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[V2(HCyclal)2] is prepared by controlled oxidation of vanadium nanoparticles at 50 °C in toluene. The V(0) nanoparticles are synthesized in THF by reduction of VCl3 with lithium naphthalenide. They exhibit very small particle sizes of 1.2 ± 0.2 nm and a high reactivity (e.g. with air or water). By reaction of V(0) nanoparticles with the azacrown ether H4Cyclal, [V2(HCyclal)2] is obtained with deep green crystals and high yield. The title compound exhibits a V(III) dimer (V⋯V: 304.1(1) pm) with two deprotonated [HCyclal]3− ligands as anions. V(0) nanoparticles as well as the sole coordination of V(III) by a crown ether as the ligand and nitrogen as sole coordinating atom are shown for the first time. Magnetic measurements and computational results point to antiferromagnetic coupling within the V(III) couple, establishing an antiferromagnetic spin S = 1 dimer with the magnetic susceptibility determined by the thermal population of the total spin ranging from ST = 0 to ST = 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binuclear coinage metal phosphine complexes are examined under ion trap isolation in order to elucidate their noncovalent binding, structural properties and intrinsic electronic spectra. Our survey shows an intriguing order of electronic transitions obtained by in situ synthesis and mass-spectrometrically supported UV photodissociation spectroscopy on a series of six isolated homo- and heterobinuclear complexes of type [MM′(dcpm)2]2+ (M, M′ = CuI, AgI, AuI; dcpm = bis(dicyclohexyl-phosphino)methane). This approach provides the unique opportunity to study all possible coinage metal interactions within a fixed ligand framework. A successive blue-shift (33 700–38 500 cm−1; 297–260 nm) of the lowest-energy bright electronic transition energy in gas phase was observed in the order of Cu2 < CuAu < CuAg < Au2 < AgAu < Ag2. This order was reproduced by quantum chemical calculations using a scalar-relativistic GW-Bethe–Salpeter-equation (GW-BSE) approach. Theory ascribes the electronic bands of all complexes to metal-centered 1MC(dσ*–pσ) transitions revealing a strengthening of metal–metal′ (M–M′) binding upon excitation, in agreement to mass spetrometric results. A test of the correlation of transition energies with M–M′ distance by quantum chemical calculations of single point energies as a function of intermetallic distance indicates qualitative agreement with experimental results. However, the experimentally observed high sensitivity of spectroscopic shifts towards metal composition cannot be accounted for solely by M–M′ distance variation. The differences in electronic transitions are qualitatively rationalized by the varying (n + 1)s (n = 3, 4, 5) orbital contributions (increase from Cu2via CuAu/CuAg to Au2/AgAu/Ag2) within the nd(n + 1)s/p-hybridization for the ground electronic state of the different complexes, whereas the excited state (of (n + 1)p orbital character) shows significantly less variation in energy. In particular, the observed spectroscopic and mass spectrometric sequence for the Ag/Au complexes is traced back to the interplay of Pauli repulsion and variation in metal–ligand bond strength within the orbital hybridization model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heteroleptic copper(I) complexes, with a diimine as a chromophoric unit and a bulky diphosphine as an ancillary ligand, have the advantage of a reduced pseudo Jahn–Teller effect in their excited state over the corresponding homoleptic bis(diimine) complexes. Nevertheless, their lowest absorption lies generally between 350 to 500 nm. Aiming at a strong absorption in the visible by stable heteroleptic Cu(I) complexes, we designed a novel diimine based on 4-(benzo[g]quinoxal-2′-yl)-1,2,3-triazole derivatives. The large π-conjugation of the benzoquinoxaline moiety shifted bathochromically the absorption with regard to other diimine-based Cu(I) complexes. Adding another Cu(I) core broadened the absorption and extended it to considerably longer wavelengths. Moreover, by fine-tuning the structure of the dichelating ligand, we achieved a panchromatic absorption up to 700 nm with a high molar extinction coefficient of 8000 M−1 cm−1 at maximum (λ = 570 nm), making this compound attractive for light-harvesting antennae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of long-range interactions on the structure of complexes of Eu(III) with four 9-hydroxy-phenalen-1-one ligands (HPLN) and one alkaline earth metal dication [Eu(PLN)4AE]+ (AE: Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba) is analyzed. Through the [Eu(PLN)4Ca]+ complex, which is a charged complex with two metals—one of them a lanthanoid—and with four relatively fluxional π-ligands, the difficulties of describing such systems are identified. The inclusion of the D3(BJ) or D4 corrections to different density functionals introduces significant changes in the structure, which are shown to stem from the interaction between pairs of PLN ligands. This interaction is studied further with a variety of density functionals, wave-function based methods, and by means of the random phase approximation. By comparing the computed results with those from experimental evidence of gas-phase photoluminescence and ion mobility measurements it is concluded that the inclusion of dispersion corrections does not always yield structures that are in agreement with the experimental findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dinuclear gold(I) compounds are of great interest due to their aurophilic interactions that influence their photophysical properties. Herein, we showcase that gold–gold interactions can be influenced by tuning the electronic properties of the ligands. Therefore, various para substituted (R) N,N′-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)formamidinate ligands (pRXylForm; Xyl = 2,6-dimethylphenyl and Form = formamidinate) were treated with Au(tht)Cl (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) to give via salt metathesis the corresponding gold(I) compounds [pRXylForm2Au2] (R = –OMe, –Me, –Ph, –H, –SMe, and –CO2Me). All complexes showed intense luminescence properties at low temperatures. Alignment with the Hammett parameter σp revealed the trends in the 1H and 13C NMR spectra. These results showed the influence of the donor–acceptor abilities of different substituents on the ligand system which were confirmed with calculated orbital energies. Photophysical investigations showed their lifetimes in the millisecond range indicating phosphorescence processes and revealed a redshift with the decreasing donor ability of the substituents in the solid state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4,4-Bis(carbazol-9-yl)-2,2-biphenyl (CBP) is widely used as a host material in phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs). In the present study, we simulate the absorption spectra of CBP in gas and condensed phases, respectively, using the efficient time-dependent long-range corrected tight-binding density functional theory (TD-LC-DFTB). The accuracy of the condensed-phase absorption spectra computed using the structures obtained from classical molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) simulations is examined by comparison with the experimental absorption spectrum. It is found that the TD-LC-DFTB gas-phase spectrum is in good agreement with the GW-BSE spectrum, indicating TD-LC-DFTB is an accurate and robust method in calculating the excitation energies of CBP. For the condensed-phase spectrum, we find that the electrostatic embedding has a minor influence on the excitation energy. Computing accurate absorption spectra is a particular challenge since static and dynamic disorders have to be taken into account. The static disorder results from the molecular packing in the material, which leads to molecule deformations. Since these structural changes sensitively impact the excitation energies of the individual molecules, a proper representation of this static disorder indicates that a reasonable structural model of the material has been generated. The good agreement between computed and experimental absorption spectra is therefore an indicator for the structural model developed. Concerning dynamic disorder, we find that molecular changes occur on long timescales in the ns-regime, which requires the use of fast computation approaches to reach convergence. The structural models derived in this work are the basis for future studies of charge and exciton transfer in CBP and related materials, also concerning the degradation mechanisms of CBP-based PhOLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selective synthesis of bi- and trinuclear complexes featuring a tetradentate monoanionic PNNP ligand is presented. The binuclear coinage metal complexes show a typical fourfold coordination for Cu and Ag, which changes to a bifold coordination for Au. The latter is accompanied by an unusual charge separation. Optical properties are investigated using photoluminescence spectroscopy and complemented by time-dependent density-functional-theory calculations. All compounds demonstrate clearly distinguished features dependent on the metals chosen and differences in the complex scaffold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luminescent Cu(I) AlkylPyrPhos complexes with a butterfly-shaped Cu2I2 core and halogen containing ancillary ligands, with a special focus on fluorine, have been investigated in this study. These complexes show extremely high solubilities and a remarkable (photo)chemical stability in a series of solvents. A tunable emission resulting from thermally activated delayed fluorescence with high quantum yields was determined by luminescence and lifetime investigations in solvents and solids. Structures of the electronic ground states were analyzed by single crystal X-ray analysis. The structure of the lowest excited triplet state was determined by transient FTIR spectroscopy, in combination with quantum chemical calculations. With the obtained range of compounds we address the key requirement for the production of organic light emitting diodes based on solution processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Pb{Mn(CO)5}3][AlCl4] containing a trigonal planar PbMn3 cluster was obtained by the reaction of PbCl2 and Mn2(CO)10 in the ionic liquid [BMIm][AlCl4]. The title compound is composed of [Pb{Mn(CO)5}3]+ carbonyl cations and [AlCl4]− anions that are connected to infinite zig-zag chains. The [Pb{Mn(CO)5}3]+ cation exhibits a central PbMn3 cluster with three equal Pb–Mn single bonds, resulting in an almost equilateral triangle of three manganese atoms with a formal Pb+I in its center. Such a cluster and compound were identified for the first time. In addition to single-crystal structure analysis, the composition, structure and properties were further characterized by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), as well as optical spectroscopy (UV-Vis). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The germanium–iron cluster Ge12{Fe(CO)3}8(μ-I)4 was prepared by reacting GeI4 and Fe2(CO)9 in [BMIm]Cl/AlCl3 as ionic liquid (BMIm: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium). The cluster contains a Ge12Fe8 metal core consisting of a central Ge4 rectangle, two Ge2 pairs, and four single Ge atoms. These Ge units are interconnected by Fe atoms to a real Ge–Fe cluster. According to DFT calculations, Hund's localization criterion is fulfilled for the whole cluster if we assume three different atomic charges on the Ge4, Ge2, and Ge units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a combined investigation of europium(iii)9-oxo-phenalen-1-one (PLN) coordination complexes, [Eu(PLN)4AE]+ with AE = Mg, Ca, and Sr, using gas-phase photoluminescence, trapped ion-mobility spectrometry and density-functional computations. In order to sort out the structural impact of the alkali earth dications on the photoluminescence spectra, the experimental data are compared to the predicted ligand-field splittings as well as to the collision cross-sections for different isomers of [Eu(PLN)4AE]+. The best fitting interpretation is that one isomer family predominantly contributes to the recorded luminescence. The present work demonstrates the complexity of the coordination patterns of multicenter lanthanoid chelates involved in dynamical equilibria and the pertinence of using isolation techniques to elucidate their photophysical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combined quantum chemical and experimental study of the atropisomerization energies of di-para-substituted butyl-bridged biphenyl cyclophanes is presented. We studied the influence of electron donor and electron acceptor substituents on the height of the enantiomerization barrier and examined the enthalpic and entropic contributions. The reaction pathway with minimum and transition state structures was established using density functional theory calculations. The Gibbs free activation energies derived from this pathway correspond well to the ones determined by temperature dependent high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) measurements. Surprisingly, large discrepancies were found for the contributions of enthalpy and entropy. Thermodynamic data derived from circular dichroism (CD) measurements support the quantum chemical calculations for the distribution of enthalpy and entropy, contrary to the HPLC measurements. Rationalizations for this are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the spin state of nearest neighbours on the spin transition of a given centre has been modelled with density functional theory methods for the linear oligomeric Fe(ii) complexes of 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole ligands. The calculated parameter Hcoop which is equal to the difference in the LS → HS spin transition energy for a centre with two LS and two HS spin nearest neighbours, respectively, was found to be always positive, varying from 15 to 35 kJ mol−1 depending on the applied model and exchange–correlation functional. On the other hand Hcoop was found to be of negligible value for a model of a linear Fe(ii) complex of the more flexible alkylene-bis-tetrazole ligands. This corresponds well to the observed cooperative behaviour of the spin transition for the complexes of triazole derivatives and the gradual transition for the above bis-tetrazole ligands. The analysis of the bond distances in the optimised structures points towards elongation of the Fe–N bonds of the iron centre upon changing of the spin of the neighbours from low-spin to high-spin. This effect is related to the rigid nature of the bridging triazole ligand and is assumed to be the primary reason for the observed cooperativity. The presence of the next-to-nearest neighbour effects has been inferred. The effect of the softening of the Fe–N bonds in the LS centre distorted by the presence of the HS neighbours is also observed and its entropic effects are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the combined effects of counterpoise correction and basis set extrapolation on the second-order Møller–Plesset (MP2) geometries of three hydrogen bonded dimers, namely (NH3)2, (H2O)2 and (HF)2. For (NH3)2, we study three characteristic structures on its potential energy surface. In addition, we look at the basis set convergence when diffuse functions on the hydrogen atoms are left out, as well as the errors introduced by including core correlation with valence-only correlation-consistent basis sets. Overall, the counterpoise-corrected and extrapolated geometries appear to be very reliable and are in convincing agreement with the geometries from explicitly correlated MP2-F12 calculations. Obtaining geometries with errors of less than 0.001 Ångstrom and 0.5 degrees compared to the basis set limit is, however, even with these advanced methods a difficult task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ground-state N–Hπ interaction of 2-pyridone·benzene (2PY·Bz) has been studied by infrared-UV depletion spectroscopy of the supersonic-jet cooled complex [P. Ottiger et al., J. Phys. Chem. B (2009) 113, 2937]. Here, we investigate the large-amplitude vibrations of 2PY·Bz and its d1-2PY and benzene-d6isotopologues in the S1state, using two-color resonant two-photon ionization and UV-holeburning spectroscopies, complemented by RI-CC2 and SCS-RI-CC2 calculations of the S1state. The latter predict a tilted T-shaped structure with an N–Hπ hydrogen bond to the benzene ring, similar to the S0state. The binding energy is predicted to increase by 1.5 kJ mol−1upon S1← S0excitation, in close agreement with the experimental value of 1.2 kJ mol−1. The vibronic band structure up to 60 cm−1above the 000band is dominated by large-amplitude δtilting excitations, reflecting a change in the tilt angle of the T-shaped complex. The S0and S1state δpotentials were fitted to experiment, yielding a single minimum in the S0state and a double-minimum S1potential with δmin= ±13 degrees. The second large-amplitude vibration is the twisting or benzene internal-rotation mode. Due to the C6symmetry of the benzene moiety the S0and S1state potentials are sixfold symmetric. Analysis of the band structure reveals that the S0and S1potentials are mutually aligned and that the internal rotation barriers are V6(S0) < 0.2 kJ mol−1and V6(S1) = 0.10(1) kJ mol−1, in close agreement with the calculations. Weaker excitations of the totally symmetric intermolecular vibrations χ(shear), ω(bend) and σ(stretch) vibrations are also observed. The 2PY intramolecular ν1overtone, corresponding to an 2PY amide out-of-plane twist distortion, lies ∼30% higher than in bare 2PY, reflecting the hindrance of this motion by the strong N–Hπ interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the influence of the ligand on crystal growth, two new polycarboxylate ligands, 2-(carboxyphenyl)iminoacetic propanoic acid (H3cpiap) and 2-(carboxyphenyl)iminodipropanoic acid (H3cpidp), have been synthesized. The reaction of each with Cu(NO3)2·3H2O under similar reaction conditions yields two 1D coordination polymers {[Cu3(cpiap)2(H2O)3](µ-H2O)}n·7nH2O (1) and [Cu(H2cpidp)2(H2O)2]n·4nH2O (2), respectively. A T5(2) 1D water tape constructed from an edge-sharing cyclic pentamer has been observed in compound 1, in which the water chains interact with the 1D coordination polymer chains to form a 3D supramolecular binodal (5,8)-network through hydrogen-bonding interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new structural model for the oxygen evolving center in photosystem II was recently synthesized and characterized by Hewitt et al.(Chem. Commun., 2006, 2650). A simplified Heisenberg model Hamiltonian with only two independent constants was applied to extract the magnetic spin-coupling constants Jijof the mixed valent Mn4system. In the present study, all six possible coupling constants are calculated by ab initiomethods in order to obtain a detailed understanding of the magnetic behavior of the system. The broken symmetry approach of Noodleman is applied using density functional theory (DFT). Two different approaches are compared. On the one hand, the coupling constants are obtained from calculations on eight different determinants which describe the high-spin state as well as different broken-symmetry states of the tetranuclear cluster. On the other hand, a pair approach that permits a direct calculation of the individual coupling constants is used. For the pair approach, the coupling constants are also obtained from modified CASCI (complete active space configuration interaction) calculations. With the different sets of coupling constants, the full Heisenberg Hamiltonian of the four center problem is used to calculate the magnetic susceptibilities, which are then compared with the experimental values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first example of a pseudo-ortho metallation on [2.2]paracyclophane is presented, giving easy access to enantiopure compounds of this type. By slight modification of the directing group, metallation of the ortho- and C2-positions is possible. The mechanism was further investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[V 2 (HCyclal) 2 ] is prepared by controlled oxidation of vanadium nanoparticles at 50 °C in toluene. The V(0) nanoparticles are synthesized in THF by reduction of VCl 3 with lithium naphthalenide. They exhibit very small particle sizes of 1.2 ± 0.2 nm and a high reactivity ( e.g. with air or water). By reaction of V(0) nanoparticles with the azacrown ether H 4 Cyclal, [V 2 (HCyclal) 2 ] is obtained with deep green crystals and high yield. The title compound exhibits a V(III) dimer (V⋯V: 304.1(1) pm) with two deprotonated [HCyclal] 3- ligands as anions. V(0) nanoparticles as well as the sole coordination of V(III) by a crown ether as the ligand and nitrogen as sole coordinating atom are shown for the first time. Magnetic measurements and computational results point to antiferromagnetic coupling within the V(III) couple, establishing an antiferromagnetic spin S = 1 dimer with the magnetic susceptibility determined by the thermal population of the total spin ranging from S T = 0 to S T = 2.

Heteroleptic copper(I) complexes, with a diimine as a chromophoric unit and a bulky diphosphine as an ancillary ligand, have the advantage of a reduced pseudo Jahn-Teller effect in their excited state over the corresponding homoleptic bis(diimine) complexes. Nevertheless, their lowest absorption lies generally between 350 to 500 nm. Aiming at a strong absorption in the visible by stable heteroleptic Cu(I) complexes, we designed a novel diimine based on 4-(benzo[ g ]quinoxal-2'-yl)-1,2,3-triazole derivatives. The large π-conjugation of the benzoquinoxaline moiety shifted bathochromically the absorption with regard to other diimine-based Cu(I) complexes. Adding another Cu(I) core broadened the absorption and extended it to considerably longer wavelengths. Moreover, by fine-tuning the structure of the dichelating ligand, we achieved a panchromatic absorption up to 700 nm with a high molar extinction coefficient of 8000 M -1 cm -1 at maximum ( λ = 570 nm), making this compound attractive for light-harvesting antennae.

Dinuclear gold(I) compounds are of great interest due to their aurophilic interactions that influence their photophysical properties. Herein, we showcase that gold-gold interactions can be influenced by tuning the electronic properties of the ligands. Therefore, various para substituted (R) N , N '-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)formamidinate ligands ( p RXylForm; Xyl = 2,6-dimethylphenyl and Form = formamidinate) were treated with Au(tht)Cl (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) to give via salt metathesis the corresponding gold(I) compounds [ p RXylForm 2 Au 2 ] (R = -OMe, -Me, -Ph, -H, -SMe, and -CO 2 Me). All complexes showed intense luminescence properties at low temperatures. Alignment with the Hammett parameter σ p revealed the trends in the 1 H and 13 C NMR spectra. These results showed the influence of the donor-acceptor abilities of different substituents on the ligand system which were confirmed with calculated orbital energies. Photophysical investigations showed their lifetimes in the millisecond range indicating phosphorescence processes and revealed a redshift with the decreasing donor ability of the substituents in the solid state.

A selective synthesis of bi- and trinuclear complexes featuring a tetradentate monoanionic PNNP ligand is presented. The binuclear coinage metal complexes show a typical fourfold coordination for Cu and Ag, which changes to a bifold coordination for Au. The latter is accompanied by an unusual charge separation. Optical properties are investigated using photoluminescence spectroscopy and complemented by time-dependent density-functional-theory calculations. All compounds demonstrate clearly distinguished features dependent on the metals chosen and differences in the complex scaffold.

Astonishingly, 3-hydroxyisonicotinealdehyde (HINA) is despite its small size a green-emitting push-pull fluorophore in water (QY of 15%) and shows ratiometric emission response to biological relevant pH differences (p K a2 ∼ 7.1). Moreover, HINA is the first small-molecule fluorophore reported that possesses three distinctly emissive protonation states. This fluorophore can be used in combination with metal complexes for fluorescent-based cysteine detection in aqueous media, and is readily taken up by cells. The theoretical description of HINA's photophysics remains challenging, even when computing Franck-Condon profiles via coupled-cluster calculations, making HINA an interesting model for future method development., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Luminescent Cu(i) AlkylPyrPhos complexes with a butterfly-shaped Cu 2 I 2 core and halogen containing ancillary ligands, with a special focus on fluorine, have been investigated in this study. These complexes show extremely high solubilities and a remarkable (photo)chemical stability in a series of solvents. A tunable emission resulting from thermally activated delayed fluorescence with high quantum yields was determined by luminescence and lifetime investigations in solvents and solids. Structures of the electronic ground states were analyzed by single crystal X-ray analysis. The structure of the lowest excited triplet state was determined by transient FTIR spectroscopy, in combination with quantum chemical calculations. With the obtained range of compounds we address the key requirement for the production of organic light emitting diodes based on solution processing.

[Pb{Mn(CO)5}3][AlCl4] containing a trigonal planar PbMn3 cluster was obtained by the reaction of PbCl2 and Mn2(CO)10 in the ionic liquid [BMIm][AlCl4]. The title compound is composed of [Pb{Mn(CO)5}3]+ carbonyl cations and [AlCl4]- anions that are connected to infinite zig-zag chains. The [Pb{Mn(CO)5}3]+ cation exhibits a central PbMn3 cluster with three equal Pb-Mn single bonds, resulting in an almost equilateral triangle of three manganese atoms with a formal Pb+I in its center. Such a cluster and compound were identified for the first time. In addition to single-crystal structure analysis, the composition, structure and properties were further characterized by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), as well as optical spectroscopy (UV-Vis).

The germanium-iron cluster Ge 12 {Fe(CO) 3 } 8 (μ-I) 4 was prepared by reacting GeI 4 and Fe 2 (CO) 9 in [BMIm]Cl/AlCl 3 as ionic liquid (BMIm: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium). The cluster contains a Ge 12 Fe 8 metal core consisting of a central Ge 4 rectangle, two Ge 2 pairs, and four single Ge atoms. These Ge units are interconnected by Fe atoms to a real Ge-Fe cluster. According to DFT calculations, Hund's localization criterion is fulfilled for the whole cluster if we assume three different atomic charges on the Ge 4 , Ge 2 , and Ge units.

We have investigated the gas phase triplet state lifetimes and dispersed fluorescence spectra of several types of rhodamine cations confined in a quadrupole ion trap and thermalized to 85 K. The measured triplet lifetimes of rhodamine cations Rh6G(+), Rh575(+), RhB(+), and Rh101(+) are found to be on the order of seconds, several orders of magnitude longer than those typically observed for the same dyes in optical condensed phase measurements. In addition dispersed fluorescence emission spectra in the gas phase at 85 K have been measured. The experimental gas phase results as well as solution measurements are compared to density functional calculations and the previous literature. Possible explanations for the discrepancy of gas and solution phase triplet lifetimes are discussed.

Photoelectron spectra of isolated [M-BDSZ](3-) (BDSZ = bisdisulizole, M = H, Li, Na, K, Cs) triply charged anions exhibit a dominant constant electron kinetic energy (KE) detachment feature, independent of detachment wavelengths over a wide UV range. Photoelectron imaging spectroscopy shows that this constant KE feature displays an angular distribution consistent with delayed rather than direct electron emission. Time-resolved pump-probe (388 nm/775 nm) two-colour photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that the constant KE feature results from two simultaneously populated excited states, which decay at different rates. The faster of the two rates is essentially the same for all the [M-BDSZ](3-) species, regardless of M. The slower process is associated with lifetimes ranging from several picoseconds to tens of picoseconds. The lighter the alkali cation is, the longer the lifetime of this state. Quantum chemical calculations indicate that the two decaying states are in fact the two lowest singlet excited states of the trianions. Each of the two corresponding photoexcitations is associated with significant charge transfer. However, electron density is transferred from different ends of the roughly chain-like molecule to its aromatic center. The energy (and therefore the decay rate) of the longer-lived excited state is found to be influenced by polarization effects due to the proximal alkali cation complexed to that end of the molecule. Systematic M-dependent geometry changes, mainly due to the size of the alkali cation, lead to M-dependent shifts in transition energies. At the constant pump wavelength this leads to different amounts of vibrational energy in the respective excited state, contributing to the variations in decay rates. The current experiments and calculations confirm excited state electron tunneling detachment (ESETD) to be the mechanism responsible for the observed constant KE feature. The ESETD phenomenon may be quite common for isolated multiply charged anions, which are strong fluorophores in the condensed phase - making ESETD useful for studies of the transient response of such species after electronic excitation.

The influence of electron donors and electron acceptors of variable strength in the 4 and 4' position of 2 and 2' propyl-bridged axial chiral biphenyl cyclophanes on their atropisomerization process was studied. Estimated free energies ΔG(‡)(T) of the rotation around the central biphenyl bond which were obtained from (1)H-NMR coalescence measurements were correlated to the Hammett parameters σ(p) as a measure for electron donor and acceptor strength. It is demonstrated that the resulting nice linear correlation is mainly based on the influence of the different substituents on the π-system of the biphenyl cyclophanes. By lineshape analysis the rate constants were calculated and by the use of the Eyring equation the enthalpic and entropic contributions were evaluated. Density functional theory calculations show a planar transition state of the isomerization process and the calculated energy barriers based on this reaction mechanism are in good agreement with the experimentally obtained free energies.

By reacting Fe(CO)(5) and SnI(4) in the ionic liquids [XIm][NTf(2)] (XIm: 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium/EMIm, 1-ethyl-imidazolium/EHIm, 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium/PMIm; NTf(2): bistrifluoridomethansulfonimide), the compounds [XIm][FeI(CO)(3)(SnI(3))(2)] are obtained as transparent, dark red crystals. According to single-crystal structure analysis, the title compounds crystallize monoclinically and contain the anionic carbonyl complex [FeI(CO)(3)(SnI(3))(2)](-) as well as [EMIm](+), [EHIm](+) or [PMIm](+) cations. The anionic carbonyl is composed of a Sn-Fe-Sn barbell-shaped building unit with Fe-Sn distances of 252.0(1) pm. Herein, tin is coordinated distorted tetrahedrally by iodine; iron is coordinated pseudo-octahedrally by three carbonyl ligands, one iodine atom and two tin atoms. Bonding situation and valence state are investigated in detail for [EMIm][FeI(CO)(3)(SnI(3))(2)] based on bond-lengths considerations, infrared spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, density functional theory and DFT-based Mulliken population analysis. Hence, the formal oxidation state of the metal atoms can be concluded to Fe(±0) and Sn(3+).

The gas-phase unimolecular decay kinetics of an anionic, open-cage [60] fullerene derivative encapsulating one water molecule is studied by means of black-body IR radiation induced dissociation (BIRD) in the temperature programmable ion trap of a Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer. The primary reaction channel observed is escape of the water molecule from the fullerenoid bowl. The rate constants for this water loss as a function of temperature are evaluated using the Arrhenius equation to yield an activation energy of 104 ± 4 kJ mol(-1). A complementary ion mobility spectrometry study contrasting the water-encapsulated and the empty fullerene cages finds identical collision cross sections to within experimental error-supporting the structural assignment of this gas-phase anion as an endohedral (i.e. encapsulated) species. Both experiments were compared with quantum-chemical computations which well-describe the transition state for water desorption and the concomitant binding and activation energies., (This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011)

A new structural model for the oxygen evolving center in photosystem II was recently synthesized and characterized by Hewitt et al. (Chem. Commun., 2006, 2650). A simplified Heisenberg model Hamiltonian with only two independent constants was applied to extract the magnetic spin-coupling constants J(ij) of the mixed valent Mn(4) system. In the present study, all six possible coupling constants are calculated by ab initio methods in order to obtain a detailed understanding of the magnetic behavior of the system. The broken symmetry approach of Noodleman is applied using density functional theory (DFT). Two different approaches are compared. On the one hand, the coupling constants are obtained from calculations on eight different determinants which describe the high-spin state as well as different broken-symmetry states of the tetranuclear cluster. On the other hand, a pair approach that permits a direct calculation of the individual coupling constants is used. For the pair approach, the coupling constants are also obtained from modified CASCI (complete active space configuration interaction) calculations. With the different sets of coupling constants, the full Heisenberg Hamiltonian of the four center problem is used to calculate the magnetic susceptibilities, which are then compared with the experimental values.

A density functional theory (DFT) study of fullerene hydrides C(58)H(2x) (2x = 2,4,...,34) is presented. We consider two relevant isomers, the most stable classical isomer C(58)-C(3v) and the energetically close non-classical isomer C(58)-C(s), which contains a heptagonal ring. Iterative pairwise addition of hydrogen atoms to only the energetically favoured products of the previous iteration yields a set of low energy structures for each composition. From these, low energy pathways are extracted. Analysis of the C-H binding energies along the reaction pathways is performed to identify particularly stable hydride compositions. These are 2x = 6,18,28,34 for C(58)-C(s) and 2x = 10,26,30 for C(58)-C(3v). We therefore suggest that these hydrides are preferably formed in hydrogenation experiments and that it should be possible to distinguish between the two C(58) isomers. We further investigate the dimer formation based on low energy C(58)H(2) addition patterns. All dimers show binding energies of more than 1 eV whereby dispersion interactions play a significant role. Both C(58) isomers can also undergo further aggregation. This leads us to the conclusion that in the absence of other reactant molecules C(58) will form intercage bonds and cannot be isolated in molecular form, which is in accordance with experimental results.

In the recent years, Slater-type geminals (STGs) have been used with great success to expand the first-order wave function in an explicitly-correlated perturbation theory. The present work reports on this theory's implementation in the framework of the Turbomole suite of programs. A formalism is presented for evaluating all of the necessary molecular two-electron integrals by means of the Obara-Saika recurrence relations, which can be applied when the STG is expressed as a linear combination of a small number (n) of Gaussians (STG-nG geminal basis). In the Turbomole implementation of the theory, density fitting is employed and a complementary auxiliary basis set (CABS) is used for the resolution-of-the-identity (RI) approximation of explicitly-correlated theory. By virtue of this RI approximation, the calculation of molecular three- and four-electron integrals is avoided. An approximation is invoked to avoid the two-electron integrals over the commutator between the operators of kinetic energy and the STG. This approximation consists of computing commutators between matrices in place of operators. Integrals over commutators between operators would have occurred if the theory had been formulated and implemented as proposed originally. The new implementation in Turbomole was tested by performing a series of calculations on rotational conformers of the alkanols n-propanol through n-pentanol. Basis-set requirements concerning the orbital basis, the auxiliary basis set for density fitting and the CABS were investigated. Furthermore, various (constrained) optimizations of the amplitudes of the explicitly-correlated double excitations were studied. These amplitudes can be optimized in orbital-variant and orbital-invariant manners, or they can be kept fixed at the values governed by the rational generator approach, that is, by the electron cusp conditions. Electron-correlation effects beyond the level of second-order perturbation theory were accounted for by conventional coupled-cluster calculations with single, double and perturbative triple excitations [CCSD(T)]. The explicitly-correlated perturbation theory results were combined with CCSD(T) results and compared with literature data obtained by basis-set extrapolation.

Fluorobenzenes are pi-acceptor synthons that form pi-stacked structures in molecular crystals as well as in artificial DNAs. We investigate the competition between hydrogen bonding and pi-stacking in dimers consisting of the nucleobase mimic 2-pyridone (2PY) and all fluorobenzenes from 1-fluorobenzene to hexafluorobenzene (n-FB, with n = 1-6). We contrast the results of high level ab initio calculations with those obtained using ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) laser spectroscopy of isolated and supersonically cooled dimers. The 2PY.n-FB complexes with n = 1-5 prefer double hydrogen bonding over pi-stacking, as diagnosed from the UV absorption and IR laser depletion spectra, which both show features characteristic of doubly H-bonded complexes. The 2-pyridone.hexafluorobenzene dimer is the only pi-stacked dimer, exhibiting a homogeneously broadened UV spectrum and no IR bands characteristic for H-bonded species. MP2 (second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory) calculations overestimate the pi-stacked dimer binding energies by about 10 kJ/mol and disagree with the experimental observations. In contrast, the MP2 treatment of the H-bonded dimers appears to be quite accurate. Grimme's spin-component-scaled MP2 approach (SCS-MP2) is an improvement over MP2 for the pi-stacked dimers, reducing the binding energy by approximately 10 kJ/mol. When applied to explicitly correlated MP2 theory (SCS-MP2-R12 approach), agreement with the corresponding coupled-cluster binding energies [at the CCSD(T) level] is very good for the pi-stacked dimers, within +/- 1 kJ/mol for the 2PY complexes with 1-fluorobenzene, 1,2-difluorobenzene, 1,2,4,5-tetrafluorobenzene, pentafluorobenzene and hexafluorobenzene. Unfortunately, the SCS-MP2 approach also reduces the binding energy of the H-bonded species, leading to disagreement with both coupled-cluster theory and experiment. The SCS-MP2-R12 binding energies follow the SCS-MP2 binding energies closely, being about 0.5 and 0.7 kJ/mol larger for the H-bonded and pi-stacked forms, respectively, in an augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence quadruple-zeta basis. It seems that the SCS-MP2 and SCS-MP2-R12 methods cannot provide sufficient accuracy to replace the CCSD(T) method for intermolecular interactions where H-bonding and pi-stacking are competitive.

Efficient self-consistent field (SCF) schemes including both scalar relativistic effects and spin-orbit (SO) interactions at Hartree-Fock (HF) and density functional (DFT) levels are presented. SO interactions require the extension of standard procedures to two-component formalisms. Efficiency is achieved by using effective core potentials (ECPs) and by employing the resolution-of-the-identity approximation for the Coulomb part (RI-J) in pure DFT calculations as well as also for the HF-exchange part (RI-JK) in the case of HF or hybrid-DFT treatments. The procedures were implemented in the program system TURBOMOLE; efficiency is demonstrated for comparably large systems, such as Pb54. Relevance of SO effects for electronic structure and stability is illustrated by treatments of small Pb and Po clusters with and without accounting for SO effects.

Density functional, multireference configuration interaction, and modified valence configuration interaction calculations are used to investigate the electronic structure and spin coupling of the dinuclear [Fe(2)(hpdta)(H(2)O)(3)Cl] complex (H(5)hpdta = Hydroxypropane-1,3-diamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid). The density functional calculations give evidence of both, states with local high-spin iron centres and states with local low-spin iron centres, the relative energy of which strongly depends on the functional. The splitting of states due to the spin coupling between the high-spin iron centres varies by more than a factor of two for different functionals. In an attempt to study to what extent it is possible to undertake configuration interaction calculations on such binuclear compounds, multireference configuration interaction calculations are performed on a [Fe(2)(OH)(5)(H(2)O)(3)(NH(3))(2)Cl] model complex. The results show that, when correlating only the ten iron 3d orbitals and the four valence orbitals of the bridging OH group, the calculated splitting is still by a factor of about 3 smaller than the value for the splitting inferred from magnetic susceptibility measurements. Modified valence configuration interaction calculations are performed to approximately take into account the influence of orbital relaxation effects of all occupied orbitals in the excited configurations. The exchange splitting is significantly increased, but still smaller than the experimental value.

The explicitly-correlated coupled-cluster method CCSD(T)(R12) is extended to include F12 geminal basis functions that decay exponentially with the interelectronic distance and reproduce the form of the average Coulomb hole more accurately than linear-r(12). Equations derived using the Ansatz 2 strong orthogonality projector are presented. The convergence of the correlation energy with orbital basis set for the new CCSD(T)(F12) method is studied and found to be rapid, 98% of the basis set limit correlation energy is typically recovered using triple-zeta orbital basis sets. The performance for reaction enthalpies is assessed via a test set of 15 reactions involving 23 molecules. The title statement is found to hold equally true for total and relative correlation energies.

The reactivity of diatomic titanium with molecular nitrogen has been investigated in rare gas matrices. The formation of Ti2N2 from the condensation of effusive beams of Ti and N2 in neon and argon matrices is observed after sample deposition. Our results also show that the in situ formation results from the spontaneous reaction at 9 K of ground state Ti2 with N2. Several low-lying excited states of Ti2N2 are also observed between 0.78 and 1.1 eV above the ground state, leading to a complex sequence of interacting vibronic transitions, merging into a broad continuum above 1.25 eV. Observations of Ti2(14)N2, Ti2(15)N2 and Ti2(14)N(15)N isotopic data enable the determination of all fundamental vibrations in the ground electronic state. Semi-empirical harmonic potential calculations lead to estimates of 3.22 N cm(-1) for the Ti-N bond force constant and 90 +/- 5 degrees for the bond angles. Comparisons with TiN diatomic data suggest a near square-planar structure with 175 +/- 3 pm TiN bond distance. Quantum chemical calculations at various levels indicate a 1A(g) ground state with a Ti-N distance close to 180 pm and 89 degrees for the NTiN bond angle, and give fundamental frequencies in excellent agreement with the experimentally observed values. Further MRCI calculations on all low-lying states enable an interpretation of the complex electronic spectrum in the NIR region.

A new solid material has been created in ultra high vacuum by utilizing the aggregation process of C58 molecules deposited onto highly oriented pyrolytic graphite from a mass selected low-energy ion beam comprising C58+. Cluster fluxes of up to 3x10(11) ions s-1 cm-2 with impinging kinetic energies of 6+/-0.5 eV were typically applied. Growth of the solid C58 phase proceeds according to the cluster-aggregation-based Volmer-Weber scenario where initially ramified 2D islands transform into 3D pyramid-like structures at higher coverages. The C58 films created exhibit much higher thermal stability than the C60 solid phase. Sublimation of C58 sets in at a temperature of 700 K. Ultraviolet photoionization spectra (He I, 21.2 eV) yield a molecular ionization potential in the range between 6.6 and 7 eV. Density functional and Hartree-Fock theories suggest that the formation of C58 dimers and higher multimers upon deposition/aggregation gives rise to the high thermal stability and unique electronic properties of this material.