl2 and CH3CN solutions. Both complexes are stable in CH2Cl2, whereas only 2 is stable in CH3CN. On the contrary, 1 is in equilibrium with another FeII species in CH3CN. When this last solution is aerated, monocrystals of the neutral linear tetranuclear complex [(L634M)Fe4(μ-O)3Cl6]*2CH3CN (3) can be isolated. Its structure is unusual with two FeIII ions pentacoordinate and the two others tetracoordinate with only chloro ligands and oxo bridges. The magnetic properties reveal that two consecutive metal centers are strongly antiferromagnetically coupled. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004

Activation of a water molecule using a mononuclear Mn complex: from Mn-aquo, to Mn-hydroxo, to Mn-oxyl via charge compensation

Activation of a water molecule by the electrochemical oxidation of a Mn-aquo complex accompanied by the loss of protons is reported. The sequential (2 × 1 electron/1 proton) and direct (2 electron/2 proton) proton-coupled electrochemical oxidation of a non-porphyrinic six-coordinated Mn(II)OH2 complex into a mononuclear Mn(O) complex is described. The intermediate Mn(III)OH2 and Mn(III)OH complexes are electrochemically prepared and analysed. Complete deprotonation of the coordinated water molecule in the Mn(O) complex is confirmed by electrochemical data while the analysis of EXAFS data reveals a gradual shortening of an Mn–O bond upon oxidation from Mn(II)OH2 to Mn(III)OH and Mn(O). Reactivity experiments, DFT calculations and XANES pre-edge features provide strong evidence that the bonding in Mn(O) is best characterized by a Mn(III)-oxyl description. Such oxyl species could play a crucial role in natural and artificial water splitting reactions. We provide here a synthetic example for such species, obtained by electrochemical activation of a water ligand

Electrochemical formation and reactivity of a manganese peroxo complex: acid driven H2O2 generation vs. O-O bond cleavage

International audienceThe formation of a side-on peroxo [(MnL)-L-III(O-2)] complex (L = phenolato-containing pentadentate ligand), resulting from the reaction of electrochemically reduced O-2 and [(MnL)-L-II](+), is monitored in DMF using cyclic voltammetry, low temperature electronic absorption spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Mechanistic studies based on cyclic voltammetry reveal that upon addition of a strong acid the Mn-O bond is broken, resulting in the release of H2O2, whereas in the presence of a weak acid the O-O bond is cleaved via a concerted dissociative electron transfer. This dichotomy of MO versus O-O bond cleavage is unprecedented for peroxomanganese(III) complexes and the latter offers a route for electrochemical O-2 activation by a manganese(II) complex

Metal–Polypyridyl Catalysts for Electro- and Photochemical Reduction of Water to Hydrogen

Climate change, rising global energy demand, and energy security concerns motivate research into alternative, sustainable energy sources. In principle, solar energy can meet the world's energy needs, but the intermittent nature of solar illumination means that it is temporally and spatially separated from its consumption. Developing systems that promote solar-to-fuel conversion, such as via reduction of protons to hydrogen, could bridge this production-consumption gap, but this effort requires invention of catalysts that are cheap, robust, and efficient and that use earth-abundant elements. In this context, catalysts that utilize water as both an earth-abundant, environmentally benign substrate and a solvent for proton reduction are highly desirable. This Account summarizes our studies of molecular metal-polypyridyl catalysts for electrochemical and photochemical reduction of protons to hydrogen. Inspired by concept transfer from biological and materials catalysts, these scaffolds are remarkably resistant to decomposition in water, with fast and selective electrocatalytic and photocatalytic conversions that are sustainable for several days. Their modular nature offers a broad range of opportunities for tuning reactivity by molecular design, including altering ancillary ligand electronics, denticity, and/or incorporating redox-active elements. Our first-generation complex, [(PY4)Co(CH3CN)2](2+), catalyzes the reduction of protons from a strong organic acid to hydrogen in 50% water. Subsequent investigations with the pentapyridyl ligand PY5Me2 furnished molybdenum and cobalt complexes capable of catalyzing the reduction of water in fully aqueous electrolyte with 100% Faradaic efficiency. Of particular note, the complex [(PY5Me2)MoO](2+) possesses extremely high activity and durability in neutral water, with turnover frequencies at least 8500 mol of H2 per mole of catalyst per hour and turnover numbers over 600 000 mol of H2 per mole of catalyst over 3 days at an overpotential of 1.0 V, without apparent loss in activity. Replacing the oxo moiety with a disulfide affords [(PY5Me2)MoS2](2+), which bears a molecular MoS2 triangle that structurally and functionally mimics bulk molybdenum disulfide, improving the catalytic activity for water reduction. In water buffered to pH 3, catalysis by [(PY5Me2)MoS2](2+) onsets at 400 mV of overpotential, whereas [(PY5Me2)MoO](2+) requires an additional 300 mV of driving force to operate at the same current density. Metalation of the PY5Me2 ligand with an appropriate Co(ii) source also furnishes electrocatalysts that are active in water. Importantly, the onset of catalysis by the [(PY5Me2)Co(H2O)](2+) series is anodically shifted by introducing electron-withdrawing functional groups on the ligand. With the [(bpy2PYMe)Co(CF3SO3)](1+) system, we showed that introducing a redox-active moiety can facilitate the electro- and photochemical reduction of protons from weak acids such as acetic acid or water. Using a high-throughput photochemical reactor, we examined the structure-reactivity relationship of a series of cobalt(ii) complexes. Taken together, these findings set the stage for the broader application of polypyridyl systems to catalysis under environmentally benign aqueous conditions